Chapter 488: The Secret of Transcendence
“You mean, have Mu Lang dual cultivate with her Innate Celestial Furnace?” Bai Ruoxi’s cool and pleasant voice echoed through the hall. Her beautiful eyes gazed at the holy and noble Jade Pool fairy, and she continued, “Setting aside whether two Innate Celestial Furnaces can even dual cultivate, even if they can… it might not have the desired effect.”
Mu Zhian’s Innate Celestial Furnace was rather special. From the past until now, he was the only one whose Innate Celestial Furnace could continuously evolve.
It was precisely because of this that the strength of the girls he dual cultivated with could continuously soar.
However, although dual cultivation with a normal Innate Celestial Furnace constitution would have some effect, it definitely wouldn’t be as potent as Mu Zhian’s.
Yao Meng’s gauze-like green dress billowed in the wind, faint sparkles seemingly appearing on her skin.
She opened her red lips slightly and said faintly, “Regardless of why the Heavenly Dao’s Origin Arrow targeted him, it’s better to quickly increase his strength than to constantly stay by his side and protect him.”
“Luo Tan’s Innate Celestial Furnace constitution is a secret. Not many people know about it, but those who do all want to obtain her spiritual essence.”
Yao Meng’s voice was soft and gentle as she continued, “Actually, even if you have Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy within your body, if you’re not compatible, she might not agree. After the Great Peng Emperor of Cloud Province learned about this secret, he pursued her for a long time, but was still rejected.”
“Besides that, the Underworld Lord of the Northern Frontier also secretly pursued her for a while, sending many heavenly materials and earthly treasures, but they were all rejected.”
I’ve heard of the Great Peng Emperor, he’s the ruler of Cloud Province… Recalling the man who seemed to emit a cold aura, Mu Zhian asked, “Who exactly is this Underworld Lord?”
“The northernmost region of the Northern Continent, bordering Cloud Province, is called the Northern Frontier. The people there call it the Underworld. There’s a common saying among the people that after death, souls return to the Underworld. In fact, many cultivators’ souls do appear in the Underworld after death,” Yao Meng revealed a little-known secret.
“You mean not all cultivators’ souls return to the Underworld after death?” Mu Zhian caught the underlying meaning in Yao Meng’s words.
Bai Ruoxi hummed softly in agreement: “Ultimately, the Underworld Lord is also human, but the common people see him as the ruler of the Underworld, governing life and death. The Dao of Reincarnation he walks is related to this.”
“Then what about the Princess of Cloud Province?” Mu Zhian casually asked again.
However, before anyone could answer, everyone in the room stared at him intently.
Ye Lingxuan snorted softly and said coldly, “Brother Mu, after beating around the bush for so long, you actually want to know about the Princess of Cloud Province, right?”
Mu Zhian looked at this seemingly more clingy younger sister and couldn’t help but shake his head and smile: “I’m just a bit curious about the other great powers in the Nine Provinces.”
“When Yao Meng transcended in the ancestral land last time, besides the Western Regions and the Southern Wilderness on the surface, wasn’t there also a hidden great power whose identity wasn’t revealed?”
“I just want to use this opportunity to learn more.”
“The Princess you mentioned is the future wife of the Great Peng Emperor of Cloud Province. In most cases, external affairs are handled by the Princess, while the Great Peng Emperor mostly deals with internal affairs,” Yao Meng’s ethereal voice echoed in Mu Zhian’s ear.
“Cloud Province has a close relationship with Yu State, with frequent trade between them. The Princess and the Pill Emperor are especially close.”
“Also,” Yao Meng paused, then continued, “Most cultivators in Cloud Province believe in the Heavenly Dao, except for the Princess.”
“However, no one in Cloud Province has ever objected to the existence the Princess believes in.”
Mu Zhian asked curiously, “Who exactly does the Princess believe in?”
“The Great Dao,” Yao Meng said faintly. “The so-called Princess doesn’t actually belong to Cloud Province. Like the Spirit Dragon, she’s a being naturally born from the Great Dao. Her cauldron is connected to the origin of the Great Dao from birth, so she resonates with the Great Dao when achieving Dao Integration.”
Mu Zhian fell into deep thought.
Luo Tan, for his sake, didn’t stop Yao Meng’s Transcendence back then. Although Cloud Province had a close relationship with Luo Tan, it didn’t mean they would always act in unison with Yu State…
Cloud Province wasn’t without suspicion of secretly intervening.
“Besides that, there’s one more thing, although you might already know, I still have to remind you.”
Yao Meng gazed at Mu Zhian and said, “The matter of you and the New Heavenly Dao cannot be revealed to anyone you can’t trust for now.”
“All living beings in the Nine Provinces ultimately belong to the Heavenly Dao. You can try to subtly probe, but you mustn’t directly invite them to resonate with the New Heavenly Dao.”
Mu Zhian nodded slightly. He understood this in his heart.
After all, the Heavenly Dao’s position in the Nine Provinces was too sacred. Most cultivators wouldn’t even think of defying it.
“It’s good that you understand the meaning of my words. After you’ve settled down, I’ll take you to Yu State. I just happen to have a pill I need the Pill Emperor’s help refining,” Yao Meng said.
Ye Lingxuan opened her mouth slightly, as if wanting to say something.
But in the end, she swallowed her words.
Although having Brother Mu get close to the Pill Emperor was somewhat difficult to accept, if she thought about it differently… For example, they weren’t getting close for intimacy, but just for a deal.
Mmm… Thinking about it this way, it’s still somewhat acceptable.
…
“I was able to use Time Regression to save you this time, I think largely because the Heavenly Dao’s Origin Arrow only had a wisp of its power. So next time, if you encounter any danger, you must find a way to avoid it.”
After leaving Dexin Garden, Yao Meng suddenly reminded him.
“That Heavenly Dao’s Origin Arrow was a method the Heavenly Dao used against the Primordial Witch. Gu Buxing prepared for so long, using the faith of all beings to try and break the seal on the Heavenly Dao, only loosening the seal slightly. So you don’t need to worry too much about that arrow finding you again.”
Gong Lianyue narrowed her eyes and said faintly, “No wonder the Heavenly Dao’s origin is damaged. So it actually damaged its own origin to seal the Primordial Witch.”
Mu Zhian was silent.
For an existence like the Heavenly Dao to damage its own origin to suppress the Primordial Witch, it was enough to imagine how powerful the Primordial Witch once was.
He quickly collected his thoughts and looked at Gong Lianyue: “Palace Master, I’ll leave the Great Qian Dynasty and Gu Buxing to you and Ruoxi.”
Gu Buxing refining the national fortune, as an emperor of a dynasty, it was impossible for him not to know, yet he didn’t stop it.
Or rather, this matter also had the old emperor’s support behind the scenes.
He originally planned to go to the Great Qian Dynasty first, but now that he thought about it, perhaps he should fulfill his agreement with Luo Tan first.
…Together with Yao Meng.
Gong Lianyue nodded slightly, then glanced at Yao Meng: “Protect him well.”
Yao Meng said with a faint smile: “Don’t worry, I will protect him with all my heart.”
Gong Lianyue’s delicate brows furrowed slightly.
She felt that Yao Meng’s ‘with all my heart’ had a hidden meaning.
The next moment, Yao Meng tore open a spatial rift with her bare hands. Mu Zhian thought for a moment, informed Yao Meng, then went to Boundless Sea Peak and saw Wei Mengrou, who was imbuing a spirit into an artifact at the peak.
After patiently waiting for a while, until Wei Mengrou finished imbuing the artifact spirit, he went up to greet her, then took the maid with him, and together with Yao Meng, they headed towards the Immortal Dynasty of Yu State.
…
Yu State, a land filled with all kinds of rare and precious herbs.
Deep within the imperial palace of Yu State, in an ancient hall.
Luo Tan, dressed in a magnificent white dress, sat before her bedchamber. She wore a spirit ring inlaid with several rare spirit stones the size of pebbles. Her hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, her makeup and attire incredibly luxurious.
Such luxurious makeup and attire would appear vulgar on any other woman, but on this Empress of Yu State, there wasn’t the slightest hint of vulgarity, instead adding a touch of elegance and nobility.
“The Princess of Cloud Province has arrived, and the servants didn’t even inform me. How rude.”
While reviewing memorials from the ministers of the immortal court late at night in her bedchamber, Luo Tan suddenly said casually.
“You don’t need to blame the servants. I told them not to make a sound, to avoid disturbing your work.”
A pleasant voice echoed through the hall, and a woman with a graceful figure walked into the bedchamber with elegant steps.
Her long, flowing hair was tied up and draped lightly over her shoulder. The Princess wore a rather low-key, plain dress, embroidered with plump and beautiful flowers, just like herself, outlining her full bosom and slender waist, as alluring as a ripe peach.
Although a thin veil covered her face, just from her gentle eyes that seemed to embrace all things, it wasn’t hard to imagine the peerless beauty hidden beneath.
And she wore a light yellow skirt, adding a touch of intellectual elegance to her beauty.
“The Princess rarely leaves Cloud Province. Why do you have time to visit me in Yu State today?” Luo Tan raised her beautiful eyes, a smile in her eyes.
“I haven’t seen an old friend for a long time. I just happened to be in the Eastern Continent, so I dropped by to see you.”
The Princess smiled gently: “Why, aren’t I welcome?”
“How could I not welcome you? If it weren’t for you saving my life back then, I probably wouldn’t have been able to achieve Dao Integration.”
Luo Tan smiled brightly: “But you coming to see me is probably the Great Peng Emperor’s idea, right?”
“As for the reason… Mmm, let me guess.”
Luo Tan gracefully stood up, supporting herself against the table, and walked down the steps one by one, her layered and complex white dress revealing a pair of knee-high white boots, her demeanor elegant:
“The Jade Empress’s Transcendence, the great powers of the Nine Provinces, even those forbidden beings whose lifespans are nearing their end, aren’t happy to see it. Therefore, when the Jade Empress transcended, all the great powers and holy lands, more or less, made some moves, only Yu State and the Demon Realm didn’t react at all.”
“The Great Peng Emperor is worried that Yu State will side with the Jade Empress, so he asked you to come and test my intentions, right?”
Seeing the Princess’s silence, Luo Tan walked to her side and said with a smile, “I’m quite curious, what conditions could the Great Peng Emperor possibly offer to persuade you?”
Although she was the Great Peng Emperor’s fiancée, the Princess’s cauldron was connected to the Great Dao from birth, her Spiritual Energy inexhaustible. Since her debut, she had never been defeated. The marriage between the Great Peng Emperor and the Princess was arranged by her adoptive parents when she was young.
After so many years, the Great Peng Emperor, let alone touching her, rarely even spoke to this Daughter of the Great Dao.
Luo Tan wasn’t surprised that the Great Peng Emperor would test her.
Or rather, she had already discovered spies from Cloud Province in the immortal court when the Sabbath descended.
What truly surprised her was why this Princess came here to see her.
“It wasn’t the Great Peng Emperor who persuaded me, I came to see you on my own accord this time.”
However, the Princess’s words stunned Luo Tan. Then, she heard her continue, “You’ve been at Dao Integration for at least five lifetimes. The reason the Nine Provinces have been able to maintain peace is mainly because the strength of the major powers has maintained a delicate balance.”
“Once this balance is broken, as long as the Jade Empress has any ambition, the Nine Provinces will be thrown into chaos.”
“So whether it’s the Jade Empress’s enemies, or those who have no grievances with her, most of them didn’t want her to transcend and ascend.”
Luo Tan raised a delicate eyebrow, gestured to a maid beside her, and invited the Princess to take a seat.
She casually picked up a cup of Dao Comprehension Tea. A rich fragrance filled the air, a faint rosy light seemingly spreading, the Spiritual Energy incredibly dense.
“So you’re curious why I didn’t stop the Jade Empress’s Transcendence, but chose to stand by and watch?” Luo Tan asked.
The Princess nodded gently: “With the first Transcendence Realm expert, there will be a second… Sword Emperor Gong Lianyue has already proven this not long ago.”
“After this, the established order of the Nine Provinces might be broken.”
“For you, I think this shouldn’t be beneficial, right?” She looked at the Empress of the Immortal Dynasty, her gentle eyes gazing quietly from beneath her veil.
“Are you worried about me, so you came to see me?” Luo Tan took a sip of tea, moistening her rosy lips, and asked with a smile in her eyes.
“No, it’s probably not just worry, but the Great Peng Emperor has become wary of me, even of the entire Yu State, right?”
The Princess was silent.
With Luo Tan’s sharp mind, it wasn’t strange that she could guess this.
“If it were the Great Peng Emperor here today, I would ask him to leave now.”
“But since it’s you, it doesn’t matter if I tell you,” Luo Tan said faintly.
“Have you ever thought about why the Demon Realm and the Eastern Continent have been in conflict for so long, with cultivators and demonic cultivators fighting to the death, yet the Demon Realm didn’t intervene in such a big event as the Jade Empress’s Transcendence?”
The Princess was stunned: “Wasn’t it said that the Demon Empress was in seclusion at the time, so it wasn’t convenient for her to intervene?”
“Even if it wasn’t convenient for the Demon Empress to intervene, there’s still the Ancient Dragon Emperor. If the First Seat was willing, he could temporarily reach Dao Integration Realm by burning his Essence Blood… But from beginning to end, both the Demon Realm and Yu State didn’t react at all. Why don’t you guess the reason?”
The Princess sat with a straight posture, her demeanor dignified, beautiful but not seductive, gazing into Luo Tan’s eyes: “Why?”
Luo Tan’s red lips parted slightly, and she said softly, “Have you ever thought about why the Jade Empress suddenly transcended? And how did Gong Lianyue transcend?”
Before the Princess could speak, Luo Tan continued faintly, “I know the secret of Transcendence.”
The Princess’s body stiffened slightly, her gaze fixed on her.
Her heart pounded, and intense emotions seemed to flicker across her beautiful and cold face beneath the veil.
Transcendence and ascension… This was the dream of countless great powers.
Because after the Transcendence Realm, one broke through the rules of heaven and earth, and their lifespan was no longer restricted.
Even she, whose cauldron was connected to the Great Dao from birth, couldn’t find a way to transcend.
The Great Peng Emperor, for the sake of Transcendence, was like a man possessed, pursuing Luo Tan more than once, firstly because of her identity, beauty, and background, and secondly… because he knew Luo Tan’s other constitution was the Innate Celestial Furnace.
“You didn’t stop the Jade Empress’s Transcendence back then because you also know how to transcend?”
The Princess subconsciously lowered her voice. Although the servants here had been dismissed, she was still unconsciously worried about this secret being exposed.
This was a secret that could drive the entire Nine Provinces, even the entire alien starry sky, crazy.
If the Princess hadn’t saved Luo Tan’s life before, and their relationship wasn’t like sisters, Luo Tan probably wouldn’t have revealed such a shocking thing today.
The Princess quickly reacted and murmured again, “No… Someone used this secret of Transcendence to make a deal with you, having you stand by and watch, even helping the Jade Empress transcend when necessary.”
As expected of the ‘core brain’ of Cloud Province, she could even deduce further.
Luo Tan’s red lips parted slightly, about to speak.
However, just then, an attendant suddenly rushed into the hall.
Luo Tan frowned slightly and said, “Didn’t I say today that I have important guests visiting, and to temporarily decline all requests for an audience?”
The attendant cupped his hands and said respectfully, “Your Majesty… The Jade Empress and Mu Zhian are waiting outside.”
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