The Eastern Heaven Gate slowly opened. Qiao San arrived in a disheveled state, yet departed in grand style, feeling as if he were still dreaming.
The legendary rebellion in Heaven had thus ended perfectly!
Madam Qiao, leading the heavenly army alongside the Queen Mother, rushed swiftly toward the mortal realm to finally release her long-suppressed frustration. Saying a fond farewell to his mother, Qiao San watched until she had vanished from sight, still puzzled in his heart: Why had his mother left in such a hurry, as if fleeing from a plague? Sighing inwardly…
Just as the sigh escaped his lips, his mischievous mind quickly became excited again. With events unfolding in such an unexpected way, naturally, there was no need for him to bother heading to the Three Holy Heavens anymore.
At the thought of returning to the Dragon Palace and seeing the two peerless beauties awaiting him, his heart was filled with anticipation. He could hardly wait and decided to give the Dragon Queen and Taiyuan a grand surprise.
His ghostly cloud sped up, and the rogue flew through the skies—but he had no idea that a major “surprise” was already waiting for him ahead.
The East Heaven Gate slowly opened, and Qiao San, who had arrived in a disheveled state, now departed in glory, feeling as if he were in a dream.
The grand chaos in the Heavenly Palace had come to a perfect conclusion!
Lady Qiao and the Queen Mother led the heavenly army swiftly towards the mortal realm. Qiao San, having vented his frustrations, waved goodbye to his mother. Even after she disappeared from sight, he still couldn’t understand why she had left so quickly, as if fleeing from a plague. Sigh…
As soon as the sigh escaped his lips, Qiao San’s restless mind immediately became excited. With events unfolding in such an unexpected manner, he naturally no longer needed to bother with the troublesome Three Saints Heaven.
The thought of returning to the Dragon Palace to see a pair of peerless beauties made his heart itch with anticipation. He decided to give the Dragon Mother and Taiyuan a big surprise.
The ghostly cloud, initially slow, now sped through the air, but Qiao San was unaware that a big “surprise” awaited him ahead.
At the border between the Western Ox Continent and the Eastern Victory Continent lay the primordial wilderness, a space forbidden to mortals. The vast wilderness was barren, with poisonous miasma densely spread, and only the footprints of primordial beasts occasionally visible.
A ghostly cloud entered the wilderness. Qiao San glanced at the grotesque peaks and strange rocks beneath his feet, and the cloud beneath him sped up instead of slowing down. He had no desire to linger in this desolate place for even a moment.
The wilderness flowed swiftly beneath his feet. Just as Qiao San was about to return to the Eastern Victory Continent to enjoy his carefree life, a mysterious and elegant voice floated up from below.
“Meeting is fate, young friend. Why not come down and sit for a while?”
The voice was calm, the sound waves slow, but they strangely anchored Qiao San’s feet. The man who had just caused a stir in the Heavenly Palace couldn’t help but be startled. Among the thousands of heavenly generals, not one had given him such a feeling.
Curiosity is human nature, and Qiao San, confident in his own powers, felt no fear of danger. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the ghostly cloud swiftly descended with its master.
On a solitary reddish-brown peak sat three extraordinary middle-aged scholars.
The ghostly cloud slowly drifted towards the peak, and Qiao San’s heartbeat involuntarily quickened. He clearly saw three men with black beards wearing scholarly robes, but his spiritual senses detected nothing, as if the three were mere illusions.
While maintaining an outward calm, Qiao San muttered to himself: “Indeed, there are mountains beyond mountains, and heavens beyond heavens!”
The three scholars remained focused on the chessboard, as if they hadn’t noticed Qiao San approaching. The rogue, without greeting or pleasantries, directly took the only empty seat, picked up the fragrant tea, and gulped it down.
Only after Qiao San put down the teacup did the three scholars seem to realize the presence of a fourth person.
The scholar directly opposite Qiao San still didn’t speak, but with a single gesture, he drew Qiao San’s attention to the chessboard.
“Huh!”
As Qiao San focused, the chess pieces on the board suddenly and mysteriously disappeared. A glowing spoon appeared in the center of the board, and in the next moment, the board turned black, transforming into a deep starry sky. Stars appeared in the dim light, twinkling as if smiling at Qiao San.
In an instant, Qiao San’s entire mind seemed to fly out of his head and into the infinitely mysterious starry sky. At the same time, his Ten Suns body instinctively sensed something amiss.
“Boom!”
Qiao San felt his soul split in two, one half unwilling to return from the starry sky, the other half struggling to escape.
“Young friend, this is the Star Shifting Diagram, greatly beneficial for cultivating immortality. I, an old man, have never lied in my life. You might as well give it a try!”
The scholar, who appeared to be in his thirties, spoke with an aged tone, yet it felt entirely natural.
With a subtle change in thought, Qiao San remained cautious but no longer struggled against the pull. His spirit, now within the Star Shifting Diagram, looked around and saw stars seemingly orbiting him.
The three scholars appeared beside Qiao San out of thin air. One pointed to the myriad stars and said, “I think this star should be a bit to the left.”
Before the words had fully left his mouth, a beam of light shot from his fingertip, and the star immediately shifted to the left.
“No, it should be a bit to the right to shine brighter. Look.” Another scholar promptly pulled the star back.
The third scholar, not to be outdone, remarked with a sigh, “Movement is not as good as stillness. It’s better to leave it in place, or the immortal guarding this star will complain.”
As the three scholars debated, beams of light continuously shifted the poor star back and forth, while Qiao San became a mere spectator, momentarily unsure of what they were arguing about.
A flash of understanding crossed Qiao San’s mind. His curiosity piqued, he returned to reality in an instant. Looking up, he saw a star in the sky swaying left and right, a truly wondrous sight.
“Whoosh!” A chill filled Qiao San’s heart. The incredulous man blinked, confirming that his senses were still sharp. His shocked mind automatically flew back into the “chessboard.”
“May I ask the esteemed titles of the three seniors? This humble student, Qiao Sheng, pays his respects!”
The three scholars seemed to awaken from their debate. One leisurely smiled and said, “Young friend, no need for formalities. This old man has long forgotten his mundane name. Fellow practitioners call me the Sun Venerable. These two are the Moon Venerable and the Star Venerable.”
“The Three Venerables?!”
Even Qiao San couldn’t help but feel his head spin. He had nearly lost his life trying to meet the Three Venerables, yet had failed. Now, without seeking them out, they had appeared before him. The wonders of the world were truly boundless.
The Moon Venerable casually waved his hand, speaking in a tone familiar to Qiao San, “What Venerables? We’re just three old relics.”
The Moon Venerable’s demeanor further won over the rogue. With the Three Venerables’ powers, Qiao San was no match. Realizing this, his caution gradually faded, and the Moon Venerable’s tone pleased him greatly. “Heh, heh… Why are the three seniors here?”
The Moon Venerable, seemingly most in tune with Qiao San’s rogue nature, took the initiative to respond with a smile, “This old man didn’t want to come to this godforsaken place, but we were entrusted to wait here for a fearless young friend.”
Pausing slightly, the Moon Venerable pointed to a corner of the chaotic space, “Young friend, would you like to accompany us on a journey?”
Where the Moon Venerable pointed suddenly brightened, and a mist-shrouded paradise rapidly expanded before Qiao San’s eyes, as if rushing towards him.
Though he knew it was millions of miles away, Qiao San involuntarily stepped back. Though the mystery of the starry sky had piqued his curiosity, the urgency of the situation made him cautious. Reluctantly, he shook his head in regret.
A ghostly cloud entered this primordial expanse. Qiao San glanced sideways at the grotesque peaks and strange rocks below, yet his cloud sped faster instead of slowing. He had no desire to linger even a moment longer in such a forsaken place.
The primordial world rushed beneath him. Just as he was about to return to the Eastern Continent and enjoy his blissful paradise, an unexpected, refined yet mysterious voice floated up from below.
“Fate has brought us together—why not stop by for a brief visit?”
The voice was calm and gentle, yet strangely enough, it exerted a mystical pull on the rogue’s feet. Qiao San, who had just shown his might in Heaven, couldn’t help but be startled. In the grand heavenly palace, there were countless warriors, yet none had ever given him such a feeling.
Curiosity is human nature, and Qiao San, confident in his formidable powers, felt no fear of danger. As soon as the thought arose, his ghostly cloud swiftly descended with him toward the source of the voice.
Atop a solitary peak of reddish-brown stood three unusual middle-aged scholars.
The ghostly cloud drifted slowly toward the summit, and Qiao San’s heart involuntarily quickened. He clearly saw three bearded men in traditional scholar’s robes, yet his spiritual senses detected absolutely nothing, as if these three were mere illusions.
While maintaining an outward calm, Qiao San silently mused: So it’s true—there are always greater heights beyond one’s own.
The three scholars continued to fix their gaze on the Go board, seemingly unaware of Qiao San’s approach. The rogue, equally peculiar, didn’t bother with greetings or pleasantries, and instead sat directly at the only empty seat, picking up the fragrant tea and gulping it down.
After Qiao San set down his cup, the three scholars appeared to finally notice the fourth presence.
The scholar seated directly opposite Qiao San still said nothing, merely gesturing with one hand to draw Qiao San’s attention to the Go board.
“Ah!”
The rogue focused, and suddenly the pieces on the board vanished mysteriously. A glowing spoon materialized at the center, and in an instant, the board darkened, transforming into a deep, starry sky. Sparkling stars emerged in the dim light, twinkling as if smiling at Qiao San.
In that moment, Qiao San felt his entire soul seemingly leave his body and plunge into the boundless mysteries of the starry expanse. At the same time, his Ten-Yang Body instinctively sensed something ominous.
“Boom!”
Qiao San felt his spirit split into two halves—one entranced by the stars and unwilling to return, the other struggling desperately to escape.
“Little friend, this is the Chart of Celestial Transformation. It is of great benefit to those cultivating the Dao. I never speak falsely in my life—why not give it a try?”
Though the scholar looked no older than thirty, his tone was aged and natural.
As subtle shifts stirred within his mind, Qiao San remained cautious but ceased resisting. His spiritual essence flew into the “Chart of Celestial Transformation,” and he looked around, noticing stars swirling gently around him.
The three scholars appeared beside Qiao San out of nowhere. One of them pointed at the starry sky and said, “I think this star should shift slightly to the left.”
Before his words had fully faded, a beam of light shot from his fingertip, nudging the star slightly to the left.
“No, shifting it slightly to the right would make it shine brighter. Look,” another scholar immediately countered, pulling the star back.
The third scholar, unwilling to be left out, sighed solemnly, “Stillness is better than motion. It’s better left as it is, or the celestial guardian of this star might file a complaint.”
As the three scholars argued, beams of light flashed continuously, causing the poor star to sway back and forth. Qiao San, caught in the middle, watched helplessly, unable to grasp the meaning behind their debate.
A sudden realization flashed through Qiao San’s mind. Overcome with curiosity, he instantly returned to reality. Looking up, he saw the same star in the sky swaying left and right—truly wondrous.
“Whoa!” A chill ran through him. Blinking in disbelief, he confirmed that his senses were indeed sharp and clear. His shocked consciousness automatically flew back into the “Go board.”
“May I ask the esteemed elders for their honorable names? The humble junior Qiao San pays his respects!”
The three scholars seemed to finally awaken from their debate. One of them smiled leisurely and said, “No need for such formality, young friend. I have long forgotten my worldly name. Fellow cultivators usually call me the Sun Holder. These two are the Moon Holder and the Star Holder.”
“The Three Great Holders?!”
Even Qiao San couldn’t help but feel his heart race. He had nearly lost his life trying to meet the Three Holders, only to be denied. Now, without even seeking them out, they had appeared before him. How wondrous fate could be.
The Moon Holder waved his hand casually, speaking in a tone Qiao San found familiar, “What ‘Holders’? We’re just three old immortals who refuse to die.”
The Moon Holder’s demeanor further endeared him to the rogue. With the Three Holders’ immense powers, Qiao San knew he stood no chance in a fight. Realizing this, he gradually let down his guard, especially warmed by the Moon Holder’s tone. “Hehe… Why are the three esteemed elders here?”
The Moon Holder, seemingly most compatible with Qiao San’s rascal nature, eagerly replied, “Old man certainly doesn’t want to come to this godforsaken place, but someone asked us to wait for a fearless young friend.”
He paused briefly, then pointed toward a corner of the chaotic space and said, “Young friend, would you care to accompany us on a journey?”
As the Moon Holder pointed, the space brightened suddenly. A misty, paradisiacal realm swiftly expanded before Qiao San’s eyes, as if rushing toward him.
Though he knew the place lay millions of miles away, Qiao San instinctively took a step back. Though deeply intrigued by the mysterious starry expanse, he hesitated, sensing the urgency of his current situation. Regretfully, he shook his head.
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