Chapter 425: Chapter 365 Mysterious God Scroll! [Seeking monthly pass!]
"""
The second life in the Starry Sky World spanned a total of fifteen thousand nine hundred and eighty-two years.
In reality, thirty-nine years, eleven months, and fourteen days have passed.
In this year.
Chen Jichuan turned ninety.
"Forty years of exploring the Mysterious Realm."
"The many clues I’ve gathered are enough to form a divination."
Chen Jichuan took fifty stalks of shii grass out from his sleeve.
Shii grass, as recorded in the Chief of Staff: "A divine gift from heaven, provided for the people."
It belongs to the artemisia genus, but come autumn, the small offshoots on its stems naturally fall away, leaving a single upright stalk standing alone toward the heavens.
With it, one can measure the heavens and calculate earthly matters — the most spiritually responsive tool.
Chen Jichuan had been traversing Panlong Mountain, accompanied by Divinity Transformation Demons under his command. Though shii grass used for divination was hard to find, he eventually gathered enough.
Recollecting the myriad pieces of information gleaned over the years from the explorations of figures like Jiao Venerable and other Divinity Transformation Demons in the Mysterious Realm.
Chen Jichuan initiated the divination ritual.
As his mana flowed, his mind began intricate calculations.
"Panlong Mountain."
"Mysterious Realm."
"Hanging Mirror."
"Mysterious God Scroll."
"Hanging Mirror Demon—"
In vague obscurity, Chen Jichuan calculated a stream of fragmented information.
Joy lit up his heart.
Just as he was about to piece together these fragments to derive their origin, a sudden tension gripped his heart—
"No! I must stop!"
Chen Jichuan’s complexion abruptly turned pale, sweat beading upon his brow.
Hiss!
Hiss hiss hiss!
The fifty stalks of shii grass before him combusted into flames without cause, burning to ashes in a roaring blaze.
He hurriedly ceased his calculations.
Then maximized the powers of the Guiyuan Hiding Method and Nine Doubts Skill, concealing himself completely.
Only then did the sense of impending danger subside.
"That was close!"
Cold sweat soaked his back, and he felt a lingering fear.
He worked hard to steady his mind.
Returning to the fragmented pieces of information he’d already calculated—
"Mysterious God Scroll."
"This artifact transforms into the Mysterious Realm, trapping the living beings of Panlong Mountain, making it extremely difficult to escape. Only by reaching Divinity Transformation before three hundred years of age, ascending to the Primordial Unity Realm by eight hundred years, achieving Divine Separation Realm by fourteen hundred years, or Divine Transformation Realm by two thousand years, could one pass through the realm and enter the Hanging Mirror Sea for cultivation."
"The Mysterious Realm serves as both a sieve and a test."
"Only geniuses are able to pass."
"Those who fail are inevitably drawn into the Mysterious Realm in their later years, lost within it, their minds decaying into those of mindless ancient beasts that live without death or end."
Chen Jichuan’s face was grim.
In this life, he’d been locked away during his youth in the Black Prison, deprived of sunlight.
He once thought that now, having achieved success in cultivation, he’d no longer be caged.
But today, he learned that even outside the Black Prison, he was still trapped in an even larger cage.
"The force trapping Panlong Mountain is the Mysterious God Scroll."
"And those controlling the Mysterious God Scroll seem to be a faction called the Hanging Mirror Immortal Palace."
"Those Divinity Transformation cultivators who meet the criteria and leave Panlong Mountain will probably still find themselves unable to escape the control of this faction."
Chen Jichuan’s heart sank to the bottom.
His earlier divine calculation had nearly uncovered the full truth, but instinct warned him not to proceed further. However, based only on the information he already possessed, he knew the road ahead was perilous.
This faction, after expending such effort to sieve out geniuses from Panlong Mountain — and possibly other domains — and concentrate them in the Hanging Mirror Sea, had intentions that were yet unclear.
But their methods, their actions, would hardly be linked to immortal fate or good fortune.
"The Hanging Mirror Immortal Palace is no benign force."
"The Hanging Mirror Sea is no benevolent place."
"It’s not wise to venture there too early or recklessly."
Chen Jichuan had painstakingly studied the Najia Divination Method, even evolving it into the divine skill Dayan Divination Method, intending to break free from the Mysterious Realm’s traps, escape Panlong Mountain, and find a way out.
While he now gained insight into the Mysterious Realm, and at ninety years old, possessing Divinity Transformation First Realm cultivation, was already capable of passing through easily—
Chen Jichuan instead dared not go.
"Wait!"
"Wait until my cultivation is stronger, until I ascend to Divinity Transformation Third Realm, capable of cultivating a third avatar, and then go."
"By then, I’ll have greater power and better survival abilities."
"Even if dangers await me in the Hanging Mirror Sea, I’ll be able to prepare some countermeasures."
Chen Jichuan felt uneasy but still forced himself to deliberate strategies calmly.
There was both relief and fear.
Previously unaware of the hidden hand manipulating the fates of all within and beyond Panlong Mountain, he had acted discreetly yet audaciously over the years—
Achieving Divinity Transformation at fifty.
Cultivating thirty Divinity Transformation Demons over the past forty years.
Such feats and actions might remain hidden from the likes of Wul Ming and others, but if monitored by forces outside Panlong Mountain, they might have already been observed in full.
Thankfully,
Chen Jichuan’s sharp intuition hadn’t detected any signs of surveillance. Even during his use of Dayan Divination Method, he found no forewarnings of such. This indicated that while the Hanging Mirror Immortal Palace managed to trap Panlong Mountain with the Mysterious God Scroll, they hadn’t maintained constant surveillance.
Chen Jichuan felt a mix of apprehension and relief.
"Panlong Mountain holds Divinity Transformation cultivators."
"And yet the Hanging Mirror Immortal Palace pays them no heed. Either they lack the means to monitor, or they simply don’t bother."
Chen Jichuan leaned toward the latter.
Divinity Transformation cultivators with their divine skills couldn’t even grasp the depths of the Hanging Mirror Immortal Palace.
This faction evidently harbors Fourth Realm or Fifth Realm Great Powers.
With such figures at the helm, why waste effort monitoring minor Divinity Transformation cultivators?
"The Hanging Mirror Immortal Palace likely oversees multiple domains like Panlong Mountain. Monitoring them all would be impractical."
"If they do monitor, it’s most likely limited to the Hanging Mirror Sea where geniuses converge."
Thinking in this way,
Chen Jichuan felt even less inclined to hastily venture to the Hanging Mirror Sea.
"Lay low!"
"Lay low!"
"I must stay low-key!"
"Panlong Mountain may make achieving Divinity Transformation Third and Fourth Realms incredibly difficult, but this realm poses no such barriers to me."
"Once I reach Divinity Transformation Fourth Realm, my combat power will surge beyond ordinary Fourth Realm cultivators. Only then should I reconsider whether to proceed."
Chen Jichuan remained alert.
Over recent decades,
As he achieved Divinity Transformation and gained deeper insight into Panlong Mountain, he began acting with increasing boldness.
The emergence of the Hanging Mirror Immortal Palace and the Mysterious God Scroll had now struck him like a hammer, forcefully awakening him.
"There’s always someone stronger."
"There’s always a higher mountain."
"There’s always a bigger sky."
"Constant vigilance is essential!"
Chen Jichuan drew a deep breath.
...
On this day.
Chen Jichuan returned to Seven Mysterious Mountain and summoned Chen Shaohe.
"Fourth Brother."
Chen Shaohe walked in briskly, entered the cave, and called out to Chen Jichuan.
At the age of twenty-nine,
Chen Jichuan ventured into the Central Continent World, where he joined Seven Mysterious Sect and became the Alchemy Hall Master.
Now aged ninety, he had been part of Seven Mysterious Sect for sixty years.
Chen Shaohe followed him into Seven Mysterious Sect a few years later, joining the Alchemy Hall.
They had both spent considerable time in the sect.
As time flowed by,
With Chen Jichuan’s guidance and mentorship, particularly since mastering the Divine Splitting Technique which afforded him more time, Chen Shaohe’s cultivation and alchemy skills advanced rapidly.
Now eighty-eight years old,
He had reached Qi Refining Eighth Layer and was a First-order Peak Alchemist.
In Seven Mysterious Sect and across Panlong Mountain, he was regarded as an exceptional talent.
His demeanor and expression also vastly differed from his younger days in the Black Prison and Great Chu.
He had gained experience.
He had matured.
He was no longer the reckless youth he once was.
"Come."
"Drink with me."
Chen Jichuan fetched a jar of wine and handed it to Chen Shaohe.
Chen Shaohe obediently accepted, accompanying Chen Jichuan in the drink.
Two jars of wine later,
Chen Shaohe, already tipsy, said cheerfully to Chen Jichuan, "Give me some more time, no more than three years, and my cultivation will break through to Qi Refining Nine Layers. My alchemy skills will also advance to Second-order."
With a Divinity Transformation Ancestor and a Third-order Alchemy Grandmaster like Chen Jichuan teaching him step-by-step, Chen Shaohe’s progress in cultivation and alchemy far outpaced ordinary cultivators.
Eighty-eight years old.
Qi Refining Eighth Layer.
First-order Alchemy.
And now within two to three years, he might ascend another layer and another order. Comparatively, someone like Xiao Lan with Granny Gan’s personal tutelage had reached similar achievements.
The rate was by no means slow.
Chen Shaohe’s talent wasn’t exceptionally higher than his fourth brother’s, but his current accomplishments owed significantly to Chen Jichuan.
Though it was also inseparable from his own hard work.
Diligent.
Disciplined.
No matter the hardships in Great Chu or the challenges at Panlong Mountain after joining Seven Mysterious Sect, Chen Shaohe had tirelessly cultivated and studied without a day’s pause.
With effort comes reward.
"Fourth Brother."
"What could be worse than the torment we endured in the Black Prison? What could possibly frighten you or trouble me now?"
Chen Shaohe chuckled as he drank, slightly intoxicated, offering encouragement to Chen Jichuan.
"The Black Prison—"
Chen Jichuan stared at Chen Shaohe.
In an instant,
A fleeting image crossed his mind—
It was the time shortly after they first escaped the Black Prison. By a stream in Centipede Mountain, Chen Shaohe had been wearing an oversized, stolen set of clothes that didn’t fit, hunched over with a small stature like a little old man. Stroking his bald head with a hand, he had flashed an innocent smile at Chen Jichuan, asking him to look his way.
In the blink of an eye,
The goofy teenager was gone.
Chen Shaohe now bore a beard, his long-shaved hair had already grown back, and his grin no longer carried its former foolishness but exuded composure and confidence instead.
Though he had been a bit naive as a youngster,
Life’s trials and tribulations had brought clarity to his perspective.
Where once Chen Jichuan could only encourage his fifth brother, Chen Shaohe could now offer solace to his fourth brother instead.
"You’ve grown up!"
Chen Jichuan sighed deeply, then added, "I’ve come to learn bad news recently. But with your current cultivation being so low, it’s not suitable for you to know. When the time is right, I’ll explain it all to you."
Chen Jichuan never kept secrets from Chen Shaohe, nor did he hide matters.
On the contrary, whenever realities unfolded, he’d tell Chen Shaohe outright, seeking his input for better resolutions.
Two minds think better together.
They were brothers bound by life and blood, connected deeply, leaving no place for secrets.
Chen Jichuan also used this approach to nurture and bolster their brotherly bond, dispersing the coldness and loneliness brought by countless years traversing the Dao Fruit World.
Additionally, such exchanges expanded Chen Shaohe’s understanding, providing broader perspectives and horizons beneficial for shaping his character, abilities, and strategic thinking.
Chen Shaohe was focused on cultivation and avoided causing trouble.
Yet it wouldn’t do to simply stay within Seven Mysterious Mountain, endlessly cultivating or refining pills.
Such isolation could risk turning him into a mere idle recluse in the long run.
Chen Jichuan had limited time and energy before,
But after mastering the Divine Splitting Technique, he purposefully began involving Chen Shaohe in numerous matters for discussion and decision. Occasionally, he’d even take him or send him to experience the world’s landscapes and connect with various individuals and events, thereby broadening his outlook.
Life,
Beyond cultivation and alchemy, must also encompass an understanding of human intricacies and social complexities.
More exposure and experience were never bad.
But this particular matter—
...
"""