Meng Qi looked at the old man, not quite understanding what he meant. Still, seeing that he didn’t seem overly concerned, she could tell that even if Yun Qingyan was in danger, it shouldn’t be life-threatening. Meng Qi thus felt relieved and began to read the book that contained information about the Ten Absolutes Mountain.
The ancient Ten Absolutes Mountain was probably unknown to many cultivators. It was said that tens of thousands of years ago, a great battle had erupted among the ancient powerhouses, resulting in many of them perishing and a lot of legacies being cut off. The casualties of this war were far and severe. Among them, some of the flourishing sects that were in full bloom ended up being annihilated, and a good number of legendary ancient cultivation sites were leveled under the overwhelming power of those great cultivators, thus becoming extinct.
The Ten Absolutes Mountain was one of them. Since then, there had been no more Ten Absolutes Mountain in the Three Realms, and the increasingly inscrutable Starfallen Sea rose in its place.
This was the record Meng Qi had read in a book before. However, she didn’t know if it was true. The destruction of Ten Absolutes Mountain happened in the ancient time, but the book she perused was written just a few thousand years ago. The author, born long after Ten Absolutes Mountain was destroyed, based his analysis on the information that still remained during his lifetime.
In fact, the name Ten Absolutes Mountain was not entirely unknown. Among countless sects in Three Thousand Worlds, a number of them continued their legacy from ancient sects, inheriting many records dated back from tens of thousands of years ago. In similar manners, legends and hearsay about the Ten Absolutes Mountains might also survive in the Devil Realm and the Demon Realm.
The book that Meng Qi currently had in hand originated from the Demon Realm. She quickly read the content. Back in Jingyuetian, Yan Shunbei had mentioned that no one would know what happened inside once you entered the Minor Ten Absolutes Mountain. From outside the mountain, even great powerhouses at the Great Ascension stage couldn’t see what was happening inside. It was also the case for the ancient Ten Absolutes Mountain. In simple terms, even if someone entered the Ten Absolutes Mountain and came out alive, they wouldn’t remember what had happened inside or what experiences they had gone through. It was for this reason Yan Shunbei didn’t dare to entrust his son to anyone, not even the sect disciple.
What happened inside Ten Absolutes Mountain would remain secret forever. In a place where rules and laws did not reach, where even moral constraint ceased to exist, sending a person no better than a Qi Condensation cultivator was no different from sending them to a horrible death.
Yan Shunbei didn’t dare to gamble. He only had one son, and this son was so talented that he made him extremely proud.
Meng Qi finished the entire bamboo slip in no time. Unfortunately, nothing she had learned was useful for her situation, because the book did not contain any information on how to progress further on the Ten Absolutes Mountain.
Meng Qi contemplated for a moment before raising her eyes again. The old man was standing next to a row of bookshelves, holding a jade slip and also reading. He noticed her gaze and smiled, “Do you have any questions, Young Daoist?”
“I’m much older than you and have seen more of the world. If you have any questions or uncertainties, feel free to discuss them with this old man.”
“Thank you, Senior,” Meng Qi walked over to the old man’s side. He had always been very kind to her. “Senior, is it true that everything that happened in the Ten Absolutes Mountain is forgotten once you leave?” This was the aspect that she was most curious about. She was a medical cultivator, and she was currently studying arrays as well. However, as far as she knew, whether it was medicines, arrays, or spells, none of them could truly erase a person’s memory within a certain timeframe.
Of course, the great power of the ancient time possessed transcendent abilities, and what they could do was beyond Meng Qi’s imagination.
“Well…” the old man smiled, not directly answering Meng Qi’s question. “I’ve never been inside the Ten Absolutes Mountain, but the Minor Ten Absolutes Mountain in Jingyuetian is said to be a branch of the ancient Ten Absolutes Mountain, so it might be possible.”
The old man paused for a moment, then suddenly reached out and grabbed a bamboo slip, sending it flying into his hand. He handed the slip to Meng Qi and said, “This contains more detailed information about the great battle at the end of the ancient era.”
Meng Qi nodded and began to read the bamboo slip with great seriousness. In fact, she had come across accounts of this battle in many books before. However, the book given to her by the bookhall owner provided a comprehensive record of the battle’s duration and the participating forces from the Three Realms.
Meng Qi’s emotions stirred as she kept on reading. That great battle had involved nearly all major sects across the Three Thousand Worlds. From the demon race, royal clans had also joined the fray, and virtually all Great Devil Seats led their subordinates into the war, fighting valiantly. In that era, even medical cultivators and array cultivators had also been entangled in the front-line conflicts. The casualty was enormous.
Oddly enough, the book mostly documented only the downfall of these ancient powerhouses, with the details of the actual battle conspicuously absent. After quickly finishing the slip, Meng Qi asked inquisitively, “Excuse me, Senior, but why is there no record of the battle itself?”
“Because this ancient war took place within the Ten Absolutes Mountain,” the old man explained softly. “People back then could only identify who had entered the mountain but never come back. Later, the Ten Absolutes Mountain itself disappeared, and the Starfallen Sea expanded further. Thus, they had no choice but to believe that those missing powerhouses had perished.”
Meng Qi nodded thoughtfully.
“In our clan, some records remain from the people who believed that the Ten Absolutes Mountain has never been destroyed, and those ancient powerhouses did not perish. After all, most of the cultivators who entered the Ten Absolutes Mountain at the time were Great Ascension powerhouses. It is said that those missing people had actually undergone trials and tribulations within the mountain, eventually breaking through the void and ascending,” the old man continued with a mysterious smile. “But the truth of it all remains unknown.”
“I see,” Meng Qi replied.
“Be cautious,” he reminded with great seriousness.
“I will,” Meng Qi responded softly. The old man hadn’t answered her previous question. She contemplated further, but found no answers.
“Senior,” she had spent quite some time at the Heaven and Earth Bookstore. Yan Shunbei had mentioned that Minor Ten Absolutes Mountain would open within ten days, and she had a lot of preparations to make. “Thank you for your help. I should be going now.” She bid farewell.
“Feel free to come by and chat whenever you have time,” the old man said.
“Certainly,” Meng Qi nodded. She turned and walked towards the exit. The old man continued to watch her with a smile until her figure disappeared beyond the door.
A silence came enveloping. The old man waved his sleeve casually, and the door of Heaven And Earth Bookhall closed slowly. “Come out,” he said, turning around with his hands behind his back, eyes fixed on a certain floor above. The friendly and benevolent expression that he wore in front of Meng Qi had vanished, replaced with a cold disdain.
A white silhouette slowly walked up from behind a bookshelf, revealing Yun Qingyan’s figure.
Seeing his grandnephew, the old man coldly harrumphed, “She carries the aura of our clan.”
Yun Qingyan’s initially calm face suddenly blushed, and he appeared somewhat embarrassed. “I almost fell into qi deviation before…”
“Hmph,” the old man harrumphed again but didn’t dwell on the issue any further. “What are your thoughts?”
“Regarding Minor Ten Absolutes Mountain?” Yun Qingyan gazed upwards, lost in thought for a moment. “Meng Qi… she can do it.” He slowly muttered.
“Oh?” The old man became curious. “Aren’t you worried? She’s only at the Nascent Soul stage now, and it’s likely that many Nascent Soul cultivators will enter Minor Ten Absolutes Mountain this time. It could be very dangerous for her. Besides…” He paused for a moment, “The royal clans are forbidden to participate, but there are many other celestial demons who can. Plus, there are those Devil Seats… they might also vie for entry this time. Will she really be okay?”
Yun Qingyan: “…”
“Her cultivation talent is limited, but her progress is astonishingly fast. And that young man accompanying her, he’s from the devil realm, isn’t he?” the old man added.
“Mm,” Yun Qingyan’s expression changed slightly. He had shown no reaction so far, but the moment the old man brought up Ji Wujiong, there was finally a crack in his nonchalant demeanor.
The bookhall became quiet once again. Yun Qingyan picked up a jade slip. As his long fingers absentmindedly traced the patterns on the slip, his gaze flickered, showing the inner turbulence in his heart.
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