The Side Palace Grand Hall was packed with divine-ability experts from every realm. The hall was truly vast, easily accommodating tens of thousands.
At this moment, everyone inside stared in stunned silence at the man who had 'returned from the dead.' He was the leader of the ancient people—his sudden death had brought countless to tears, and his murder had sparked suspicion, with many wondering if it was the work of ancient gods or demigods.
And now, he had 'come back to life,' appearing before the crowd once more.
The crowd parted silently, making way as they watched him walk unhurriedly toward Venerable Vast‑Sky.
Suddenly, murmurs began to ripple through the crowd, the buzzing voices growing louder and louder.
'Heaven‑Guide Venerable!' someone suddenly shouted.
'Heaven‑Guide Venerable!' More and more people began to call out.
'Heaven‑Guide Venerable! Heaven‑Guide Venerable!'
...
The shouts rose higher and higher, each wave louder than the last. The sudden eruption of cheers sent currents of air surging through the Empress's Side Palace, the sound waves reaching the sky and scattering the clouds above.
More and more divine-ability experts joined in, their voices calling out only the name of Heaven‑Guide Venerable. In their eyes, the man walking toward the altar was their leader—the one who had led all races through the wilderness, carving a bloody path to survival.
Quinn Shepherd paused, slowing his steps as he looked at the crowd, their passion burning. As someone from a later era, he had never truly understood the fervor of these divine-ability experts.
These experts, leaders from every lower world, were themselves the greatest figures of their realms. Yet here they were, fanatically following another leader—something Quinn found hard to comprehend.
What he did not know was that, although the Heavenly Court was now flourishing and civilized, the other heavens and worlds were nothing like this peaceful scene. On the contrary, they were overrun with venomous beasts and divine creatures of ancient godly bloodlines.
Most humans and other races wore straw sandals and grass skirts, carrying wooden spears as they struggled desperately to survive. If they encountered ordinary beasts, that was one thing—but if they ran into a divine beast with ancient god blood, they would suffer heavy casualties and become food for the demigods.
Even the weakest demigod was far stronger than any human.
The dangers weren't just from monsters—there were also celestial phenomena, raging storms, lightning, volcanoes, wildfires, earthquakes. All kinds of natural disasters shrouded the primordial era.
It was at this time that Heaven‑Guide Venerable opened the Spirit Embryo Treasury, giving the weak races the power to protect themselves—to stand against disasters, to resist the demigods. He was the leader of all, the hope of every weak race!
On the altar in the Side Palace Grand Hall, Venerable Vast‑Sky's eyes flashed with panic, but he quickly regained his composure and surreptitiously glanced at the nearby Prince Umbral.
Prince Umbral's face was pale as he watched the 'Heaven‑Guide Venerable' walking toward the altar, looking utterly lost and at a complete loss for what to do.
Quinn Shepherd stepped up onto the altar, one step at a time.
Venerable Vast‑Sky on the altar was still somewhat flustered. He hadn't stepped down, but gradually regained his composure. Watching Quinn approach, he broke into a smile.
'Even though I know you're a fake, I just can't expose you.'
His delighted smile masked a surge of excitement as he thought, 'You're already dead, your soul scattered—resurrection is impossible. So who is impersonating you? This technique that alters the body and changes appearance is truly exquisite. I can't expose you; if I do, I'll be exposed myself, and everyone will know you died by my hand. But you can expose yourself.'
The altar was tall enough for everyone below to see clearly.
Quinn reached the altar, and Venerable Vast‑Sky spread his arms, embracing him tightly, overcome with emotion and shedding tears. Yet in his heart he thought, 'The real Heaven‑Guide Venerable passed the god‑making method to me, but not to anyone else. You don't know the method, so I can simply wait and let you expose yourself. Then you'll be branded the butcher who killed Heaven‑Guide Venerable, and everyone will rise against you!'
He released Quinn and wiped the tears from his eyes.
Quinn laughed heartily, 'Venerable Vast‑Sky, I've returned from death—why put on such a show? Please, have a seat.'
Venerable Vast‑Sky sat down, his eyes red. 'Father‑brother is still alive. I thought you had died—I even kept vigil for ten days and personally buried you. This spectacle truly leaves your foolish younger brother both shocked and delighted. Who ambushed you?'
'Two close people.'
Quinn smiled. 'One destroyed my body—the other shattered my soul.'
Prince Umbral's hand trembled, and Venerable Vast‑Sky's pupils contracted sharply.
Suddenly, Quinn moved, and under the gaze of tens of thousands, he punched Venerable Vast‑Sky squarely in the back.
'This was the move that shattered my heart!'
Prince Umbral was startled, but Venerable Vast‑Sky stood firm—Quinn's punch had no force behind it at all!
Quinn darted around, lightning-fast, his moves fierce and domineering. Every punch and kick was clear to see—everyone watched, understanding every strike.
'This was how he shattered my ribs!'
'This was how he broke my finger bones!'
'This was how he snapped my arm!'
...
Quinn moved as swift as wind and lightning, reenacting the assassination of Heaven‑Guide Venerable in mere moments. Cold sweat beaded on Vast‑Sky's forehead as he forced a smile. 'Father‑brother, you startled me. So how did the other person destroy your soul?'
Quinn's vital energy erupted—chilling winds swept through, clouds of gloom gathered. He was about to unleash his divine ability.
Prince Umbral, seeing this, suddenly collapsed to the floor with a thud, fainting on the spot.
Quinn pointed a finger, pressing it to Vast‑Sky's brow. 'The other person used this move to destroy my soul the instant my body died.'
Vast‑Sky put on a sincere smile, his tone earnest: 'But fortunately, father‑brother didn't die. Heaven favors the worthy—your safe return is a great blessing! Look, Chaojin was so overwhelmed he fainted. Since you've come back, I shouldn't overstep. Please, father‑brother, teach the god‑making method yourself! I'll step aside...'
Quinn grabbed his wrist and laughed. 'Since I've already passed you the god‑making method, let's teach it together this time. I'll explain one part, you explain the next.'
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Vast‑Sky smiled in delight. 'Father‑brother supports me—how could I refuse? Then let father‑brother begin, and I'll explain the second part!'
Quinn, his wide sleeves billowing, sat down and motioned for Vast‑Sky to do the same.
Vast‑Sky sat down, smiling. 'Father‑brother, please begin.'
Kai Keane had already quietly retreated to the hall entrance, close to Old Ox. He whispered, 'If anything goes wrong, you must step in and save him!'
Old Ox quickly replied, 'How could anything go wrong? Once the Divine Bridge connects to the Celestial Palace, Quinn only needs to explain how the primordial spirit ascends to the palace and he'll pass. Vast‑Sky can't expose him.'
Kai Keane shook his head and said gravely, 'Vast‑Sky is up to no good. By letting him teach the first part, he's setting him up to make a mistake and expose himself. You know that once the primordial spirit ascends to the Celestial Palace, one becomes a god—immortal and equal to the ancient gods. But people of this era have no Celestial Palace!'
Old Ox froze, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
Kai Keane continued gravely, 'People of this era haven't yet opened the Celestial Palace within themselves—their Divine Bridge is just a flying bridge! Heaven‑Guide Venerable's great achievement was creating a Celestial Palace out of nothing! Now that he's dead, only Vast‑Sky knows how to open the Celestial Palace. Does Mu Qing know how? If he does, he's another Heaven‑Guide. If he doesn't, he'll be exposed!'
Old Ox's heart sank as he muttered, 'It'd be simpler to just say Vast‑Sky killed him and then beat Vast‑Sky to death. Instead, he insists on this whole teaching method...'
'He has another motive for teaching on the altar. He wants to keep Vast‑Sky in check, but also make sure Vast‑Sky passes on the god‑making method, so future generations won't be left without it. That's why he can't kill Vast‑Sky outright.'
Kai Keane lowered his voice. 'But Vast‑Sky is a peerless schemer—he's seen through it all. The man is truly ruthless, my lifelong enemy! This is the ancient Heavenly Court, surrounded by demigods and divine-ability experts. If Mu Qing can't answer, Vast‑Sky won't need to act—the other demigods and experts will kill Mu Qing themselves! Besides...'
He looked worried, thinking, 'The Jade Pool is the Empress's private garden. Vast‑Sky dares to kill Heaven‑Guide Venerable here—there's too much going on beneath the surface. Vast‑Sky is a demigod, child of an ancient god and a human. Who was that ancient god? Mu Qing is too impulsive. We're here to uncover ancient secrets, but he's risking his life by plunging into the heart of it all...'
On the altar, Quinn's vital energy soared, dazzling and brilliant. His energy transformed, forming the seven Divine Treasuries—Spirit Embryo, Five Luminaries, Six Directions, Seven Stars, Heaven-Man, Life and Death, and Divine Bridge—above everyone's heads.
He manifested the mysteries of the seven Divine Treasuries with his vital energy, allowing everyone to see them clearly.
'Such profound arts! Monk, Heaven‑Guide Venerable's mastery of calculation is truly astonishing!'
A Daoist, holding a compass, looked up in awe and praised, 'No wonder he's Heaven‑Guide Venerable—he's nearly reached the Dao through calculation. Incomparable! Can you see that his Divine Treasuries are constructed from calculation?'
The monk beside him was begging for alms. 'Brother, my fellow monk and I haven't eaten for days. Spare us a couple of spirit pills... These arts mean nothing to me; I cultivate only the heart.'
Quinn used his vital energy to construct the Divine Treasuries, just as he and Xu Shenghua and others did when building the calculation model in later generations—so it was lifelike and flawless.
His vital energy formed a phantom of Heaven‑Guide Venerable, stepping onto the Divine Bridge and approaching its end.
Kai Keane grew tense—this was the critical moment. If Quinn couldn't reveal the method for opening the Celestial Palace, Vast‑Sky would immediately expose him as an imposter and pin Heaven‑Guide Venerable's death on him!
The phantom of Heaven‑Guide Venerable, formed from Quinn's vital energy, reached the bridge's end and stopped.
Kai Keane's palm was slick with cold sweat.
People of later generations only knew that upon reaching the Divine Bridge realm, the primordial spirit could cross the bridge and ascend to the Celestial Palace—but they had no idea how the Celestial Palace was created!
The method for opening the Celestial Palace had long been lost!
People of later generations knew of the Celestial Palace, but not its true origin!
They were descendants of divine-ability experts who had opened the Celestial Palace. From birth, their Divine Treasuries and Celestial Palace were already present; they only needed to cultivate to a certain realm to unlock the Divine Treasuries and ascend to the Celestial Palace. They never questioned the reason behind it.
And this was precisely why Heaven‑Guide Venerable was so great!
Naturally, Quinn didn't know how to open the Celestial Palace. Without that knowledge, he would make a mistake at the very first step—and Vast‑Sky would immediately accuse him of killing Heaven‑Guide Venerable!
This was the crux of the matter—and the most dangerous point!
'How can one create something from nothing—how does one open the Celestial Palace?'
Kai Keane's mind raced, searching for solutions: 'How did Heaven‑Guide Venerable open the Celestial Palace? If he could do it, others could too. If he could create such a method, others could as well. How exactly did he do it?'
Suddenly, inspiration struck him: 'Why did Heaven‑Guide Venerable insist on holding a grand gathering at the Jade Pool to announce the god‑making method? It wasn't just to leverage the occasion—there was another reason! Celestial Palace, Celestial Palace! Now I understand!'
He suddenly realized: 'The Celestial Palace that Heaven‑Guide Venerable opened was arranged exactly like the Celestial Palaces of the Heavenly Court! He created the Celestial Palace by observing how the Heavenly Court was built—he was inspired by what he saw, and created it from that inspiration!'
'The Divine Treasury unlocks the power of one's physical body, but the Celestial Palace is...'
Just as he reached this thought, Quinn's voice rang out from the altar: 'The Divine Treasury unlocks the power of the flesh, but the Celestial Palace unlocks the power of all the gods within the flesh. I name this great realm the Celestial Palace.'
Kai Keane was shaken to the core. He looked up at the purple-robed youth on the altar, and for a moment, it was as if he saw another Heaven‑Guide Venerable.
Vast‑Sky was thunderstruck, his face filled with disbelief.
Just then, Prince Umbral slowly came to, only to hear those words—instantly terrified, he fainted again.
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