Qin Mu led the group to a residence in the capital. The estate was spacious and elegant, with many maids bustling about, tending to daily affairs.
"Ling'er really does manage the finances well," Qin Mu said with delight.
Qin Mu was quite pleased. After asking around, one of the maids replied, "Sister Ling'er sometimes stays here for a while and entertains friends like Lord Tiger and the princess, but she hasn't come recently."
"Why is she just like me, always running around? The world is in chaos right now—it's dangerous out there."
Qin Mu shook his head, settled Heaven‑Guide Venerable, Grace Gongsun, and the others in, and immediately began attempting to open the Other‑Shore Divine Treasury.
The Other‑Shore Divine Treasury uses the Life‑and‑Death Divine Treasury as its root. This treasury is the simplest to construct; Qin Mu's initial work focused on designing the Other Shore Ark, which itself is the treasury.
He drew inspiration from the ruined Other Shore Ark in the Great Ruins, and also referenced the Underworld Courier's paper boat.
The Other Shore Ark was built to reach the Land of No Worries, designed by the Woodcutter Sage and forged by King Indra Buddha, but it was ultimately destroyed in the Great Ruins.
What Qin Mu valued most was the ark's ability to cross the void.
The Underworld Courier's paper boat could carry people and souls through Youdu. The sixth treasury is the Life‑and‑Death Divine Treasury, which connects to Youdu, so Qin Mu took the cleverest approach: he borrowed the paper boat's ability to traverse Youdu, letting the Other‑Shore Divine Treasury rise from the Life‑and‑Death Divine Treasury, cross the void, and soar up to the South Heaven Gate of the Heaven Palace.
This method is the simplest, because the Other‑Shore Divine Treasury is built within the Life‑and‑Death Divine Treasury, providing a solid foundation. Vital energy gathers easily, making it much simpler to open.
But opening a treasury in the void is much harder. Gathering vital energy in the body's inner void is extremely difficult—it's like creating heaven and earth inside one's flesh. Qin Mu still isn't confident enough to attempt that.
Of the Seven Heavenly Venerables, only Heaven‑Guide Venerable's Spirit Embryo Divine Treasury is a true creation from the void, drawing power from emptiness to forge the spirit platform and spirit embryo, giving all beings their souls.
The other six Heavenly Venerables all relied on the power of ancient gods.
The Five Luminaries Divine Treasury draws on the power of the Five Luminaries Star Lords; the Six Directions Divine Treasury borrows from Earth Mother; the Seven Stars Divine Treasury uses the power of the sun, moon, and Five Luminaries Star Lords; the Heaven‑Man Divine Treasury relies on the Heavenly Duke; the Life‑and‑Death Divine Treasury draws on Tu Bo; and the Divine Bridge Divine Treasury depends on the power of the Dragon‑Han Heavenly Court. But the Dragon‑Han Heavenly Court and its emperor no longer exist, so there's no power to borrow, and the Divine Bridge Divine Treasury can't be reopened.
So for the Other‑Shore Divine Treasury, which ancient god's power should I borrow?
Qin Mu pondered: to open the Other‑Shore Divine Treasury, it needs to provide feedback power to the practitioner—only then is it truly a new realm.
Of the Seven Heavenly Venerables, six relied on borrowed power; only Heaven‑Guide Venerable possessed unmatched talent and opened his treasury without borrowing anything. That is true genius!
But borrowing power from any ancient god doesn't seem like a good idea.
Qin Mu racked his brains to no avail. Suddenly, he had a flash of insight and went to find Heaven‑Guide Venerable—only to see him lost in thought, staring blankly.
Quinn Shepherd was just about to step forward when he suddenly paused. The chubby boy, Ethan Lan, rested his plump chin on his hands, yet inside and outside his body, vital energy was circulating, opening up a Divine Treasury. Using his Divine Eye, Quinn saw Ethan Lan's Spirit Embryo gradually taking shape within that treasury.
Quinn Shepherd's body trembled, but he made no sound to disturb him.
Heaven-Guide Venerable had met a tragic end. During the catastrophic Jade Pool upheaval a million years ago, all the Divine Treasuries he had opened within his body were shattered, even his Heaven Palace was destroyed.
When Quinn Shepherd rebuilt his body, there wasn't a single Divine Treasury or Heaven Palace left inside him!
Yet now, this Heaven-Guide Venerable, grown fat from overeating, had somehow, without a teacher or manual, instinctively opened a new Spirit Embryo Treasury!
The reason Quinn hadn't taught him any divine arts or cultivation methods, but instead let him comprehend on his own, was because he knew Heaven-Guide Venerable's talent was extraordinary—perhaps even greater than his own. Though he wouldn't admit it aloud, deep down he admired Heaven-Guide Venerable immensely.
He eagerly awaited the day when the reborn Ethan Lan would grow into another Heaven-Guide Venerable!
Right now, Heaven-Guide Venerable was immersed in a wondrous state of enlightenment, so Quinn Shepherd did not interrupt him.
Such a state of enlightenment was extremely rare—this was not just an opportunity for Heaven-Guide Venerable, but also for Quinn Shepherd, who could observe the methods he used to open the Spirit Embryo Treasury.
Heaven-Guide Venerable was still in enlightenment, while Quinn Shepherd watched intently, trying to understand. Gradually, he sensed where the power shaping the Spirit Embryo and its treasury came from.
It was power from heaven and earth, and also from within himself. In his enlightenment, Heaven-Guide Venerable was drawing on both the forces of heaven and earth and his own strength to shape the Spirit Embryo.
To Quinn Shepherd, it felt as if he had become one with heaven and earth!
This wasn't West Earth's unique animist insight that 'all things have spirits and gods,' but a genuine, seamless integration.
"This kind of talent is truly unrivaled," Quinn thought to himself.
Quinn Shepherd sighed inwardly, "If I had been born in the same era as him, I'd only dare call myself a false Overlord Body, while he would be the true Overlord Body. Still, I'm not so bad myself."
He was rather proud of himself.
After all, Quinn Shepherd had pioneered twenty-six Seventh Divine Treasury designs—he had every right to be proud.
Finally, Heaven-Guide Venerable woke up, blinking in confusion and glancing around before noticing Quinn Shepherd. He hurriedly asked, "Big Brother, when did you get here?"
"Not long ago," Quinn replied.
Quinn waved for him to keep sitting, then sat down beside him and said, "Just now you suddenly opened a Divine Treasury. Could you share what you were thinking?"