Chapter 1257: The Stone Mother Departs Beyond the Stars
The Sage Emperor’s intention was unmistakable.
War between the Sage Dynasty and the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was imminent, and the time had come for the Taiyan Sect to declare its final allegiance.
When Sun Erlang found Yi Shu in the Sacred Capital, the man was already waiting for him with a smile, fully prepared.
“Young Master, let us be on our way.”
Sun Erlang wasted no time with pleasantries. He offered a simple bow, and the two of them set off directly for the Taiyan Sect.
“Senior, during your time in our Sage Dynasty, have you had any unique insights?” Sun Erlang asked tentatively on the return journey.
Yi Shu smiled. “The Sage Dynasty is a sight to behold, entirely different from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, and indeed, unlike anything the Xuanhuang Realm has seen in countless millennia. We have benefited greatly. The sect has already reached a consensus, and we have received the Stone Mother’s approval. You will find out in due time.”
“Oh, and this time, you might even have the chance to meet the Stone Mother herself.”
He wanted to probe for more inside information, but Yi Shu deftly changed the subject, beginning to chat about his recent experiences in the Great Qi.
“The people of the Sage Dynasty are well-fed and clothed, and thus they have developed a greater pursuit of spiritual and intellectual matters. Although their cultivation realms are unremarkable, some of their ideas are truly fascinating. I recently befriended a scholar who wrote a novel of the strange and supernatural. It depicts what might happen to the Xuanhuang Realm without the Dharma Spreader...”
Sun Erlang paused, taken aback, as Yi Shu continued, “Unlike the simulated worlds you’ve experienced, this novel, while lacking the Dharma Spreader, is still beset by calamity, a plague upon the Xuanhuang Realm.”
“Three venerables rise from obscurity to command the world in a tripartite struggle. One educates and nurtures the populace, becoming the ‘Master of Heaven and Earth.’ Another, with the pure and noble character of a sage, earns the heartfelt devotion of those around him, forming an unshakable alliance. He is the ‘Supreme Sage of the Mortal World.’ The last, with boundless power, establishes a celestial dynasty on earth. Where his armies point, all things submit. He is the ‘Great Profound Immortal Emperor’...”
As Yi Shu spoke, Sun Erlang’s expression became incredibly peculiar.
“The three venerables engaged in a fierce struggle, battling for centuries without a clear victor. The details, deduced by a single individual, are a bit rough around the edges and don't hold up to close scrutiny. But it is fascinating nonetheless, a truly original take...”
Sun Erlang couldn’t help but ask, “So in the end, who won?”
“This ‘Saga of the Xuanhuang Tripartition’ is not yet finished. The scholar’s doorway was swarmed by people. They all claimed he was being grievously disrespectful to the Sage Emperor and wanted to teach him a lesson. Although the Sage Dynasty’s officials never intervened, the controversy escalated as the Great Profound Immortal Emperor in the story made a few missteps. It nearly led to bloodshed.”
“The scholar didn’t dare to write anymore. The story is stalled, so I don’t know who the final victor is,” Yi Shu remarked with a knowing smile.
Sun Erlang cleared his throat. “When I return, I’ll send those people away so he can write in peace. It’s just a supernatural novel, after all. How could my Master not tolerate such things?”
Yi Shu, however, replied with a pointed tone, “While the Sage Emperor may not care, the people of the Sage Dynasty might not feel the same way.”
Sun Erlang was about to argue further, but they had already arrived within the Taiyan Sect’s domain.
He once again stepped into the floating city within the crystalline barrier in the sky. Unlike his last visit, every cultivator he encountered this time greeted him with a broad smile.
It was as if they all knew him intimately.
Sun Erlang was aware that the Taiyan Sect shared all information, functioning as a single entity. Still, the feeling of them knowing him while he knew nothing about them left him slightly uncomfortable.
Fortunately, the journey was short. Soon, Sun Erlang arrived at the central hub of the Taiyan Sect and met Chen Tianhai.
Chen Tianhai was holding a scroll, reading it with intense concentration.
Yi Shu did not enter.
“Greetings, Senior.”
Sun Erlang bowed, but Chen Tianhai remained motionless, seemingly not having heard him.
After a long silence, Chen Tianhai finally spoke, getting straight to the point. “Regarding the impending war between the Sage Dynasty and the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, we, the Taiyan Sect, have decided...”
“To aid neither side.”
The answer was so far from what Sun Erlang had expected that he was struck dumb with astonishment.
Why not at least feign support? Being a neutral party, waiting to see which way the wind blew, might ensure their safety for a time. But once the dust settled, they would undoubtedly face a harsh reckoning.
Logically, the Taiyan Sect should not have made such an unwise decision.
Sun Erlang stared at Chen Tianhai, his face a mask of confusion.
“We reached this decision not only because the Stone Mother’s tens of thousands of deductions yielded a near-even split in victories...”
“But more importantly, because we have decided to leave the Xuanhuang Realm for the time being,” Chen Tianhai said, dropping a bombshell.
“What?!” Sun Erlang was completely stunned.
“Is it because of the recent commotion about the strange rainbow light?” Sun Erlang asked.
“Yes and no. In truth, the Taiyan Sect has long had plans to journey far across the starry sky. However, the dangers of the Star Sea are immense, so the plan was indefinitely postponed. But the sword message that recently crossed the Star Sea changed our minds,” Chen Tianhai explained with a faint smile.
“The sword message illuminated the skies of the Xuanhuang Realm for seven days. During that time, we conducted a detailed analysis and made some small gains. Since the message could cross the Star Sea to reach us, then our Taiyan Sect can trace it back to its source, following its trail to find where it was sent from,” Chen Tianhai declared with absolute confidence.
“Beyond the Star Sea, beneath the High Wall... it is a place one truly yearns to see,” Chen Tianhai sighed wistfully.
Sun Erlang could almost feel the collective will of the entire Taiyan Sect resonating with those words.
Realizing the matter was now irreversible, Sun Erlang’s thoughts raced, wanting to return as quickly as possible to inform his Master.
“There’s no need to rush, Young Master. After this parting, who knows when we will meet again. You might as well meet the Stone Mother,” Chen Tianhai suggested, looking at Sun Erlang.
Sun Erlang hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.
The instant he agreed, the room around him vanished. It was as if he were adrift in the Star Sea, surrounded by utter blackness.
Only a brilliant blue light emerged from the depths of the darkness. It formed a thin line, racing through the cosmic expanse.
The moment he saw this thin blue line, Sun Erlang understood.
This was the Transformation Dao Stone Mother.
The very first Transformation Dao Stone.
“I am not of this Xuanhuang Realm. By a twist of fate, while traversing the Star Sea, I arrived in this world.”
A voice surfaced in Sun Erlang’s mind.
It wasn't a communication through his five senses or spiritual consciousness, but a direct conversation through the resonance between the Transformation Dao Stone crystal in his sea of consciousness.
Sun Erlang’s expression turned solemn as a sign of respect.
The Stone Mother continued its narrative. “Where I came from is no longer traceable. But where I am going... that has an answer.”
This declaration from the Transformation Dao Stone Mother sent a violent tremor through Sun Erlang’s mind.
“Where you are going? What do you mean by that, Stone Mother?”
“The other side of the Star Sea is not the true end. It is merely a corner of existence. If not for the High Wall, I would have fled ten thousand years ago. Furthermore, having been cut and divided, I lost the ability to traverse the cosmos. I had no choice but to let the matter rest, and in a blink, so many years have passed.”
The scene before Sun Erlang suddenly changed.
The thin blue line, which had been flying straight through the Star Sea, inexplicably altered its course, plummeting toward the Xuanhuang Realm.
It was discovered by cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm, and with its help, the Taiyan Sect rose to become one of the most renowned sects in the world.
What had been sundered should have been irrecoverable.
But then, the Xuanhuang Realm underwent a dramatic transformation, and calamity descended. To resist the tribulation of the law of incompatible cultivation, the cultivators of the Taiyan Sect chose to merge as one with the Transformation Dao Stone.
Information is eternal; the Transformation Dao was reborn.
After tens of thousands of years of division and reunification, the Transformation Dao Stone had returned to the state it was in when it first arrived in the Xuanhuang Realm.
...
Scene after scene flashed by, shaking Sun Erlang to his core.
He couldn't help but ask, “Senior, you have been in the Xuanhuang Realm for so long that you are now virtually omniscient. As long as you remain here, invulnerability through all calamities is not just an empty phrase. Why must you leave? The world beyond the Star Sea is full of variables and unknowns. Even for you, senior, I imagine there is no absolute guarantee of survival, is there?”
“Why must I go? The answer to that question is the same as why you cultivators must cultivate.”
The Stone Mother’s words left Sun Erlang speechless.
“The High Wall obstructs the Star Sea. But there are some things it cannot stop,” the Transformation Dao Stone Mother’s tone was enigmatic.
It held a hint of bewilderment, yet also a confidence from an unknown source.
“Do not overthink it, little one. I merely intend to take a look first. If we truly cannot cross the High Wall, it is very likely we will return. As for why I wanted to see you this time...”
The illusory blue line before Sun Erlang suddenly felt tangible as it shot directly toward his head.
Before he could react, he was struck by the blue ray.
Sun Erlang checked his entire body but felt nothing unusual. Only the Transformation Dao Stone crystal in his sea of consciousness seemed to have changed somehow.
“Do not be alarmed, little one. I have simply left a mark. Just in case we decide to return in the future and cannot find our way back.”
“Of course, we will not treat you unfairly. Focus your mind...”
The Stone Mother’s words pulsed in sync with the Transformation Dao Stone. Sun Erlang felt an overwhelming flood of images pour into his mind, threatening to drown his sea of consciousness.
He quickly focused, slowing the influx of images.
These myriad scenes, some depicting the Sage Dynasty locked in a bitter struggle with heavy casualties, others showing a string of victories that left the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance clinging to survival in the Central Four Prefectures, were all, without exception, events that had not yet occurred in the real world.
“These are the products of my deductions. Take them as a reference.”
Sun Erlang felt a wave of relief and quickly thanked the Stone Mother.
“However, I must warn you not to place too much faith in these deductions, little one.”
“This Xuanhuang Realm is like a bottomless pond. When the waters are calm, every ripple on the surface can be predicted. But if the beasts lurking at the bottom should surface and stir up turmoil...”
“The predicted ripples will inevitably diverge greatly from reality. Your Master certainly understands this principle.”
“So, in truth, our Taiyan Sect’s presence or absence will not change much of anything.”
The voice of the Transformation Dao Stone Mother still echoed in his ears, but when Sun Erlang came to his senses, he was already outside the Taiyan Sect.
The crystalline barrier, once subtle, was now cloaked in a mysterious blue light.
The entire Taiyan Sect grew increasingly transparent, as if it might vanish from this world at any moment.
“You must stay alive, Young Master.”
“Otherwise, our Taiyan Sect won’t be able to find its way home.” Yi Shu’s teasing voice drifted over.
Then it was gone, like an illusion.
Lost in a daze, Sun Erlang watched as the floating celestial city completely vanished from his perception.
“To leave just like that... so quickly.”
Sun Erlang grumbled to himself, a feeling of wistful loss settling in his heart.
He stood there for a long time before finally returning to report the entire affair to his Master in detail.
Watching the faceless Sage Emperor seated above, silent and unmoving, Sun Erlang couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
But the Sage Emperor’s next words left him stunned.
“What mark? That was just the Stone Mother’s jest. The Transformation Dao Divine Stone is a wonder of the world. Not even I could fully comprehend that rainbow sword message at first, yet it managed to decipher it in such a short time...”
“If it can trace the message back to its source and cross the Star Sea, how could it possibly lose its way?”
“Master, then what...” Sun Erlang was puzzled. “The profound feeling when the blue line struck the Transformation Dao Stone in my sea of consciousness... it was definitely real.”
The Sage Emperor chuckled, a rare occurrence.
“That is your good fortune, my boy.”
“All Transformation Dao Stones in this world are, strictly speaking, mere fragments broken off from the Stone Mother. Although cultivators can claim them through the Method of Divine Transformation, a fragment is still a fragment. Even the highest-grade Transformation Dao Stone cannot compare to the Stone Mother. But that blue ray the Stone Mother cast upon you was like turning stone into gold...”
The Sage Emperor’s tone was peculiar. “Although its quality is currently only high-grade, it has been transmuted. Its future now holds infinite possibilities.”
“In time, it might even become a second Stone Mother.”
“This...” To think that it had left him such a profound gift upon its departure. Sun Erlang was utterly astounded.
“Don’t dwell on it. Everyone has their own destiny. Perhaps the Stone Mother simply took a liking to you,” the Sage Emperor said plainly.
“Yes...” Although Sun Erlang replied as such, it was clear from his expression that he hadn't quite processed it all.
“Right. Master, about the tens of thousands of deductions the Stone Mother performed...”
“Once you have calmed yourself, analyze them and submit your report.”
“As you command, Master.”
Sun Erlang, still somewhat dazed, departed from the Sage Emperor’s throne.
He wandered aimlessly and soon found himself at the residence of the scholar Yi Shu had mentioned, the author of the ‘Saga of the Xuanhuang Tripartition’.
He saw that a crowd was still gathered at the doorway.
Though they weren't doing anything aggressive, they watched the exit with hostile eyes.
It was as if the scholar inside were their mortal enemy.
Upon seeing Sun Erlang, their faces lit up, and they eagerly rushed forward, wanting to recount the scholar’s villainy.
But a slight frown from Sun Erlang stopped them in their tracks.
The crowd wisely dispersed.
Sun Erlang strode into the house.
The scholar was thoroughly drunk. Sun Erlang picked up the manuscript from the table and began to read.
(End of this chapter)
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