In the void, a shimmering long river flowed quietly, with countless tributaries. The past glories were all buried upstream, like a lost underwater city.
Meng Qi returned to a time shortly before the fall of the Heavenly Court, appearing outside the Jade Void Palace at the infinite heights. Immediately, he sensed the ancient, solemn, majestic, and profound aura emanating from within the hall.
The aura of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable—the foremost of the Three Pure Ones, the supreme celestial of the Daoist tradition!
He had inherited this figure’s legacy, received its blessings, and borne its name, yet until now, they had never met face to face!
With a resounding *clang*, the sound of the grand doors opening echoed through the dark and profound palace. Meng Qi stepped forward calmly, walking along the familiar path toward the Jade Pure Hall. Along the way, he saw the White Crane Boy and other former residents of the Jade Void Palace, who had long since perished from old age. Yet they paid no heed to his arrival, as if completely unaware—eerily, as though they existed within a painting.
Before long, Meng Qi arrived before the doors of the Jade Pure Hall. There, he saw the cloud-bed at the head of the hall, the flawless and radiant halo of light, and the majestic, middle-aged visage of the ancient Heavenly Venerable. In its palm rested the Three Treasures Ruyi Scepter, shimmering in hues of purple, white, and pale gold. Around its form floated layers of illusory yet tangible phantoms—Brahma, the Creator; the Foolish and Blind God—all projections of the Primordial One from the most ancient universe, having triumphed over other projections from the other shore and established absolute dominance. Together, they seemed to support an inexplicable “boat,” allowing the seated Primordial Heavenly Venerable to drift further away from the myriad realms, pure and untainted.
Their gazes met midair as Meng Qi stared directly at this most powerful and ancient of celestial beings.
At that moment, the Three Treasures Ruyi Scepter in the Primordial Heavenly Venerable’s palm rose and slowly flew toward its current master—Meng Qi. Meanwhile, the ancient and majestic figure instantly faded, vanishing like a dream or a bubble!
The Primordial Heavenly Venerable of this era had disappeared before Meng Qi’s very eyes!
As the scepter descended, Meng Qi reached out and grasped it. It felt warm, serene, and undeniably real—a stark contrast to the illusory nature of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable’s vanishing form.
Lost in thought, he stepped forward to the cloud-bed, turned, and seated himself in the lotus position, manifesting the same flawless halo of light behind his head and absorbing some of the “Primordial Projections” from the most ancient universe.
After a while, the White Crane Boy entered. Seeing Meng Qi, he showed no surprise and bowed respectfully. “What are your orders, Master?”
To him, the figure seated in the Jade Pure Hall had never changed—even if the aura and appearance were entirely different!
Understanding dawned in Meng Qi’s heart. Calmly, he said, “Deliver my decree: all disciples of the Jade Void shall retreat into seclusion.”
Until the battle of the Heavenly Court’s fall!
These were the very words the Primordial Heavenly Venerable had spoken in history.
As the product of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable’s “subtraction for emptiness,” Meng Qi had naturally replaced its imprint upon meeting it in the past, completing the transition from that historical moment to the present node.
Indeed, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable was closer to the Dao Fruit than the Moral Heavenly Venerable or Amitabha Buddha.
“By your will, Master,” the White Crane Boy replied before withdrawing respectfully.
Watching his retreating figure vanish beyond the Jade Pure Hall, Meng Qi sighed softly. The closer one came to the Dao Fruit, the harder it was to articulate.
Yet he had also come to understand why ancient beings like the Primordial Heavenly Venerable and Amitabha Buddha fought for dominance over the most ancient universe of this era, suppressing each other completely. These elevated universes and “other selves” acted like pillars in a raging current, lifting the true self and creating a subtle separation from the myriad realms and the real world—making it purer and more conducive to “subtraction for emptiness.”
“Never met the Primordial One,” Meng Qi mused, watching the shifting clouds and the tides of history. A new plan formed in his mind:
Since every encounter with a Primordial imprint led to automatic replacement, making further clues elusive, why not seek out the imprints left by the Lingbao Heavenly Venerable? Surely, it wouldn’t simply vanish—there must be traces to uncover.
The mystery of the two Heavenly Venerables’ fates was, after all, one and the same!
With a thought, Meng Qi arrived outside the Green Touring Palace on Golden Turtle Island. Since the Investiture of the Gods, this realm had lost its clamor of myriad immortals, becoming desolate and silent—so much so that even attendants were rare.
The palace gates stood wide open, empty and unattended, giving Meng Qi the impression that his arrival had been anticipated, the doors left ajar in readiness.
Could the Lingbao Heavenly Venerable of this era also have been the Golden Emperor in disguise?
Or was the Golden Emperor the product of Lingbao’s “subtraction for emptiness”? If so, once the Golden Emperor became an ancient being, Lingbao should have already transcended and attained the Dao Fruit. What, then, was left to fight over?
Since he was here, he might as well proceed. As a being of the other shore, Meng Qi had no fear. Hands clasped behind his back, he strolled through the familiar gates of the Green Touring Palace until he stood before the Shangqing Hall.
The hall bore traces of the Lingbao Heavenly Venerable’s aura and presence, yet it was utterly empty—no figure in sight.
Stepping inside, Meng Qi opened his wisdom eye, scrutinizing the lingering aura for clues.
Then, a young attendant emerged from a side hall. Seeing Meng Qi, he looked slightly puzzled but still bowed respectfully. “Has the Master emerged from seclusion?”
*Master?* Meng Qi’s eyes narrowed. In a calm, low voice, he said, “Deliver my decree: summon the Three Xiao Sisters.”
Was he being mistaken for the Lingbao Heavenly Venerable?
And had Lingbao, like the Daoist Venerable, left no imprint behind at all?
The attendant dared not delay. “By your will, Master!”
Soon, the three Xiao Sisters arrived from the Heavenly Court and entered the Shangqing Hall. Seeing Meng Qi, they showed no shock, only slight confusion as they bowed. “Greetings, Master. What are your instructions?”
*Greetings, Master…* Meng Qi’s gaze deepened. Calmly, he said, “The Heavenly Court is about to change. Prepare yourselves.”
……
The unfolding events defied Meng Qi’s deductions, taking an eerie and inexplicable turn. Unwilling to let it rest, he pondered briefly before reversing time once more, arriving before the Investiture of the Gods.
Outside the Green Touring Palace, mountains and rivers stretched beneath auspicious clouds, forming a realm of their own. Countless immortals, gods, and demons descended from all directions, alighting on valleys and peaks, paying distant homage to the Shangqing Hall as they listened to the profound teachings.
Above the hall, a flawless halo of light—embodying infinite truths and possibilities—hovered high, pure and radiant, framing a faintly discernible figure: the Lingbao Heavenly Venerable Meng Qi had once seen.
Like any other attending immortal, Meng Qi sat casually in the lotus position and gazed toward the palace. His eyes met Lingbao’s—those unfathomable, chaotic orbs.
*Hmm. No emptiness, no disappearance…* Different eras, different encounters. Meng Qi felt he was beginning to grasp some faint clues.
After a moment’s thought, he departed and arrived at the Jade Void Palace of this era, intending to see the Primordial imprint once more.
On Mount Kunlun, the ancient Jade Void Palace stood silent and profound. Meng Qi passed unhindered through its gates and barriers until he reached the Jade Pure Hall, where the ancient Heavenly Venerable sat, the Three Treasures Ruyi Scepter in hand.
As expected, the moment their eyes met, the scepter flew toward him, and the Primordial Heavenly Venerable’s form dissolved into nothingness. Meng Qi felt history settle upon him, compelling him to assume the role of the “Primordial One” from this moment until the Heavenly Court’s fall.
In other words, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable of the Investiture of the Gods had also been his “performance”!
“Nothing amiss here…” Meng Qi mused, then instinctively turned his gaze back toward the Green Touring Palace.
*Hmm?* He froze.
The radiant halo and the figure of the Lingbao Heavenly Venerable above the palace had vanished. Only the echoes of the great Dao’s teachings remained, enrapturing the assembled immortals and demons.
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