Tales of Herding Gods

Qin Mu took out the Grand Emperor’s seal and sacrificial altar. The eye at the heart of his brows opened as he gathered his focus. His vital qi and consciousness surged forth as his eye shot out a ray of light into the altar!

The Grand Emperor’s sacrificial altar, which was only the size of a palm, was illuminated by his consciousness and vital qi. It instantly emitted a gentle hum as it gave off waves of faint fluctuations.

Slowly, some runes appeared on the altar. Those were the imprints of Qin Mu’s spirit. The runes then became brighter, shining beams of light on the Grand Emperor’s seal.

Qin Mu circled the tiny altar and seal, his hands moving quickly, imprinting even more runes on the two treasures.

Gradually, he had more and more arms. The mudras on each hand were constantly changing as the number of imprinted rune markings increased!

After a long time, Qin Mu stopped to rest.

Gongsun Yan had some questions for him, but she remembered Qin Mu’s words and held back.

Qin Mu moved to the base of the Primordial Tree and buried the Grand Emperor’s sacrificial altar at its roots. He then rose into the air and arrived in the upper capital city, placing the Grand Emperor’s seal at the crown.

Gongsun Yan followed him around. After Qin Mu was done, his ten fingers moved rapidly, shooting out seal after seal. Suddenly, the Grand Emperor’s seal and altar trembled!

Gongsun Yan let out a soft cry. Her body felt weak and itchy. It was as if there were countless little bugs burrowing around inside her.

However, this strange phenomenon disappeared quickly.

Qin Mu heaved a sigh of relief and said, “For the next two days, don’t talk to anyone, don’t eat or drink, don’t open your mouth.”

Gongsun Yan nodded obediently.

“Yan’er, Fatty Dragon, watch over her. Don’t let her open her mouth, no matter what.”

The dragon qilin and Yan’er hurriedly acknowledged.

Qin Mu left the capital city and arrived at the opposite shore facing the Mud River. He chose a deserted area and opened the eye at the heart of his brows, visualizing a sacrificial altar. After that, he got busy, placing rows and rows of runes of Great Dao on the altar.

After he was done, he cut his wrists and traced those runes with his body’s divine blood.

While he was busy, Gongsun Yan was helping Yan’er set up a bird’s nest. Yan’er had always liked to serve others, but every time she met Gongsun Yan, she would be waited upon impeccably by this girl instead, making her feel very at ease.

“Yan’er, Fatty Dragon and me will be getting married soon. After that, we plan to have a nest of small birds and let them stay here with you.” Yan’er smiled.

Gongsun Yan beamed and was about to speak when Yan’er hurriedly covered her mouth. “You can’t speak.”

Gongsun Yan frowned.

The dragon qilin said, “What Cult Master did was for your own good. His divine art can keep you from being invaded by external enemies. However, this divine art requires you to close your senses. When you open your mouth, energy will be lost, and his divine art will then not be able to help protect your corporeal body. If Mother Earth strikes, she could take over your body.”

Gongsun Yan blinked and was confused. ‘Mother Earth wants to take over my body?’

Suddenly, beams of colorful light rays appeared in the sky. A pair of phoenixes flew over, circling the Primordial Tree as they danced. Their movements were graceful, and they began to sing. “Phoenixes, where do you come from? Crying and spreading your wings high up above. The mountain wind passes through the jade flute, while the bamboo fruits are abundant and plentiful—”

In the capital city, the people danced in joy when they heard the singing. To them, the arrival of phoenixes was a sign of good fortune.

Gongsun Yan also started dancing in joy. She had long wanted to have a pair of phoenixes. Now that she saw those phoenixes, she was tempted to fly over and lure them into her nest.

Suddenly, a dragon sparrow flew out from the nest on the tree crown. Without any explanation, it seized and ate those phoenixes, stunning the people in the capital city.

Yan’er swallowed them and returned to her nest. She then said ruthlessly to Gongsun Yan, “Yan’er, they were sent by Mother Earth to trick you into opening your mouth. Don’t fall for it!”

Gongsun Yan felt wronged. At that moment, another pair of phoenixes flew over and sang loudly. “There are phoenixes in the Primordial Realm, living in my parasol tree branches. Ready to return jubilantly…”

The dragon sparrow flew up again and ate up that pair of phoenixes in front of everyone in the capital city. It then perched itself prominently on the crown of the Primordial Tree, staring ferociously in all directions.

When the people of Eternal Peace’s capital city saw that, they fell quiet and shivered.

In the lower capital city, waves of fragrance traveled over as golden springs surged from the ground. Every well in the capital city was filled with overflowing fragrance as all sorts of colored lotus flowers bloomed from them. Each of the flowers then gave birth to young girls who laughed as they said in succession, “I’m so happy, let’s look for Elder Sister!”

Those young girls then headed towards the Primordial Tree one after another. The people in the capital city were dumbfounded.

Those girls were gorgeously dressed. When they found Gongsun Yan, they pulled her to sing and dance while smiling. “Yanzi, don’t you recognize us? We are the fruit that you planted in the backyard!”

Gongsun Yan felt shocked but happy. She was about to speak when the dragon qilin suddenly roared, his entire body bursting into flames and burning those girls to ashes!

“You must not open your mouth, no matter what!” the dragon qilin said solemnly.

Gongsun Yan nodded repeatedly, like a chick pecking at grains of rice.

The dragon qilin watched his surroundings alertly. “Mother Earth will surely come up with some more tricks and won’t give up so easily. As long as you don’t speak, Mother Earth won’t be able to break the seal and sacrificial altar of the Grand Emperor and enter your body to take it over.”

At that moment, the time that Qin Mu and Mother Earth had agreed upon had arrived. Qin Mu opened his altar and performed his spell to gather souls for her.

There were waves of cold wind in that deserted area. The black sand tumbled and swarmed forward.

Qin Mu opened the Heavenly Door of Heaven and Earth and inherited the power of Heaven Duke and Earth Count. His Dao voice rumbled as his Dao rhythm trembled. Together with his supreme Dharma, he began reconstructing Mother Earth’s three souls.

The ground shook ceaselessly as the roots of Mother Earth burrowed underneath. She had arrived, waiting for her souls to be recovered.

After a long time, Qin Mu had finally reconstructed Mother Earth’s three souls of heaven soul, earth soul, and god soul, and he was drenched all over.

The three souls of Mother Earth stood on the sacrificial altar as Qin Mu said solemnly, “Mother Earth, I have delivered on my promise. We don’t owe each other anything now.”

Mother Earth’s souls slowly sank into the ground, and she was laughing as she said, “Well said! You’re indeed the Great Wizard. Now that I have been brought back to life, I’ll put in a few good words for you in front of the other ancient gods.”

Qin Mu snorted as he flicked his sleeves and said, “Now that your souls are complete, be off quickly!”

Mother Earth chuckled. “This is just bringing my souls back to life. I don’t have my corporeal body yet. Great Wizard, your Eternal Peace lacks the protection of a powerful ancient god. Let me help you with that!” After she finished speaking, her three souls disappeared.

Under the Primordial Tree of the capital city, Gongsun Yan maintained her silence. Suddenly, the souls of Mother Earth appeared in front of her with a warm smile and gently stroked her face, saying softly, “Poor child, my daughter, mother has come to see you.”

Gongsun Yan’s heart melted as she chokingly said, “Mother…”

Mother Earth laughed heartily as the dragon qilin bellowed in rage and charged towards her. Instantly, he was crushed by boundless pressure, causing him to be flattened on the ground while the earth sank steadily!

Yan’er turned into a dragon sparrow and swooped down from the sky with her wings spread wide. Mother Earth reached out with a finger, and countless roots burrowed out of the ground, binding Yan’er firmly!

At the crown of the Primordial Tree, the Grand Emperor’s seal gave off a bright brilliance, forming an invisible barrier with the Grand Emperor’s sacrificial altar buried at the roots. However, in the next moment, the seal and the altar came flying out of the tree!

Mother Earth’s figure suddenly scattered as she burrowed into Gongsun Yan’s body.