Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 592 The Ten Heroes of Ascension to Heaven: The Heavenly Emperor's Garden!

You look around and discover that the altar is built atop a towering, verdant ancient tree with lush foliage.

Fu Dongcheng rarely spoke, but he did ask, "Junior Brother Zhou, do you recognize this tree?"

You shook your head slightly. This tree had a peculiar shape, one you had never seen before. The Heavenly Emperor's Treasury held boundless mysteries, and the Daoist scriptures of later generations were likely incomplete; it was normal not to recognize it.

[A stone tablet stands in the center of the altar, similar to those seen in Tiger Spirit Valley, its inscription ancient and difficult to decipher.]

The stone tablet is of a particularly unique texture; it is neither iron nor gold, it feels warm to the touch, and it subtly gleams with a strange luster.

Although the group had been here before, their limited literacy meant even Fu Dongcheng could only make out a few characters.

As you stepped forward, the crowd gathered around, their eyes filled with curiosity, eager to know what the inscription on the stele contained.

[You concentrate intently, then slowly utter the two words at the bottom: "Ascend to Heaven..."]

Fu Dongcheng nodded in agreement: "The two most obvious words are indeed 'ascending to heaven'."

[You made a hand seal with your fingertips, and a stream of magical power was released, disappearing into the stone tablet.]

In an instant, the surface of the monument shimmered with light, and the words appeared as if reflected in water, casting a dazzling glow.

The writing above is gradually becoming visible.

Fu Dongcheng looked surprised: "Just now on the Blood Tiger's altar, Junior Brother did the same thing... This incantation can actually make the broken characters on the stone tablet reappear?"

After a moment's thought, you replied, "It's a minor spell I created myself; it's not particularly profound."

"Senior Brother Fu, would you like to learn?"

Fu Dongcheng hesitated, "This... after all, is my junior brother's unique skill, how can we..."

You smiled slightly: "That's no problem, Senior Brother Fu. When we return to the mountains, I'll ask you to do me a favor."

Fu Dongcheng agreed without hesitation.

For those obsessed with Taoist scriptures and ancient relics, this method is nothing short of a "secret art of immortals."

You dispersed the floating words before you, your hand seals reformed, and you slowly poured them into the stone tablet, deliberately slowing your movements so that Fu Dongcheng could clearly see every change.

Fu Dongcheng studied it intently, his face gradually showing disbelief: "This...is it really created by Junior Brother Zhou himself?"

"Truly ingenious... such clever thinking! It's clearly just a combination of a few ordinary techniques..."

He made the same hand seals, channeling a wisp of magical power into the stele. Just as you had done before, the inscription reappeared in a fleeting, shimmering light.

He looked up at the young man in blue before him again, momentarily stunned, opened his mouth, then fell silent.

Xie Mosheng and the others had already noticed the two's movements and interrupted them, "Junior brothers, put aside your mutual admiration for now. What exactly is engraved on this stone tablet?"

Fu Dongcheng composed himself and studied the inscription for a moment. "The inscription records a certain event."

"Following the words 'Ascending to Heaven,' there are two more words: 'Ten Outstanding Individuals.'"

Everyone looked on in disbelief upon hearing this. The four characters, when put together, clearly referred to as the "Ten Heroes of Ascension to Heaven"!

Yuan Shujian frowned: "The Ten Heroes of Ascending to Heaven? Why have I never heard of such a name?"

[Your fingers swiftly shift, sketching in mid-air, transforming the ancient inscriptions on the stele into modern and contemporary characters, manifesting them in the void.]

Everyone held their breath, scrutinizing the text on it.

"In the beginning of chaos, gods and spirits were born. A supreme celestial court was established atop Kunlun Mountain, with twelve golden pillars cast to guard the four directions, and nine layers of cloud palaces to govern the three realms. Chongli was appointed to manage the seasons, Zhurong to oversee fire, and Xuanming to govern the waters, thus becoming the masters of heaven and earth."

"All tribes were subdued, coming to pay homage every year, offering devout sacrifices."

"In the twenty-year mark of the Primordial Era of the Divine Realm, the heavens suddenly shattered, and crimson stars rained down upon the four corners of the land. Techniques scattered throughout the mortal realm, and cultivators were born from this."

"All races have been enlightened, giving rise to a rebellious spirit, unwilling to be slaves."

"The Footless Clan was the first to advocate war against Heaven. However, their clan suffered divine punishment for ten thousand years, crawling on their bellies and dragging the ground. They wished to lead all clans to build a path to Heaven: using the black ice of the North Sea as a foundation, refining the copper essence of the Southern Mountains into blades, gathering the souls of the Western Netherworld as banners, and burning the common people of the Eastern Land as firewood."

"The Heavenly Emperor was enraged and wanted to slaughter all races and unleash a great flood."

"In the twenty-eighth year of the ancient calendar, all races swore an oath of blood, melting the divine bronze of the nine mountains to forge a colossal stairway to heaven. The dragon race broke off its horns to make nails, the phoenix race plucked its feathers to make felt, the fox race wept blood to draw a diagram to break the formation, and the human race used its spine to support the bones of the heavenly ladder. All races were of one mind."

"For the battle to ascend to heaven."

"Among the heroes, the leader of all tribes was revered, and they were known as the Ten Heroes Who Ascended to Heaven."

The text ends abruptly here.

After reading it, everyone frowned deeply, their hearts shaken—the Battle of Ascension? The Ten Heroes of Ascension?

They had never heard of such secrets. They had only vaguely heard of the term "Heavenly Court," but that was merely a legendary abode of the Heavenly Emperor, recorded in ancient texts—a place of ethereal mystery.

The gist of the entire text is: In the beginning of chaos, gods were born, establishing a celestial court atop Kunlun Mountain, ruling over all races in the Three Realms. The gods, high above, looked down upon the mortal world.

[Only when the heavens shattered and stars fell, and magical arts rained down upon the mortal realm, did cultivators emerge.]

[After this, all races awakened, refusing to be enslaved. The Footless One initiated a rebellion against Heaven, and though punished by the gods, he led his people in resistance. Ultimately, this angered Heaven, and a great flood destroyed the world.]

In dire straits, all races swear a blood oath alliance, forging a colossal staircase to ascend to the heavens, and embark on a united war against the gods.

Among them, the ten most outstanding leaders, the most heroic, were known as the Ten Ascending Heroes, revered by all races.

[Your mind is equally shrouded in mystery. Even if you searched through countless ancient texts on Fangcun Mountain, you would never find a single word related to this, nor would you find any ancient relics remaining.]

This part of history seems to have been completely erased by an invisible hand.

Such an earth-shattering event, neither recorded in the Daoist canon nor in historical annals, has ironically appeared on this stone tablet in the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury.

If the Heavenly Emperor is truly the ruler of the Heavenly Court and governs all races, why would he leave such a record here, and even erect a memorial specifically for the "Ten Heroes Who Ascended to Heaven"?

Isn't this a contradiction?

Moreover, you once met that Daoist Qingyu in the Chen Kingdom, the Longevity Emperor, whom everyone says is the Lord of the Nine Netherworlds, the ancient Earth Emperor.

But how does this correspond to the records before us?

Could it be that there was already a Heavenly Emperor in ancient times, and even more distantly, in the primordial chaos, there existed another Heavenly Emperor?

Ancient times, medieval times, primordial times, the primordial era, chaos... these eras, covered by layers of time, are like tangled ropes, intricate and difficult to unravel.

Everyone fell silent, pondering for a long time, yet still unable to unravel the truth of this chaotic time and space.

Sun Miao broke the silence first, speaking loudly: "Fellow disciples, although the mysteries here are fascinating, our priority should be exploration. We have gone through many hardships to reach the Heavenly Emperor's Garden, and the various sects must have already made considerable gains. It is not advisable to delay any longer."

"The sect leader instructed before his departure that the spoils from the Heavenly Emperor's treasury would be divided 40/60 among the sect members. Every moment of delay means we will miss a portion of this opportunity."

"These ancient mysteries are beyond our ability to solve in a short time. To remain perplexed is to waste our time." The crowd nodded in agreement and prepared to descend from the altar.

"Wait a moment, allow me to first observe with my Purple Extreme Wisdom Eye." Before Sun Miao finished speaking, his eyes narrowed slightly, and instantly two dazzling divine lights shot out, sweeping across the surrounding void. A moment later, the divine lights receded, returning to his eyes.

[His eyes suddenly lit up with delight: "Truly worthy of being called the Heavenly Emperor's Imperial Garden! It's surrounded by ancient medicinal gardens, brimming with spiritual energy and fragrant with the aroma of herbs."]

Ji Heng hesitated for a moment, then asked, "There are medicinal gardens in all directions, which way should we go?"

"Among the maps left by the Nine Yang Immortal, there are very few records about the Heavenly Emperor's Garden. Only one alchemy room is marked, but it is as intricate and complex as a maze. He specifically warned people to be careful when venturing in, lest they get trapped and unable to escape."

After a moment's thought, Yuan Shujian said, "Since ancient times, the east has been revered. The east belongs to the Zhen trigram, which governs the energy of growth and development; it is an auspicious location."

"However... the orientation within the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury is constantly shifting and changing, so how can we determine which direction is east?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's gazes invariably turned to Fu Dongcheng and you.

[You two proved yourselves just now with the Tiger Spirit Valley and its location.]

Fu Dongcheng held up a compass, indicating his destiny. He and Zhou Jing had already spent considerable time calculating and resetting the location and time.

In the blink of an eye, the direction was determined.

A dazzling beam of light suddenly shot out from the compass, pointing into the distance like a guiding light.

"Follow this light, and you will always be heading east."

Without further hesitation, everyone took to the air and instantly flew away from the altar.

Although restricted by the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury and unable to soar through the sky, it was still as swift as the wind sweeping across the ground.

Below, mountains, rivers, lakes, and streams intertwine, exuding a spiritual energy no less than that of the blessed land of Fangcun Mountain. Yet, amidst the majestic peaks, vast lakes, and winding rivers, not a single trace of life can be found.

As Master Jiuyang and others said, the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury was utterly silent, devoid of any living creature.

Mist swirled and lingered around the peaks, like a veil veiling this desolate world.

This scene evoked a strange feeling in everyone's hearts—

It seems that in ancient times, dragons once swam in these rivers, cultivators practiced breathing exercises in the mountains and forests, and all kinds of creatures lived and mingled here, flourishing for a time.

Now only drifting white clouds remain, leaving only desolation.

After a short flight, an ancient, desolate medicinal garden gradually came into view.

The scene before us could no longer be called a medicinal garden; it was a colossal mountain towering into the clouds, surrounded by rows of massive stone pillars that formed a fence reaching to the heavens, enclosing the entire mountain.

This mountain is majestic and vast; though its towering height reaches into the clouds, its boundless expanse cannot be fully appreciated.

Sun Miao strained his eyes several times, his gaze shifting with divine light, yet he still could not discern the end of the mountain.

[It's unimaginable what kind of divine mountain "Ascending Heaven Mountain," the first mountain of the Heavenly Emperor's treasure trove, that Master Jiuyang spoke of!]

Moreover, the phrase "ascending to heaven" appears in the text, making it easy to connect it with the "Ten Heroes of Ascending to Heaven."

[The group pressed the magic weapon, which landed at the entrance.]

It wasn't that I was unwilling to fly in directly, but as soon as I got close, I felt an invisible, immense force blocking my way, making it impossible to advance even an inch further.

Clearly, these stone pillars were not merely for show; they seemed intentionally placed to prevent living beings from entering.

You frowned slightly. Earlier, when you gazed out from the altar, just as Sun Miao had said, the medicinal gardens were indeed enveloped in spiritual light everywhere.

The East is revered; this place should be the most prestigious.

However, the towering stone pillars before them, arranged like a cage, exuded a solemn aura, appearing quite different from the other three medicinal gardens, which were filled with auspicious light and misty atmosphere; it resembled a prison.

However, if there is anything unusual, it is not immediately clear.

Ji Heng looked at the portal left between the stone pillars and said somewhat anxiously, "This should be the entrance."

"Let's go in now, without further ado."

The group cautiously entered, but nothing unusual occurred.

It felt as if a beaded curtain had been gently parted, and stepping inside, the scene before my eyes had completely changed.

Surrounded by mountains, the area is shrouded in mist and clouds, its spiritual energy seemingly solidified and flowing like a rainbow.

Every breath was filled with a rich, intoxicating medicinal fragrance.

[Thousands of spiritual plants spread out like rice paddies, their leaves displaying nine colors, their branches drooping with jade-like light.]

A stone dragon sculpture on the ridge spouts a rainbow-like spring, irrigating the sacred fields.

[A jade pendant, resembling the sun, hangs in the air, its warmth like the sun's rays.]

The medicinal herbs grew as lushly as terraced fields in the mortal world, stretching as far as the eye could see, one crop after another, with no end in sight.

Everyone stood frozen in shock, speechless with awe at the unimaginably magnificent medicinal garden.

[Danhe Peak's Xie Mosheng carefully examined the spiritual herbs, growing increasingly astonished: "The Five Elements Dao Yuan Fruit... there are so many! This fruit is divided into five colors, subtly conforming to the Heavenly Dao. Consuming it can replenish one's spiritual root and perfect the Five Elements, making it a divine object for laying the foundation for one's Dao. In the outside world, even experts at the Heavenly Gate Realm find it difficult to obtain even one. Only occasionally does it circulate from the Eastern Divine Continent overseas to the Central Plains of Yuzhou, making it truly a rare find—"]

"And here... the entire mountainside is planted with them!"

"And there's this Dragon Beard Green Spirit Ginseng, its roots like dragons, its body translucent green, containing a wisp of innate energy. It not only helps people break through to higher realms, but can also extend their lifespan by ten years... Yet it's everywhere here!"

"The Three Lights Divine Water Mushroom, with its umbrella shimmering with three-colored light, gathers the divine water of the sun, moon, and stars. It can revive the dead and heal the wounded, making it a sacred remedy for healing injuries. If refined into an elixir, its uses are even more wondrous!"

"All the plants here are top-grade spiritual herbs... and some of them I cannot even identify!"

Qi Yunfeng, Ji Heng, and the other two couldn't wait to open their storage bags and begin picking spiritual fruits and herbs.

Fortunately, the sect leader had prepared three high-grade storage bags before his departure, which came in handy now.

According to the sect's old tradition, the resources obtained are divided 40/60, with the sect taking 40% and the disciples receiving 60%.

If all the spiritual creatures in this herb garden can be collected, then the path of cultivation will no longer be hampered by resource constraints.

At first, everyone was very careful, afraid of damaging the top-grade spiritual herb, but later they became almost numb from harvesting it and began to use their magic power to speed up the process.

[You alone did not rush to act, but instead gazed at the vast spiritual garden before you.]

[Thinking that if all the spiritual herbs here were truly taken out, the entire landscape of the cultivation world would likely be altered.]

[It should be noted that besides this herb garden, there are many other secret realms yet to be explored, such as the alchemy room, the magic treasure pavilion, and ancient cultivation techniques...]

(End of this chapter)