Quinn Shepherd exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Yutian, you recognize these characters?"
Heavenly Lord Yu was still a bit dazed and replied, "When I see these characters, they just feel familiar, like that's exactly how they should be read."
The others were all astonished. Everyone knew that Quinn Shepherd was erudite and versatile, fluent in countless languages—divine, demonic, Youdu, and even ancient and primordial scripts.
Yet to their surprise, the young man at Quinn Shepherd's side could recognize writing that even Quinn Shepherd himself did not know.
However, no one dwelled on it for long, as their attention was drawn to the spectacle before their eyes.
The Great Ruins was still expanding. Many of its original mountains had already been sent far, far away, yet there was no sign of orogenic activity within the Great Ruins.
If it were orogenesis, there would surely be earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and magma everywhere.
Yet despite the ongoing expansion, the Great Ruins remained relatively calm; the new lands, mountains, and hills seemed to emerge straight out of space itself.
Thus, the expansion of the Great Ruins did not greatly affect the beings living here.
However, the newly emerged land was simply too vast, far surpassing the original Great Ruins. When Quinn Shepherd searched for the nearest mountain, he found that it was now forty times farther away than before!
In other words, the Great Ruins had just increased at least fortyfold in both length and width!
Its total area must have expanded by at least sixteen hundred times!
High-Emperor Heaven used to pierce through the center of the Great Ruins, an awe-inspiring sight, but now, with the expansion, that sense of grandeur had faded.
Quinn Shepherd looked all around. The roads once laid by the Imperial Preceptor of Everpeace were now fragmented, broken into scattered segments.
Even more astonishing, the newly emerged mountains and terrains were shrouded in multicolored mists, with some places erupting with radiant light. They even saw ruins of ancient cities and colossal broken statues towering between heaven and earth!
"This upheaval feels like sealed lands being released," True God Pang Yu murmured.
Divine Lord Sangye asked, "Was the Great Ruins like this in the past?"
True God Pang Yu, who was fairly ancient, shook his head. "No. The Great Ruins in the Pioneer Era was different from now, but generally similar. When the Pioneer Heavenly Court crashed down, it pierced through the heavens and landed here, filling the Great Ruins with many remnants of the Heavenly Court. Back then, the Pioneer Era hadn't completely ended, and there were still gods lingering here."
Granny Sue asked, "Then what about before the Pioneer Era? What was the Great Ruins like in the Supreme Sovereign Era?"
True God Pang Yu gave a bitter smile. "How would I know anything about the Supreme Sovereign Era?"
Granny Sue pondered, "The land that surged forth this time should be the Earth-Mother Origin World that was suppressed by the Great Ruins. Just now, when I used my primordial magnetism divine art, I must have triggered the sealed Earth-Mother Origin World, causing it to be released. But why was the Earth-Mother Origin World suppressed beneath the Great Ruins in the first place?"
Everyone turned to True God Pang Yu for answers. He widened his already large eyes even further, looking helpless as he said, "How would I know any of this? Don't look at me—I don't know! The Woodcutter Celestial Master knows much more; ask him instead."
"The Woodcutter Sage is still in Everpeace, working with the Imperial Preceptor to push reforms everywhere. If they want to come here now, it'll take at least forty times longer than usual."
Quinn Shepherd kept his eyes fixed on the distant mountains, watching as the peaks receded farther and farther. He said, "Soon enough, it'll take fifty times longer. Is the Earth-Mother Origin World the realm where Earth Mother Primordial Lady was born?"
No one could answer him.
Suddenly, the sound of waves rang out—a massive crack appeared before them, filled with deep blue water. The fissure split wider, the water increased, and soon a hundred-li-wide lake formed, which kept expanding until it became a sea!
The sea grew wider and wider, stretching as far as the eye could see.
Quinn Shepherd was shaken to the core and quickly dashed through the High-Emperor Heaven Tunnel, arriving at the Eastern Great Ruins.
Victor Bloom was stirred and followed with Heavenly Lord Yu in tow, while the others hurried after them.
Quinn Shepherd gazed eastward, where endless mountains stretched beyond sight.
He flew upward along the ground of High-Emperor Heaven, rising higher and higher. His vision extended farther and farther until, at last, Quinn Shepherd saw a vast ocean tens of thousands of miles away.
True God Pang Yu cried out, "That's the Eastern Sea from the Pioneer Era! That sea vanished long ago—how can it have appeared again today?"
The Eastern Sea was deep blue, its waves surging; so much water had emerged from nowhere, and the sea stretched for tens of thousands of miles.
Originally, that spot was just a basin, not very large. To the north was Sumeru Mountain and the Grand Thunder Sound Temple, to the east the Godsever Mountains, and to the south, Mizu Pass where the Yong River flowed.
Now, however, the Sumeru Mountain area was shrouded in clouds and mist, and faintly, a pillar pierced straight into the heavens—its top nowhere to be seen!
Quinn Shepherd looked toward the Godsever Mountains, but the once-mighty range was nowhere to be found.
As for the Yong River, he hardly recognized it now. All he could see was a massive river, eight hundred li wide, surging eastward, its length simply unimaginable.
"The Dragon-Keeper Lord has really made a killing."
Quinn Shepherd muttered, "I regret making him the Dragon King of the Yong River—especially since our pact was with Tu Bo, and it wouldn't be easy to go back on it now..."
He removed the Golden Willow Leaf Talisman from his brow and sent his divine sense into the sealed Keane-Sigil Continent, asking, "Heaven Duke, Tu Bo, can you sense the changes in the Great Ruins?"
Heaven Duke and Tu Bo looked out through his third eye; both ancient beings shuddered, exchanged a glance, and grew solemn.
The Great Sun Star Lord also looked out and cried, "Primordial Capital! Earth Mother Primordial Lady's birthplace!"
Quinn Shepherd asked curiously, "Isn't it called the Earth-Mother Origin World? Why do you call it Primordial Capital?"
"Earth-Mother Origin World is the name given after the Heavenly Court was established. Before that, it was called Primordial Capital and belonged to Earth Mother Primordial Lady. Later, the Heavenly Court was founded above Primordial Capital."
The Great Sun Star Lord explained, "The gods mined divine metal from Primordial Capital to forge the Heavenly Court. Earth Mother Primordial Lady grew displeased, feeling her treasures were being taken and her fortune stolen. When the Heavenly Court built the Thirty-Six Heaven Palaces and Seventy-Two Treasure Halls, they came for more divine metal, which made her even angrier. So she changed the name to Earth-Mother Origin World, declaring it her territory. Later, among the Nine Heavenly Venerables, Cloud-Heaven Venerable rebelled and built Sky-Han Heaven Court right here. I was killed by an arrow in the back when attacking Sky-Han Heaven Court..."
Heaven Duke's avatar said, "You commanded all the star gods and knew every secret of the Dragon-Han Heavenly Court. If you didn't die, who would?"
The Great Sun Star Lord shrank back and dared not speak further.
Quinn Shepherd asked, "Heaven Duke, you must know many secrets about the Earth-Mother Origin World, right?"
Heaven Duke's avatar glanced at the magma Tu Bo. Tu Bo said, "Daoist friend, you go ahead and explain."
Heaven Duke said, "I know a bit. Sky-Han Heaven Court was established in the Earth-Mother Origin World, and later the Chiming Heavenly Court was built here as well. Crimson Emperor, you should remember this, right?"
Crimson Emperor replied thoughtfully, "That's right, but the Origin World was no longer as vast as before. I heard that when the Dragon-Han Era was destroyed, part of the Origin World was obliterated by the gods. What I saw then was the Great Ruins, but the Dragon-Han Great Ruins was much larger than it is now."
"After you died, Bright Emperor inherited your legacy and continued the Crimson-Bright Era's fortune. Bright Emperor also started out in the Origin World."
Heaven Duke continued, "After Bright Emperor's Heavenly Court was destroyed, the Crimson-Bright survivors migrated and hid in the Floating Realm. But after that battle, the Origin World shrank even further. The Supreme Sovereign Era was built atop the ruins of the Crimson-Bright Great Ruins, and near its end, it was destroyed again and became the Supreme Sovereign Great Ruins. Forty thousand years ago, Kaihuang began his rise on the Supreme Sovereign Great Ruins, which is now the Kaihuang Great Ruins. Four eras—all were founded atop the Origin World."
Quinn Shepherd was stunned. Four Heavenly Courts, all started here—and all became Heavenly Courts in this very place?
Just what kind of place was the Earth-Mother Origin World, for its fortune to be so abundant?
"Heaven Duke is dodging the real issue—he hasn't explained why the ancient Primordial Capital became the present-day Great Ruins, nor where Earth Mother Primordial Lady is, nor why the Origin World has suddenly reappeared."
Quinn Shepherd complained bitterly, "Heaven Duke seems to say a lot, but in fact, he hasn't said more than the Great Sun Star Lord!"
The white-bearded old man blew his beard and glared, retorting, "He says a lot, so he died early!"
Quinn Shepherd said coldly, "Did Earth Mother Primordial Lady die? If she could die, why can't Heaven Duke? Whether you speak or not, others may not let you off."
Heaven Duke hesitated and glanced at the magma Tu Bo.
Tu Bo's gaze was profound. "I'm not a voyeur. I don't constantly monitor the Earth-Mother Origin World. Besides, even in Youdu I can't see what's happening there—only when vengeful spirits fall into Youdu can I sense any anomalies in the Origin World."
Heaven Duke looked at the Great Sun Star Lord, who shrank his bird head and said, "Don't look at me. I was killed by a treacherous arrow. I spied on too many secrets, and after I died, I have no idea what happened in the Origin World..."
Heaven Duke sighed, "I'm a voyeur—I know things about the Origin World."
He paused. "Actually, the Supreme Sovereign Era was tied to Earth Mother Sovereign and the Heavenly Court. Back then, the Supreme Sovereign Era was split between two Heavenly Courts, representing two different powers. After Earth Mother Sovereign died, the era collapsed. That's all I can tell you—the rest, you'll have to discover for yourself."
Quinn Shepherd was shaken and quickly asked, "The North and South Supreme Sovereign Courts—so the era was split in two. Who supported these powers? And you said Earth Mother Primordial Lady died—who killed her?"
Heaven Duke said nothing.
Quinn Shepherd pressed on. At last, Heaven Duke couldn't help but snap, "I've told you a lot already, and you still pester me? How did Earth Mother die? I don't know—I can only guess! There are plenty of beings who can block my sight. I can't see Youdu, can't find the Umbral World, can't even see the Heavenly Court! By the end of the Supreme Sovereign Era, I couldn't even see the Great Ruins! The only reason I hid in your eye was to see what happened in recent years!"
He grew despondent. "I can still see other heavens and worlds, but there's more and more I can't see... I'm becoming the old Heaven that mortals curse for being blind..."
Magma Tu Bo said to Quinn Shepherd, "The reappearance of the Earth-Mother Origin World may be connected to lingering fragments of Earth Mother Primordial Lady's consciousness. You should be careful."
Quinn Shepherd asked in confusion, "Why do I need to be careful?"
Tu Bo replied, "Outside Jade-Lock Pass, you devoured the primordial spirits of many gods and demons—including descendants of Earth Mother Primordial Lady from the Dragon-Han Era. The karmic pot is already on your back, and I've noted the debt. Still, out of professional fairness, I felt I should warn you."
—Black Pot Hero Qin Mu: Carrying the blame is our specialty! (Note: This last line is an author’s promotional aside and not part of the main story.)