Daoist Lin Xuan was the first to regain his composure, raising his hand to bid Qin Mu stay, speaking with utmost sincerity: "Cult Master Qin, please stay! Your bringing the golden scripture scroll here cannot be as simple as letting this humble Daoist read it for three days—you're luring me to take the bait! Since you've already cast your line and I've taken it, why not sit down for a proper discussion?"
The old Daoists and Daoist nuns nodded in agreement, speaking in unison: "A proper discussion! There's nothing we can't discuss!"
"We are all cultivators, all qi practitioners—there's nothing we can't discuss!"
"Orthodox or demonic, all paths are valid; we're all family!"
...
Daoist Lin Xuan invited Qin Mu to take a seat, and immediately an old Daoist nun went to brew tea, presenting it to them. Qin Mu drank the tea and laughed: "Fine tea, only slightly inferior to that of the Upper Realm. What tea is this? Can you give me some?"
"Of course!"
The old Daoist nun grinned, revealing a few sparse teeth, and smiled: "This is our Dao Sect's Azure Treasure Fragrance. Only tea produced by the tea trees growing by Yuxu Spring can be called Azure Treasure Fragrance. Only three trees grow by Yuxu Spring, and they produce only a few jin per year! How many jin does Cult Master Qin want?"
Qin Mu set down the herb basket and asked Village Chief to come out to pour him tea, saying: "Grandpa Village Chief, do you find it agreeable?"
"The Azure Treasure Fragrance has a light aroma but a lingering aftertaste, of course it's agreeable!" Village Chief laughed. "Even the Emperor cannot drink this tea! Let's start with one jin, and we'll drink the new tea when spring comes next year."
Qin Mu said to the old Daoist nun: "Wrap up one jin for a taste, preferably the pre-Qingming harvest."
The old Daoist nun hurried away and returned after a moment with a large package of tea.
Qin Mu put away the tea and looked around, remarking: "The Dao Sect is quite impoverished."
An old Daoist hastily said: "Not impoverished—we originally had some assets, but they were stolen. Cult Master Qin, this golden scripture scroll of yours..."
"Oh, it belongs to my Qin family."
Qin Mu placed the golden scripture scroll to the side and said: "I originally had some friction with the Dao Sect and have always wanted to come to the mountain to apologize, but unfortunately I couldn't make the trip. Today I came firstly to invite Daoist Master Lin Xuan to read the book, and secondly to hopefully resolve this grudge."
"There's no need to speak of it, Cult Master Qin!" Daoist Master Lin Xuan said solemnly. "Grudges can be resolved, but disputes over doctrine cannot. Even if we resolve our grudge today, there will be future conflicts over doctrine, creating even more grudges. Cult Master Qin should instead tell us about this golden scripture."
Qin Mu inwardly admired his insight and said: "Daoist Master Lin Xuan has deep vision; Qin Mu is impressed. Then today let us discuss this golden scripture scroll. This book records three cultivation techniques: the Magpie Bridge Art, the Mystic Draw, and the Divine Crossing. They are techniques for connecting the seventh divine treasure—the Divine Bridge treasure. I brought this book here; its purpose should be guessable by all of you."
"So it truly is a technique for repairing the Divine Bridge!"
The old Daoists and Daoist nuns were all greatly shaken, their excitement barely containable.
Repairing the Divine Bridge, breaking through the final shackles to become a god—this was the long-cherished wish of countless people, and even the experts of the Dao Sect were no exception!
The Dao Sect's talk of "cultivating immortality" was merely a comforting excuse.
—"Immortal" was the term used by the Little Jade Capital, whose experts often interacted with those of the Dao Sect, calling themselves immortals. Living in the mountains, detached from worldly affairs, they considered themselves even more transcendent than the Dao Sect.
When these old Daoists and Daoist nuns first saw the golden scripture scroll, they were immediately struck by the Magpie Bridge Art within it, realizing it was a method for repairing the Divine Bridge—extremely ingenious—which was why they had gone three days without sleep, food, or rest.
Now that Qin Mu had clarified that this golden scripture scroll contained the techniques for repairing the Divine Bridge and connecting it to the Heavenly Court, they almost felt the urge to seize it by force.
However, seeing that elderly man who could still drink tea despite having no hands or feet, everyone calmed down again.
Three days ago, when this old man had emerged from the basket and merely glanced at them, that look revealed to them the ultimate sword technique.
At that moment, seeing the old man's gaze, they felt as if a sword was attacking them from every direction—no evasion, no defense, no parry could withstand it—so one by one they avoided the old man's eyes.
They were renowned figures of the Dao Sect, not at the level of the former Dao Master, but still masters of their own right, with superb sword skills. Yet this old man made them feel that if they tried to seize the scripture by force, they would surely die without a burial place.
Daoist Master Lin Xuan's eyes flickered as he released his qi, forming a model of the Heavenly Star Array in midair, concealing mathematical principles within, and said: "Cult Master Qin, please solve it."
Qin Mu smiled faintly, knowing this was a test of his mathematical expertise. If Qin Mu knew nothing of mathematics, the Dao Sect could set any price they wished. Only if Qin Mu's mathematical prowess was extremely high, making the Dao Sect realize he could manage without them, would they willingly assist him.
"This is the Great Heavenly Star Array Cosmic Chess Transformation technique."
Qin Mu's finger danced, tapping here and there within the Heavenly Star Array, speaking rapidly: "The Great Heavenly Star Array has three hundred sixty-five stars, but hidden within is the three hundred sixty-sixth star—the seat of the Jade Emperor. You didn't mark the Jade Emperor, expecting me to solve for the Jade Emperor's star number, am I correct?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Mu used his qi to draw a star within the Great Heavenly Star Array: "The Jade Emperor's star number is here!"
In the Yuxu Monastery, the old Daoists and Daoist nuns were all deeply shaken, exchanging glances: "The Cult Master of the Heavenly Demon Cult has extremely high mathematical skill—he solved it so quickly! For him to solve the Jade Emperor's star number so easily, calculating the techniques in the golden scripture should not be difficult, only requiring time."
Daoist Master Lin Xuan dispersed his qi and asked in puzzlement: "Since Cult Master Qin can solve it, why come to our Dao Sect at all?"
"I can solve it alone, but it would take too long, and I cannot wait that long."
Qin Mu said earnestly: "Moreover, I still need the Dao Sect's experts to help me calculate the spatial mathematics model for a divine cannon. Both matters require many skilled mathematicians. If the Dao Sect helps me, you may keep a copy of both the three techniques for repairing the Divine Bridge and the spatial mathematics!"
In the Yuxu Monastery, everyone drew a long breath, but the atmosphere fell silent.
Qin Mu put away the golden scripture scroll and stood up: "If Daoist Master Lin Xuan is interested, you may meet me at the Grand Academy in the capital city. I need to visit the Little Jade Capital to invite a few mathematics experts from there. By the way, Daoist Master Lin Xuan, could you gift me a copy of the Mystic Maiden's Calculation Scripture?"
Daoist Master Lin Xuan said: "A small matter." He then ordered someone to fetch the Mystic Maiden's Calculation Scripture and give it to Qin Mu.
Qin Mu accepted the scripture with thanks, then said meaningfully: "Your master, the former Dao Master, is also at the Little Jade Capital, correct? His remaining lifespan is not much. If there were a method to repair the Divine Bridge and spatial mathematics..."
Daoist Master Lin Xuan's body trembled slightly, but he said nothing.
Qin Mu walked out of the Yuxu Monastery, called to Xiong Xiyu and her daughter Xiong Qi'er who were waiting outside, and descended the mountain to leave.
Daoist Master Lin Xuan let out a turbid breath and looked at the many old Daoists in the Yuxu Monastery, who were also looking at him.
Daoist Master Lin Xuan suddenly stood up and said in a deep voice: "Summon the Dao Sect's mathematics experts to descend the mountain and go to the capital."
"Think carefully, Daoist Master!"
An old Daoist hastily said: "Do you truly wish to ally with the Heavenly Demon Cult? The Heavenly Demon Cult is wolf-hearted and ambitious, and this generation's Cult Master is even more brilliant and far-sighted, with hidden malicious intent. In the battle at the capital city, how many of our brothers and sisters did he kill?"
Another old Daoist nun said: "The Heavenly Demon Cult's Cult Master Qin is indeed more cunning and ruthless than Li Tianxing, and even harder to deal with! This time he brings the golden scripture scroll—I fear he's trying to lure us into a trap!"
"Our grudge with the Heavenly Demon Cult runs deep. This Cult Master has a predatory gaze and is no good person. Daoist Master, think carefully before acting!"
...
"The capital city must be visited! The method of becoming a god must be obtained!"
Daoist Master Lin Xuan waved his sleeve and said calmly: "Say no more, esteemed seniors. Cult Master Qin is correct—even without our help, he can decipher the contents of the golden scripture scroll. Moreover, the Grand Academy and the Little Jade Capital also have mathematics experts; calculating the spatial mathematics model is only a matter of time. If our Dao Sect falls even one step behind, we will fall behind in every way, only to be surpassed by the Heavenly Demon Cult and left behind by the times!"
He turned to pack his belongings: "Our Dao Sect needs its own god—a living god to protect us. In this era of great change, a sanctuary that does not change will have no way to survive!"
The old Daoists stopped persuading him and went to pack their own things, selecting their most outstanding mathematics disciples, preparing to head to the capital city.
Suddenly, an old Daoist let out a heaven-shaking scream: "Who stole the sect master's fly-whisk?"
From another corner came an angry voice: "Who ate my fish?"
"Who stole my landscape screen? This has been my treasured possession for years!"
"Who has seen my Qiankun Bay? It's a miniature landscape I refined from the Qiankun Bay."
"My hairpin was on the dressing table—who took it? Speak up!"
...
At the foot of Yuxu Mountain, as Qin Mu passed the mountain gate, the old Daoist guarding the mountain stood there, returning Qin Mu's clothes to him, and asked suspiciously: "The old master thief stole our Dao Sect's treasures again, didn't he?"
Qin Mu took his clothes and shook his head: "I didn't see him on the mountain."
The old Daoist stamped his foot: "Oh no! If you had seen him, he might have paused for a moment, but since you didn't see him, these three days would have been enough for that old villain to ransack even the ancestral graves!" He then called the big yellow dog and hurried up the mountain with it.
The big yellow dog was incredibly agile, leaping and jumping across Yuxu Mountain, sniffing the ground everywhere. Suddenly, barking echoed from the mountain, sending chickens flying and dogs running.
"If we don't leave now, the Dao Sect's experts will come charging down the mountain," Village Chief reminded Qin Mu from the basket.
Qin Mu came to his senses and urged Dragon Qilin: "Run quickly!"
Dragon Qilin panicked and fled, heading out of the towering Kunlun Mountains.
After running for a while, they finally escaped the Kunlun range. Qin Mu looked worried: "I wonder if Grandpa Cripple can get out..."
Before he finished, he saw the Cripple sitting in the shade of a large tree ahead of them, as if he had been waiting for quite some time.
Qin Mu was speechless, about to speak, when the Cripple suddenly jumped up as if his rear were on fire, sprinting away and vanishing in midair. His voice echoed from afar: "Mu'er, you all go to the Little Jade Capital first; I'll be along shortly!"
A large dog crashed to the ground, with several old Daoists—men and women alike—sitting on its back, brimming with killing intent.
The dog sniffed under the tree, then clouded beneath its feet and soared into the air, chasing after the Cripple at incredible speed, a blur of light and shadow.
Qin Mu was stunned for a moment, then looked at Dragon Qilin and said kindly: "Dragon Fatty, can you catch up with that dog?"
Dragon Qilin shook its head: "That fellow runs incredibly fast—I can't catch him."
"He could run faster even while eating shit!" Qin Mu said, his heart aching. "And you have the nerve to eat spirit pills every meal!"