905 When Nothingness Is Treated As Something, Something Becomes Nothing (1/2)

It was as though Yan Shaoqing suddenly turned mad. He was laughing and crying at the same time. Several prison guards hurriedly put down what they were doing and ran over to hold him up.

Yan Shaoqing yelled and struggled out of their grips, shrilly crying out, ”Fake, you're all fake!”

He injured several guards and even killed a few in a row. Suddenly, his body stiffened like a wooden puppet, and he stood in place numbly as he looked at the bloodstains on both of his hands in a dazed manner.

After a long time, he turned his head around with difficulty and asked Qin Mu, ”Celestial Venerable Mu, is it real or fake this time?”

Qin Mu sighed and said, ”Left Assistant Minister, I intend to leave now, aren't you going to send me off?”

The muscles on Yan Shaoqing's face twitched violently, and his expression was distorted.

He followed behind Qin Mu and walked outside.

After a short while, he sent Qin Mu and the others out of the prison. Qin Mu then turned around and smiled, saying, ”Left Assistant Minister, there's no need to send me any further.”

Yan Shaoqing bowed and replied monotonously, ”Farewell, Celestial Venerable.”

With a smile on his face, Qin Mu sat down slowly. Fiery clouds appeared beneath the dragon qilin's feet, and he started to fly off with Qin Mu on his back.

”Celestial Venerable Mu, is it reality or an illusion right now?” Yan Shaoqing's voice traveled from behind them.

Qin Mu patted the dragon qilin on the head, and the dragon qilin quickly stopped in his tracks.

Qin Mu laughed and said, ”When what is real is passed off as fake, then what is fake is also real. When nothingness is treated as something, something becomes nothing. Left Assistant Minister, you are the top practitioner of consciousness divine arts in the celestial heavens. What is real and what is fake, nothingness or something, is it really that important? Please return.”

Yan Shaoqing's body trembled slightly, and he raised his head to look at him.

The dragon qilin flew into the distance with Qin Mu.

The corners of Yan Shaoqing's eyes jumped, and he saw that Qin Mu's shadow on the dragon qilin's head was squirming, and then the shadow split into three shadows!

He felt his head exploding, and he immediately sprinted back into the prison, running as though he was flying as he moved towards the cages that had imprisoned Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor and Emperor Yanfeng.

He stood there blankly, looking at the two empty cages. Emperor Yanfeng and Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor were both missing from their cages!

”I see, I see…”

Yan Shaoqing chuckled softly. ”So it was me who taught you how to undo the seals on the cages. So it's not a dream right now, and it's also not an illusion of consciousness… When what is real is passed off as fake, then what is fake is also real. When nothingness is treated as something, something becomes nothing. Good move… good move…”

Suddenly, a prison guard passed by, and upon noticing the empty cages, he screamed out shrilly, ”The criminals have escaped!”

Yan Shaoqing turned around to look at him and said with a slight smile, ”The criminals are clearly still in their cages, how have they escaped?”

The guard was taken aback, and he turned to look at the cage again. Emperor Yanfeng and Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor were really still within their cages.

The guard revealed a perplexed expression, and Yan Shaoqing said, ”Don't make a fuss out of nothing. Go and do your work… Wait, how long did Celestial Venerable Mu's visit last?”

The prison guard replied, ”No more than fifteen minutes.”

”No more than fifteen minutes?”

Yan Shaoqing felt his heart sank. To him, it felt as if it had been a few months. He waved his hand and let the guard leave.

Yan Shaoqing walked out slowly, his limbs were chilly, and he thought to himself, 'You managed to help Emperor Yanfeng and Jiang Baigui escape, but I have no other choice but to help you cover your tracks. With my consciousness divine art, even if the celestial heavens send people down to inspect, as long as they aren't existences at the Emperor's Throne Realm, then they won't be able to tell that the Jiang Baigui and Emperor Yanfeng within the cages are merely products of my spirit illusions. You are aware that I won't chase you to get Emperor Yanfeng and Jiang Baigui back because you know I am unable to break through your divine art. Even if I manage to catch up with you, I will only fall into your illusions and dreams once again.'

'You also know that I will help you cover it up because I have already been escorted up to the God Execution Stage once. To protect my own life, I have to help you cover it up. You even purposefully gave yourself away by transforming your shadow into three shadows. The other two shadows are Emperor Yanfeng and Jiang Baigui, right?'

'Celestial Venerable Mu, ah Celestial Venerable Mu, you have become so terrifying…'

He went to the Judgment Throne Hall and opened up his official records, writing, ”Nothing amiss occurred during Celestial Venerable Mu's prison visit.” He put down his brush and sat lost in thought.

Suddenly, he gripped his fists tightly, his fingernails piercing into his palms until they started to bleed. Then, he released his grip weakly and laughed bitterly before continuing to do his official work.

'I was defeated, but your consciousness divine art isn't invincible. Your level of cultivation is low, so it's only too easy to break through your divine art. As long as an external party interferes with it, your divine art will unravel on its own. Also, your divine art can only last for less than a fraction of an hour.'

'Aren't you intending to go to the celestial heavens? If you execute this divine art in the celestial heavens, then without a doubt, you will die! However…'

He stopped writing, and an expression of fear crept onto his face as chills ran down his spine. 'However, if you cultivate to the Emperor's Throne Realm, merging consciousness divine arts, the Boundless Calamity Sutra, and the Great Dao of Youdu, then that would be too terrifying!'

He dared not imagine just how horrifying that would be!

He continued to write his official records when the tip of his brush suddenly froze in place, and the corners of his eyes trembled.

'How do I know whether the current me has really escaped from his dream illusions?'

Yan Shaoqing's pupils dilated. 'What if, right now, I'm still in an illusion? Right now, am I in a dream, or am I in the real world?'

Helplessness was reflected in his eyes. 'Could it be as he said, that I have to cripple my own Divine Bridge Divine Treasure and accept the reforms of Eternal Peace to completely be free from his dream illusions? If that's the case, how would I be any different from those rebels of Eternal Peace…'

The look of fear on his face intensified.

Although Qin Mu was gone and the divine art had stopped, the aftereffects caused by the consciousness divine art had started to take root and grow inside his heart like a seed formed by devilish nature.

Yan Shaoqing knew that he had to walk out of this and that he had to cripple his Divine Bridge Divine Treasure and accept the reforms of Eternal Peace, cultivating the Celestial River Divine Treasure. Otherwise, he would be plagued forever, unable to distinguish between dreams, reality, and illusions. The flaws in his Dao heart would make it impossible for him to cultivate to the Emperor's Throne!