Chapter 92: Breaking Through

Qin Mu extended his palm and gently touched, but he couldn't find any traces of the existence of that world.

The village chief hesitated for a moment, then proceeded to tell Qin Mu about his own experiences in the realm of the dead. Qin Mu widened his eyes. The village chief had such a miraculous encounter as well?

"The realm of the dead has a King of the Underworld. It should not be the Demon World, but rather a remnant from before the darkness fell, a part of the Great Ruins before the arrival of darkness."

The village chief analyzed, "The King of the Underworld in the realm of the dead should also be a divine position, just like the Sun Guardian and Moon Guardian. However, the Land of Bliss is not located there. I couldn't get any information about its whereabouts either. The reason your jade pendant was pulled into the realm of the dead is probably because the Moon Ship and your jade pendant both originated from the Land of Bliss."

He sighed, "The world within the Great Ruins is truly vast. I used to live here and never imagined that there would be multiple worlds within it. There are at least three parallel worlds here!"

Qin Mu nodded. The Great Ruins during the day, the Dark Realm at night, and the realm of the dead within the Dark Realm. Tonight, they witnessed the three parallel worlds within the Great Ruins. This extraordinary experience was difficult to convey to others, as not many would believe it even if they were told.

As they hurried back, passing by the small village where they encountered the Yin officials by the river last night, Qin Mu stopped and looked toward the village. It was dilapidated, covered in cobwebs, clearly uninhabited for a long time.

However, it was not like this last night. There was an old man there, carrying a lantern and pasting paper boats. This was the mysterious and inexplicable aspect of the Great Ruins, leaving one puzzled.

"Is there a connection between the realm of the dead and the Yin officials?" Qin Mu asked.

The village chief shook his head. "I don't know either. But in my opinion, the Yin officials don't belong to the realm of the dead. The King of the Underworld in the realm of the dead should only be the King of the Great Ruins. I have encountered Yin officials and villages like this outside. They are gods of the underworld..."

Qin Mu scratched his head. The underworld? The realm of the dead? King of the Underworld? Yin officials? It was all too complex, and thinking about it too much would make his head explode.

"The Land of Bliss is even more mysterious than the realm of the dead. It may take some time before we can find this mysterious place."

The village chief said, "Mu'er, if you want to find out about your origins, I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer. But rest assured, as long as the Land of Bliss is within the Great Ruins, we will definitely find it."​

He hesitated for a moment, but the village chief understood his intentions and smiled, "You want to leave Canlao Village, leave the Great Ruins, and go out to gain experience?"

Qin Mu nodded, feeling uneasy in his heart.

"The Patriarch of the Devil Cult sent a letter, one for you and one for Sister Si," the village chief said. "I've read them as well. He still has seven years of life left. It is only right for you to go and see him in the Kingdom of Yankang."

The village chief continued, "The fledgling bird will always have the day to leave its nest and explore a wider world outside. Before entering the darkness, I had already discussed this matter with the Medicine Master and Sister Si, and they both agreed."

Qin Mu's eyes lit up, and the village chief continued, "They said that as long as you pass their tests, you can leave the village and embark on your journey outside."

Qin Mu slumped, realizing that he still needed to pass tests to leave the village.

The village chief smiled and said, "And I am your ninth test. Mu'er, if you pass these nine tests, you will be considered an adult and can freely soar."

Qin Mu's face grew even darker. The eight tests given by Master Ma and the others were already extremely difficult, but the village chief's test seemed like an insurmountable mountain. How would he overcome these nine challenges?

Suddenly, Qin Mu felt a warm flow surging from his brow, spreading through his limbs and body. His physical and mental state felt completely at ease, and his vitality surged, surprising him.

The village chief's expression changed slightly, sensing the vibrant energy emanating from the young man beside him. It felt as if there was a small sun hidden in the center of the youth's brow!

"Mu'er, has your spirit embryo awakened?" the village chief asked.

Qin Mu replied, "It has awakened. My spirit embryo seems to be no different from before... It's just that the vitality feels somewhat unique."

The village chief knew very little about the tyrant body that Qin Mu had created with a single breath, and he was unable to offer much assistance with the challenges he faced. He comforted Qin Mu, saying, "The awakening of the spirit embryo four times is something I have never encountered. As long as it is a good thing, there is no need to worry too much. Is the change in your vitality a good thing?"

Qin Mu nodded repeatedly, and the village chief smiled, "That's good."

Canlao Village.

As the darkness receded and the morning sun rose, it was already early spring in March, but there was still a chill in the air. Qin Mu woke up early, bare-chested, and fetched a bucket of cold water from the village well. He poured it over himself, refreshing his spirit.

His vitality surged, transforming into Vermilion Bird Qi, evaporating the water on his body. It didn't take long for him to appear lively and energetic.

"Mu'er, give me a bucket too," the butcher said, supporting himself with both hands as he approached.

Qin Mu fetched another bucket of water and poured it over the butcher's head.

"Refreshing!"

Flames blazed around the butcher, turning the bucket of water into white steam. He waved his hand, and a butcher's knife flew over. Taking advantage of the mist, he shaved his beard, making a crisp sound.

Master Ma pushed open the door, removed the two door panels, and placed them on the sides. He stretched lazily, his bones cracking, a blue dragon coiled around his body. He raised his hand and removed seals such as the Five Luminaries, Six Stars, Seven Constellations, Celestial Beings, Life and Death, leaving only the Spirit Embryo seal. He shouted, "Lame cripple, are you up?"

"I'm up."

The cripple limped out of the room, combing his hair with a small comb, dressing himself neatly like a gentle old man. He smiled and said, "Today is a big day, so of course we need to get up early. Is the deaf guy up?"

"Why are you making noise?" The deaf man was in the study, grinding ink and painting. He had iron earrings in both ears and didn't even raise his head to respond.

The mute man was pouring slag from the furnace, while the Medicine Master was feeding several fire-breathing birds at the window. The birds flew to the village chief's house and pecked at the window sill. The village chief's voice came from inside, "I know, I'm awake."

Sister Si was cooking on the stove and steaming rice in a wooden barrel. The cripple rushed over and lifted the pot, but Sister Si tapped him with a shovel and scolded, "What's the rush? Did you wash your hands and face? Brush your teeth with toothpaste."

The cripple quickly went to fetch water, washed his hands and face, and asked the Medicine Master for toothpaste. He brushed his teeth with a wooden toothbrush. Sister Si called Qin Mu, and the two of them busily served the dishes and rice. Master Ma tidied up the table and chairs. Before long, the villagers of Canlao Village gathered around the table. Qin Mu placed bowls and chopsticks for each person and carried the village chief to lie on a reclining chair before taking his seat.

Qin Mu stood up and poured wine for each villager, then poured a cup for himself. Sister Si raised her wine cup, her eyes reddening. The butcher said, "On such a joyous day, why are you crying? Clearly, you want him to go out on his own, but you can't bear to let him. Women shed tears so easily!"

Sister Si became furious and glared at him fiercely, saying, "Today is Mu'er's joyous day, and I won't stoop to your level. Mu'er, everyone, let's drink this cup!"

Everyone drank it all in one go, and Qin Mu smiled as he poured wine for everyone again. He said cautiously, "Please go easy on me, everyone. Don't drink too much."

The butcher laughed and said, "You brat, don't be too happy. You might end up lying on the ground unable to get up after the first challenge."

Sister Si's eyes reddened again as she said, "Mu'er, when you leave the village, you must come back to visit us often..."

The butcher laughed, "He won't pass your test, let alone mine..."

Sister Si became furious and pressed his face into the bowl, knocking his head with chopsticks. "You talk too much! My Mu'er has the Power of Domination. He can make you cry for mercy!"

The butcher cried and begged for mercy, and only then did Sister Si stop.

After breakfast, Qin Mu cleaned up the dishes and chopsticks. The village chief said, "Have you all sealed away the other god seals?"

Everyone nodded silently.

"Then let's begin."

Master Ma stepped forward and said lightly, "Mu'er, your boxing technique was taught by me. If we were to fight using my technique, you would undoubtedly lose. You can use all the skills you've learned. As long as you can defeat me, you will pass."

Qin Mu bowed and heard a dragon's roar. His vitality turned into a green dragon swirling around his body as he resolutely said, "I want to listen to Grandpa Ma's teachings with my fists!"

Master Ma revealed a slight smile. "That's the spirit! However, with that approach, you may not necessarily pass the first challenge."

The two of them extended their hands, and suddenly Qin Mu took the initiative, his vitality surged, and with his first punch, he unleashed the Nine Dragons Controlling the Wind and Thunder. His vitality surged mightily, and as his fist struck, faint dragon patterns appeared in the air.

Ma Ye also unleashed the Nine Dragons Controlling the Wind and Thunder, saying, "So you want to test the changes in my Dragon Qi..."

Boom!

Master Ma's face drastically changed as if he was being struck by a massive beast weighing tens of thousands of pounds, and his figure flew backward. With a loud crash, he smashed the blacksmith's shop of the mute, shattering it into pieces, but the momentum was not stopped.

In mid-air, he involuntarily activated the Five Stars Divine Seal, and with a buzzing sound, the terrifying power contained within the Five Stars Divine Seal erupted, finally stopping his momentum. However, at this moment, his clothes behind him burst open, shattering into countless fragments. The fragments faintly transformed into forty-nine green dragons rushing backward, creating a gust of wind. The leaves of several large poplar trees outside the village rustled, and leaves scattered in the air.

Master Ma twisted his waist and landed on the ground, filled with astonishment and uncertainty.

The cripple was eating braised pig trotters and was so startled that he pushed the trotters into his mouth, leaving only the hooves sticking out. The butcher was sharpening his knife, and the sharpening stone cracked with a snap.

The pharmacist and the village chief were drinking tea, but all the teacups and teapots exploded. The blind man's bamboo cane was crushed into strands of bamboo threads, and ink spilled all over the table for the deaf man. Sister Si squeezed a stack of porcelain bowls until they shattered, and Chicken Granny clucked her wings and plunged into the chicken coop, nervously poking her head out and closing the coop's wooden door.

The pharmacist looked at the village chief and whispered, "What happened after you went out the night before last? How did Mu'er's cultivation improve so much?"

The village chief also looked bewildered but suddenly realized something and whispered, "His Ling Tai awakened four times. He said there weren't any significant changes in his Ling Tai, just that his vitality seemed a bit different..."

The pharmacist's eyelid twitched, muttering, "Is this 'a bit different' multiplying his vitality?"

"How would I know that his 'a bit different' actually means multiplying his vitality..." The village chief also muttered.