Chapter 326

Chapter 326: Hongmeng Dao Realm

The three traversed the cavern heavens atop the Ancient Tree of Life, finally arriving before an Ancient Temple.

"For tens of millions of years, my clan has dwelt here. You are the first outsider ever to set foot within our Undying Divine Clans’ Hall of Undying Divinity," said the black-robed youth with a gentle smile.

"It seems in your esteemed view, I qualify as a most distinguished guest, haha," Li Ruoyu responded with a laugh.

The black-robed youth nodded.

"A mighty being who has attained the Three Yuan Proof certainly qualifies as an honored guest to our clan."

Hearing the black-robed youth reveal his level of cultivation, Li Ruoyu showed no surprise.

Li Ruoyu’s gaze fell upon a specific painting.

"It’s her." For the first time, genuine shock flickered in Li Ruoyu’s eyes.

He had met Lin Qianmo. In his recollection, she was a woman utterly unremarkable save for her appearance, not worth a second glance.

How could her portrait reside within this temple?

Moreover, this clan clearly revered this woman, signifying an immensely elevated status.

"Esteemed Daoist friend, what connection does this woman bear to the Undying Divine Clans?" Li Ruoyu asked directly.

Pang Taiyue had also caught sight of Lin Qianmo’s portrait.

It shook him to his core.

The black-robed youth smiled without concealment: "She is our clan’s Mother Goddess. Just as Nuwa created humans, she brought forth the Undying Divine Clans."

Li Ruoyu finally revealed an expression of profound astonishment.

Nuwa’s creation had given rise to later generations of humans.

Creating living beings and imbuing them with intelligence – Li Ruoyu knew his own cultivation realm rendered such acts utterly impossible. Was this, then, the power of the transcendent realm?

"I never imagined that woman possessed such an extraordinary origin," Li Ruoyu frowned.

"Let us be seated," the black-robed youth suggested. "Esteemed Daoist friend, voice your doubts. I shall answer one question of yours, and you shall answer one question of mine."

Li Ruoyu inclined his head in assent.

The two men sat down.

Pang Taiyue remained standing at Li Ruoyu’s side.

"My clan does not partake of wine, so I offer tea in its stead, proposing a toast to you, Esteemed Daoist brother," the youth said, raising his teacup.

"The tea is too mild for my palate."

Li Ruoyu produced a flask of wine, filled his cup, and drained it in one gulp.

"You first, esteemed Daoist friend," invited the black-robed youth.

"Was the Everlasting City of Desolation born before the creation of the heavens?" Li Ruoyu inquired.

"Creation of the heavens?" The smile on the black-robed youth’s face deepened with profound meaning. "Indeed, the Everlasting City of Desolation predates the birth of this universe."

Boom!

Pang Taiyue’s mind went blank. This statement indicated the Everlasting City of Desolation’s origins were even more ancient than Pan Gu and the Chaotic Demon Gods.

Beyond this universe, there truly existed another universe.

Li Ruoyu had already suspected this. When he saw the Chaotic Sea within the Everlasting City of Desolation, he had a suspicion. This moment merely confirmed it, thanks to the black-robed youth.

"My turn." The black-robed youth smiled. "Daoist friend, are you the Ancient Heavenly Emperor?"

"You know who I am?" Li Ruoyu asked, astonished.

"Naturally, I do."

The black-robed youth smiled. "Daoist friend, your cultivation has reached the peak mastery of the Three Yuan Proof. Just one step away and you could achieve transcendence, attaining eternal freedom."

"In this universe, those possessing such power number no more than five. Yet, the only one who gives me a sense of pressure is likely the Ancient Heavenly Emperor alone."

The Heavenly Emperor was unparalleled under heaven, suppressing an entire generation, a fact the black-robed youth held in profound awe.

"You flatter me," Li Ruoyu replied modestly.

A faint trace of pride appeared on Pang Taiyue’s face.

"You can ask your next question, Daoist friend," the black-robed youth said.

"Dare I ask, where do you hail from?" Li Ruoyu gazed at the black-robed youth, his gaze profound. "Could it be… the Hongmeng Dao Realm?"

Whoosh!

Li Ruoyu’s words hit the black-robed youth like a thunderbolt, causing him to rise to his feet in shock. He stared at Li Ruoyu incredulously. "You… you actually know of the Hongmeng Dao Realm?"

"Impossible!"

"This universe, throughout the countless millions of years from antiquity to the present, has seen only Nuwa achieve transcendence. How could you possibly know of the Hongmeng Dao Realm’s existence?"

"Naturally, I have not attained such capability myself," Li Ruoyu stated. "My knowledge of the Hongmeng Dao Realm’s existence comes from the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

"The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion? Who is this person?" questioned the black-robed youth, puzzled.

"Does this count as Daoist friend’s second question?"

The black-robed youth nodded.

He was intensely curious. Beyond the transcendent Nuwa, how could someone else in this universe know of the Hongmeng Dao Realm? This revelation utterly shocked him.

Li Ruoyu spoke solemnly. "Heaven’s Secret Pavilion appeared over a year ago within the Yuan Realm, this universe’s ancestral home. To this day, it has become a force impossible to ignore across all realms."

"That master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, claiming omniscience… from my interactions with him, it seems indeed true."

"He is an expert who had reached the transcendent realm."

Li Ruoyu’s final words struck the black-robed youth like a hammer blow.

An expert who had reached the transcendent realm!

"How can this be?" The black-robed youth was utterly unconvinced.

This universe actually possessed an expert who had reached the transcendent realm!

"It’s not necessarily impossible," Li Ruoyu said lightly.

"However, I can ascertain that the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion is not from this universe."

From antiquity to the present, not a single cultivator matched the identity of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s master.

"Daoist friend, you have not answered my question," Li Ruoyu drank a mouthful of wine and said.

The black-robed youth smiled bitterly.

"Daoist friend guessed correctly, we indeed come from the Hongmeng Dao Realm."

Li Ruoyu was both shocked and delighted.

"Daoist friend, the Hongmeng Dao Realm… what kind of world is that? How did you end up drifting here?" Li Ruoyu threw out a series of questions.

The black-robed youth slowly shook his head.

"I do not know."

Li Ruoyu’s smile stiffened on his face.

"Aren’t you from the Hongmeng Dao Realm? How could you not know about the Hongmeng Dao Realm?" Li Ruoyu’s gaze sharpened slightly, not believing the black-robed youth’s words.

The black-robed youth also noticed the change in Li Ruoyu’s expression and said with a bitter laugh, "Daoist brother, though I was created by the Mother Goddess in the Hongmeng Dao Realm, I stayed in the Everlasting City of Desolation."

"It was not until tens of millions of years ago that I drifted to this universe."

"In my entire life, I stepped out of the Everlasting City of Desolation fewer than three times, and all were in this universe."

Li Ruoyu’s face showed deep disappointment.

He had originally wanted to learn the basic information about the Hongmeng Dao Realm from the Undying Divine Clans, but now it seemed everything was a delusion.

Yet, the mystery of the Hongmeng Dao Realm made Li Ruoyu yearn for it even more.

"I still have one question."

Li Ruoyu stared at the black-robed youth and said one word at a time, "Do the Undying Divine Clans possess a method of transcendence?"

His face was expressionless, making it impossible to guess his thoughts.

The black-robed youth looked solemn.

In the end, that final question was Li Ruoyu’s purpose for visiting the Undying Divine Clans.

What he pursued had never changed.

Transcendence was Li Ruoyu’s original intent.

Pang Taiyue felt a chill, and the atmosphere thickened slightly; he had no doubt that once Li Ruoyu confirmed the Undying Divine Clans had a method of transcendence and no agreement was reached, Li Ruoyu would surely take action.

"How precious is a method of transcendence?" the black-robed youth sighed and shook his head, "Though the Undying Divine Clans have a history spanning tens of millions of years, only the Mother Goddess ever attained transcendence."

The black-robed youth looked towards the woman’s portrait.

Li Ruoyu’s gaze shifted slightly.

"Daoist brother, you need not focus your mind on the Mother Goddess," the black-robed youth said, "Back then, when the Mother Goddess led us to flee the Hongmeng Dao Realm, her cultivation was lost and her memories vanished."

"She has long forgotten her past."

Li Ruoyu’s eyes were deep as an abyss, unclear if he believed the black-robed youth’s words.

"Daoist friend, if you can agree to one request of mine, I can tell you a secret related to transcendence, and you will not be disappointed."

The black-robed youth stared at Li Ruoyu.

"Daoist friend, please speak," Li Ruoyu said lightly.

"The Mother Goddess suffered a calamity and had no choice but to reincarnate. After many tens of millions of years, she has long forgotten her origins. This lifetime might be an opportunity."

The black-robed youth bowed to Li Ruoyu and said, "Daoist friend, your strength is at the peak of this universe; I wish to request you to protect the Mother Goddess on her path."

The name of the Heavenly Emperor was renowned far and wide.

If Li Ruoyu were to protect Lin Qianmo on her path, probably no one in all realms could harm Lin Qianmo.

This was also the black-robed youth’s purpose for meeting Li Ruoyu.

Li Ruoyu’s eyes flickered.

"Daoist friend, you are mistaken. In the current world, the supreme ruler holds sway, and I am no longer at my peak; whether I can protect her remains uncertain."

"However, Daoist friend, if you truly provide me a valuable secret, I will do my utmost to guard her."

"Agreed."

The black-robed youth flicked his large sleeve, and a purple square seal flew toward Li Ruoyu, enveloped in Hongmeng Purple Energy, containing an oppressive, heavy aura.

"This is the Hongmeng Jade Mirror, holding a trace of aura of the Dao of heaven. If Daoist friend sincerely trades with me, the two of us shall swear to the Dao of heaven."

"Once the oath is made, it cannot be broken."

"If violated, one will be punished by the Dao of heaven, merging with the Dao and returning to dust."