At the snow-covered peak of the Heavenly Mountain, Yan Qinghe made a difficult trek, accompanied by a group of professionals. The exhausting effort nearly cost him his life, but he finally climbed to the summit of one of the peaks.
After taking a mont to breathe from an oxygen tank, he rested and recuperated before taking out a banner. One side depicted a goddess touring in a chariot, while the other showed a magnificent palace wreathed in celestial clouds. Yan Qinghe attached it to a pole and began shaking it vigorously, calling out repeatedly, "King of Central Earth, I humbly request an audience!"
"What is he doing?" The others were astonished, murmuring among themselves.
"Quiet! Maintain discipline!"
"Yes, sir!" They imdiately fell silent, watching Yan Qinghe's peculiar actions.
Even Yan Qinghe himself was filled with doubt. It's been so many years… Can I really still make contact?
A full half-hour passed. Finally, the clouds in the sky began to roil like boiling broth before parting to the sides. From the void, a majestic mountain peak appeared, crowned with nurous ancient buildings that ford a luxurious palace. It was a place of carved balustrades and jade inlays, shimring and splendid in gold.
"My heavens!"
"Is… is that a mirage?"
The professionals were stunned.
Yan Qinghe was equally shocked but also heaved a great sigh of relief. As he adjusted his attire, he turned to warn them not to cry out. But before he could speak, a gentle breeze swept past, and everyone but him froze in place, as if ti had stopped.
A flight of stone steps descended from the sky, extending all the way to Yan Qinghe's feet as a voice drifted down. "Are you the current King of Mortals?" it asked. "Do you have proof of your station?"
Yan Qinghe composed himself and quickly took out a Jade Seal, explaining, "In modern society, we no longer have emperors. However, I do represent the governnt."
"Then co up."
"Very well."
Yan Qinghe cautiously tested the steps and found them to be solid, not an illusion. He relaxed and began his ascent. The staircase seed impossibly long, yet after only a few dozen steps, he inexplicably found himself inside the palace.
He was imdiately greeted by a group of people peering out at him as if he were a rare animal in a zoo. Their faces showed a mixture of smiles and surprise, and they were all dressed in ancient attire, like actors on a film set.
"Alright, disperse now! This King of Mortals—oh, my apologies. Sir, please co this way. I will take you to see the Grand Destiny Holder."
The crowd vanished in a flash, leaving only an elderly man with a gentle expression who bowed respectfully to Yan Qinghe.
"Thank you," Yan Qinghe said, following him through a series of corridors and up flights of stairs, eventually reaching a pavilion on the highest floor.
He felt as though he had stepped into another world. The climate was as warm and pleasant as a spring day. Looking out, he saw terraced fields behind the mountain filled with crops and vegetables. Farmhouses and stone cottages dotted the mountainside, where livestock were penned. The base of the mountain, however, was shrouded in a thick white fog that concealed whatever lay below.
"You represent the current governnt, sir. What business brings you to our Yaochi Heavenly Palace?" A majestic woman in a splendid robe and a golden crown walked slowly toward him. Her beauty was captivating; she looked both mature and youthful, making it impossible to guess her age.
"I am Yan Qinghe. It is an honor to et the Grand Destiny Holder," he said, introducing himself before sighing helplessly. "It's like this..."
He proceeded to detail the ergence of a new Celestial King in the mortal realm and the series of destabilizing events that had followed. The Grand Destiny Holder's expression remained impassive until she heard the word "Underworld," at which point her brow furrowed slightly.
"If these strange entities from the Underworld are only appearing sporadically, it is of little concern. But I fear a full-scale invasion. That would be far too dangerous."
Yan Qinghe bowed. "Therefore, I implore the Grand Destiny Holder to awaken the exalted one, so we might receive Her guidance."
The Grand Destiny Holder sighed. "Her divine soul is highly unstable. Even if we were to awaken Her by force, I fear She would be unable to act personally. Not unless we can find a suitable vessel… Hmm? You said this Long Tianji is a Celestial King? Perhaps he might just barely qualify to serve as a vessel… but the problem is, he is male."
The two discussed further details, and the Grand Destiny Holder gave him several precious artifacts for his protection. She then departed in a hurry to begin the process of awakening "the exalted one." The elderly man escorted Yan Qinghe out, explaining that according to the Grand Destiny Holder, the ritual would take several days and could not be interrupted, or the awakening would fail.
"By the way," Yan Qinghe asked, "the people I brought with —they won't be hard, will they?"
"They have rely been hypnotized. They will lose all mory of our Yaochi Heavenly Palace," the old man replied with a gentle smile. He then handed Yan Qinghe a Jade Talisman. "This is a Communication Talisman forged by ancient demons. It can be used for one year. For the next year, you will not need to climb the mountain to contact us."
Yan Qinghe accepted it with great solemnity. After learning how to use it, he couldn't help but marvel, "This has the sa ingenious function as a telephone, but it requires no charging or signal."
"A telephone?"
"Er, it's..." After a brief explanation, Yan Qinghe thought for a mont before adding, "If your Heavenly Palace wishes to learn more about modern society, I can arrange for a reception."
"That will not be necessary!" The old man's expression suddenly beca very stern as he shook his head decisively. "The children of the Heavenly Palace are like blank sheets of paper, unversed in the ways of the world. If they were to go to the mortal realm and witness its dazzling wonders, how could they ever return to accept the strict rules and regulations here?"
"Ah—" Yan Qinghe was stunned for a mont but soon had to admit the man had a point.
He descended the stone steps. In what felt like a trance, he suddenly found himself back on the mountain peak, the biting wind imdiately causing him to sneeze several tis in a row.
Once the clouds swirled back in and the palace vanished, the n who had co with him blinked.
"What just happened?"
"I don't know..."
"I think I fell asleep."
"How is that possible? You can't fall asleep standing up, can you?"
Seeing that they had indeed forgotten everything about Yaochi Heavenly Palace, Yan Qinghe simply waved his hand. "We're heading down!"
"Yes, sir!"
Though they didn't understand why he had climbed the mountain in the first place, they dared not ask. They simply obeyed.
At the base of the mountain, Yan Qinghe boarded a helicopter and flew straight to the capital. Upon arrival, he convened another secret eting with the other elders.
「The Ultimate Laboratory」
A group of biological researchers was bustling with activity. At the center of the room, inside a biological pod shaped like a giant robot, Xiao Xuanye lay motionless. His nude body was connected to a dense array of tal tubes, and monitors all around displayed his constantly fluctuating vital signs.
"What's his status?"
"Reporting to Elder Yan, Mr. Xiao's vital signs are stable, but the rejection reaction remains severe. We can't get it to subside."
This was only possible because Xiao Xuanye was incredibly resilient. A normal person would have died from the rejection long ago.
"If it doesn't decrease within a week, the experint will be a complete failure." The researchers all wore grave expressions; in truth, none of them were optimistic.
Yan Qinghe watched Xiao Xuanye in silence for a mont, then took out one of the artifacts given to him by the Grand Destiny Holder: a clump of ochre-colored, gelatinous matter.
"Eh, what's this?"
"...Is it Tai Sui?"
"No, it doesn't look like it. It seems to be so kind of special earth."
The researchers instinctively wanted to take it for analysis, but Yan Qinghe instructed, "Implant this Living Soil near Xiao Xuanye's heart."
"What? This… this is the legendary Living Soil?"
"Elder Yan, where did you get this? Is it real?"
"Can we please take a small sample for a specin? Just half? A third? Fine, just one gram! Not even one gram? AHHHH!"
As soon as the clump of Living Soil was implanted in Xiao Xuanye's body, a miracle occurred. His aura skyrocketed, and the rejection reaction vanished completely! The experint could continue! It proceeded with unstoppable montum, encountering no further obstacles. In less than a day, the experint was a success. The first superhuman prototype was officially complete.
SWISH!
Xiao Xuanye's eyes snapped open. His gaze was vacant at first, but then, amid the beeping of the machines, his pupils began to glow with a laser-like light.
"Old Xiao, how do you feel?"
"I…" He looked down, clenched his fists, and paced a few steps. Suddenly, he kicked off the ground and shot dozens of ters into the air, smashing a series of holes through the roof of the research facility as he went.
Once outside, sunlight hit his skin, montarily turning it the color of liquid rcury. An instant later, as his flesh tone returned, a tallic battle suit materialized over his body.
"Hahaha! I feel incredibly powerful! Soone tell , where is Long Tianji?" Xiao Xuanye laughed, a wide grin spreading across his face. He was itching for a fight with Long Tianji.
Thus, when he learned that a group of Soul Hooking Envoys from the Underworld had arrived to summon Long Tianji to the Strange Cave in Luofu City, he imdiately set out to intercept them!
Guo Jufeng and several other Grandmasters were also eager to witness just how powerful Xiao Xuanye had beco post-transformation. They, too, assembled a large force of fully ard elites and departed.
"Did you show Old Xiao the video of the Martial Saint? What did he say?"
"He said the so-called Martial Saint is nothing special."
"Oh? He's that arrogant already?"
"Well, what do you expect? Elder Yan showed his favoritism and gave him the Living Soil!"
"Without the Living Soil, he wouldn't be a match for the Martial Saint even if the procedure succeeded. But with it, things are different…"
"If there were more Living Soil, couldn't we all undergo the sa transformation?"
At the sa ti the Soul Hooking Envoys from the Underworld were entering Luofu City, Xiao Xuanye arrived, clad in his ostentatious battle armor.
anwhile, Number Seven, the Martial Saint's Puppet, crested a mountain peak and saw the entrance to the Strange Cave below.
And sitting at that entrance was—Lin Tang!
"Hm?" Lin Tang tilted his head, his eyes eting Number Seven's. Their gazes clashed in midair, crackling with unseen energy.
"It's him! It's him! That's Long Tianji!" the guide shrieked. "Senior, quick! Get him! Don't let him get away!"
"So noisy." Number Seven's hand shot out, and he ripped the guide's head clean off his shoulders. "Your job is done. You have no more reason to live."
He let the blood spray over him without flinching. Wreathed in an aura of endless ferocity, he launched himself toward Lin Tang. He brought his fan-sized palm crashing down. "Insignificant Celestial King, kneel before !"
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