Meng Qi lowered her gaze toward the black wooden token in her palm. Yun Qingyan was still holding her other hand. His fingers, longer than her own, enveloped her hand snugly, as if it was just right for them to hold hands like this.
Su Junmo, who had been on pins and needles from the beginning, now not even dared to let his gaze adrift in their direction.
“Meng Qi,” Yun Qingyan’s voice was gentle, “The Ten Absolutes Mountain is about to open very soon. I don’t think there’s enough time to send the jade slip to the Three Thousand Worlds.”
“Well…” Meng Qi stretched out her fingers, looking at Yun Qingyan in surprise, “But Sovereign Qingyan, don’t you need this jade slip? You don’t have to give it to me. Even if I can enter the Ten Absolutes Mountain, there is no guarantee that I can utilize it properly. You don’t need to consider me.”
Yun Qingyan: “…”
Su Junmo: “…”
Meng Qi understood clearly that these jade slips must be extremely precious. After all, they were all valued in terms of earth-grade spirit stones. If she could afford them, she would naturally want to buy at least one, especially after the assumption that these jade slips would have another use within the Ten Absolutes Mountain. She wanted to pass the trial so badly but was also very self-aware. With her current cultivation level, these jade slips would be of limited help to her — they would be much more useful in Yun Qingyan’s hands.
“I see,” Yun Qingyan took a deep breath and sighed softly. He then sat up straight, looking into Meng Qi’s eyes, and said, “However, Meng Qi, I can’t use this jade slip in the Ten Absolutes Mountain either, as I am not a medical cultivator.”
Two pairs of eyes locked gazes in silence. Meng Qi had never doubted Yun Qingyan and always believed every word he said unconditionally. In a moment of thought, a light dawned on her, “Sovereign Qingyan, do you want me to take it into the Ten Absolutes Mountain and then find a way to pass it to you?”
“…right.” Yun Qingyan nodded.
“Okay,” Meng Qi no longer doubted, “What is the use of these jade slips?”
“These twelve jade slips have been passed down from ancient times,” Yun Qingyan said. “As for what is recorded inside, no one knows now.” He propped up his right leg, resting his arm on his knee, and asked back, “Meng Qi, do you know where Beyond The Heaven comes from? Or why it exists?”
“I don’t know,” Meng Qi shook her head, guessing, “Is it also from ancient times?”
“Correct.” Yun Qingyan nodded. His pleasant voice was especially gentle when speaking to Meng Qi, like a mountain spring that could calm the most restless heart, “From generation to generation, the master of Beyond The Heaven is always the leader of my white tiger clan.”
“Excuse me, my Lord. This subordinate has urgent matters and must excuse myself.” Su Junmo suddenly stood up. He dared not look at the expressions of Meng Qi and Yun Qingyan, and, after hastily excusing himself, quickly turned and left. What Yun Qingyan was talking about now involved the secrets of the white tiger royal clan, and he dared not listen any longer.
These secrets, Meng Qi could hear, but he could not!
Meng Qi watched as Su Junmo hurriedly disappeared, then turned her attention back to Yun Qingyan. The fact that he chose to discuss these matters with her at this time indicated their importance. She listened attentively and asked, “But most of the cultivators who come here are from the Three Thousand Worlds.” If Beyond The Heaven was a realm passed down throughout generations of celestial demon white tiger clan, why is it in the Three Thousand Worlds and not in the Demon Realm?
“There is also another Beyond The Heaven in the Demon Realm,” Yun Qingyan said. “Its master is the sect leader of Jingyuetian.”
“!!!” Meng Qi was astonished. She frowned subconsciously, sensing that this matter was not simple. Based on these facts alone, the ancient powerhouses who created both realms must have planned everything from the beginning. By now, Beyond The Heaven had become an indispensable part of the Three Thousand Worlds. It was significant that the leader of the celestial demon white tiger clan, who had produced countless Demon Monarchs, was the master of the Beyond The Heaven in the Three Thousand Worlds, while the leader of the top spell sect in the Three Thousand Worlds was the master of the Beyond The Heaven in the Demon Realm.
These were certainly not coincidental… but why? Why is that?
Meng Qi fell silent; her gaze filled with confusion.
Yun Qingyan reached out and stroked her hair, “Such arrangements have their reasons, which I will explain to you slowly after you return from the Ten Absolutes Mountain.”
“Okay,” Meng Qi nodded. Somehow, her intuition told her that she didn’t need to know these things, but since Yun Qingyan was telling her, she listened obediently. She never ignored his words.
“These twelve jade slips were found in Beyond The Heaven. They appeared just before the opening of the Ten Absolutes Mountain and can only be used there,” Yun Qingyan continued. “So they must be related to the Ten Absolutes Mountain.”
“I see,” Meng Qi nodded. “Ji Wujiong told me that in ancient times, various schools flourished. Although sword cultivation and spell cultivation were dominant, medical and array cultivations also had their place and could hold their own.”
“So why do these jade slips only contain sword, spell, and medical cultivations?” she asked, puzzled.
“These should be jade slips from the end of the ancient catastrophic war,” Yun Qingyan said. “At that time, countless beings in the three realms perished, and perhaps some cultivators were unable to leave such jade slips.”
Meng Qi paused, the weight of his words sinking in. Yun Qingyan’s implication was clear: those ancient powers who hadn’t left behind jade slips had likely perished even earlier…
“The recent frequent disturbances in the Starfallen Sea and the increasing cracks in the realm boundaries suggest that a major change is looming over the three realms. Moreover, after the end of the ancient era, not a single cultivator in the three realms has been able to ascend,” Yun Qingyan looked at Meng Qi. “In short, I believe that the catastrophic war must have hidden some secrets.”
Meng Qi was about to speak, recalling something Lin Yan had told her during their encounter in the Starfallen Sea. However, Lin Yan had instructed her not to share that information with others. Although Meng Qi didn’t intend to keep secrets from Yun Qingyan, she felt obliged to respect Lin Yan’s wishes, especially since those matters might not be related to the present situation.
“These twelve jade slips are clearly more than just a legacy left by fallen ancestors,” Yun Qingyan concluded.
“I understand,” Meng Qi nodded. “Then, Sovereign Qingyan, I will take the jade slips into the Ten Absolutes Mountain and then share their secrets with you.” She paused, then added, “However, with the opening of the mountain imminent, I fear we really can’t transfer these jade slips in time…” Inhaling deeply, Meng Qi looked at Yun Qingyan: “A-and thus, we have no choice but to become… to become Dao companions.”
< Previous | TOC | Advanced TOC | Next >
Wants more chapters?
Click this page for the status of sponsored chapters.
Click this page for advanced chapters TOC.
