**Chapter 92: Breaking Through the Trials**
Qin Mu reached out and touched, completely unable to find any trace that the world had existed.
The Village Chief hesitated, then told Qin Mu about his experiences in the world of the dead for the living. Qin Mu's eyes widened—the Village Chief had such a miraculous experience?
"The world of the dead for the living has a King of Hell. It shouldn't be a Heavenly Demon world, but a remnant from before the darkness fell—a part of the Great Ruins before the Cataclysm."
The Village Chief analyzed, "The King of Hell in the world of the dead for the living is probably a divine role, like the Sun Guardian or the Moon Guardian. But the Carefree Village isn't there. As for where it actually is, I couldn't find out. Your jade pendant was probably drawn to the world of the dead for the living because the moonship and your jade pendant both come from the Carefree Village."
He sighed, "The world of the Great Ruins is truly vast. I used to live here and never imagined there would be multiple worlds layered upon each other. This world has at least three layers!"
Qin Mu nodded. The Great Ruins by day, the Dark World by night, and the world of the dead for the living within the Dark World—tonight they had witnessed all three layers of the Great Ruins. This wondrous experience was not something they could share with outsiders, for few would believe it.
They hurried back, passing the small village by the river where they had encountered the spirit guides the previous night. Qin Mu stopped and looked at the village—it was dilapidated and covered in cobwebs, clearly uninhabited for a long time.
But that wasn't what they had seen last night. Last night, there had been an old man there, carrying a lantern and pasting paper boats. This was the wondrous and baffling nature of the Great Ruins.
"Do the world of the dead for the living and the spirit guides have a connection?" Qin Mu asked.
The Village Chief shook his head. "I don't know. But my view is that the spirit guides don't belong to the world of the dead for the living. The King of Hell there is probably only the Great Ruins' King of Hell. But I've encountered spirit guides and villages like this in the outside world. They are gods of the underworld..."
Qin Mu scratched his head. The underworld? The world of the dead for the living? The King of Hell? Spirit guides? Too complex—thinking about it would make his head explode.
"The Carefree Village is even more mysterious than this world of the dead. We won't find this sacred place anytime soon."
The Village Chief said, "Mu'er, if you want to find your origins, I'm afraid you'll have to wait a bit longer. Don't worry—as long as the Carefree Village exists within the Great Ruins, it can definitely be found."
Qin Mu nodded. "When I'm strong enough, I can go find my origins myself. Village Chief, I..."
He hesitated, but the Village Chief understood his intention and smiled. "You want to leave the Village of Broken Elders, leave the Great Ruins, and go train in the outside world?"
Qin Mu nodded, his heart uneasy.
"The Ancestor of the Demonic Sect sent a letter—one for you, one for Grandma Si. I've read it too. He has seven years of life left. Out of both sentiment and reason, you should go to the State of Yankang to meet him."
The Village Chief said languidly, "A young bird always has the day it leaves the nest, to see the wider world. Before entering the darkness, I discussed this with the Herbalist, Grandma Si, and the others. They all agreed."
Qin Mu's eyes lit up. The Village Chief continued, "They said that as long as you pass their trials, you can leave the village to train in the outside world."
Qin Mu slumped. In the end, he still needed to pass trials to leave the village.
The Village Chief laughed, "And I am your ninth trial. Mu'er, once you pass these nine trials, you'll be considered an adult and can soar freely."
Qin Mu's expression darkened. Ma Ye's eight gates were already extremely difficult, and the Village Chief's trial felt like an insurmountable mountain. How could he overcome these nine obstacles?
Suddenly, Qin Mu felt waves of warmth rushing from his brow into his limbs and bones, his body and soul comforted, his qi also circulating vigorously. He exclaimed in surprise.
The Village Chief's expression shifted, sensing the youth's vigorous qi. The feeling was as if a small sun was hidden in his brow.
"Mu'er, has your Spirit Womb awakened?" the Village Chief asked.
Qin Mu said, "It has. My Spirit Womb doesn't seem different from before... just my qi is somewhat different."
The Village Chief knew little about the Supreme Body he had created for him and couldn't help with the challenges he faced. He comforted him, "A Spirit Womb awakening four times—this is something even I've never encountered. As long as it's a good thing, don't worry too much. Is your qi's change a good thing?"
Qin Mu nodded repeatedly. The Village Chief smiled, "Then that's good."
Village of Broken Elders.
Darkness retreated, and the morning sun rose. It was now March, the season of spring, but there was still a chill in the early morning air. Qin Mu rose early, bare-chested, drew a bucket of cold water from the village well and poured it over himself with a splash to wake up.
His qi erupted, transforming into Vermilion Bird qi, evaporating the water from his body. Soon he looked refreshed.
"Mu'er, get me a bucket too." The Butcher walked over, supporting himself on his hands.
Qin Mu drew another bucket and poured it over the Butcher's head.
"Refreshing!"
The Butcher's entire body blazed with fire, turning the bucket of water into white steam. He then beckoned, and the butcher's knife flew to him. He shaved his beard with the large blade amidst the steam, the scraping sound sharp and clear.
Old Ma pushed open the door panels and set them aside, stretched luxuriously, his entire body's bones cracking. A green dragon coiled around him. He raised his hand and sealed his Five Stars, Sixfold, Seven Stars, Heaven and Man, and Life and Death divine treasuries, leaving only the Spirit Womb Divine Treasury open. He called out, "Cripple, are you up yet?"
"Up."
The Cripple limped out of his room, combing his hair with a small comb, dressing himself neatly like a refined elder. He laughed, "Today is the big day, of course I have to get up early. Is the Deaf awake yet?"
"What's all the noise?" The Deaf was grinding ink in his study, iron ears plugged into his ear holes, not even lifting his head.
The Mute was pouring out furnace slag. The Herbalist was feeding several fire-breathing birds at the window, and the birds flew to the Village Chief's house and pecked at the window lattice. From inside came the Village Chief's voice: "I know, I'm awake."
Grandma Si was stir-frying vegetables at the stove and steaming rice in a wooden bucket. The Cripple ran over to lift the lid, and Grandma Si tapped him on the head with the spatula, glaring at him. "What's the rush? Have you washed your face? Use the tooth paste to brush your teeth."
The Cripple hurried to draw water to wash his face and hands, and asked the Herbalist for tooth paste to brush his teeth. Grandma Si called Qin Mu over, and the two of them bustled about serving dishes and rice. Old Ma tidied the tables and chairs. Before long, all the villagers of the Village of Broken Elders were gathered at the table. Qin Mu set out bowls and chopsticks for everyone, then lifted the Village Chief onto the lounge chair before sitting down.
Qin Mu stood and poured wine for each villager, then poured a glass for himself. Grandma Si raised her wine glass, her eyes reddening. The Butcher said, "On such a happy day, why the tears? You want him to leave and make his own way, but you can't bear to let go—women are always so emotional!"
Grandma Si was furious and glared at him fiercely, then laughed. "Today is Mu'er's big day, so I won't hold it against you. Mu'er, everyone, let's drink!"
They all drank in one gulp. Qin Mu laughed and poured wine again for everyone, asking cautiously, "Grandpas, please go easy on me later. Take it slow."
The Butcher laughed, "Don't be so cocky, kid. You might be flat on your face after the first gate."
Grandma Si's eyes reddened again. "Mu'er, after you leave the village, you must come back often to visit us..."
The Butcher laughed, "He might get past you lot, but he won't get past me..."
Grandma Si was furious and pushed his face into his bowl, hitting his head with chopsticks. "You talk too much! My Mu'er is the Supreme Body. He could beat you until you cry for your daddy!"
The Butcher cried out in pain, begging for mercy, and only then did Grandma Si let him go.
After breakfast, Qin Mu cleared the dishes. The Village Chief asked, "Has everyone sealed their other divine treasuries?"
They all nodded silently.
"Then let's begin."
Old Ma stepped forward and said calmly, "Mu'er, I taught you your fist arts. If we fight with my techniques, you'll lose. You can use everything you've learned. As long as you can beat me, you pass."
Qin Mu bowed. With a dragon's roar, his qi transformed into a green dragon coiling around his body. He said resolutely, "I wish to learn from your teachings through fist, Grandpa Ma!"
Old Ma smiled slightly, "Good spirit! But in that case, you might not even pass the first gate."
They both reached out. Qin Mu moved first, his qi erupting. His first punch unleashed the Nine Dragons Reining Wind and Thunder. His qi surged, and as he struck, dragon patterns faintly appeared in the air.
Old Ma met him with the same Nine Dragons Reining Wind and Thunder. "You want to test my dragon strength variations..."
BOOM—
Old Ma's expression changed dramatically. It was as if a beast weighing tens of thousands of pounds had charged into him at full speed. His body flew backward, crashing through the Mute's smithy and shattering it, and still not stopping.
While still in the air, he involuntarily opened his Five Stars Divine Treasury. With a hum, the terrifying power within the Five Stars burst forth, halting his momentum. But then the clothes on his back burst open with a series of pops, shredding into countless fragments that transformed into forty-nine green dragons hurtling backward, creating a gust of wind that rustled the leaves of several large poplars outside the village.
Old Ma twisted and landed on the ground, his expression uncertain.
The Cripple was eating a braised pig's trotter, startled so that it shot into his mouth, leaving only the hoof sticking out. The Butcher was sharpening his knife, and the whetstone cracked with a snap.
The Herbalist and Village Chief were drinking tea, and both their teacups and teapots exploded. The Blind One's bamboo staff was crushed into bamboo strips. The Deaf's ink spilled across the table. Grandma Si crushed a stack of porcelain bowls. The chicken-dragon clucked and flapped its wings, diving into the chicken coop and trembling as it reached out a claw to close the coop's wooden door.
The Herbalist looked at the Village Chief and whispered, "What happened after you went out two nights ago? How did Mu'er's cultivation increase so much?"
The Village Chief also looked bewildered, then suddenly realized and whispered, "His Spirit Womb—awakened four times. He said his Spirit Womb didn't seem different, just his qi was somewhat different..."
The Herbalist's eye twitched. "Is this 'somewhat different'?"
"How could I know his 'somewhat different' meant his qi doubled..." the Village Chief muttered.