Chen Xi was immersed within a myriad of profound emotions.
He had forgotten his surroundings as well as his current location; only the trajectory of the millions upon millions of stars that cycled endlessly could be seen within his eyes. The length and thickness of these trajectories varied, perhaps intricately winding, perfectly straight like a spear, bending in arcs, or even spiralling in circles. It seemed like talisman markings with varied strokes.
Chen Xi seemed to be able to see an indistinct hand of giant proportions. It used the sky as talisman paper, the millions upon millions of stars as a talisman brush, and a talisman crafting technique beyond imagination to freely create extraordinary and profound talisman markings that were difficult to comprehend.
He couldn't help himself from wanting to exclaim in admiration, but was utterly speechless. He wanted to commit the trajectories to memory, but noticed that those trajectories seemed to possess traces that could be followed, only, he didn't know how. Hence, he didn't fret about it nor pay any more attention to it. He purely observed and admired. Following this, his mind became tranquil, his thoughts clear and peaceful.
Om!
The hum of strange chanting slowly increased in volume and gradually began to resound through the entire heaven and earth.
The icy rays of light from the million upon millions of stars converged together, transforming into a scroll painting which emanated with clear light. Accompanied by the strange chanting, the scroll painting abruptly released infinite streams of light which engulfed the entire sky, carrying away the stars that filled the sky and returning it to the scroll painting!
Whoosh!
The scroll painting bundled up into a bind before transforming into a wisp of clear light with a speed that was visible to the naked eye. Shockingly, as It burst forth, its direction was precisely where Chen Xi stood.
A trace of fear abruptly arose within Chen Xi's heart before he startled from his completely oblivious state. However, before he could react, he only felt his head buzzing. In the next moment, an enormous statue of a skinny old man appeared within his sea of consciousness. The old man was barefooted and wore linen clothes; his white hair drooped down, and he sat cross-legged in the air as he looked up into the distant sky with a gaze that was as deep and profound as a star.
This enormous statue of the old man was entirely simple and unsophisticated, but emitted traces of a vast and aged aura, causing one's entire mind to involuntarily be drawn to it.
What happened? Who's this old man?
Chen Xi gazed at the scene before him in shock before immediately closing his eyes and pondering within his heart. I was unquestionably observing the trajectory of the stars, why did such a change occur within my sea of consciousness without rhyme or reason?
"How many years has it been? A disciple that is capable of inheriting Master's mantle has finally appeared! Hahahaha!"
A low and hoarse voice abruptly resounded in his ears. Chen Xi's body trembled and he was unable to ponder anything else as he quickly opened his eyes. When he saw the scenery around him clearly, he couldn't help but be extremely startled.
The night sky that was studded in stars had disappeared and a large river that moved like a great floor had appeared on the boundless delicate green grassland. The river surged with waves, and water splashed in all directions. The long river stretched forward, its end beyond sight. In the centre of the large river stood a lone mountain that shot straight into the sky, it's exterior dark and surface barren.
Suddenly, a monster with a single horn walked out from within the large river. It had the body of a lion and the head of a dragon. Each giant cloven hoof was the size of a pillar and stood on clouds. Its entire body was covered in dense scales that were jet-black, its eyes were clear and gave off a sense of experience that had insight into all things on earth.
Qi…Qilin?[1. A Qilin is a mythical creature that's thought to occasion prosperity and serenity. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qilin ]
Chen Xi couldn't help but let out a breath of cold air when he saw this monster and felt the terrifying aura that was emitted from its body, his heart thumping wildly.
He'd only seen the description of a Qilin in books. Allegedly, a Qilin was one of the famous divine beasts in the primordial era. Innately capable of manipulating the 5 elements and possessing great wisdom, even within the primordial era where gods and devils moved about freely, there were few that dared offend a Qilin, thus showing how terrifying its strength was.
At this moment, a monster that was similar to a Qilin appeared before him, even Chen Xi whose disposition had been tempered to be firm and tenacious like a rock since long ago, still felt a burst of inexpressible nervousness.
"There's no need to be afraid. I'm the spirit of the Manor, and my Master gave me the name Ji Yu. I've been looking after the Manor for my Master for over 1 million years." The low and hoarse voice sounded once more, but resounded out from within the mouth of the monster that seemed like a Qilin.
So he's Ji Yu. Chen Xi slightly heaved a sigh of relief, before abruptly realizing that if the monster before him had actually lived for 1,000,000 years, then wouldn't that mean that this Manor has existed for over a million years?
"Junior Chen Xi greets Senior. May I ask Senior, is this really the place of cultivation of the primordial being?" Chen Xi respectfully asked. Even if it was really a monster before him, it still wasn't an existence he could be disrespectful to.
"Precisely, this is indeed my Master's place of cultivation." Ji Yu walked forward and sized up Chen Xi for a moment, then spoke in surprise and bewilderment, "Congenital Realm? Your strength is so weak. How is it possible that you're able to obtain the true essence of my Master's inheritance?"
Chen Xi asked in puzzlement, "What true essence of inheritance?"
Ji Yu, however, paid no attention to him and bitterly pondered for a long time, then abruptly said, "Kid, you're a qi refiner that sought the Dao through use of talismans?"
Sought the Dao through use of talismans? Chen Xi was perplexed as he shook his head and said, "I merely know how to craft some basic talismans."
Ji Yu had an expression of sudden enlightenment as he sighed and said, "Right enough, Master originally sought the Dao through deducing the secrets of heaven. Choosing you to inherit his mantle is within reason."
Chen Xi was even more bewildered and couldn't stop himself from saying, "Senior, what's actually going on? When did I inherit his mantle?"
Ji Yu stared at Chen Xi with a bizarre gaze as he said, "You possess a strand of the True Body Brand of my Master within your sea of consciousness. Could it be that you're unaware?"
Chen Xi recalled the statue of the old man that emitted a vast and aged aura within his sea of consciousness, and couldn't help but say in astonishment, "That grandpa is your Master?"
Ji Yu was startled and shook his head as he sighed, "Looks like you indeed know nothing."
Chen Xi was embarrassed in his heart, but respectfully said, "I hope Senior is able to inform me."
Ji Yu was silent for a long moment, then slowly opened his mouth to say, "A million years ago, my Master once stipulated that when he left, that only one who was capable of obtaining his True Body Brand within the Star Secret Realm's test is qualified to inherit his mantle. And you are the only one within all these years. In other words, you already possess the qualification to become my Master's disciple."
Chen Xi suddenly realized that the entire sky filled with stars that he saw earlier was probably the Star Secret Realm. However, even this is considered a test? I only observed the trajectory cycle of the stars for some time, and I obtained the True Body Brand of the Manor's Master? Isn't it a little too simple?
Seeming to have seen through Chen Xi's thoughts, Ji Yu grunted coldly, "Do you know how many experts have wanted to obtain my Master's True Body Brand over the course of a million years?"
"I can tell you precisely, an entire 6,983 people! Among these people are experts at the Rebirth Realm, Nether Transformation Realm, Earthly Immortal Realm, and even peerless experts at the Heavenly Immortal Realm weren't a small number! Even the person with the lowest cultivation was at the Yin-Yang Golden Core Realm. Now, do you think it's simple?"
Not waiting for Chen Xi to speak, Ji Yu arrogantly raised his head as he said coldly, "If it wasn't for you using the heart of one who possesses the Dao of talismans to comprehend the Star Secret Realm, and also possessing pretty good comprehension, I'm afraid you'd have been minced to death by the Star Universe!"
Chen Xi was struck with terror as he said in shock, "Minced to death by the Star Universe?"
Ji Yu nodded, "Right, the Star Secret Realm is peerlessly profound, and covers all phenomena of the universe. If one is unable to leave the Star Secret Realm within an hour, then one would surely be buried within, and one's soul and spirit will disperse."
Speaking up to here, Ji Yu slightly sighed with emotion, "Those capable of entering the Manor are all experts of that age that possessed extraordinary strength, however, more than half of them still fell within the Star Secret Realm, and only a handful of people successfully walked out of the Star Secret Realm. These people were similar to you, and comprehended some of the truth of the Dao that Master left behind within the Star Secret Realm. But unfortunately, there's no one before you that was able to obtain the True Body Brand that Master left behind, and naturally weren't fated to possess the qualification to become my Master's disciple."
Chen Xi asked wonderingly, "What happened to those people? How would they be willing to leave?"
Ji Yu said coldly, "Of course they weren't willing. Originally, the truth of the Dao they'd comprehended from within the Star Secret Realm was already sufficient for them to study throughout their life and obtain boundless benefits. But, there were still some among them that were too obstinate, and attempted to obtain my Master's inheritance. So they stubbornly ascended the Heavenpeak of Trials, and in the end their body and spirit were annihilated."
Speaking up to here, Ji Yu faced the large river and pointed at the lone mountain at the center of the large river, "Look, that's the Heavenpeak of Trials, and is divided into 18 levels of trials. Only by passing through all the trials would one be able to obtain the complete inheritance my Master left behind. Most of those people that stubbornly ascended the Heavenpeak of Trials died in the first 3 trials, whereas the most formidable amongst them, a peerless sword immortal from 100,000 years ago that had a cultivation that attained the peak of the sword Dao, was only capable of arriving at the 13th level of the trials before falling to his demise."
Chen Xi shuddered with fear as he listened, and couldn't help but asked as he gazed at the lone mountain at the centre of the large river, "Then if I want to obtain the complete inheritance, do I need to pass all the 18 trials of that Heavenpeak?"
"Of course. But you aren't the same as them, as you've obtained my Master's True Body Brand. You will only be injured while ascending the trials of Heavenpeak, and will not face a threat to your life." Ji Yu casually said.
Chen Xi secretly heaved a sigh of relief, as he couldn't help but be worried since even that peerless sword immortal lost his life at the 13th level of the trials. He who only had a cultivation at the 3rd level of the Congenital Realm would probably be unable to pass even the 1st level.
Ji Yu reminded, "Even though there's no threat to your life, I'll still advise you against trying to pass the trials now. Your strength is too weak after all, even to the extent you have the weakest strength I've seen in my entire life. I'm not ridiculing you, but placed in the primordial era, a fellow like you would merely be slightly stronger than a newborn infant."
Only slightly stronger than a newborn infant?
Chen Xi was unwilling to accept it in his heart, but when he thought about how the being before him was a monster that had lived for a million over years, he could only deeply bury this unwillingness at the bottom of his heart and ask, "Senior, then when will I be able to pass the 1st level of the Heavenpeak of Trials?"
Ji Yu was startled and asked wonderingly, "Tell me. Why are you so eager to pass the trials?"
Chen Xi replied without a shred of hesitation, "I want to become strong, to take revenge for my grandfather, to take revenge for my Chen Clan, and I want to become a Heavenly Immortal to meet my mother!"
Ji Yu came to a sudden understanding and pondered for a moment, then said slowly, "Now that you've obtained my Master's True Body Brand, so long as nothing unexpected happens, there will surely come a day that you're able to fulfil your desire. But your body is incomparably frail and your cultivation is pitiably weak. If you want to cultivate to the Heavenly Immortal Realm, it will probably be a long journey."
Chen Xi's gaze was steadfast as he said calmly, "No matter how difficult, I'll never give up. I will absolutely not give up!"
Ji Yu's eyes that had experienced the many vicissitudes of life flashed with a trace of admiration, then lifted his head to gaze at the Heavenpeak before saying arrogantly, "You're the one and only person in a million years that obtained the True Body Brand my Master left behind. So long as you cultivate diligently, not to mention revenge or becoming a Heavenly Immortal, even going further is something that's within reason. In those days, my Master had mastered the Grand Dao, and walked upon the…"
The voice stopped abruptly as Ji Yu seemed to have realized something and held his tongue.
Chen Xi however didn't notice all this, as he was just pondering about what secrets were actually held within the True Body Brand within his sea of consciousness that the Master of the Manor left behind, and how it would help him become strong.
Besides that, the River Diagram rubbing that mother spoke about, where within the Manor is it placed?