Chapter 291: The Blessing of Repaying Gratitude from the Mock Heaven Sect

Chapter 291: The Blessing of Repaying Gratitude from the Mock Heaven Sect

Ba Dan glanced at Chen Qiu's expression, and seeing that Chen Qiu didn't react, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. The reason he had hesitated to bring up this matter was that, generally speaking, many Heavenly Kings disliked people boasting about the strength of other Celestial Prodigies in their presence.

All Celestial Prodigies had their own pride, and they generally didn't enjoy hearing such talk. It was like a woman not wanting to hear others praising another woman's beauty in her presence.

"But on the other hand..."

Fat Dragon frowned in confusion, "Even an Immortal Emperor would come to a lower-tier continent to play with the highest-ranked courtesan? Even if they wanted to play with courtesans, they should do so in the High Rank Continent, who would come to a lower-tier continent for such things?"

"Doesn't this make the Immortal Emperor sound a bit too pathetic?"

"Can these mortals truly be of interest to an Immortal Emperor?"

"That's not clear."

Ba Dan shook his head, hesitating, "These are all recorded in the history books, but as you know, not everything written in them is necessarily true. It's all nonsense, and there's no way to verify this."

"But if it's true, then perhaps the Immortal Emperor had his own reasons."

"What you said is not wrong. When one's cultivation reaches a high level, it's difficult to get close to mortals."

After reaching a high cultivation level, one can clearly sense the impurities and various odors emanating from a mortal's pores. In such a situation, it's fundamentally impossible to have any intimate relations with mortal women.

If this were in the mortal world, it would be like having relations with a pig—an extremely rare occurrence, but not impossible. Of course, Ba Dan wasn't sure if the history books were accurate, as they often recorded things haphazardly.

After that, they didn't discuss anything significant. After all, no matter how much they talked, they couldn't come to a conclusion, just like the case of the 'Enchanted Vineyard'. No matter how much they discussed it, they couldn't figure out how the entire sect had contracted the 'Celestial Illness' and then suddenly died simultaneously.

They were just chatting casually.

Time passed quickly in the cozy atmosphere.

Ba Dan and Zhao Yishi sat cross-legged, while Chen Qiu and Fat Dragon sat on Zhao Yishi's shoulders. Throughout, Zhao Yishi barely spoke, focusing intently on grilling his meat, which was already charred beyond recognition.

"It's not just because of this."

Ba Dan shook his head and sighed at Fat Dragon and the others, "Let me put it this way, the competition among the High Rank Immortal Realms is actually much higher than in the lower-tier ones. Once you reach the High Rank Immortal Realms, everyone has to start choosing their own Single Plank Bridge, and each bridge can only accommodate one person."

"But even with intense competition, there has always been a basic rule of trust."

"For example..."

"Everyone assumes that the Heavenly Dao rules are absolutely impartial and standard. But now, with the occurrence of events that completely violate these rules, many have lost faith in the Heavenly Dao. Take the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realms, for instance. If the rules within can be arbitrarily changed, many would die there."

"This has led to everyone adopting a wait-and-see attitude."

"Many are investigating the cause of this matter. Several big shots have come out of seclusion, so this won't just end without a proper conclusion. There will definitely be a final result, even if we can't see the clues, those big shots can. Following the thread of cause and effect, they will eventually find the correct answer."

"We must find out whether the Heavenly Dao has developed its own consciousness and started acting on its own, or if the 'Immortal Cancer' is a man-made attack method."

"Grandpa."

Zhao Yishi, who was grilling the meat, spoke in a deep voice, "It seems like everyone is afraid of the Heavenly Dao gaining its own Spirit Mind."

". . ."

Ba Dan's expression grew complex, and after a pause, he said, "The Heavenly Dao cannot develop its own Spirit Mind, or even if it does, it must still follow the rules and cannot act on its Free Will."

"Our power mainly comes from 'Entries' and various Heavenly Dao methods. If the Heavenly Dao can act freely, it means our power will no longer be our own."

"What will happen then?"

"There will be a revolution."

"At that time, this won't just be a matter of the 'Enchanted Vineyard' being wiped out. Everyone will become puppets of the Heavenly Dao, and those who don't obey will either be afflicted with Immortal Cancer or have their Entries taken away. This is something no one can accept."

"I understand."

Chen Qiu nodded slightly, not saying more. He raised his cup and clinked it with Ba Dan's from a distance.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that the Mock Heaven Sect must have been imprisoned by him, and their footsteps had likely reached the First Rank Continent and even the highest Immortal Realm. The Mock Heaven Sect probably encountered the same situation as the 'Enchanted Vineyard' due to certain circumstances.

In the end, they imprisoned themselves in the 'Heaven Prison'.

Although this meant eternal confinement, if future generations could break out of the 'Heaven Prison', they would no longer be controlled by the Heavenly Dao. He hadn't clearly sensed this effect yet, but in the Netherworld, he could break the Heavenly Dao rules and repeatedly obtain the Fortune of Shadows.

Now it seemed that if the Heavenly Dao gained its own consciousness, the rules it controlled could allow it to leap out of the Five Elements and be free from anyone's control.

This was the true intention of the Mock Heaven Sect—to be placed in a desperate situation and then turn the tables.

If one thought about it from this angle, many things could be explained. For example, why would the 'Daxia Kingdom', a place of imprisonment, possess a treasure like the 'Rainbow Entry' jade slip? Or why would there be a large number of Spirit Stones in the depths of the Mock Heaven Sect's miniature world?

Such a vast number of Spirit Stones couldn't have been collected in the First Rank Continent alone.

The next day, Ba Dan suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to Chen Qiu, as if he had just remembered something. He hesitated, "There's something I suddenly recalled, but I'm not sure if it's worth mentioning. On the day of the great battle, someone asked me your name."

"I didn't reveal your true name, I just said I call you Master Chen."

"I only mentioned your surname."

"Later, a friend of mine came to assist, and after the battle, he secretly asked me which faction you were from. I thought it wouldn't be a big deal to tell him, so I said you were the Sect Master of the Mock Heaven Sect."

"But for some reason, when I said this, I keenly noticed that my friend's face turned deathly pale in an instant. His entire body seemed to be in a state of extreme fear and terror, appearing extremely abnormal. Afterward, he couldn't even hear what I was saying and flew away in a daze."

"I think I should tell you about this. Although she showed fear, she didn't seem to hold any hatred or resentment. So, I speculate that the two of you don't have a grudge, and also..."

Ba Dan stammered, "Also, there might have been a fleeting encounter between you two. If you plan to marry her in the future, I'll tell you her name. If not, then consider this unsaid."

"What are you talking about?"

Chen Qiu furrowed his brows in confusion, "Who am I marrying?"

"Uh..."

Ba Dan cleared his throat lightly and reminded him, "My friend is a 'Fairy', not just a description, but a true 'Fairy'."

"I don't know her."

Chen Qiu shook his head expressionlessly, "Don't look at me like that. In my life, I've never shared a bed with any fairy."

"Oh, I see."

Seeing that Chen Qiu wasn't just being stubborn, Ba Dan spoke with some confusion, "I thought she had shared a bed with you, and that's why you were so shocked to hear about the Mock Heaven Sect. If that's not the reason, then what could it be? Could she have heard about the Mock Heaven Sect somewhere?"

"This friend of mine is the Wei Wang of the Wei Wang Palace."

"A fairy."

"Since you don't know her, forget it. I thought it would be a perfect match. After you arrive at the Fifth Rank Immortal World, you can ask her about the situation."

"Alright, then I'll take my leave. Here's a Telepathic Bracelet, it can be used for inter-continental communication. If there's anything I can help you with in the future, you must contact me, Ba Dan. Give me a chance to repay your kindness."

Chen Qiu remained silent.

He simply waved goodbye with his cane, seeing Ba Dan off.

At that moment—

In the Fifth Rank Immortal World, within the Wei Wang Palace, a woman lay naked in a hot spring pool under a willow tree in the backyard. She held a cup of warm wine, gazing into the distance with a dazed expression as snow fell all around.

Several days had passed.

But she still hadn't recovered.

She had considered that Master Chen could be anyone, perhaps even a Supreme from the Sixth or Seventh Rank Immortal Worlds, but she had never imagined that this 'Master Chen' was the Sect Master of the Mock Heaven Sect. It was a matter of life and death!

The Mock Heaven Sect.

After thirty thousand years, no one knew what had transpired, but this name had been completely erased from the world. Whether in memories, texts, or jade slips, any place where the three characters 'Mock Heaven Sect' could be found had been wiped clean.

In the world, no one remembered the Mock Heaven Sect.

No one recognized the Mock Heaven Sect.

Only these fairies, including her, still remembered the Mock Heaven Sect. There was an outer sect elder in the Mock Heaven Sect who liked to specifically help fairies in distress, and in return, they would make a promise. When the time came to repay the kindness, they could receive a Blessing of Repaying Gratitude.

Perhaps because of this karmic connection, only they still remembered the three characters 'Mock Heaven Sect'.

"Blessing of Repaying Gratitude."

These four words were well-known in the immortal worlds, and the one who had done all this was merely an outer sect elder of the Mock Heaven Sect. And that Master Chen was the "Sect Master of the Mock Heaven Sect"!

This was a huge deal!

She had considered the possibility that "Mock Heaven Sect" was just a namesake, which was plausible, but the issue was that Ba Dan respectfully called him Master Chen and even casually bestowed a strand of Soul of Shadows' Fortune. Such a person couldn't be an ordinary one.

This Mock Heaven Sect was no simple matter.

She gradually formed a guess in her mind, and there were only two possibilities.

The first possibility was that the Mock Heaven Sect had risen from the ashes, and it hadn't been completely erased in the past. It had reappeared in the world.

The second possibility was that someone else had remembered the name of the Mock Heaven Sect and, as a worshipper, had established a sect with the same name.

Before meeting Master Chen, she couldn't determine which possibility was true.

"Hmm"

In the steamy hot spring, the woman let out a long sigh, pushing all thoughts from her mind. She was just a small Wei Wang, and as a fairy, her much-coveted first night had been taken away. This major event had nothing to do with her; she just wanted to hide in a corner and develop quietly.

Even if the heavens were changing, couldn't they wait until she was dead before changing?

She suddenly thought of something.

The woman's legs tightened slightly, and after a moment of silence, she got up, dressed, and prepared to go to the lower realm to find her one-night husband, to relive their brief encounter once again.

In the Second Rank Continent, the Vast Continent, in Pingxi Prefecture, at the Taiping Manor, in the backyard, the ancestor of the Taiping Manor finally felt the shackles on his body being removed, and he heaved a long sigh of relief. He looked at the fairy before him, who was wearing a veil, and said helplessly.

"Fairy Lady."

"Next time, can you not shackle me? Can you let me move?"

"You acting like this makes me feel a sense of forced humiliation."

"Hmph."

The woman coldly snorted and rolled her eyes at the ancestor of the Taiping Manor, "Then next time, I'll shackle myself? Let you feel what it's like to humiliate others?"

"Huh?"

The ancestor of the Taiping Manor's eyes lit up instantly, "Really?

"Of course it's fake."

The woman gave a light scoff, then furrowed her brows slightly. "So much time has passed, and you still haven't made any progress in your cultivation. If you keep on like this, you'll never find me in this lifetime."

"You possess the opportunity of the 'Celestial Maiden First Night', a chance that many others never get. I hope you can make perfect use of it."

"Treasure this hard-earned opportunity."

"At the very least, you should break through the Heavenly Dao Shackles and go to the First Rank Continent as soon as possible."

With that, she glanced at Taiping Manor's Ancestor with a hint of frustration, then turned and left without hesitation.

"Hmm..."

Taiping Manor's Ancestor, lying in a rocking chair with his clothes slightly disheveled and a dazed expression, had not heard anyone urging him to cultivate in many years. After all, he was already the strongest cultivator on this continent, who would bother to push him?

However, he had actually wanted to be stubborn and say that the opportunity of the 'Celestial Maiden First Night' wasn't that hard to come by. After all, he had already experienced it three times. But in the end, he decided against saying it.

Moreover, this fairy seemed a little different from the others. She seemed to have a better personality.

Most importantly, she seemed to have a genuine connection, unlike the previous two fairies who had never given him a second glance. This fairy not only looked him in the eye but also came back a second time, which was quite significant.

Perhaps...

Taiping Manor's Ancestor rocked in his chair, hesitating slightly as he held a fan in his hand. Perhaps it was time to leave the Vast Continent, his comfort zone? Perhaps it was time to venture out and see if he could find the love that had come late in his life? It seemed a bit far-fetched.

Based on his experience, many people who thought they had found love didn't end up well.

For cultivators, love was too ethereal.

Cultivators lived for thousands, even tens of thousands of years. Expecting someone to remain faithful for a thousand years was extremely difficult, almost as hard as ascending to immortality. If both parties changed their minds, it would be fine, but if it was one-sided, the backlash and damage to one's Dao heart could be severe.

If this issue wasn't handled properly, one could temporarily bid farewell to cultivation.

Therefore, in the immortal world...

Many Dao partners considered each other's backgrounds, mutual benefits, and compatibility, rarely giving any thought to love. It was too intangible, and even if it existed now, it was bound to disappear in the future.

As he was lost in his thoughts...

Suddenly, the fairy returned, her face turning pale, and her body trembling slightly as she spoke in a quivering voice, "What do the words carved under your family's signboard mean?"

"Which line?"

Taiping Manor's Ancestor was puzzled, and his Divine Sense instinctively scanned the signboard, noticing the words "Under the jurisdiction of the Mock Heaven Sect" carved below. Suddenly, he understood and laughed, "Oh, the Mock Heaven Sect is the name of a power. You might not have heard of it."

"The Sect Master, Chen Qiu, is an absolute genius. He has been on the Heavenly Dao Edict multiple times and is a highly renowned figure on the Vast Continent."

"And these words were carved by the Mock Heaven Sect."

"It's said that this is a custom of the Mock Heaven Sect."

"Whenever the Mock Heaven Sect leaves a continent, they leave their mark on all the famous and influential powers. Every power on the Profound Heaven Continent, the First Rank Continent, has these words carved on their signboards."

"This means that your family is officially under the jurisdiction of the Mock Heaven Sect, and you have their backing. If you ever need anything, you can contact the Mock Heaven Sect. Of course, as long as you can reach them, because the disciples who come to carve the words don't leave any contact information. They just say that you can contact them if needed."

As he spoke, Taiping Manor's Ancestor muttered softly with a hint of resentment.

"Hmm..."

The woman took a deep breath to calm herself down, then turned to Taiping Manor's Ancestor and said, "Tell me everything you know about Chen Qiu."

"Oh?"

Taiping Manor's Ancestor's expression changed slightly. "Miss, you and Chen Qiu aren't enemies, are you? If you are, I advise you to withdraw quickly. He's much more terrifying than you can imagine."

"I'm absolutely qualified to speak about this. If I hadn't withdrawn quickly back then, I wouldn't be here talking to you now."

"That's not the case..."

The woman remained silent for a moment before speaking softly, "Let me clarify the situation. As a fairy, I came to you and offered my body to you because my ancestors owed your ancestors a debt of gratitude. This debt has been passed down to the present, and I'm here to repay it. You know this, right?"

"I know."

"And your ancestor was once an outer disciple elder of the Mock Heaven Sect."

"What?"

Taiping Manor's Ancestor was slightly startled, then jumped up, slapping his thigh in anxiety and regret. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? I never realized that I had this connection with the Mock Heaven Sect. Now that the Mock Heaven Sect has left the Vast Continent, if I had known about this connection earlier, I might have left with them and followed the Mock Heaven Sect from then on."

"Wait, something's not right. My ancestor's story happened many years ago, and the Mock Heaven Sect only rose to prominence recently. They didn't exist before and emerged from the First Rank Continent. The timeline doesn't match up, does it?"

"Don't rush."

The woman spoke softly, "First, tell me everything you know about Chen Qiu and the Mock Heaven Sect, leaving nothing out. I'll sort out the situation."

"Alright, this story is quite long. If I tell it, there might be omissions or a lack of emotion."

"Come, I'll take you to a place."

After a thousand breaths...

Taiping Manor's Ancestor led the woman to a private room in a teahouse. On the stage, a storyteller held a clapper and passionately narrated the story of Chen Qiu's conquest as the 'Sole King'.

Just then, a servant from Taiping Manor hurried onto the stage and handed over a storage bag containing a thousand Spirit Stones. He leaned in and whispered to the storyteller, "My master wants to hear the story of Chen Qiu from the beginning, and the more detailed, the better."

The storyteller's eyes lit up. After tucking the storage bag into his chest, he clapped his folding fan and, holding it with both hands, bowed slightly towards the private room on the second floor. With a slight bow, he exclaimed excitedly, "Thank you for the generous reward, master. Let's start from the beginning and tell the tale of Chen Qiu's legendary journey. This story begins in Profound Heaven Continent."

"Hey, you all know about Profound Heaven Continent, right? It's a First Rank Continent and a lower-ranked continent of the Vast Continent."

"According to our various sources of information, Chen Qiu's first formal appearance was in a place called Quzhou in Yuancheng. By then, Chen Qiu had already reached the peak of the Golden Core stage. The story unfolds from this place, Quzhou in Yuancheng."

"Wait a moment..."

The woman in the private room listened intently, her expression changing from astonishment to disbelief to panic, while the ancestor of Taiping Manor, sitting beside her, was thoroughly engrossed in the story. He had lost count of how many times he had heard this tale.

But each time he listened, he felt a surge of satisfaction, a very pleasant feeling.

It was mainly because he could relate to the story so well, a feeling that others didn't seem to share.

If it weren't for that clear decision he made back then, he wouldn't be sitting here listening to stories now. Instead, he would have probably spent his life in the Netherworld, barely surviving. Whenever he heard this story, he felt a secret thrill for the decisive choice he made.

This thrill was indescribable.

Especially the last time they met, when the fairy had a cold and frosty expression, but this time, her face was full of emotion, and there seemed to be a noticeable contrast. It was clear that the fairy had heard of Chen Qiu and Mock Heaven Sect's names, but how could the Mock Heaven Sect's name have spread to the Fifth Rank Immortal Realm when they had just reached the Third Rank Continent?

And it seemed to be a formidable reputation.

"Wait a minute?"

The woman suddenly frowned, realizing something. "Are there any parts of this storyteller's tale that are true? Although the story is interesting, storytellers often alter and embellish the details. I want to hear real intelligence, not a story that has been fabricated."

"Everything this storyteller says is true."

The ancestor of Taiping Manor nodded seriously. "Mock Heaven Sect has its own propaganda team. This team gathered storytellers from the Vast Continent and revealed all the true information. They were not allowed to make arbitrary changes, so the stories told by storytellers now are real intelligence that has been reviewed by the elders of Mock Heaven Sect."

"All of it is real intelligence?" The woman raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Do you mean it's also true that Chen Qiu obtained two 'Heavenly Dao Entry Sets' that no one else could obtain?"

"Of course, it's true."

The ancestor of Taiping Manor waved the fan in his hand. "This matter was recorded in the Heavenly Dao Edict, and it should be documented in many places. Just ask around, and you'll find it's true."

"Is it also true that during the Unique King's contest, the one who claimed the title of 'Heavenly King' was the fastest to obtain the Unique King, while the other eleven kings committed suicide in advance out of fear of battle?"

"It's true," the ancestor of Taiping Manor said with a sigh. "Because I was once the King of Pingxi. If I hadn't found a way to get rid of my identity as the King of Pingxi, I would have committed suicide too."

"By the way—"

The ancestor of Taiping Manor didn't continue with that topic but hesitated and said, "You mentioned that my ancestor was an outer disciple and a minor elder of Mock Heaven Sect. Is there any evidence or proof of that? If there is, could you help me get in touch with Mock Heaven Sect?"

"I want to recognize my ancestors and return their remains home."

"For the disciples of Mock Heaven Sect who are wandering around, every day and night, they yearn to go home."

". . ."

After a long silence, the woman spoke softly, "There's no evidence. Besides me, I don't think anyone else remembers the name of Mock Heaven Sect."

"That's not true."

The ancestor of Taiping Manor shook his head. "Everyone in the Vast Continent, including Profound Heaven Continent, can remember the name of Mock Heaven Sect."

"I'm talking about the former Mock Heaven Sect."

"The former Mock Heaven Sect."

The woman murmured, her expression distant. Just as the ancestor of Taiping Manor thought she was about to reveal a shocking secret, the woman suddenly shook her head. "I don't know how it happened, but I know their influence was immense, and they had countless Celestial Prodigies within their ranks."

"But overnight, they were erased from the Heavens and Earth, and no one could remember their names. There was no trace of them left anywhere."

"They vanished from everyone's memory."

"Except for the fairies who had been in contact with Mock Heaven Sect at the time. They passed down the name of Mock Heaven Sect from generation to generation. As for what exactly happened, it's been thirty thousand years ago, too distant for me. All I know is that a long time ago, this sect was very powerful."

"Hmm."

The ancestor of Taiping Manor nodded. Suddenly, he lost the desire to recognize his ancestors, as he felt a sense of unease. If what the woman said was true, this Mock Heaven Sect might be the same one that had risen from the ashes thirty thousand years ago.

Thirty thousand years ago, they were erased from the Heavens and Earth in a single night.

Thirty thousand years later, even if they made a comeback, would their old enemies have faded away?

This might be trouble.

It's better to forget about it. Approaching them at this time might lead to being buried with Mock Heaven Sect.

Just then, the woman's calm and indifferent voice sounded in his ear, "A few fairies came to repay their gratitude to you."

"One."

The ancestor of Taiping Manor, startled, blurted out, "Just you."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end