Tales of Herding Gods

The golden desert was indeed vast and wide. Qin Mu and Luo Wushuang had been traveling for over 10 days and still hadn’t reached the end of it.

Many strange things happened in the desert. During the night, the sky was dark and moonless, as the moon of the Great Void had been knocked out of the sky by the core of the Primordial Tree.

The sound of a woman’s crying could be heard around them. At times, it sounded like she was near, while at other times, it was quite the opposite.

Luo Wushuang projected out his primordial spirit and transformed it into a gigantic god. It gave off boundless divine light as it moved around with his knife. This was why that sound didn’t dare to come close.

“It should be the cries of a drifting lonely ghost.”

Qin Mu had some doubts. He said, “Shouldn’t it be transformed into a monster of the Great Void?”

There were also mournful roars and sweet melodious singing.

As there were no stars or moon in the sky, they were unable to determine their direction and decided to take a rest. There were phantom flames in the darkness, drifting leisurely forward.

They followed these flames, and whenever they stopped or advanced, so did the flames.

During the day, those phantom flames would disappear. However, when Qin Mu took out the map drawn by Yue Tingge, he realized that the route they took was similar to what was on the map. He couldn’t help but click his tongue in wonder.

On the second night, the phantom flames appeared again, guiding them on their journey.

On the third night, under the guidance of the phantom flames, they came to a resplendent-looking city. The city was brightly lit against the dark night sky. Even though it was late at night, it was bustling with activity. There were many stalls on the street, and streams of people walked up and down. These people looked like humongous giants, their heights towering between 100 feet to 1000 feet.

The phantom flames floated into the city, and as the flames landed, they transformed into a giant who respectfully invited them into the city.

The giants in the city were very hospitable, receiving them politely.

Qin Mu opened the third eye at the heart of his brows and scanned around. He saw the true bodies of these masters of creation but didn’t say anything.

He didn’t refuse the wine that the giants offered. Luo Wushuang was originally very wary and worried that there might be traps. However, upon seeing how Qin Mu was enjoying himself, he became relaxed.

He had been uneasy ever since he came to the Great Void. He was being forced to back out of the celestial heavens, yet tasted defeat at Qin Mu’s hands. Because of his troubles, he drank until he was completely drunk.

After Qin Mu had his fill, he rose and bowed towards those giants. “Thank you, everyone, for your kind hospitality. If I’m successful in my endeavors, I’ll establish a Youdu in the Great Void so that you can head to the afterlife.”

After hearing his words, these giants broke into smiles. The leader of the city was a giant of 10,000 feet, allowing his people to sing and dance upon his palm.

After partying for quite a while, Luo Wushuang fell asleep from his drunkenness.

He slept until the next morning when Qin Mu woke him up. When he got up, he realized he was sleeping in the palm of a giant and was surrounded by skeletons everywhere.

Luo Wushuang was bewildered as he looked down from his vantage point. The city was littered with white bones, and there was no one alive. He was dumbstruck. “What did we eat and drink last night?”

Qin Mu bowed towards the giant skeleton. “Everyone, don’t worry, I will definitely make good on last night’s promise. Brother Luo, let’s continue on our journey.”

Luo Wushuang followed behind him as they left the masters of creation’s city. As he turned his head, he saw winds of sand rising, soon covering that strange city under the golden desert.

Luo Wushuang remembered that right before they encountered the city in the desert, the winds of sand appeared as well.

He was panic-stricken. He had no idea what he actually put in his stomach during last night’s gorging.

On the seventh night, they encountered an old lady blocking their way. One of her hands held the hand of a little child, the other one carried a basket. They fell onto their knees and pushed the basket to Qin Mu’s feet as they kowtowed profusely.

Qin Mu said, “Madam, don’t worry. I accept the item in the basket. In the future, I’ll open up a Youdu here so that you two have a place to go.”

The old lady raised her head and grinned. She then left with the child, walking hand in hand as they transformed into a cold wind, disappearing into the darkness.

Luo Wushuang was perplexed. He asked, “Overlord Body Qin, what’s the matter with the masters of creation we saw on our journey? Why do you speak to them about establishing Youdu here?”

“Those were masters of creation who died in the desert.”

Qin Mu picked up the basket and removed the cloth covering it. He said, “When they died here, their souls had no place to go. Therefore, they have to suffer the scorching sun during the day and can only come out at night. Establishing Youdu here would mean them having a place where they could go.”

Luo Wushuang still couldn’t understand. “The rules governing the heaven and earth of the Great Void aren’t complete. Here, the masters of creation become monsters of the Great Void after death. So, why weren’t the souls of these masters of creation transformed into monsters?”

“Probably because their abilities are too strong. Be it the masters of creation we met at the ghost city or the old lady that was blocking the road, their souls and consciousness didn’t dissipate after their deaths. They were able to protect themselves and even their people and not get mutated by the Great Void. It’s because they are too powerful that I said I want to open a Youdu here.”

Qin Mu took out the item in the basket, which was a tiny bottle. It looked like there was consciousness coagulated to a physical form flowing at the mouth of the bottle, sealing it. He laughed. “If I didn’t promise them, I worry we wouldn’t be able to walk out of this desert alive.”

Luo Wushuang’s heart turned cold. He hadn’t been thinking too much about all these.

“In that case, will you help them establish a Youdu?”

He asked, “Wasn’t the promise just a temporary expedient? To establish Youdu in the Great Void would be extremely difficult.”

Qin Mu examined the bottle and said, “The reason they stopped me is that I can establish Youdu.”

Luo Wushuang didn’t understand.

Qin Mu didn’t explain further. The third eye at the heart of his brows hid the Qin word land that was refined from a piece of Earth Count’s horn. To others, establishing Youdu was impossible. To him, it wasn’t entirely so.

After all, Mingdu and Fengdu were forged from the horn of Earth Count, just like the Qin word land. They were all pieces of Earth Count’s horn.

Only, Qin Mu currently didn’t have the ability to forge a new world from the horn of Earth Count. He wasn’t Son of Youdu. If Qin Fengqing was here, it would be an easy task for him.

He observed the consciousness seal on the mouth of the bottle. It was indeed special, formed by consciousness. He peeked through the seal and saw that the bottle seemingly contained a great ocean. When he shook it gently, ferocious and terrifying waves were created, making it a frightening scene.

Qin Mu tried to channel his vital qi into the bottle but was pushed back by the consciousness seal.

“Oh yes, they were masters of creation, so I should use my consciousness instead.”

He mobilized his consciousness, penetrating the seal on the mouth of the bottle. There was really a vast ocean inside. When he shook the bottle just now, it created typhoons and giant waves. The waves surged and crashed, accompanied by flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder!

His consciousness looked towards the sky and saw that it was filled with stars near the entrance of the bottle. There was also a galaxy swirling close to the entrance, containing six constellations.

His consciousness flew over the ocean and arrived at the wall of the bottle. He realized that the wall was actually a landmass perpendicular to the ocean, forming the shape of a ring.

The landmass was expansive and seemed to have everything one would expect—mountains, plains, and rivers!

At that moment, he saw a sun rising from the sea!

“This tiny little bottle could actually contain an entire world!”

Qin Mu was shocked. The strange thing was that even though the bottle contained a world, he couldn’t feel its weight.

“So, it turns out that the old lady is the chief of the Hidden Mountain tribe.”

Shu Jun’s voice resonated in his head. “The Hidden Mountain tribe was a big tribe during the time of the ancient primordial era. The masters of creation of this tribe were adept at creating worlds. This bottle of yours is actually a world.”

Qin Mu got a fright, finding it a little hard to believe what he had heard. Worlds were enormous. How did this little bottle manage to fit a world inside?

Also, when he entered the world through his consciousness, he saw that the world in the bottle was much bigger than those in the Primordial Realm.

“During the ancient primordial era, the Hidden Mountain tribe visualized countless worlds.”

Shu Jun said, “The world she has given you should be the Flask World. And the bottle that contains it should naturally be referred to as the Bottle of Flask World. This is a rare treasure. By giving this to you, it shows that she holds you in high regard.”

Qin Mu solemnly placed the Bottle of Flask World in the Qin word land, together with the crystal coffin and Celestial Venerable Yun’s corporeal body.

The Bottle of Flask World was important to him. If the reform of Eternal Peace failed, it could provide the people of Eternal Peace a place to seek refuge.

“However, that old lady isn’t someone who is easy to deal with. Her gift comes with a price.”

Shu Jun smiled. “Since you have accepted her treasure, you have to deliver what you have promised her. This old lady was a ruthless character during the ancient primordial era. Even though she is dead, her consciousness remains. If you are unable to make good your promise, you will die a terrible death!”

He seemed a little delighted in Qin Mu’s misfortune. “Her consciousness was planted in your body the moment you accepted the basket, and she has countless ways of torturing you to death!”

Qin Mu’s face darkened as he said resentfully, “For example?”

“For instance, to visualize all sorts of things in your body. To grow countless thorns in your stomach, distracting you from your opponents’ blows during a fight. She could also visualize a sun in your body, burning you to death. Alternatively, she could visualize the ocean, hitting you with the force of its waves. Killing you is too simple.” Shu Jun chuckled.

Qin Mu’s scalp went numb. He took out paper and a brush, recording down the promises he made to the Hidden Mountain tribe so that he wouldn’t forget them.

Ten days later, they came to the end of the desert.

On their way, they saw many ruins covered by the desert. They first saw cities, then simple city walls, followed by hastily constructed camps.

The wind conjured up waves of golden sand, and skeletons were littered everywhere.

There were also assaults by the Grand Emperor. His extremely strong consciousness covered the entire Great Void, transforming into all sorts of attacks, pursuing and killing the masters of creation.

The environment in the Great Void was getting harsher. The masters of creation could control nature according to their whims. However, after the Great Void was damaged by the Grand Emperor, flooding it with uncontrolled consciousness and monsters, it was very hard for the masters of creation to survive.

Their current location should be where the last group of the masters of creation of the Great Void had been. An unknown number died when they fled here.

‘The migration of the masters of creation of the Great Void was likely to have occurred around the time the Grand Emperor was killed, which was around the later years of the Dragon Han Era.’

Qin Mu pondered. ‘During that era, the celestial heavens didn’t know that there was another world or this bloody battle. The only one that was aware was Celestial Venerable Yun.’

No one knew why the Grand Emperor wanted to bathe the Great Void in blood. It was likely that Celestial Venerable Yun came here and worked with the masters of creation to lay a trap for the Grand Emperor, imprisoning him in the supreme consciousness realm.

‘However, why was Celestial Venerable Yun’s corporeal body in the heart of the Grand Emperor’s brows?’

Qin Mu had some doubts. Celestial Venerable Yun didn’t die in that battle. Rather, he was killed during the fight for the right to govern the celestial heavens. There was no way his corporeal body would be here.

Also, the bloodline curse of the Yun family should have been planted by the masters of creation when he died. During that time, the Grand Emperor was already dead in the Great Void.

He sighed. The more secrets he knew, the more doubts he had.

Although he had been to the Dragon Han Era, it felt like a hazy memory to him.

He had too many doubts which he would need Celestial Venerable Yun to clear up.

‘When we leave the Great Void, I will use the power of Heaven Duke and Earth Count to revive Celestial Venerable Yun!’

Qin Mu looked in front and saw the border of the Great Void. Beyond it was boundless dark void with no landmass.

At the masters of creation’s final gathering point, which Yue Tingge told them about, they saw simple city walls and a towering sacrificial altar with flickering lights on it.

Those masters of creation likely built another void and used the Void Bridge to connect and bring them to that new world.

Qin Mu and Luo Wushuang came to the gathering point. It had long been empty, and only an ancient-looking sacrificial altar remained.

The brilliance on the top of the sacrificial altar belonged to a bridge with disjointed pieces, looking very unstable. It was the Void Bridge. At times, it was crumbling, and at other times, it was whole again. They didn’t know where it led. Beyond the bridge was a scene of doomsday!

Qin Mu frowned as he looked at the Void Bridge, thinking about how to cross it. Suddenly, he saw a lady traversing the bridge on the other end!

Surrounding the lady was a scene of destruction. The void contorted and collapsed, creating a scene that was incomparably terrifying. Many celestial palaces were floating behind the lady as they organized themselves into a broken celestial heaven, planning to cross the void to reach the opposite shore!

“Celestial Venerable Xu!” Luo Wushuang lowered his voice as he spoke.