A Tale . . .
"Prime Master, do you have any idea how many individuals within Cold Moon Palace are actually spies from other great sects? How many of our covert dealings remain undisclosed to the other sects?" Yun Piaoliu directed his gaze at Yue Changtian.
"Cold Moon Palace is truly fortunate to count Cha Chongxiao among our disciples! Henceforth, anyone who seeks to harm Cha Chongxiao, our esteemed disciple, shall become our foremost adversary! I don't care who they may be. We won't let them off the hook, not even Wu Fa!" Lei Dadi declared passionately.
Yue Changtian had prepared extensively to persuade the three elderly men, but he realized that his efforts were unnecessary. Ultimately, he acceded to the wishes of the three elderly men.
They were even willing to confront Wu Fa for Cha Chongxiao, signifying a high level of determination. Should Yue Changtian have resisted, he feared the three elderly men might have resorted to force immediately.
At that moment, Cha Eun Xiao, who was still sprawled on the floor, emitted a sound and then opened his eyes. He mumbled, "I never realized I was so favored by the heavens... I've actually survived..."
This statement left the four men in a state of shock.
[He can feel it?]
"Chongxiao, my boy, how are you feeling? Do you sense any discomfort?" Lei Dadi inquired as he approached and examined him.
"I feel fine. I believe I'm alright now," Cha Eun Xiao replied, shaking his head, before gazing at the pink scar on his chest and falling into contemplation.
"My disciple, what's bothering you?" Yun Piaoliu inquired, unable to contain his curiosity.
Cha Eun Xiao sighed and responded, "It's complicated. Heaven's will is often unpredictable." He reminisced about the awe-inspiring might of Meng Huaiqing in days gone by. Her power had been utterly beyond his comprehension. He sighed again and shared, "During my time in the Land of Han-Yang... because my fiancée possessed the Natural Phoenix Body and Spiritual Body, she drew the attention of a master cultivator from the Human Realm Upon Heavens."
"Despite our deep love for one another, we didn't want to part ways. However, this master had saved both of us, as well as my fiancée's father. She wished for my fiancée to accompany her. How could I refuse such an opportunity? It was an incredible stroke of luck for my fiancée. I didn't want her to miss it, so I encouraged her to go and told her that when she achieved greatness someday, we would reunite."
"As the master departed with my fiancée, she gave me a dan bead and told me it could save me from death eight times... It's called the Nine Creating Dan..." Cha Eun Xiao continued, "I believe that dan bead just saved my life..."
"Natural Phoenix Body... Spiritual Body... Nine Creating Dan..."
The four men took in a collective gasp of astonishment. While they didn't understand the full significance of those terms, they recognized that they represented extraordinary concepts.
They knew that Cha Chongxiao possessed a Natural Exquisite Body, yet the master cultivator hadn't desired him, signifying that she must be an incomprehensibly formidable figure!
Cha Eun Xiao chose to reveal the truth to them. Everything he disclosed was factual. It was uncommon for him to speak so candidly in conversation since his rebirth. Perhaps he hoped that someone within Cold Moon Palace possessed knowledge about the matters he discussed and could offer insights. However, no one possessed more information than he did.
Yue Changtian and the three elderly men held positions of influence in the world, yet they remained ignorant of the Human Realm Upon Heavens.
Cha Eun Xiao found himself empty-handed, disheartened by the outcome. He had assumed that individuals within Cold Moon Palace, an ancient sect, would possess some knowledge about Meng Huaiqing... He had envisioned that someone might have ascended to the Human Realm Upon Heavens and returned to share their experiences with others...
Cha Eun Xiao, having been a solitary cultivator in his previous life, had expected that his knowledge was limited. However, he now found himself within Cold Moon Palace, one of the great sects of the Qing-Yun Realm, and had assumed that the people in such a prestigious sect might have insights into the upper realms.
To his astonishment, this was not the case. It seemed that the legendary Meng Huaiqing was so powerful that she remained a mysterious figure to those in the lower realms, and nobody, including those in Cold Moon Palace, seemed to possess knowledge about her.
In fact, they were even less informed than Cha Eun Xiao himself, who had come to know some details about the Human Realm Upon Heavens, the Natural Phoenix Body, and the Nine Creating Dan. The concept of being saved eight times from death baffled and shocked Yue Changtian and the three old men.
[So this is it.]
[We've often referred to it as the upper realm.]
[Some even call it the Realm of the Gods... and yet it's called the Human Realm Upon Heavens...]
[What an exquisite name...]
[It sounds like the name of a mythical world...]
"Your fiancée... she was recruited by a prominent figure in the Human Realm Upon Heavens," Yue Changtian exclaimed, genuinely impressed. To the people of the Qing-Yun Realm, the Human Realm Upon Heavens was a place of myth, and few dared to dream of ascending there. The difficulty was said to be many times greater than ascending from the Land of Han-Yang to the Qing-Yun Realm. While there were instances of ascension from the Land of Han-Yang to the Qing-Yun Realm in history, none had ever ascended from the Qing-Yun Realm.
"I don't know," Cha Eun Xiao replied with a shake of his head. While he did know a few individuals in the Human Realm Upon Heavens, including Master Bai, Wan and Xiu, and Ling Wuxie, the people of Cold Moon Palace were entirely ignorant about this upper realm. Cha Eun Xiao saw no benefit in revealing more and thus chose to withhold any additional information.
The three old men found themselves murmuring, "Human Realm Upon Heavens... Human Realm Upon Heavens..." Their eyes appeared distant as they lost themselves in thought.
"Wait, where am I? How did I end up here?" Cha Eun Xiao began to regain his awareness. While the hall hadn't actively assisted in his recovery, it seemed to have positive effects on his overall well-being. He now felt rejuvenated and invigorated while within the hall.
"This is the Sky Soul Hall," Yue Changtian responded absentmindedly, still reeling from the revelations.
"Sky Soul Hall!" Cha Eun Xiao's eyes gleamed with recognition. He began to recall the souls he had encountered earlier in this place.