The Supreme Palace Master of Taiyi Emperor's Palace couldn't believe that you would venture into a place like the Ghost Demon Sea, spending ten thousand years there and returning alive.
That's the Ghost Demon Sea, a treacherous place where even emperors face danger. In the eyes of the Supreme Palace Master, your luck seemed truly invincible.
Despite the Supreme Palace Master's astonishment, you shook your head and didn't reveal much. About the matters concerning Yu Dao Yi and Emperor Tian Yu, you chose to keep them confidential. There were too many secrets involved.
Though the Supreme Palace Master was the guardian of the End of Days era, there was no need to disclose everything to him. Furthermore, you had your own reasons for not wanting to talk about Yu Dao Yi, and the memory of her pained you deeply.
"Well, this is quite unexpected. I never thought that the simulated Wang Ping would return to Taiyi Emperor's Palace alive," Wang Ping said, contemplating the unexpected turn of events.
The storyline had taken a different path from what he had anticipated. He had thought he was doomed several times, yet he had managed to survive each time.
"Although it's a bit of a facepalm moment, it's actually a good thing. Worth celebrating," Wang Ping thought to himself, shaking his head as he continued to watch the screen.
In the following events, you neither acted too discreetly nor too conspicuously. Due to your supreme status and age of over ten thousand years, you didn't become a prince of Taiyi Emperor's Palace but instead became one of its elders.
You didn't mind the role of an elder and continued with your activities, taking disciples like Zhuo Huo Wang and silently observing the battle of the young talents. This time, you watched them as an elder, feeling a different kind of sentiment.
As the time for the Immortal Mansion's opening approached, you once again saved the little Daoist girl and the little Daoist boy ahead of Gu Xuan, forming a connection with Gu Xuan in the process.
Unlike the last simulation, you didn't treat Gu Xuan the same way as before. Instead, you suggested forming a brotherly bond and offering your help if Gu Xuan ever found himself in danger.
Gu Xuan frowned, sensing that there was more to your words than met the eye. After giving you a deep look, he chose to decline your proposal.
You were disappointed but didn't insist. Ultimately, you rejected Gu Xuan's request and decided to keep the little Daoist girl and boy with you.
After Gu Xuan left, you continued your research on the two disciples, hoping to discover what made them special. However, no matter how advanced your cultivation was, you couldn't discern any exceptional qualities in them.
Although you wanted to take them as disciples, hoping to enhance your own cultivation, you couldn't do so yet. You hadn't comprehended two-thirds of the Heavenly Dao's true meaning, preventing you from advancing your cultivation further. Accepting disciples at this point would be a waste of their potential.
You reluctantly suppressed your desire and planned to take them as disciples after gaining enlightenment through the Immortal Mansion's resources.
Regarding your age and inability to enter the Immortal Mansion for trials, you weren't worried. The Immortal Mansion didn't solely admit young talents; those with the potential to reach the Dao Emperor level were also welcomed directly, without the need for assessment.
You thought deeply about your next move, contemplating whether you should prevent the little Daoist girl and boy from entering the Immortal Mansion for trials. After all, they had disappeared in the last simulation when they, along with you, were transported to the secret realm.
As you watched the young talents undergo the first two rounds of trials, you knew what was coming next, but you couldn't reveal it. Exposing the plot would alter the course of events, and you were more concerned about the Nine Stars Pavilion's plot against you.
If you exposed their scheme prematurely, they might decide to eliminate you in advance. You couldn't afford to die early because you wanted to reach the Earth Sovereign Realm, continue to take disciples, and improve your cultivation.
Time passed quietly, and the Immortal Mansion's secret realm had been open for a while. You knew that the Immortal Mansion was aware of the ongoing crisis inside and that something similar to what you remembered was about to occur.
However, you couldn't be sure how many of the young talents would survive this time. After all, you weren't present inside the secret realm to influence the outcome. The survival rate of the young talents was uncertain, as there was no one to hold back the mysterious and dangerous entity that lurked within.
As you contemplated the situation, the results were revealed. With the Immortal Mansion taking action, you noticed that only a little over five hundred young talents had survived, and they all looked miserable.
You also saw Gu Xuan among them, which made you narrow your eyes. You knew he was acting, being used as a pawn by the Nine Stars Pavilion's hidden puppeteer.
However, you began to doubt your previous conclusions.
Were the Nine Stars Pavilion and Gu Xuan truly working together? Was Gu Xuan truly such a fool to collaborate with someone as dangerous as the Nine Stars Pavilion?
You couldn't be sure anymore. There were too many unknowns and uncertainties in this situation.
"This sudden butterfly effect has left me perplexed. But my speculations might not be accurate," Wang Ping muttered to himself, rubbing his temples in frustration.
He continued to watch the unfolding events on the screen, curious to see how the storyline would develop further. Would the Nine Stars Pavilion succeed in their plan to seize the Upper Realm?
Chapter 247: Deep Mist! The Origins of the Ten Forbidden Places!
Not long after, you discovered that various factions had sent quasi-emperors to enter the Immortal Mansion, becoming mentors within the mansion. Additionally, the Immortal Mansion had once again recruited prodigies from various factions. This time, the age restrictions had been significantly relaxed. Furthermore, there were concessions made regarding the entry quotas after the Immortal Mansion's opening.
Clearly, this was the result of a compromise by the Immortal Mansion. Faced with pressure from numerous upper realm factions led by the Gu Family, the Immortal Mansion had no choice but to allow these factions to infiltrate.
This was the best possible outcome. In the event of a war, even if the Immortal Mansion was powerful, it couldn't withstand the combined forces of all upper realm factions.
Of course, although various factions aligned their interests, they couldn't afford to engage in a real war with the Immortal Mansion. Engaging the Immortal Mansion in a full-scale battle, given its capabilities, would lead to significant losses, even with the Gu Family's support.
After all, no one knew the Immortal Mansion's true strength, nor did they know the extent of the hidden experts within it. Without certainty, no one wanted to push the Immortal Mansion into a life-and-death struggle.
Not long afterward, you also entered the Immortal Mansion. However, you didn't need to occupy any special quota; you entered based on your own abilities.
Once inside the Immortal Mansion, you aimed to enter its secret realm for cultivation. This time, you didn't become a prominent figure and, naturally, weren't given any special treatment.
However, due to the situation's significance, and with the intervention of Taiyi Emperor's Palace, you easily gained access. This wasn't due to any compensation for Yu Dao Hong's earlier fall but rather the benefits obtained through Taiyi Emperor's Palace's cooperation with other factions.
You were aware of the pitfall at the entrance to the Dream Demon Secret Realm. Naturally, you prevented Yu Dao Hong and others from entering it, emphasizing that entering the Immortal Mansion was sufficient. Although Yu Dao Hong didn't understand your decision, he still followed your advice.
This matter left Yu Dao Hong and the others, as well as the old experts of Taiyi Emperor's Palace, quite surprised. After all, your foreknowledge of the secret realm's danger was far from ordinary. However, they had no intention of questioning you. After all, there was no reason for you to harm Taiyi Emperor's Palace.
Next, you immersed yourself in cultivating and understanding the Dao within the secret realm of the Immortal Mansion. This secret realm was even more profound than the one you entered in the previous simulation, allowing you to better comprehend the true meaning of the Heavenly Dao.
Thanks to your continuous cultivation during the previous hundred thousand years, even though you couldn't grasp the true meaning of the Heavenly Dao, you had laid a solid foundation for yourself. Without it, your comprehension wouldn't have progressed so smoothly.
However, to your disappointment, your disciples, the young Daoist girl and boy, didn't bring about any breakthroughs in your cultivation after you comprehended more of the Dao. You remained stuck at the pinnacle of the Emperor Origin Realm.
This puzzled you greatly. Given their unique qualities, you expected them to bring about a breakthrough in your cultivation.
In the end, you couldn't fathom their true nature and had to set aside these thoughts, planning to break through to the Earth Sovereign level on your own. However, you understood that achieving this breakthrough might be impossible in this simulation at this point in time.
After all, the time was approaching for the Nine Stars Pavilion's plan to subdue the upper realm. In your current circumstances, you needed to think about how to preserve your life. Even though the text-based simulation described the Nine Stars Pavilion's leader successfully subduing the upper realm, it didn't mean that everything in the upper realm had been completely subjugated.
In your view, there were a few places that he might not be able to subdue. Among them, the source of darkness was undoubtedly beyond his reach, and the Nine Stars Pavilion's leader would likely avoid it during the subjugation process.
However, the source of darkness was too terrifying for you to enter, so it wasn't a viable refuge.
Secondly, there was the Forbidden Ground of Tai Yuan. You found it quite mysterious. When you were weak, entering it gave you the impression of immense power emanating from the giant black shadow and the sealed heart. However, you had no idea of their true power.
Now, with your cultivation at the Supreme Origin Realm and your nearly perfected Poyuan Heaven-Earth Eyes, you believed that the terror of that heart and giant shadow far exceeded the capabilities of an ordinary Emperor. Even in your memories, you still felt a palpitation. The stronger they were, the more frightening they became.
Regarding this, you had some doubts about the existence within the Tai Yuan Forbidden Ground being connected to the Immortal. After all, the Tai Yuan Forbidden Ground was created specifically to seal the Immortal. If it had a connection, it might be impossible to subdue and could serve as a sanctuary.
The third possibility was the Realm of Life and Death. It was an existence surpassing the ten major forbidden grounds, and in your view, it was even more mysterious and dangerous than the Tai Yuan Forbidden Ground. It was very likely that it couldn't be subdued either.
However, regardless of which place, they were all extremely dangerous, and entering any of them would be a matter of life and death.
Nonetheless, you didn't want to passively wait to be subjugated by the Nine Stars Pavilion. You needed to seize the only chance for survival.
After careful consideration, you began to secretly reveal the Nine Stars Pavilion's plan, hoping to attract the attention of powerful figures from the upper realm. If you could eliminate the Nine Stars Pavilion's leader, who was within the nine major forbidden grounds, perhaps you could prevent the subjugation of the upper realm.
Apart from that, you returned to Taiyi Emperor's Palace and disclosed some information you knew, hoping that the old experts of Taiyi Emperor's Palace would believe in your ability to foresee the future and cooperate with you to enter the Tai Yuan Forbidden Ground to evade disaster.
Your words left the old experts of Taiyi Emperor's Palace astonished and in a dilemma. Abandoning everything and relocating the entire sect was a significant matter that required careful consideration.
Just when the old experts of Taiyi Emperor's Palace were indecisive, Emperor Tian Yu unexpectedly returned.
The current Emperor Tian Yu had suffered severe injuries, and his aura was unstable, causing concern among the old experts of Taiyi Emperor's Palace. They hadn't anticipated that Emperor Tian Yu would be so gravely wounded.
You didn't express surprise but rather felt relieved. Emperor Tian Yu's return, even in his current state, was better than the complete silence in the previous simulation. Clearly, the events had changed due to your involvement with Yu Dao Yi.
Thinking of Yu Dao Yi, you fell silent once again, feeling a deep sense of distress.
Next, you questioned Emperor Tian Yu about his experiences in the Ghost Demon Sea and the reasons for his severe injuries. In response, Emperor Tian Yu calmly stated that he had ventured deep into the Ghost Demon Sea and slain a terrifying shadow demon.
Upon hearing this, you were amazed and admired Emperor Tian Yu's prowess.
He truly lived up to his reputation as Emperor Tian Yu, having the audacity to kill a terrifying shadow demon deep within the Ghost Demon Sea, a feat not achievable by ordinary emperors.
You then speculated whether Emperor Tian Yu's injuries were related to his battle with the shadow demon or if he had been attacked by other emperors. In response to your conjecture, Emperor Tian Yu nodded and shook his head.
He did indeed suffer injuries during his battle with the shadow demon, as the Ghost Demon Sea was the shadow demon's home ground. There was not just one of those eerie creatures, and after defeating three of them in a row, he was also injured. However, the reason for his severe injuries was something he discovered afterward.
Emperor Tian Yu's gaze turned deep as he revealed that he had uncovered some secrets about the Ghost Demon Sea. Subsequently, he was ambushed by Mercury from the Nine Stars Pavilion, which had led to his severe injuries. He had even come close to perishing in the Ghost Demon Sea.
Listening to Emperor Tian Yu's words, you weren't surprised. You had previously speculated that the emperor he had fought was likely Mercury from the Nine Stars Pavilion, the individual responsible for Yu Dao Yi's tragedy.
As the Nine Stars Pavilion's leader's plan was approaching, Mercury was likely to remain within the Ghost Demon Sea, becoming more ruthless as the plan's commencement drew near. However, the motive behind Mercury's actions during the End of Law Era remained a question.
Following this, you inquired about the secrets of the Ghost Demon Sea from Emperor Tian Yu. He didn't conceal anything and shared his findings.
Emperor Tian Yu suggested that the Ghost Demon Sea might not be a naturally occurring forbidden ground but rather a man-made one, created by stealing the world's source from the Three Profound Mini-Universes. The entity responsible for stealing the source from the Three Profound Mini-Universes was likely Mercury from the Nine Stars Pavilion.
At the end of his explanation, Emperor Tian Yu fell silent for a moment, expressing doubt that Mercury could possess such incredible capabilities. Most likely, it was the Nine Stars Pavilion's leader from the Nine Stars Pavilion who had orchestrated this, a being of immeasurable power from the myriad realms.
[Upon hearing this response, you were deeply shocked. You had never expected that the Ghost Demon Sea, this forbidden ground, was actually created by human hands, using the stolen world source of the Three Profound Mini-Universes. Such methods were truly terrifying and insane.]
[After all, stealing the world source would first enrage the Heavenly Dao, as the Heavenly Dao could never tolerate such an act. Furthermore, committing such an act could easily label one as a force of chaos and evil, resulting in pursuit by the forces of chaos and order.]
[Of course, in the upper realm, there were various factions, and even if such actions were discovered, and they were not too extreme, it probably wouldn't lead to major problems. After all, according to Alpha's description, the powerful beings above the Great Emperor level couldn't easily descend into this fantastical world. With the strength of the Nine Stars Pavilion's leader, as long as they weren't targeted by the top powers of the heavens, they would be safe.]
[Would the top powers of the heavens care about the Nine Stars Pavilion's leader and his actions? Clearly, that was impossible.]
[What concerned you more was whether the Heavenly Dao would let the Nine Stars Pavilion's leader get away with such actions. Even though the Nine Stars Pavilion's leader was a quasi-immortal, the Heavenly Dao shouldn't allow him to act recklessly. A quasi-immortal should not be capable of opposing the Heavenly Dao of the upper realm to such an extent.]
[At the same time, you also thought about the other forbidden grounds. There were a total of ten major forbidden grounds in the upper realm. Since the Ghost Demon Sea of the Three Profound Mini-Universes was artificially created, could the other nine major forbidden grounds have been created in the same way by the Nine Stars Pavilion's leader?]
[If that were the case, it would be truly terrifying to contemplate. You couldn't help but suspect that there was something wrong with the Heavenly Dao of the upper realm.]
[It should be said that there was likely a problem all along. Upon careful consideration, with the existence of the source of darkness, a terrifying entity in the upper realm, it was impossible for the Heavenly Dao of the upper realm not to be stimulated and influenced.]
[If it was because of the source of darkness that the Heavenly Dao of the upper realm was continuously corroded and weakened, it was understandable that the Nine Stars Pavilion's leader could carry out such actions. He could steal the world source, create forbidden grounds, and then use the ten major forbidden grounds as a basis to refine the upper realm. His own strength and his astonishing layout were one thing, but more importantly, the Heavenly Dao itself was weak and unable to resist him.]
[In addition, figures like Ye Chen, who were born under the influence of cosmic luck, had emerged one after another, and even reborn individuals like Ji Zi Qing had appeared. This might be the Heavenly Dao trying to find a way to save itself, or it might be a system glitch that occurred after the Heavenly Dao had problems, like a bug.]
"Damn, this is really outrageous, but I should have thought of it earlier."
Wang Ping looked at the text-based simulation's content and couldn't help but rub his temples.
The origin of the ten major forbidden grounds was something he could never have thought of.
But the abnormality of the Heavenly Dao, he realized he had been careless about it.
With the dangerous existence of the source of darkness, it was inevitable that the Heavenly Dao would have problems, even if the true body of the source of darkness was likely being held in check by the top powers of the heavens, making it appear less threatening.
The high level of the source of darkness couldn't be easily borne even if it didn't erupt, and the occasional outbreaks of dark calamities were evidence of this.
Dark calamities could be caused by the Great Emperors within the source of darkness, or they could be the result of a minor upheaval within the source of darkness.
In any case, the source of darkness couldn't be ignored, and Wang Ping had ignored its influence all along, which was a low-level mistake.
However, Wang Ping felt that this was also related to the low profile of the source of darkness.
In the previous simulations, the appearance of the source of darkness had been limited to small-scale dark calamities when Wang Ping was still simulating on the Tai Yuan Ancient Star, and then it was mostly the Great Emperors who ventured in and sealed themselves off.
After that, it was the Nine Stars Pavilion's leader's daring venture into the source of darkness to collect dark power and create the Swallowing Immortal Demon Body.
All of this made people instinctively feel that the source of darkness was temporarily harmless.
"But knowing these secrets, it's still impossible to destroy the forbidden grounds. What's even more troublesome is whether, if the forbidden grounds were truly created by the Nine Stars Pavilion's leader by stealing the world source, do they have a means to control the power of the forbidden grounds? If they do, then even if there are many Great Emperors, they may not be able to kill the Nine Stars Pavilion's leader."
"No, that's not right. Since they succeeded in the end, it means that they definitely have a means to control the power of the forbidden grounds. It's just that, whether it's dealing with Yu Dao Yi or Tian Yu Great Emperor, they didn't use it. It's very likely because it's not worth it, and it's only when the time comes to refine the upper realm that they can use this method."
Wang Ping let out a sigh, unable to calm down.
Touching the secrets of the Nine Stars Pavilion again, and even deeper secrets, really made it difficult for people to remain calm.
You all think, who exactly is the leader of the Nine Stars Pavilion?
Hehehe~
QAQ~!
(End of this chapter)