The Sacred Emperor's intention was clear.
With war between the Sacred Dynasty and the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals imminent, it was time for the Taiyan Sect to finally choose a side.
When Sun Erlang found Yi Shu in Shengjing City, Yi Shu was already fully prepared, smiling as he waited.
"Young master, let us be on our way."
Sun Erlang did not hesitate either. Cupping his hands in salute, the two set off directly for the Taiyan Sect.
"During Senior's time in our Sacred Dynasty, have you gained any unique insights?" Sun Erlang asked tentatively on the journey back.
Yi Shu smiled. "The sights and ways of the Sacred Dynasty are unlike those of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, and vastly different from the Xuanhuang Realm over the past tens of millions of years. We too have benefited greatly. At present, the sect has reached a consensus, and it has also received the Mother Stone's approval. When the time comes, you shall know."
"By the way, this time you might even have a chance to meet the Mother Stone."
Yi Shu's words stirred Sun Erlang's curiosity.
He wished to probe for more inside information, but Yi Shu changed the subject and began chatting about what he had recently seen and heard in Great Qi.
"The common people of the Sacred Dynasty have ample food and clothing, so they have developed higher spiritual and intellectual pursuits. Though their cultivation and strength are ordinary, some of their ideas are truly fascinating. On this trip, I made the acquaintance of a scholar who wrote a book of anomalies and strange tales. It depicts what would happen to the Xuanhuang Realm if the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable had never appeared..."
Sun Erlang was slightly taken aback, and then heard Yi Shu continue: "Unlike the simulated worlds you have experienced, in that tale, though Dharma-Transmitting did not appear, calamity still befell and threw Xuanhuang into chaos."
"Three Venerables rose from humble origins, sweeping across the world in equal rivalry. One nurtured the people through education and virtue, known as the 'Teacher of Heaven and Earth'. Another, through pure and noble saintly virtue, won the hearts of those around him, forging an unshakable alliance; he was the 'Mortal World's Supreme Sage'. And the third, wielding boundless might, established an earthly Immortal Dynasty where all things submitted wherever his armies marched; he was the 'Immortal Emperor Taixuan'..."
As Yi Shu reached this point, Sun Erlang's expression turned rather peculiar.
"The three Venerables fought fiercely like dragons and tigers, locked in conflict for hundreds of years with neither gaining the upper hand. The details within, deduced by a single mortal's imagination, are somewhat rough around the edges and cannot withstand rigorous scrutiny, yet they are quite entertaining and refreshingly novel..."
Sun Erlang could not resist asking, "Then in the end, who won?"
"Before that *Romance of the Threefold Division of Xuanhuang* could be finished, the scholar's front gate was mobbed so heavily that not even water could trickle through. The crowd claimed he had committed great disrespect against the Sacred Emperor and wanted to teach him a harsh lesson. Although the Sacred Dynasty's officials did not intervene, as Immortal Emperor Taixuan made several missteps in the romance, the uproar grew larger and larger, nearly costing lives.
"The scholar dared not write any further. With the story halted, I do not know who the final victor was either." Yi Shu wore a half-smile.
Sun Erlang cleared his throat lightly. "Once I return, I will dismiss those people and let him write in peace. It is merely a book of strange tales; how could Master lack the magnanimity to tolerate such things?"
Yi Shu replied with underlying meaning, "Though the Sacred Emperor indeed would not care, the subjects of the Sacred Dynasty might not think the same way."
Sun Erlang was about to argue further, but they had already arrived within the borders of the Taiyan Sect.
Step by step, Sun Erlang entered once more into the floating city inside the crystalline barrier in the sky. Unlike his previous visit, every cultivator he encountered along the way greeted him with a smiling face.
It was as if they all knew him intimately.
Sun Erlang naturally knew that information was shared collectively throughout the Taiyan Sect, essentially making them a single entity. Still, the feeling of everyone knowing everything about him while he knew nothing of them left him rather uncomfortable.
Fortunately, the distance was short. Soon, Sun Erlang arrived at the center of the Taiyan Sect and met Chen Tianhai.
Chen Tianhai was holding a scroll, reading intently.
Yi Shu did not enter.
"Greetings, Senior."
Sun Erlang bowed in greeting. Chen Tianhai remained unmoved, as if he had heard nothing.
After a long silence, Chen Tianhai finally spoke, getting straight to the point: "Regarding the outbreak of war between the Sacred Dynasty and the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, our Taiyan Sect has decided..."
"To help neither side."
This answer was so unexpected that Sun Erlang stood dumbfounded on the spot.
Could they not even make a token gesture of support? Straddling the fence and watching tigers fight from the mountain might secure temporary safety, but once the dust settled in the future, they would inevitably face the harshest reckoning.
Logically speaking, the Taiyan Sect should never have made such an unwise move.
Filled with confusion, Sun Erlang looked at Chen Tianhai.
"Our decision is not only because the Mother Stone's tens of thousands of deductions all yielded an almost equal chance of victory for either side..."
"More importantly, it is because we have decided to leave the Xuanhuang Realm for the time being," Chen Tianhai said, dropping a bombshell.
"What?!" Sun Erlang froze in shock.
"Is it because of the recent uproar over the Kongming rainbow light?" Sun Erlang asked.
"Yes, and no. In fact, our Taiyan Sect had long planned to voyage across the cosmos. It was only because of the perils of the starry sea that the plan was shelved indefinitely. However, the sword message that arrived across the starry sea earlier made us change our minds." Chen Tianhai smiled faintly.
"The sword message illuminated the Xuanhuang sky for seven days, during which we analyzed it thoroughly. We made no small gains. Since the sword message could cross the starry sea to get here, our Taiyan Sect can trace it back to its source, following the path it traveled to find where the message was sent." Chen Tianhai spoke with utter confidence.
"Beyond the starry sea, beneath the High Wall... it is truly something to yearn for," Chen Tianhai sighed.
Sun Erlang also seemed to feel the unified will of the entire Taiyan Sect resonating with those words.
Knowing this could no longer be stopped, Sun Erlang's thoughts raced, wanting to return as quickly as possible to inform his master.
"Young master need not hurry. Once we part this time, who knows when we shall meet again? Why not meet the Mother Stone first?" Chen Tianhai looked at Sun Erlang and suggested.
Sun Erlang hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.
The moment he agreed, the scene of the room around him vanished. It was as if he were suspended within the starry sea, engulfed in total darkness.
Only a dazzling blue light arrived from the depths of the dark, transforming into a slender thread speeding through the starry sea.
The instant he saw this slender blue thread, enlightenment dawned in Sun Erlang's heart.
This was the Dao Transformation Mother Stone.
The original Dao Transformation Stone.
"I was not originally an object of Xuanhuang. It was merely by chance, while traversing the starry sea, that I arrived in this realm."
A voice emerged in Sun Erlang's mind.
It did not communicate through the five senses or divine sense, but directly through resonance with the Dao Transformation Stone crystal inside Sun Erlang's sea of consciousness.
Sun Erlang adopted a solemn expression to show respect.
The Mother Stone narrated on its own: "From where I came can no longer be traced. But as to where I am ultimately going, there is an answer."
These words from the Dao Transformation Mother Stone shook Sun Erlang's spirit.
"Where you are going? Mother Stone, what do you mean?"
"The other side of the starry sea is not the true end—it is merely a secluded corner. Were it not for the High Wall blocking the way, I would have fled far away ten thousand years ago. Furthermore, having previously been carved and fragmented, I lost the ability to cross the starry skies. Left with no choice, the matter fell by the wayside, and in the blink of an eye, so many years have passed."
The scene before Sun Erlang changed abruptly.
The slender blue thread, which had originally flown straight through the starry sea, suddenly altered its course for reasons unknown and plunged toward Xuanhuang.
Found by cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm, the Taiyan Sect utilized its aid to leap into prominence as a renowned sect under heaven.
What was once cleaved apart should never have rejoined.
Yet unexpectedly, drastic upheaval swept through heaven and earth in the Xuanhuang Realm, bringing calamity. To resist the catastrophe where dharmas cannot be practiced concurrently, the cultivators of the Taiyan Sect took the initiative to merge into one with the Dao Transformation Stone.
Information indestructible; Dao Transformation restored.
After tens of thousands of years of division and reunion, the Dao Transformation Stone had returned to the form it possessed when it first arrived in the Xuanhuang Realm.
...
Scenes shifted at dizzying speed, leaving Sun Erlang deeply shaken.
He could not help asking, "Senior has stayed in the Xuanhuang Realm for so long and is nearly omniscient. As long as you remain in Xuanhuang, being unscathed through ten thousand tribulations is no empty boast. Why must you leave? Beyond the starry sea, there are too many variables and unknowns; even for Senior, there cannot be an absolute certainty of survival, right?"
"Why must I go? The answer to that question is the same as why you cultivators must pursue cultivation."
The Mother Stone's response left Sun Erlang speechless.
"The High Wall blocks the starry sea. But there are things it cannot stop," the Dao Transformation Mother Stone said with an enigmatic tone.
There was a hint of bewilderment, yet also an inexplicable confidence.
"Little fellow, do not think too much. I merely intend to go take a look first. If we truly cannot cross the High Wall, we may very well return. As for why I wanted to meet you this time..."
The illusory blue line before Sun Erlang's eyes suddenly became like a physical entity, shooting straight toward Sun Erlang's head.
Before he could react in any way, the blue beam struck him.
Sun Erlang examined his body, but felt nothing amiss whatsoever. Only the Dao Transformation Stone crystal within his sea of consciousness seemed to have undergone a subtle change.
"Little fellow, there is no need to be nervous. I merely left a mark, lest we lose our way back if we decide to return in the future.
"Of course, we will not treat you shabbily. Concentrate..."
As the Mother Stone spoke, shimmering in synchrony with the Dao Transformation Stone, countless images flooded Sun Erlang's perception, nearly submerging his sea of consciousness completely.
He hastily focused his mind, slowing the influx of imagery.
Among these myriad scenes, in some the Sacred Dynasty was locked in brutal battles with heavy casualties; in others, the Sacred Dynasty won victory after victory, leaving the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals barely surviving in the four central provinces. Yet without exception, all of them were events that had not yet occurred in the real world.
"These are all products of my deductions; I gift them to you as reference."
Relieved, Sun Erlang hurriedly expressed his gratitude to the Mother Stone.
"However, I must warn you, little fellow: do not put too much faith in these deductions.
"This Xuanhuang Realm is like a bottomless pond. When the waters are calm, every ripple across the surface can be deduced. But if the monsters lurking at the bottom all emerge and stir up turmoil...
"The deduced ripples will inevitably diverge drastically from reality. Your master certainly understands this truth.
"So in reality, whether our Taiyan Sect is present or not will not change much of anything."
While the Dao Transformation Mother Stone's voice was still echoing in his ears, Sun Erlang came back to his senses only to find himself already outside the Taiyan Sect.
The crystalline barrier, which originally had not been very conspicuous, was now shrouded in a mysterious blue radiance at an unknown moment.
The entire Taiyan Sect grew increasingly translucent, as if it might completely vanish from this world at any moment.
"Young master, you must be sure to stay alive.
"Otherwise, our Taiyan Sect will never find its way home," came Yi Shu's half-smiling voice.
And yet it felt like an illusion.
While he stood dazed, the floating heavenly city before him completely vanished from Sun Erlang's perception.
*Leaving just like that? That's far too fast.*
Sun Erlang grumbled internally, yet a lingering sense of loss rose within him.
After standing there blankly for a long time, he finally made his way back and reported the full sequence of events to his master in detail.
Looking at the faceless Sacred Emperor seated in silence above, Sun Erlang could not help feeling a little nervous.
Yet the Sacred Emperor's next words caught him off guard.
"What mark? That was merely the Mother Stone teasing you. The Divine Stone of Dao Transformation is a peerless wonder of the world. That rainbow sword message was something even Master could not decipher right away, yet It decoded it in such a short time...
"If It can trace the source and cross the starry sea, how could It possibly fail to find the way back?"
"Master, then what..." Sun Erlang was puzzled. "The profound sensation brought by that slender blue thread colliding with the Dao Transformation Stone in my sea of consciousness was certainly real."
The Sacred Emperor gave a rare smile.
"It is your good fortune, boy.
"Strictly speaking, all Dao Transformation Stones under heaven are nothing more than fragments cleaved from the Mother Stone. Although cultivators can claim them for themselves through the technique of Spirit Unity with Dao Transformation, a fragment is ultimately just a fragment. Even the most supreme Dao Transformation Stone cannot compare to the Mother Stone. But that blue ray the Mother Stone directed into you was like turning stone into gold..."
The Sacred Emperor's tone held a strange nuance: "Though its quality is currently only superior-grade, it has received enlightenment, unlocking boundless possibilities for the future.
"Given time, it might even turn into a second Mother Stone."
"This..." Sun Erlang was stunned, never imagining that the other party would leave behind such an immense fortune for him upon departing.
"Do not overthink it. Each individual has their own fortunes. Perhaps the Mother Stone simply took a liking to you," the Sacred Emperor said indifferently.
"Yes..." Sun Erlang answered, though from his expression, he clearly had not processed it yet.
"Ah, right. Master, regarding those tens of thousands of deduction results from the Mother Stone..."
"Once you have calmed your mind, analyze and report them."
"Your disciple obeys."
Feeling somewhat dazed, Sun Erlang took his leave of the Sacred Emperor Throne.
Without realizing it, he arrived at the dwelling of the scholar Yi Shu had mentioned, the one who penned *Romance of the Threefold Division of Xuanhuang*.
Outside the front door, a sizable crowd was still gathered.
Though they committed no violent acts, they watched the exit like hawks, eyes glaring fixedly.
It was as though the scholar inside harbored an irreconcilable blood feud against them.
Seeing Sun Erlang, their faces lit up with joy, and they eagerly crowded forward, wanting to denounce the scholar's wicked deeds.
However, Sun Erlang interrupted them with a slight furrow of his brows.
The crowd tactfully dispersed.
Sun Erlang strode into the house.
The scholar was dead drunk. Sun Erlang picked up the manuscript on the table and began to read.
Chapter 1257