https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-472-Below-Divine-Nine-Stages-8k-Part-1-/13028017/
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Chapter 472: Below Divine Nine Stages (8k) (Part 2)
Chapter 472: Below Divine Nine Stages (8k) (Part 2)
"
"Reporting to Your Excellency, it's in the Martial Pavilion," the eunuch by his side respectfully replied.
Many years ago, when Chen Mu was cultivating his mental state, he had always coveted the court's Eight Phases Chart and had been searching for the lost Primordial Chart and the fragmented illustrated book. However, he had never heard any news about them.
Now that he had come to the Central Region, he might as well take the opportunity to see the court's Eight Phases Chart. It was said that the current court's Heaven and Earth Eight Phases Chart was drawn by the direct disciple of the Painting Sage, making it the supreme Third Generation Chart. He wondered if it would still be of use to him.
"Lead the way," Chen Mu said indifferently.
"Yes," the eunuch responded.
The Grandmaster Eunuch immediately took the lead again, guiding Chen Mu out of the Western Court and towards the Martial Pavilion located in the eastern part of the Imperial City. They soon arrived at the front of the Martial Pavilion.
As the Great Xuan Court's Martial Pavilion, the entire hall was grand and majestic, a sprawling complex that rivaled the imperial palace in grandeur. Although it wasn't as splendid as gold and jade, it exuded an air of solemnity and dignity.
The Great Xuan Martial Pavilion.
As the place for nurturing true elites, only those with the royal bloodline, the most outstanding descendants of the Ji Clan's side branches, and the very best geniuses were qualified to practice martial arts here. One could say that even the least accomplished were among the top disciples of the Seven Mysteries Sect's inner circle, and many were on par with the true disciples of the major sects.
Each generation had a maximum of just a few hundred people qualified to train in the Martial Pavilion.
At this moment, the vast Martial Pavilion was empty, with hardly any martial practitioners in sight. A rough scan revealed a desolate scene, evidently abandoned after Chen Mu's invasion of the Imperial City.
Chen Mu looked at the magnificent Martial Pavilion without much concern and proceeded forward, climbing dozens of steps to reach the front of the pavilion. He looked up at the massive plaque hanging in the center of the hall.
Great Xuan Martial Pavilion!
The four grand characters, with their dancing dragons and phoenixes, shone brilliantly under the sunlight, exuding an aura of solemnity and dignity at a glance. A subtle sense of pressure seemed to linger over the characters, enduring for a millennium without dissipating.
There was no doubt in Chen Mu's mind about the identity of the calligrapher of the plaque; it was undoubtedly the work of Ji Hao, the founder of the Great Xuan Dynasty and the ruler who dominated the world for a thousand years.
Chen Mu, the first person to cultivate the Heaven and Earth Principle!
At this moment, Chen Mu gazed up at the characters written by Ji Hao, his eyes seemingly crossing a thousand years. He saw the figure who had dominated the world and ruled over the heavens a thousand years ago, separated from him by the passage of time.
Chen Mu held a bit of admiration for Ji Hao. At the very least, he was far superior to the likes of Ji Yongzhao. As the first person to cultivate the Heaven and Earth Principle, he had paved the way for future martial practitioners. It was just unfortunate that he was born in the wrong era, a time when there was no chance to reach the Divine Realm.
If Ji Hao had been born in later times, thousands or even tens of thousands of years later, he would still have dominated the world and been a peerless hero who attracted worldwide attention. He might even have become the first person in that era to step into the Divine Realm.
Of course, this was assuming he was born in an era without his presence.
Otherwise, even the most dazzling brilliance and astonishing talent would pale in comparison to his.
Chen Mu didn't linger for long.
After experiencing a trace of Ji Hao's residual mental state, Chen Mu retracted his gaze and continued forward, his eyes now fixed on the front of the Martial Pavilion, where an old man in plain white robes stood, seemingly having arrived there at some point.
"Martial Pavilion's Master Lu Zongxi greets Chen Sheng," the old man said solemnly, bowing to Chen Mu.
Lu Zongxi, the master of the Martial Pavilion, had served in this position for over a hundred years, teaching countless students, including more than one disciple in the Blood Exchange Realm. His age was several times that of Chen Mu, and with his life nearing its end, he no longer feared death. Even if Chen Mu had wiped out the entire Imperial City with his power, it wouldn't have intimidated Lu Zongxi, nor would he have bowed down because of it.
His bow wasn't a show of respect for Chen Mu's strength, dominance, or oppression. Instead, it was a tribute to Chen Mu for opening a new era in martial arts and taking it to new heights.
In the path of martial arts, the accomplished were revered. Chen Mu had reached this level, making him the sage of martial arts, leading the way for the world.
Lu Zongxi, the master of the Martial Pavilion, was a renowned figure throughout the realm. Chen Mu had heard of him long ago. Although Lu Zongxi was now just an old man in the Blood Exchange Realm, he had once been a Heaven and Man Master, and he never involved himself in court politics, only focusing on teaching and accepting disciples.
When Chen Mu attacked Jade Prefecture and entered the Imperial City, Lu Zongxi didn't interfere. Chen Mu had always treated those with whom he had no grudges with respect. He never looked down on others, regardless of their status, treating everyone equally. Moreover, Lu Zongxi, the master of the Martial Pavilion, was over two hundred years old.
"Chen Sheng has opened a new path for martial arts, and he deserves my respect," Lu Zongxi said with a dignified expression, bowing to Chen Mu. "Chen Sheng, you've come to the Martial Pavilion for the Eight Phases Chart, right?"
Chen Mu nodded slightly and said, "Yes, I'd like to see the Eight Phases Chart held by the court."
Lu Zongxi said, "Please follow me, Chen Sheng."
After saying this, Lu Zongxi walked into the Martial Pavilion.
Chen Mu followed Lu Zongxi, walking hand in hand, while the Grandmaster Eunuch who had accompanied him stood respectfully outside the pavilion, not daring to follow them in.
Chen Mu followed Lu Zongxi, going deeper into the Martial Pavilion until they reached the innermost chamber, a spacious and quiet room where they finally saw the current court's Eight Phases Chart hanging on the wall.
However, after just a glance, Chen Mu felt slightly disappointed.
Although he had anticipated it, the 'Third Generation Chart' held by the Imperial Court, painted by the Painting Sage's direct disciple, contained profound mysteries that were somewhat ordinary and unremarkable to him, leaving little room for further enlightenment.
After all, according to his understanding, the Painting Sage's direct disciple was merely an ordinary Blood Exchange Realm cultivator, who had never even reached the Celestial Tier. The charts he could create would naturally fall short of the pinnacle of perfection.
But...
Just as Chen Mu was feeling a sense of disappointment, Lu Zongxi, the Martial Pavilion's Pavilion Master, who was standing beside him, fixed his aged gaze upon Chen Mu. Suddenly, he reached out, gently withdrew a demon hide scroll from his sleeve, and handed it to Chen Mu.
Chen Mu was slightly startled, but he quickly reached out, took the scroll, and opened it.
With just a glance, his eyes became fixed.
On the demon hide scroll was a painting. As the scroll unfurled, a vast and desolate aura seemed to surge forth, enveloping him. The color of the demon hide painting was deep and somber, as if it had endured countless years.
With just a glance, Chen Mu immediately recognized the nature of this demon hide painting.
The Primordial Eight Phases Chart!
Indeed!
This was the rumored Primordial Eight Phases Chart that the Imperial Court had long lost. Countless years ago, during a Kunlun Debate, the most elite Celestial Tier cultivators of that era had gathered to discuss and verify the Martial Dao, and together, they had created this ancient chart, representing the very origin of the Heaven and Earth Principle.
There was no doubt about it. With Chen Mu's current cultivation level, he needed only a glance to know that this was not a copy of the Third Generation Chart painted by the Painting Sage. It was the most ancient Primordial Chart!
"Wasn't this chart said to be lost? How did it end up in the hands of Pavilion Master Lu?"
Chen Mu was surprised to hold this Primordial Chart, and he turned his gaze towards Lu Zongxi. The appearance of this Primordial Chart in front of him and falling into his hands was beyond his expectations.
Lu Zongxi looked at the chart in Chen Mu's hand and said with a hint of emotion, "The former Emperor was born with a heavenly mandate, possessing unparalleled talent and comprehension. His cultivation path was unobstructed, a true blessing of fate. Whatever he needed, he obtained. When he reached the Blood Exchange Realm, he sought to comprehend the Primordial Chart and cultivate to the Celestial Tier. This Primordial Chart quietly fell into his hands."
"The former Emperor relied on this chart to comprehend the realm and cultivate to the Celestial Tier. Afterward, he entrusted this chart to me for safekeeping."
Upon hearing Lu Zongxi's words, Chen Mu couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
The former Emperor Lu Zongxi spoke of was, of course, not Prince Hanzhao but Emperor Jingtai Ji Yongzhao.
Although Chen Mu had not seen this in Ji Yongzhao's fragmented memories, based on his understanding and personal experience of Ji Yongzhao's fragmented skills, it was true that Ji Yongzhao was born with the blessing of fate. Whatever he desired, he obtained, and it seemed that heaven and earth were in harmony with him. When he reached the Blood Exchange Realm and needed to comprehend the realm to ascend to the Celestial Tier, he serendipitously found the lost Primordial Chart. Relying on this chart, he entered the Celestial Tier and even comprehended the Eight Phases of Heaven and Earth.
This laid the foundation for his later use of the Soul-Stealing Art to seize others' bodies and acquire the Heaven and Earth Physique. By the time he emerged from seclusion, his cultivation was perfected.
Such a smooth path caused Ji Yongzhao to never consider the possibility of failure. After finding Chen Mu in the outer seas using certain means, he directly employed the Soul-Stealing Art's evil method, resulting in his death and the destruction of his soul. Even this Primordial Eight Phases Chart ended up in Chen Mu's hands.
When fate smiled upon him, the heavens and earth lent their support. But the second half of this poem is: When fate turns, heroes have no freedom.
Ji Yongzhao's encounter with Chen Mu marked the end of his heavenly mandate and fortune. Everything he had gathered throughout his life, including the invaluable intelligence he obtained through exploring the Great Wilderness, the thousand-year heritage and accumulation of the Great Xuan Dynasty, and even this Primordial Eight Phases Chart, ultimately fell into Chen Mu's possession.
Chen Mu turned his gaze back to the Primordial Chart in his hand, carefully examining it. He deeply understood the mysteries within regarding the Eight Phases of Heaven and Earth, which far surpassed the enlightenment value of the Third Generation Chart hanging on the wall.
Undoubtedly, with this chart, he no longer needed to travel the world, measuring rivers and mountains with his footsteps. By studying this chart, he could accumulate sufficient experience in a short time and take a giant step into the Celestial Tier.
Even without the system interface, relying solely on this chart, Chen Mu was confident he could cultivate to the Celestial Tier within a few years.
Holding the Primordial Chart, Chen Mu turned to Lu Zongxi beside him and said, "This Primordial Chart is indeed what I need. If Pavilion Master Lu has any requests in return for giving me this chart, please speak freely."
Only Ji Yongzhao and Lu Zongxi were likely to know about the Primordial Chart. Lu Zongxi could have easily hidden it, but instead, he proactively entrusted it to Chen Mu. Naturally, Chen Mu did not intend to treat Lu Zongxi unfairly.
Lu Zongxi's expression was calm as he said, "I have devoted my life to the Martial Dao, and I seek nothing in return. This chart once belonged to the former Emperor. My only request is that you, Chen Sheng, treat the Ji Clan descendants well. In doing so, I can fulfill my duty to the former Emperor."
After listening to Lu Zongxi's words, Chen Mu remained silent for a moment before slowly saying, "I originally intended to eradicate the Han King and Liang King's lineages and leave the distant Ji Clan's numerous branches untouched. As for the Great Xuan Court's imperial authority, I planned to replace it with a virtuous ruler. But since Pavilion Master Lu has this request, I will choose a virtuous descendant from the Ji Clan to assume the throne."
Apart from his intention to uproot the Han King Ji Hanzhao and Liang King Ji Xuanzhen's lineages, he had no plans to exterminate the distant Ji Clan's numerous branches. However, he did not intend to leave the throne to the Ji Clan, considering allowing the court officials to discuss and choose a virtuous ruler.
Now that Lu Zongxi had entrusted him with the Primordial Chart, and his request was not for himself, Chen Mu was willing to be more lenient. Apart from the Han and Liang Kings, who would be uprooted and eliminated, he would not pursue the distant Ji Clan's numerous branches. The throne would still be chosen from among the Ji Clan's descendants, selecting a virtuous ruler to bring stability to the Central Region and the Capital as soon as possible.
This was not due to his kindness.
Having reached his current level, there were no more threats in the world. He could decide the lives of millions with a single thought, and he had no interest in wanton slaughter. He would only punish the main culprits who held grudges against him, sparing the rest.
"Thank you, Chen Sheng."
Lu Zongxi bowed to Chen Mu once more.
"Pavilion Master Lu, there's no need for such formality."
Chen Mu shook his head slightly and said, "I have summoned the Imperial Court's high officials and various powers from the Capital Region to discuss this matter in the Front Hall. At that time, we will settle this issue, bringing an early end to the Central Region's turmoil. I do not wish to see the world in chaos, with the people suffering."
(End of Chapter)
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