Chapter 1187: Taixu Dao Ancestor, Four Sovereigns of the Directions

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“May I ask, fellow Daoist, what is your name?” After they were seated, Chen Mobai was the first to speak.

Void Serpent: “Void Four Nine.”

That didn't sound much like a name; it was more like a codename. Chen Mobai muttered this internally but didn't dare to inquire further. However, the other party took the initiative to explain.

“Our Void Serpent clan is an innate race created by the Grand Void Dao Ancestor. We are born with the ability to control void power. After growing into a complete form, we can step onto the Grand Void Path, which is equivalent to the Void Refinement realm. I am the forty-ninth Void Serpent to reach full maturity, and thus, this is my designation.”

“I am responsible for the Grand Void Express service in the Gourd Dao Field region. My current presence here is merely a void clone.”

“By the way, as I was preparing to leave just now, I noticed that there's an abandoned Void Relay Station on your planet. Did you previously join our Grand Void Express network?” As Void Four Nine spoke, he directly voiced the doubt in his mind.

“Void Relay Station?” Chen Mobai and the other Immortal Sect cultivators exchanged bewildered glances, unaware that such a place existed on Terrestrial Star.

“Could it be...” But soon, Chen Mobai realized something, and a look of astonishment crossed his face.

“May I go and see that abandoned Void Relay Station?” At this point, Void Four Nine spoke again, and Chen Mobai and the others naturally nodded repeatedly.

After all, from their brief conversation, they knew this being was a true Void Refinement realm entity. Although the one before them was just a clone, they hadn't forgotten the scene where the Death God's clone nearly wiped out the Immortal Sect.

“Please feel free, Senior.” Upon learning of the cultivation level of the being before him, Chen Mobai changed his form of address.

As soon as he finished speaking, Void Four Nine nodded. A silver light emanated from the twin horns on his head, and he directly employed the Grand Void Path, transporting everyone present along with him. After all, Void Four Nine was essentially in someone else's home, and it was basic courtesy for the host to be present for any actions taken.

As the silver light dissipated, Chen Mobai looked at the familiar Grand Void Temple before him, a 'just as I thought' expression on his face. He had long known that this Grand Void Temple had an extraordinary origin. His own turtle treasure also had a connection to this place. For a long time, every time he achieved a cultivation breakthrough, he would visit the Grand Void Temple, hoping to uncover its secrets. However, he had never found anything, and it seemed the contents recorded in Liu Lengpei's diary were all fictional.

But today, thanks to Void Four Nine's revelation, Chen Mobai finally confirmed what he had suspected.

“Excuse me, Senior, what exactly is a Void Relay Station?” After the brief interaction, Chen Mobai realized that Void Four Nine was a being capable of normal communication, and he began to converse.

“Void Relay Stations are our Grand Void Express freight hubs. Generally, only one is established in each galaxy for transferring and dispatching goods.”

“The one in your region is on Candletide Star.”

“However, when I took over this area, there might not be a single order in the Suspended Sun galaxy for centuries. Additionally, Candletide Star had already entered the Age of Dharma Decline, so that Void Relay Station was essentially inoperative.” As he spoke, Void Four Nine had already stepped into the Grand Void Temple. There were still some ordinary Immortal Sect citizens inside, but they were quickly escorted away by the Nascent Soul cultivators who had accompanied them.

“Indeed, I wasn't mistaken...” Void Four Nine looked at the statue of the Grand Void True God in the temple and bowed deeply with a respectful expression.

“May I ask, Senior, which great being is enshrined in this statue?” According to what Chen Mobai knew, this Grand Void True God should be the Grand Void True King of the Sky River Realm. But since this wasn't the Sky River Realm, it was a good opportunity to inquire Void Four Nine.

“You don't even know this?” Void Four Nine looked astonished upon hearing this. Chen Mobai and the other Immortal Sect cultivators nodded awkwardly, then recounted the grim history of their separation from the Central Dao Field for several millennia.

“Unbelievable, such a backward place still exists...” Void Four Nine's words made Chen Mobai and the others flush with embarrassment, but they couldn't refute him. The Immortal Sect, in this universe, was somewhat akin to barbarians in a remote valley without electricity or internet.

“This is the Creator God of my clan, the Grand Void Dao Ancestor, and also the Pure Yang grand cultivator who currently stabilizes the world in the Central Dao Field.” After hearing this, Chen Mobai's mind was reeling with shock. The Grand Void Dao Ancestor of the Central Dao Field is the Grand Void True King of the Sky River Realm! Recalling that the Grand Void True King had suddenly appeared in the Spirit Void Immortal Realm in the past century, explicitly seeking the 'Gate of Grand Void,' Chen Mobai felt a prickling sensation on his scalp.

A vague idea he previously harbored began to crystallize. To confirm, as he followed Void Four Nine in bowing, he asked again: “I once read notes left by my predecessors, which stated that the ultimate treasure stabilizing the world in the Central Dao Field is the eighth-rank innate supreme treasure, the Gate of Grand Void. I wonder if this has any connection to the Grand Void Dao Ancestor?”

By this time, Void Four Nine had also finished his worship. Facing Chen Mobai's humble inquiry, he spoke freely and openly, as this information was widely known throughout the Central Dao Field.

“The Grand Void Dao Ancestor is the spiritual consciousness reincarnated from the Gate of Grand Void, cultivating to the Pure Yang realm through the two Grand Paths of Innate Yin-Yang and Innate Grand Void.”

“However, the Grand Void Dao Ancestor had previously been hidden deep within the Purple Cloud Galaxy, exploring the mysteries of ninth-rank creation. It was only ten millennia ago, when the Demonic Lord emerged, sweeping across the cosmos and various Dao Fields, with no one able to stop him, that the Ancestor finally stepped out from the galaxy's depths.”

“After the Grand Void Dao Ancestor revealed his true form and suppressed the Demonic Lord, he has since been stationed in the Central Dao Field. This all happened about ten millennia ago. Given your remote location, it's normal that you wouldn't know.” After Void Four Nine finished speaking, all the Immortal Sect cultivators present had a sudden realization.

Ten millennia ago, the Demonic Lord emerged and annihilated many Dao Fields in this grand universe, including the White Crane Dao Field. Ultimately, it was a Pure Yang grand cultivator who intervened and quelled this great calamity. Subsequently, Zhang Daosun and others who survived from the White Crane Dao Field exchanged for a realm gate and came here. This largely matched the contents of the notes left by the Immortal Sect's Five Ancestors.

“Alas, I wonder if we will be able to return to and rebuild the White Crane Dao Field in our lifetimes.” Hearing this, Chen Mobai immediately began to reveal their origins.

“Oh, you're from the White Crane Dao Field? That's in the southern part of the Central Dao Field, almost near the Phoenix Palace. How did you end up here?” Void Four Nine asked with some surprise. As a Void Serpent, he was intimately familiar with every Dao Field in the Purple Cloud Galaxy, having even served temporary posts and gained experience in the four peripheral Palaces of Dragon, Phoenix, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise. The White Crane Dao Field and the Gourd Dao Field were virtually at the opposite extremes, north and south, of the Central Dao Field. After the Demonic Lord's calamity, if they wanted to rebuild the White Crane Dao Field, why would they go in the complete opposite direction?

“Our descendants aren't entirely clear on this. We only know that our Five Ancestors, after acquiring a realm gate, traversed the Central Dao Field to come here, intending to earn merit points and rise again...” Chen Mobai briefly explained the origins of the Immortal Sect's Five Ancestors and their failed venture.

“Disciples of Dao Monarch Wangji were leading? Then it's likely connected to the obliteration of the Black Tortoise Palace ten millennia ago...” After hearing this, Void Four Nine seemed to recall something. He looked up at the void of the northern starry sky, his face displaying both apprehension and reverence.

When Chen Mobai heard the words 'Black Tortoise Palace,' he recalled the last lesson in the Purple Cloud Palace, the blue-haired, blue-robed senior sister seated atop a turtle, and the clue that the Grand Void True King was the Grand Void Dao Ancestor. He felt he might be on the verge of discovering the truth about the Sky River Realm. He immediately asked Void Four Nine again: “Excuse me, Senior, what was this obliteration of the Black Tortoise Palace about?”

Void Four Nine sighed upon hearing this. He said, “That's a long story. The Demonic Lord's emergence and rampage across the universe originated from this very event.” Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai immediately produced a tea table and chairs from his Dharma Realm and asked Peach Blossom to brew more tea, indicating that they had ample time to discuss it at leisure.

Since Void Four Nine had stayed, he didn't mind the slight delay. He simply sat down and began to recount the most sensational event in the entire Purple Cloud Galaxy from ten millennia ago.

“Ten millennia ago, there were fourteen Pure Yang grand cultivators in the universe. The most supreme among them, apart from a few Dao Ancestors of our Central Dao Field, were the Four Sacred Venerables.”

“These were the founders of the Four Palaces of Dragon, Phoenix, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise. Among them, the founder of the Black Tortoise Palace held the venerable title of 'Spirit Turtle Holy Mother.' She was a grand cultivator who, at the dawn of creation, received the true inheritance from a Dao Venerable in the Purple Cloud Palace alongside several Dao Ancestors from our Central Dao Field.”

“Ten millennia ago, the Spirit Turtle Holy Mother sought to achieve ninth-rank creation, attracting many Pure Yang Dao Ancestors and Dao Integration True Immortals to the Black Tortoise Palace.” Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai and the others recalled that in his youth, Zhang Daosun had once passed by Terrestrial Star with Dao Monarch Wangji. By their calculations, it was precisely around that time.

At this point, Void Four Nine continued: “It's unknown whether the Spirit Turtle Holy Mother succeeded or failed in achieving ninth-rank creation, but in the instant she took that step, tens of thousands of star systems and galaxies at the very center of the Black Tortoise Palace were utterly annihilated and vanished.”

“Besides the Spirit Turtle Holy Mother, many Pure Yang and True Immortal Dao Monarchs who were present at that time also disappeared along with her.”

“It was due to the absence of the Grand Path suppression from these beings that the Demonic Lord's seal failed, allowing him to run rampant across the Purple Cloud Galaxy, with no one able to stop him. Fortunately, the Grand Void Dao Ancestor did not go to the Black Tortoise Palace; otherwise, the Dao of Xuanmen, passed down by the Purple Cloud Dao Venerable, might have been severed by the Demonic Lord.”

“If I recall correctly, Dao Monarch Wangji of the White Crane Dao Field also once entered the Purple Cloud Palace to listen to the Dao. However, when she was on her way to the Black Tortoise Palace, she was delayed by something along the way, arriving a step late. At the exact moment the Spirit Turtle Holy Mother attempted ninth-rank creation, she had only just reached the periphery of the Black Tortoise Palace, narrowly escaping the annihilation.”

“But precisely because of this, she was later suppressed by the Demonic Lord. It's hard to say whether that was a blessing or a misfortune.” At this point, Void Four Nine had essentially finished recounting the events.

Chen Mobai and the other Immortal Sect cultivators were all dumbfounded. They had never imagined that the great calamity of impending doom triggered by the Demonic Lord's emergence ten millennia ago had such underlying causes. At this moment, Chen Mobai was extremely glad he had spent his merit points. Obtaining this information from Void Four Nine was truly invaluable. Moreover, this information perfectly connected with the clues already in his mind.

Now he could basically confirm that the Spirit Turtle Holy Mother of the Black Tortoise Palace was likely the Water Mother who had opened and created the Sky River Realm. And the Grand Void True King was clearly the spiritual consciousness manifestation of the Gate of Grand Void in this universe. According to the content of the last lesson in the Purple Cloud Palace, it was clearly the Water Mother and the Grand Void Dao Ancestor who collaborated, using the genesis secret art taught by their teacher, to open and create the Sky River Realm, giving rise to three thousand Grand Paths and refining the power of creation.

Ten millennia ago, it was probably when Senior Sister Spirit Turtle felt that the Three Thousand Grand Paths were complete and sought to advance to ninth-rank creation. And the other senior brothers and sisters from the Purple Cloud Palace certainly wished to observe closely and see if the secret art passed down by their teacher was effective. So, upon receiving the news, they all came to the Black Tortoise Palace. Who would have thought that an accident occurred during this process, leading to the obliteration of the Black Tortoise Palace, and the simultaneous disappearance of Senior Sister Spirit Turtle and all other grand cultivators present?

In that case, the most suspicious party would undoubtedly be the Grand Void Dao Ancestor, who now stabilizes the Purple Cloud Galaxy. However, this thought immediately surfaced and was just as quickly suppressed by Chen Mobai in his mind. It was extremely dangerous to rashly speculate the worst about such a grand cultivator without any evidence. Perhaps the Grand Void Dao Ancestor had experienced the creation of a world, even an advancement to ninth-rank creation, or even transcendence to eternity, with the Purple Cloud Dao Venerable, and thus knew the consequences of Senior Sister Spirit Turtle taking that step, and therefore avoided it in advance. As he thought this, Chen Mobai silently apologized repeatedly to the statue of the Grand Void True God not far away.

“What is the situation of the Black Tortoise Palace now, if I may ask?” Chen Mobai then recalled seeing news from the Black Tortoise Palace on the void wall of the realm gate, which indicated that living beings still existed there.

“The very center of the Black Tortoise Palace, since its obliteration, has become the most dangerous forbidden zone in the Purple Cloud Galaxy. Any entity that steps into it mysteriously disappears.”

“However, the peripheral hundreds of thousands of star systems are fine. In fact, because it's rumored that the annihilated area of the Black Tortoise Palace holds secrets of ninth-rank creation, it has attracted many Dao Integration True Immortals to stay there, hoping to comprehend higher realms through it. But precisely because of this, that area is quite chaotic, with Xuanmen cultivators frequently disappearing mysteriously. It's possible that a momentary dispute or clash of pride angered a grand cultivator, leading them to be thrown into the very center of the Black Tortoise Palace.”

“If our Grand Void Express has goods to deliver to the Black Tortoise Palace, the shipping fee is doubled. You here are fortunate; you are still within the Central Dao Field's territory. Another three hundred thousand light-years would bring you into the Black Tortoise Palace's domain.” After hearing this, Chen Mobai continued to inquire about the situation in the Black Tortoise Palace, deeply concerned that desperate individuals might come from there one day and take a disliking to Terrestrial Star as they passed by.

“Don't worry, Dao Monarch Gourd still has some strength. Moreover, your area is within the Central Dao Field's domain, so the Black Tortoise Palace wouldn't dare offend the Grand Void Dao Ancestor.”

“However, it's best for you to visit that area less often. Although Dao Monarch Black Ember, whose Dao Field borders the Gourd Dao Field, has a decent reputation, he doesn't like to meddle in affairs. Consequently, many beings who have acquired the Demonic Lord's cultivation methods are secretly hiding in his Dao Field within the Purple Cloud Galaxy.”