The Heavens: A Qing, the Yue Girl at the beginning

The mountain path became increasingly narrow and rugged, eventually turning into a steep, upward-sloping crevice in the mountainside that could only accommodate two people walking side by side.

The crevice was deep and dark, with jagged black rocks on both sides resembling animal teeth, covered with thick, pale blue ice crystals that exuded a truly bone-chilling cold.

The chill rising from deeper within flowed and settled slowly like a living mist, forming layers of hazy veils within the narrow passage.

Zhao Qing's steps remained light and slow, her toes barely touching the ground, without picking up a speck of dust or disturbing a wisp of cold mist.

“Unlike ordinary inner worlds or small worlds, the ‘inner universe’ I created is of a much higher nature. On a certain level, it is almost comparable to the vast universe billions of light-years away…”

"This is because it is separated by a black hole-like 'event horizon' and has an independent spacetime causal membrane. However, considering that this 'membrane' still represents a connection with special properties, it is closer to the state of a mother-child universe."

She pondered silently, her thoughts swirling, subtly elucidating a broad understanding of cultivation. The talismanic threads swirling around her fingertips also glowed, as if echoing each other:

"As for grotto-heavens and blessed lands, they are completely different. They may be far superior in terms of power, but they belong to two different levels..."

"The space between heaven and earth and the four directions is called the universe, and the past and present are called the cosmos."

"The so-called 'grotto heaven' may have a vast space, encompassing heaven and earth within a circle, and turning the ends of the earth into a foothold. It can be described as having great supernatural powers, but it does not have an independent temporal framework. It must be separated from the external universe and introduced into this foundation, and exist by relying on the universe, like a vine winding around a tree."

"Once removed from the timeline, it is like a rootless duckweed, destined to collapse and vanish into nothingness..."

"The term 'blessed land' theoretically refers to a region that is 'blessed' by nature. It is based on mountains and rivers, and the laws of nature are forcibly distorted and covered to redefine the 'power' and 'principle' within a small world, building barriers and forming its own pattern!"

"This is similar to a mountain-protecting formation, which isolates space through an array, making the inside and outside of the array completely different. Wherever the laws radiate, the aura of a 'blessed land' appears. It is fragile and highly dependent, more like a carefully arranged energy field than a true prototype of the world. Therefore, it is very easy to 'create'."

Not long ago, Zhao Qing used the "scapegoat talisman" that she had previously acquired and which had been modified and enhanced to change the target of "favor" from a single life to a region, and incorporated her understanding of the interaction between mountains and lakes and the interaction between thunder and wind in "Lianshan" to temporarily construct a "blessed land barrier".

A nascent Dao Domain, deeply influenced by her primordial laws, possessing almost some of the characteristics of an "authority holder."

Like an invisible shroud of Daoist essence, it gently envelops the entire ancestral mountain area, not only isolating it from internal and external prying and energy impacts, but also subtly altering the trajectory of the internal primordial energy flow, making it closer to the "inertial preferences" of her inner universe, forming a home field that is absolutely advantageous to her.

As the blessed land's barrier stabilized, with a slight thought from Zhao Qing, countless fine, thread-like traces, visible only to those who had reached the eighth realm, and as mysterious and ineffable as harp strings, manifested one after another.

Subsequently, some were completely erased, some had their trajectories altered, and some were newly delineated...

More and more changes and transformations intertwine, like the endless strokes of a harp string, constantly shifting and changing, ultimately focusing, condensing, and projecting onto the golden talisman paper.

Amidst the blazing light, a profound and mysterious realm naturally emerged, one that seemed to govern all laws and regulate yin and yang, as empty and desolate as an illusory sea.

"It's done." Zhao Qing put away the newly renovated golden talisman, covered with divine patterns, which served as the "authority certificate" for this blessed land. He stepped into the steep mountain crevice and quickly passed through it.

A huge circular valley came into view.

The ground was slightly sunken, smooth as a mirror, as if it had been struck hard by an invisible giant hammer. The pale blue icy mist here was as thick as tangible lake water, heavily covering the valley floor. Strangely, one could see through the thick mist and clearly see the scene in the center of the valley.

This is the origin of the power that erupted from the ancestral land when the rebels besieged it years ago.

The devastating impact spread outwards from this center, shaping a vast basin that forms a perfect concentric circle with this valley. Only the core of this ancestral mountain survived, protected by some force.

Scattered throughout the valley are many stone beasts, each about half a person's height.

Time and the elements have eroded their specific forms, leaving only blurred animal outlines, from which one can vaguely discern the majestic figures of wolves, bears, eagles, and other wild beasts common in the wilderness. What is truly striking are the still exceptionally clear, crisscrossing, and serpentine carvings on the stone beasts!

Those are not decorations, but profound sword manuals!
Whether it is a sword, spear, halberd, or any other weapon, any classic text containing related artistic conceptions and methods of qi circulation is collectively referred to as "Sword Classics".

They represent the legacy left from the heyday of the Tianliang Empire, and are no less than, and perhaps even more than, the many secret sword manuals and rare editions of the Minshan Sword Sect and Lingxu Sword Sect today.

Of course, because there were no written records, only the most concise "pictures" and extremely obscure information, it would be an astonishing "academic" challenge to fully interpret and comprehend their true meaning after hundreds of years.

It should be noted that even the worst sword manual here surpasses the most secret, single-lineage transmissions of most cultivation sects.

The latter level of profound skill, without the oral and physical instruction between master and disciple, even those within the same sect who are well-versed in their own foundation and the secrets of the scriptures may not be able to fully comprehend it.

The sword manual was changed to a wordless stone beast version, which increased the difficulty exponentially. For cultivators with average comprehension, it was like a fragment of a heavenly book, something they could only dream of but never reach.

"The 365 stone statues have been burdened by too much energy required to break through to the next level. It seems that it will take dozens of times longer."

Zhao Qing shook his head slightly, seemingly acknowledging the difficulty and marveling at its profundity. His gaze then swept over a stone beast shaped like a reclining tiger, its back covered with patterns resembling thunder splitting the sky.

At the same time, a figure slowly appeared on the other side of the valley, standing still like a pine tree, as if he had always been standing there, silently blending into the ice mist and rocks.

This person is none other than Tang Xin, the Sword God Emperor who blocked the army at the cliff earlier!

He didn't deliberately release his aura, but standing there, he was like a peerless divine sword sheathed in the most ordinary leather sheath, causing the surrounding ice mist to constantly annihilate and recombine, endlessly.

Because Zhao Qing's exploration was rather slow, spending most of the day "strolling," Tang Xin had already arrived at Tianliang Ancestral Mountain several hours earlier. Her speed was much faster than Yelü Canglang, who was leading the cavalry, and because she crossed over from the air, she was not detected by Zhan Mohe, who was hiding in the ground.

Two pairs of eyes met in mid-air.

There was no murderous intent, no probing, only a pure and extreme scrutiny, like the "hunting pleasure" between adversaries.

"I'm here to challenge you." Tang Xin's voice was low, direct, and unadorned: "But not now."

Zhao Qing remained calm and nodded slightly: "As expected."

Tang Xin's gaze swept over the stone beast carvings scattered throughout the valley, then fell upon the mysterious golden talisman in Zhao Qing's hand. Her eyes narrowed slightly, her fighting spirit surging like an undercurrent beneath a deep pool.

"Impressive! Using talismans as a catalyst to transform the world... Is this the aura you exude after stepping into the Heavenly Realm and breaking free from your shackles?"

“However… this place is filled with sword manuals, all the legacy of our predecessors, and such opportunities are rare. If we act now, it will inevitably lead to mutual destruction and ruin of this accumulation of hundreds of years.” He paused, raising his chin slightly: “This place is the result of your efforts to overcome obstacles and challenges. I owe you a favor for the gains I have made.”

"As for the treasures and secrets hidden deeper inside, I never thought of rushing ahead and doing something like picking the fruit halfway—now it seems that this was the right choice: this place has now become your home ground, and I would hardly be able to withstand more than a few moves, and the things in the core of the ancestral mountain seem equally terrifying."

“Even a Grandmaster of the Eighth Realm is so cautious. If I, Tang, were to be greedy and rashly barge in, my ultimate fate might be no different from those corpses with pierced foreheads on the road…”

"You're quite a discerning person." Zhao Qing smiled slightly, not offended at all. "Let's study the sword manual here together."

Her gaze returned to the wordless sword scriptures, then she picked up a stone statue that resembled a wolf pouncing on the moon, quickly scanning its back with the wild and unrestrained carvings that resembled a storm. After a few breaths, she moved on to another target.

Tang Xin stopped talking and chose a stone beast with outstretched wings of an eagle not far away. She closed her eyes slightly and focused her mind on the sharp, sword-like engravings on the wings. Her fingers unconsciously traced patterns in the air, as if she were copying the patterns on them.

The two of them stood quietly among the stone beasts covered with sword scriptures for half an hour.

Just a quarter of an hour later, Zhao Qing's eyes were no longer on the last stone beast that resembled a golden roc spreading its wings. His face showed neither joy nor sorrow, as if he had only accomplished a trivial task. Then, he took a step and headed towards the very center of the valley.

This extremely short time caused Tang Xin, who was just beginning to immerse himself in the sword intent of the several stone beasts and feeling that he had gained a great deal, to suddenly be startled. He abruptly looked up at Zhao Qing's back as he passed through the icy mist, his pupils suddenly contracting, and his heart was filled with shock and turmoil.

"How is that possible?! Half a quarter of an hour... she... she must have just 'memorized' the patterns on these stone beasts, right?"

Tang Xin's mind raced, her fingers still frozen in mid-air. "Otherwise, how could it be so fast? There wasn't even the slightest hesitation or fluctuation in her breath. But what she just said was clearly the meaning of 'comprehending'!"

"These sword manuals are profound in their mysteries, and the trajectories of their energy manipulation are incredibly complex. Even for me, it would take a long time to comprehend their essence and grasp their spirit... Can the gap in comprehension and perception really be that great?"

A complex mix of emotions, difficult to describe, surged within him—surprise, doubt, and shock.

"Could it be that her age is really as it appears? She broke through to the Heavenly Realm in her teens?! This far surpasses any genius or monster recorded in the past dynasties, absolutely crushing them! If I remember correctly, the fastest person in history to reach the peak of the sixth realm took seven years."

Generally speaking, the cultivation time for each major realm is at least twice that of the previous major realm, not including the barriers that are locked at the threshold of breaking through the realm and are being broken through with all one's might.

In other words, even though the cultivation records of the eighth-level experts are severely lacking, it would have taken at least twenty-one years.

Tang Xin secretly pondered, recalling when she had just entered her 21st year of cultivation, she was still lingering before reaching the seventh realm of mountain moving.

It doesn't sound like much, but looking at the entire Zhongshan Kingdom at that time, it was hard to find anyone among his peers who could even withstand half a move from him—there really is a world of difference between people.

"Could it be that there are truly those in this world who are born with knowledge?" He silently retracted his fingers, his gaze becoming even more focused and sharp.

The greater the gap, the more valuable the challenge! And the more you can gain!

Zhao Qing ignored Tang Xin's surprise and mixed feelings. She had already reached the very center of the valley, where the ice mist thinned out, revealing a strange and tall palace.

It is not made of bricks and stones, but is composed of huge, sharp, straight black stone slabs that pierce the sky.

These huge, sharp, straight stone slabs were smashed out by a tremendous force.

The immense force surged into the mountain, instantly melting or pulverizing the surrounding rocks. Then, the terrifying force instantly compressed the lava or rock dust that was splashing upwards like waves into unimaginably hard rocks, which solidified in an instant.

The top of this stone palace in sight is not level; the palace, composed of jagged, huge stone slabs, resembles the outline of a crown standing on the ground.

Its only entrance is a huge square doorway, simple and rough, without any decorations or doors, only a stone staircase leading downwards, from which a pure yet invisible aura emanates, giving one the illusion of fine dust constantly being spewed out.

This means that the laws governing the primordial energy in the palace deepest in the ancestral land of Tianliang are too unique. The invisible flow of primordial energy gives people a sense of form, just like the blessed land defined by Zhao Qing.

The light refracts strangely at the entrance, making the interior appear hazy, as if leading to another world.

"Let's go." Zhao Qing paused briefly in front of the stone gate without turning around, his calm voice carrying into the icy mist behind him: "The core of this place has a unique landscape. There's no need to avoid suspicion; you can come in with me. It'll be good to broaden your horizons about the secrets of the elixir of immortality and the extraordinary nature of the Peerless Wind and Rain Sword."

The invitation is open and honest, reflecting an absolute confidence in one's own strength and a willingness to share the "Tao."

Tang Xin's eyes flashed, and without the slightest hesitation, she strode after him. The Sword and Blade God Emperor had his pride, but he would not back down in the face of unknown mysteries and invitations from powerful figures.

Stepping through the stone gate, just one step away, the world seems to change instantly.

A dazzling deep green light rushed towards us!

It did not come from gemstones, but from countless soft, swaying, crystal-clear, strange grasses carved like the purest jade! They grew densely from the vertical spiral stone wall tunnels, from the bottom of the unfathomable cave, taller than a person.

The magical light refracts and scatters within, making everything above, beside, and at the bottom of the cave seem to be filled with this dreamlike greenery, creating a vibrant "underwater forest" without seawater.

Spiral stone steps wind around the enormous vertical cave, descending downwards. The green of the tall grass gradually fades as you go deeper, replaced by a deep, blood-red color, which then transforms into an intense, untamed deep purple.

We've finally arrived at the bottom of the palace.

It was not as profound as one might imagine. The flat ground, spanning hundreds of feet in diameter, was entirely paved with ancient and heavy stone coffins, exuding an indescribable solemnity and desolation.

In the center of the ground paved with stone coffins, stands a magnificent tree that is truly awe-inspiring!

Standing tens of meters tall, it radiated a warm, jade-like purple glow. Its trunk twisted like a dragon, its branches spread out, and its leaves resembled jade but were not quite, flowing with a profound luster. The entire tree exuded a powerful vitality, yet carried an ancient silence.

What's chilling is that, near the base of the thick tree trunk, there is a human figure standing out!
He was a tall, middle-aged man wearing a long robe made of several kinds of luxurious furs, in an ancient style.

He stood on a bare, gnarled root of a giant tree, his face still faintly showing his former majesty and handsomeness, but his exposed skin had an eerie, translucent quality.

You can see blood flowing inside, but it's lifeless, and its eyes are pale and empty, without any sparkle.

Most terrifyingly, his body seemed to have grown together with the giant purple jade tree behind him! Countless fine, soft, fleshy tendrils, also radiating a purple jade luster, extended from all over his body and deeply embedded themselves into the tree trunk, making them indistinguishable from each other!
...(End of chapter)