Quinn Shepherd was still reeling from the news that Jasper Yin was actually Prince Umbral, when the "Brother Qin" Jasper mentioned had already walked over, greeting Quinn and Old Ox: "I am Kai Keane, a mere wanderer. Greetings to you both."
Quinn quickly suppressed his shock and returned the greeting, and Old Ox did the same.
As Quinn returned the greeting, he glanced at Old Ox, who nodded lightly.
Quinn understood—this 'Brother Qin' was the Pioneer Emperor Old Ox had mentioned, the very first name in the Keane clan genealogy: the Pioneer Emperor, Ye Greenwood Keane!
He called himself Kai Keane, not his real name—likely because he sensed that, thanks to the Yong River anomaly, he might have been dragged back to some point in the past, so he prudently used a false name.
Quinn looked up and studied the Pioneer Emperor, and sure enough, he and the young Pioneer Emperor shared a certain resemblance—both were tall and broad-shouldered. Neither he nor the young Jasper Yin could be called handsome, but both had a dignified presence.
However, because Quinn grew up in Oldridge Village, he was innately cunning yet outwardly sincere and sunny—like a big teenager in his prime, naive to the world.
The Pioneer Emperor, on the other hand, was a man full of masculine vigor. Just one glance was enough to be drawn to his unique presence.
His aura wasn't the leadership quality Old Ox had mentioned, but rather the kind of spirit forged in hardship and struggle, with an unwavering original intention.
It was the aura of someone whose dao-heart was eternally unshakable, who pursued a grand goal. Even standing on the back of the great kun, surrounded by crowds and the scenery rushing past, he seemed to be at the very center of heaven and earth—everything moved except him.
It wasn't that he truly stood still—what was unmoving was his dao-heart, his inner resolve.
Quinn was puzzled—could such a Pioneer Emperor really be the same man who hid in Carefree Haven, too afraid to return and reclaim his legacy?
The Pioneer Emperor's eyes were bright, their light like a tranquil lake under the noon sun. His shoulders were a bit broader than Quinn's, but he was slightly shorter—probably from enduring hardship in his youth.
Seeing the old man with a hidden face—Old Ox in disguise—return his greeting, the Pioneer Emperor was visibly surprised.
He couldn't tell the old man's cultivation, but guessed that in the Heavenly Court he must be a renowned figure. Why would such a person return his greeting so respectfully?
Jasper Yin enthusiastically introduced, "Brother Qin is someone I met just after ascending to the Heavenly Court. His skills are astonishing, truly extraordinary. How should I address you two senior brothers?"
Quinn smiled, "My name is Mu Qing. This is my senior brother—his surname is Ox, given name Ben."
"Ben Oxley?"
Old Ox's expression changed slightly, but thanks to Saint-King Tianqi's yellow talisman paper, no one could see his reaction. He thought to himself, "Back when the Pioneer Emperor first founded the Heavenly Court, he once laughed and said he should rename me—not Sam, but Ben Oxley. Could it be he recognized me even then?"
Quinn had no idea what Old Ox was thinking. He looked at Jasper Yin with gentle eyes, pondering, "If I killed Jasper Yin now, would the future Prince Umbral vanish? Right now, Jasper isn't even a god, let alone an Emperor's-Throne master. He's not even a deity—killing him shouldn't be hard..."
Jasper Yin, seeing Quinn looking at him, quickly smiled, "Brother Mu, this is the Heavenly Court's first grand gathering—countless young talents from all the heavens have come. Those invited are all notable figures in their realms, while people like us are just small fry."
Quinn laughed, "I may be a small fry, but Brother Yin—you're definitely a big shot."
Jasper Yin quickly demurred, though he couldn't quite hide his pride. "Back in my backwater hometown, I do have a bit of a reputation, but I'm still nothing compared to the others here."
Quinn said seriously, "Brother Yin, I can tell you're destined for greatness. One day you'll soar to the top!"
The Pioneer Emperor's eyes twinkled as he smiled, "I think so too. Brother Yin may not be famous yet, but you can see a hundred years in a three-year-old—someday, Brother Yin will be known throughout the world."
Jasper Yin was flattered and a bit overwhelmed. "The Heavenly Emperor is still deciding on a name for the Heavenly Court, so he's gathered all the ancient gods. We can't compare to them, but I do have a wide circle of acquaintances, and this time many famous figures from all races have come—including those who pioneered the Divine Treasury cultivation system. They're not ancient gods, but they're even greater. Thanks to their creation, we mortals can cultivate."
Quinn was shaken—were they about to meet the very pioneers who created the Divine Treasury cultivation system?
Wasn't the Divine Treasury cultivation system invented by the ancient gods?
He glanced at the Pioneer Emperor, who was just as excited.
Could it be that they were about to meet the creators of the Divine Treasury cultivation system?
Jasper Yin laughed, "Right now they're at the Jade Pool, preparing to hold the Jade Pool Grand Assembly. The Heavenly Emperor and the ancient gods are hosting the official Heavenly Court convocation, but we're organizing our own Jade Pool Grand Assembly. It may not be as grand as the Heavenly Court's, but we can't miss it! Word is, this time at the Jade Pool Grand Assembly, Yu Tianzun plans to announce something big—something that will shock everyone!"
The Pioneer Emperor smiled, "Brother Yin, since your connections run so deep, can you give us a hint ahead of time?"
Jasper Yin hesitated, then lowered his voice mysteriously, "Rumor has it Yu Tianzun and the others have figured out a way for people like us—divine-art practitioners—to become gods! That's what they're going to announce at the Jade Pool Grand Assembly!"
Quinn blurted out, "A way to become a god? Weren't there already divine-art users who became gods before?"
Jasper Yin and the Pioneer Emperor both looked at him with strange expressions.
Quinn instantly realized he'd misspoken and awkwardly said, "I'm just a country bumpkin, haven't seen much of the world—please don't laugh at me. I always thought there were gods in the Heavenly Court."
The Pioneer Emperor gave him a half-smile, then explained, "Of course there are gods in the Heavenly Court. Besides the ancient gods, there are other types of deities, but those aren't cultivated—they're born powerful. However, their lifespans are limited, and when their time is up, their souls return to the Netherworld."
Jasper Yin clapped his hands and laughed, "That's exactly it! Brother Mu, you're not too familiar with this stuff—no wonder you didn't know. Actually, they're just demigods, born with high bloodlines, many descended from ancient gods, so they have immense power. But unlike the ancient gods, they can't live forever. And, crucially, they don't cultivate—they simply grow stronger as they mature."
"Grow stronger?" Quinn asked, still puzzled.
"For example, the great kun carrying us to the Jade Pool is also a god."
Jasper Yin said, "The great kun is actually a descendant of the ancient gods. When it's born, it's already very powerful, but that's not its peak. It grows by eating Jade Dragon Pills—not like us, it doesn't have a cultivation process. When it matures, its physical strength and magic power become overwhelming! At that point, the kun god's power is on par with the ancient gods, or at least close."
The Pioneer Emperor continued, "But their lifespans are limited, so they're called demigods—they can't live forever. We, on the other hand, open our Spirit Embryo Treasury and cultivate step by step, unlocking each Divine Treasury until we reach higher realms. We're different from demigods: our bloodline is humble, but we become divine-art practitioners through cultivation, while demigods rely on their bloodline to grow."
Quinn suddenly understood.
But he was left with even more questions in his heart—it felt as if he had traveled back to an unimaginably ancient era.
This era hadn't even developed the Heaven Palace cultivation system—only the Divine Treasury system was just beginning to emerge. So what age was this, really?
The Heavenly Court seemed to be just forming, and they hadn't even settled on a name yet.
Could this Heavenly Court be the Ancient Gods' Heavenly Court?
If it was the Ancient Gods' Heavenly Court, then what connection did it have with the later Outland Heavenly Court—the so-called 'old Heavenly Court' of the Pioneer Era?
The Woodcutter Sage always said that, from beginning to end, people of the Pioneer Era never truly knew who their enemy was.
Even those of the Supreme Sovereign Era didn't know the true nature of the Outland Heavenly Court—they simply called it the Outland Heavenly Demon.
And even the Crimson Emperor didn't know where the enemy that destroyed the Crimson Era had come from, or what their true origins were.
Quinn puzzled over it again and again, but still couldn't make sense of it.
Suddenly, a thought flickered in his mind—the Woodcutter's senior disciple, Wei Suiwen, founding patriarch of the Cult of the Heavenly Saint, had always been searching for these mysteries, but now had vanished without a trace.
The founding patriarch traveled widely, leaving behind many maps. One of the most ancient command tokens was entrusted to the Azure Desolation Elder, and that token was still in Quinn's hands. But what era did it actually belong to?
"I can't kill Jasper Yin yet."
Quinn put on a genial smile, thinking to himself, "After all, Jasper Yin is the local expert here—I still need his connections to uncover this era's secrets and dig up more truths buried by history. Plus, I need him to introduce me to those legendary figures, the founders of the Divine Treasury and Heaven Palace cultivation systems!"
His heart burned with excitement.
He was finally going to meet the founders who created the entire cultivation civilization of later generations!
Old Ox quietly nudged him, snapping Quinn back to reality—he saw the Pioneer Emperor still watching him with that half-smile, and couldn't help but feel a chill.
Clearly, his earlier slip had aroused the Pioneer Emperor's suspicion, though the emperor hadn't called him out.
"Honestly, I've always wanted to tell you—I'm your 107th-generation descendant."
Quinn smiled but said nothing, thinking, "I want so badly to tell you, but I can't..."
Jasper Yin dashed to the kun's head and shouted from afar, "Hurry up and come over! Lady Umbral's carriage is arriving!"
The Pioneer Emperor laughed, "Let's go."
Quinn nodded, and the two of them walked side by side toward the kun's head. All around, other divine-art practitioners were also heading there, excitedly watching Lady Umbral's carriage.
"How did you end up in this anomaly?" the Pioneer Emperor asked quietly, looking ahead.
Quinn pondered, then replied, "It was an accident. I was exploring the ruins of the Outland Heavenly Court, and somehow I got swept into a time anomaly and ended up here."