Shu Jun's two eyes, one in front and one behind, lifted their eyelids to look at him, surprised by this rare moment of humility from Quinn Shepherd. Unhurriedly, he said: "If you truly blaze a new trail, a path completely different from the Heaven Palace cultivation system, it means you are discarding a million years of spellcasters' accumulated wisdom, all the experience others have built up. All the myriad cultivation methods and divine arts of the past million years will be useless to you. It would be like building an entirely new civilization on your own."
Quinn Shepherd did indeed have such thoughts in his heart.
In his eyes, the Heaven Palace system, though not yet evolved into a perfect Heavenly Court, was not beyond change.
He truly wanted to abandon the Heaven Palace cultivation system entirely and create a brand-new system of cultivation.
"But have you ever thought about how long it would take you?"
Shu Jun said, "You might need a million years to perfect the new path you carve out, before that cultivation system matures. And maybe you'll be the only one on that road, so even a million years would be short. But if you accept the Heaven Palace system, perhaps you need only a few thousand, or even a few hundred years to reach the peak and become the strongest being under heaven. This is my advice from experience, but the road lies beneath your feet—how you walk it is your choice."
Quinn Shepherd fell silent, bowed deeply to Shu Jun atop the altar, and let his divine sense dissipate like mist.
Shu Jun wondered, "Why is this kid suddenly so respectful to me?"
Atop the Supreme Emperor Altar, Quinn Shepherd looked up, gazing at the Supreme Emperor Seal floating overhead, borrowing Julius's power to resist the ever-strengthening pressure of the Supreme Divine Sense Domain.
Yue Tingge and Logan Cross glanced back; the star-ring atop the cliff had returned to its normal speed, no longer accelerating, and they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The altar flew through the void, approaching the brow of Julius's colossal body—and drawing ever closer to Flame-Venerable as well.
But Quinn Shepherd kept staring up at the Supreme Emperor Seal, lost in thought. Yue Tingge and Logan Cross were puzzled, but did not ask.
Suddenly, two streams of tears slid down from the corners of Quinn Shepherd's eyes. Yue Tingge and Logan Cross jumped in shock, not understanding why Shepherd Heavenly Venerable had suddenly become so sentimental.
Quinn Shepherd withdrew his gaze, a wave of sorrow welling up inside, and he could not help but shed silent tears.
He had made his decision—not to pursue an unknown road, not to explore where that path might lead, not to chase after the beauty at its end.
Once, he had glimpsed the endless wonders that road might hold, but now he could only let it go.
He would reopen his Heaven Palaces, following the wisdom of millions over a million years, walking the path of Revered God, True God, Jade Terrace, Jade Capital, and beyond.
Perhaps, if he had a million years, he could perfect his own path, become an eternal legend, and surpass even the Heavenly Court itself.
But the Everpeace Empire could not wait, nor could the Everpeace Reform. His friends, his comrades—they could not wait.
He might miss countless beautiful sights along that road, and never see the origin of the Dao at its end, but he could grasp the present and cherish what was before him.
He let go of everything, and that feeling in his heart gradually faded, turning into a lingering melancholy that wouldn’t disperse.
This melancholy wasn’t a sadness from deep within his soul, but more like a sorrow echoing from the end of the Dao itself.
The Supreme Emperor Altar quietly drifted past Flame-Venerable, heading straight for Julius’s brow.
Logan Cross glanced back at Flame-Venerable, who was left behind, and couldn’t help saying, “Quinn, you’re avoiding Flame-Venerable. Shouldn’t we rescue him first?”
Yue Tingge also noticed; Quinn was clearly planning to bypass the struggling Flame-Venerable and reach Julius’s brow before him.
Quinn laughed, “Relax, Flame-Venerable won’t die. Right, Flame-Venerable?”
Flame-Venerable’s body was frozen in place, Dao runes shifting slowly around him as he ignored their words.
“He doesn’t mind,” Quinn said.
Logan’s eyes twitched; he glanced back at Flame-Venerable.
Quinn reassured him, “Really, don’t worry. It’s hard for Flame-Venerable to get in here, but leaving is easy. He just needs to turn around and spend a few hundred years walking out.”
Logan was exasperated. “Are you worried that if you rescue Flame-Venerable, he’ll turn around and kill you instead?”
Quinn replied calmly, “I can’t say for sure if he’ll kill me, but he’ll definitely kill Celestial Teacher Yue. Right, Yue?”
Yue Tingge sighed, looking defeated. “I tricked Flame-Venerable and Venerable Void into this place and got him trapped here for so long. He’ll probably go after me.”
The altar rocked as it flew into Julius’s brow—no Taichu Primal Stone remained, only a rhomboid wound.
The space inside was vast and open, mesmerizing rays of light streaming from Julius’s brain like bands of colored clouds, each forming its own path.
The Supreme Emperor Altar flew into the layers of radiant clouds, the Supreme Emperor Seal endlessly absorbing the light. Waves of radiance surged in, and through the glow, a figure could be seen seated amid the overlapping brilliance.
Yue Tingge and Logan Cross looked at Quinn, puzzled.
Quinn suppressed his excitement, took a deep breath, and asked in a low voice, “Celestial Teacher Yue, God-Knife Logan, can you move a Heavenly Venerable’s body?”
The two were stunned, unable to believe the unmoving figure in the radiance.
The Supreme Emperor Altar finally reached the figure in the glow. Logan Cross examined the man in the light—he was elegant, strikingly handsome, with an extraordinary air, like a middle-aged emperor, yet more refined. Logan didn’t recognize him and wondered, “Is this some Supreme Sovereign? But from Quinn’s words, he should be a Heavenly Venerable. Which one died here?”
Yue Tingge was shaken and whispered, “That’s Cloud-Venerable…”
Logan Cross was stunned, blurting out, “He’s the founder of the Divine Bridge Treasury—Cloud-Venerable?”
Quinn urged, “You two, I don’t have the power to move his body. You’d better do it.”
The Supreme Emperor Altar floated before Cloud-Venerable’s body. Quinn softly said, “Friend Cloud, you’re going home.”
Suppressing their shock, Yue Tingge and Logan Cross stepped forward, using their magic to carefully lift Cloud-Venerable’s body onto the altar.
Quinn let out a long breath, activated the Supreme Emperor Altar, and began the return journey.
The altar passed by Flame-Venerable again. Logan Cross couldn’t help glancing at Quinn, who sighed and stopped the altar. “How about you help him turn around?”
Logan snorted, “What’s the use of turning him around? He’s still trapped in the Supreme Divine Sense Domain!”
Quinn said, “If he turns around himself, it’ll take him over two hundred years. If we help, he’ll be free two hundred years sooner.”
Logan frowned, about to protest, but Quinn said, “Logan, can you guarantee Flame-Venerable won’t kill me or Celestial Teacher Yue once he’s free?”
Logan didn’t reply. Together with Yue Tingge, he helped Flame-Venerable turn around.
The altar continued flying outward. After a long time, it crossed the Void Abyss and reached the star-ring. The three, along with a dragon, leapt off the altar. Quinn put away the altar, keeping only the Supreme Emperor Seal, and looked curiously at the dragon.
The dragon had been quiet the whole way, unlike before when it was always shrieking “Mahama!”
Suddenly, Yue Tingge exclaimed, “Flame-Venerable took a step!”
Quinn was startled and looked over, and sure enough, saw Flame-Venerable take a step toward them!
“Crap!”
His scalp tingled and he rushed toward the edge of the Supreme Divine Sense Domain. Logan, Yue Tingge, and the dragon hurried after him.
The closer they got to the domain’s core, the stronger the suppression. But once Flame-Venerable took his first step, the next would come faster—he was moving outward!
With every step he took, the pressure lessened!
With his strength, escaping would only take a short time!
Quinn’s scalp tingled as he sprinted outward, determined to escape before Flame-Venerable broke free.
Just then, he heard footsteps.
The footsteps shook the heavens, collapsing the void and erupting in thunderous crashes.
Quinn looked back and saw flames soaring within the Supreme Divine Sense Domain.
Suddenly, another footstep sounded—louder, the flames rising higher, melting the sky!
It’s over, Flame-Venerable has broken free!
Quinn gritted his teeth and dashed forward. Yue Tingge shot past him, shouting, “I’m not sticking around to die—see you next year, Shepherd! You block Flame-Venerable for me, I’ll burn paper for you next year!”
Burn your own damn paper!
Quinn was furious, but saw Yue Tingge transform into a pile of blocks and roll away, vanishing quickly.
Quinn raced ahead, but Logan’s feet flew even faster, passing him by. Clearly, Logan had recovered well and could now use powers of the Jade Pool or Jade Capital realm.
“Logan, you kept nagging about saving Flame-Venerable—why are you running?” Quinn demanded angrily.
Logan hesitated, slowed down, and said in shame, “I just thought with your reputation, if Flame-Venerable kills you, he’ll kill me too to keep it quiet. I forgot about loyalty…”
Just then, the dragon overtook him, flying on the wind, tail swaying, much faster than Quinn!
Quinn wondered, “This dragon is my own creation—it shouldn’t be stronger than me… Damn, Julius has possessed it!”
He had just realized this when fierce firelight blazed behind him, heating his body as if about to ignite.
Quinn froze, stopped, and forced a smile as he turned around. “Flame-Venerable, long time no see.”
Logan had no choice but to stop as well, turning around, blade aura flaring, ready for battle.
With a rush, Flame-Venerable leapt past them, landing in front of the dragon and grabbing it.
The dragon struggled but couldn’t break free, sneering, “Flame-Venerable, you want to kill me? You can’t—my divine sense is everywhere in this domain. I’m immortal…”
With a whoosh, it burst into flames and quickly turned to ash.
Flame-Venerable looked at Quinn, who stood frozen.
“Shepherd, we meet again.”
Flame-Venerable was expressionless, the fiery wheel behind him slowly spinning. Flames danced, sometimes flaring bright like exploding suns—clearly, seeing Quinn unsettled him.
“Every time I see you, I remember you beating me at Jade Pool.” Flame-Venerable said.
Quinn replied seriously, “They say a good fight forges true friendship. Many life-and-death bonds are made that way…”
Cloud-Venerable’s body is better in your hands than mine. Thank you." Flame-Venerable said, then turned and walked away.
Quinn was stunned and called out, “Thank me for what?”
“Thank you for reviving Heaven-Guide Venerable.”
Flame-Venerable’s voice echoed from afar: “Back at Jade Pool, I said if you found out who harmed Heaven-Guide, I’d let go of my grudge. You did that—and you revived him.”
Quinn waved high, “Flame-Venerable, stay and talk before you go!”
Flame-Venerable’s voice faded into the distance: “Whenever I see you, I can’t help but feel disgusted, can’t help but want to kill you. Be careful of Venerable Void—she’s dangerous…”
Logan’s face changed dramatically, his heart pounding. “I think I just heard something I shouldn’t have… If there’s not a rebellion, there’ll be trouble…”