Chapter 622 - 559: Realization

Chapter 622: Chapter 559: Realization

Chu Mu asked, "It was only suppressed? They didn’t kill the Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother?"

Qin Zhaoxue frowned slightly. "According to legend, when Great Divine Power Cultivators from the Upper Realm descend to the Lower Realm, they are subject to extreme restrictions."

"Therefore, since ancient times, every recorded instance of a Great Divine Power Cultivator descending into this Cultivation Immortal Realm from the Upper Realm has been as a temporary avatar."

"Furthermore, even creating a temporary avatar requires gathering a collection of Celestial Materials and Spiritual Objects, each one a priceless treasure in its own right."

"According to the records, the senior Great Divine Power User from the Upper Realm who suppressed the Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother back then descended to the Cultivation Immortal Realm in this very way."

"As for that Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother, the popular account is that it was suppressed by the Great Divine Power User from the Upper Realm, which put an end to the catastrophe that nearly annihilated the entire Cultivation Immortal Realm."

"However, according to the secret archives compiled by my Clan, the senior Great Divine Power User who descended was likely limited by the avatar’s power. At the time, they did not kill the Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother, but instead suppressed it within the rebuilt Celestial Palace, entrusting its guard and suppression to the Celestial Palace’s sole surviving Grand Elder."

"It’s just that after this great catastrophe, the Celestial Palace was severely weakened. With the passing of that Grand Elder, the Celestial Palace could no longer maintain its rule over the Human Race."

"As time went on, it gradually became a hollow shell, existing in name only, until it finally crumbled and fell apart. As for the specific Celestial Palace that suppressed the Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother, all traces of it vanished, leaving behind only various legends of unknown truth."

"Some say the Celestial Palace was a Small World, hidden beyond the heavens and unknown to all. Others say it was hidden deep underground, with its duty passed down a single line of succession, generation after generation, to fulfill the mission of suppressing the Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother. There are also tales that a Great Divine Power Cultivator descended from the Upper Realm once more and took that Celestial Palace away, completely eradicating the threat..."

"The specific truth is now impossible to verify. That was a chaotic era. Warlords rose to power and infighting was rampant. Countless secret histories and legacies were buried and lost in the turmoil..."

Chu Mu grew pensive. He surveyed the surrounding Desert Sea Heaven and Earth, and a terrifying speculation suddenly surfaced in his mind.

’Could this Desert Sea Heaven and Earth, or perhaps this Ruins Cave Mansion, be the so-called Celestial Palace that suppressed the Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother all those years ago?’

At that moment, as if guessing Chu Mu’s thoughts, Qin Zhaoxue continued, "When this Ruins Cave Mansion first appeared, the seniors of my Clan entered to explore it many times. We are almost certain that this Ruins Cave Mansion is a relic from the true ancient era."

"Some seniors in my Clan have even guessed that this Ruins Cave Mansion was the Trial Land used by the Celestial Palace to train its elite disciples."

"However, there isn’t much factual evidence to support these speculations."

"The time period is simply too remote. Many of the records are ambiguous, or even just cobbled together from disparate sources."

At this point, Qin Zhaoxue paused for a moment before adding with some hesitation, "However, the very existence of the Sand-tailed Scorpions is exceptionally strange. After the Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother was suppressed, even as warlords rose to power, both the Human Race and the Demon Race reached an almost unshakable consensus."

"That was to completely annihilate the Sand-tailed Scorpions!"

"According to the records, after the Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother was suppressed, the campaign to exterminate the Sand-tailed Scorpion Race alone lasted for several thousand years."

"There’s even a theory that the legendary Celestial Palace exhausted the last of its foundations during this millennia-long extermination campaign against the Sand-tailed Scorpions, leading to its rapid decline and eventual collapse."

"After the great catastrophe of that era, Sand-tailed Scorpions—even the ordinary ones—should have been completely wiped out from the Cultivation Immortal Realm long ago."

"And yet, here... the Sand-tailed Scorpions have reappeared..."

Qin Zhaoxue trailed off, her voice filled with doubt.

Just then, Chu Mu abruptly changed the subject.

"I’ve heard that the Imperial Palace of Great Heng is called... the Celestial Court?"

Qin Zhaoxue paused, startled, and a serious expression settled on her face. "The founding ancestor of my Great Heng inherited the legacy of the Celestial Palace, which is how he was able to establish our empire."

"Thus, from the very founding of Great Heng, we have followed the laws and decrees of the Celestial Palace, ruling the people on behalf of Heaven and ensuring the prosperity of the Human Race."

"That is how the Imperial Capital came to be known as the Celestial Court."

Realization dawned on Chu Mu. If that was the case, then everything made sense.

Inheriting even a fraction of the legacy of the Ancient Celestial Palace—a behemoth that once ruled the entire Human Race—was enough to grant a power a foundation so profound it was difficult for others to fathom.

Take the East Lake Secret Realm for example. The various powers of Great Chu fought over it for years, but in the end, all they did was ransack the place, leaving behind a trail of blood and gaining nothing of true substance.

Yet, the moment Great Heng appeared, it took the East Lake Secret Realm for itself.

The powers of Great Chu were still completely in the dark about this ruinous legacy hidden beyond the heavens, while Great Heng already had an extremely detailed understanding of it, and was clearly conducting large-scale, organized explorations.

They were unfathomable at every turn, always one step ahead of everyone else.

As for Qin Zhaoxue’s high-sounding words about ensuring the prosperity of the Human Race and ruling on behalf of Heaven, he didn’t pay them much mind.

’Whether one rules a land with the authority of an emperor, or through a Sect, Clan, or even an Alliance, at their core, there’s no real difference.’

’After all, an emperor lives by the creed: those who follow me shall prosper, and those who oppose me shall die. Are the powerful figures of Sect Clans any different? Do they show mercy to the weak?’

’Obviously not. In all cases, the strong are revered. It’s always the law of the jungle, where the weak are prey for the strong.’

’The only difference is the cloak they wear.’

"If we assume this is the place where that Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother was suppressed..."

At this, Qin Zhaoxue spoke again, "Then this endless tide of Sand-tailed Scorpions must have been spawned by that Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother."

"And this place is also a Trial Land."

"So, is it possible that after the Great Divine Power Cultivator from the Upper Realm suppressed the Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother, the seniors of the Celestial Palace realized they couldn’t kill it and eliminate the threat for good? And so, they established this Trial Land around the site of its suppression, hoping to use it to... wear it down? Or perhaps exterminate it?"

Hearing this speculation, Chu Mu was momentarily stunned. Then, an intense light visibly grew in his eyes.

’If this possibility was the foundation, then all the strange occurrences here could be explained.’

’Judging by the scale of the catastrophe the Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother unleashed, it was clear that back then, neither the Human Race nor the Demon Race in the Cultivation Immortal Realm had any way of dealing with it.’

’It was even possible that the Cultivation and Divine Techniques of this Sand-tailed Scorpion from the Upper Realm were inherently beyond the limits of this Cultivation Immortal Realm.’

’It had only been lying low and recuperating because it had been severely injured.’

’In the end, it was impossible to know if its injuries had fully healed. But if one assumed that the Sand-tailed Scorpion Mother’s Cultivation and Divine Techniques truly did exceed the limits of this Cultivation Immortal Realm...’

’...then there was no doubt that as long as the descended Great Divine Power Cultivator didn’t kill it, the Cultivation Immortal Realm, with its own power, would find it absolutely impossible to exterminate the creature, even if it was suppressed.’

’And so, they established this Trial Land. In the name of a trial, day after day, year after year, countless disciples would enter, slaughter Sand-tailed Scorpions, condense the Scorpion Eggs, and then...’

Chu Mu suddenly looked toward the ancient mountain range before him... This Purifying Soul Mountain...

’Soul Purification...’

The light in Chu Mu’s eyes grew brighter.

’Condense the Scorpion Eggs, nurture the Scorpion Eggs, and in the end... purify the Scorpion Eggs?’

’As for the principle behind it...’

"Suppose I have a mortal enemy whom I cannot kill, only suppress or imprison. How could I ensure it remains suppressed and imprisoned? How could I guarantee it won’t break free from its cage and escape?"

"How could I even guarantee that such imprisonment and suppression could be maintained indefinitely...?"

Chu Mu muttered to himself, a hint of madness appearing in his eyes.

Under the effect of the Spiritual Radiance Blessing, thoughts and inspirations exploded in his mind. In just a few breaths, countless lines of reasoning based on this speculation began to surface.

But just as quickly, Chu Mu extinguished these lines of thought.

’The fact that it can’t be killed means that ordinary methods of imprisonment and suppression are bound to be useless.’

’Even if they worked, it would only be a temporary solution that couldn’t be maintained for long.’

’But a special method of imprisonment and suppression...’

’A method that could last forever, permanently maintaining its suppressive and imprisoning effect...’

’It would absolutely have to be centered around an Array!’

’But an Array alone would also struggle to be effective.’

’After all, the inability to kill it directly would render many techniques useless.’

’Unless...’

Chu Mu scanned the Desert Sea Heaven and Earth around him, a sense of understanding dawning in his heart.

He slowly lowered his head. His gaze swept from the green robe he wore—a Top Grade Treasure Dharma Robe—to the Divine Wind Boots on his feet, the Qiankun Bag at his waist, and the Storage Ring on his finger. Finally, his eyes locked onto the glaring crimson mark on his wrist.

’I understand.’

’I understand why this glaring crimson mark—this "Scorpion Egg"—was able to bypass all my senses and attach to me without a sound.’

’The entire reason is that I had no defenses up!’

’Or rather, all my defenses were focused on the wrong things.’

’After all, a person’s existence is centered on their Essence, Qi, and Spirit.’

’To put it more simply, that’s the physical body and the Divine Soul. And Cultivators have developed their use of the body and soul to the absolute limit.’

’Any Cultivator’s external defenses are obviously focused on the physical body, since both the Divine Soul and Magical Power are contained within it.’

’The physical body is, without a doubt, always a Cultivator’s first and most crucial line of defense.’

’It’s just like back in the Demon Realm, when I was undergoing Refinement of the Heart of the Demon Realm. Why was I also silently eroded by a backlash? The most fundamental reason was that I had entered the Heart of the Demon Realm as a Divine Soul Body.’

’With the protection of my physical body gone, it meant that my most crucial first layer of defense, as well as the most important buffer, was nonexistent.’

’By making direct contact with a Demon as a Divine Soul Body, no matter how strict my defenses were, I absolutely could not have avoided the fate of being eroded in that endless land of Demonization Erosion.’

’But what if I was trapped in an endless Sand-tailed Scorpion Tide as a Divine Soul Body, yet I didn’t even realize I was in that state?’

’What would happen?’

...