Chapter 563: The Legacy of Mount Tianding
Mr. You could not immediately understand the unfamiliar words or concepts that Chen Yan had just mentioned.
Tianji Continent, Sage, twelve Immortal Sects—an era even more distant than the time when no Ascending to Immortality cultivators had ever graced this world…
What exactly had he seen in the Heavenly Summit Mirror?
“I didn’t glimpse the future from the Heavenly Summit Palace, sir.”
Chen Yan broke the silence between them first:
“Instead, I glimpsed the past. Within the illusions and truths of the Heavenly Summit Mirror, I witnessed the fall of an era. Back then, the Chenping Continent wasn’t called Chenping Continent—it was Tianji Continent.”
“Tianji Continent.”
Mr. You almost enunciated each syllable of those three words.
This was the first time Chen Yan had ever seen a hint of bewilderment in Mr. You’s eyes.
In his memory, this Immortal Venerable Fusheng… or rather, Venerable Fusheng, always handled everything with effortless ease.
But everything Chen Yan had glimpsed from the illusions and truths of the Heavenly Summit Mirror had far exceeded Mr. You’s scope of knowledge.
“The Immortal Ascension Realm isn’t what cultivators on Chenping Continent believe it to be—a realm Above Immortality. It’s actually a transitional realm between Below Immortality and Above Immortality. The true realms Above Immortality are divided into five stages.”
Chen Yan continued:
“The Returning to Void Realm, the Uncarved Simplicity Realm, the Creating Illusion Realm, the Primordial Beginning Realm, and the Immortal Heaven Realm.”
“If I go by that classification, my current cultivation should be at the peak of the Returning to Void Realm?”
Mr. You remarked.
“That’s roughly correct. Cultivators of the Returning to Void Realm on Tianji Continent were called ‘True Lords.’”
Chen Yan nodded.
“True Lord?”
Hearing this, Mr. You tilted his head slightly and broke into a smile:
“That title is far less impressive than Immortal Venerable. Then the ‘Sage’ you mentioned earlier…”
“In the era I witnessed, there were a total of forty-nine cultivators at the Ascending to Immortality Realm and above on Tianji Continent. Among them were four True Lords of the Returning to Void Realm and two Ultimate Sages of the Uncarved Simplicity Realm.”
Chen Yan said.
“So, cultivators in the Uncarved Simplicity Realm are called Sages, then?”
Mr. You’s words sounded like a question, but in truth, he was merely confirming his own answer.
“From what I understand, those two Ultimate Sages of the Uncarved Simplicity Realm likely represent two distinct eras of this domain.”
Chen Yan continued.
“Which two eras?”
Mr. You asked.
“They represent the era of Yuxu Continent and the era of Tianji Continent, respectively.”
Chen Yan said.
“…”
Hearing this, Mr. You fell silent again for a moment. If Chenping Continent’s predecessor was Tianji Continent, then what was Yuxu Continent?
The predecessor of Tianji Continent?
“I never encountered the era of Yuxu Continent within the illusions and truths of the Heavenly Summit Mirror. I only witnessed the fall of Tianji Continent.”
Chen Yan said:
“In the era I witnessed, Tianji Continent was governed by Zuo He, the Ultimate Sage of Heaven’s Extremity. But before the Ultimate Sage of Heaven’s Extremity, this domain was known to the world as Yuxu Continent, governed by Bai Chen, the Ultimate Sage of Imperial Void.”
“So, the name of this domain is determined by the dao title of the Uncarved Simplicity Realm cultivator who governs it.”
Mr. You nodded:
“Then that means, after the Ultimate Sage of Imperial Void and the Ultimate Sage of Heaven’s Extremity, this domain must have produced at least one more Sage with the dao title ‘Chenping’?”
“That is indeed possible, but I can’t say for certain.”
Chen Yan didn’t fully agree with Mr. You’s speculation.
“Why not?”
Mr. You said.
“Because the laws of heaven and earth in Chenping Continent are incomplete. Or rather, the signs of stitching and mending on the Great Dao are far too obvious.”
As he spoke, Chen Yan’s gaze fell on the bronze mirror with five faint cracks that still rested on the tea table before him:
“The current laws of heaven and earth in Chenping Continent have very limited capacity to sustain cultivators at the Ascending to Immortality Realm and above.”
That was why Ascending to Immortality cultivators in today’s Chenping Continent suffered karmic backlash whenever they exerted their true power.
“You’re saying that Chenping Continent can no longer support the birth of a Sage. That’s why, tens of thousands of years ago, when I tried to step into what you call the ‘Uncarved Simplicity Realm,’ I caught the attention of ‘that existence.’”
Mr. You said thoughtfully.
“Exactly. But this is only my speculation.”
Chen Yan replied:
“As for what truly happened in this domain after Tianji Continent fell, I don’t know.”
“But the legacy of Chenping Continent does have gaps. There is at least one fracture between the era you mentioned—Tianji Continent—and the transition to Chenping Continent. And there’s another fracture between Chenping Continent’s era and the emergence of Heavenly Summit Mountain.”
Mr. You said.
The history of Chenping Continent had always been divided by the world into three eras.
The Pre-Heavenly Summit Era, the Heavenly Summit Era, and the Post-Heavenly Summit Era.
It wasn’t until after Su Hongzhen that the historical records of Chenping Continent opened up a newer era: the Era of Severed Immortal Path.
As for the Era of Immortal Path Revival, it was merely the blink of an eye before Chenping Continent was reduced to nothingness in the Great Chaos of the Immortals.
Now, it seemed that before the Pre-Heavenly Summit Era, Chenping Continent might have had an even more distant history.
“Sir, I don’t believe there was a true fracture between the era of Tianji Continent and the era of Chenping Continent.”
Chen Yan shook his head at Mr. You’s assessment.
“Why not?”
Mr. You asked.
“Because of this.”
Chen Yan cast his gaze again at the Heavenly Summit Mirror placed before him:
“Sir, have you ever considered the origin of the Heavenly Summit Mirror?”
“A dao artifact.”
Mr. You said slowly:
“The only dao artifact on Chenping Continent. No one knows its true origins. All that’s known is that back when the first Ascending to Immortality cultivator in Chenping Continent’s history—also the first-generation Steward of Heavenly Summit Mountain, Tian Su Realman—soared above the world, this mirror was already in the possession of Heavenly Summit Mountain.”
“The history of the Heavenly Summit Mirror is even older than the history of Chenping Continent.”
Chen Yan said:
“In the final moments of Tianji Continent’s destruction, I once saw the Ultimate Sage of Imperial Void.”
“Oh?”
Mr. You was clearly intrigued by Chen Yan’s statement.
“The Ultimate Sage of Imperial Void told me to climb Qingxuan Mountain—the predecessor of Heavenly Summit Mountain—and at the summit, I found this mirror.”
Chen Yan said.
“So?”
Mr. You seemed to have already grasped something, but he wasn’t entirely certain, so he simply guided Chen Yan to continue.
“The Heavenly Summit Mirror existed when Chenping Continent was still Tianji Continent… or rather, it existed in an even more distant past.”
As he spoke, Chen Yan paused briefly, then continued:
“I suspect that Heavenly Summit Mountain didn’t originate from Chenping Continent. It might be a legacy from the past—or perhaps related to the existence of Sages.”