Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 621 Traceability
In an instant, five elements appeared in the void outside the Platinum Hall of the Immortal Palace, interacting and changing endlessly. Five colors of light—white, blue, black, red, and yellow—emerged and spiraled on the mirror-like surface of the Jade Pool, interacting and restraining each other. Instantly, waves of energy exploded, dazzling light danced wildly, and countless images were created.

Thunder and lightning roared, wind and clouds surged, and the five elements swept and swirled wildly, circulating and churning unrestrainedly. In an instant, the Great Hall of the Eight Trigrams seemed to be shrouded in surging clouds, rushing and howling like a hurricane.

A raging wave of fire swept across the low sky, whistling and piercing through the air, illuminating the surroundings with a dazzling array of colors and fantastical lights; suddenly, lightning danced wildly, and thunder roared like explosions; then, water droplets crisscrossed, and a torrential downpour followed; swiftly, a chilling frost descended, and layers upon layers of fine ice crystals formed on the bronze walls, while exotic flowers and trees were covered in frost, colliding with the surging and spreading waves of fire, like an ice river bursting open, soaring and swirling into the sky, the iron walls glowing red-hot, like molten rock on parched land, constantly cracking.
The five elements interacted and circulated, creating countless strange and wondrous phenomena. What was clearly just an empty sky now resembled an endless universe. Everyone was breathless and their minds were shaken. They had never seen such a spectacle before, and for a moment they were all dumbfounded and speechless.

Seeing the five elements interact so smoothly and harmoniously, Jin Shen Shi Yi was speechless, staring blankly, as if he had grasped a supreme realm, yet it seemed to be incomprehensible. He was filled with astonishment, admiration, and frustration, and thought to himself in shock, "There is such a wonderful skill in the world! I have truly been sitting in a well and looking at the sky for the past few decades."

"Fate has told me that this extraordinary spectacle is about to end."

Qin Huai smiled slightly, and before he finished speaking, the fire waves, hail, rain and snow, storms and lightning all disappeared. The melted walls of the mixed gold palace, the frozen exotic flowers and plants, and the rippling spring water all returned to the state before the strange phenomena occurred, as if it were all just a dream.

'To be able to circulate the Five Elements True Qi so smoothly and naturally, there's no doubt that this seemingly random, untamed Taotie must be a supreme expert comparable to the two divine emperors, Shennong and Tuoba!'

Upon seeing the reappearance of the scene representing the five elements rotating, which signifies a master of the highest order, the White Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West exchanged a glance, secretly shocked. They both began to believe Qin Huai's words more, and no longer objected to his investigation into the death of the God Emperor.

After pondering for a moment, the Queen Mother of the West sighed, rose from her seat, and walked to the antique shelf in the White Gold Hall. She took out a plain, unremarkable wooden box and pulled out a strange, silver-white, four-winged insect. She explained, "This is the [Tear Shadow Insect]. Apart from Kunlun Mountain, which encompasses all things under heaven, only the Western Sea can find traces of this wondrous insect. Every year at the Peach Banquet, I place this insect inside and outside the Jade Pool Immortal Palace to record the grandeur of all races. It is precisely because of this that it happened to record the entire process of Emperor Tuoba's sudden death."

【Tear Shadow Insect】: A wondrous insect from the Western Sea. When it sheds tears, it can imprint the scene it sees into its teardrop. The teardrop rolls down into the tear sac and solidifies into a pearl containing the image, which is preserved for a long time.

Note: When its teardrops are ground into powder, they can be used as one of the main materials for the spiritual ink of the unique talisman [Supreme Reversal of the Universe Ten Directions Manifestation Talisman].

After saying this, the Queen Mother of the West put down the Tearful Shadow Insect, picked out a string of beads from the box, and gently stroked it with her Platinum True Qi. Immediately, images appeared, and the magnificent scene of the Peach Banquet of yesteryear reappeared in the hall.

Looking up, Qin Huai saw that the Qunxian Palace of thirty years ago was very lively. The long palace platform and corridors were filled with distinguished guests, all dressed in fine clothes. On the white jade floating platform of the central octagonal hall, hundreds of beautiful women sang and danced, a colorful and pleasing sight.

The air was filled with the sounds of string and wind instruments, drums, and songs, creating a lively atmosphere. On the vast, clear water, thousands of light boats crisscrossed, transporting fruits, vegetables, wine, and other goods to every corner of the Jade Pool Palace.

As the white boat passed by, the waves trailed behind it, as if scissors were carefully cutting out pictures, yet without any sense of disorder. Anyone who saw it would think that such a magnificent scene could only be born in a prosperous era.

In the Heavenly Palace at the very center of the Immortal Palace, a handsome and dashing young man with black hair was chatting and laughing with guests from the five races. To his left was a beautiful woman with fiery red hair and snow-white skin. She wore a red dress and a star-stone love lock on her wrist. Although her posture was extremely dignified, her eyebrows were like painted flowers, her eyes were like water, and her slight smile made her look charming and alluring. She also had two black earrings on her earlobes. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be two small snakes, each three inches long.

'This must be Emperor Tuoba's Dragon Consort, Rain Master Concubine.'

Qin Huai nodded slightly and noticed that there was a celestial beauty beside the young man. Although she had lowered her head and brows and did not reveal her full face, the agate flute leaning against her lips, accompanied by the clear music that sounded like an ice spring flowing over rocks, made it impossible for anyone present to ignore her presence.

'This graceful and elegant woman, with her refined and ethereal beauty, must be the former Holy Maiden of the Wood Clan, Empress of Emperor Tuoba, the Fairy of Gushe, Mu Zisu, right?'

Qin Huai's eyes flickered as he focused all his attention on Emperor Tuoba, who was surrounded by the heroes of the five clans, wanting to find out if he could find any clues related to the Gu poison from his surroundings.

He glanced at the tea, wine, food, the goddess and the dragon concubine, but found nothing. But in the next instant, Emperor Tuoba seemed to be thirsty and picked up a peach from the fruit plate in front of him. Before he could even put it in his mouth, two thin, needle-like blue and red snakes suddenly jumped out from the pink peach!

In an instant, the blue and red snake leaped into the air, piercing through the protective aura that Emperor Tuoba had hastily activated, and bit his wrist. Black blood immediately flowed from the tiny hole, instantly condensing into a thin layer of pale blue ice. White steam rose and spread directly throughout Emperor Tuoba's body.

Emperor Tuoba moved swiftly, his left hand striking repeatedly, sealing the meridians of his injured arm in a lightning-fast motion. The shockwave swept across, throwing the blue and red snake dozens of feet away.

The blue and red snakes hissed and danced wildly, but were quickly controlled by the goddess Mu Zisu with the sound of her flute. They struggled and twisted, but did not harm anyone else.

Emperor Tuoba was icy cold all over, as if covered in frost. Even with the powerful Tai Shen True Qi, he could not expel the Frost Gu poison. His skin and flesh swelled and undulated, as if countless bubbles were constantly bursting on his skin. With a loud 'boom', his skin burst open everywhere, and a rain of colorful insect eggs burst out, flying and dancing, and in the blink of an eye, they hatched into all kinds of poisonous insects.

In just a short while, every inch of Emperor Tuoba's skin was covered with poisonous insects, which wriggled densely under everyone's gaze, creating an indescribably eerie and terrifying sight.

The scene freezes, and the Queen Mother of the West gazes at Qin Huai, asking softly, "Your Excellency, Sacred Beast, do you know what kind of Gu worm first bit Emperor Tuoba?"

"It looks like a snake gu. Unfortunately, I come from the far north and the cold land, and I know very little about snake gu, which prefers heat and fears cold and is mostly found in the southern barbarians. In addition, my gu skills are only average, so I really can't recognize what kind of vicious gu it is, that it can bite Tuoba Didu so badly that he can't suppress it."

Qin Huai shook his head. Even with his "fleeting glimpse," he couldn't determine what kind of strange Gu the green and red snake-like creature was.

"After Emperor Tuoba was assassinated, the heroes of the five tribes were filled with righteous indignation, vowing to find the mastermind behind it all. Coincidentally, the First Poison Goddess of the Great Wilderness, Fairy Liusha, and Queen Yan Liya of Qingqiu were both present. It was thought they would recognize the Gu, but like the Goddess Gushe, they couldn't identify its origin. Finally, it was only with the reminder of the True God of Xuanshui, Zhulong, that they discovered this Gu was actually the Two Elements Divine Gu, which had disappeared a thousand years ago." The Queen Mother of the West paused, then continued, "The Two Elements Divine Gu has an extremely profound origin. It is said that it was originally created by the Goddess Nuwa to punish the most vicious and unrepentant. Those afflicted by this Gu will have their Yin and Yang energies drained by the twin snakes, their souls annihilated, becoming incorruptible zombies for ten thousand years, as a warning to others. The zombie's blood and saliva are filled with cold Gu poison. If someone else is bitten by it, they will also be infected by the Gu egg and turn into a zombie."

"The Yin-Yang Divine Gu? Since the Old Demon Candle can recognize that this snake Gu is an artifact of the ancient Nuwa, given his extensive knowledge, does he know any way to cure this Gu?"

Qin Huai's eyes flickered, and he asked the question as he went along.

"That's what we thought at the time too, but according to Zhulong, he only saw related records in the ancient books of the Water Tribe, saying that the Yin-Yang Divine Gu is the first extraordinary Gu of the Primordial Serpent Clan, and only an Emperor could know about it. Now that the Great Wilderness no longer has the inheritance of the Great Goddess Nuwa, even if the Serpent Descendants Barbarian Kingdom and the Sinner Minister of Pingqiu all come, they will not be able to cure this snake Gu's cold poison."

The Queen Mother of the West sighed, pointed her finger, and the frozen image suddenly zoomed in, focusing everyone's attention on the ten four-inch-tall figures standing at the long table in front of Emperor Tuoba.

"Besides the goddess Nuwa, there was another emperor of the ancient serpent clan, namely the god Fuxi. After Fuxi died, he transformed into the hill of Lingshan, where strange beasts came and went and all kinds of medicines were found. His ten fingers transformed into divine trees, from which ten witches emerged. These ten witches were knowledgeable about all kinds of herbs, had boundless divine power, and had a close relationship with Emperor Tuoba. However, despite their best efforts, they still could not cure this poison."

Looking at Emperor Tuoba's pained face in the image, the Queen Mother of the West said with some regret, "If the Ten Witches had brought the [Fuxi's Tooth], which can seal and suppress all demons and evil spirits in the world, Emperor Tuoba would definitely have been able to turn the tide and avert this calamity. However, the [Fuxi's Tooth] is a sacred treasure of Mount Ling, and in the past hundred years, only Emperor Shennong has lent it out. In addition, the incident happened suddenly, and the Ten Witches did not have the ability to foresee the future. This is why Emperor Tuoba was harmed by villains and died young."

"The Two Elements Divine Gu, left behind by Nuwa. May I ask the Queen Mother, where is the zombie that Emperor Tuoba transformed into after his death?"

Upon receiving a large amount of information, Qin Huai pondered for a long time, feeling that everyone at the Peach Banquet was a suspect. Unable to discern clear clues for the time being, he decided to examine Emperor Tuoba's corpse first.

"The corpse of Emperor Tuoba is under the Undying Tree in the Southern Abyss. If Your Excellency the Holy Beast wishes to go there, I can take you there."

The White Emperor glanced at the many high-ranking members of the Golden Clan outside the palace and personally made the promise.

"Thank you for your trouble, Your Majesty."

Qin Huai nodded slightly, without making a sound, and got up to leave.
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The setting sun casts its golden rays upon the endless snow-capped peaks. A strong wind whips the clouds, causing them to surge and undulate. Dozens of elders and nobles of the Jin clan ride divine birds and beasts, traversing the snow-covered mountains and seas of clouds, heading towards the southern abyss of Kunlun Mountain.

The Southern Abyss is a forbidden area of ​​Kunlun. No one may enter without the consent of the White Emperor, the Queen Mother, and the Council of Elders. Lu Hu Shen's Kaiming Palace is located on the banks of the Southern Abyss, and the renowned Immortal Tree is located in the Langgan Forest to the north of the Southern Abyss.

Many legends circulate in the Great Wilderness about the Southern Abyss and the Langgan Forest. It is said that the Southern Abyss is three hundred fathoms deep, shrouded in clouds and mist all year round, and its bottom cannot be seen. There are countless immortal herbs and divine trees at its bottom, as well as thousands of ferocious beasts lurking there. Strange roars can be heard from the bottom of the abyss from time to time.
Numerous rumors, some mysterious, some absurd, are conflicting; the only certainty is that all the successive White Emperors and Holy Maidens of the Golden Clan ascended to immortality here, and the most famous among them was the White Emperor of the Golden Clan six hundred years ago, who was also the first God Emperor to end the thousand-year war in the Great Wilderness and create peace among the five clans. He was a highly respected and revered master of the Supreme God level, Bai Taizong.

The Langgan Forest of Kunlun Mountain stretches for thirty miles, densely covered with exotic flowers and precious trees, and home to rare birds and animals. It is known as one of the three great wonders of the Great Wilderness, along with the Ling Mountain of the Central Plains and the Pimu Hill of the Eastern Wilderness. Although not a forbidden area, it is mysterious and dangerous, and no one dares to enter without the guidance of a Jin clan guard.

The immortal tree in the forest is said to have been transformed from Pangu's index finger, and its age is unknown. Besides its branches, leaves, flowers, fruits, and roots being used to make "elixirs of immortality," this tree also possesses the extraordinary ability to connect heaven and earth and sense the divine. Every shaman and healer in the Great Wilderness longs to gather its branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits from this most wondrous tree in the Great Wilderness to refine divine pills and elixirs.

The peaks rise abruptly, the snow-capped mountains are rugged, and one can faintly see colorful rays of light leaping and spitting out. A large flock of phoenixes surges out from the sea of ​​clouds to the west, flying over the heads of the crowd with joyful cries.

Solitary cliffs flashed and clouds and mist burst forth. Qin Huai, riding the wind, soon followed Bai Zhaoju, crossed the narrow mountain pass, and saw the wondrous scenery of Langgan.

Nestled against the backdrop of blue skies and snow-capped mountains, the forests are adorned with jade trees, exotic flowers, and rare herbs, resembling a five-colored sea of ​​clouds, undulating and shimmering with dazzling light under the sun.

The pearl tree has layers of green leaves, with strings of pearls hanging down, and the branches are heavy with grapes. Various jade trees, such as the jade tree, jade jasmine tree, and jade sapwood, stand in a staggered manner, overlapping and intertwining, with a colorful array of emerald green, pale yellow, crimson, dark blue, and purplish-blue, creating a dazzling and colorful display. Hanging from them are various brightly colored and extremely venomous snakes, which are coiled up with their necks raised and their tongues flicking towards the air.

Amidst the jewel-like trees and jade-like woods, a dazzling array of never-before-seen flowers and plants sway gracefully. Phoenixes, luan birds, and lizhu birds spread their wings and soar through the forest; red immortals, leopards, tail gods, shirou, and elephant dragons stand tall and look down with disdain, visible everywhere.

A strong wind howls, a rich fragrance fills the air, bees and butterflies flutter about, and colorful birds circle overhead; this Langgan Forest is like a magnificent and vibrant dream.

More than a hundred imperial guards riding phoenixes flew around and gathered. Seeing that it was the White Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West, they all bowed and bowed, then lined up in two rows and led the group into the depths of the Langgan Forest.

As the clouds dispersed and the path turned, the group spotted a towering tree in the distance. Its red branches were dense, and its green leaves were like mats. A strong wind blew through it, making it rustle and stand out in the vast jade forest.

Qin Huai pressed down on the cloud, braked and slowed down. Before he landed, he heard a strange, ear-piercing cry like a cicada coming from the treetop.

(End of this chapter)