Lu Zhou frowned and rose to his feet. “Another Pillar of Destruction collapsed?”
Xuanyi said, “It collapsed without warning. The Sacred Temple has already sent a large number of cultivators there. The temple’s Four Supremes have also gone there.”
“Which one of the pillars collapsed?” Lu Zhou asked.
“Chifenruo.”
Duanmu Sheng was acknowledged by Chifenruo’s Pillar of Destruction.
Lu Zhou asked curiously, “If the pillar collapses, how will the corresponding hall master enter the core to comprehend the Great Dao?”
Lu Zhou did not know much regarding this matter.
The Ten Pillars of Destruction only appeared 100,00 years ago. Before that, they did not exist. Over the past 100,000 years, they had formed their own unique systems and rules.
After 100,000 years, the current Great Void, apart from its terrains and some structure, was no different from the Great Void of the past before it ascended to the sky.
Xuanyi said, clearly worried, “The pillars enter the Great Void from the Unknown Land. Although it has collapsed, in fact, only the lower part is affected. So, the core is not affected. Don’t worry. The remaining power in the upper part will be able to last for a while before it collapses entirely. However, the lower part is like the source of a well. Naturally, it’s not good for the Great Void if the source is destroyed. The biggest problem now is that another pillar is down, and the risk of the Great Void collapsing has risen sharply. At that time…”
Lu Zhou scoffed softly. “If it collapses, so be it.”
“…”
Xuanyi turned around and waved his sleeve, sealing the Dao hall. Then, he said helplessly, “Teacher, how can you say that?”
Lu Zhou glanced at Xuanyi and said, “I forgot you’re Emperor Xuanyi, the Hall Master of Xuanyi Palace.”
Xuanyi nodded. ‘That’s right! If the sky collapses, I’ll be homeless, and I won’t have any place to hang out!’
“Don’t worry. Although two of them have collapsed, there are still another eight. Moreover, there’s also the Sacred Temple. They’re even more anxious than you,” Lu Zhou said.
Xuanyi sighed and said helplessly, “I don’t know what we can do now. Do you want to have a look?”
“Yes,” Lu Zhou said before he asked, “You said earlier that the Four Supremes of the Sacred Temple have gone to Chifenruo?”
“The collapse of the Pillar of Destruction is a grave matter. The four supremes rushed there immediately with a large number of Templars there. Apart from investigating the cause of the collapse, they’re also going to try to repair the pillar. Needless to say, the possibility of them successfully repairing it is very low. The power of the earth has weakened greatly compared to before,” Xuanyi said.
Lu Zhou nodded slightly before he said, “Follow me to Grand Mystic Mountain.”
“Huh?” Xuanyi, who had held a high position for a long time, was dumbfounded by the sudden change of topic.
“You don’t want to?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to, but the place is guarded by many mysterious fierce beasts. Even the Sacred Temple is wary of that place. It’s a famous forbidden area in the Great Void. There isn’t a single runic passage that leads to that place in the Great Void,” Xuanyi said.
Lu Zhou said, “Don’t worry. I know of a hidden runic passage that will lead us there.”
“…”
Since the Four Supremes of the Sacred Temple had left the temple, this was the best chance to go to Grand Mystic Mountain.
Xuanyi asked, “Why are you going there?”
“There are many things I can’t remember clearly. I feel like I should go back,” Lu Zhou said dejectedly.
Xuanyi nodded. He could empathize. After that, that place was once his teacher’s home. Now that 100,000 years had passed, it was understandable that his teacher wanted to return to have a look. With these thoughts in mind, he said, “Alright! I’ll go with you!”
After Xuanyi released the seal around the Dao hall, he and Lu Zhou walked out.
At this time, the ground trembled infinitesimally. Only those with extremely high cultivation could feel it. Those below the level of a Dao Saint did not have a profound comprehension of the laws so it was difficult for them to sense the movements. For most people, things were the same as usual.
Lu Zhou saw Little Yuan’er, Conch, and Shang Zhang, who was still disguised as an attendant, nearby.
Soon enough, Zhang He, Li Chun, and a small number of Dark Guards appeared on the left.
“Your Majesty. Pavilion Master Lu.”
After everyone greeted Xuanyi and Lu Zhou, Lu Zhou pointed at Little Yuan’er and Conch before he said, “Both of you, follow me.”
Lu Zhou decided to bring them since they were already Dao Saints. Moreover, he inexplicably felt like he should bring them with him.
Little Yuan’er clapped her hands happily. “We can finally go out! It’s so stuffy in Xuanyi Palace.”
Shang Zhang, the attendant, stood behind the two girls and said, “I want to come along.”
“Why? Do you want to join the fun?” Little Yuan’er asked.
“You can come if you want,” Lu Zhou said.
‘Wouldn’t it be a waste if we didn’t bring this super bodyguard with us?’
Shang Zhang, the attendant, bowed. “Thank you.”
As for the others from the Evil Sky Pavilion, they were told to stay in Xuanyi Palace and cultivate and help Xuanyi Palace out.
…
Lu Zhou led the group as they left Xuanyi Palace and flew toward a piece of sunken land south of Xuanyi Palace.
After half a day, they finally arrived.
Shang Zhang, the attendant, asked, “The Great Void’s sinkhole up ahead. Rumor has it that it was created during the Unholy One’s battle with the experts. What are you doing here?”
Little Yuan’er and Conch turned around immediately to criticize Shang Zhang, the attendant, for speaking so carelessly.
Xuanyi glanced at Shang Zhang, the attendant, and asked, “You know about this place as well?”
Shang Zhang, the attendant, replied, “I know more.”
“Tell me about it,” Xuanyi said.
Shang Zhang recalled the scenes back then, and he could not help but puff his chest and said with a pretentiously nostalgic expression, “The past is the past. It’s better not to mention it.”
Little Yuan’er: “…”
Little Yuan’er looked at Shang Zhang, the attendant, with a speechless expression on her face.
Conch asked calmly, “Have you met the Unholy One before?”
“Everyone from the ancient times has seen him before,” Shang Zhang, the attendant, said.
Conch said skeptically, “But you look very young…”
Shang Zhang, the attendant, shook his head and sighed. “I’m old.”
Xuanyi looked at Shang Zhang, the attendant, strangely, but he did not say anything. Instead, he took the lead and flew toward the sinkhole.
As Lu Zhou flew over the land that was riddled with holes, strange and unfamiliar scenes would flash in his mind.
He saw the sky collapsing, and the land splitting. Then, he saw the universe shaking, shifting the stars and changing the world. He saw a towering avatar that stood proudly between heaven and earth, fighting with many other avatars.
At this moment, Xuanyi suddenly came to a halt. He pointed at a dark pit with various runes in it and said, “There’s really a runic passage down there.”
Then, Xuanyi waved his hand, clearing the rubble and debris away from the runic passage.
Upon seeing this, Shang Zhang, the attendant, frowned and asked, “Where are you going?”
Xuanyi replied immediately, “Grand Mystic Mountain.”
Shang Zhang, the attendant, did not hesitate and immediately shook his head. “Absolutely not.”
Little Yuan’er asked, “Why?”
“It’s very dangerous there. Ordinary cultivators can’t survive there. Grand Mystic Mountain was originally the Unholy One’s cultivation ground. After the Unholy One fell, the Great Void classified it as a forbidden area. Later on, for some reason, it was overrun with fierce beasts, many of which are Saint slayers. Moreover, to protect Grand Mystic Mountain, the Unholy One left behind many ancient formations and restrictions from the Great Dao. Even someone like the Unholy One wouldn’t have been confident about entering safely if he weren’t the one who set those things up..” Shang Zhang, the attendant, said.
Little Yuan’er said timidly, “Oh, it sounds quite scary.”
Conch asked, “All of you often speak about the Unholy One. Who is he exactly?”
Everyone fell silent.
Lu Zhou did not speak either.
Everyone’s understanding of the Unholy One was limited to the legends they heard.
Xuanyi and Shang Zhang had some understanding of the Unholy One, but that was all in the past. Moreover, their understanding was not deep.
Perhaps, no one in this world but Lu Zhou, who possessed the Unholy One’s memories, truly understood the Unholy One. However, after thinking about this again, Lu Zhou realized he knew nothing about the Unholy One’s background, appearance, past, or name.
At this moment, Shang Zhang, the attendant, finally said, “No one knew his name. In the early days, some of his subordinates referred to him as ‘Emperor’. Later on, based on the ancient records, people called him the Heavenly Emperor. Then, due to various reasons, he became known as the Unholy One.”
Xuanyi looked at Shang Zhang, the attendant, with an unnatural expression as he thought to himself, ‘Very good. Keep making up stories. The real deal is right in front of you. Let’s see what kind of fantastical stories you’re going to make up…’
Shang Zhang, the attendant, sighed and said, “In fact, I think the nickname ‘Unholy One’ isn’t very fair to him. Many people cursed at him, calling him evil. What evil? What unholy? If he was truly so despicable, would those people die for him on Grand Mystic Mountain?” After a pause, he continued to say, “I don’t think so. For so many people to willingly die for him, there had to be something good about him.”
“After the Great Void ascended to the sky, I’ve done some research on him. Apart from the mysteries of his cultivation path, he was nowhere near as evil as the Great Void makes him out to be.”
“Oh, right! According to one of the ancient records, his surname might be ‘Ji’. However, it’s likely one of the many names he used. I suspect he was one of the first humans to be born in this world when there was no division of clans…”
Shang Zhang, the attendant, looked at everyone after he finished speaking.
At this moment, everyone had different expressions on their faces. Some of them were confused, and some of them were surprised.
