The Temptation of the Transcendent

Inside the room, Huang Huai was currently sitting on the bed, holding a book. If anyone were to see it, they would undoubtedly recognize the words "Biography of High God Qinghu of Dongyang" on the cover. This was one of the books Huang Huai had brought back from another World.

"…High God Qinghu of Dongyang, was High God Qinghu of the Dongyang Sect in Taian Prefecture. High God Qinghu's original name was Meng Qiuran, the legitimate daughter of the Meng Clan of Taian Prefecture. She was born extraordinary, with an early awakening of intelligence. She entered the Dongyang Sect and became a disciple of the Sect Master, learning the Dongyang Sect's secret transmission, the Great Divine Court Scripture. She revered the Howling Moon God Qinghu as her supreme deity. At the age of ten, she opened her Divine Court in her Sea of Consciousness, entering the First Realm of the Divine Court. She invited the Howling Moon God Qinghu Statue to preside over her First Divine Court, transcending the mortal world and gaining a lifespan of three hundred years. At eighteen, the Howling Moon God Qinghu Statue successfully achieved deification. She then slew a Second Realm Evil God on Dongyang Mountain. The following year, she opened her Second Divine Court, gaining a lifespan of five hundred years, becoming a Second Realm High God… At thirty, she opened her Third Divine Court, gaining a lifespan of eight hundred years. Because she exclusively revered the Howling Moon God Qinghu Statue, she was then honored by the people as High God Qinghu…"

The book was not very thick, and it mostly recounted the life of this High God Qinghu. Although most of it detailed where High God Qinghu had annihilated which God, Demon, Malevolent Spirit, or her cultivation progress, appearing dry and tedious, Huang Huai still found a lot of useful information within it.

"…In the Great Yan Calendar, year 1243, High God Qinghu was ordered by her sect to investigate the case of the annihilation of Fubao Town in Great You Mountain, which resulted in the deaths of 9,845 people. She was ambushed and surrounded by three individuals who were all Third Realm Demonic Dao cultivators. Unable to break through, she killed one and wounded two, perishing herself, at the age of forty-eight…"

"…High God Qinghu possessed genius talent but was unfortunate, falling midway. A tragedy! Her deeds are specially recorded for posterity."

His gaze retreated from the last word. Huang Huai looked at the thin book in his hand. Though it was thin, it recorded the brief life of a Cultivator. Suddenly, Huang Huai felt the book become a bit heavier.

He exhaled, adjusted his mood, and picked up another book, titled "Biography of High God Niu Mo." He opened it, and the content met his eyes:

"High God Niu Mo, Qin Zhuang, was a native of Niu Mo Village in Heyang Prefecture. The High God's life was fraught with hardship. He lost his mother at three and his father at five. However, he possessed extraordinary talent and divine strength. Orphaned, he was fortunate to be cared for by his neighbors, eating food from a hundred households and wearing clothes from a hundred households as he grew up. At twelve, he stumbled upon a fortuitous encounter and obtained a cultivation method called the 'Hundred Refinements Divine Palace Method.' From then on, he embarked on the path of cultivation, revering the Niu Mo Statue as his supreme deity. He tempered his muscles and bones and refined his blood and qi for several years. At sixteen, he managed to open his First Divine Palace in his Dantian's sea of qi, inviting the Niu Mo Statue to preside over his First Divine Palace. From then on, he lived in Niu Mo Village, protecting the villagers. At thirty-eight, he opened his Second Divine Palace, gaining a lifespan of five hundred years. At one hundred and nine, he opened his Third Divine Palace, gaining a lifespan of eight hundred years."

"In the Great Yan Calendar, year 1082, the once-in-a-millennium Demonic Disaster of Taian Prefecture erupted. Tens of thousands of God, Demon, Malevolent Spirits swept through Taian Prefecture, causing widespread suffering, with countless lives becoming Blood Food for the God, Demon, Malevolent Spirits. Niu Mo Village also fell victim to the calamity. High God Niu Mo, Qin Zhuang, who had lived in seclusion here for over a century and was rarely known, stepped forward. After battling fiercely for several days, he protected the hundreds of villagers in Niu Mo Village from harm during the disaster, slaying over a hundred God, Demon, Malevolent Spirits. However, the God, Demon, Malevolent Spirits were powerful. Even though High God Niu Mo broke through to the Fourth Realm in desperation, he was devoured by the Great Evil God Thousand-Faced Demon Crow. At that time, Lu Zhengdao, a Fifth Realm High God of Heyang Prefecture, sensed the aura of the Great Evil God Thousand-Faced Demon Crow and, from a hundred miles away, unleashed a world-shattering sword strike, heavily wounding the Great Evil God Thousand-Faced Demon Crow and forcing it to retreat in shock. Niu Mo Village was thus spared, but High God Niu Mo, Qin Zhuang, who had protected Niu Mo Village for a century, had already perished, his remains lost…"

Slowly putting down the book he had finished reading, Huang Huai looked at the other books he had brought back. He wondered if all the High Gods in these biographies had met their demise.

With this suspicion, Huang Huai finished flipping through the remaining books. He put them down with a heavy heart. His guess was indeed correct. In the remaining books, all the individuals mentioned had died while fighting against the calamity of God, Demon, Malevolent Spirits, or while eradicating them.

Calming his emotions, which had been affected by the biographies, Huang Huai put the books away and turned off the light before lying down on the bed.

It was already close to ten o'clock at night. According to Huang Huai's usual routine, he would normally be deeply asleep by this time, perhaps already dreaming.

However, Huang Huai found it difficult to fall asleep now. The bizarre encounter he had in that other World during the day felt like a dream.

Huang Huai's family background was quite affluent. His Dad Huang was capable, having worked hard for half his life. Although their assets hadn't reached a hundred million, they were tens of millions. If nothing unexpected happened, Huang Huai would inherit the family business in the future and live a comfortable life without having to do anything.

Having grown up in such a family environment, and spending about a third of his time at Xunzhen Temple, influenced by his surroundings, Huang Huai's demands for material things were actually not very high.

If a heavenly opportunity had appeared, and the world behind that mysterious portal was just an ordinary ancient world, Huang Huai, without much ambition, probably wouldn't have been too concerned.

After all, modern society was so advanced. If one's family was wealthy and life was worry-free, how many people would want to live in an ancient society with a severely reduced quality of life?

But that was not an ordinary ancient world at all. Ever since he witnessed the methods of that Seventh Elder of the Great River Sect, especially when a jade statue materialized before his eyes, turning into flesh and blood and becoming a real existence, Huang Huai was deeply shaken.

Moreover, he himself had felt the power and miraculousness of the mysterious energy in that world. He had been frail since childhood, and it was only after years of recuperation that he had managed to reach a normal level of physical health. Just one blessing from a High God, with the statue manifesting, had instantly filled him with vitality, making him strong and healthy, as if he had undergone a complete transformation.

And this was just a simple blessing from a High God, benefiting him through the power of others. But what if he could wield such great power himself, like that Elder who controlled deities?

Not to mention anything else, just the divine and powerful abilities of the Cultivators he had seen in those biographies of that world, and especially the extended lifespan alone, was something few people could resist.

Throughout history, who was not afraid of death? Even emperors like Qin Shi Huang and Han Wudi sought immortality in vain. However, those biographies clearly recorded that in that world, a Cultivator who entered the First Realm of cultivation could gain three hundred years of lifespan, the Second Realm five hundred, and the Third Realm a staggering eight hundred years. The higher the cultivation, the longer the lifespan. Setting aside the possibility of achieving immortality, even a lifespan of nearly a thousand years was something modern people could only dream of.

If he hadn't encountered such a magical world, his twenty years of education had made him clearly understand that in the modern world, supernatural powers only existed in fantasies.

However, when fantasy suddenly merged with reality one day, it would be a lie to say he wasn't moved.

With various thoughts flashing through his mind, Huang Huai turned onto his side, tossing and turning, completely unable to sleep. His eyes shone brightly as he looked at the bundle on his bedside table, beginning to recall the useful information revealed in the biographies he had just read.