Shi Huagu felt he was having quite a streak of bad luck today.
First, he had been swindled by the long-dead Qin Haoran, saddled with a debt of one billion spirit stones, and struck by lightning when he couldn't pay.
Then, on account of the Heavenly Court matters, he had already recounted the whole incident once to the Cult Master.
And now he had to tell it all over again.
He wondered if he should simply write a memoir instead, sparing himself the pain of reliving those agonizing memories time and again.
The two vice cult masters stared at Shi Huagu with suspicion and astonishment.
The thunder earlier had made far too much noise; it was impossible not to hear it.
How could a Body Integration cultivator still encounter a lightning tribulation? Could it be that this old fellow had broken through?
With a sullen face, Shi Huagu recounted everything that had transpired in Guhuai Town in full detail. Only this time, the focus was not on Qin Haoran reincarnating into Qin Yanyan, but on the Heavenly Court Cult.
"The Heavenly Court, the most powerful organization of the ancient era?"
"The first to attain immortality was Dou Tianzun?"
"Stars like soybeans, to be toyed with at will—what divine creation of a technique is this!"
Both vice cult masters sucked in a breath of cold air. In merely a few sentences, that man named Lu Yiyang had laid bare so many ancient secrets.
The first to attain immortality—what immense prestige that held! That was a monumental figure who had pioneered the path of immortality itself, someone who could truly be called the ancestor of all immortals.
As the highest echelon of the Nine Nether Cult, they knew far more ancient secrets than ordinary Body Integration cultivators. Even so, they had never known that Immortal Jiuchong was the first to become an immortal.
"Immortal Jiuchong usurped Dou Tianzun's place to become the first immortal?"
"People always say that geniuses of the ancient era were like dragons, brimming with lofty ambition that swallowed mountains and rivers, ruling by strength alone. Who would have thought such sordid filth was hidden beneath the surface!"
Seeing that the two vice cult masters had gradually absorbed the information, the Cult Master spoke slowly, "In fact, I happen to know a thing or two about the Heavenly Court."
"We beg the Cult Master to enlighten us." The two vice cult masters felt that their horizons had been broadened today, grateful for the chance to learn so many ancient secrets.
The Cult Master was very pleased with their eager expressions. Without keeping them in suspense, he shared his findings.
"By chance, I once acquired an ancient immortal text authored by Immortal Jiuchong.
"I hired someone to translate it. They only managed a rough translation, with missing words and omitted sentences, but it was enough to grasp the general content.
"The immortal text mentioned the existence of the 'Heavenly Court.' It stated that immortals were legion in the ancient era, and condensing a Dao fruit to achieve immortality was merely the first step of the immortal path. Beyond immortals were sages, beyond sages were gods, and beyond gods were supreme gods. The sheer number of realms was staggering to behold.
"The Heavenly Court was an organization within the Realm of Supreme Gods, ruling over all things and all principles!"
It was the first time the two vice cult masters and Shi Huagu had ever heard of this. Their bodies leaned forward involuntarily, completely captivated by the ancient lore.
"Why is that different from what Lu Yiyang said? Was he lying?" Shi Huagu frowned.
The Cult Master waved a hand. "Listen as I continue. Later, I found another ancient immortal text, authored by Immortal Ying Tian.
"That book was titled *Imprisoning Heaven*, and its main subject was a description of the ancient Heavenly Court. It stated that immortals were divided into Human Immortals, Earth Immortals, Heavenly Immortals, Golden Immortals, Daluo Golden Immortals, and Primordial Immortals. It also claimed that the supreme ruler of the Heavenly Court was called the Heavenly Emperor, who resided in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, while the Two Sages and Three Pure Ones were the actual rulers.
"The book was written in such vivid detail that it felt completely immersive, leading me to believe for a time that Immortal Ying Tian had written a novel.
"On second thought, however, that didn't feel right. What kind of figure was Immortal Ying Tian? An immortal! Why would an immortal have the leisure and fancy to write stories? It defied common sense."
The three vice cult masters nodded in unison, finding the Cult Master's reasoning sound.
"After that, I came across yet another immortal text, also authored by Immortal Ying Tian. That book mentioned the Heavenly Court as well, but it divided immortals into First-Rank Immortals, Second-Rank Immortals, Third-Rank Immortals, Fourth-Rank Immortals, and Fifth-Rank Immortals!
"The plot of that book was completely different from *Imprisoning Heaven*!"
"How could they be so contradictory?" The three vice cult masters were astonished. Had Immortal Ying Tian suffered from split personalities?
The Cult Master shook his head. "Originally, I had no idea why either, racking my brains in vain. I consulted old scholars who studied antiquity, but they couldn't provide an answer. They merely said the ancient era was full of contradictions that remain unexplained to this day.
"Yet just now, learning of the Heavenly Court Cult's existence, I felt everything suddenly made sense."
"What do you mean?"
The Cult Master said earnestly, "There really was a Heavenly Court in the ancient era. However, it wasn't divided into all those arbitrary ranks as Immortal Jiuchong and Immortal Ying Tian described. Instead, it was just as Lu Yiyang said: Dou Tianzun ruled the Heavenly Court, and Immortal Jiuchong usurped the throne.
"Immortal Jiuchong and Immortal Ying Tian deliberately fabricated history and spread conflicting accounts simply to cover up the truth!"
The four of them quickly pictured how the ancient era must have unfolded:
Dou Tianzun was the first to achieve immortality. He established the Heavenly Court and became the ruler of antiquity. Being benevolent and noble-hearted, He placed no obstacles before those who sought immortality after Him, allowing figures like Immortal Jiuchong and Immortal Ying Tian to achieve immortality in turn.
For fame, profit, or other motives, Immortal Jiuchong and his conspirators rebelled against the Heavenly Court and defeated Dou Tianzun. The Heavenly Court fell from its supreme position, and Immortal Jiuchong and his cohorts became the rulers of the ancient era.
Fearing that their rule lacked legitimacy, Immortal Jiuchong and the others borrowed the name of the Heavenly Court and fabricated versions that were completely different from the truth, leaving later generations unsure of which one to believe.
"So that was it!" The four pieced it together, feeling a faint thrill within their hearts at having glimpsed a hidden corner of ancient secrets.
"Does that mean our Nine Nether Cult's roots can also be traced back to the ancient era?"
The Nine Nether Cult had always proclaimed that the Nine Nether had existed since time immemorial, yet they had never possessed any proof. Now, with the Heavenly Court Cult as a witness, the Nine Nether Cult could finally hold its head high.
"Lu Yiyang must have concealed a few things from us—nine parts truth and one part lie—but most of it should be true. We can try to make contact with them!"
"Besides, the orthodox sects have been cracking down on us harder lately. As a top ancient faction with profound foundations, the Heavenly Court Cult can help withstand the orthodox sects' pressure!"
They felt that establishing ties with the Heavenly Court Cult would bring immense benefits without any harm.
With tacit understanding, none of them brought up Qin Haoran and Qin Yanyan. For the sake of the legacy Qin Haoran had left behind, they could not possibly acknowledge Qin Yanyan as Qin Haoran's reincarnation.
If they admitted it, wouldn't they have to hand over Qin Haoran's legacy to the Heavenly Court Cult?
Although none of them had managed to unlock Qin Haoran's legacy yet, anyone could imagine how staggering a fortune must have been left behind by a half-step Tribulation Transcendence expert and former demonic cult master.
It absolutely could not be given to the Heavenly Court Cult!
Even if they secretly believed that Qin Yanyan truly was Qin Haoran's reincarnation.
"We should go to Yanjiang Commandery to establish contact with them and probe their true depth while we're at it," the Cult Master concluded firmly.
"Still, why a barbecue shop? Is there any special meaning behind it?"
Shi Huagu offered a solemn analysis. "Looking at the history of cooking, the very first culinary technique mastered by the human race was roasting over fire. The Heavenly Court Cult might be using this method to hint at their ancient heritage."
"That makes sense!"
"Old Shi really is insightful!"
The three of them praised Shi Huagu for his sharp mind. Shi Huagu found their flattery rather gratifying, and even the burning pain from the lightning strikes seemed to lessen slightly.
Chapter 309