“What treasure is this?” The person beside Xia Xiu looked at the lotus seed in puzzlement and asked.
Xia Xiu closed her eyes, immersing her spirit into it, focusing intently on its essence. After a while, she shook her head slightly, frowning. “It feels like just an ordinary lotus seed, nothing special.”
Yet, the moment it appeared, that faint, fountain-like glow and the pristine white lotus it outlined clearly indicated its extraordinary nature!
Tan Ping, now having regained the memories and insights of the Water Ancestor, pondered for a moment before speaking. “Perhaps we need to plant it in a place irrigated by spiritual springs. Only when it sprouts, grows leaves, blooms, and bears fruit will we know what makes this lotus seed so miraculous.”
“Brother Tan makes a good point,” Xia Xiu nodded gently, her heart filled with gratitude toward him. He had been utterly generous, truly sharing the rare and wondrous Huangliang Pillow with everyone.
She then described what she had seen in her “dream,” but seeing the confused expressions of the others, she changed the subject. “Then let’s find a place on Changmen Island irrigated by spiritual springs. We can wait for the flower to bloom while also seeking our own immortal fortunes.”
The other companions readily agreed, eagerly anticipating their own experiences with the Huangliang Pillow. Only Tan Ping remained deep in thought, his gaze profound. While Xia Xiu and the others didn’t understand the significance of that history, he, with the Water Ancestor’s memories, knew all too well. The seemingly tranquil scene concealed the machinations of at least three supreme beings from the Other Shore. The matter of the Huangliang Pillow was no ordinary “immortal fortune”—it was a whirlpool of great danger!
His earlier journey into the Eastern Pure World of Eternal Joy, where he met the Heavenly Venerable of Primordial Beginning, likely also concealed turbulent undercurrents.
Thinking this, Tan Ping smiled faintly and said calmly, “Let’s proceed as Xia Xiu suggested. However, I still have an unresolved matter to attend to and must leave Changmen Island for a while. Take turns using the Huangliang Pillow, and please, do not quarrel over it.”
Since this was a reincarnation aimed at shedding the limitations of his innate divine form, how could the Water Ancestor not have made preparations for his own growth and left behind corresponding treasures?
From his memories, Tan Ping knew of a suitable legacy for the External Scenery stage. He needed to retrieve its contents as soon as possible to avoid complications, lest someone else benefit from it like they had with Zhenwu’s legacy. More importantly, he feared being drawn into the vortex of the Other Shore and sought to distance himself, observing quietly for now.
Seeing that Tan Ping had no intention of taking the Huangliang Pillow with him, Xia Xiu and the others harbored no suspicions. Filled with gratitude and reluctance, they escorted him to the teleportation hall of Changmen Island.
Standing in the hall as the light of teleportation rose around him, Tan Ping’s thoughts drifted, recalling another matter.
When he had obtained Zhenwu’s legacy authority to perfect himself, he had also received a message left behind by the Black Emperor. In the vast chaos, at a certain hidden point, lay the Daoist temple left behind after the Dao Ancestor’s transcendence!
As the Dao Ancestor’s attendant, Zhenwu was the only being who knew the location of this temple, intending to open it after reaching the Other Shore to swiftly form the embryonic Dao Fruit. Unfortunately, despite all his preparations, he had failed to cross the bounds of the Sea of Bitterness, leaving this advantage to Tan Ping.
“The Dao Ancestor’s legacy temple…” Tan Ping silently repeated these words as his figure vanished into the teleportation array.
—
In the far northern lands, where ice had reigned for ages and storms raged across the skies, a snow-covered palace loomed within the mist. This was the place where the Demon Monarch had buried his “Seven-Orificed Ice Soul Heart.”
Within layers of restrictions, the palace remained intact, untouched by time, exuding an aura of frigid desolation as if no one had ever set foot inside.
This was the era of the ancient sages!
A wisp of black light, twisting like a demonic serpent, ethereal and swift, pierced through all barriers, arriving at the heart of the ice palace—before an ancient, mottled bronze coffin.
Under the black light’s illumination, the coffin turned transparent, as if dissolving into illusion, revealing the black heart within, riddled with seven orifices!
Only then did the eerie, fetus-like Seven-Orificed Demon Heart awaken abruptly, manifesting an infinite Pure Land and a grand formation of ten thousand Buddhas. Yet, it could not stop the black light, which pierced into one of its orifices.
All returned to silence. The bronze coffin “sealed” once more, and the ice palace resumed its frozen stillness.
At this moment, deep within the Nine Nethers, the Demon Monarch, who had been absorbing the primordial turbid energies of heaven and earth, suddenly shuddered. A new memory surfaced in his mind.
Were it not for his near-creation-level cultivation and current pseudo-Other Shore status, he might not have even realized that this memory had just “appeared from the past.”
Within the memory, the black light transformed into a towering, pitch-black figure that dominated the mental realm—a being with nine heads and twenty-six faces, each exuding wrath, envy, bloodlust, and other negative emotions. It stood upon a black lotus, with twenty-four arms wielding demonic treasures like bone prayer beads and human-skin drums. The entire form was disproportionate, chaotic, and terrifying—the true body of the Demon Buddha!
On the forehead of this inverted Buddha-demon, a crimson-black reversed swastika slowly rotated. Its voice seemed capable of plucking at the heartstrings of any living being:
“You’ve lost the Demon Emperor’s Claw and have no strong allies. Your past in the river of time is your greatest weakness. Were it not for the Other Shore beings being otherwise occupied, you would have been annihilated long ago.”
“The end of the kalpa approaches, and the era nears its close. This is when the power of demons and evil gods flourishes. Even weakened by Su Meng, I am near my peak. Do you intend to hide in the Nine Nethers, waiting for the end, without striving for the Other Shore?”
“Swear allegiance to me, serve me, and I shall shield your past, help you reclaim the Demon Emperor’s Claw, and together, we shall usher in the apocalypse!”
—
Ten thousand years later, those words still echoed in his ears. The Demon Monarch’s eyes flickered with dark flames, his expression twisting slightly.
The situation now was far different from the end of the ancient times. Back then, the Human Emperor and the Demon Saint had been locked in conflict, and he had wielded the Demon Emperor’s Claw, surviving in the cracks and seeking opportunities to attain the supreme demonic path. But now, with the Other Shore beings in place and towering above all, without backing, even the Nine Nethers offered no hope of escaping the Sea of Bitterness.
He took a deep breath, his graying hair and black beard lifting as if yielding to some terrifying presence.
—
In the infinite heights, a Dinghai Pearl had transformed into the Kunlun Realm. At the summit of the mountain range, shrouded in mist and encircled by thirty-six ancient wells, stood the ancient Jade Void Palace.
He Mu was meditating in his quiet chamber when his master Meng Qi’s voice suddenly echoed in his ears.
He stood abruptly and bowed respectfully. “As you command, Master.”
With that, he traversed the halls in a single step, arriving before the ancient Kunlun Bell. Grasping the mallet, he struck it forcefully.
Dong!
The bell’s resonance spread across the heavens, reverberating through all realms, reaching every disciple of the Jade Void lineage.
In the world of the Investiture of the Gods, Duke Huan of Qi was momentarily stunned before his face lit up with excitement. He never thought he would hear the Jade Void Bell again in his lifetime!
Unlike summons meant for mighty figures, this bell toll was heard by all Jade Void disciples, signifying another meaning:
After countless ages, the Jade Void Palace would once again hold its lectures!
Duke Huan straightened his robes and leaped from the mortal world, arriving at the Kunlun Realm. Step by step, he ascended toward the Jade Void Palace.
Dong!
In the world of Journey to the West, within the Heavenly Pillar Mountain, the Undying Demon God tilted his head slightly, as if listening. After a long silence, he finally stood and exhaled deeply.
Dong!
The bell’s toll resounded across Mount Jiuhua, the Twenty-Eight Seas, the Starry Immortal Domains, and beyond. Every Jade Void disciple capable of reaching the infinite heights felt an inexplicable stirring in their hearts.
Outside the Jade Void Palace, the thirty-six ancient wells shimmered with strange light. The gates swung open, leading directly to the Jade Pure Hall. He Mu, as the first disciple of the current Primordial Beginning Heavenly Venerate Meng Qi, stood by the entrance, welcoming his fellow disciples.
The Heavenly Venerate Guangcheng, the Heavenly Venerate Manjusri, the Heavenly Venerate Chijing, the Immortal Daoxing, the True Person Yuding, and other exalted figures entered one by one, each taking their seats on the meditation cushions. The newly ascended Legends followed suit.
Soon, He Mu spotted familiar faces and stepped forward with a smile.
“Junior Brother Yu, Junior Sister Qi, the two of you truly live freely, roaming the starry seas and exploring myriad realms. It’s quite enviable.”
Yu Banshan and Qi Jinxiu had trained diligently while their master hid in the Nine Nethers. The former had attained the Dharmakaya even earlier than Fang Huaying, while the latter had ascended to immortality shortly after Meng Qi reached the Other Shore. Now, with leisure time, the loving couple journeyed together through the ancient starry skies and the diverse universes of the myriad realms.
“With Master achieving the Other Shore, our wishes are fulfilled. Naturally, we’ve relaxed a bit. Once this journey ends, we’ll consider leaving behind descendants,” Yu Banshan said, having awakened memories of his past lives and seeking to make up for past regrets.
At this mention, Qi Jinxiu noticed the fleeting loneliness in He Mu’s eyes and discreetly tugged at Yu Banshan’s sleeve, changing the subject. “We recently met Junior Brother Sun. He’s made quite a name for himself in the overseas immortal realms, his strength and realm now matching mine.”
The three chatted for a while until Fang Huaying and Sun Wu arrived. Then, they entered the Jade Pure Hall and took their seats, leaving He Mu to continue greeting guests.
The Jade Pure Hall seemed small, yet it accommodated all disciples without crowding. After a quarter-hour, He Mu noted that apart from the True Lord of Clear Origin, who could not leave the Nine Nethers, all expected attendees had arrived. Just as he was about to return to the hall to await his master’s lecture, a streak of black light approached, revealing a figure shrouded in a black robe.
“May I ask who you are?” He Mu inquired, puzzled.
The black-robed figure hesitated before replying, “The Undying Demon God of Heavenly Pillar Mountain.”
A disciple of the Jade Void? He Mu was baffled, but with no further instructions from his master, he welcomed the demon god inside.
Gazes from the front rows turned to scrutinize this enigmatic figure.
At that moment, a glow of profound yellow light emerged at the front of the hall. Dressed in deep Taoist robes and wearing an ancient crown, Meng Qi appeared atop a lotus throne. Behind him, a flawless halo of light seemed to contain all principles and possibilities, illuminating the heavens. Disciples practicing different seals and methods all felt insights stirring within them.
Holding the Three Treasures Ruyi in his left hand, Meng Qi surveyed the assembled Taoists and smiled faintly.
“Cultivation is like sailing against the current—without progress, there is regression. As the kalpa nears its end, greater diligence is needed to seize that sliver of hope.”
“Today, the Jade Void Palace reopens. Lectures shall be held on the first and fifteenth of each month.”
The disciples in the hall bowed in unison.
“We thank the Heavenly Venerate of the Primordial Beginning!”
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