Qin Mu and the Old Farmer walked into the village, with Bruno the Dragon-Qilin and the Water-Qilin following behind. The Water-Qilin kept glancing sideways at Bruno, then suddenly sneered, "You're a Qilin too, a demigod, but you're way too cowardly—you're a disgrace to our Qilin god clan! You actually let yourself be ridden, you plow fields, and you even whimper and cry!"
Bruno shot him a glance and rumbled, "What's that on your back?"
The Celestial Venerable Yu was perched on the Water-Qilin's back, curiously looking all around.
The Water-Qilin nearly choked, snorting, "I'm different. Your master captured me—if I didn't surrender I'd be dead, so I had to swallow my pride and become Lord Lan's mount. You're not the same. You even cried and whimpered. Do you know how powerful our Qilin god clan was in ancient times? Dragons, phoenixes—they all had to bow to us..."
Bruno replied calmly, "Have you ever tasted a spirit pill?"
The Water-Qilin snapped, "Eat what spirit pill? We eat people, demigods, monsters, dragons, phoenixes—if it's alive, we eat it! Who needs spirit pills?"
Bruno glanced around, making sure no one was watching, then carefully took out a pouch and pinched out a spirit pill. "This one's specially refined for me by the Cult Master—it's thunder-fire attribute, probably not suited for you. I don't have many left, but I'll let you try one."
The Water-Qilin tasted it and was instantly stunned.
"Nonsense! Your master just gave you a whole basin, piled high!"
The Water-Qilin beamed and begged, "Give me two more, just two!"
Bruno shook his head. "This is a thunder-fire attribute spirit pill. You're a Water-Qilin, not a Dragon-Qilin. It's not good for you—too much will hurt you. You have a master too, so let your master refine you some."
The Water-Qilin hesitated, torn inside. "The dignity of my Qilin god clan..."
Bruno ignored him and caught up with Qin Mu.
Qin Mu stated his purpose: "Now the Great Ruins have become vast and dangerous everywhere. I've come to mobilize the power of the War-Ox Realm to protect the people of the Great Ruins."
The Old Farmer's face, dry as tree bark, wrinkled even more, his brows furrowing deeply. "Every village and hamlet has stone statues guarding them. The cities have statues too. Lord Hades of Fengdu has already ordered that the Great Ruins' statues can awaken at any time. He sent the Bird God Chixiu to ask if I needed Pioneer Era gods to guard the War-Ox Realm—I refused. With the Origin World restored, the Great Ruins are just a drop in the ocean. The real danger hasn't even appeared yet."
Qin Mu's heart stirred. "Then, Martial Uncle, where do you think the real danger comes from?"
"The real danger isn't in the Great Ruins—it's in the Everpeace Empire."
Hearing 'Martial Uncle,' the Old Farmer felt quite pleased, no longer cold and critical. He chuckled, "Compared to demigods, Everpeace is still too weak. Have you ever heard of the strategy 'drive the tiger to swallow the wolf'?"
Qin Mu paused, probing, "Martial Uncle, what do you mean?"
"This time the Origin World has broken its seal and returned. The sealed Origin World was the Great Ruins; now unsealed, it's the Origin World. No one expected this upheaval—not even the Woodcutter."
The Old Farmer continued unhurriedly, "There are Pioneer Era remnants in the Great Ruins, but not many people—just tens of millions. If you gather them together and build a few god-cities, with Pioneer gods to protect them, their safety can be ensured. But Everpeace? Everpeace has two or three billion citizens, scattered across every city and region. Now, the distances between cities are a hundred times greater than before!"
Qin Mu's heart gradually sank.
The Old Farmer went on, "Between cities, transportation is cut off, communication is severed. Everywhere between cities is now primordial forest from the Origin World, with demigods roaming and all sorts of dangerous ruins and ancient battlefields. The Everpeace Emperor's control has dropped to zero; each region governs itself. Soon, Everpeace's reforms will collapse—without people, reform dies, and the empire will fall apart! Even if the emperor is bold enough to relocate everyone near the capital and start over, it would take decades, even centuries, to accomplish!"
"But it won't take decades—just a few months, and many regions will declare independence and crown their own emperors! The number of rebel forces will be countless. The only place Everpeace can hold onto is the area around the capital!"
He sneered, "And to retake these suddenly lost territories—even if Everpeace had the strength, the journey alone would take a hundred years! Besides, Everpeace doesn't have the power to fight demigods head-on!"
The Old Farmer exhaled a heavy breath. "Earlier I mentioned 'drive the tiger to swallow the wolf'—Everpeace is the wolf, and the tiger is the demigods of the Origin World. Besides demigods, there are other hungry tigers. Look up."
Qin Mu looked up at the sky. In the heavens above, countless celestial realms shimmered with all kinds of light. Mist curled between continents, stars moved in their courses—those heavens were dazzling, wondrous, and magnificent.
"All those heavens are inhabited."
The Old Farmer said, "At night in the Great Ruins, demon gods often appear—those demon gods come from these heavens. Before, when the Origin World was sealed, they had to go through all sorts of trouble, like blood sacrifices, to get in. Now it's easy. Everpeace faces not only demigods but also gods and demons from these heavens. How can it possibly survive?"
Qin Mu was chilled to the bone.
He really had encountered demon gods from other worlds in the Great Ruins—like when he and the Village Chief searched for Worry-Free Village at night and met a female demon god and her celestial demons on the Moon Boat.
The first time he went to the Sunwell to meet Crystal Blaze, he saw Ariel Skyfeather and the Skyfeather Clan under demon god control, attacking the Sunwell.
At the Moonwell, he saw demon gods attacking, leaving behind traces of the slaughter of the Moonherders.
Before, the Great Ruins acted as a natural barrier, keeping Everpeace safe. Now that the heavens have broken free of their seals and the Great Ruins has become the Origin World—can Everpeace still be safe?
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"The fall of Everpeace is inevitable. First, the empire will fracture—regions will break away and crown their own kings. The Chiming remnants won't stay quiet, and then there's Furylo, plus the northern border, the steppe, and the Western Lands—they'll all split off too."
The Old Farmer looked at him and said gravely, "Everpeace will be left with less than a tenth of its territory and people. Demigods will also attack the empire. Don't waste effort on Everpeace—focus on the people of the Great Ruins. I'll notify Lord Hades to awaken the statues and have them bring the Great Ruins' people here. We'll build a new nation centered here. You're a descendant of the Pioneer Era—be its emperor. Everpeace can't be saved."
Qin Mu steadied himself.
The Martial Celestial Teacher truly saw far and deep.
Now that the Origin World is unsealed, Everpeace faces its greatest crisis yet—even worse than the snow disaster.
Everpeace's reforms will also be interrupted—even reversed. Each region will become independent, sects will spring up everywhere!
At this moment, Emperor Evan, the Imperial Preceptor, and even the Woodcutter Sage must be overwhelmed and at a loss.
"Martial Uncle, I don't have Emperor Evan's boldness or the Imperial Preceptor's drive and execution. If I became the Great Ruins' emperor, I'd be buried in trivial affairs, overwhelmed, and unable to push reforms. Compared to Emperor Evan, I couldn't do better."
Qin Mu smiled. "Few have Emperor Evan's boldness, and few have the Imperial Preceptor's drive. I even think Emperor Evan and the Imperial Preceptor have done better than the Pioneer Era and the Woodcutter Sage. This is a test for Emperor Evan—let's see if Everpeace can endure. As long as it endures, anything is possible."
The Old Farmer glared at him, sneering, "What does Everpeace have to fight demigods? To fight those celestial realms? Everpeace will collapse within months!"
Qin Mu smiled, "There will always be a way. Martial Uncle, with the Origin World suddenly shattered and the demigods answering Earth Mother Yuanjun's call, going to pay respects—what do you think?"
The Old Farmer replied coldly, "What do I think? I'll watch lying down, I'll watch crawling! I'll watch you all go to your deaths!"
Qin Mu joked, "Martial Uncle, you're throwing a tantrum again—let's talk seriously."
The Old Farmer glared fiercely but said nothing.
Qin Mu kept smiling. "I've thought of a way to solve the War-Ox Realm people's lack of Divine Bridge Divine Treasure once and for all. When I reach the Life and Death Realm and open the Life and Death Divine Treasure, I'll destroy my Divine Bridge Divine Treasure and rebuild it. Once I master the method, not just the War-Ox Realm, but everyone in the Great Ruins and Everpeace who lost their Divine Bridge will have hope to rebuild it and become gods! Martial Uncle, please help me—go to Everpeace and help Emperor Evan and the Imperial Preceptor through this crisis!"
The Old Farmer's gaze was fierce as he sneered, "You know the people of the War-Ox Realm are the descendants of my fallen warriors—so you use this to tempt me. But what if you can't open the Divine Bridge Divine Treasure?"
Qin Mu smiled, "I'm a Tyrant Body—one in ten thousand ages."
The Old Farmer breathed heavily.
Qin Mu's offer truly moved him.
The people of the War-Ox Realm were his lifelong bond. In the Pioneer Era's final battle, the War-Ox Realm's warriors died far from home. As their leader, he felt guilty toward their spirits, so for twenty thousand years he guarded their descendants.
He watched those warriors' descendants grow old and die, new lives born and growing old again, with no solution in sight.
No one but him could ascend to the Celestial Palace through martial arts alone, without the Divine Bridge Divine Treasure.
Even Qin Mu and Hu No-Return, who entered the Dao through martial arts, would struggle to reach that level.
He was the only true Martial Grandmaster and Martial Emperor throughout history.
If Qin Mu really could solve this problem, he would have to come out of seclusion—help Qin Mu, help Emperor Evan, help the Imperial Preceptor!
Qin Mu looked at him with burning eyes, quietly waiting for his answer.
The Old Farmer calmed down; his face, dry as parched earth, broke into a smile. He slammed a fist into Qin Mu's brow, just off-center.
Qin Mu grunted, coughed up blood, and looked on in shock and uncertainty.
The force of the Old Farmer's punch was incredibly domineering and strange. Though it struck his brow, it didn't affect his flesh.
The force surged, unstoppable, and as it entered his body, Qin Mu felt something inside him shatter!
"I've already destroyed your unopened Divine Bridge Divine Treasure."
The Old Farmer withdrew his thick fist and arm, smiling. "All your other divine treasures are intact, so don't worry. But the Divine Bridge Divine Treasure is completely shattered—not a trace left! Your injury will heal soon, no lasting harm. But even if you open the Life and Death Divine Treasure, your lifespan will only be six hundred years. You'd better hope you find a way to recreate the Divine Bridge Divine Treasure, or you'll just have to wait for death!"
Qin Mu wiped the blood from his mouth and said solemnly, "Martial Uncle, I will surely succeed!"
The Old Farmer strode to the village center and shouted, "All warriors, hear my order! I go to Everpeace—you stay here and guard the War-Ox Realm! Bring me my armor!"
The villagers, both shocked and delighted, rushed to fetch his armor. The Old Farmer donned it, majestic and imposing. He glanced at Dragon Qilin, who shivered.
The Old Farmer shook his head, "My body is far too heavy—you can't possibly carry me. Better wait until you find Sando."
Dragon Qilin breathed a sigh of relief.
Everyone bowed, their spirits soaring, and called out in unison, "Farewell, Martial Celestial Teacher!"
Qin Mu bowed deeply, "Farewell, Martial Emperor!"
"Martial Emperor?"
The Old Farmer paused, then burst out laughing. Light radiated from him, and with a leap, he soared into the sky and vanished.
Qin Mu straightened up and walked to the edge of the stinky ditch, smiling, "King Buddha, you can come out now."
King Buddha, Emperor Shitian, glanced at him, "Has the farmer really gone? Are you tricking me again?"
Qin Mu went into the ditch, helped him up, and said seriously, "To rescue you, King Buddha, I took a punch from the Martial Celestial Teacher—he shattered my Divine Bridge Divine Treasure."
"I almost believed you."
King Buddha sneered, "Trying to fool me again? Wait—it's really shattered! Why would you go through all this trouble?"
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