Secrets of the Sixth Heaven, A Sword Severs the Future

"Before the Ultimate Principle Society, the Sixth Heaven had no Supreme Venerables?" Qi Yuan murmured to himself, his mind adrift in countless thoughts. "Old man, I'm heading to the Ultimate Principle Society to meet those Supreme Venerables." The moment Qi Yuan finished speaking, his figure vanished into thin air. Within Ziyuan Heaven, Ancestor Ziyuan stood looking lost and unsettled. He recalled what the Abyss Master had once said to him: *"What does being the source of a bloodline matter? Having arrived in this cosmos, there is no future."* *"His coming to this realm... may perhaps be a mistake."* Ancestor Ziyuan let out a somber, lingering sigh. *** Meanwhile. The Ultimate Principle Society was abuzz with clamor. Countless prodigies and cultivators were replaying the previous great battle, their eyes blazing with excitement. If one were to ask who in the Sixth Heaven despised Taihuang Palace the most, other than the Moon Goddess Palace, it was the Ultimate Principle Society. For the longest time, the Ultimate Principle Society had stood as the undisputed number one power in the Sixth Heaven. Yet recently, with the rise of Tairi and Taihuang Palace hosting the Linya Molt, Taihuang Palace had shown faint signs of eclipsing the Ultimate Principle Society to become the foremost power of the Immortal Realm. As members of the Ultimate Principle Society, they naturally loathed to see such a development. Now, watching Qi Yuan strike with tyrannical dominance, sweeping aside Taihuang Palace and even driving them right into the Seventh Heaven—how could the word "satisfying" even begin to cover it? "Hmph! The grand and mighty Taihuang Palace, hounded into the Seventh Heaven—what face do they have left to ever return to the Sixth Heaven?" "With the Great Sun's Venerable Position stripped away, does he even count as a Supreme Venerable anymore?" "Tell me, between this Ten Thousand Suns Supreme Venerable and our two Grand Supremes... who is stronger?" The moment those words were spoken, the entire assembly fell silent. "The Grand Supremes' might blankets the Sixth Heaven; they are the pillars of our Ultimate Principle Society! Even in the Great Sun's prime, he had to treat them with utmost deference. The Ten Thousand Suns Supreme Venerable may be formidable, but compared to the Grand Supremes... he still falls far short!" "The Ten Thousand Suns Supreme Venerable is certainly no match for the Grand Supremes right now, but he has grasped two Supreme Ultimate Principles and possesses the foremost Creation Treasure of the Immortal Realm, the Gate of Ultimate Principle. In the days to come... he is destined to become the number one figure in the Sixth Heaven!" "Forget all that—who could possibly rival the thirty thousand stars he manifested in the Astral Realm? And who's to say whether that was even his limit?!" "It's completely absurd. Just how did he cultivate to that point?" The cultivators engaged in heated debate; even the Yang God Heavenly Venerables couldn't help but look on with solemn awe. Right at that moment, a vast and resonant voice rang throughout the Ultimate Principle Society. "Qi Yuan seeks an audience with the two Supreme Venerables of the Ultimate Principle Society!" As the voice fell, everyone instinctively looked toward the firmament. Across what had been an azure sky, faint glimmers of golden light and streaks of crimson seemed to intertwine. Those prodigies and cultivators all bowed their heads in spite of themselves, fear gripping their hearts, not daring to look directly up. In truth, Qi Yuan had traveled lightly, not releasing the slightest shred of an overwhelming aura. However, his recent feat of toppling Taihuang Palace was simply too deeply imprinted on their minds; deep down, none of these cultivators dared meet his gaze. Qi Yuan had also been quite considerate. Although his voice was booming, only the cultivators within the core territory of the Ultimate Principle Society heard it; he hadn't disturbed the common folk. After all, disrupting ordinary mortals was bad form. Even in the Sixth Heaven, mortals existed in great numbers. Qi Yuan harbored deep contempt for those who blared their voices across the entirety of the Sixth Heaven at every turn, causing public disturbances. Of course, when he annihilated Taihuang Palace, the commotion had been rather grand, which technically counted as disturbing the peace as well. Even so, he had already apologized in his heart. Although, if apologies actually worked, what would we need the police for? Fortunately, this world had no police. So Qi Yuan could only make do with an apology in his heart. Upon Qi Yuan's arrival, the Ultimate Principle Society fell into complete silence. Those Yang God Heavenly Venerables and prodigies all kept their heads lowered, not daring to look straight at him. Just then, Heavenly Venerable Wusheng emerged from the void. He bowed slightly with a humble demeanor. "Greetings, Ten Thousand Suns Supreme Venerable!" Heavenly Venerable Wusheng was in the realm of Great Ultimate Principle and served as a venerable elder of the Ultimate Principle Society. When the Ultimate Principle Dao Discussion Conference commenced, he had met Qi Yuan in his guise as Mochi and had even thought of recruiting him, only to be turned down. "Please follow me inside the society to converse, Supreme Venerable." Heavenly Venerable Wusheng stepped ahead to lead the way. "Oh?" Qi Yuan showed no hesitation and followed Heavenly Venerable Wusheng deeper into the society. Before long, the two arrived in a spacious, open hall. Within the hall stood row upon row of bookshelves, brimming with a dazzling array of books and jade slips. At the deepest point among the shelves sat a bizarre mirror. Inside the mirror, faint, firefly-like entities drifted about. They were real beings, not mere phantoms. "Where is the Supreme Venerable?" Qi Yuan asked. Inside this library hall, he did not sense the presence of any Supreme Venerable. "The Supreme Venerable said that he does not dare see you," Heavenly Venerable Wusheng replied candidly. "He fears that upon seeing you, he would be unable to suppress the greed in his heart and might take action against you to seize your Gate of Ultimate Principle." Qi Yuan was surprised. "It seems your Supreme Venerable's temperament and mental cultivation still have immense room for improvement. He can't even suppress the demon in his own heart." Qi Yuan possessed high emotional intelligence and knew how to speak with great tact. Hearing this, Heavenly Venerable Wusheng's heart twitched, but he maintained his smile. "Ten Thousand Suns Supreme Venerable, the truth is... no two Supreme Venerables of the Sixth Heaven have ever met in their true bodies." Heavenly Venerable Wusheng spoke, revealing a secret. "Oh?" Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow. "A case of 'kings never meet kings,' or..." He seemed to realize something, lost in thought. "When I demolished Taihuang Palace, wasn't my body seen by your Supreme Venerables? Looked at that way, didn't I suffer a massive loss?" Qi Yuan remarked. Yet a moment later, he realized that he had merely been a Purple Mansion cultivator who had been fully clothed and even wearing armor at the time, so it hardly counted as indecent exposure. "*Cough, cough...*" Heavenly Venerable Wusheng cleared his throat. He resolved to record this very exchange. His favorite pastime within the Ultimate Principle Society was writing books, documenting the momentous affairs of the Sixth Heaven. Meeting Qi Yuan today and having this brief exchange, he had already devised a chapter title: *"The Ten Thousand Suns Supreme Venerable Angrily Denounces Being Peeped at by the Ultimate Principle Society's Grand Supreme."* Naturally, he only dared entertain such thoughts for now; he would have to wait until Qi Yuan was gone before writing it down. When he grew old, he would place these books into secret realms for future generations to peruse. "Since I can't meet him, may I ask your Supreme Venerable a few questions?" Qi Yuan's primary purpose in coming to the Ultimate Principle Society was to gather information on the Sole Palace. "The Grand Supreme stated that the Ten Thousand Suns Supreme Venerable may ask me anything," Heavenly Venerable Wusheng answered. "You know everything?" Heavenly Venerable Wusheng smiled and shook his head. "It is not that I know everything, but that *it* does!" As he spoke, he looked toward the mirror deep within the library hall. Qi Yuan's gaze immediately followed. [Mirror of Myriad Phenomena: Observes all phenomena of sentient beings, gathers taboo knowledge, collects dissipating information.] "This mirror is quite interesting." Qi Yuan looked at Heavenly Venerable Wusheng. "I want to know more about the Sole Palace." Hearing this, Heavenly Venerable Wusheng closed his eyes. He walked toward the Mirror of Myriad Phenomena and reached out to touch its surface. Curiously, the mirror's surface rippled like water, allowing Heavenly Venerable Wusheng's arm to reach directly into the mirror. All at once, Qi Yuan watched as countless firefly-like specks of light within the mirror flowed in an unbroken stream into Heavenly Venerable Wusheng's hand. With his eyes closed, the aura around Heavenly Venerable Wusheng shifted in an instant, as if a different soul had taken possession of his vessel. Heavenly Venerable Wusheng's voice lost its earlier warmth, turning indifferent and cold. "Several epochs ago, the Immortal Realm possessed nine heavens in total. Among them, a peerless, dazzling powerhouse emerged. "He was named 'Ming,' and the world called Him 'Mingzun.' Across the countless epochs of the Immortal Realm, He was the foremost powerhouse, without predecessor and without equal to follow. "For reasons unknown, Mingzun stood atop the Ninth Heaven and swung a sword, severing the future of the Immortal Realm. "From then on, the Immortal Realm had no future. All cultivators could only step into the second layer of the Yang God realm in their lifetimes." Hearing this, Qi Yuan was somewhat astonished. "This Mingzun is quite formidable. A single sword strike could sever the future of the Immortal Realm?" Just what kind of mighty power was that? Qi Yuan asked himself: if he were told to go sever the future right now, he would be completely dumbfounded. What was the future, and how could it be severed? For someone to sever the future of the Immortal Realm with one stroke of a sword, He must have attained at least the third layer of the Yang God realm, if not higher. "With no future in the world, all powerhouses were confined to the second layer of the Yang God realm. "Thus, all cultivators in the cultivation realm sought ways to reconnect the future and break through the shackles of the Yang God's second level. "Yet Mingzun's sword strike was far too powerful; the cultivators of the Immortal Realm could not comprehend it in the slightest, so how could they speak of reconnecting the future? "Gradually, cultivators ceased trying to reconnect the future, seeking instead methods to break past the second layer of the Yang God realm. "Under such circumstances, more and more hidden factions emerged, the most renowned among them being the Ultimate Principle Society and the Sole Palace." Heavenly Venerable Wusheng finally brought up the Sole Palace, which was precisely what Qi Yuan cared about most. "The Ultimate Principle Society sought a path to breakthrough through principles. "Originally, the Sixth Heaven possessed no Supreme Ultimate Principles, nor were there any Supreme Venerables. "The Ultimate Principle Society gathered the wisdom of countless epochs to break past the limits of the Yang God's second level, crafting offensive Creation Treasures to elevate the combat strength of Great Ultimate Principles. "However, offensive Creation Treasures also had their limits; that path proved to be a dead end. "Later, the Ultimate Principle Society forged the path of Supreme Ultimate Principles. From then on, Supreme Venerables existed in the world." Hearing this, Qi Yuan understood. Generally speaking, the limit of the Yang God's second layer was an ordinary Great Ultimate Principle, much like Ancestor Ziyuan. Yet the Ultimate Principle Society's existence had pioneered offensive Creation Treasures to boost the strength of Yang God Heavenly Venerables. Later, they had even pioneered the path of the Supreme Venerable. It seemed that to the Ultimate Principle Society, the path of the Supreme Venerable was far more reliable than offensive Creation Treasures. "The Ultimate Principle Society was founded by Shu; the Sole Palace was founded by An. "The purpose of both Shu and An was to break past the limits of the Yang God's second level. "An walked an entirely different path: founding the Sole Palace, transforming Yang God Heavenly Venerables into special beings known as heroic spirits or variant spirits, and thereby elevating the power of living beings to forge open the Seventh Heaven, and even the Eighth and Ninth Heavens." Qi Yuan listened and grasped the premise. "The Sole Palace... has walked further than the Ultimate Principle Society?" Qi Yuan couldn't help but ask. After all, the Linya Molt was initiated by the Sole Palace, and to some degree, the Ultimate Principle Society even feared the Sole Palace. This indicated that the Sole Palace's combat strength exceeded that of the Ultimate Principle Society. "In terms of sheer combat strength, the Sole Palace surpasses the Ultimate Principle Society. "However... variant spirits are not living beings. They possess tremendous combat strength but lack self-awareness, earning the revulsion and resistance of the Sixth Heaven's Yang God Heavenly Venerables. That is why the Linya Molt exists." "Does that mean... the Sole Palace's combat power is even stronger than a Supreme Venerable's?" Qi Yuan couldn't help recalling the countless chilling eyes lurking in the endless dark when the Seventh Heaven's gate had opened. Were they... the variant spirits? "What will become of the people from Taihuang Palace who entered the Seventh Heaven?" Qi Yuan asked once more. "Those at the Yin God realm and below may survive. "Those at the Yang God realm and above have no hope of life." Hearing this, Qi Yuan understood somewhat. These variant spirits of the Sole Palace could hardly be considered cultivators. They could slay Yang Gods and convert them into variant spirits as well. Calculated that way, the sheer number of variant spirits in the Sole Palace... was likely an astronomical figure. After all, across so many epochs, how many times had the Linya Molt taken place? And how many Yang Gods had perished? Qi Yuan felt a faint sense of crisis. By harboring Taihuang Palace, the Sole Palace had, in a sense, committed a crime, which made them Qi Yuan's enemies. "Unlike the Ultimate Principle Society's pursuit of principles, the Sole Palace's singular objective is to sacrifice the six heavens of the Immortal Realm, transforming all living beings into variant spirits to break through the shackles and reconnect the future," Heavenly Venerable Wusheng stated coldly. Qi Yuan's nose did not grow longer. This meant that "Heavenly Venerable Wusheng" had not lied to him. "Their ambition is quite grand," Qi Yuan pondered. He also understood why the Yang Gods of the Sixth Heaven were so resistant to the Linya Molt. The Linya Molt was designed to transform them into variant spirits. Granted, becoming a variant spirit seemed to grant greater power and far longer existence. However... if one's consciousness was gone, was one still oneself? It was just like someone on the Blue Star claiming they could grant you eternal existence, with the caveat that you would possess zero self-awareness. What difference was there between that and being wrapped up into a mummy, or turned into a fossil? The Sole Palace harbored massive ambitions, but Qi Yuan wasn't worried. When the sky fell, the tall ones would hold it up; what did that have to do with a tiny Purple Mansion cultivator like him? His sole regret was that Taihuang Palace had escaped. Taihuang Palace was guilty of heinous crimes; those Yang God Heavenly Venerables had already walked the path to their own doom. As for the ordinary low-tier cultivators, while many bore guilt, their crimes were not capital; they simply needed to be locked up for a few thousand years. Now, the Sole Palace had harbored the fugitives he intended to arrest. He would have to find time to bring those criminals to justice. "Is there any way for me to transmit a message to the Seventh Heaven?" Thinking of this, Qi Yuan asked. He hoped the people of Taihuang Palace... would turn themselves in! Heavenly Venerable Wusheng fell silent for a brief moment. Within the Mirror of Myriad Phenomena, countless fireflies began dancing and swirling incessantly, as though performing a ritual. After roughly thirty breaths had passed, Heavenly Venerable Wusheng spoke: "Whatever you say next will be transmitted into the Seventh Heaven." "Really?" Qi Yuan's eyes lit up. *** Meanwhile. Within Taihuang Palace in the Seventh Heaven. Panic and dread gripped every heart. The young maiden Taiyue gritted her teeth, tears brimming in her eyes. The Ten Thousand Suns Supreme Venerable had attacked Taihuang Palace. Defeated, Taihuang Palace had used the Sole Token to flee into the Seventh Heaven, seeking asylum under the Sole Palace. Initially, Taiyue had breathed a sigh of relief, thinking they could temporarily settle down and spend a peaceful period with her elder brother, Tairi. After all, with the Great Sun gone, her brother Tairi could also enjoy his freedom. Yet who could have foreseen that after relocating into the Seventh Heaven, a horrific event would unfold? Inside Taihuang Palace, every single Yang God Heavenly Venerable... had lost their spirits. Only their empty husks remained. These were Yang God Heavenly Venerables! How could they all have vanished so silently? Even Taiyue's elder brother, Tairi, who possessed the aptitude for Supreme Ultimate Principles, had been devoured. How could Taiyue not be terrified and devastated? The Taihuang Palace of today was steeped in anxiety and utter disarray; everyone felt a chilling dread. After all, even the Yang God Heavenly Venerables had met with mysterious doom. "This Seventh Heaven is no place for humans to stay! The variant spirits of the Sole Palace... are not human!" A Mythological cultivator broke down, his face deathly pale. Even dying in battle was better than having one's spirit swallowed whole. "Why... why did the Supreme Venerable treat us like this? The Patriarch only followed the Supreme Venerable's orders!" This Yin God, weeping bitter tears, was a direct descendant of the Great Ultimate Principle who had used the Sole Token to ascend into the Seventh Heaven. Consequently, he knew far more than most. The Supreme Venerable had once said that when the Linya Molt began, if he was pinned down by other Supreme Venerables and unable to reinforce Taihuang Palace, Taihuang Palace could use the Sole Token to flee to the Seventh Heaven for asylum. Was this... asylum? This was a dead end! This was offering themselves up as livestock and fodder for the Seventh Heaven! "Rather than this, we would have been better off staying in the Sixth Heaven! No matter how terrifying the Ten Thousand Suns Supreme Venerable is, could he really have slaughtered all hundred million billion beings of our Taihuang Palace?" someone couldn't help crying out. Remaining in the Seventh Heaven now, they didn't even dare use their Dao arts casually, living worse than common mortals. They had to spend every second on edge, their nerves frayed, constantly on guard against the variant spirits of the Sole Palace. "I want to go back to the Sixth Heaven!" a cultivator murmured bitterly. Yet right at that moment, a vast, thunderous voice abruptly rang throughout the Seventh Heaven. That voice was unmistakably familiar. "Leniency to those who confess; severity to those who resist!" "Members of Taihuang Palace, you are guilty!" "Surrender yourselves immediately and return to the Sixth Heaven! If you turn yourselves in within three days, you will only need to mine ore and pump sewing machines in Ziyuan Heaven for a thousand years to complete your sentence! "If you fail to turn yourselves in within three days, once I personally ascend to the Seventh Heaven to bring you to justice—hmph, a three-thousand-year sentence will be unavoidable!" Qi Yuan's voice faded, having echoed across the Seventh Heaven. The members of Taihuang Palace were completely stunned at first, but their expressions quickly turned into wild excitement. "Ten Thousand Suns Supreme Venerable, I am guilty! Quickly bring me to justice!" "I want to surrender! I want to turn myself in!" They acted as if they had grasped a lifesaving straw. After all, going to Ziyuan Heaven to mine for a thousand years—what kind of punishment was that compared to this? It was nothing! Alas, their desperate cries were doomed not to reach Qi Yuan's ears. "Hmph, not a single person confesses. It seems that once my divine arts reach full mastery, I will have to take a personal trip to the Seventh Heaven!" With that, the voice completely faded into silence. *** Within the Ultimate Principle Society. Qi Yuan looked at Heavenly Venerable Wusheng and remarked slowly, "These criminals of Taihuang Palace still have a bit of backbone. Not one of them surrendered or confessed. It seems I will indeed have to take a personal trip to the Seventh Heaven." Of course, his current self certainly couldn't do it. He would need to raise his strength a bit first. "Hey, besides the Sole Palace, I also want information on the Moon Goddess Yuanjun, as well as news of my master, Ruan Yixi. She should be someone from the Moon Goddess Palace..." Qi Yuan shared all the information he possessed with Heavenly Venerable Wusheng—or rather, with the Mirror of Myriad Phenomena. "All Supreme Venerables bind and constrain the information around them; not a single information particle ever dissipates outward. If you wish to know, you must go to the Moon Goddess Palace and see the Moon Goddess Yuanjun in person. "As for the Ruan Yixi you seek, no information regarding her appears to have dissipated either—or perhaps that is merely one of her many names." Hearing this, Qi Yuan felt a pang of disappointment. It seemed he would still have to make a trip to the Moon Goddess Palace. However, since he had seized the Great Sun's Venerable Position, he was, in a sense, on hostile terms with the Moon Goddess Palace. The Moon Goddess Palace might not necessarily welcome him. "Aside from the Supreme Venerables, is there any other information you wish to know? The Mirror of Myriad Phenomena knows all things," Heavenly Venerable Wusheng stated blandly. Qi Yuan chuckled at his words. The Mirror of Myriad Phenomena was indeed impressive, but that didn't mean it was omnipotent. Looking thoughtful, Qi Yuan asked casually, "Do you know how to manufacture a 3-nanometer chip?" If he got the answer, once he returned to the Blue Star, starting a wildly successful tech company would be a breeze. At the very least, he could secure a tidy sum of scientific research grants. "..." Heavenly Venerable Wusheng fell silent; the Mirror of Myriad Phenomena seemed entirely incapable of understanding the meaning of Qi Yuan's words. "How does the national soccer team win the World Cup?" "...???"