The Nine-Headed Great Sage? He Mu recalled all he knew in his life, only to realize he had never heard of such a Great Sage. It seemed this figure had fallen long ago, leaving no impact on the present era. His master had never deliberately mentioned it during teachings, and there was no discussion about it in the All-Knowing Heaven and Earth network.
Seeing him momentarily stunned, Ao Qin, standing beside Jiu Li, immediately snorted disdainfully, “Ignorant…”
Jiu Li slightly turned her head, giving Ao Qin a glance that silenced his next words. Then, she turned back with a faint smile and said, “The Nine-Headed Great Sage is not as renowned as the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, the Great Sage Pacifying Heaven, or the Great Sage Overturning the Seas—figures whose names have echoed through eternity, known to every demon. Unless one hails from the demon clans of the Journey to the West world, few remember him. Later, he perished on Spirit Mountain, his body and name vanishing together.”
“No wonder I’ve never heard of him,” He Mu feigned sudden understanding, half-truthfully.
Jiu Li’s expression turned solemn. “Yet among the Great Sages of that era, he was one of the strongest, a rare top-tier sage who survived at least one epoch.”
“Survived at least one epoch?” He Mu dutifully expressed his astonishment, while Ao Qin, Gu Yue, and Golden Scale Fairy beside him showed varying degrees of disdain or scorn.
Jiu Li nodded. “During the ancient Primordial Era, the Nine-Headed Great Sage was already a dominant figure, though back then, he was known as ‘Nine Phoenix’!”
Nine Phoenix? I haven’t heard of that either… He Mu didn’t hide his ignorance.
Not knowing about the ancient past is normal—knowing would be strange!
Even someone as mighty as his master, with boundless divine powers and unfathomable magic, the leader of a top-tier faction, often lamented how little he knew about the secrets of the ancient epochs!
“Nine Phoenix, an innate demon god, with nine heads and nine faces, a bird’s head on a human body. He first followed Donghuang Taiyi, then served under the Heavenly Emperor Haotian, eventually becoming a Great Sage and a renowned warrior of the ancient Heavenly Court.” Speaking of this history, Jiu Li’s expression grew solemn.
A Great Sage of the demon race, yet he served both Donghuang Taiyi and the Heavenly Emperor Haotian? Didn’t the Demon Emperor or the Demon Sages intervene? Or did they initially support Donghuang Taiyi before switching allegiance to Haotian? He Mu pondered, drawing on his limited knowledge of the supreme beings beyond the mortal realm.
Most of his understanding came from the All-Knowing Heaven and Earth network, as his master rarely spoke of such figures unless explicitly asked.
Jiu Li continued, “After the fall of the Heavenly Emperor Haotian, the last epoch of the Primordial Era collapsed. Nine Phoenix, under the protection of the Demon Emperor, survived into the ancient times of this epoch, changing his name to Nine-Headed Worm. Later, he clashed with the Great Sage Equaling Heaven over a Buddhist relic and was severely wounded by the latter’s allies. Coincidentally, it was the Little Sage Howling Heaven from your Heavenly Dog clan who bit off one of his heads. After recovering, he joined the Demon Sage Empress in storming Spirit Mountain, where he perished in the ‘Ten Thousand Buddhas’ Fall.'”
The Howling Heaven Hound hailed from the Heavenly Dog clan but followed the True Lord of Clear Origin and entered the Jade Void Palace.
So there’s such a connection. If Nine-Headed Worm’s lingering resentment sensed the pure aura of my senior brother Howling Heaven on me, he’d surely seek revenge… He Mu mused before replying casually, “I see. So you suspect that ancient ruin belongs to the Nine-Headed Great Sage, who fell on Spirit Mountain?”
Jiu Li nodded slightly. “After his defeat at Green Wave Pool, the Nine-Headed Great Sage never returned, not even to visit his descendants. Clearly, he had another abode. That ancient ruin bears traces of the Primordial Era, exuding an aura of desolation and barbarism, with carvings of nine-headed bird figures—matching all the clues.”
“It was likely brought into the starry sky by an ignorant Little Sage in the late ancient times, unnoticed until the erosion of time revealed its true form. Sadly, it drifted unnoticed in the cosmic darkness until the aura of the apocalypse drew it back from the depths.”
The one who brought the abode into space couldn’t have been a Great Sage—otherwise, it would’ve been discovered immediately.
“This is a Great Sage’s ruin! And you didn’t inform your elders?” He Mu was stunned, bluntly voicing his disbelief.
In his view, tempering oneself was one thing, but risking such an important matter was reckless. Reporting to elders and mobilizing the strongest forces to secure the treasures was the logical approach!
Gu Yue shot He Mu a cold glance and spat out, “Ignorant.”
Ao Qin nodded in agreement, while Golden Scale Fairy smiled faintly. “Sir Moonfall, you’re neither a descendant nor a disciple of a prominent figure. Some things aren’t as simple as they seem.”
Jiu Li added, “Whether it’s my mother, the Little Sage Radiant Light, Ao Qin’s elder the Little Sage North Pole, the Skeletal Fire God, or the Dragonfish Emperor—they’re all watched by peers of their level. The demon race is an amalgamation of many clans, far from united. If my mother or the others acted rashly, their movements would draw attention. Without perfect concealment, what do you think would happen? Even ten parts of treasure would dwindle to one.”
If other demon powerhouses intervened, to avoid infighting, a Great Sage would likely step in, claim the lion’s share, and oversee the division of the rest… He Mu realized, “So you’re the decoys, sneaking in under the radar?”
Demons without condensed true forms were as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Jiu Li, despite her noble status, wouldn’t attract undue attention while traveling. Thus, they could quietly open the ruin and claim its treasures unnoticed.
Undoubtedly, Radiant Light and the others must have taken measures to obscure the heavenly secrets, preventing detection.
Did my master foresee this when he said my opportunity lay in the demon starfield? Did he calculate the return of Nine-Headed Worm’s ruin and, unable to act himself under the scrutiny of the myriad realms, send me—a mere pre-Dharma Body disciple—to partake in this event?
Well, to beings beyond the celestial ranks, a grandmaster like me is insignificant, hardly worth a glance…
As He Mu pondered his master’s intentions, Jiu Li solemnly confirmed his earlier question. “Exactly.”
“But—but none of us have condensed true forms, and this is a Great Sage’s ruin. Isn’t this overreaching?” He Mu pressed.
Even casual restrictions could annihilate everyone on this ship a thousand times over!
He preferred using swordplay to tell stories, always planning before acting.
Golden Scale Fairy chuckled. “Do we seem that reckless? The ruin has drifted far from its origin, its owner long dead. After eons of erosion, how much of its original power could remain?”
“Fellow travelers who found it confirmed the remaining restrictions are roughly at the Demon King level. With our treasures and teamwork, what’s there to fear?” Jiu Li added.
Ao Qin once again voiced his disapproval. “Which is why we don’t need this ignorant outsider.”
Jiu Li’s expression darkened with authority. “This is the most critical task we’ve undertaken. If we fail, how can we face our families? Moonfall earned a divine weapon through his own means—a sign of virtue and fortune. He’ll greatly boost our chances. Most importantly, he’s unconnected to any Little or Great Sages, utterly background-free. Isn’t he the perfect partner?”
Did she have to say that out loud? He Mu’s lips twitched. That was brutally frank.
And his divine weapon was a gift from his master—nothing to do with virtue or fortune. He felt a pang of guilt…
Cutting to the chase, he said, “Friends, I’ve no backing and mediocre strength. Aren’t you worried I’ll be discarded or used as cannon fodder?”
Jiu Li smiled. “Rest assured. As the daughter of Radiant Light, a descendant of the Phoenix clan with pure Five Virtues bloodline, I’d never tarnish my honor so.”
From his master’s past descriptions, that was convincing enough… After a moment’s thought, He Mu nodded.
“Very well. I trust you.”
A phoenix’s promise is beyond measure.
Delighted, Jiu Li beamed like the sun and moon combined.
He Mu composed himself. “For formality’s sake, how about we swear an oath?”
“Absolutely not!” Jiu Li and Ao Qin exclaimed in unison.
Baffled, He Mu was quickly enlightened by Jiu Li: “The one from the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain has reached the realm of Creation. His mastery over karma is unparalleled, bordering on the supernatural. Any oath we swear would alert him instantly, exposing the ruin’s secret.”
She’s talking about my master? He Mu felt an odd pride.
Hesitantly, Jiu Li added, “If you’re still uneasy, I know a rough version of the Demon Emperor’s sigil. Meditating on it would route the oath through Him first, masking critical details.”
He Mu’s heart skipped a beat. “No need! I believe you!”
Jiu Li blinked, then flushed slightly, changing the subject. “Then let’s depart for the ruin immediately.”
The ship set sail, traversing the starry void.
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