Chapter 1020: Visitors to the Jade Emperor Mountain

“Heavenly Emperor!”

The two blazing words appeared respectively before Meng Qi and Bi Jingxuan, indicating their understanding of the Jade Emperor Mountain.

Bi Jingxuan lowered her guard and softly said, “In ancient times, the Celestial Court fell, and dust covered heaven and earth for nine days straight. The place of its fall became this mountain. The sea dried up, and the land rose, thus forming the Jade Emperor Mountain. According to my sect’s ancestral records, before the Great Demon Uprising, many powerful beings came to explore the ruins of the Celestial Court.”

Could there actually be such a story? Meng Qi was quite surprised. He had always thought that prior to the discovery by the Xuantian Sect, the ruins of the Celestial Court were a secret unknown to anyone. Otherwise, how could it have waited for the Xuantian Sect to obtain the Blade of Time and the Jade Register of the Heavenly Emperor?

Records from the middle ancient period also confirmed this—back then, no one knew anything about the Jade Emperor Mountain.

Yet according to Bi Jingxuan’s account, the ruins of the Celestial Court were not a secret before the Great Demon Uprising; many powerful beings were aware of them and frequently explored the site. However, neither the Blade of Time nor the Jade Register of the Heavenly Emperor were discovered, which was perplexing.

Could it be that the Blade of Time concealed itself, hiding the Jade Register along with it, while allowing the rest to be explored freely until the Great Demon Uprising occurred?

But if that were the case, why didn’t it hide the ruins of the Celestial Court from the very beginning to avoid disturbance?

Unaware of Meng Qi’s emotional shift due to the concealment of the Yuanxin Seal and the Wujì Seal, Bi Jingxuan continued, “Among the Five Emperors of the Primordial Era, the Heavenly Emperor was the most revered. He treaded upon time itself and governed the three lives. There may be opportunities within the ruins of the Celestial Court that allow us to safely return, hence our visit here for exploration.”

Meng Qi slightly nodded. Indeed, the Heavenly Emperor was one of the symbols of time. If exploring any ruins could help them safely return to the future, the Celestial Court would be the top choice!

It was also one of the directions he had considered. Even the ‘Seven Killing Tablet,’ refined from the remnants of the Heavenly Emperor’s stele, could protect him while traversing time and altering history—how much more so the ruins of the Heavenly Emperor at the moment of his demise?

“But in this current era, there is no trace of the Celestial Court ruins on Jade Emperor Mountain,” Meng Qi pointed out after a moment’s thought.

Bi Jingxuan slightly frowned. “Could it have been taken away by a powerful being?”

“No. Later generations rediscovered it on the Jade Emperor Mountain and reaped great rewards. It was simply lost again for a long time after the Great Demon Uprising,” Meng Qi vaguely replied, intentionally avoiding mention of the Blade of Time and the Jade Register of the Heavenly Emperor to prevent Bi Jingxuan from developing greedy intentions and altering history.

There was no need for Meng Qi to worry about the Blade of Time—it wouldn’t allow itself to be taken unless by a supreme being beyond the shore. But the Jade Register of the Heavenly Emperor was different. Whoever obtained it could inherit its true essence.

The dark vortex deep within Bi Jingxuan’s eyes slowly rotated as she mused, “The ruins of the Celestial Court concealed themselves, waiting for a destined person. No, my sect’s ancestor once entered it and found that the Celestial Court was utterly destroyed, having lost its spiritual nature. It couldn’t have hidden itself unless there was an extraordinary divine weapon or corresponding treasure…”

How accurate her guess was… Yet she didn’t even attempt to conceal her suspicions. Doesn’t she fear that I might have ulterior motives? Meng Qi mused inwardly. Could it be that Bi Jingxuan was born with a golden spoon in her mouth among the Seven Seas and Twenty-Eight Worlds, and has experienced smooth sailing ever since, rarely encountering setbacks? Even when she faced danger, she easily overcame it, thus developing little caution in small details?

“But why didn’t it hide itself from the Jade Emperor Mountain right from the beginning?” Bi Jingxuan murmured aloud, echoing Meng Qi’s same confusion.

They exchanged glances, both filled with bewilderment. Their divine senses spread out, covering the entire Jade Emperor Mountain, yet there was no trace of the Celestial Court ruins.

Returning to the Half-Mountain Pavilion and seeing the Numerical Sage with a slightly relaxed expression, Meng Qi decided to ask directly, “Numerical Sage, are you aware of the connection between the Jade Emperor Mountain and the Heavenly Emperor?”

The Numerical Sage smiled, “You’ve indeed asked the right person. In this current era, besides me, perhaps only the reclusive great beings know that the Jade Emperor Mountain hides the ruins of the Celestial Court. Unfortunately, the treasures within possess their own spirits and will not emerge until the right time.”

The Wang family truly is a long-standing aristocratic clan, possessing countless hidden secrets! Meng Qi felt admiration and thought that upon returning to the future, he could squeeze more information from Master Wang, which might reveal even more important matters.

Thinking of this, he suddenly had an idea and pointed toward Bi Jingxuan, saying, “This is Bi Xianzi of the Three Clouds Island.”

“And this is ‘Numerical Sage’ Wang Daolin of the Wang family from Jiangdong,” he also introduced the Numerical Sage to Bi Jingxuan.

“Three Clouds Island?” The Numerical Sage looked at Bi Jingxuan with interest. “I never expected the legacy of the Three Clouds Ladies to reappear in this world. In ancient times, my ancestor had some connection with the Three Clouds Lady, but alas, alas…”

At this, he sighed deeply, as if something unfortunate had happened to the Wang family’s ancestor.

So the Three Clouds Island truly was the legacy of the Three Clouds Ladies… Meng Qi had introduced Bi Jingxuan precisely to confirm this from the Numerical Sage. He currently wasn’t as cryptic as Master Wang, who always spoke in riddles.

Bi Jingxuan gracefully bowed and said, “My master also recorded the esteemed Senior Wang of the Jiangdong Wang family, deeply lamenting that worldly affairs are like a game of chess, where fortune and misfortune are unpredictable—better to dream a grand dream.”

The Numerical Sage shook his head with a bitter smile, “In the chessboard of the Ten Thousand Worlds, the Wang family isn’t yet qualified to be a player. The more blessings one receives, the greater the price to be paid in the future.”

Besides A-nan’s bindings, what else was the Wang family enduring? Knowing too much isn’t necessarily a good thing! Meng Qi listened with curiosity, pondering the implications of these words. Was Master Wang’s madness related to this?

Bi Jingxuan didn’t pursue this topic further and instead asked, “Senior, have you come to the Jade Emperor Mountain for the ruins of the Celestial Court as well? May I ask how you intend to search for it?”

She asked directly, seemingly indeed quite naïve.

“How could an old man like me find the ruins of the Celestial Court? I merely calculated, while pursuing another matter, that something unusual would occur on the Jade Emperor Mountain, so I brought young Su here to wait,” the Numerical Sage answered forthrightly, a stark contrast to Wang Siyuan. Meng Qi couldn’t help but suspect whether the Wang family had undergone a genetic mutation or if the child had been switched at birth.

“Then may I wait together with you?” Bi Jingxuan asked without any pretense.

“Of course! You wield the Primordial Gold Urn—I couldn’t be happier,” the Numerical Sage chuckled, fully demonstrating how annoying someone who knows too much and doesn’t follow the ‘speak in riddles’ principle can be. At least Meng Qi noticed that Bi Jingxuan’s usually calm and ethereal expression turned slightly awkward.

But Bi Jingxuan actually wields the Primordial Gold Urn?

A supreme divine treasure from the Fengshen era, a weapon capable of stripping away one’s cultivation and realm!

No wonder Su Daji couldn’t stop her. If she wasn’t careful, the one suffering the blow wouldn’t be Bi Jingxuan but Su Daji herself, possibly reduced back to an ordinary fox!

Better not provoke Bi Jingxuan casually… Meng Qi thought cautiously.

Suddenly, the Numerical Sage transmitted his voice into Meng Qi’s ear, “The Three Clouds Ladies perished due to Yuanshi Tianzun and Daode Tianzun, their souls bound to the Investiture Scroll, deprived of freedom. Later, although they managed to escape during the fall of the Celestial Court, they were no longer as they once were. Unlike many powerful beings who withdrew into seclusion, the Three Clouds Dao lineage lasted less than a millennium before the three ladies passed away one after another, and afterward, the Three Clouds Island disappeared along with the edge of the Eastern Sea.”

“Their lineage likely harbors deep resentment toward the Yuxu lineage. Young Su, be extremely cautious.”

Meng Qi shivered slightly. Glancing at Bi Jingxuan, who appeared elegant, calm, and rarely scheming, and thinking about her possession of the Primordial Gold Urn, he couldn’t help but inwardly exclaim, “I haven’t even done anything yet, and I’ve already attracted trouble. That’s quite a talent of mine…”

The three waited in the Half-Mountain Pavilion, from midday until sunset, from blazing evening clouds to moonlit hills. The Jade Emperor Mountain remained unchanged.

As the moon dipped and stars shifted, the transformation Numerical Sage had spoken of still hadn’t occurred. Meng Qi, puzzled, asked, “Numerical Sage, has the opportunity not arrived yet?”

The Numerical Sage frowned with his white eyebrows, “It must be correct. I calculated this matter clearly.”

Before his words finished, he suddenly lifted his head, his expression brightening like an excited child, “It’s here!”

Meng Qi also sensed something. A long-forgotten prickling sensation abruptly arose—not from danger, but an inexplicable pull!

He extended his divine sense, gazing toward the mountain path, where a monk in gray robes slowly ascended.

He was thin, his face gaunt, his brows perpetually furrowed. His once-handsome features were entirely ruined by harsh winds, bitter frost, and his sorrowful demeanor.

This was no other than Meng Qi’s most familiar figure.

The Demon Buddha A-nan!

No, he wasn’t yet the Demon Buddha. This was one of his incarnations within the worldly reincarnation technique. Although for ordinary shore-beings, once they reach the shore, their former selves are already part of the shore, capable of transcending the river of time without a weak phase—perhaps only leaving projections or continuing roles due to various reasons, maintaining past experiences without attempting to alter history and provoke interference from other shore-beings. However, whether as the Demon Buddha or the Venerable A-nan, they were merely imprints now, their past, present, and future suppressed by the Buddha, leaving only the imprint to maintain the normal development of history.

—The Buddha was compassionate. If not for this, the alteration of history would be immense, likely beyond correction or containment, possibly leading to the direct annihilation of the True World itself.

Therefore, who knows whether the current A-nan has awakened to his past and reached what level of cultivation?

A-nan had once come to the Jade Emperor Mountain? Meng Qi was first puzzled, then suddenly startled, recalling the missing middle volume of the Jade Register of the Heavenly Emperor on the Six Paths’ Wheel Master’s redemption list!

Could it be that he came for this reason?