The scene was one of near-true nothingness, a void of empty silence. The dazzling lights and radiant glows from moments ago had vanished without a trace. Were it not for the scattered remnants of turbid waves still falling, it would truly feel like a fleeting dream—as if the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation, figures like Guangchengzi, the Heavenly Venerable Duobao, and the Buddha of Immanent Freedom in the World had all been mere illusions.
The Northern Dipper Chariot soared through the darkness, resplendent and pure, continuing its majestic advance into the depths. Standing beneath the pristine white canopy, Meng Qi knew with absolute clarity that this was no place to linger. Given the cultivation and insight of mighty figures like the Heavenly Venerable Duobao and the Buddha of Immanent Freedom in the World, it wouldn’t be long before they regained their senses, detected something amiss, and turned back to investigate. Thus, he had to create distance as quickly as possible, using the Primordial Void and the Karma of All Causes to erase his traces. There was no time to split his focus to pursue Guangchengzi and reunite with him.
—Once the Heavenly Venerable Duobao, the Buddha of Immanent Freedom in the World, and even the Three Xiao Maidens escaped this place, they would inevitably suspect the involvement of a figure beyond the Samsara realm due to the lack of obstruction. Even if the “Celestial Emperor” on his inspection tour wasn’t an imposter, his condition would certainly be abnormal—likely possessing only the aura and sensation of his former self, lacking the corresponding realm and strength, leaving him at his weakest and most vulnerable!
The chariot streaked through the void with dazzling starlight, moving at an inconceivable speed. Yet, the surrounding emptiness was uniform, indistinguishable in direction, making it seem as though the Northern Dipper Chariot had remained motionless all along—until a faint glimmer appeared in the distance, gradually growing brighter. Only then did Meng Qi and the Mystic Maiden of the Ninth Heaven, Liu Luo, regain their sense of direction, as if they had narrowly escaped the lifeless end of all things and returned to the mortal world.
The source of the faint glow was a floating landmass, its body spanning over ten thousand li, yet appearing minuscule in the boundless darkness. The edges and underside bore clear signs of rupture and destruction, evoking involuntary imaginings of its former grandeur.
The surface of this landmass was perpetually battered by black storms capable of tearing apart Dharmakāya, dissolving true spirits, piercing through the void, and disrupting divine sense. Even from a distance, the sight sent chills down one’s spine.
“What is this place?” Meng Qi turned to Liu Luo.
As a major deity of the ancient Heavenly Court, she would surely have some knowledge of the highest layer of the Celestial Realm—unlike him, who was completely in the dark.
Liu Luo’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. “The destruction is too severe. From the outside alone, it’s impossible to recognize.”
At that moment, the Northern Dipper Chariot suddenly descended, gradually approaching the landmass. The pure white radiance cascading from the noble canopy merged with the dazzling starlight, completely shielding them from the raging black storms outside.
“The Celestial Emperor would stop here during his inspection tours…” Meng Qi murmured, hoping Liu Luo, the “Mystic Maiden of the Ninth Heaven,” could deduce something from this.
Ripples shimmered in Liu Luo’s eyes, beautiful as a dream, her tone growing more solemn. “As far as I know, the Northern Dipper Chariot never stopped during inspections of the other eight layers of the Celestial Realm. This place must be a particularly special location in the highest layer of the Nine Heavens, if not the starting or ending point of the Celestial Emperor’s tours.”
The starting or ending point of the Celestial Emperor’s tours? One of them should have been the Hall of Divine Mist. Yet, it had fallen with the Heavenly Court, buried beneath Mount Yuhuang… As Meng Qi pondered, the Northern Dipper Chariot landed fully on the ground. The ancient constellation, vast beyond measure, now appeared as mere specks of brilliance. Yet, its terrifying weight pressed the floating landmass downward, compressing the surrounding black storms into another layer of canopy-like radiance.
Crack!
The already shattered ground split further under the weight of the ancient constellation, fissures reaching deep into the earth. Yet, the fact that it hadn’t collapsed entirely suggested it had been an extraordinary place in ancient times.
Standing atop the chariot, Meng Qi and Liu Luo were both captivated by the sight before them. Beyond the layers of black storms stood a stern, pitch-black mountain. Its original height was impossible to discern, but even after layers of collapse, its main structure remained, exuding an aura of “suppression,” “sealing,” “crushing,” and “confinement.”
“I think I know what this place is…” Liu Luo sighed softly.
Meng Qi glanced at her. “What is it?”
“The Heavenly Prison. The true Heavenly Prison,” Liu Luo replied, her eyes glistening like a lake reflecting light. “I never imagined it could survive.”
“The Heavenly Prison of the Celestial Realm? Who was imprisoned here?” Meng Qi asked, puzzled.
Liu Luo smiled faintly. “Naturally, the old deities of the Nine Heavens and the ancient spirits of the earth whom the Celestial Emperor subdued during his rise to dominance. Some perished in battle, some withered away in hiding, and others were captured alive and imprisoned here. They bore witness to how the Celestial Emperor, born in the third layer of the Celestial Realm, ascended step by step to the highest layer, becoming the ruler of all realms.”
Meng Qi nodded thoughtfully. “If the Celestial Emperor made a point to stop here during his tours, it must be more than just a prison.”
Liu Luo smiled slightly. “So, shall we take a look?”
“You’ve never been inside?” Meng Qi countered.
Liu Luo answered frankly, “No. Many places in the highest layer of the Celestial Realm were forbidden. Aside from the Celestial Emperor’s personal guards, who perished in the final battle, only the Thunder God had the Emperor’s permission to enter and leave freely among us deities who held various authorities.”
When mentioning the Thunder God, her gaze swept over Meng Qi with a hint of amusement.
Who would have thought the Celestial Emperor trusted the Thunder God so deeply back then—it’s almost unimaginable! Meng Qi was inwardly startled. What kind of temptation could have driven the Devil Buddha to betray the Emperor?
“No wonder it’s often said the Thunder God was the second most powerful figure in the Heavenly Court,” Meng Qi remarked with a nod.
As for figures like the Green Emperor and the Golden Empress, they were more akin to feudal lords who acknowledged the Heavenly Court’s legitimacy.
Gazing at the black prison ahead, Liu Luo’s tone carried a note of reminiscence. “In the beginning, the Thunder God, born from the Ancient Thunder Pool, was even stronger than the Celestial Emperor and advanced in cultivation at a faster pace. Yet, after meeting the Emperor, he willingly chose to follow and assist him wholeheartedly, much to the astonishment of the deities of the Nine Heavens. Later, as the Thunder God’s cultivation reached its limit and stagnated, the Emperor found another path, breaking through the constraints of innate deities with the Seven Slaughter Stele. Only then did the dynamic of a weaker ruler and stronger subject reverse…”
The Devil Buddha was Meng Qi’s mortal enemy, a thorn in his side. Naturally, he was deeply interested in his past. Just as he listened intently, Liu Luo chuckled lightly and said, “Sect Leader Su, perhaps we should explore the prison first. Who knows when the Northern Dipper Chariot will take off again and return to its destination?”
“Aren’t you afraid of being besieged by the remnants of the old deities and ancient spirits?” Meng Qi asked with a smile.
Liu Luo glanced at him, her ethereal face expressionless. “Even if a sliver of providence allowed this place to survive the aftershocks of the battle between those beyond the Samsara realm, tens of thousands of years have passed. Time erodes all. What means do the imprisoned deities and spirits have to resist? Even if they turned to ghostly cultivation, by now, their lifespans would have long expired, reducing them to ashes. What is there to fear?”
Time is the most merciless force. Even those beyond the Samsara realm must leap out of the river of time and slumber in true chaos to await the Final Calamity. For a pristine ancient deity like Liu Luo, a grandmaster of creation, it took meticulous preparation and arrangements to endure to the present. How could the imprisoned old deities and spirits, unable to escape, possibly achieve the same?
—If they could have escaped due to the prison’s damage, why would they remain in this abyss of nothingness? Even if there were secrets and treasures hidden here, the passage of time would have allowed them to seize them and leave long ago.
This was the foundation of Liu Luo’s fearlessness.
Meng Qi withdrew his gaze and looked again at the black prison, smiling faintly.
“Perhaps it wasn’t a sliver of providence, but the deliberate preservation by a mighty figure beyond the Samsara realm.”
Liu Luo’s expression shifted slightly. Before she could speak, Meng Qi stepped forward, leaving the shelter of the pure white canopy and entering the dark storms. His body shimmered with faint golden light as he walked effortlessly through the tempest, indestructible and unyielding, heading straight for the stern mountain that remained.
After a brief pause, Liu Luo followed, her immortal aura mist-like, walking side by side with him.
“I’ve always been curious about the ancient Heavenly Court and would like to ask the Mystic Maiden a few questions,” Meng Qi said as they approached the prison, his tone a mix of jest and sincerity.
“What would you like to know?” The Mystic Maiden’s demeanor remained serene.
The black winds brushed past, capable of tearing through the void, but to Meng Qi, they felt like a gentle drizzle. Casually, he asked, “Before or after the True Lord of Numinous Treasure sealed off the highest layer of the Nine Heavens, did you ever enter this place and witness the Northern Dipper Chariot still patrolling with the Celestial Emperor’s traces?”
This was something Liu Luo had mentioned earlier.
“Yes,” she replied succinctly.
“Was the Solar God already hiding in the Hall of the Past by then?” Meng Qi pressed.
Liu Luo shook her head. “I didn’t know that at the time. It was only later, after meeting Xi, that I guessed as much. I can’t pinpoint the exact moment.”
“I see. At that time, had the Thunder God sealed the entrances to the upper three layers of the Nine Heavens?” Meng Qi continued, his gaze fixed on the prison ahead, now close despite the black winds.
“He had. But for someone like me, who hadn’t yet separated spirit and flesh to enter slumber, and who was familiar with every detail of the Celestial Realm and his usual methods, there were always ways to bypass the seals.” A flicker of confusion crossed Liu Luo’s eyes, as if she couldn’t fathom why Meng Qi was asking this.
The same would apply to Yang Jian.
Meng Qi nodded slightly. “After bypassing the seals, did you pass by the Peach Orchard?”
“Of course,” Liu Luo answered without hesitation.
Meng Qi’s steps slowed slightly. “Did you see the Star of Longevity’s corpse?”
Did you see that eerie blood peach growing from the Star of Longevity’s head?
“The Star of Longevity’s corpse? He didn’t perish during the Heavenly Court’s fall,” Liu Luo replied, her voice laced with bewilderment and contemplation.
He didn’t perish during the Heavenly Court’s fall! Meng Qi’s steps carried him closer to the black prison, the sense of sternness and terror growing stronger.
So it is…
Back then, my understanding was shallow, and I jumped to conclusions, overlooking many clues.
If the Star of Longevity had been struck down in the Peach Orchard during the Heavenly Court’s fall, and the “little peach” planted in his head, how could figures like Yang Jian, the Thunder God, the Solar God, and the Mystic Maiden of the Ninth Heaven—who had all entered the upper three layers afterward—have missed the corpse? Would they have left it there, ignoring the so-called “primordial evil”?
In short, someone must have deliberately placed the corpse there much later, waiting specifically for me to find it.
A move so subtle it leaves no trace… Only decades later, after realizing the “little peach” might be connected to the illusory Dao Fruit of “Donghuang Taiyi,” did I gradually come to understand.
Whose handiwork could it have been?
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