HSSB1055: Where it all began
The Upper Exalt Chen Qianhua waved his sleeve and left.
Regaining his wits, the Earthly Young Master Chen Kunhua shook his head, finding it to be simply inconceivable, "The Brocade Emperor has actually…"
"How did Zhuang Shen do it?"
He had to admit that not only was his elder brother interested in this matter, he too was extremely curious regarding it.
This was a major issue which was likely to change the global situation of the World beyond Worlds!
Its influence was far greater than that from the death of the Southern Exalt Zhuang Shen.
It was a pity, though. As this matter concerned too many things, he could not casually get involved in it like Chen Qianhua.
From the Brocade Emperor, Chen Kunhua came to think of that dazzling figure, "I wonder if there is anything that might be worth manipulating to bring about from this?"
He too left the back mountain of Overgrown Jade Island, not letting anyone be alerted in the least.
The corpse of the female devil transformed into black smoke and disappeared, not leaving any traces behind whatsoever.
The corpses of Overgrown Jade Island's three Immortal Bridge Martial Saints had all been taken care of by him as it seemed as though they had undoubtedly perished from cultivation deviation.
It was very common for martial practitioners who were in death seclusion to not emerge for decades or even centuries.
Even if other martial practitioners on the isle discovered that their three Immortal Bridge bigwigs were dead, they would only believe that they had failed in their cultivation and thus perished together as a result, all their painstaking efforts over the years having gone down the drain.
The lofty Overgrown Jade Island which was renowned throughout the southeastern Yang Heaven Territory and reigned supreme over the Duckweed Sea would be falling from the clouds after today.
Everything had happened soundlessly with no one the wiser.
Chen Kunhua left the Duckweed Sea and headed north, returning to the central Jun Heaven Territory.
The Upper Exalt's movements were unpredictable as he had no fixed residence and did everything according to his mood.
His cave manor in the central Jun Heaven Territory's Kunlun Mountain had actually been given to his younger brother.
Second Young Master Chen also travelled outside constantly. Still, he stayed at Kunlun Mountain most of the time.
After all, this was the central part of the World beyond Worlds where the spiritual qi was the most abundant. It far surpassed that of the other eight Territories as well as elsewhere in the central Jun Heaven Territory.
Cultivation efficiency was much greater here as it was as though it was blessed by the heavens.
Still, when Second Young Master Chen returned to Kunlun Mountain, he suddenly received news.
"Yan Zhaoge has come to Kunlun Mountain?" Chen Kunhua wondered, "With the Sword Sovereign yet to return to the World beyond Worlds, what is he doing here at Kunlun Mountain? Is it for the Brocade Emperor or for some other experts? Or could this be regarding the matter of his mother?"
……
Yan Zhaoge was currently standing amongst the myriad mountains of Kunlun Mountain.
Sensing the spiritual qi flow of the area, Yan Zhaoge nodded repeatedly, "This place that has inherited the name of the central peak of Daoism is extraordinary indeed."
Kunlun Mountain's position had been different even amongst all the five peaks of Daoism.
It was different from the other famous mountains to some extent.
This place had once been the dao arena of the Lord of Primordial Beginning of the Jade Clear lineage, one of the founders of the Three Clear lineages.
The Jade Clear direct lineage had been active in Kunlun Mountain in pre-Great Calamity times.
Sadly, following the Great Calamity, Kunlun Mountain too had been reduced to history.
Only after the World beyond Worlds had been created had Kunlun Mountain been created once more. That was why it was termed as New Kunlun.
Going by the introduction of Nie Jingshen, Wang Pu and the others, tracing the origins of the new Kunlun Nine Luminaries of the past, most of them originated from the orthodox lineage of the Jade Clear direct lineage from pre-Great Calamity times.
The Sword Sovereign's lineage and that of his grandfather, Yan Xingtang, could be traced back to one of the twelve Immortals of the Jade Clear lineage in the era of the Investiture of the Gods, Cultivated Deity Jade Cauldron who had been a personal disciple of the Lord of Primordial Beginning.
Cultivated Deity Jade Cauldron had been a notable bigwig of Daoism as his legacy had also always been the highest accomplishment of the dao of the sword for the Jade Clear direct lineage.
His grandfather had created something new out of the old, bringing new life to the dao of the sword for Daoism with the Illusory Jade Heaven Opening Sword.
"While I never visited the actual Kunlun Mountain of pre-Great Calamity times, the abundance of the spiritual qi of this New Kunlun has already surpassed the average level of that of the great thousand worlds from pre-Great Calamity times. Only a few cave manors and blessed lands can be compared to this."
Yan Zhaoge said rather interestedly, "The Northern High Peak, the Southern High Peak and Restful Immortal Valley are probably almost able to match with the Immortal realms of above the heavens from pre-Great Calamity times."
At this moment, he was standing in the vicinity of Restful Immortal Valley with Nie Jingshen and the others.
Kunlun Mountain was split into north and south. The main peak of the south was Qilin Cliff as it was where the dao arena of the Earthly Sovereign was located. It was habitually known as the Southern High Peak.
The main peak of the north was Jade Capital Crag, being where the dao arena of the Sword Sovereign was located. It was habitually known as the Northern High Peak.
Besides these towering, precipitous peaks, there were also many other mountains and valleys around the area.
Restful Immortal Valley was one of these. Besides its abundant spiritual qi, it did not appear any unordinary at all as its scenery was very normal.
This was where the most mysterious and low key of the World beyond Worlds' Three Sovereigns, the Concealed Sovereign, lived in seclusion.
He had been one of the new Kunlun Nine Luminaries alongside the Earthly Sovereign that year. Still, he had kept an extremely low profile in the years afterwards.
Amongst the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of the World beyond Worlds, he was a rare bigwig who often resided in the World beyond Worlds yet had an extremely meagre sense of existence. It was to the point where one might even wrongly believe his influence to be lower than that of the Five Emperors.
The Concealed Sovereign had seldom expressed his opinion within the World beyond Worlds all these years. Most of the time, he would stay silent or tacitly support the decisions of the Earthly Sovereign.
Still, those who truly attained greater heights would never overlook an existence like a Sovereign.
As the head of the Three Sovereigns, the Earthly Sovereign would generally direct the decisions in the World beyond Worlds. Besides his own strength, this could also be attributed to the frequent, formless support of the Concealed Sovereign.
Upon his arrival at Kunlun Mountain, due to his relationship with his grandfather Yan Xingtang and his senior apprentice-uncle Yue Zhenbei, according to propriety, Yan Zhaoge needed to pay a visit to Qilin Cliff and Restful Immortal Valley.
As the Earthly Sovereign was not in the World beyond Worlds, there was no need to go to Qilin Cliff for now.
Therefore, led by Nie Jingshen and Wang Pu, he headed to Restful Immortal Valley before going over to the Northern High Peak.
Still, according to the rules of the Concealed Sovereign, there was no need to enter. He merely needed to pay his respects.
Besides a few attendants, there was no one else present in the Restful Immortal Valley.
Amongst the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the Earthly Sovereign had disciples like Wang Zhengcheng while the Sword Sovereign had disciples like Nie Jingshen, Bai Tao and Wang Pu too.
The Heaven Emperor had descendants like Qing Shuzi and Daoist Leading Mist. Besides his daughter Fu Ting, the Brocade Emperors had other disciples too.
The other three Emperors, the Female Emperor Jie Mingkong included, all had descendants too.
There was only the Concealed Sovereign who had no children, disciples or descendants as he was all alone.
Yan Zhaoge and the others left the Restful Immortal Valley, immediately departing for the Northern High Peak's Jade Capital Crag.
The Southwestern Exalt Bai Tao had already returned alone to the southwestern Vermillion Heaven Territory before this. Thus, it was Nie Jingshen and Wang Pu who brought Yan Zhaoge along.
All these years, Jade Capital Crag's affairs had generally been handled by Wang Pu in an orderly fashion.
Nie Jingshen spent most of his time cultivating.
They first bowed and paid their respects to those ancestral tablets.
As he saw the one that belonged to his grandfather, Yan Xingtang, Yan Zhaoge felt rather emotional.
After settling down Shi Jun and the others, Nie Jingshen bid Yan Zhaoge farewell as he went off to cultivate.
Wang Pu led Yan Zhaoge in leaving Jade Capital Crag and descending the Northern High Peak.
They were headed to a valley at the north of Kunlun Mountain.
This was named Bright Connection Valley.
It was naturally where the cave manor of Xue Chuqing's Grand Master, the Bright Connection Emperor Hu Yuexin, had been located that year.
While outsiders did not know of this, Hu Yuexin possessed a cave manor in Kunlun Mountain too.
Of course, this had been over a thousand years ago. It had been investigated by several different groups of people countless times as it had long since fallen to dilapidation and ruin now.
However, Yan Zhaoge still decided to begin his search here where everything had first started.