Tales of Herding Gods
Chapter 1576: Another Path

"You don't need Dao Tree, Dao Flower, and Dao Fruit to achieve the Dao?"

Qin Mu and Celestial Empress' sister were stunned. In their memory, the most obvious characteristic of a person who had achieved the Dao was that the Great Dao had transformed into a Dao Tree in the Ultimate Void, blooming a Dao flower and bearing a Dao fruit.

Meanwhile, the woman under the sea said that the path of the Dao Tree, Flower Dao Fruit, was still very primitive, and this was worthy of their knowledge.

From what Qin Mu knew, even the owner of Miluo Palace cultivated a Dao Tree fruit, and there were sixteen Dao fruits hanging on his Dao Tree!

The other Dao practitioners of Jade Capital City also had Dao Tree Dao Fruits, and it was the same for the four young masters of Miluo Palace.

Could there really be a path in this world that didn't require Dao Tree Dao Fruit?

The woman under the sea said, "Achieving the Dao isn't just about transforming the Great Dao into a Dao Tree. Speaking of which, transforming into a Dao Tree after achieving the Dao is actually just a cheap trick."

Qin Mu humbly sought guidance. "Why do you say that, Second Sister? I see that our teacher, the master of Miluo Palace, also has a Dao Tree, so why do you say it's a trick?"

"The Dao Tree is the World Tree, and there's already a World Tree in this world. When you guys achieve the Dao, by molding your Dao into the appearance of the World Tree, aren't you borrowing the power of the World Tree?"

The woman sneered and said, "All of you have cultivated all your lives and achieved the Dao, yet in the end, you imitated the World Tree, hoping that you could use this to make your Dao become evergreen and indestructible like the World Tree. If this isn't borrowing power, what is? What's even more laughable is imitating is an imitation!"

She mocked, "The World Tree can survive the great calamity of the universe's life and death, but the World Tree that you imitated can't survive the great calamity of life and death. Isn't that laughable?"

Her words made a lot of sense, and Qin Mu couldn't help nodding his head repeatedly.

Celestial Empress and Mistress Yuanmu didn't know much about the great calamity of the universe's destruction, so they didn't think much of her words. However, Qin Mu knew that there were countless Dao achievements in Jade Capital City who were trying to survive to the next universe under the protection of that god city.

Under the roots of the World Tree, countless prehistoric experts tried to sneak into the next universe.

Most of these people cultivated paths like Dao Tree, Dao Flower, and Dao Fruit.

"A mediocre person is a mediocre person!"

The woman sneered and said, "Even the first teacher to cultivate the Dao Tree's Dao fruit will inevitably fall into the path of mediocrity. It's impossible to cultivate the Dao Tree to survive the Great Calamity of Life and Death, so they can only rely on sneaking through. Only by cultivating the second Dao fruit in their second life will they have a chance to survive the Great Calamity of Life and Death. However, if they want to enter the next universe, they can only rely on sneaking through! So what if Teacher is an existence that has cultivated sixteen Dao fruits?"

She sneered and said, "If he wanted to come over, wouldn't he have to rely on sneaking over? This is the sorrow of the Dao Tree system!"

Qin Mu thought about it and suddenly asked, "Second Sister kept saying that the great calamity of life and death isn't the great calamity of destruction. Why is that?"

That woman's gaze landed on his face, and she exclaimed in admiration, "Old Seven is still smart. No wonder he could stir up trouble for so long. That's right, it's a great calamity of life and death, not a great calamity of destruction. The universe is one life and one death, and destruction is a calamity. Life is also a calamity. When the universe is destroyed, it destroys all life, all stars, and all space. This is a great calamity."

"The birth of the universe, the opening of heaven and earth, destroying everything in the past, everything decaying, being born from chaos, this is the great calamity of life and death. So I call it the great calamity of life and death. Those who achieve the Dao might be able to endure the great calamity of destruction, but they might not be able to endure the great calamity of life."

"After those who have achieved the Dao have Jade Capital City, they still have to make arrangements. They can only enter the future universe after they exchange enough energy and substances from the future universe. It's precisely because of their Dao that their corporeal bodies and primordial spirits can survive the great calamity of destruction, but they can't survive the calamity of life. That's why they have to spend so much effort to make arrangements."

The woman said leisurely, "This is the disadvantage of borrowing the power of the World Tree. It's a primitive method to achieve the Dao."

Qin Mu's gaze flickered, and just as he was about to ask, Mistress Yuanmu beat him to it and asked, "In that case, senior must have grasped the true method to achieve the Dao, right? No wonder senior was suppressed here by the master of Miluo Palace. It must be that the master of Miluo Palace was jealous of a virtuous person and suppressed senior!"

"Shut up!"

The woman's anger soared as she said sternly, "You are criticizing my master. Even if you are of my Sinkhole lineage, I will not tolerate it!"

Mistress Yuanmu shuddered and didn't dare to flatter him anymore.

The woman said coldly, "You don't understand the master of Miluo Palace at all, you don't understand my teacher. His breadth of mind is something you can't fathom. Just by standing there, he is enough to make everyone submit and respect him. Even though I have some complaints about him and was suppressed by him, I don't hate him at all."

Mistress Yuanmu stuck out her tongue and didn't dare to speak.

However, Qin Mu was lost in his thoughts and muttered, "If I could meet him, my life would be worth it…"

"Everyone thinks so."

The woman said, "Even though I feel that his path is wrong, it can't stop my respect for him."

Celestial Empress asked, "In that case, what is the path of Dao that senior comprehended that doesn't require the Dao Tree?"

The woman said with a smile, "Cut off the red rope. After saving me, I will naturally impart it to you. My path of attaining the Dao is different from those mediocre people. My path of attainment isn't afraid of the great calamity of life and death, and I can calmly pass through the evolution of the universe's prehistoric times. As long as you help me break free, not only will I help you guys fuse, I can also impart my path of attainment to you guys."

Celestial Empress muttered to herself, and Mistress Yuanmu was also hesitant.

This second young master of Miluo Palace was definitely a kind person. He had lured them to climb the twin lotuses and cut off the red rope with the intention of letting the master of Miluo Palace seal them to death.

Only when Qin Mu revealed his identity as the seventh young master of Miluo Palace did she reveal a lot of seemingly useful information.

However, no matter if it was Qin Mu or Celestial Empress Yuanmu, this information wasn't very helpful.

Clearly, she still had the intention to gain something without risking anything.

Qin Mu said seriously, "Second sister, then my twin lotuses…"

The woman said, "It's impossible to give you twin lotuses, but I can give you a lotus leaf. The lotus leaf in this primal chaos sea can also survive the great calamity of life and death, surviving sixteen calamities without dying. If you obtain a lotus leaf, it will be enough to ensure that you can live until the next universe after your universe is destroyed!"

Qin Mu's heart pounded as he looked at the lotus leaf under his feet. He suddenly said, "Second sister, even though this lotus leaf is good, it's still not a lotus…"

The woman frowned and was slightly angry. However, she had interacted with Qin Mu in the past universe and knew his temper very well. If he didn't give it to her, she was afraid he would cause trouble again.

"Old Seven, you and I are both young masters of Miluo Palace, and you are the youngest one, so I shall be more generous."

She muttered to herself for a moment and said, "There are lotus flowers in my chaos sea, so there are naturally lotus seeds as well. Let me give you a lotus seed. This lotus seed is extraordinary. If you have the ability, you can also grow a twin lotus. What do you think?"

Qin Mu nodded his head repeatedly.

The woman swam under the sea and vanished.

After a moment, her figure appeared, and a lotus seed slowly rose from the chaotic sea. It shone brightly and contained a strange Dao rune. It was divine and extraordinary!

"Once you get this lotus seed, you have to climb up the twin lotuses and cut the red string!" the woman said sternly.

Qin Mu said seriously, "Second sister, please be at ease. Even though my reputation is bad, I value integrity the most! I can write an IOU for you!"

Celestial Empress and Yuanmu had weird expressions.

"There's no need for promissory notes."

The woman said indifferently, "If you want to escape after getting my lotus seed, I'll tear you into pieces. The other young masters might not be able to kill you, but I can sink you into this Chaos Sea and erase all traces of your past and future, making you never exist!"

Qin Mu shuddered and hurriedly took the lotus seed. He hesitated for a moment and scratched his head. "In that case, that lotus leaf…"

"Thud!"

That woman gave a shout and said coldly, "You have already gotten a bargain, do you still want more?"

Qin Mu muttered, "It's not strange to be courteous. Besides, even though this lotus leaf is good, it can't be compared to the lotus seed. Second Sister even gave me the lotus seed, so why be stingy with this lotus leaf?"

Under the sea, the woman stared at him with a dark expression.

Qin Mu was uneasy and gritted his teeth to persevere.

After a moment, the woman said indifferently, "I can give you the lotus leaf, but you have to cut the red rope first."

Qin Mu let out a sigh of relief.

Celestial Empress and her sister were extremely envious, and they hurriedly said in unison, "Senior, can you teach me how to refine this little slut to death and become the true goddess of the Ruins of End?"

Qin Mu's heart tightened, and the woman said, "You are of my Ruins of End bloodline, so I naturally won't treat you unfairly. You think you are two people, but you are actually one person. It's just that your experiences and encounters are different, so you think you are two people. Actually, you don't need to merge, you just need to awaken yourselves."

Celestial Empress and Yuanmu were stunned.

"You guys were forcefully fused by someone, and the person who fused with you guys had weak abilities, so he didn't realize your essence at all."

The woman said, "The goddess of the Ruins of End was actually one person from the beginning to the end, yet he treated you two as two people fusing together. When you write the word 'Human', the head of the word 'Human' is your foundation, and every stroke of the word 'Human' is your two consciousnesses. You are actually the consciousness that the goddess split into two. As long as you awaken your foundation, the two of you will completely fuse and return to your foundation."

Qin Mu frowned and looked at Celestial Empress and Yuanmu.

Celestial Empress and Yuanmu were also frowning as they looked at him.

The woman continued, "At that time, the consciousness of the Ruins of End's goddess will become stronger, while your consciousness will become weaker. In the end, only the Ruins of End's goddess will be left. Your consciousness will be a minor detail that will gradually become insignificant. It won't be enough to interfere with the Ruins of End's goddess. I have a method called the Mirror of Ruins. If you work together to refine this mirror, you just need to shine your own reflection and you will be able to awaken your original body."

Her consciousness rippled as she imparted the technique of the Mirror of Ruins to Celestial Empress and Mistress Yuanmu.

Celestial Empress and Mistress Yuanmu were one, so they received her teachings. However, they didn't activate the Mirror of Ruins.

Their eyes darted around, harboring evil intentions.

However, Qin Mu let out a sigh of relief. Even though the second young master of Miluo Palace was incomparably powerful, she knew too little about the human heart.

Celestial Empress and Yuanmu were both proud and arrogant. With their positions at the center, they couldn't tolerate each other and couldn't wait to devour each other, refine each other to death, protect themselves, and make themselves an existence high above.

The second young master of Miluo Palace planned to have them awaken their original selves, the goddesses of the Ruins of End, and make them become vassals, becoming insignificant existences. This result was even more unbearable than killing them!

Furthermore, the two girls swore that they couldn't coexist. After waking up the Ruins of End Goddess, they had no choice but to share a body, so they naturally refused!

"When they look at me, it means that they still want to find me and use my Dao of Reincarnation to solve their problem." Qin Mu smiled.

"You guys have already received benefits, why aren't you moving?" the woman suddenly asked.

Qin Mu, Celestial Empress, and Yuanmu looked at each other and immediately leaped up, climbing up the twin lotuses.