Chapter 438: Laying Cards on the Table — Dealing with High Heaven |
Even Xuantian in his youth hadn't possessed that kind of audacity.
The Bronze Ancient King's expression shifted as his thoughts involuntarily drifted to that Taixuan Hong. Even after fully equating him with Su Chen, it still felt unimaginable.
Defeating Taixuan Tianyi was one thing — Su Chen could completely purify the core Mist Embers, so having that level of strength was still within the realm of acceptance.
But Kong Ming was a core disciple of Buddha Land. This so-called Empyrean God talent — he'd never even heard of it. Yet even so, Kong Ming was no match for Su Chen.
Though the battle hadn't been watched in perfect clarity, it certainly couldn't be called a hard-fought struggle either.
And then there was directly deducing the Immeasurable Buddha's involvement and other matters. The other Ancient Kings hadn't been without their suspicions about Su Chen either, but the reason they'd ultimately dismissed the connection wasn't simply because the talent levels didn't match.
That Taixuan Hong's methods were truly no small matter.
Beyond the question of whether Su Chen truly carried the Taixuan bloodline, there were many other things he wanted to ask.
But the words rose to his lips only to stall there. He didn't know where to begin, and could only say gruffly, "Is there nothing you want to tell me?"
The Bronze Ancient King swept a glance at him and said bluntly, "Then let's start with how you managed to enter that Flare Realm."
The Ancient Kings had long since determined that the mysterious powerhouse they'd previously speculated about was Taixuan Hong — and now that meant Su Chen.
Thinking back on how they'd all stood outside the Flare Realm spinning wild theories, the Bronze Ancient King found the memory almost laughable.
"Well..." Su Chen thought for a moment, then said, "This all traces back to Qin Yun. He brought back that Remnant Spirit, remember? Which he later placed inside Qin Tianlin."
"Qin Tianlin — whether he lost his mind or what — went and used that Remnant Spirit to covertly attack me. I happened to intercept a portion of the Ignition Cinders."
He altered the story slightly, concealing things like the Solar Remnants that were difficult to explain, and using the more comprehensible Ignition Cinders as his entry point instead.
Qin Tianlin was dead, and the Remnant Spirit was in his hands — there was no one to challenge the story.
"However, those Ignition Cinders were quite fragmented and required divine blood to supplement. I spent quite a while preparing." Su Chen explained.
"I see..." The Bronze Ancient King nodded thoughtfully. After returning to the sect, he had received all the information and records from his absence.
He naturally knew that Su Chen had requisitioned large quantities of divine blood from the sect over time.
Su Chen quickly followed up, "Who could have known that when I went in, I'd run right into you all performing the ignition ritual outside? I truly wasn't being disrespectful at the time — I genuinely couldn't see anything clearly."
The Bronze Ancient King's cheek twitched. He moved past that topic. "And what about the Taixuan Hong identity?"
Su Chen sighed helplessly. "I originally planned to explore the Flare Realm at my own pace. Who knew that you'd all get duped by the Remnant Spirit into entering? To avoid exposing myself, I had no choice but to disguise myself as Taixuan Hong."
He then proceeded to complain, "You have no idea — dealing with all of you nearly gave me a heart attack. Especially that Xuantian Ancient King. He's terrifyingly shrewd. I was constantly terrified that I'd slip up somewhere and be found out."
Watching Su Chen grumble, the Bronze Ancient King gave a rare cold snort. "I didn't exactly see you treading carefully. And another thing — how did you know the name of the fallen Sovereign of the Purple Zenith?"
"It was because of the Remnant Spirit..." Su Chen naturally had an answer prepared for this too. "Can you guess where the Remnant Spirit hid after leaving the fire it was parasitizing?"
"Qin Yun?" The Bronze Ancient King uttered two words.
"Your wisdom truly knows no bounds." Su Chen sighed in admiration. "Exactly — Qin Yun. For whatever reason, she kept coming after me, apparently trying to have the Remnant Spirit seize my body. But it didn't work."
"Instead, I obtained quite a bit of information from the Remnant Spirit's memories. That's how I learned about Taixuan Ye, as well as the various rituals for external communication and departure."
At this point, Su Chen let out a sigh as well. "I just never expected that what started as pretending would end up becoming... all this."
'Becoming all this?'
Looking at Su Chen's reluctant expression, the Bronze Ancient King felt a pang of something sour, for some reason. That was the Chosen of a Solar-rank profession they were talking about.
The Bronze Ancient King said irritably, "And what about Daoist Lord Lingxiao?"
Su Chen replied, "That sacrificial ritual — I asked Brother Tianyi about it, and he told me. Among the forces in the Abyssal Void, Daoist Lord Lingxiao had the relatively better reputation."
Brother Tianyi had already departed with the wind. He surely wouldn't mind lending one more small favor.
The Bronze Ancient King fell silent. The kid appeared to be explaining everything, but in reality there were many gaps left deliberately vague.
For instance — how had he managed to intercept Ignition Cinders from the Remnant Spirit? At that time, the Remnant Spirit hadn't yet separated from its host flame, and the power it could bring to bear was considerable.
Or why the Remnant Spirit's attempt to seize his body had failed.
But those questions were getting too granular.
He only wanted to understand the general sequence of events, to have a rough picture in his mind. He had no desire to pry too deeply into Su Chen's secrets.
He nodded, accepting Su Chen's explanation, then asked, "Was it you personally who performed the sacrificial ritual to Daoist Lord Lingxiao and explained the situation to him?"
What Su Chen had reported earlier covered only the outcomes and a general overview, without the specific details.
Su Chen shook his head repeatedly. "No — I used your identity to perform the ritual. The name Su Chen doesn't carry enough weight, and besides, I wasn't in a position to make that call."
"You impersonated me?" The Bronze Ancient King was taken aback, scanning Su Chen up and down. "And the Daoist Lord didn't notice anything amiss?"
The gap between an 8th-Tier professional and a Radiant Moon was staggering, to say the least.
"No." Su Chen said without so much as a blush or a racing heartbeat. "We were separated by such a vast distance that the Daoist Lord only sent down a wisp of consciousness. Naturally, he couldn't tell the difference."
"Is that so?" The Bronze Ancient King was skeptical, but seeing Su Chen's unwavering demeanor, he simply said, "Tell me every detail of your conversation with him. The complete dialogue — don't miss a single word. And if you remember specific gestures or mannerisms, show me those too."
"Sure." Su Chen proceeded to reenact the entire situation for the Bronze Ancient King, faithfully and in full.
After recording every detail, the Bronze Ancient King's voice seemed to soften slightly. "You were quite prudent — you didn't agree to anything right away."
"Naturally." Su Chen's expression was sincere. "I was unable to contact you at the time, so I had no choice but to borrow your identity. In my original plan, the negotiations with Daoist Lord Lingxiao were always supposed to be conducted by you."
"Since I was acting under a borrowed identity, I was even less willing to make decisions on my own. I wanted to reach you as soon as possible and ask for your opinion before deciding anything. But then the Immeasurable Buddha descended out of nowhere, and I had no choice."
The Bronze Ancient King let out a soft sigh. "I wasn't blaming you. You handled it very well."
He paused, steering away from this somewhat sensitive topic, and mused, "So what you're saying is, Daoist Lord Lingxiao shouldn't have taken notice of you yet."
"He hasn't paid me special attention, no." Su Chen shook his head. "But he's certainly aware I exist, since I was the one who used the token."
"Right..." At this, Su Chen produced the token and handed it to the Bronze Ancient King. "This thing seems to be the core of the Heavenly Gate. You should hold onto it."
The Bronze Ancient King reached out and took it, examining it in his hand for a while before putting it away.
Su Chen continued, "The Heavenly Gate's construction has reached a certain point recently, making it possible to communicate with the High Heaven side. They're asking us to submit the sect's basic data — overall strength, number of Morning Stars, that sort of thing."
"However, Senior Brother Chu declined to compile the data, so it hasn't been submitted yet."
Since they'd already joined High Heaven, such data compilation was perfectly normal. The Bronze Ancient King clasped his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth, his expression shifting. Then he said, "Fake your death."
"Fake my death?" Su Chen blanked, then it clicked. "Me?"
"Correct." The Bronze Ancient King's voice was heavy. "Since you're Taixuan Hong, traveling to the Abyssal Void carries too great a risk. But your identity as a Star Seed is known throughout the Dust Star Sea — you can't very well not go."
"After thinking it through, faking your death seems to be the only way out."
"Well..." Su Chen hesitated. "If I, as a Star Seed, die after joining High Heaven, it might actually trigger even more complications. After all, there's no danger right now — how would a sudden death be explained?"
"You don't need to worry about that. I have methods. Under normal circumstances, Daoist Lord Lingxiao won't detect anything unusual."
Many resources were exclusive to the Dust Star Sea. There was no way he'd skip the trip. What was he supposed to do — have Bronze Heaven secretly supply him?
But that would only mean more people learning the truth over time, increasing the risk.
"You have the means to fool Daoist Lord Lingxiao?" The Bronze Ancient King's eyebrow arched.
"It's something Taixuan Ye put in place." Su Chen explained. This both accounted for the origin and enhanced credibility.
"That old patriarch of the Taixuan House was certainly thorough." The Bronze Ancient King looked at Su Chen with an indescribable sense of oddness. If Taixuan Ye knew the truth, he'd probably be angry enough to come back from the dead.
"But..." The Bronze Ancient King still wasn't reassured. "Xuantian and the others witnessed Taixuan Hong's talent metamorphosis. The reason your suspicion was cleared before was precisely because the talent levels didn't match."
"If they learn the truth, they'll definitely link you to Taixuan Hong again. And then there's the Immeasurable Buddha — if he learned from Taixuan Tianyi that you previously had only Divine Dawn talent..."
"You needn't worry about that." Su Chen explained. "Brother Tianyi told me he did his best to provide cover. The Immeasurable Buddha never asked about that."
"By the time he arrived at the Flare Realm, I already possessed True Radiance talent."
"As for the other Ancient Kings..." Su Chen pondered briefly. "That's precisely why I need to go to High Heaven. If I spend long enough there, my talent metamorphosing from Divine Dawn to True Radiance would be perfectly natural."
"The Abyssal Void surely has the means to induce talent metamorphosis."
Su Chen had considered all of this. Thanks to Taixuan Tianyi and the patriarch Taixuan Ye's actions, the Taixuan Hong persona had been forged into an ironclad identity.
Barring any unexpected circumstances, no one would connect it back to him. Add in the Remnant Spirit's concealment methods, and the disguise was rock-solid.
"Mm... you make a fair point." The Bronze Ancient King mulled it over, his eyes glinting as he ran mental calculations. "Those fellows have already mentally separated you from Taixuan Hong. Even if they go to the Abyssal Void, their first concern will be how to establish themselves."
"Let's submit your talent as Divine Dawn for now..." A thought flickered across the Bronze Ancient King's mind. "As long as you don't reveal your professional tier, it should be fine. High Heaven shouldn't forcibly verify your talent."
The Bronze Ancient King didn't know whether cases of spirituality merging with a body occurred in the Abyssal Void, but the most important thing right now was to minimize the attention drawn to Su Chen. Better to just toss the information out and be done with it.
"That works."
The two gradually settled the matter. Finally, the Bronze Ancient King raised his hand. Countless streams of light, fine as hair, cascaded down from his palm like a waterfall, weaving themselves into a shimmering net of flowing radiance.
In an instant, it enveloped Su Chen entirely, concealing both his professional tier and his talent — at the very least, it wouldn't be spotted at a glance by anyone at the Radiant Moon level.
Withdrawing his hand, the Bronze Ancient King said, "In a while, Xuantian and Star-Firmament will be arriving. You'll also need to purify the Vast Sea Emperor's Radiant Moon Spirit. We can't let any of them detect anything unusual."
"They're coming for...?" Su Chen asked hesitantly.
"Both Xuantian and Star-Firmament want to travel to the Abyssal Void. I told them they could use our sect as a waypoint." The Bronze Ancient King's expression was as wooden as ever. "The materials needed to construct the Heavenly Gate are rather substantial. Their losses weren't that heavy — their reserves are still intact."
'Even someone as upstanding-looking as you does this...' Su Chen couldn't help but give a mental thumbs-up.
Having temporarily concealed Su Chen's professional tier and talent, the Bronze Ancient King departed. He still had sect affairs to attend to — including selecting the people who would accompany them to High Heaven.
After seeing the Bronze Ancient King off, Su Chen mulled things over briefly. "The Ancient King didn't push too hard. That saves me from having to spin too many lies."
One lie required countless more to sustain it. He'd already done his best to pin everything on the dead, but there were only so many dead people to go around. The more he said, the more holes would appear.
Still, there was a silver lining — at least after going to High Heaven, the Ancient King could serve as his shield.
"There's nothing quite like having a big tree to lean on..." Su Chen sighed with feeling. After tidying up, he left the main building and looked skyward. "It's already taking shape..."
With his current eyesight, he could clearly see that at the Bronze Sect's Star Gate node, in addition to the existing Star Gates, a massive white gateway was under construction.
Its silvery-gray shell gleamed coldly, surrounded by enormous mechanical arms, each stretching thousands of meters long.
Azure electric arcs sprayed from the tips of the metal arms, carving short, violent trails of light through the void. Grand Architects directed various materials into the gateway's structure, like countless luminous threads weaving between the metallic framework.
Luo Shuhang had been waiting at the port with his people for quite some time. Su Chen walked over and said apologetically, "Sorry — something came up and held me back."
"Not at all, it's only been a little while," Luo Shuhang said hastily.
The Verdant Wood Guest only needed its materials gathered, followed by the "Resurrection Ritual." Were it not for the upheaval in the Dust Star Sea, it should have been completed long ago.
"...This Resurrection Ritual sounds intimidating, but its primary target isn't actually you — it's these plant materials..." Luo Shuhang explained as they walked, opening the metal case he was carrying.
Wisps of cold mist spilled out. Inside rested a snow lotus as translucent as ice crystal, a pale blue glow emanating from within its petals, its stem slender and fine as silver thread.
He'd brought quite a few people along, all specialists in preparing the Resurrection Ritual. The ritual itself wasn't particularly difficult, and the basic setup was completed quickly.
It was supported by a heavy metallic base, with four plants positioned at its corners — Cliff-Edge Grass, Ravine Moss, Desert Willow, and Frost-Peak Lotus — each linked to the others by engraved channels of symbols. But at the moment, they all looked somewhat wilted and withered.
Several figures stood around the perimeter, torrents of green energy flowing from their palms, slowly pouring into the plants before them, coaxing them gradually back to life.