Chapter 737: Equal to the Gods
Everyone laughed, shook their heads, and scattered in all directions. What Lăng Thiên Tôn was explaining was too profound, too arcane—they simply couldn't understand it.
They had originally gathered around Lăng Thiên Tôn to listen to this genius young woman speak of her years of enlightenment and insights, to learn her divine techniques and dharma methods.
But now, the things Lăng Thiên Tôn was speaking of were so mysterious and abstruse that they were utterly incomprehensible—clearly she had lost her mind. Listening to a madwoman's ravings would surely be a waste of this Dao Pond gathering!
Soon, the space around Lăng Thiên Tôn was completely empty, leaving only Tần Mục, Khai Hoàng, and Old Ox.
Khai Hoàng lowered his voice and said: "Dũng Giang."
Tần Mục's heart tightened. He nodded, but at the same time felt deeply puzzled.
Dũng Giang—the river waters flowed ceaselessly, from west to east, day and night without pause. This great river might well be the current Thiên Hà. Judging by the flow of the water, Dũng Giang did not conform to the divine technique Lăng Thiên Tôn described—one that would make matter eternally frozen.
Unless... although the waters of Dũng Giang flowed, all the particles of water composing the river remained in a frozen state. The flow was merely an illusion; in truth, this river flowed from the past into the future.
The river water had always been still; what moved were the materials surrounding the river.
But such a divine technique was simply too inconceivable. The principles involved were already beyond Tần Mục's ability to comprehend or understand.
"Perhaps what doesn't move isn't Dũng Giang, but the mist..." A vague idea formed in his mind, though he didn't know how such a divine technique could be created.
Dũng Giang did indeed seem to be a point connecting the past, present, and future. Both times he had inexplicably traveled back to the past, it was because he had stepped into the source of Dũng Giang and encountered the mist phenomenon that he had been mysteriously transported through time.
This kind of time travel was either caused by Dũng Giang, or caused by the mist!
Lăng Thiên Tôn was still somewhat indignant, sneering: "They're all mediocrities, all talentless fools! When I create the divine technique that makes matter unchanging, unaltering, unvarying, and unadding—then you'll all know there's no such thing as time! This senior brother, you understand me, don't you?"
She revealed a look of hopeful expectation.
"Elder sister Lăng, I understand you very well."
Tần Mục suddenly said: "I understand your thinking. Changing matter, tracing back to what was before—it can allow a person to reverse-grow from old age back to their youthful appearance, and can even bring the dead back to life. But this isn't rewinding time; it's rewinding matter."
Khai Hoàng nodded: "I understand too. We use creation divine techniques to make plants grow, animals grow, to make them grow up quickly and mature—but this isn't a time technique, it's a creation technique. Creation techniques work by altering the internal arrangement of matter within plants and animals to make them grow. This isn't letting them enter the future ahead of time."
Old Ox couldn't understand, so he could only flap his ox ears, staring wide-eyed, utterly bewildered.
Lăng Thiên Tôn was very frustrated. She kicked at her worn-out shoes, her toes poking out, and said dejectedly: "But they don't understand me, don't believe me—even Ngự Thiên Tôn and the others think I'm crazy. Is it only when I make all the matter in the universe freeze, make matter flow backward, that they'll realize they were wrong and I was right?"
Tần Mục shuddered. Make all the matter in the universe flow backward?
This woman's thinking was truly dangerous!
But then again, no one possessed such terrifying magical power.
"Elder sister Lăng, you should continue walking down your own path. Perhaps in the not-too-distant future, you'll encounter someone who traveled back to the past through your divine technique, proving that the world's opinion of you was wrong."
Tần Mục smiled and encouraged: "Keep going, keep walking forward—prove that you're right!"
Lăng Thiên Tôn was greatly encouraged, but then shook her head, saying gloomily: "I don't know if I can prove it. I'm so lonely. Almost everyone says the Lăng Thiên Tôn of those days no longer exists, that only a madwoman remains... You two are among the very few people I've met who can understand me. Let's study together!"
Her eyes brightened again, her expectant gaze falling on them, and she said eagerly: "I've been researching alone, with no fellow cultivators to walk with or exchange ideas. I'm truly afraid that one day I'll give up. I don't want to become the madwoman in everyone's eyes!"
Tần Mục hesitated for a moment, then shook his head: "I don't have much time to stay here. Elder sister Lăng, how about this—these days, you stay with us. We'll discuss and research together. My intelligence and his may not be as high as yours, but we can still help you solve some difficult problems. When the day comes for us to leave a few months from now, you can decide whether you want to be a madwoman. What do you think?"
Khai Hoàng's heart stirred, and he looked at him: "He knows we'll be leaving in a few months? What else does he know? This fellow seems to know me quite well. And he also seems to harbor some hostility toward me. Could he be my future enemy? The one who knows me best is none other than my opponent."
Lăng Thiên Tôn's eyes lit up, and she laughed: "As long as you don't mind me being a bit crazy and a bit slovenly, then I'll stay with you for these few months. These days, many of my former friends have come to despise me..."
Tần Mục said: "I only see elder sister's spirit, not her form. In my eyes, elder sister is a goddess—peerless and unmatched!"
Lăng Thiên Tôn was moved. She still used her wooden hairpin to pin up her hair, and said: "This Dao Pond gathering also has a palace for me. Let's go there to research. Although Ngự Thiên Tôn thinks I'm wrong, he's still decent—he gave me a palace."
The three of them followed her. Khai Hoàng asked: "The current Heavenly Court has many ancient gods, and this is the period of the Heavenly Court gathering. Why would Ngự Thiên Tôn be able to hold a gathering at the Dao Pond? Shouldn't the Dao Pond be the residence of some ancient god?"
"The Dao Pond is a place of pleasure in the rear palace."
Lăng Thiên Tôn walked forward and said: "The Empress greatly appreciates Ngự Thiên Tôn. Since the Empress and the Heavenly Emperor naturally had to attend this Heavenly Court gathering in person, she granted the Dao Pond to Ngự Thiên Tôn, allowing him to hold the Dao Pond gathering."
"The Empress appreciates Ngự Thiên Tôn and gave him the Dao Pond to hold his gathering?" Tần Mục and Khai Hoàng exchanged a glance, each lost in thought.
They had never met this Ngự Thiên Tôn, but anyone who could connect with the Empress must be a smooth and diplomatic figure—someone skilled at navigating all social situations. He was more than just a genius who had opened the Thai Thai Divine Treasury.
Just as they were speaking, a voice came over: "Lăng Thiên Tôn, are you still researching that so-called 'time doesn't exist' technique?"
Lăng Thiên Tôn stopped in her tracks, her expression somewhat displeased. This girl had no guile—whatever she felt showed on her face. She said irritably: "Hỏa Thiên Tôn, what do you mean, 'time doesn't exist' technique?"
Tần Mục, Khai Hoàng, and Old Ox looked toward the speaker. A young man was walking toward them, his body wrapped in interweaving crimson patterns that coiled around his form, forming robes that seemed like fire yet weren't fire.
Behind his head appeared a peculiar phenomenon—a vertical halo, an oval ring seemingly composed of flames. Whether it was true fire or not was unclear.
"No wonder he's called Hỏa Thiên Tôn."
Tần Mục curiously sized him up, thinking: "So this is the founder of the Thiên Nhân Divine Treasury? Lăng Thiên Tôn's talent was already stunning enough, but this Hỏa Thiên Tôn must also be extraordinary!"
He had now met two of the Seven Heavenly Venerables. Both should be at the Thần Kiều realm. Compared to those mighty ancient gods in the Heavenly Court, their cultivation and strength weren't particularly high.
Even compared to demigods, the Seven Heavenly Venerables' strength was nothing impressive.
Yet it was precisely these young men and women who were called Heavenly Venerables.
They were called Heavenly Venerables not because of their cultivation, but because of their achievements.
Hỏa Thiên Tôn saw Tần Mục, Khai Hoàng, and Old Ox, and was briefly startled, but didn't pay them any mind. He said: "You've been wasting your intelligence and talent on useless things for too long. Since you opened the Lục Hợp Divine Treasury, you've made no further accomplishments—all because you've devoted yourself entirely to proving time doesn't exist! With your wisdom and talent, if you didn't squander your energy but instead focused on breaking through the seven great divine treasuries, then the first to break through might well be you!"
Lăng Thiên Tôn shook her head: "Ngự Thiên Tôn is smarter than me, and better at maneuvering than me. He was the first to open a divine treasury. The reason he's been quiet for the past few hundred years is that his gaze has been set on higher and farther horizons. He's the one destined to be the first to transcend the divine treasuries—not me."
Hỏa Thiên Tôn hated that she wouldn't fight for herself, and said angrily: "Ngự Thiên Tôn told me personally that you're the smartest of us Seven Heavenly Venerables. If you put your mind to another realm, he wouldn't stand a chance. He said it himself! Now, he's already broken through, achieving a monumental accomplishment—allowing cultivators to not die, allowing cultivators to stand alongside the ancient gods. This achievement should have been yours!"
The peachwood hairpin on Lăng Thiên Tôn's head was knocked loose by the force of his aura, and her hair scattered. The young woman took out a silk ribbon and tied her hair into a ponytail, shaking her head: "That's just another realm. If not dying could make one a god, I could have already made cultivators immortal long ago. This senior brother just told me that the technique I created is called the creation divine technique—as long as one cultivates my technique, physical immortality is effortless."
Hỏa Thiên Tôn frowned slightly, the ring of fire behind him swaying gently. He looked at Tần Mục and shook his head: "You believe the words of a street charlatan?"
Tần Mục smiled slightly, greeted him with a bow, and said: "A humble latecomer pays respects to Hỏa Thiên Tôn. Hỏa Thiên Tôn, I have paper and brush here—could you sign your name on this paper? I'm from a small place and haven't seen much of the world. If I could obtain Hỏa Thiên Tôn's signature, it would bring glory to my ancestors!"
He took out paper and brush, presented them before Hỏa Thiên Tôn, and revealed an expectant expression.
Seeing his sincere look, Hỏa Thiên Tôn couldn't refuse. As if possessed, he picked up the brush and wrote his name on the paper, then barked: "I don't care where you're from—if you try to mislead Lăng Thiên Tôn, I won't stand for it! Letting her research that nonsense about time not existing, wasting her youth and her time! Ngự Thiên Tôn created a realm where cultivators can live as long as the ancient gods, yet you tell Lăng Thiên Tôn that her damn creation technique can do the same! If you keep misleading her, I'll beat you to death!"
Tần Mục looked embarrassed and said: "The name 'creation divine technique' was my suggestion, but I never said the creation divine technique could grant immortality."
Hỏa Thiên Tôn's expression softened slightly: "I misjudged you..."
Tần Mục continued: "However, the creation divine technique can indeed achieve immortality without cultivating to godhood—living as long as the gods. On this point, elder sister Lăng wasn't wrong at all."
Lăng Thiên Tôn said joyfully: "The one who understands me best is still you!"
Hỏa Thiên Tôn's face immediately darkened: "Give me back my signature! I won't give it to you anymore!"
Tần Mục hastily tucked away the brush, ink, and paper, laughing: "No, I'll have use for it later."
Hỏa Thiên Tôn flew into a rage. He reached out and struck, shouting: "Let me beat this charlatan who deceives people to death first!"
Tần Mục shook his body and manifested three heads and six arms. A rapid series of thumping impacts rang out, and Hỏa Thiên Tôn crashed through a great hall with a thunderous boom, tumbling out of sight, leaving a trail of firelight behind him!
Khai Hoàng was startled and nearly cried out: "A Thần Kiều realm Heavenly Venerable—how is he so weak?"
Tần Mục was also startled. He hadn't used his full strength just now—only eighty or ninety percent—but his attack speed was so fast that Hỏa Thiên Tôn was sent flying before he could even display his abilities.
Still, as a Thần Kiều realm Heavenly Venerable, his strength was far too weak, wasn't it?
Even compared to the Thần Kiều realm cultivators of Diên Khang, he was a notch inferior.
"This era is too ancient—the techniques and dharma methods are still quite crude."
He thought to himself: "I can't go all out. If I do, I might kill some ancestor-level figure..."
Khai Hoàng glared at him fiercely and said in a low voice: "If you dare strike again, I won't forgive you!"
Tần Mục smiled and snorted lightly: "It's not like I deliberately sent Hỏa Thiên Tôn flying. Besides, do you have better skills than mine?"
Behind them, Old Ox's head was as big as a bucket: "This is what men are like—they flip their faces as easily as flipping pages!"
Lăng Thiên Tôn, however, was extremely excited. Staring at Tần Mục's three heads and six arms, she clapped her hands and laughed: "This is the creation divine technique, isn't it? Your creation divine technique is even stronger than mine! Even without cultivating the realm Ngự Thiên Tôn created, you can live forever, equal to the gods!"
—Children's Day, tearfully begging for monthly tickets~~