Chapter 1721 — Two Mothers-in-Law

Full of confidence, he took out a spirit elixir and said, "This is a spirit elixir the Hierarch personally refined for me. I kept one pill. It carries his aura. With this aura, I can lock onto his location and employ the summoning divine ability."

He activated the summoning divine ability. He had just established a connection with Shen Mu, who was far away in the Primordial Realm, and before he could even activate the power of the divine ability, the void suddenly trembled violently. A vast and profound force pierced through from the distant Primordial Realm. Space collapsed, and Dragon Qilin was instantly pulled deep into the spatial void.

Crown Prince Youming was startled. "Is this the power of Shepherd Heavenly Venerate? In an instant, he locked onto the location of Dragon Mountain Loose Cultivator and directly transported him over! Wait—why would Dragon Howl Heavenly Venerate show such mercy, releasing Dragon Mountain Loose Cultivator and giving him so many forces?"

Dragon Qilin's world spun. The next moment, his feet suddenly hit solid ground, and he found himself in a great hall in the Supreme Clarity Realm of Carefree Township. On the main seats sat Shen Mu and Ling Yuxiu as husband and wife, with Lang Wan, You Heavenly Venerate, Founding Emperor Yiyue, and the Primordial Human Emperor seated nearby.

Shen Mu and Ling Yuxiu were entertaining a guest. The guest was dressed entirely in crimson, like blazing fire—a beautiful woman. It was none other than the Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird!

Dragon Qilin's heart lurched. He hastily stepped forward, not bothering to greet Shen Mu, and hurriedly paid his respects to the Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird, saying loudly, "Your son-in-law pays his respects to Mother-in-law!"

He muttered inwardly, "Speak of the Southern Emperor, and the Southern Emperor appears! Worthy of the fastest in the world. Could it be that Mother-in-law sensed Mother-in-law Bai's Vermilion Bird soul awakening and, fearing the Hierarch would ruin her plans, rushed over without delay?"

As he was thinking this, the Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird said with a smile, "Good son-in-law, truly my good son-in-law. Pi'er, rise. Are you not in the Southern Heavens? How goes the war there?"

Dragon Qilin stood up, lowered his head, and his eyes darted about as he pondered how to answer.

Shen Mu laughed. "Pi, the Southern Emperor has brought good news this time. She has come to tell me of the great victory in the Southern Seas. In the battle of the Southern Seas, the momentum is excellent. Red Emperor Qi Xiayu has surrendered. Red Emperor and Bright Emperor led the remnants of the Red Bright clan to join forces with the Red Emperor and Yan'er. After several fierce battles, they destroyed more than half of the Southern Heavens' thirty-nine military lords and have already landed, driving the enemy forces toward Carefree Township."

Ling Yuxiu smiled. "The Southern Emperor wants Jingping to dispatch another army to block the retreat of the Heavenly Court's defeated troops, lest they be reinforced by the Heavenly Court's main forces."

Hearing the couple say this, Dragon Qilin's heart stirred. "The Hierarch and the Hierarch's widow are helping me cover. It seems the Hierarch has already sensed something."

"Hierarch, Madam, I did not come here for the Southern Heavens, but for the Beast Realm."

Dragon Qilin looked sorrowful and choked up. "My sworn father, Dragon Howl Heavenly Venerate, has had his soul scattered because he violated the pact with the Little Earth Lord. I, Pi, am shallow in virtue and have now inherited my sworn father's position, unworthily becoming the lord of the Beast Realm."

The Southern Emperor could not help but be moved, and said with delight, "Then my Yan'er is the mistress of the Beast Realm?"

Shen Mu laughed. "Congratulations, Sister Vermilion Bird."

The Southern Emperor hastily said, "What is there to congratulate? What is there to congratulate? Dragon Howl was my good son-in-law's sworn father. Though he died as he deserved, I am also deeply grieved. Good son-in-law, though you are the new lord of the Beast Realm, you must not be arrogant. You must be modest and cautious, guard against arrogance and impetuosity!"

Dragon Qilin thought of Dragon Howl's kindness to him and could not help but feel grief rise in his heart.

The Southern Emperor hastily offered comfort and said, "Good son-in-law, Dragon Howl's death was the work of fate. You cannot blame others, nor can you blame yourself."

Shen Mu sighed. "Pi, I know of your father-son bond with Dragon Howl. There is no need to grieve. Now that you have become the new lord of the Beast Realm, you must indeed, as Sister Vermilion Bird says, guard against arrogance and impetuosity. Even I examine myself three times a day, reviewing each day's actions to see if I have erred."

Light swirled above his head, and from the light flew a bright mirror. He said, "This mirror is called Retrospect. It is a treasure by which I gaze into the mirror each day to examine my own heart. Today I gift it to you."

Dragon Qilin stepped forward and accepted the Retrospect Treasure Mirror.

Shen Mu offered further encouragement and said, "The war in the Southern Heavens is also of vital importance. Holding the Southern Heavens can cut off the Heavenly Court's grain and logistics. I cannot divide myself and go in person. You are now the lord of the Beast Realm, with great power and influence. You should hold the Southern Heavens!"

Dragon Qilin said, "Hierarch, the Southern Heaven people are ignorant. How should we break the gods in their hearts?"

Shen Mu pondered for a moment and said, "Does the Beast Realm not also have Jingping? Those people—I permit you to deploy them."

Dragon Qilin was overjoyed. Just as he was about to withdraw from the great hall, the Southern Emperor hastily rose and said with a smile, "I have not seen my good son-in-law in a long time. Let me see him off!"

Dragon Qilin had no choice but to leave the great hall together with the Southern Emperor.

Outside the hall, the Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird said with a smile, "Good son-in-law, let me admire that Retrospect Treasure Mirror that Shepherd Heavenly Venerate gave you."

Dragon Qilin had no choice but to take out the Retrospect Treasure Mirror. The Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird looked at it, then looked at the back of the mirror, and finding nothing unusual, returned it to him and said with a smile, "How will my good son-in-law return to the Southern Heavens?"

Dragon Qilin said with utmost respect, "Replying to Mother-in-law, this matter is simple. I will reverse-summon myself to the Beast Realm. Once there, Crown Prince Youming will employ his summoning divine ability to summon me, and I can descend."

The Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird nodded and said, "Take good care of yourself."

Dragon Qilin bade farewell, employed the reverse summoning divine ability, and returned to the Beast Realm.

Not long after arriving in the Beast Realm, Crown Prince Youming employed his divine ability, and Dragon Qilin descended from the Beast Realm. He took out the Retrospect Treasure Mirror and said, "This treasure mirror was refined through the Hierarch's Great Way of Reincarnation. My mother-in-law does not understand the Way of Reincarnation, so I escaped calamity. With this mirror, Mother-in-law Bai can be saved."

He held the Retrospect Treasure Mirror and came before the Vermilion Bird that Bai Yuqiong had transformed into. The Vermilion Bird gazed at the treasure mirror, and after a moment, two streams of fiery tears flowed from the Vermilion Bird's eyes.

In the mirror was not only Bai Yuqiong's entire life, but also that of her distant past life, Que Feiyin.