Chapter 1311: The Hundred-Year Holy Secret Returning to Heaven Island

“They’re gone, they’ve left!”

“Thank goodness, we’re still alive.”

“What on earth were those things? How could they be so massive? And that last one was… Mo Di Hei Long?”

The Shengdi had passed over Yunlun Shanmai, claiming the lives of all those in red robes, and flown into Tiankong Zhi Cheng.

All that remained was a widespread sense of dread across the mountains.

Among the people of Dong Yu, vague memories were stirred by that unknown entity soaring through the sky, though they only recalled the black dragon seeming vaguely familiar.

As for Huo Hai, Xue Shu, and Qing Yu, almost no one recognized them, merely speculating that some anomaly must have occurred in Tiankong Zhi Cheng, something even Bansheng coveted.

Little did they know, those four entities were all Shengdi!

The forests, scorched dry by Huo Hai, were littered with corpses, and even the leaves had turned to ash.

Footsteps echoed through the woods, crunching over dry branches with sharp snaps.

Accompanying them was a soft, puzzled murmur:

“Jin Zhao Lao Zu, Qi Shu Da Di, Shen Yu Qing Shi—is this the Bai Mai San Zu you mentioned?”

“And Mo Di Hei Long, that’s the leader of Hei Mai, the one you followed before?”

“Aren’t you a Shengdi too? What’s your status compared to them?”

Mo Mo held a small bronze furnace, burning purple sandalwood incense, standing alone in the now silent wilderness like a serene orchid in an empty valley.

She had started talking to herself again, ever since the voice in her mind had bid farewell and vanished last time.

“Aren’t you curious why I woke up?”

Feng Yu Jin’s voice appeared in her mind, tinged with a hint of irritation.

“It’s not hard to guess—Shengdi’s aura must have awakened you.”

Mo Mo smiled faintly. It had been a while since she’d heard that chatty voice, and it felt oddly familiar.

But she knew this sense of familiarity wouldn’t last more than half an incense stick’s time.

Soon, she’d have to endure the endless nagging from this certain Shengdi again.

“Fine, you win. Those guys’ auras did startle… I mean, wake me up. But now that we’re out here, I’m not afraid of them at all!”

“So, does that mean you had no status in Nei Dao and were actually afraid of them?”

A playful glint appeared in Mo Mo’s eyes.

“Jin Zhao Lao Zu is really bold, parading like that and burning so many in red robes to death. It must have been stifled for so long—ah, the outside world is better, so free and unrestrained.”

Feng Yu Jin shifted his gaze through Mo Mo’s eyes to the surrounding scenery.

“Don’t change the subject…”

“Then don’t bring up Nei Dao!”

Hearing that flustered response, Mo Mo pieced together the answer and laughed softly:

“Well, now you can finally explain. What happened in Tiankong Zhi Cheng? You should know.”

“And about your actions…”

As Mo Mo spoke, she pulled out a voice-recording pearl.

The moment her spiritual energy touched it, Mo Di Hei Long’s voice emerged from within:

“Feng Yu Jin, please cooperate with the operation!”

Her mind fell silent for a breath, then a heart-wrenching roar erupted:

“Stop!”

“We agreed not to touch that pearl! I’ll tell you everything!”

“Alright.”

Mo Mo withdrew her divine ability, a touch of curiosity in her voice. “Go on. Tell me everything about Tiankong Zhi Cheng, why these Shengdi suddenly appeared, and about your actions.”

Feng Yu Jin paused for a long while before sighing regretfully: “This is a game of chess with grand strategy and long-term planning…”

Mo Mo listened attentively as Feng Yu Jin began from the start:

“One day, a human sword cultivator was imprisoned on Nei Dao of Xukong Dao. For the ghost beasts there, it was a huge source of amusement.”

“Humans have always been at the bottom of the food chain on Nei Dao. With their spirit refining abilities sealed, they have nothing left.”

“Like me?”

Mo Mo interjected suddenly.

“Don’t interrupt!”

Feng Yu Jin scolded irritably, then continued:

“Quickly, the old routine played out—the powerful beings on Nei Dao toyed with the newcomer in an orderly fashion.”

“But soon, everyone realized something was wrong. He turned out to be an ancient sword cultivator. Even with his spirit refining abilities sealed, he was terrifyingly strong.”

“Countless entities took turns attacking, but none could take him down. Instead…”

“Ba Zun An?”

Mo Mo mused thoughtfully.

“Yes, I won’t go into the details of how he fought back against the crowd, stomped on Mo Di Hei Long, and pointed his sword at Bai Mai San Zu. Some things are…”

“Too painful to recall? So, you got beaten too?”

“Shut up!”

“Alright.”

Feng Yu Jin glared fiercely in his mind, but realizing he couldn’t actually glare at his host, he continued helplessly:

“Anyway, after Ba Zun An established himself on Nei Dao, he declared himself the sovereign of the black and white pulses, and all the ghost beasts followed him unquestioningly.”

“He’s an extremely clever person. He claimed he could contend with Sheng Shen Dian Tang and save everyone from their misery.”

“No one really believed it, but the situation forced their hand, so they had to follow his arrangements.”

“And so, the game of chess began…”

Feng Yu Jin paused, then said:

“He first took over the long-standing plans of the black and white pulses to invade Sheng Shen land repeatedly. He coordinated everything and ultimately chose Jin Zhao Yu Hai.”

“It took him decades, supposedly to lull Sheng Shen Dian Tang into complacency, making them think that even he, Ba Zun An, was just like the others—forced to lie low after entering Nei Dao.”

“But in reality, his methods were no different from our previous attempts—they all involved opening rifts in the extradimensional space over Sheng Shen land, but they all failed, stopped by the red robes.”

“Until the final attempt, he rallied the long-united forces of the black and white pulses and sent me out…”

Mo Mo listened quietly, knowing this was the turning point that had changed her fate.

But she no longer harbored resentment; she had let it go long ago.

Feng Yu Jin, aware of Mo Mo’s temperament, continued without a care for whether his words might hurt:

“I never thought I’d actually succeed in getting out, but Ba Zun An’s initial trial worked—at least, I successfully latched onto you.”

“The ‘operation’ that Mo Di Hei Long mentioned is exactly this… In the plan, I was supposed to go straight to Tian Sang Ling Gong and confront the Sheng Nu.”

“But I hesitated.”

“The power of Sheng Shen Dian Tang is plain to see, and I had no idea what kind of people the Sheng Nu were, aside from Ba Zun An.”

“I didn’t trust them at all and knew the plan was doomed to fail. So, I just went to Tian Sang Ling Gong but didn’t seek out Wu Xiu. I hid quietly—he doesn’t even have a good relationship with Ba Zun An, so he’s completely unreliable.”

Feng Yu Jin sighed casually: “The world is so beautiful. Without the constraints of Nei Dao’s rules, we Shengdi can just keep a low profile and enjoy freedom. Why bother following orders?”

Hearing this, Mo Mo shook her head involuntarily.

Feng Yu Jin was someone who never kept his word—she’d known that for ages.

This was just his style: avoid danger at all costs, always talking about “seizing freedom to see the great rivers and mountains.”

Feng Yu Jin suddenly let out a long sigh, not regretting his choice, and continued:

“The operation was put on hold for a while…”

“My task was to go to Xukong Dao and break the seal on Si Wu Zhen, opening the way for them.”

“But what is Xukong Dao? It’s under constant scrutiny!”

“If I went there, I might open the gate, but I’d likely get sacrificed or killed by the rules—you’d die too. So, for your sake, I chose not to go.”

“Ba Zun An didn’t stop, though. The game continued… And that brings us back to his focus on Jin Zhao Yu Hai.”

“Jin Zhao Lao Zu spent over a century plotting outside, cultivating the Jin Zhao lineage. These people didn’t even know who it was.”

“But the guiding force it implanted would lead the descendants of Jin Zhao lineage to Jin Zhao Yu Hai—that is, Bai Ku—to receive the inheritance and become a ‘vessel,’ not a host.”

“By this era, the one meant to receive the inheritance was supposed to be Sheng Nu Wu Xiu, but in the end, it went to some young man by mistake…”

“Xu Xiao Shou?”

Mo Mo’s eyes flickered.

“Yes, fate is that wondrous. He even snatched our championship at the Fengyun Zhengba and beat… cough!”

Realizing he was digressing, Feng Yu Jin quickly returned to the point:

“Anyway, Jin Zhao Lao Zu’s backup plan must have entered Xu Xiao Shou, carrying on to now, until he went to Xukong Dao.”

“Before, to… cough, maintain my freedom, I even targeted him… cough cough.”

“What exactly happened on Xukong Dao?”

Mo Mo wasn’t interested in the targeting; she was curious about the current situation.

On this point, Feng Yu Jin only knew the basics, so he said:

“I wasn’t there, so I don’t know the details. I only know how things were supposed to unfold based on the plan.”

“Since I didn’t cooperate, Ba Zun An must have found a better fit, and Xu Xiao Shou is clearly that person.”

“You saw it in Bai Ku—the Shengdi guided everyone to vie for the four swords, lifting Bai Ku’s seal and blurring that memory from their minds.”

“Ba Zun An’s deception plan might have worked by then. Sheng Shen Dian Tang didn’t pay much attention to Bai Ku; they were just quibbling over minor details.”

“But he met with Jin Zhao Lao Zu and the others in Bai Ku for a second time, probably setting the date for Xukong Dao’s arrival.”

“And so, Xukong Dao descended!”

Back to the present, Mo Mo looked up toward Gu Yin Cliff, faintly making out the outline of that ancient Tiankong Zhi Cheng.

Through Mo Mo’s gaze, Feng Yu Jin could see it too, and he sighed:

“I never imagined Ba Zun An’s plan could actually succeed, or go this far and so smoothly.”

“If not for the Nei Dao Shengdi passing by earlier, I wouldn’t have thought he’d pulled it off.”

“But now, it seems the momentum on Xukong Dao is set. Even Dao Dian Zhu probably can’t turn it around.”

“What’s Ba Zun An’s goal, exactly?”

Mo Mo couldn’t help asking.

“It’s simple.”

Feng Yu Jin chuckled lowly, no longer hiding it: “To seize the most fertile backyard of the five great Shengdi families as his own base, and from there, plan for the future.”

Backyard…

Mo Mo’s gaze flickered as she stared at the corner of Tiankong Zhi Cheng that had landed in the distance, deep in thought.

“What about you?”

After a pause, Mo Mo changed her wording: “What about us? Don’t we need to go to Xukong Dao? You were part of the plan, after all.”

“Us?”

Feng Yu Jin’s voice jumped. “Kid, don’t joke! We dropped the ball big time. It’s already good if Ba Zun An doesn’t come after us later. How dare you stick your neck out and walk into the noose?”

You’re self-aware, but where’s your foresight…

Mo Mo shook her head inwardly, thinking that if he’d just followed the plan, he might have some merit as a loyal follower by now.

But she was indifferent by nature and didn’t care about such things.

If we’re not going, then we’re not. It doesn’t matter.

As Feng Yu Jin said, with freedom at hand, one should see the great rivers and mountains—and that aligned with her own thoughts.

In her mind, Feng Yu Jin was still sighing:

“That kid Xu Xiao Shou is really something!”

“As a young man, you couldn’t tell back then, but now he’s risen like a dragon, soaring upward.”

“What you should do is get on his good side. That way, Ba Zun An probably won’t come after us.”

But Mo Mo said nothing.

Whether to get on his good side or not, she didn’t consider it at all.

If Xu Xiao Shou needed her, she’d help; if not, she wouldn’t get too close.

Being alone was fine.

“You, ah…”

Feng Yu Jin seemed to see through the serene girl’s mindset and sighed helplessly. “You’re truly enlightened! No, overly enlightened!” He’d already given his advice, so there was nothing more to say.

“He’ll come find me.”

Mo Mo suddenly spoke up.

“Why do you say that?”

“A feeling.”

“Heh…”

Feng Yu Jin almost laughed. “Hope it’s not to cause trouble!”

“If it is, it’s for you.”

“I’m you! We’re in the same boat!”

Mo Mo didn’t argue and stepped forward.

She was leaving Yunlun Shanmai.

The trial was nearly over, and things like the Dragon Pulse Lord or the Pi Xiu Mountain dispute—without Xu Xiao Shou, Mo Mo had no interest. She was just going through the motions.

If Xu Xiao Shou needed her to join the Sheng Gong trial and lend a hand at the end, she didn’t need to secure a spot here and expose herself.

After wandering Yunlun Shanmai, Mo Mo had figured it out.

No matter how legitimate the trial entry was, with Feng Yu Jin in her, she’d always be like a rat in hiding.

So, next time, wherever she wanted to go, she’d just go—no need for an invitation.

Feng Yu Jin was chatty, but his abilities were indeed strong.

With this all-purpose key, Mo Mo’s already aloof nature became even more detached.

“Wait!”

Just then, Feng Yu Jin’s voice rang in her mind, and gray mist surged, perfectly concealing his aura.

Mo Mo’s expression remained unchanged, but she pondered inwardly.

Another big figure was coming?

With her inherited strength and growth, she no longer feared ordinary Zhandao or Taixu.

Whenever Feng Yu Jin did this, it was usually to avoid Bansheng, or someone with Bansheng-level power, or even a Shengdi.

Mo Mo didn’t ask.

She knew Feng Yu Jin would explain.

“Look up there. Remember this person.”

“A hidden powerhouse from Sheng Shen Dian Tang, with a Kun Peng body. He’s older than me, who knows how many years he’s lived—his abilities are terrifyingly strong. We shouldn’t provoke him.”

Kun Peng?

It was Mo Mo’s first time hearing of a being with such a form. She slightly raised her head.

“Boom!”

Feng Yu Jin sensed it first, and only then did the shockwave erupt, sending a sonic boom echoing through Yunlun Shanmai.

At the same time, the trial participants in the mountains looked up in shock, witnessing a scene they’d never forget:

The sky turned into a vast pool, a massive fish leaping within, its length unknowable, stirring waves that scattered clouds and transformed into a bird, soaring to the nine heavens.

“A fish! What a huge fish!”

“Wow, it turned into a bird! What kind of creature is that… such a massive fish-bird!”

“What fish-bird? Show some respect—this is Kun Peng! You might see Kun Peng phenomena in Zhong Yu occasionally; this must be Yu Lao from Sheng Mountain?”

“Who’s Yu Lao?”

“I don’t know…”

Few knew the true origins of such a being, as Kun Peng had vanished from the world long ago.

In the original Tianji Weimu and Lingjing Master position.

Yu Zhi Wen looked up gently, the divine light in her star-like eyes losing its usual sparkle.

After feeling that familiar power, the strength she had just rebuilt crumbled, and sorrow overwhelmed her. Her nose tingled as she choked out:

“Yu Grandpa…”

“Ah!!!”

The sky-covering Kun Peng vanished in an instant, transforming into a skinny old man in casual clothes, holding a fishing rod over ten zhang long, wearing muddy straw shoes, and hurrying over.

“Ah, my little darling, how can you be so sad? Who upset you?”

“Oh, don’t cry, don’t cry. Grandpa’s here. Tell me all your sorrows, and we won’t cry anymore, alright?”

He cast his fishing rod aside. Seeing his precious great-granddaughter, this Kun Peng divine envoy from Sheng Shen Dian Tang’s ten-member council, Yu Lao, tossed his duties to the back of his mind.

He patted the back of the tear-streaked little fish’s head for comfort while plotting how to roast alive whoever had made his little treasure cry.

“What happened?”

Yu Lao asked.

Yu Zhi Wen pulled her head back from Yu Grandpa’s shoulder, wiping her eyes. “Nothing… Why did Yu Grandpa come?”

“Tell me first.”

Yu Lao put his hands on his hips, puffing out his cheeks and flaring his fish gills, looking fierce. “Grandpa will go avenge you right now!”

Yu Zhi Wen was amused by the eccentric old man’s expression and burst into laughter through her tears, but then sadness returned, and she somberly got back to the topic:

“Nothing, really. Tell me about you.”

“Really nothing?”

“Yes. Did Yu Grandpa come for Xukong Dao?”

“Yes, a Shengdi aura passed by, and Dao Dian Zhu sent a message. I had some free time, so I need to go check it out.”

A message?

Was it about the battle on Xukong Dao?

“You should go quickly. Duty calls.”

Yu Zhi Wen hurriedly let go of Yu Lao’s hand.

Time was tight, so Yu Lao had no time for small talk. “Then Grandpa will come back next time. We’ll go to Long Ku and fish for those big dumb dragons.”

“Yes.”

Yu Zhi Wen nodded vigorously.

Yu Lao picked up his fishing rod, transformed into Kun Peng, spread his wings across the sky, and flew toward Xukong Dao.

The people of Yunlun Shanmai looked up, struck once again by awe.

But soon, with a “boom,” they saw the enormous Kun Peng crash headfirst into the Xuanwu Gate of Tiankong Zhi Cheng, leaving it dazed and its massive body swaying—it couldn’t get in.

“Huh?”

Yu Lao was stunned, reverted to human form, pulled out the Xukong Order, and tried again.

He was bounced back once more.

“What’s happening?”

Yu Zhi Wen flashed over and landed on Gu Yin Cliff.

“Xukong Dao—I can’t get in!”

Yu Lao’s eyes darted around, as if realizing something, and he sucked in a breath. “Hiss, doesn’t that mean Rao Wang Ze is facing four alone…”

Rao Wang Ze Shengdi?

Yu Zhi Wen was startled, recalling Lan Ling’s instructions, and asked urgently: “Is the situation on Xukong Dao serious? What did Dao Dian Zhu’s message say?”

Not serious…

Yu Lao murmured, his lips twitching twice before he forced a warm smile.

He waved it off dismissively: “Just a trivial matter, nothing to worry about.”

“Dao Dian Zhu said some guy named Xu Xiao Shou mobilized Shengdi power and is trying to defy heaven in there, but Rao Wang Ze can suppress him with a flip of his hand, like squashing an ant.”

“Ah?”

Yu Zhi Wen’s star-like eyes widened, a hint of worry appearing. “Xu Xiao Shou? Which one?”

Yu Lao froze: “Wait, you know him?”