Chapter 821: Stealing the Power of the Four Emperors (Long Chapter, Requesting Monthly Tickets)
One towering divine demon after another rose to their feet, gazing at the young man walking toward them.
The military tally symbolized identity, proof of authority to mobilize troops. The Ten Guards of the Heavenly Court recognized the tally, not the person.
The Ten Guards of the Heavenly Court swore loyalty only to the Heavenly Emperor. Without the military tally, even a supreme commander could not mobilize the army.
To mobilize the Ten Guards of the Heavenly Court, there were only two ways: one was the military tally, and the other was the personal presence of the Heavenly Emperor.
Qin Mu held the military tally, making him the Right General of the Feather Forest Army, granting him the authority to command the great army!
The military tally had been taken by the founding master Wei Suifeng and entrusted to Elder Qinghuang for safekeeping, who then gave it to Qin Mu. Qin Mu boarded the ship with the tally but had been unable to command these most powerful divine demons—until he arrived at the source of the ghost ship's cycle of reincarnation.
As the Feather Forest Army materialized from the void, Qin Mu could finally wield the tally to control this terrifying force.
Before the Feather Forest Army's formation, Qin Mu's face gradually transformed, reverting to the visage of Heavenly Venerate Mu.
Among the Nine Heavenly Venerates—Mu Qing, the Heavenly Venerate Mu.
One divine demon soldier after another in the Feather Forest Army watched his features change. Though surprise flickered in their eyes, none asked any questions.
In the Dragon Han Era, the Nine Heavenly Venerates each possessed unique talents and extraordinary abilities, each achieving remarkable accomplishments. Yet the most mysterious and unfathomable were Heavenly Venerate Qin and the Heavenly Venerate Mu before them—truly dragons whose heads and tails were never seen.
Whoever held the military tally, regardless of identity, was their leader.
Qin Mu raised his hand, and a flying sword shot forth, severing the pillar on which Heavenly Venerate Ling had left her poem.
The pillar flew toward him. His physical body expanded dramatically, and he reached out, catching the pillar in his hand. He walked forward, with the countless divine demons of the Feather Forest Army following closely behind.
Zhe Huali, emboldened, followed right behind Qin Mu, only to discover that Qin Mu was leading these divine demons straight toward the great hall where the Empress Dowager's coffin rested.
Before the great hall, an immensely powerful dragon god was bound between chains, glaring viciously at the approaching Qin Mu, and shouted harshly: "The heavens and earth may change, but the unchanging constant is thirty-six! What does it mean? Tell me, what does it mean?"
Qin Mu stopped, his mind reeling.
Zhe Huali quickly said: "Lord Qin, why have you stopped? This dragon has been saying the same thing over and over, raving madly..."
Qin Mu shook his head, snapping back to clarity. Pointing at Dragon Earl King, he laughed: "When I boarded this ship, you said exactly these words. I always thought you were insane, spouting nonsense. I never imagined you weren't asking others—you were asking me!"
He felt a sense of absurdity.
The old dragon's expression was frantic, and he snarled: "Speak quickly! What does it mean!"
Qin Mu smiled slightly: "Only by deciphering the unchanging constant can one leave." With that, he turned and led the many Feather Forest Army soldiers into the great hall.
"Decipher the unchanging constant?"
The old dragon was stunned for a moment, then shouted: "How? Don't leave! Come back and tell me—how do I decipher the unchanging constant?"
Qin Mu walked into the hall, where eight giant dragons guarded the Empress Dowager's coffin, all bound by chains.
This time, the eight dragons had not been petrified.
He opened the underground passage once more, leading the Feather Forest Army soldiers into the ship's interior, then sealed the passage shut. In a deep voice, he asked: "Did General Wei teach you how to form the Four Phases Tribulation Formation?"
The countless divine demons immediately arranged themselves into the Four Phases Tribulation Formation, spreading across the four sides of the ship's bottom, perfectly orderly, awaiting inspection.
Qin Mu made a round of inspection and breathed a sigh of relief. Wei Suifeng had trained these soldiers well, passing down the Four Phases Tribulation Formation from the Great Nurturing Demon Scripture.
He walked to the center of the Four Phases Tribulation Formation and planted the pillar bearing Heavenly Venerate Ling's poem at the formation's heart. He murmured: "The Four Emperors should be arriving soon. If they don't board the ship in this cycle of reincarnation, then all my preparations will have been for nothing. I pray they come..."
Suddenly, the ghost ship trembled slightly and came to a halt.
"This ship vanished for twenty thousand years, and now it has finally reappeared."
A deep voice came from outside—a voice Qin Mu had heard before. It was the voice of the Northern Emperor Black Tortoise.
During the Jasper Lake Gathering, Niu Sanduo had caused chaos in the Heavenly Court, attempting to grab the Heavenly River to use as a weapon, but the Heavenly River had been suppressed by the Northern Emperor Black Tortoise.
Presumably, the one who had stopped the ghost ship was the Northern Emperor Black Tortoise.
He claimed to be an ancient god born within the Heavenly River, and stopping a ghost ship sailing on that river was easy for him.
As the master of the Heavenly River, he would also easily detect the ghost ship.
The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon's voice came through: "Brother Black Tortoise, the case of the Empress Dowager's assassination is riddled with doubts. And the Feather Forest Army vanishing during their return voyage—these two matters together suggest something deeply suspicious. We must investigate... Western Emperor, Southern Emperor, you've finally arrived."
Four immensely powerful and sacred auras descended, and Qin Mu relaxed: "Just as I predicted—all Four Emperors have arrived! This is the only chance to escape. I cannot afford any mistake!"
"The Empress Dowager was attacked, the Feather Forest Army suppressed the rebellion, and then the Feather Forest Army vanished on the Heavenly River—this incident caused a sensation twenty thousand years ago."
Qin Mu heard a familiar voice and couldn't help but smile. It was the voice of Zhu Que'er.
Zhu Que'er was none other than the Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird.
Her voice continued: "At that time, rumors were rife. I heard that General Wei Suifeng sent someone ahead before the return journey to report to the Heavenly Court about what happened in the Guixu. I made inquiries. General Wei sent a soldier to report to the Heavenly Emperor that the Empress Dowager had died in Guixu, and that he had enshrined her body and was returning to the Heavenly Court by ship. However, the Empress Dowager's body should have been on the Feather Forest Army's ship, vanishing along with them. But the Feather Forest Army disappeared, and the Empress Dowager appeared in the Heavenly Court—this puzzles me somewhat."
Another woman's voice came through, presumably the Western Emperor White Tiger, saying: "Sister Vermilion, the Great Sun Star Lord told you about this, didn't he? I also asked the Great Sun Star Lord. He told me the same thing. That little bird knows many secrets. What's suspicious isn't just the Empress Dowager's resurrection, but also that soldier Wei General sent to report to the Heavenly Emperor—he vanished inexplicably, completely evaporated, and no one could ever find him again! Too strange!"
"Even stranger is that all these strange events happened on the Heavenly River, yet Brother Black Tortoise claims to know nothing!"
The Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird said coolly: "How could anything happening on the Heavenly River escape your notice? Yet you plead ignorance. Brother Black Tortoise, you are quite suspicious."
The Northern Emperor Black Tortoise snorted coldly.
The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon coughed and said: "Brother Black Tortoise is not that kind of person. This ship reappearing—Brother Black Tortoise was the one who notified us, inviting us here to bear witness together. If he had done it, why would he invite us? Since we've all arrived, let's board the ship and investigate thoroughly!"
Suddenly, the ghost ship sank slightly—the Four Emperors had apparently broken through the black aura surrounding the ship and boarded it.
"This ship is strange!"
The Western Emperor's surprised voice came: "There's a power trying to invade me!"
"I feel it too! A very strange power, trying to control me!"
"It's not control—it's stripping away our power... Not just our power, but also our physical bodies! This force is trying to merge us with itself!"
"This ship... it's alive! This is a trap!"
...
Boom, boom—sounds came one after another, terrifying waves sweeping across the entire ship. It was the Four Emperors attempting to break through Heavenly Venerate Ling's divine ability.
The Eastern Emperor transformed into an Azure Dragon, shaking his head and tail, flying out of the ghost ship, his body plunging into the black aura outside. The next moment, the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon suddenly reappeared on the ship, landing and moving quickly a few steps, a look of astonishment on his face.
The Eastern Emperor flew out again, and the next moment he was back on the ship. He flew out dozens of times, yet still appeared on the ship. Even an ancient god emperor who controlled a great heavenly palace couldn't help but feel a hint of panic.
The other three ancient god emperors also employed their own methods, trying to leave this ship. The Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird was the fastest—she leaped up, transforming into a Vermilion Bird and flying away. But no matter how she flew, no matter how fast, she always ended up back on the ship.
The Northern Emperor controlled the Heavenly River, attempting to fling the ghost ship off the river, but even when the ship was hurled away, the next moment it returned to the river's surface.
The Western Emperor manipulated the metal aura, slashing at the black aura outside the ship, cutting it, chopping it into eight pieces—but the black aura quickly restored itself.
This ship possessed qualities that even the Four Emperors found incredible. The ghost ship was a massive living entity, locking everything down, and the divine ability surrounding it was something they had never seen or heard of before!
The Four Emperors possessed world-altering abilities, each controlling immensely powerful great daos with profound cultivation. Yet faced with this ship, they were helpless.
"Join forces to break through the divine ability surrounding the ship!"
The Four Emperors struck simultaneously, attacking the black mist outside the ship. At that moment, they suddenly felt the power within their divine abilities draining away at terrifying speed, as if someone was stealing it!
The Four Emperors were horrified and urgently channeled their mana, attacking with wild abandon.
Inside the ship, the Four Phases Tribulation Formation activated. Qin Mu presided over the formation, stealing the power of the Four Emperors. The formation's might grew stronger and stronger, and at its center, visions of Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise appeared, roaring and galloping!
Suddenly, the power of the Four Emperors burst forth in four beams of light, illuminating the pillar bearing Heavenly Venerate Ling's poem.
Flowers not flowers, mist not mist. Coming at midnight, leaving at dawn. Coming like a spring dream that lasts but a moment, leaving like morning clouds with nowhere to be found.
These twenty-six characters gradually began to glow, growing ever brighter.
"The Four Emperors don't know that it's me stealing their power."
Qin Mu smiled, his steps shifting, extra arms growing from his armpits. Various runes burst from his fingertips, striking toward the twenty-six characters on the pillar, gradually activating the hidden divine ability within them!
The twenty-six characters grew larger and larger, peeling away from the pillar, floating in the air. Each character was a hundred zhang in size, spread across the sky.
These twenty-six characters were composed of countless complex, tiny runes. Qin Mu observed them, mobilized the power of the Four Phases Tribulation Formation, and altered the structure of these runes. The characters remained the same, but the runes composing them were changing, and the power contained within the characters was gradually being triggered!
This was the most critical period. The smile faded from Qin Mu's face, and he grew tense, anxious and uncertain.
Suddenly, from the ghost ship's deck came Dragon Earl King's voice, shouting loudly: "Four Emperors, stop! You probably don't know—you're not the only ones on this ship!"
The Four Emperors suddenly ceased attacking the black aura outside the ship, and the Four Phases Tribulation Formation could no longer steal their power.
Qin Mu's heart leaped, and his expression darkened.
"Dragon Earl King!"
The Northern Emperor Black Tortoise's voice came: "You rebelled and caused chaos, and were captured by General Wei. I truly wonder who gave you such audacity."
Cold sweat broke out on Qin Mu's forehead, and he shouted: "Soldiers, hear my command! Channel all the power in the Four Phases Tribulation Formation to me!"
The stolen power within the formation surged all at once, rushing toward him.
From outside, Dragon Earl King's voice came, shouting: "There are people beneath this ship's deck—the Right General of the Feather Forest Army! He's the one controlling the Feather Forest Army to steal your power! He's the one who wants to eliminate you, to trap you all here! They are dead men, they are ghosts—they cannot be observed!"
Qin Mu gritted his teeth, channeling his cultivation with all his might, altering the rune structure of the twenty-six characters.
Zhe Huali heard Dragon Earl King's words and wished she could rush out immediately and chop that old dragon king to pieces.
At that moment, the sky of the ghost ship's internal space seemed to melt. Giant hands descended from above, reaching down, grabbing the Feather Forest Army soldiers one by one and lifting them up!
The deck clattered and shook, wooden planks clacking together, forming black coffins that sealed those soldiers directly within.
Qin Mu shouted: "Maintain the formation! Don't lose your composure!"
Those soldiers were extremely powerful. If they joined forces to fight, they could suppress experts like Dragon Earl King and even clash with the Four Emperors. But with Qin Mu as their commander, the moment the order was given, each soldier abandoned their resistance and maintained the formation's operation.
One giant hand after another descended, sealing more Feather Forest Army soldiers. The soldiers around Qin Mu grew fewer and fewer. Each time one was taken, the others immediately adjusted their formation to keep it running, without a single complaint.
"Senior Brother trained these Feather Forest Army soldiers too well."
Qin Mu finally finished adjusting the rune structure of the twenty-six characters. The twenty-six characters blazed with brilliant light, the intense radiance shining out from the ship's internal space, making it difficult even for the Four Emperors on the deck to see clearly—they had to shield their eyes.
"Soldiers, wait for me."
Qin Mu bowed deeply to the remaining soldiers, and said in a low voice: "The Four Emperors' seals cannot suppress you forever. Once you transform back into the void, you will break free of the seals. In the future, I will completely decipher Heavenly Venerate Ling's divine ability and rescue you from this state between life and death."
"Swear it." Faces beneath helmets turned to look at him.
Qin Mu raised his hand: "I swear on my life..."
At that moment, several more giant hands descended, grabbing the remaining soldiers, Qin Mu, and Zhe Huali, lifting them all up.
"Sister, do you still remember your younger brother Mu?" Qin Mu looked up and called out loudly.
On the deck, the woman who had grabbed Qin Mu and Zhe Huali showed a look of astonishment and cried out: "Heavenly Venerate Mu?"
"Sister, I will explain everything to you in the future. For now, release us!"
The Southern Emperor Zhu Que'er opened her hand. The twenty-six characters exploded with a hum, light sweeping in all directions, clearing away the black mist outside the ship in an instant!
It felt like a single moment, or perhaps countless eons. The light before Qin Mu's eyes dispersed, and he found himself standing on the surface of the Yong River, surrounded by darkness. The Village Chief and Huan Long Jun came running from behind, arriving at his side.
Qin Mu looked down into the water—a ghost ship was sailing beneath the surface.
He turned to look at the shore. The First Ancestor Human Emperor and others were standing there, gazing toward him.
The Village Chief punched him hard on the head and scolded: "Take care of us? It's me who takes care of you. You brat, after running around outside for a few years, you've gotten quite a big mouth!"
Qin Mu rubbed his head and looked up at the sky. A silver rope hung down from the moon. He looked upstream along the Yong River—Luo Wushuang sat on a small boat, speeding toward him.
Qin Mu smiled and said to the Village Chief and Huan Long Jun: "I kept my promise. I brought you back. Village Chief Grandpa, Huan Long Jun, long time no see."
—Four thousand character chapter, requesting subscriptions, requesting monthly tickets!