Ye Chen sat quietly beside the ruined altar for an entire day.
He was not healing. Though the ancient remnant soul's assault had been fierce, it had not damaged his foundations. He was digesting and analyzing the memory fragments forced into his sea of consciousness, along with the subtle changes the Nameless Fragment and the Black Iron Piece had undergone during their resonance.
Those memory fragments were like shards of a shattered mirror, reflecting scattered scenes of an ancient tragedy. The heavens split apart, gods and devils spilled blood, and that cry rang out, filled with boundless despair and madness: "This entire universe is a prison!" The voice's owner had likely stood far above an Immortal Emperor, at least an existence who had touched the threshold of transcendence. Otherwise, he could not have possessed such profound and despairing insight.
An ancient mighty being was also seeking the path to transcendence, and... failed, Ye Chen realized. The Great Dao of this Primordial World is flawed. Perhaps that was not a natural development, but the result of that failed war to achieve transcendence? Or was it some kind of "backlash" or "punishment" suffered after the failure?
The conjecture shook him to his core. If it was true, then the Primordial World was not merely a broken world with exhausted resources. It was a "relic" bearing the ancient mystery of transcendence.
After resonating with the altar, the Nameless Fragment and the Black Iron Piece in his hands had also revealed more of their extraordinary nature. The once-blurred symbols on the fragment had become a little clearer, allowing him to faintly discern traces of Dao resonance related to "space," "origin," and "shackles." A fine marking had appeared along the Black Iron Piece's edge, faintly echoing a symbol at the fragment's broken edge. It seemed to indicate the general direction where the next fragment might lie—not within the Demon-Burying Abyss, but much farther north.
It seems this fragment and iron piece are not merely keys, but also a... map? Or perhaps some guidance or legacy concerning the path to transcendence, left by that ancient existence? Ye Chen pondered. He could sense that the materials of these two objects and the Dao laws within them differed slightly from those of the Primordial World, and even from those of the universe he inhabited. They carried an aura that was more ancient, more primordial.
"The rewards of this journey far exceeded my expectations." Ye Chen rose to his feet, his gaze sweeping across the deathly still Demon Abyss Plains. Not only had he found a clue to the third fragment, but he had also glimpsed a corner of this world's deepest secrets. That would be vital to his next plans.
He did not explore farther beneath the altar. Though the remnant soul sealed there had temporarily fallen silent, its essential nature was on too high a level. Forcing his way deeper could bring unforeseen danger. Besides, he sensed that truly uncovering the altar's secrets might require gathering more fragments of the page.
It was time to leave.
Ye Chen turned and retraced his steps. The return journey was much smoother than his arrival. Perhaps because the altar's remnant soul had been severely injured, the demonic aura within the abyss seemed to have settled somewhat, and attacks from the demonic beasts had become sporadic and feeble.
When he appeared soundlessly like a phantom inside his own Chen Hall at the Heavenly Star Pavilion, he startled Ye Xiaoshan, who was on duty there.
"Y-young master! You're back!" Surprised and delighted, Ye Xiaoshan hurried forward.
"Mm." Ye Chen nodded, his expression calm. "How have things been at the pavilion during my absence?"
"Young master, all is well!" Ye Xiaoshan reported excitedly. "Brother Ye Yun's training and reorganization of the disciples have been very effective. They've begun to form a fighting force. Brother Shi Meng and Brother Mo Yu have cleared out the last few minor factions nearby. Everything within a hundred li of Black Wind Mountain is now under our Heavenly Star Pavilion's control. Sister Ye Ling has expanded the purified valley again, and its spiritual energy has grown richer too. It has attracted quite a few rogue cultivators seeking to join us. The Blood Skull Steward is screening them strictly. Also..."
He paused, then lowered his voice. "True Person Yunhe of the Void Divine Hall sent someone the day before yesterday with a detailed illustrated gazetteer of the Northern Border's Profound Ice Plains. He said it might be useful to you. And... there seem to be unusual movements at both the Sacred Emperor Palace and the Blood Demon Sect. Our scouts reported that their people have been active along the edges of the Wasteland, as though searching for something."
Ye Chen took the Northern Border gazetteer and True Person Yunhe's letter from Ye Xiaoshan and glanced through them. The gazetteer was detailed, marking the Profound Ice Plains' various dangerous areas and resource sites. The letter contained only a simple greeting, with little else said, but its intent to offer goodwill and invest in him was unmistakable.
"The Sacred Emperor Palace, the Blood Demon Sect..." Ye Chen's gaze turned slightly cold. Naturally, he knew what they were seeking: the background of this suddenly appearing "Pavilion Master Ye," and the secret behind the Heavenly Star Pavilion's ability to improve its surroundings.
"Clowns hopping about on a stage. Pay them no heed." Ye Chen put away the gazetteer and letter. "Pass down my orders. Effective immediately, the Heavenly Star Pavilion will enter a level-two state of alert. Without my written order, no one may enter the formation guarding the mountain gates without authorization. Also, have Ye Yun, Shi Meng, Mo Yu, and Ye Ling come see me."
"Yes!" Ye Xiaoshan left to carry out his orders.
A short while later, they all gathered in Chen Hall.
Seeing that Ye Chen had returned safely, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, joy showing on their faces.
"Young master, the depths of the Demon-Burying Abyss..." Ye Yun could not help asking.
"Exceptionally perilous, but the rewards were considerable." Ye Chen briefly recounted the altar, the remnant soul, and his conjectures about "transcendence" and the "prison." Their hearts churned as they listened, horror appearing on their faces. They had never imagined that such earth-shaking secrets lay behind the Demon-Burying Abyss.
"This matter is of tremendous importance. Only you few may know of it. Do not let it spread." Ye Chen gave the warning solemnly.
"Yes!" they answered gravely.
"I will need to enter secluded cultivation for a time to digest what I gained on this journey and attempt to refine the fragment and iron piece." Ye Chen continued making arrangements. "Ye Yun, you will oversee the pavilion's defenses and the disciples' training. Shi Meng, Mo Yu, you two will take turns handling perimeter security and patrols. If an enemy attacks, you need not seek permission. You may use the Five Elements Immortal-Slaying Formation to repel them."
He raised his hand and sent several streaks of purple light into Ye Yun, Shi Meng, and Mo Yu. These were marks granting partial authority over the mountain-protecting formation. He had devised this Five Elements Immortal-Slaying Formation by improving a Ye Clan formation and incorporating Black Wind Mountain's terrain. Its power was sufficient to trap and kill early-stage Void Insight cultivators.
"Ye Ling, continue overseeing the purified land. It is the foundation of the Heavenly Star Pavilion's foothold, and the key to attracting talent."
“Xiao Shan, continue studying the fragment and intelligence from the various factions. Focus on information concerning the Profound Ice Plains in the Northern Border.”
As order after order was issued, everyone took up their duties. Under Ye Chen's will, the newly born machine that was the Heavenly Star Pavilion began operating swiftly and precisely.
Once the arrangements were complete, Ye Chen entered the quiet chamber deep within Chen Hall and activated its restrictions.
He sat cross-legged and placed the Nameless Fragment and the Black Iron Piece before him. As he slowly infused them with the primordial chaos purple qi within his body, the two objects once again emitted a hazy glow, their profound symbols and markings flickering in and out of view.
"The path to transcendence... a universe that is a prison... Primordial World, just how many secrets do you hide?" Ye Chen closed his eyes, immersing his mind completely in comprehending and refining these two ancient objects.
He knew that this brief peace was only a facade. The Sacred Emperor Palace's suspicions, the Blood Demon Sect's greed, and the prying eyes of other factions would never cease. His coming journey to the Northern Border in search of the next fragment would surely stir new waves as well.
A storm was brewing. And he was ready to use the Heavenly Star Pavilion as his foundation and the Primordial World as his chessboard, and play a grand game!
On the third day after Ye Chen entered seclusion, two uninvited visitors arrived outside Black Wind Mountain.
One wore the Sacred Emperor Palace's silver armor and exuded a fierce aura. He was none other than Jin Wu, whom Ye Chen had previously frightened into retreat. The other was shrouded in a voluminous black robe, a faint scent of blood emanating from his body. He was an elder of the Blood Demon Sect.
Standing some distance apart, the two exchanged a wary glance, then simultaneously turned their eyes toward Black Wind Mountain, shrouded in the faint Five-Element Radiance, each with a different look in his eyes.
The mountain rain had yet to fall, but wind already filled the tower.
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