Chapter 391: Chapter 45: Put Down the Sword, Let’s Talk This Out

Xuandu drew his sword, raising it straight over his head with all his might.

Among the Immortal Gods beneath the Daluo, all that could be seen was a single blade of light that Covered the Sky and Sun. Then, the entire Celestial Palace began to shake violently, crumbling piece by piece!

"Insolent!"

It all happened too suddenly, but the Daluos reacted in an instant. The Queen Mother of the Jade Pool’s expression turned frigid.

"How dare you act so presumptuously before me?"

As she spoke, she turned her hand over. The lines on her palm began to glow, and every wisp of light condensed to form a galaxy.

Galaxy after galaxy then transformed into myriad Divine Chains, surging toward Lu Xuan and Xuandu to bind and suppress them!

Lu Xuan smiled calmly.

"His Majesty the Celestial Emperor has already bestowed this palace upon me. So, how have I offended the Queen Mother by tearing down my own Emperor’s Palace?"

As he spoke, the Divine Chains formed from the galaxies shattered under the light of Xuandu’s sword. At this sight, the few Daluos who had been serenely watching all rose to their feet in astonishment!

’This... How is this possible?’

’The Queen Mother of the Jade Pool is a Daluo, and even among Daluos, she ranks among the most powerful. And yet, that Ancient Daoist’s cultivation is only at the Celestial Realms-level...’

With a flash of sword light, the Qingyun supporting the Celestial Palace was split in two. The entire Celestial Palace collapsed, tumbling down toward the Human World!

Lu Xuan flicked his Emperor’s Robe and clasped his hands behind his back.

"The Celestial Palace is destroyed and the boundary is gone. Zheng’Er, you may return to the Human World. Uncle Zhong will stay and have a word with these Immortals and Buddhas."

"Yes, Uncle Zhong." Ying Zheng bowed. He didn’t seem worried in the slightest, merely casting a cold glance over the assembled Immortals and Buddhas before turning to leave.

Previously, the Queen Mother had used the Celestial Palace to create a boundary. Now that the palace had collapsed, the boundary was gone. Ying Zheng naturally encountered no resistance. Under the dark gazes of the Immortal Gods, he strode away with his head held high, toward the Human World.

As he departed, he didn’t forget to leave a parting shot:

"A Peach of Immortality banquet? Hah!"

.........

「The Human World.」

"Is that Dragon Tiger Mountain up ahead?"

Zhang Liang gazed at the majestic Divine Mountain before them, mesmerized. He murmured with a sigh,

"I never thought there would be such a celestial peak in these uninhabited woods."

As he spoke, he frowned slightly. He felt the mountain looked familiar, as if he had been here before, but he couldn’t quite recall.

Yan Huang also gazed into the distance and said with a light chuckle,

"It’s at least ten times taller than Dragon Tiger Mountain and far more divine, but it certainly has the same form. If I’m not mistaken, the Celestial Master should be on the summit."

With that, the group didn’t hesitate, heading toward the Divine Mountain. They soon reached its base and started up the winding path.

Fortunately, even Chen Shu, the one with the lowest cultivation, had reached the Celestial Human Realm after thirty years in the Ancient Times. Thus, climbing this divine peak was not particularly strenuous for any of them.

By mid-morning, they had reached the summit.

"This is..."

Zhang Liang froze, his eyes fixed on the sight before him. At the summit stood two towering peach trees. One was ancient, its canopy like a royal parasol that seemed to prop up the Celestial Vault itself.

The other looked younger, but it was still an Ancient Tree at least ten thousand years old. Divine splendor and Dao Rhyme flowed through its lush foliage, and magnificent landscapes of mountains and rivers could be seen in the very veins of its leaves.

Behind the two peach trees stood a Daoist Palace, dim and silent, with no signs of life.

Yan Huang and Li Yutong were also startled. They exchanged a look, and one of them said,

"In the [Current World], the summit of Dragon Tiger Mountain has always been shrouded in the mists of Chaos, its features obscured. I never expected to find a Great Dao Palace here."

After a pause, Yan Huang continued,

"Moreover, I think I’ve heard the Celestial Master mention these two peach trees. One of them was personally planted by the [Supreme Emperor Profound Yellow]. The two Divine Trees have protected Dragon Tiger Mountain for countless years... No, wait!"

He was suddenly startled, and Li Yutong beside him widened his eyes as well.

"This younger-looking peach tree is at least ten thousand years old! Doesn’t that mean if the First Emperor’s Uncle Zhong really is the [Supreme Emperor Profound Yellow], he came here ten thousand years ago and planted this very tree?"

Wang Zhiyao, Zhang Jifeng, and the others were also startled and began to discuss it amongst themselves. But they soon realized something was amiss. The senior, Zhang Liang, seemed to be in a trance, completely motionless.

"Sir?" Lu Chongtong, who was born with double pupils, asked curiously. "What’s the matter?"

Zhang Liang’s lips trembled, his face breaking into a look of immense joy. To the astonishment of the others, he exclaimed "Good!" three times, clapping his hands and laughing loudly.

His laughter shook the very Celestial Vault, and he laughed until tears streamed down his face.

"Good! Good! Good!"

It all clicked for Zhang Liang.

He remembered.

This was the mountain he had come to with his master and Xiaoxuan, searching for his second martial-uncle’s domain!

Back then, the one from the Jade Void Palace had bestowed this Divine Mountain upon him, permitting him to establish a Daoist Lineage on this mountain in the future—the Bright Great Dao Sect!

’So, the Daoist Lineage I ended up establishing was called Dragon Tiger Mountain?’

Zhang Liang walked forward, approaching the two Heaven-Reaching peach trees. He stared, lost in thought, the smile on his face growing even wider.

’No wonder there’s been no news of Xiaoxuan recently. The Supreme Emperor Profound Yellow planted this tree... This was obviously planted by Xiaoxuan! Profound Yellow... is Xiaoxuan!’

"So that’s how it is. So that’s how it is."

He laughed brightly again, leaving Yan Huang and the others completely baffled.

Amidst his laughter, the great doors of the Daoist Palace swung open. The aging Old Celestial Master emerged from within. His steps were steady, his aura magnificent. He, too, was taken aback to see the group.

Yan Huang and the others bowed to the Celestial Master, but Zhang Liang simply glanced over, his smile brilliant.

"You’re the Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain? Which generation are you?"

The Old Celestial Master didn’t have time for pleasantries with Yan Huang’s group. He glanced sideways at Zhang Liang, frowned, and bowed.

"And you are...?"

"Zhang Liang, courtesy name Zifang." Zhang Liang looked at the Old Celestial Master as if gazing upon his own grand-disciple, his expression full of kindness.