Tales of Herding Gods

Gods with towering bodies rose and looked at the youth walking towards them.

Commander’s seal represented one’s identity, it was proof to mobilize the military power. In the ten armies of the celestial heavens, they only admit the seal and not the person.

The ten armies of the celestial heavens were only loyal to Celestial Emperor so if there was no commander’s seal, the commander wouldn’t be able to even move the army.

There were only two methods to mobilize the army. The first was with a commander’s seal, the second was Celestial Emperor taking charge personally.

As long as Qin Mu held the commander’s seal, he would be the Right Commander of Feathered Forest Guards. He would have the power to mobilize the army!

The commander’s seal was brought away by Founding Master Wei Suifeng and handed over to Elder Qing Huang for safekeeping. Even with the commander’s seal in hand, he couldn’t mobilize this batch of strong gods until he came back to the origin of the ghost ship’s cycle.

When Feathered Forest Guards returned back from the void, Qin Mu could final borrow this commander’s seal to control this terrifying strength.

In front of Feathered Forest Guards, Qin Mu’s face gradually changed into the face of Celestial Venerable Mu.

Mu Qing of the Nine Celestial Venerables, Celestial Venerable Mu.

The god soldiers looked at his face changing and even though they looked astonished, they didn’t ask anything.

The Nine Celestial Venerables all have their unique abilities and every one of them has extraordinary achievements. However, the most mysterious ones were still Celestial Venerable Qin and this Celestial Venerable Mu in front of them, they were always missing.

No matter who was it, as long as they were in control of the commander’s seal, they would be their leader.

Qin Mu raised his hand and a sword flew out to sever the pillar which contained the poem Celestial Venerable Ling had left behind.

The pillar flew over and his body expanded little by little. He stretched out his hand and grabbed the pillar, walking forward with ten thousand gods of Feathered Forest Guards following behind him.

Zhe Huali braved himself and he followed closely behind Qin Mu. He realized that Qin Mu was leading these gods towards the palace hall where Celestial Empress’s coffin was in.

In front of the palace hall, an incomparably strong dragon god was being locked up between the chains. He looked menacingly at Qin Mu who was walking over and shouted fiercely, “Heaven and earth changes, the unchanging constant of thirty-six people! What is the meaning of this? Tell me, what is the meaning?”

Qin Mu stopped in his footsteps and his mind was blown.

Zhe Huali hurriedly said, “Cult Master Qin, why have you stopped? This dragon is always saying the same things over and over again…”

Qin Mu shook his head and his mind was cleared up now. He pointed at King Dragon Count and said with a smile, “When I board this ship, you had said this phrase. I thought you were crazy and was spouting nonsense. Never would I expect that you aren’t asking the others, you are asking me!”

He had a ridiculous feeling.

That old dragon had a crazed expression and he continued to ask menacingly, “Tell me quickly, what is the meaning!”

Qin Mu smiled. “Only by solving the unchanging constant can you leave.” After saying so, he turned to bring the soldiers of Feathered Forest Guards into the hall.

“Solve the unchanging constant?”

That old dragon was stunned and shouted. “How do you solve it? Don’t go! Come back and tell me, how do I solve the unchanging constant?”

Qin Mu walked into the hall and he saw eight huge dragons guarding Celestial Empress’ coffin. The eight dragons were being chained up.

And now, the eight huge dragons were not petrified.

He opened up the tunnel once again and led the soldiers inside before sealing the tunnel. He asked solemnly, “Has General Wei taught you guys about Four Symbols Calamity Formation?”

The ten thousand gods immediately laid out and transformed into Four Symbols Calamity Formation. They were split into four corners under the ship and they were lined up orderly, waiting for inspection.

Qin Mu surveyed the surroundings and he let out a sigh of relief. Wei Suifeng had trained these soldiers well and taught them the Four Symbols Calamity Formation inside Great Educational Heavenly Devil Scriptures to them.

He came to the center of Four Symbols Calamity Formation and he stabbed the pillar where Celestial Venerable Ling had left the poem behind. He said with a low voice, “The four deities should be coming soon, if they don’t board the ship at this cycle, my arrangements would be all useless. Hope they will come…”

Suddenly, the ghost ship shook gently and it paused.

“This ship that has been missing for twenty thousand years has finally reappeared again.”

There was a dull and heavy voice coming from outside and Qin Mu had heard this voice before. It was the voice of North Deity Xuan Wu.

During Jade Pool Meeting, Niu Sanduo wrecked the celestial heavens and he had planned to raise Celestial River up as a weapon and in the end, Celestial River was suppressed by North Deity Xuan Wu.

So this meant that the person that had stopped the ghost ship was North Deity Xuan Wu.

He self-proclaimed he was an ancient god that was born in Celestial River so it should be very easy to stop the ghost ship sailing on Celestial River.

By controlling the Celestial River, it was very easy for him to discover the ghost ship as well.

East Deity Qing Long’s voice rang out, “Dao Brother Xuan Wu, the case where Celestial Empress got attack is filled with doubtful points. With Feathered Forest Guards vanishing on their return journey, putting these two cases together, there is really something fishy about it. We have to investigate… West Deity, South Deity, you guys are finally here.”

Four incomparably powerful and sacred auras spread over and Qin Mu was finally at ease. “As I have expected, all four deities have arrived! This is the only chance to escape, there can be no mistake!”

“Celestial Empress getting attacked, Feathered Forest Guards quelling the rebellion, Feathered Forest Guards vanishing on Celestial River, this incident shook the world twenty thousand years ago.”

Qin Mu heard a familiar voice and he subconsciously smiled. It was Zhu Que’er’s voice.

Zhu Que’er was none other than South Deity Zhu Que.

Her voice continued to ring out, “There were all kinds of rumors back then and I heard General Wei Suifeng had first sent someone to the celestial heavens to report about the matters happening in Ruins of End. I had also sounded out and the person Wei Suifeng had sent over reported to Celestial Emperor that Celestial Empress had died in Ruins of End. Wei Suifeng had laid her corpse in a coffin and was returning to the celestial heavens. In that case, Celestial Empress’ corpse should be on Feathered Forest Guards’ ship and vanish along with them. However, Feathered Forest Guards has vanished while Celestial Empress has appeared on the celestial heavens. This really puzzled me.”

Another woman’s voice rang out and it should be West Deity Bai Hu. “Sister Zhu Que, it was Great Sun Sovereign that had told you about this incident, am I right? I’ve also ask Great Sun Sovereign before and that was what he told me as well. This little bird knows a lot of secrets. Celestial Empress’ resurrection isn’t the only suspicious point, even that soldier that had come to report to Celestial Emperor had vanished inexplicably. It’s like he had completely vaporized from this world and couldn’t be found anymore! It’s too strange!”

“What was even stranger was that these weird incidents have all happened on Celestial River yet Dao Brother Xuan Wu says he doesn’t know anything at all!”

South Deity Zhu Que said indifferently, “How can the incidents that happen on Celestial River be hidden from you? Yet you say you know nothing, Dao Brother Xuan Wu, you are very suspicious.”

North Deity Xuan Wu snorted.

East Deity Qing Ling coughed and said, “Dao Brother Xuan Wu is not that kind of person. It was also Dao Brother Xuan Wu that had informed us now that this ship has reappeared again. He had gathered all of us to witness this. If he had done it, would he have invited us over? Since we are here, let us board this ship and have a look for ourselves!”

Suddenly, the ghost ship sank down and it must have been the four deities who had broke through the black gas surrounding this ship to board this ghost ship.

“This ship is strange!”

West Deity cried out in astonishment. “There’s a kind of power that is trying to invade me!”

“I also feel it! It’s a very strange power that wants to control me!”

“It’s not controlling, it’s seizing our power… Not only is it seizing our power, but it’s also even trying to take our corporeal bodies! This power is trying to merge us into one with it!”

“This ship… is alive! This is a trap!”

…

Boom, boom! Explosions rang out and terrifying waves swept through the entire ship. That was the four deities trying to break through Celestial Venerable Ling’s divine art.

East Deity transformed into a green dragon and flew out of the ghost ship. His body disappeared into the black gas and in the next instant, East Deity Qing Long suddenly appeared on this ship again. He landed on the ground and quickly moved several steps, revealing a look of astonishment.

East Deity flew out once again and he appeared on this ship the next instant. After flying dozens of times, he still appeared on this ship and this caused the great deity that was in charge of a celestial palace to even be flustered.

The other three great deities also executed all kinds of methods to try to leave this ship. South Deity Zhu Que’s speed was the fastest and she transformed into a vermillion bird to escape. However, no matter how she flew or how fast she flew, she would always return back on the ship.

North Deity controlled Celestial River and tried to swing this ship out of Celestial River but even if the ghost ship was swung out, it would still return back to the surface of the river in the next instant.

Meanwhile, West Deity controlled her gold qi to try to split the black gas outside the ship into pieces. However, the black gas quickly returned back to its original shape.

This ship has something that made the four deities felt inconceivable. The ghost ship was a huge lifeform itself that trapped everything. Even that divine art that was surrounding that ghost ship was also a divine art that they had never seen before!

The four deities possessed abilities to change the world and each of them controlled incomparably powerful Great Dao. Their Dao cultivation was even incomparably dense and yet they were helpless against this ship.

“Work together to break through the divine art surrounding this ship!”

The four deities made their moves and attacked the black fog outside the ship. Right at this moment, they suddenly felt the power in their divine art flowing away rapidly as though someone had stolen them away!

The four deities felt astonished and they hurriedly executed their magic power to attack furiously.

Inside the ship, Four Symbols Calamity Formation was activated and Qin Mu was in charge of the formation to steal the power of the four deities. The power of Four Symbols Calamity Formation became stronger and stronger and in the center of the formation, apparitions of the green dragon, white tiger, vermillion bird, and black tortoise appeared to roar and surged forward!

Suddenly, the power of the four deities boomed as four beams burst forth to shine on the pillar where Celestial Venerable Ling had left behind her poem.

Flowers are not flowers, fogs are not fogs. Like shadowy appearances coming at midnight, leaving at first light. They come like a spring dream but for how long? Parting nowhere to be found in the morning clouds.

These thirty-seven words gradually gave off light and became brighter and brighter.

‘The four deities don’t know that it’s me that is stealing their power.’

Qin Mu revealed a smile and he moved. Arms grew out under his armpits and all kinds of runes burst forth from his fingertips as he tapped at the thirty-seven words on the pillar. He activated the divine art hidden in these thirty-seven words bit by bit!

The thirty-seven words grew brighter and brighter as they peeled off from the pillar to float in the air. Each word was huge as they laid out in the air.

The thirty-seven worlds were formed from countless complicated and fine runes in Qin Mu’s eyes. Mobilizing the power of Four Symbols Calamity Formation to change the structure to runes, these words were still the same words but the runes that formed these words were changing. The power that was hidden in these runes were gradually being activated!

Now was the most crucial moment and the smile on Qin Mu’s face faded away. He couldn’t help feeling slightly nervous and started to worry.

Suddenly, King Dragon Count’s voice rang out on the deck as he shouted, “Four deities, stop! You probably don’t know but you are not the only ones on this ship!”

The four deities suddenly stopped attacking the black gas outside the ship and Four Symbols Calamity Formation could not steal the power of the four deities anymore.

Qin Mu’s heart jumped and his expression turned dark.

“King Dragon Count!”

North Deity Xuan Wu’s voice rang out. “You rebelled and got seized by General Wei, I truly don’t know who gave you such guts.”

Cold sweat broke out on Qin Mu’s forehead and he shouted, “Soldier, listen to my command, supply all of the power in Four Symbols Calamity Formation to me!”

The power stolen by Four Symbols Calamity Formation surged forth and rushed at him.

King Dragon Count’s voice came from outside as he cried out. “There’s someone under the deck, it’s the Right Commander of Feathered Forest Guards, he is controlling Feathered Forest Guards to steal your power, he is trying to get rid of you guys and trapped all of you here! They are all dead, they are ghost, they cannot be observed!”

Qin Mu gritted his teeth and mobilized all of his cultivation to change the rune structure of the thirty-seven words.

When Zhe Huali heard King Dragon Count’s words, he wanted to immediately rush out and smashed this old dragon king into pulp.

Right at this moment, the sky inside the ghost ship seemed to be melting. Huge hands descended down from the sky to grab at the Feathered Forest Guards, pulling them up.

The deck rattled as planks smashed together to form black coffins to seal these soldiers inside.

Qin Mu shouted, “Maintain the formation, don’t mess up the formation!”

Those soldiers were extremely powerful and if they worked together to face the enemy, they could suppress experts like King Dragon Count. Even contesting with the four deities was not an issue. However, as the commander, Qin Mu had given his command so these soldiers gave up on defending to maintain the formation.

Huge hands continued to grab down to seal even more of the Feathered Forest Guards. Lesser and lesser people were around Qin Mu and every time a person was lost, the other would immediately change the formation to maintain the operation without a single word of grudge.

‘Big senior brother, you have trained these soldiers of the Feathered Forest Guards to be too outstanding.’

Qin Mu finally adjusted the rune structure of the thirty-seven words and the thirty-seven words shone brightly. The intense light shone out from the inside of the ship, dazzling even the eyes of the four deities, causing them to cover their eyes.

“Soldiers, wait for me.”

Qin Mu bowed to the ground at the remaining soldiers and he said solemnly, “The seal of the four deities can’t suppress you guys, after you guys turn into the void, you will break free of the seal. In the future, I will solve Celestial Venerable Ling’s divine art completely and rescue you guys out from this state that’s neither living nor dead.”

“Make an oath.” The faces under the helmets looked at him.

Qin Mu raised his palm. “I swear with my life…”

Right at this moment, another few huge hands grabbed down to pull Qin Mu, Zhe Huali and the rest of the soldiers out.

“Big sister, do you still remember Brother Mu?” Qin Mu raised his head and shouted.

On the deck, that woman that had grabbed Qin Mu and Zhe Huali revealed a look of astonishment and cried out. “Celestial Venerable Mu?”

“Big sister, I will explain to you in the future, let go of us now!”

South Deity Zhu Que’er let go and the thirty-seven words exploded with a bang. Light swept out in all directions and the black fog outside the ship was swept away!

It felt like an instant had passed yet it also felt like tens of thousands of years. The light in front of Qin Mu’s eyes vanished and the surroundings were dark. He was currently standing on the river surface of Surging River while Village Chief and Dragon Rearing Sovereign were running behind him. They came to his side.

Qin Mu looked down the water and a ghost ship was currently sailing in the water.

He turned to look at the shore and First Ancestor Human Emperor was standing there and looking over.

Village Chief was furious and punched him ruthlessly on his head, “Take care of us? I’m here to take care of you. Rascal, after mingling outside for a few years, you have gotten quite haughty!”

Qin Mu rubbed his head and he raised his head to looked at the sky where a rope hung down from the moon. He looked upstream of Surging River and he saw Luo Wushuang flying over on a small boat.

Qin Mu revealed a smile and said to Village Chief and Dragon Rearing Sovereign. “I fulfilled my promise and rescue both of you. Grandpa Village Chief, Dragon Rearing Sovereign, long time no see.”