As she walked through the courtyard and entered the inner chamber, she finally understood what the Shadow Ops were guarding—it was the Divine Life Core! The Divine Life Core, which had replaced Lady Mazu’s position in Putian and was conferred godhood, had been secretly transported to Lin’an by the Shadow Ops!
But what does the Divine Life Core have to do with this “Heavenly Path” they just mentioned?
Yang Qi saw her confusion and said, “The Divine Life Core is naturally attuned to this world. If you look at things through its eyes, you’ll see things differently than any ordinary mortal. This time, I need a pair of eyes that can see through everything.”
She pulled out the Stormstone, held it in her palm, and reached it toward the Divine Life Core. Instantly, a spark of spirit flashed in the Divine Life Core’s eyes—it came alive, like a corpse suddenly revived. With a crack, it stretched out its hand, grabbing for the Stormstone.
The two—one human, one Divine Life Core—moved in perfect sync, like reflections in a mirror, both grasping the Stormstone at the same moment.
Four nearly identical hands—one holding the other, the other wrapping around it—clasped the Stormstone tightly in the center, like a beautiful lotus cradling its heart.
In the next instant, a dazzling light burst forth.
The prayers and wishes of tens of thousands of believers, day and night, had gathered here, unleashing a miraculous power. The Stormstone’s energy was pushed to its absolute limit. It was as if the Stormstone itself was melting under intense heat, transforming from a solid stone into a mass of pure, shapeless light. Crimson-gold rays shot from between twenty interlocked fingers, like a tiny sun blazing into life.
That tiny sun’s radiance spun and sparkled, then slowly faded and condensed, drawing all the light back in—until, in the end, it formed a mysterious, unfathomable symbol. The symbol looked like a searing, phantom brand—nothing like any written word in any human language. Yet the moment you saw it, you felt a strange, deep meaning settle right into your bones.
Thump, thump—the symbol’s light pulsed with a rhythmic beat, trembling as if it were a living, jumping heart.
Thump, thump—the pulsing grew faster and stronger, sending ripples of radiant light through the void.
Thump, thump, thump—like war drums beating without pause, filling the air with an exhilarating power.
Thump, thump, thump—the vibration triggered a mysterious reaction. Far beyond mountains and rivers, a distant cliff suddenly glowed with the same radiant symbol. Lines of light seemed to surge from deep within the stone, spreading and growing across the face of the cliff.
Before the cliff, an old man wrapped in white robes stared in shock. He quickly knelt and bowed, chanting in an ancient foreign tongue, as if trying to calm something.
The patterns on the cliff sometimes spread, sometimes receded—a hidden struggle was raging in some mysterious dimension.
Far away, Yang Qi frowned sharply. Within the Divine Life Core, she sensed the strange powers converging from countless households—but time was too short, and the faith energy stored in the Divine Life Core was still too little. If this kept up, it would soon be depleted.
No, this can’t drag on—we need to push harder.
All at once—break through the resistance!
This gamble is our last hope—Jiaoniang’s fate hangs in the balance. We must win, no matter what!
So, even though I know you’re tired now, and even though I know the only reason I’ve been able to stay in this world so long is because you’ve been holding me up behind the scenes—I need you to push a little harder and help me out, Big Log!!!
With a desperate effort, her right hand’s side-profile suddenly flew out, branding itself into the void. In a flash, the profile grew to human size and merged with her true self.
“This—this feeling, this energy!!” Sanmiao was stunned. She couldn’t see the golden light, but she sensed a familiar aura. Her mind was disturbed by a powerful force, leaving her dazed. In that haze, she seemed to see that big goof radiating showers of light, wearing his familiar gentle smile, descending here like a flying immortal.
Suddenly, a phantom image of Yang Qi’s side-profile appeared on the back of her left hand.
Then—BOOM! Golden light exploded, surging like ocean waves in all directions.
In that instant, Yang Qi’s spirit finally severed the strange entanglement, breaking through into a mysterious dimension. She felt like a rocket launching skyward, her spirit soaring high above the earth—like a god, able to see the world’s edge in a single glance.
This feeling was just like the scene she saw when the Mystic Isle’s immortal light pierced the skies.
Last time, she’d borrowed the infinite power of the World Tree—no effort needed. But this time, she broke through all obstacles herself, and the sense of accomplishment was completely different.
She had a god’s view, but not a god’s power. In her eyes, the boundless earth, endless seas, and infinite starry sky were all shrouded in unending darkness.
Yet in that darkness, a few flames glowed.
The first spot lay far to the west, where a massive flame burned—the most striking thing in this dark world. The last two Stormstone tremors were signals from this enormous fire. That’s the place she was searching for, where the second Heaven’s Limit Stele is hidden.
Before, even during the Mystic Isle incident, Yang Qi could only vaguely sense the direction of that giant signal source—she knew nothing about its exact location or what was happening there, let alone anything beyond the fire. But this time was different: not only could she pinpoint the fire’s location, she also saw several smaller flames.
In this dark world, six small flames flickered.
The brightest flame was her own, blazing like a supernova in the darkness.
The second flame lay to the southwest, steady and bright—neither too warm nor too cold, neither urgent nor impatient. Yang Qi gazed at it and saw mountains and forests: Mount Qingcheng, the Taoist holy land. Looks like the second Stormstone is there.
The third flame was in the northwest, moving toward the great fire. Yang Qi stared and saw roaring soldiers, galloping horses, and rows of tents. She knew it was the Silver Priest of the Eternal Heaven Sect—not dead yet, and rallying his troops for one last fight for destiny.
The last three flames were intriguing—all, like Yang Qi’s, were in Lin’an. From this infinite height, the four flames seemed to stick together. Time was short, so Yang Qi quickly scanned each one.
She looked at the first and immediately realized it was Jiaoniang’s, because she saw Sanmiao’s palace. This flame flickered like a candle in the wind—always on the verge of going out, tugging at her heart.
Yang Qi steadied herself and looked at the second. It was so dim and tiny, barely a flame—just the smallest spark. Staring at it, she saw a familiar complex of buildings: the imperial treasury. Looks like a Stormstone is hidden there.
And then, the last flame.
Yang Qi summoned the last bit of her strength to focus. In this mysterious dimension, she didn’t see actual scenes, but rather symbolic visions—what she saw depended partly on luck. Images flashed before her eyes: palace maids, eunuchs. She knew the last stone was in the palace.
But where exactly? Whose hands held it? This stone was critical—if she could get it, she absolutely couldn’t let it slip away!
Her mind wavered as the Divine Life Core’s energy ran dry. Yang Qi managed one last look before her spirit was jolted, tumbling out of the mysterious dimension. It felt like falling from a great height, dizzy and drained.
In the material world, it all happened in a flash. One moment Sanmiao sensed Yang Qi’s aura, the next she saw the blazing symbol dim and cool, its brilliance flickering out and condensing back into a nondescript black stone. Yang Qi clutched her head, staggering.
Sanmiao rushed over to steady her, anxiously asking, “Master, are you alright?”
“Ugh, I’m fine, just really dizzy!” Yang Qi patted her head and shook it, gradually feeling better. As soon as she recovered, she leapt up, eyes shining with excitement: “We did it!”
Sanmiao was instantly excited too: “We did it?!”
“We did it! We’ve won the first round of our bet! And guess who I just saw? Haha, you’ll never guess~~” With hope restored, Yang Qi was back to her usual self. She slapped Sanmiao’s shoulder boldly and said with spirit, “Come on, let’s go win round two!”
“Round two?”
“Yep! If you want to break the bank at the casino, you need plenty of chips—and a seasoned driver to lead the way.” Yang Qi grinned mischievously, her expression turning sly: “I’ve got an idea for catching a seasoned driver easily.”
Seeing that look, Sanmiao knew someone was in trouble.
But usually, the unlucky ones have no idea what’s coming.
Around 3 p.m., a eunuch, beaming with joy, entered a secluded palace courtyard. At his arrival, all the concubines grew nervous—he was from the Office of Ceremonies.
Could it be—the Emperor has finally chosen us?!
Is it finally our turn to shine?!
But the question is—which one of us did the Emperor choose?
The old eunuch cheerfully addressed their confusion: “Blessings to all the ladies! I bring good news from His Majesty. Tonight, the Emperor will summon all of you to attend him—yes, His Majesty is in high spirits and wants all of you to serve him together.”