Fengyunlu

Fengchen chuckled inwardly. "What does it have to do with me that you're being led by fate?" "Think back to when my father refused the throne, he just walked away so effortlessly. Master Gu Yuan, you think so highly of yourself, why can't you just refuse?" "Then again, the throne is just too tempting. You don't really want to give it up, do you?" "I've seen through your thoughts. Aren't you just after the symbols of power and status?" "Yet you're still pretending you're forced to do what you want."

Master Gu Yuan saw Feng Chen's reaction. Just by looking at the disdain in the corner of his eyes, he knew what Feng Chen was thinking: "Haha, little guy, are you scolding me in your heart?" There was a hint of sarcasm in Master Gu Yuan's words. He saw through Feng Chen's hypocrisy and the desires deep in his heart.

Feng Chen was a little embarrassed when his thoughts were revealed, but he quickly said, "No, I'm just curious. As the saying goes, you have no choice but to do what you want. Master, how are you doing?" Feng Chen tried to hide his true thoughts, but his words still revealed his admiration and curiosity for Master Gu Yuan.

"You know quite a lot, but you're still inexperienced. Even with your parents' guidance, you can't understand the world simply by hearing about it. Just like when you decided to leave, but heard about the Bai family's Saintess, why did you come back?" Master Gu Yuan asked casually. His words were filled with a test for Fengchen; he hoped Fengchen could understand the complexity of the world through his own experiences.

Feng Chen didn't know how to answer and could only stand there in a daze. He was shocked by Master Gu Yuan's words and realized his own ignorance and superficiality.

Seeing him like this, Master Gu Yuan continued, "The so-called helplessness is just an excuse for me. Different people express different things." Master Gu Yuan's words were full of philosophy. He hoped Feng Chen could understand that everyone's choice is driven by their own heart.

Feng Chen was a little confused. It was indeed like what Master Gu Yuan had said: things in the world cannot be understood by just hearing about them; only by experiencing them firsthand can one truly understand them. But what he didn't understand was why Master Gu Yuan, who understood so many principles, had said that before? With Master Gu Yuan's wisdom, those three conditions shouldn't be so rigid. What was going on with this inconsistency? Feng Chen was filled with doubts; he didn't understand Master Gu Yuan's true intentions.

He didn't understand, but Master Gu Yuan saw through him. He didn't point out his thoughts, nor did he try to solve the doubts in his heart. He just smiled and didn't dwell on this issue. Master Gu Yuan didn't want to interfere too much with Fengchen's thoughts. He hoped that Fengchen could find the answer himself.

"Alright, you Feng and Bai families are better at preaching than I am. Now let's get down to business." Gu Yuan said, waving his hand. A flash of inky light shot out from his fingertips and disappeared behind the Yaochi. Master Gu Yuan's words revealed a hint of helplessness. He didn't want to discuss these principles any further, but hoped Fengchen would focus on more important matters.

Feng Chen was confused and quickly put his thoughts aside and asked, "What do you mean by this, senior?" Feng Chen was full of curiosity. He didn't understand what Master Gu Yuan's actions meant.

"Your Uncle Lei is no ordinary man. This concerns the secrets of our Yao Chi. I'm worried." Gu Yuan's words were simple and clear. The flash of light she had just used was to seal Lei Gong's divine consciousness, preventing him from hearing anything while in Yao Chi. Master Gu Yuan's words revealed his serious concern for Yao Chi's safety. He didn't want any outsiders to know Yao Chi's secrets.

Fengchen nodded, and Master Gu Yuan continued, "You have been in the South China Sea for the past three years, and I don't know what Mr. Bai said to you." Master Gu Yuan's words were full of expectations. He hoped that Fengchen could learn something important from Mr. Bai.

"I wonder what kind of remarks you're referring to," Fengchen asked doubtfully. His grandfather, the Great Emperor Cangyun, had indeed spoken to him a great deal over the past three years, and even Luo Hongchen had mentioned quite a few of them. These were all secrets rarely known within the Xuan Sect. Although he didn't understand why they were told, Fengchen felt that since they had been made aware, there must have been a reason for it. So, he kept them in mind after listening, never bringing them up again. Fengchen's words revealed his respect for Mr. Bai; he understood the importance of these secrets and knew he should keep them secret.

"Have you ever heard of the great calamity of the heavens?"

In the fairyland of Yaochi, Master Gu Yuan narrowed his eyes, his gaze was so deep as if he had traveled through a time tunnel. He stared straight into Fengchen's eyes and asked softly, as if he was discussing an ancient and mysterious legend.

Fengchen knew that what Master Gu Yuan was trying to say was most likely related to the Great Tribulation of the Heavens. Though the ancient legend was distant and mysterious, its underlying meaning was inextricably linked to the Yao Chi lineage and the Xuanmen sect. Furthermore, he had come to Yao Chi this time, following Luo Hongchen's instructions, to try his luck. Hadn't Master Gu Yuan said that Yao Chi's fortune was connected to Bai Yu? He had previously left Yao Chi Fairyland in a fit of anger, and now, hearing Gu Yuan's question, Fengchen couldn't help but recall the fragments of legend his father had told him when he was a child, echoing in his mind.

It is said that a long time ago, the world was in chaos, and there was no distinction between humans and gods. Immortals and gods often appeared in the universe, and ghosts and demons often roamed the Zhoutian. It was an era of chaos and uncertain order.

At that time, the human race was pitifully weak. If any alien race made a move, the human race would have to quickly hide away. Displacement was commonplace, and casualties were even more common. The living environment of the human race was so harsh that it seemed as if they would be swallowed up by the cruel world at any time.

Later, the world was in turmoil. For unknown reasons, the alien races of Zhou Tian began to fight each other endlessly, causing chaos and darkness. The human race could only try to find a place without conflict to hide. However, the world was vast and full of wars. There was no pure land for the human race to take refuge. After finally finding some relatively peaceful places, they were constantly hit by natural disasters and man-made disasters. The human race's path to survival was full of hardships and challenges.

Just when the human race was almost at its wit's end and didn't know what to do, a catastrophe struck from the sky and on the earth. Countless meteorites fell like mountains, and wind, fire, water and thunder alternated on the ground. After an unknown amount of time, the human race was almost unable to survive. The sky and the earth collapsed and shattered, the sea water invaded the mountains and rivers and flowed backwards, and the whole world seemed to be collapsing.

At this critical moment, the gods appeared, bringing down divine punishment from above. Countless divine thunders, carrying supreme power, killed anyone who touched them, and annihilated anyone who struck them. Countless ancient races vanished in this catastrophe. Enraged by the heavens, all gods and demons were annihilated, leaving only a few bloodlines to escape the calamity and remain in seclusion. This was the great catastrophe of the heavens, a catastrophe that changed the very nature of heaven and earth.

Thinking of this, Fengchen quickly replied: "When I was a child, my father told me that before the Xuanmen, the alien races in Zhoutian flourished and there were no human races in the world. Later, the alien races fought each other and provoked heavenly punishment, which gave the human race hope of survival."

"Yes, that's roughly what happened, but do you know why the Zhoutian alien races are fighting each other?" Master Gu Yuan nodded, then asked again, his voice deep and powerful, as if guiding Fengchen to explore a deeper truth.

Feng Chen, of course, didn't know, so he answered truthfully: "Father never mentioned this, and I guess he doesn't know either. But I guess there must be something heaven-defying worth fighting for, otherwise, how could such a high-ranking ancient alien race be so easily bewitched."

"Hmm." Master Gu Yuan's eyes showed approval, and then he continued, "Your guess does make some sense, but it's not the case, and it's quite ridiculous."

"Ridiculous?" Feng Chen was stunned for a moment. In his impression, in the legendary ancient times, immortals, gods, ghosts and demons were rampant in the world, and each of them was an extraordinary existence. It can be said that in the current Xuanmen, even if there are people who can transcend the world, compared with those alien races, they are nothing.

Otherwise, after the great catastrophe of the heavens, the world changed, the years passed, and if those ancient lineages had not mostly hidden and dormant, how could the human race have risen? Even if the human race rose later, the ancient remnants would have brought chaos to the heavens, and the unpredictable disasters and calamities were beyond the human race's control, even if they were unintentional. The human race's path to rise was full of hardships and challenges.

Master Gu Yuan looked at Feng Chen with a look of disbelief, just like when she first heard it. Even Ji Yao beside him had the same expression. He couldn't help but laugh: "Haha, it's ridiculous. Even I didn't believe it at first, but the records of the Emperor Temple in Five Emperors City and the inheritance of the Five Emperors of Xuanmen, all the signs are consistent with the absurdity."

"Excuse me, senior, could you please tell me this secret in detail?" Feng Chen listened with great interest. He knew that Master Gu Yuan had taken the trouble to explain these things, and that they must be related to the creation of Yao Chi, and also to Bai Yu's affairs. So he asked curiously, his heart full of desire for the unknown and pursuit of the truth.

Speaking of Master Gu Yuan, this great sage of the Xuan Sect, he wasn't deliberately hiding his knowledge. He was chatting with Feng Chen because he believed that Feng Chen would eventually understand these secrets. These secrets were related to Yao Chi and were closely connected to the bloodline of the Bai family's Saint Maiden. This bloodline had been passed down from ancient times to the present day, and naturally had countless connections with Feng Chen. "Of course I can tell you, but to discuss these things, we have to start from the origins of the Xuan Sect."

Master Gu Yuan gathered his thoughts and continued, "Above the Xuanmen, the Zhoutian alien races were causing chaos, and the ancient descendants were also causing trouble. Below the Xuanmen, the earth, fire, water, and wind were unpredictable, and there were also unpredictable disasters and unpredictable ghosts and gods. At that time, the survival of the human race was in doubt."

"It seemed as if even Heaven couldn't stand it anymore, and as if the human race was destined to prosper, someone vowed to do his best to help the human race prosper. Later, he comprehended the power of heaven and earth and the great principles, and found some solutions. Relying on some basic methods, the human race was able to avoid disasters and survive in seclusion." When Master Gu Yuan was talking about the origins of these mysterious sects, although Feng Chen and Ji Yao already knew about it, they knew that there must be deep meaning in Master Gu Yuan's words, so neither of them interrupted him.

Master Gu Yuan continued, "Later, some of the ancient remnants had been hidden for too long and could no longer bear the loneliness. They felt that the world was at peace, the heavenly punishment had passed, and the disasters had disappeared, so many of the remnants began to awaken. Upon emerging, they discovered that all creatures, including birds and beasts, were living in harmony. Even the weak human race was slowly prospering. Those creatures left over from the ancient times became unscrupulous, slaughtering all living things at will, and even humans were no exception."

“At that time, a leader of the human race could not bear to see his people suffer, so he used the secret method left by his ancestors to communicate with heaven and earth. During this period, he sought mercy from God, and Heaven bestowed upon him a method of survival, which is the legendary Tongtian Talisman. Not a single copy of the thirteen Tongtian Talismans was left at that time, as they were all learned by that human leader.” When Master Gu Yuan said this, his eyes were full of yearning. He lowered his head and stared closely at the fairy flowers under his feet.

After a long silence, Master Gu Yuan continued, "Speaking of this, everyone in the Xuanmen knows that the human leader was the Great Emperor Cangqiong, who founded the Xuanmen sect. It is precisely because of the myriad Taoist methods within the Xuanmen sect that we humans have been able to develop our principles and support our spirits, resisting the ancient remnants and predicting good and bad fortune. From then on, the human race prospered, the ancient remnants no longer posed a threat, and the world's disasters were addressed accordingly."

"In such a prosperous age, the Emperor of the Sky was very satisfied. Suddenly one day, he had another realization. He looked up at the sky, and it seemed that something was calling him. At that time, the Emperor of the Sky was supreme among immortal gods, and no one in the heavens could defeat him. The fact that he had such a slight feeling was definitely not groundless. The Emperor of the Sky left an explanation and then transcended and left under the witness of heaven and earth." When Master Gu Yuan was telling this secret, although everyone in the Xuanmen knew it, every time he mentioned it, everyone was infinitely yearning.

Fengchen was no exception. The path of immortals and gods was a realm that the Xuanmen of today could only aspire to. Transcending the entire universe like the Great Emperor Cangqiong was something that could only be imagined and even heard of, only in legend. Now, hearing Gu Yuan mention it again, he couldn't help but ask, "Senior, according to what you said, the Great Emperor Cangqiong should have left behind a complete Dharma. Even without the Tongtian Lu as a foundation, the Xuanmen of later times wouldn't have declined so much."

"It's simple to say, but I brought up this matter because I want you to know the past of Xuanmen. Although it is similar to the legends of the past, it hides many secrets. Even your father may not know this. Even as the emperor now, he may not be clear about the secrets. As for what happened, I will tell you in detail later." Master Gu Yuan waved his hand, signaling Fengchen not to be anxious. If this matter is not explained in detail, it will be difficult to reveal the key points.

Fengchen nodded, realizing he didn't know enough about these secrets, so he followed Master Gu Yuan's instructions. Master Gu Yuan continued, "After the Great Emperor Cang Qiong ascended to the realm of transcendence, five of his many disciples became the most transcendent. They were the Five Emperors of the Ancient Xuan Sect. At that time, the five emperors were equals, jointly ruling the rise and fall of the human race. Because the methods left by the Great Emperor Cang Qiong were well-known to the Xuan Sect, more and more people later practiced them, including many peerless people. These people gradually achieved great success, and their cultivation levels were close to those of the Five Emperors of the Ancient Times."