Chapter 1039 - 480: Bai Fox Is Actually...

True Monarch Ye, renowned as the foremost cultivator of the Yan Kingdom.

Many years ago, within the Three Thousand Great Mountains, she underwent the great tribulation of the Nascent Soul.

That tribulation was truly earth-shattering, and even though she faced it within the Three Thousand Great Mountains, the cold disaster still affected half of the Yan Kingdom.

But who would have anticipated?

After that great tribulation, this invincible cultivator of the Yan Kingdom inexplicably disappeared, vanishing without a trace.

There are rumors in the district.

This person failed the tribulation and perished under the thunder penalty.

"I apologize if I’m being too forward, but if Fellow Daoist Jian finds it inconvenient to disclose, consider it as though I never asked."

Seeing Jian Gu fall silent, Chen Ye smiled, preparing to lift his cup and move past the topic.

Yet before he could avert his gaze,

Jian Gu reached out to stop him, speaking in a deep voice:

"Taoist Friend Chen, you’re being too polite; there’s no need for such formality between us. Years ago, this matter was a taboo within the sect, not to be mentioned at all. But now our sect is in disarray, and even if these things are said, no one cares anymore."

Upon hearing Jian Gu’s words, Chen Ye felt reassured inside.

This meant he could go with the flow and verify his speculation.

Jian Gu glanced around; although the celestial music in the main hall could drown out their voices, with so many families gathered here, it wasn’t a suitable place for a secret discussion.

He calmly finished his drink, then stood up, with the bladeless heavy sword slung over his back.

"Taoist Friend Chen, this place is too noisy. Why not join me for a walk to the quieter back mountain?"

Jian Gu spoke in an even tone, and to outsiders, it might just seem like two old friends catching up after years of separation.

"Very well," Chen Ye replied with a nonchalant smile, also rising from his seat.

The two of them discreetly left the bustling, lively main hall, one after the other.

In no time, following a secluded stone path of Dragon Sleep Mountain, they reached a windswept cliffside.

The area was wide open, with only the howling mountain wind and a few patches of lingering snow, but not a single fluctuation of spiritual mechanism.

Standing at the edge of the precipice, Jian Gu pointed like a sword, creating a barrier of sword qi in the air that isolated a radius of ten zhang.

Understanding the gesture, Chen Ye knew Jian Gu was ready to disclose some of the sect’s secrets.

With a composed expression, he straightforwardly posed the doubts he had been harboring:

"To be honest, I’ve encountered some incredible tales in ancient texts and rumors. It’s said... that the renowned True Monarch Ye of the past was not actually of our Human Race. I wonder if Fellow Daoist Jian has come across any hints of this within the sect?"

The question was sparked by the little white fox that lingered at his place, doing nothing but eating spirit fruits or curling up to sleep.

Despite its laziness comparable to Qing Jun,

its behavior was remarkably extraordinary.

Though it exhaled the aura of a mundane beast, its spirituality surpassed even that of a Golden Core Great Demon.

It had also, during the explosion at Celestial Abyss, managed to flee with his disciple... its capabilities defied explanation.

Moreover,

the timing and place of the white fox’s appearance were unusually fitting.

After the Nascent Soul tribulation, it inexplicably appeared in Linsong Valley near Yunxi District...

Previously,

Chen Ye had merely suspected the white fox could be True Man Ye’s spirit pet, but the more he interacted with it, the less it seemed like just a spirit pet.

Seeing Chen Ye’s direct inquiry, Jian Gu’s facial muscles momentarily tightened. He glanced at Chen Ye, then down at the swirling clouds below, and said:

"...Taoist Friend Chen, you truly are knowledgeable. Although this isn’t exactly a secret, very few know of it; indeed, True Monarch Ye’s true form was not of our Human Race."

"Regarding True Monarch Ye’s origins... three hundred years ago, the previous sect master returned from cultivating in the Three Thousand Great Mountains and brought a spirit beast back to the sect. From that day forward, the old sect master was accompanied by an exceptionally talented little girl. Within the sect, many suspected the little girl was a spirit beast transformed, but dared not voice it due to the old sect master’s favoritism. After the old sect master’s demise, some traditional cultivators could no longer suppress themselves... Ahem, suffice it to say, a major event occurred, which largely confirmed her identity. However, the event planted the seeds of disaster for the Refining God Sect, with far-reaching consequences."

Chen Ye furrowed his brow.

Three hundred years ago again?

The timing was intriguing.

Daoist Miaofang once mentioned, back three hundred years ago, his grandfather visited Songyang Cave Heaven and returned greatly injured, seemingly wounded by Ancestor Songyang.

And Qing Jun also fell from Songyang Cave Heaven three hundred years ago, landing in Dragon Sleep Cold Pool.

The little white fox had also mentioned, while in the cave heaven, that someone came to Songyang Cave Heaven three hundred years ago and started a massacre. However, for the two hundred years before that, the deities of the Ninth Layer Heaven, including Qing Jun, could no longer feel His will.

"Could it be..."

A flash of insight struck Chen Ye’s mind.

Exactly three hundred years ago, it was the critical time when Ancestor Songyang’s residual soul attempted to seize Qing Jun’s body, causing the White Fox Race to lose their sense of Qing Jun’s will early on.

At this moment, a Huayue Cultivator, for some reason, came to Songyang Cave Heaven and battled fiercely with Ancestor Songyang’s remnant soul, causing commotion that alarmed the former sect master of the Refining God Sect, who was cultivating in the Three Thousand Great Mountains.

After arriving at the cave heaven, the old sect master discovered the almost annihilated White Fox Race and ultimately took the surviving little white fox back to the sect, also causing Qing Jun to fall from the Ninth Layer Heaven...

"So, it seems everything is connected after all."

Chen Ye let out a long breath, feeling as if a fog in his heart had been dispelled.