Again, it’s the Eternal Mother!
A violent surge of thoughts erupted in Meng Qi’s mind, nearly causing him to gasp in shock. Xu Yuan and Ao Zhen were the golden boy and jade girl of the Jade Pond; Xu Yuan was the reincarnation of the descendant of Five Villages Hermitage; Ao Zhen’s father, the Dragon King of the East Sea, cunningly seized the Ginseng Fruit Tree; the Five Villages Hermitage sect was saved by the Eternal Mother, also known as the Golden Empress Xi Wangmu, and relocated into the Eternal Heaven; the Ginseng Fruit Tree, like the Peaches of Immortality Garden, is a divine root connected to longevity… With all these circumstances piling up, it would be impossible to convince Meng Qi that the Golden Empress had not intervened in the affairs of the Five Villages Hermitage to orchestrate a grand scheme.
The Golden Empress obtained the Seal of the Infinite, declaring, “Yesterday’s affairs die with yesterday; today’s affairs begin anew today.” She buried the identity of “Xi Wangmu” and transformed into the “Eternal Mother,” actively operating during the eras of demonic chaos and human imperial rule. Calculating the timing of the Five Villages Hermitage’s migration to Eternal Heaven, and disregarding the differing flow of time across various realms, it becomes evident that when the Calming Sea Pearl was obtained, the Eternal Mother was still in her active phase, not yet having transcended the river of time to enter hibernation. At that time, her reputation was far less prominent than that of the Human Emperor or the Demon Sage, and few of her deeds were recorded, suggesting that she might not have immediately reached the ultimate realm.
Although she obtained the Seal of the Infinite and comprehended the primordial chaos of the Dao, achieving great enlightenment and discarding her primordial divine body, her new physical form—a synthesis of martial cultivation and post-natal divinity—still required cultivation. It is unlikely that she immediately crossed the sea of suffering and ascended to the ultimate realm. Rather, she had merely discovered the correct path. Perhaps after enduring trials during the eras of demonic chaos and human imperial rule, she finally took the decisive step toward enlightenment, becoming the true master of the cosmic chessboard, before entering a deep slumber within chaos to evade the erosion of time.
Meng Qi’s imagination was vivid, and his thoughts surged with countless possibilities.
At that moment, a chilling thought suddenly struck him:
The Eternal Mother might have only reached the ultimate realm after enduring the overlapping eras of demonic chaos and human imperial rule. During this period, two major events stood out: the passing of the Demon Sage marked the beginning of the Human Emperor’s era. Considering the vast timespan of those beyond the realm, it wasn’t long before the Human Emperor also passed away.
Since this wasn’t the end of an era, and considering the near-immortality of those at the pinnacle of power, the Demon Sage’s fall was comprehensible, especially in light of the Battle of Ling Mountain. Yet, the Human Emperor’s silent passing appeared far too ordinary, sparking suspicions that something momentous must have transpired during that period.
Could there be a connection between the fall of two ultimate beings and the Eternal Mother’s transcendence across the sea of suffering? Was this another secret lost to the river of time? What truly happened back then?
The more Meng Qi pondered, the more chilling the possibilities became. Initially, he thought he had a clear understanding of the Eternal Mother, but now she seemed shrouded in mystery.
“The Eternal Mother pities all beings, performing acts of salvation and mercy. She will descend again when the final calamity arrives, marking the end of the cycle, to guide all sentient beings into the Pure Land of Eternal Stillness…” As Xu Yuan spoke of the Eternal Mother, his face radiated reverence, extolling the deity’s virtues and power, before finally saying, “Master Uncle, please come to Eternal Heaven for a cup of tea.”
He extended his right index finger, and the dark starry sky suddenly turned azure, as if forged from sapphire, with white lotus blossoms drifting down to form a celestial path to the heavens.
Like the Nine Heavens, the Twenty-Four Great Realms exist above all other worlds and the Real World, omnipresent, which is why Xu Yuan and others use them to “traverse the stars.”
Go to Eternal Heaven for tea? Meng Qi inwardly scoffed. Just moments ago, he had declared his enmity with the Eternal Mother in the ancient era. Now, going to one of Her strongholds for tea would be like delivering himself into Her hands. Putting on a solemn expression, he replied, “Dear nephew, your invitation is most kind, but I have urgent matters to attend to. I must pass by without entering and visit your elders another day.”
“Even if you have pressing matters, wouldn’t it be far more convenient to travel through Eternal Heaven?” Ao Zhen questioned, puzzled.
Meng Qi nearly stammered, but his quick wit saved him. Maintaining his smile, he said, “Unfortunately, Eternal Heaven does not extend to places like the Nine Heavens.”
“Oh, so Master Uncle has other plans,” Xu Yuan said, suddenly understanding.
Not for others to know!
King Fuhai’s eyes flickered. If it weren’t for the formidable strength of the Dharma Sea, which rivaled his own, he would have followed Meng Qi just for that remark. There were many treasures to be found in places like the Nine Heavens!
Seeing that he had successfully diverted suspicion, Meng Qi asked with a smile, “How many of the scattered Calming Sea Pearls have surfaced?”
Xu Yuan shook his head with a smile. “Such matters are closely guarded secrets of each sect. I wouldn’t have revealed even a word about Eternal Heaven if not for our familial ties. However, I suspect that not many have appeared in the world yet. While many may have obtained them, few sects possess the strength to protect the secrets of the Heavens. Judging from the current situation, more than half remain hidden.”
That’s good news… Meng Qi inwardly praised, but soon his thoughts turned to the widespread scattering of the Pearls across countless worlds. The ruins of the Celestial Court lay within the Real World. Few Calming Sea Pearls had emerged from the Journey to the West era, but what about those from the Fengshen, Real World, or other universes?
Sigh, it all depends on fate…
With a sigh, Meng Qi casually asked, “Who are the current formidable figures in the Four Great Continents?”
“Master Uncle, you cultivate both Buddhism and Daoism, possessing the celestial power of an immortal, with strength comparable to King Fuhai. Even the Dragon King of the East Sea might only hold a slight advantage over you. There are very few who could threaten your life—those are ancient cultivators who have long secluded themselves in deep meditation, rarely emerging, striving toward the elusive legendary realm.” Knowing that his Master Uncle hailed from the Fengshen World and was unfamiliar with this realm, Xu Yuan provided a detailed explanation. “Precisely because of this, these ancient beings remain unknown to most, their names only whispered among the Demon Gods and a select few Demon Kings. Foremost among them is the ‘Undying Demon God’ of the Western Continent, Niuhezhou, a seasoned demon who survived both the Fengshen and Journey to the West eras. For reasons unknown, he never ascended to Ling Mountain, and now stands on the brink of that legendary realm.”
More than just a legend… Meng Qi listened silently.
Next is the “Inspired King” of the Southern Continent, Jambudvīpa, said to be a golden fish that turned into a demon after escaping from the sacred abode of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. With no one to restrain him after the Battle of Ling Mountain, he stole divine treasures and descended upon the Southern Continent, becoming a ruler whose power surpasses even that of a Celestial Immortal. Then there is the “Brilliant Monkey King” of the Eastern Continent, Pūrvavideha, and the “Divine Emperor Tian” of the Northern Continent, Uttarakuru. The former has revived the glory of the Flower-Fruit Mountain and is destined to become another Great Sage, while the latter is a malevolent deity who escaped from the depths of the Nine Netherworlds, once disguising himself as a Buddhist heretic before ultimately forsaking Buddhism altogether.” As Xu Yuan spoke, Meng Qi recognized the familiar name of the “Inspired King.”
At this point, King Fuhai interjected, “Actually, there is also an ancient figure dwelling deep within the Eastern Sea, who might be a remnant star official from the fallen Celestial Court, or even a famous legendary star deity. However, we don’t know which one it is. We simply refer to him as ‘Star Lord.’ He has always remained hidden, never interfering in worldly affairs, as if waiting for something. If not for a rare coincidence, we would not even know of his existence.”
Xu Yuan nodded. “Moreover, the vast expanse of the cosmos is filled with countless constellations. Perhaps not all the star deities corresponding to these constellations have perished.”
A constellation refers to a star system composed of one or several stars and also symbolizes a star deity.
“I roughly understand now,” Meng Qi said, silently committing these names to memory. From what he had heard about the “Undying Demon God,” even those who could rival her would undoubtedly be formidable—either great cultivators or their incarnations. For instance, the Inspired King, who once gave the old pig and the sand monk considerable trouble during their aquatic battle, might not be far behind the legendary Overlord, nearly matching the might of the sages.
He joined his palms together and softly chanted a Buddhist sutra, preparing to take his leave and distance himself from Eternal Heaven. Xu Yuan respectfully held out a green jade box, solemnly bowing in gratitude to his master uncle, while Ao Zhen and Ao Qing followed suit.
At that moment, the sinister blood peach on Meng Qi’s wrist sensed its meal slipping away and grew frantic, struggling fiercely and emitting an indescribable eerie aura. It seemed as though the lifespan of all things was mysteriously shortened.
Xu Yuan, having consumed the Ginseng Fruit, was highly sensitive to this aura. He shivered involuntarily, unable to hold the jade box, which slipped from his grasp and crashed to the ground.
Crash!
The jade box’s seal had long been broken, and the lid flew off, spilling the Jade Pond’s golden water. A mere splash transformed into a pond spanning dozens of feet, emitting sword qi and blade auras, while half a Peach of Immortality rolled into it.
“Amitabha Buddha, what a sin! I was suppressing a malevolent artifact, and just a moment of negligence nearly allowed it to escape,” Meng Qi said, channeling the aura of the Primordial Tree of Dao onto his wrist, instantly calming the sinister blood peach.
Truly, it was a case of “no beating, no obedience!”
It was only natural for Bodhisattvas and Arhats to suppress evil artifacts, so Xu Yuan, King Fuhai, and others did not suspect anything and rushed to retrieve the half Peach of Immortality.
At that moment, the peach, soaked in the Jade Pond’s golden water, had its crystalline flesh shredded and absorbed into the dark red pit, giving the small, hand-and-foot-shaped figure on the pit a more lifelike appearance.
In an instant, the half peach transformed into a white, tender, fleshy humanoid fruit, with only half of its body fully formed, while the other half remained as the peach pit.
Xu Yuan was momentarily stunned before exclaiming, “Ginseng Fruit!”
What? Meng Qi looked over in astonishment. Could the Peach of Immortality transform into a Ginseng Fruit simply by being soaked in the Jade Pond’s golden water?
Then what if the Peach of Immortality’s root were soaked in the Jade Pond’s golden water?
Would it become a Ginseng Fruit Tree?
What a grand scheme the Golden Empress had orchestrated—stealing the sky and replacing the sun, secretly ferrying goods across the river! Meng Qi narrowed his eyes slightly. The relationship between the Five Villages Hermitage and the Jade Pond was far more complex than he had imagined, perhaps even starting with Zhenyuanzi himself!
Was this the true purpose of Luzhen—to imply to the Eternal Mother that he knew one of Her secrets?
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