Chapter 572 - 341: The 9 Great Emperors of the Old Celestial Court, the Outer World Divine Stele, the Past Sages

"So the Upper Three Realms, with the most fertile ground for survival and known as the Ascension Land, is still in the hands of the Middle-Age Divine Beings?" Witch Palace Language guessed.

"Yes and no. The powerful Middle-Age Divine Beings are already dead. The Upper Three Realms has long since devolved into a land of chaos. Those who remain should be nothing to fear. However, some of them, like the Abandoned Heaven Demon Emperor, have fallen into the Celestial Demon Dao. That place is now a complete mess."

Peach Blossom Granny didn’t seem to have any fondness for the Upper Realm.

"Then our race’s Lord God... is he also in the Upper Three Realms?"

At this moment, Witch Palace Language finally felt she was approaching the truth of this world.

Peach Blossom Granny smiled and said, "Not only are they in the Upper Three Realms, but they have also expelled that filthy group of Divine Beings and established a new order."

Witch Palace Language looked at the Pitch-Black Demon Tower within Rashomon and said with a serious expression, "In that case, rather than following the Abandoned Heaven Demon Emperor who fell tens of thousands of years ago, you’d be better off submitting to me."

The Pitch-Black Demon Tower stopped struggling. Instead, it reverted to a Cyan Blood Pearl and fell silent.

Witch Palace Language took out the Cyan Blood Pearl and held it in her hand. An icy sensation spread from her palm.

Peach Blossom Granny glanced at the Cyan Blood Pearl, then tilted her head and asked, "Has the Empress decided when to send troops to the Central Plains?"

"This is the Lord God’s will, after all."

...

「On the other side.」

In response to Lu Mingyuan’s question, Yuqing Ancestor Master and Bai Ze each wore different expressions.

Yuqing Ancestor Master gave a deeply helpless smile, while Bai Ze closed his eyes, intending to stay out of it.

"Fine! Since you’re so desperate to know the truth, I shall take you to see what this world is truly like today."

Yuqing Ancestor Master flicked a finger, and a ring of golden Taoist Qi emanated from its tip, enveloping Lu Mingyuan and Bai Ze, while ignoring Yun Qinghe.

When the light faded, their figures had vanished from Ascension Mountain Peak.

In the Ascension Relics, all the disciples of the Dao Alliance bowed in unison, chanting as one, "We respectfully see off the Ancestor Master!"

"We respectfully see off the Ancestor Master!"

Under Yuqing Ancestor Master’s protection, Lu Mingyuan continued to fly higher and higher.

They broke through the Barrier of the Dragon Peak Cave Heaven.

Ten thousand meters.

Thirty thousand meters.

Ninety thousand meters.

...

They continued until they reached the boundless darkness of the Outer Heaven. The cold here was bone-chilling, comparable to a temperature of a thousand degrees below zero, which very few Cultivators could withstand.

A current of water appeared in Lu Mingyuan’s vision, but it was as vast as the stars, its end nowhere in sight.

’Isn’t this just the depths of starry space?’

’Why is there water in the depths of space?’

Lu Mingyuan was inwardly puzzled.

In the four corners of the world flowed a mighty river of stars. The current was turbulent, and strange strands of cosmic law flowed along with the water.

The river of stars flowed through the universe in a ring. It had no riverbed, only planets suspended on either side, forming a simple embankment.

Though Lu Mingyuan appeared calm, he was utterly shaken to his core.

He had never even seen the universe with his own eyes in his past life.

But now, he had.

If not for Yuqing Ancestor Master, he probably never would have been able to come here.

’What kind of power could possibly make a river of stars float in the four corners of the Central Plains World? And what kind of place do the Divine Beings live in?’

"These star rivers are filled with terrifying void energy. It’s best not to touch them."

Yuqing Ancestor Master gave a reminder before continuing to lead Lu Mingyuan across the river of stars. There was nothing left to obstruct their vision.

Instead, a vast expanse of white mist appeared.

Lu Mingyuan found the white mist incredibly familiar. ’Isn’t this the same mist from the underground ruins?’

This white mist could instantly control a person’s consciousness, turning them into an empty shell. It was extremely dangerous.

It was basically a synonym for destruction.

It could destroy all life.

Wherever the white mist passed, only nothingness remained.

Sacred Consciousness couldn’t penetrate the white mist at all.

"So the end of the starry sky is just white mist?" Lu Mingyuan asked, looking up.

With a grand wave of his hand, Yuqing Ancestor Master said directly, "Look. What is this?"

Lu Mingyuan looked into the distance.

He discovered numerous barren stars in front of the white mist.

But upon closer inspection, they weren’t actually stars.

They were stone steles.

Gigantic stone steles.

The steles were covered in vast, boundless golden script.

Every character seemed like a desolate moon hanging in the sky, emitting a brilliance as bright as a star, effectively becoming the suns of this part of space.

It was these steles that formed a cosmic great wall, encircling the edge of the starry sky and holding back the white mist.

Regarding this, Yuqing Ancestor Master explained, "These are the Outer World Divine Steles. They can prevent the white mist from eroding this starry sky."

Lu Mingyuan thought for a moment before asking, "Why can the Outer World Divine Steles resist the white mist? And what lies beyond it?"

Yuqing Ancestor Master explained patiently, "The War of Ascension a hundred thousand years ago not only severed the path of Ascension, scattering the world’s Ascension Platforms, but it also allowed this white mist to erode the Celestial Court. These Outer World Divine Steles are a product of that time. They are all items left behind by the Divine Beings. It has been too long; I am no longer clear on the exact reasons.

As for what’s beyond the white mist, that is the world beyond the Celestial Gate—the Upper Realm.

After the gods of the Human Race fell, the path of Ascension was sealed, preventing any Cultivator of the Human Race from entering the Upper Realm to cultivate.

Of course, one can use the power of an Ascension Platform to reopen the sealed path of Ascension."

Bai Ze, who had been silent all this time, smiled, his gaze turning profound as he looked at Yuqing Ancestor Master.

"Yuqing, there is one thing you don’t need to be so evasive about."

Bai Ze turned to Lu Mingyuan and said, "Do you know where the power of these Outer World Divine Steles comes from?"

Lu Mingyuan had some guesses about the question, but he wasn’t certain.

"Let me tell you. The past sages of your Human Race, as well as the ancestors of my Demon Race, are all here."

Upon hearing this, Lu Mingyuan’s pupils trembled.

He looked at Yuqing Ancestor Master in disbelief. "Senior Yuqing, is this true?"

"It is..."

Yuqing Ancestor Master sighed deeply and said slowly, "The Buddha, Li Sheng, and Sub-Saint you speak of, as well as the Taoist Ancestor, my senior brother Taiqing, and my senior brother Shangqing... they all used their Cultivation to fill this place."

"They scattered their Daos here just to maintain the operation of the Outer World Divine Steles."

"However, these Outer World Divine Steles can’t hold out for much longer."

"Activating an Ascension Platform to travel to the Upper Realm, to the other side of the white mist, is the only way."

Yuqing Ancestor Master’s tone grew heavy, tinged with helplessness.

Bai Ze snorted coldly. "Who knows what’s on the other side of the white mist? Your so-called journey to the Upper Realm... is it to satisfy your own selfish desires, or to escape the fate of the Sacrificial Dao? You’re just afraid of dying."

Yuqing Ancestor Master said flatly, "This concerns the future of the Human Race. Your opinion doesn’t matter."

Lu Mingyuan fell silent at these words.

He had never imagined the truth would be so heavy.

For the sake of the Central Plains World, sage after sage of the Human Race had sacrificed themselves to protect all living beings.

"So Wei the Ninth never ascended to the Upper Realm at all. He also scattered his Cultivation and became one of these divine steles in the starry sky," Lu Mingyuan murmured.

He recalled the moment Wei the Ninth had disappeared.

There hadn’t been a single trace of attachment to the Mortal World in his eyes.

Yet he had told him it was due to the influence of the Celestial Dao, that he could no longer remain in the mortal plane.

"You must be speaking of that Martial Arts Great Saint. He was the only Fourteenth Realm Martial Cultivator in the last thousand years. He bought the Central Plains World at least ten years’ time. During the long years of guarding the starry sky, I met him on several occasions."

Yuqing Ancestor Master explained.

Lu Mingyuan now understood why the Taoist Sect was so desperate to find an Ascension Platform.

Only by finding an Ascension Platform could the Human Race escape this method of trading lives for peace.

But Bai Ze believed that the Ascension Platform should not be allowed to appear.

By maintaining the status quo, both the Human and Demon Races could continue to survive.

They couldn’t gamble on what lay beyond the Celestial Gate. Who could possibly know?

What if it was just more white mist?

After the Godslaying, even in death, the past sages of the Human Race continued to protect the starry sky above everyone’s heads.

...