Divine Venerable Wuji was utterly terrified. When Qin Mu left the Imperial Capital of Everpeace and wandered here, Wuji had thought he was just an easy target.
Although Qin Mu bore the title of Everpeace Overlord Body and was known as Shepherd Heavenly Venerable since the early Dragon-Han Era, all the major powers in the Heavenly Court knew the truth behind this so-called 'Heavenly Venerable.'
He was just a minor figure from Everpeace who accidentally traveled to the early Dragon-Han Era and, using knowledge a million years ahead of his time, managed to earn the title of Heavenly Venerable.
As for the so-called Overlord Body, it was just a joke about being king of the hill in a tiny backwater like Everpeace.
What truly made people wary was his former identity as the Netherworld Divine Son. But now that Qin Mu was no longer the Netherworld Divine Son and had become a soulless man with little time left, anyone felt they could squeeze him at will.
Yet now, it was clear that this Shepherd Heavenly Venerable was far from simple!
His own strength was deeply strange—his cultivation might be low, but his divine arts were already unfathomable.
And the fat Dragon-Sparrow at his side was even more terrifying, her abilities surpassing even those of Wuji, the commander of Eastern Heaven Palace!
Unless he mobilized the full army of gods and demons from Eastern Heaven Palace and set up a battle formation, he had no chance of subduing Qin Mu—and in this palace, that was impossible.
Most importantly, he didn't dare.
Others with powerful backing could kill Qin Mu—but he dared not.
Those people have connections; the forces behind them don't care about the infamy of killing a Heavenly Venerable and can easily offer up a scapegoat.
But the power behind him was the Eastern Azure Emperor, and even he couldn't afford the crime of murdering a Heavenly Venerable.
Qin Mu glanced around and smiled, "Divine Venerable, as a guest, I feel terribly guilty for wrecking your shrine."
Divine Venerable Wuji couldn't see a trace of guilt in him; he forced a smile and replied, "It's nothing. Back in the early Dragon-Han Era, Heavenly Venerable even demolished the Jade Pool—what's my little place compared to that?"
Qin Mu laughed heartily and raised his hand to pat Wuji's shoulder, but Wuji was so tall he couldn't reach.
Wuji quickly bent down, and Qin Mu finally managed to pat his shoulder, looking quite pleased. He smiled, "Divine Venerable, you know me well—and my preferences. Then, do you know what I plan to do next?"
Wuji lowered his gaze respectfully and asked, "May I ask what Heavenly Venerable intends next?"
"I'm planning to leave Everpeace."
Qin Mu said, "I'll travel around, visit old friends in the Origin World. First, I want to go to the Great Prison and see how my old friends are faring. After that, I intend to visit the Heavenly Court and pay my respects to some acquaintances there."
Wuji was startled and blurted out, "Heavenly Venerable, if you go to the Heavenly Court, isn't that suicide?"
Qin Mu glanced at him, and Wuji quickly bowed. Qin Mu didn't pat his shoulder this time and said, "You're still too young. As a Heavenly Venerable, if I go to the Heavenly Court, I'll be received with respect. Back then, my old playmates dared not openly attack me—at most, they'd try some underhanded tricks."
Even if Wuji felt this Heavenly Venerable title was just empty fame, unworthy of its reputation, he still couldn't help but admire Qin Mu's courage and boldness. He said, "Shepherd Heavenly Venerable truly has such daring—it's admirable. Then, I wish Heavenly Venerable a smooth journey..."
Qin Mu smiled, "Thanks for your kind words. Only, I don't quite know where the Great Prison is—could Divine Venerable point me in the right direction?"
Wuji straightened up solemnly and said, "Heavenly Venerable, walk toward Yuanmu. Beneath Yuanmu lies the Great Prison."
Qin Mu thanked him, "No need to see me off, Divine Venerable. You may stay."
Wuji insisted, "I must see you off. After all, you are a Heavenly Venerable. If I didn't, it would be a breach of etiquette. No need to be so formal, Heavenly Venerable. My name is Wu Shengji—if you don't mind, just call me Little Wu."
Qin Mu nodded and walked out of the shrine.
Wuji followed closely behind. Outside, they saw thousands of gods and demons in battle formation, sealing off the shrine with murderous intent.
The Heavenly Court's killing formation was terrifying—their presence crushed the sky, countless divine weapons shining up to the clouds, forming a solid wall. Runes intertwined, transforming into a vast greenwood that suppressed all the heavens!
Wuji flew into a rage, strode forward, and shouted, "How dare you! This is Shepherd Heavenly Venerable, an honored guest of Eastern Heaven Palace. If you dare raise your weapons, you're out of your minds! Stand down, now!"
The gods and demons of Eastern Heaven Palace were bewildered—they'd only gathered because they sensed a terrifying aura erupt from the shrine.
When they arrived, they saw a fat bird eating people and the shrine's walls blasted away, leaving only the pillars and beams standing—so they prepared for battle.
But with Wuji's order, they had no choice but to withdraw.
Wuji breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Heavenly Venerable, please."
Qin Mu nodded, stood atop Dragon-Qilin's head, and Dragon-Qilin strode forward on clouds of fire. Annie transformed into a plump green sparrow and perched on Wuji's shoulder, while Wuji himself walked ahead of Dragon-Qilin to personally lead the way.
He escorted Qin Mu for a thousand li. Qin Mu smiled, "Divine Venerable, a thousand-li farewell must end somewhere—let's part ways here."
Wuji bowed deeply and said, "I respectfully see Heavenly Venerable off."
Annie flew from his shoulder to Qin Mu's, and Qin Mu said, "Divine Venerable, your hospitality and the story of the Eastern Azure Emperor have benefited me greatly. Before I go, let me offer you a word of advice."
Wuji hurriedly said, "I am all ears."
Qin Mu smiled and said, "The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon failed to treat the Eastern Azure Emperor kindly, and ended up with a mortal grudge—now he's at risk of being replaced, his life in danger. Divine Venerable, if you push Everpeace into too deep an enmity, who's to say Everpeace won't become another Eastern Azure Emperor one day? Always leave a line—I've left you one by sparing your life. If you leave Everpeace a line, there may still be room for reversal in the future. Dragon-Qilin, let's go."
Dragon-Qilin carried them away into the distance.
Wuji felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders and pondered Qin Mu's words, a chill running through his heart.
Moments later, the Eastern Heaven Palace army arrived—towering warships filled the sky, banners fluttered, and murderous intent soared.
"Divine Venerable, should we pursue?" a god-general shouted.
Wuji waved his hand and said, "No need to pursue. Pass down my orders: treat the Dragon-Keeper Lord kindly, be gentler to the dragon kings of Yong River, and don't be too harsh. As for the commoners of Everpeace, as long as they pay tribute on time and in full, don't push them too hard—give them a way to live."
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The Heavenly soldiers and generals were puzzled, but they bowed and obeyed.
"Pass down another order!"
Wuji said gravely, "Everpeace's Overlord Body Qin, Shepherd Heavenly Venerable of the Dragon-Han Era, is heading to the Great Prison! Send the fastest gods with the swiftest ships to notify Southern Heaven Palace, Northern Heaven Palace, and Western Heaven Palace so they can prepare!"
The Heavenly soldiers and generals were even more puzzled.
Wuji narrowed his eyes and thought, "Shepherd Heavenly Venerable knows many want him dead, so why reveal his movements to me? Still, since he's told me, I'll just go along with it—whether he kills those Heavenly Court experts or they kill him, it won't concern me!"
He exhaled a heavy breath. "He wants to go to the Heavenly Court... The Heavenly Court! This guy is truly reckless!"
Dragon-Qilin traveled upstream along Yong River, with Qin Mu seated on his forehead, breathing and cultivating the techniques he'd comprehended. His strength steadily grew, and after four months, his cultivation nearly returned to its peak.
Yet strangely, even as he approached his former peak, he still felt the potential of his Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure was vast and far from exhausted!
This left him utterly baffled.
He had destroyed his Heavenly Palace and all the divine treasures, remade heaven and earth, and reopened the Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure. This allowed his primordial spirit to endure, born from the creation of heaven and earth—his path now differed greatly from the old divine treasure and Heavenly Palace systems.
He had no idea how long he needed to cultivate the Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure, nor what lay at its end.
He activated the Boundless Calamity Sutra, entered dreams repeatedly, deducing countless possibilities, but still couldn't find the limits of the Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure or the path beyond.
Without finding the limit, he couldn't enter the next realm or become a true god.
"At the Jade Pool Grand Gathering in the early Dragon-Han Era, Ling Heavenly Venerable once said that the art of creation could achieve immortality and indestructibility. At that point, one would be equal to gods—whether or not one becomes a god is irrelevant. So, what is a god? How do you define a god?"
"Is crossing the divine bridge and entering the Heavenly Palace enough to be called a god?"
"This so-called god is just a title for those with longevity and supernatural powers. Those who break through the divine treasures and enter the Heavenly Palace are merely stronger practitioners—not true gods!"
"Then what about ancient gods?"
"Ancient gods are powerful beings born from the great Dao of heaven and earth. Are they truly gods? Perhaps not. They're bound by their own Dao and can't break free. They're not omnipotent. They're not gods—just powerful lifeforms."
"In this world, there simply are no gods."
Qin Mu chuckled and looked up. Dragon-Qilin had reached the middle reaches of Yong River, and deep in the Origin World, the Yuanmu tree grew ever vaster.
"My cultivation technique has already surpassed the scope of the original Overlord Body Three Elixir Technique and doesn't fit into the current system. So what should the new technique be called?"
He was lost in thought, then suddenly laughed, "If my technique can't be passed on, then what does its name matter? I'll just keep the old name—Overlord Body Three Elixir Technique."
Ahead, the roots of Yuanmu stretched across Yong River, one root spanning the river's surface with the water a hundred zhang below, countless rootlets hanging down like a curtain.
Dragon-Qilin stopped. On a dark root, a green shoot suddenly sprouted, quickly growing into a flower with two green leaves and a large bud in the center.
The flower dangled down to the water, blossomed, and spat out a stone coffin—but the coffin didn't fall into the river.
"A monster is at work!" Dragon-Qilin was startled.
Qin Mu climbed down from his forehead and approached the flower. The river roared, and from within the blossom came a faint voice: "Shepherd Heavenly Venerable..."
"Earth Mother Yuanjun."
Qin Mu smiled, "I thought you'd died at the hands of the Ancient God Heavenly Emperor. Earth Mother, your remnant soul endures—why do you block my way?"