Chapter 1397: Wen Di
As he spoke, a spirited old man in a Confucian robe walked out from a thatched hut beneath the peach tree. He carried no imposing aura, instead giving off a sense of unpretentious simplicity.
This man was none other than Shengshu Cainü’s grandfather, Nalan Mo.
Of course, if this name were to spread, it would undoubtedly shake the entire Kunlun Realm. For Nalan Mo had another identity—one of the Nine Emperors of humanity from eight hundred years ago, Wen Di.
Eight hundred years ago, Wen Di was already over three thousand years old. It would not be an exaggeration to call him the longest-living human in the Kunlun Realm.
Wen Di resembled an elderly scholar in his seventies or eighties—refined, gentle, and calm as still water. Seeing Shengshu Cainü standing not far away, a soft light flickered in his aged eyes. He said, “Over the past eight hundred years, the martial path has flourished in the Kunlun Realm. Those who have cultivated to the Great Saint realm and become human emperors, led by the Empress, number as many as ten. With their strength, they are more than capable of replacing the Nine Emperors of old and becoming the masters of this land. If your grandfather, at such an advanced age, were to meddle in those trivial matters, wouldn’t I be laughed at for bullying the young?”
Shengshu Cainü smiled gently. “Grandfather, those ten people you speak of are all close to a thousand years old, or even older. Only you would still regard them as juniors.”
Wen Di’s kindly smile was no different from that of an ordinary old man. “Out with it, girl. What is the real reason you’ve come here?”
Shengshu Cainü’s expression turned serious. “Eight hundred years ago, the Crown Prince of the Holy Bright Central Empire has reappeared. He attacked and breached the Lingxiao Heavenly King’s Mansion, killing Lingxiao Heavenly King and Qingyue Laozu.”
Wen Di’s face showed no ripple of emotion. He chuckled, “What’s there to make a fuss about? It’s just a Crown Prince, not the Ming Emperor himself. You’re not asking your grandfather to deal with a little brat, are you? I still want to keep some face. No, absolutely not.”
Shengshu Cainü rolled her eyes. “Of course, I’m not asking you to deal with him. But there is one thing that is quite strange. When they attacked the Lingxiao Heavenly King’s Mansion, an extremely formidable figure sealed off the heavenly secrets, bypassing the Heaven and Earth Altar. According to the Grand Senior Uncle’s speculation, this person’s spiritual power intensity might even surpass that of the Undying Divine Temple’s Hall Master.”
“You’re not suspecting your grandfather, are you?” Wen Di saw through Shengshu Cainü’s thoughts.
Shengshu Cainü narrowed her eyes. “In the Kunlun Realm, besides you, who else has spiritual power stronger than the Undying Divine Temple’s Hall Master?”
Wen Di’s expression turned serious. “Danqing, there is always a sky beyond the sky, and people beyond people. Even your grandfather hasn’t fully understood the Kunlun Realm. How much can you possibly know? I can tell you clearly—it wasn’t me.”
“How could this be?”
Shengshu Cainü furrowed her delicate brows, sinking into thought.
Just then, the branches of the peach tree swayed gently, and streams of brilliant sacred light scattered down, making this space seem somewhat dreamlike.
Shengshu Cainü quickly bowed toward the peach tree. “Greetings, Peach Tree Grandfather.”
From within the immensely thick trunk of the peach tree, a hoarse voice sounded. “It’s that Seven-Colored Begonia. I can already sense her presence.”
“Seven-Colored Begonia?”
Shengshu Cainü looked even more puzzled.
Wen Di clearly knew far more than Shengshu Cainü. A strange glint flashed in his eyes. “Legend has it that Begonia Granny has always stayed within the Sword Pavilion. Why would she leave it?”
The voice from the peach tree spoke again. “In the distant past—perhaps hundreds of thousands of years ago—she owed a favor to an ancestor of the Saint Ming Zhang Clan. Since then, she became the guardian of the Saint Ming Zhang Clan, known as the Begonia Spirit Ancestor. I was born in the same era as her, but my duty has been to guard the Chi Clan.”
“So the legendary guardian spirit race of the Holy Bright Central Empire truly exists.”
Shengshu Cainü felt as though a new world had opened before her. She had once thought she knew all the secrets under heaven, but now she realized how narrow her view had been.
“Eh!”
At that moment, Wen Di sensed something. He looked up, fixing his gaze on the air.
“Whoosh—”
A seven-colored radiance burst forth, and a faint fragrance of flowers spread across the space.
An old woman in red robes with white hair stepped out from the seven-colored light. She was extremely aged, hunched and stooped, with wrinkled skin, giving the impression of someone on the verge of death.
Wen Di smiled. “As expected of the Begonia Spirit Ancestor. You were able to see through my spiritual power domain and barge right in.”
Shengshu Cainü stood to the side, pursing her lips. She was actually witnessing a being as ancient as the Peach Tree Grandfather. Such a creature was no different from a living fossil, inspiring awe.
Begonia Granny walked unsteadily until she reached the opposite side of Wen Di, then stopped. “That little girl from the Chi Clan has already left her Star Soul Divine Throne in the universe and reached the Divine Realm. Old Peach, Nalan Mo, shouldn’t we also discuss the Dao together, communicate with heaven and earth, and comprehend the true essence of becoming a god?”
Wen Di looked up. Above the Kunlun Realm, there were indeed thirty-three bright stars.
Any being with sufficient spiritual power could see that the lines of those thirty-three stars interwove to form the shape of Empress Chi Yao.
That was Empress Chi Yao’s Star Soul Divine Throne.
Every being who becomes a god leaves such a Star Soul Divine Throne in the universe.
The starlight from the thirty-three Star Soul Divine Thrones illuminated the entire Kunlun Realm, making its spiritual energy increasingly abundant. At the same time, the thirty-three Star Soul Divine Thrones also protected the Kunlun Realm.
The light of the Star Soul Divine Throne could travel to star regions far beyond, and every major world in the universe would know that a god had been born in the Kunlun Realm.
Wen Di gave an instruction. “Danqing, you may leave first. Do not let the outside world know of what happens here.”
Shengshu Cainü nodded and then withdrew.
“Let me call two more people over.”
Begonia Granny extended a withered hand. Ripples appeared at her fingertips, and her hand plunged into the void.
The Hall Master of the Earth Divine Temple, “Living Buddha,” was an old monk radiating golden Buddhist light, seated cross-legged in a sacred hall. Suddenly, he was jolted awake by a tremendous force.
“Who is it?”
Living Buddha looked up to see a massive hand descending from the sky.
He chanted a Buddhist name, pressed his palms together, and a sacred Buddha shadow emerged behind him, growing larger and larger—a hundred zhang, a thousand zhang, ten thousand zhang...
Finally, the golden Buddha shadow rose to thirty thousand zhang.
Yet, facing that giant hand, the golden Buddha shadow was crushed inch by inch, utterly unable to resist.
Living Buddha shook his head with a sigh and ceased his resistance. “Amitabha.”
The next moment, Begonia Granny grabbed Living Buddha and pulled him into Wen Di’s spiritual power domain. He sat cross-legged on the ground, beneath a thirty-six-pin lotus platform, looking very much like a worldly Buddha.
Begonia Granny’s other hand seized another person and dragged him into the domain as well.
That person wore a suit of black armor, had a towering build, and carried a heavy sword. He resembled a war god, with killing intent coalescing into a blood-red cloud above him.
This man was the foremost titan of the Ministry of War, the Chaos Army Lord, and the ruler of the Chaos Myriad Realms Mountain.
Both Living Buddha and the Chaos Army Lord were towering figures of immense stature. Seeing Begonia Granny, the Peach Tree, and Wen Di, they were extremely shocked but remained remarkably composed.
Living Buddha and the Chaos Army Lord stood within Buddhist light and sacred radiance, speaking simultaneously, “Greetings, Wen Di.”
Among those present, they only recognized Wen Di, not knowing Begonia Granny or the Peach Tree.
Wen Di stroked his beard, a glint of wisdom in his eyes. He chuckled, “The Great Saints of the imperial court have all been invited here. Begonia Spirit Ancestor, are you not being a bit overconfident, trying to hold us all back single-handedly?”
Begonia Granny remained calm. “Great Saints should have the pursuits of Great Saints. Interfering in the conflicts of the younger generation brings no benefit; it only causes one’s state of mind to regress. Besides, those juniors need to clash and struggle to produce new Great Saints, to stand on their own and support their own heavens.”
“The Spirit Ancestor speaks wisely. Then, let us begin our discussion of the Dao.” Wen Di made a gesture of invitation.
The opportunity to discuss the Dao with Wen Di was a once-in-a-millennium chance. Living Buddha and the Chaos Army Lord stepped forward.
Begonia Granny glanced at them. “Your cultivation levels are too low. You are not yet qualified to join the discussion. Just watch from the side—it will bring you many benefits.”
Living Buddha and the Chaos Army Lord exchanged a glance, bitter smiles on their faces. They showed neither anger nor joy, retreating back to stand at the edge.
...
Tiantai Prefecture.
Qin Yutong handed Zhang Ruochen a list, recording the vast cultivation resources obtained after attacking the Lingxiao Heavenly King’s Mansion.
After reviewing the list, Zhang Ruochen said, “Send the top-tier sacred artifacts to the Dragon-Protecting Pavilion. Distribute the rest of the resources according to each person’s battle merits.”
The weapons of the Dragon-Protecting Pavilion members had almost all been reduced to scrap by the Azure Sky Floating Pagoda. Now, it was only right to grant them the finest sacred artifacts.
After Qin Yutong withdrew, Han Qiu’s figure emerged from the darkness. She extended a pair of soft, delicate hands and gently massaged Zhang Ruochen’s shoulders, smiling. “No matter which faction, cultivation resources are the best means to win people’s hearts. You entrusted such an important task to her. Why not let me do it? I’m sure I’d do it better.”
“Aren’t you supposed to go to the Fire Realm to release the Puchu Ghost King?”
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze turned toward the outside of the tent, a hint of a smile in his eyes. He added, “The person I’ve been waiting for has arrived.”
Just then, Yan Kaixuan hurried in from outside, his expression tense. “Your Highness, there’s a monk outside who wants to see you. He calls himself the Dead Zen Ancestor. I’m afraid his intentions are not good.”