The Fate of Eternal Life

Chapter 75 The Ancient Dao Platform is About to Open!

The Immortal Emperor, revered by all races.

Legend has it that it almost surpasses the gods. If it weren't for the recent appearance of the Undying Heavenly Blade, even the ancient races wouldn't be sure if it ever existed. It is terrifyingly mysterious.

Now that his offspring have been born, and have incurred a great enmity with Yaochi, many people are deeply worried about him.

"What did the senior say?" Ning Qingyi asked.

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi shook her head with a worried expression and said, "The Ancestor did not say anything. After listening, he only asked about my cultivation."

Ning Qingyi's heart stirred; she realized that the Quasi-Emperor of Yaochi truly intended for the current Holy Maiden and the son of the Undying Emperor to settle this grudge. Perhaps this Quasi-Emperor was also wary of the power behind the Undying Emperor…

The Undying Heavenly Blade, the Undying Heavenly Empress, several of the Eight Divine Generals, not to mention the unconventional Daoist Ning Fei.

If this force had appeared from the beginning, it would have been able to rule the world.

If the Great Emperor Wushi hadn't escaped from the strange world, the Yaochi Holy Land would truly have only one possibility: destruction.

"Have you heard about the current situation of the Heavenly Emperor's son, Holy Maiden?" Ning Qingyi pressed.

In my memory, the birth and growth of the Heavenly Emperor's son occurred after Ye Fan left Beidou. It was a full twelve years. When Ye Fan returned to Beidou, the Heavenly Emperor's son had also reached the second level of the Immortal Realm.

It is evident that this son of the Immortal Emperor was truly exceptional in terms of aptitude, but unfortunately, his resolve was not as firm as Ye's, ultimately leading to his utter defeat.

"It is said that when this Heavenly Prince was born, strange phenomena appeared in the sky and did not dissipate for seven days." The Holy Maiden of Yaochi spoke of this matter with a solemn expression: "Throughout history, when geniuses are born, there have often been strange phenomena. It can be seen how extraordinary this divine offspring is."

Ning Qingyi shook her head: "Holy Maiden, you're overthinking it. On the path to becoming an emperor, a heart that will never waver even in the face of death is the rarest of all, unless one's talent and cultivation techniques are truly extraordinary. The Heavenly Emperor's son isn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth enough..."

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi was taken aback, then her eyes flickered, making the Divine Pearl pale in comparison and the splendid Pure Land dim. She smiled and said, "Brother Dao, you really know how to comfort people. Aren't the offspring of gods the greatest silver spoon in the world?"

Ning Qing smiled and said, "In the mythical era, a chaotic being was born. He was able to kill a Great Emperor even at the Quasi-Emperor level. According to records, his parents were just ordinary people. This is the greatest silver spoon in the world."

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi's smile stiffened slightly: "Does the Chaos Body truly exist in this world?"

Ning Qingyi said earnestly, "Yes, if the Heavenly Emperor's son were the legendary Chaos Body, the Holy Maiden would undoubtedly lose. But as it stands now, he is merely a prince of the Emperor level, not worth the Holy Maiden's wavering in her resolve."

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi remained silent and sighed, "You saw through me, fellow Daoist?"

“I possess a supernatural ability that allows me to sense the emotions of others, so naturally I wouldn’t miss it.” Ning Qingyi didn’t mince words and spoke frankly: “Holy Maiden, you’re overthinking things. You only need to focus on defeating all your enemies.”

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi removed her disguise, revealing a gloomy expression on her peerless face. She said, "Brother Ning is truly carefree. Qingluo's cultivation is not yet advanced enough to achieve this."

“Once upon a time, I was just like the current Holy Maiden. Because I was a mortal with inferior aptitude, I was always thinking about this and that. For the sake of long-term planning, I worried about defeat before victory and loss before gain, which made me hesitant and timid.” Ning Qingyi shook her head and said bluntly, “But since I defeated one powerful enemy after another, I have never thought about such things again.”

Ning Qingyi's face showed neither arrogance nor haughtiness; his words were calm: "Holy Maiden, let's fight first."

Yaochi Saintess paused for a moment, then laughed: "I'm sorry to have troubled you, Daoist brother. Yes, if the offspring of gods were truly all invincible, there wouldn't have been only Emperor Wushi who attained enlightenment throughout history."

Seeing that the Holy Maiden of Yaochi had regained her spirits, Ning Qing asked again, "Is there anything unusual about the emergence of the Divine Silkworm Ridge?"

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi shook her head: "It is said that before the Divine Silkworm Ridge was created, an unparalleled goddess entered it, but unfortunately, we couldn't see it clearly."

It seems to be Princess Shencan without a doubt. This princess took her leave during the Youth War, presumably to find the resting place of Shencan Ridge. Now it seems that she has indeed been found.

Ning Qing put all these matters aside and asked about the most important thing.

"Has the Dark Lord of Central Continent truly become a saint?"

"Yes, they fought against the Taixu God King for a day and a night, but were ultimately defeated and had to retreat." Yaochi Saintess exclaimed, "The Twin Kings of Central Continent have always been legendary for their invincibility. Four thousand years ago, the Jiang God King killed the Sun King. I never expected that four thousand years later, the only survivor, the Dark Night King, would become a saint."

Ning Qingyi's expression was solemn.

The Dark Night King's ascension to sainthood was something he never expected. In fact, recently, many holy lands, aristocratic families, living fossils, and supreme saints have all broken through to the next level. Although a number of them died, those who survived have already entered the Dao-Slaying Realm, which can be said to have greatly enriched the human race's combat power.

Moreover, with the example of the Dark Night King, no one dares to say whether there are any older, accomplished kings who have secretly broken through to become saints.

These changes made Ning Qingyi uneasy, feeling that she had meddled too much.

"Didn't the Jiang family say anything?"

"After defeating the Dark Night King, the God King went to the Myriad Beginnings Holy Land and found the former Fairy Caixia, and then disappeared." As the Holy Maiden of Yaochi said this, a trace of admiration and a hint of sadness flashed in her eyes: "It is said that Fairy Caixia's lifespan is not long, and God King Jiang may have gone into seclusion with her."

"Any news about Ye Fan?" Ning Qingyi asked again.

"After Brother Ye and the Peacock King left, there was no news of them. Perhaps they are cultivating in seclusion somewhere." The Holy Maiden of Yaochi shook her head. The majority of Yaochi's current power is used to monitor the emerging Undying Emperor lineage, so naturally they have not made a special effort to collect information about Ye Fan.

"Is that so? Thank you for telling me, Holy Maiden," Ning Qingyi said.

"What are your plans for the future, fellow Daoist?" Yaochi Saintess couldn't help but ask.

"Senior is helping me repair a weapon, and I'm afraid I'll stay in Yaochi for a few more months. As for later, I might return to the Holy City, as the secret of the Ancient Dao Platform hasn't been solved yet," Ning Qingyi said, revealing her plans.

“The Ancient Dao Platform…” Yaochi Saintess’s eyes flashed with thought: “Brother Dao, you may not know this, but the Queen Mother once contacted various holy lands that possessed stone tokens. In the end, because the stone tokens were incomplete, this matter could not be carried out.”

"The stone tablet is incomplete?" Ning Qing was taken aback.

"The Divine City has a long history, and the holy sites that possess the Stone Tokens have changed hands several times. Fortunately, the whereabouts of most of the Stone Tokens are clear, but there is one that we can't find no matter what we do," sighed the Holy Maiden of Yaochi.

Ning Qingyi had a bad feeling, and with a strange expression, she said, "The holy land that possesses this stone token is..."

"The former Tianxuan Holy Land, you may not know, but this holy land was once extremely glorious. Unfortunately, the entire sect attacked the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, and in the end, its lineage was destroyed." Yaochi Holy Goddess sighed. The fact that a powerful holy land with a long history could be so easily wiped out made people feel sad. "Originally, that holy land had a stone archway in the Holy City. It is said that an old man guarded it, but he disappeared not long ago."

Ning Qingyi remained silent. Without a doubt, the old man was Wei Yi. With his help, this Great Sage of the Human Race led his senior sister, the Chosen Saintess, onto the Path to Immortality. Their fate was still unknown.

As for Shi Ling... one can only say that every sip and every bite is ordained by fate.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, fellow Daoist." The Holy Maiden of Yaochi said apologetically. Ning Qingyi shook his head: "Holy Maiden, you flatter me. Moreover, even without the Stone Token, as long as my array pattern skills are sufficient, I have a way to decipher the secret of the Ancient Dao Platform."

“It was my oversight. As a descendant of the Celestial Venerable Lingbao, you must be well-versed in Daoist runes.” The Holy Maiden of Yaochi smiled apologetically. “You have just emerged from seclusion and must need to rest well. I will not disturb you any longer.”

Ning Qing nodded and watched the Holy Maiden of Yaochi depart.

Over the next few months, Ning Qing asked the Queen Mother of the West for permission to enter the Jade Pool Sutra Repository, where he wandered among the vast collection of books, cramming on many secrets.

Only after the Quasi-Emperor of Yaochi emerged from seclusion and handed him the Primordial Azure Gold Pagoda, which shimmered with blue and green light, did he take his leave.

……

City of God.

This central region of the northern lands, undoubtedly a dazzling pearl, is now shining even brighter.

Since Ning Qingyi and Ye Fan successively extracted numerous rare treasures, the major forces have been increasing their efforts to unlock the source of these treasures, and many ordinary cultivators have gone bankrupt in their efforts to do so.

Of course, the vast majority of them did not fare well. Many holy lands suffered heavy losses, and many ordinary cultivators went bankrupt, but many divine treasures were still born.

Human Essence Fruit, Medicine King, Dragon Loach... Although they are not treasures of the level of the Nine Great Immortal Gold or the Immortal Elixir, they are still considered rare treasures, so much so that several auctions have been held for them.

Ning Qingyi did not come here for gambling on stones. The only rare item he could clearly remember cutting out was the supreme military spirit from the Wang family stone workshop.

Unfortunately, he couldn't recall which stone it was. He had considered using the Lesser Destiny Technique to calculate it, but perhaps because the weapon spirit was too valuable and its implications too significant, he couldn't calculate it even with all his divine power depleted; he would have to risk his life to do so.

Although the weapon spirit is extremely valuable, it is merely icing on the cake for someone who already possesses a quasi-emperor weapon; it's not worth risking one's life for.

His goal, of course, was only one: the Ancient Dao Platform.

Located in the central Heavenly Palace of the Divine City, the Desolate Ancient Dao Platform is covered with Dao patterns. Having witnessed countless years alongside the Divine City, it exudes an ancient charm.

Before leaving Yaochi, Ning Qingyi specially requested a decree from the Quasi-Emperor of Yaochi, allowing him to peacefully comprehend the Ancient Dao Platform in the Divine City.

However, even without the decree of a quasi-emperor, based solely on Ning Qingyi's current identity, his status as a quasi-emperor's successor (who was merely using his connections to deceive others), and the unusual phenomena he witnessed while comprehending the Ancient Dao Platform, many powerful forces readily agreed when he requested to comprehend it again.

Ning Qing sat cross-legged on the desolate ancient platform.

Four chaotic divine pillars suppressed the area around the Dao Platform, forming a great array that emitted wisps of chaotic energy that even the divine sense of a cultivator at the Immortal Platform realm could not penetrate.

Within the grand formation, the Big Dipper geomantic map appeared above Ning Qingyi's head.

This is the general outline of the Big Dipper Array set up by the Boundless Heavenly Venerable in the past. It records the nodes of the array. The secret place pointed to by the Ancient Dao Platform is a location on the Big Dipper geomantic map. He guessed that the Boundless Heavenly Venerable's treasures were hidden here.

However, the previous attempt was hampered by the lack of nine stone tokens, resulting in an incomplete formation that could not fully activate the Ancient Dao Platform, ultimately leading to failure.

Ning Qing activated the "Group" secret technique and used the Minor Destiny Technique to carefully comprehend the infinite array patterns on the Ancient Dao Platform.

The more Ning Qingyi pondered, the more he felt the extraordinary nature of this Dao Platform, as if it held countless secrets.

Suddenly, a thought struck him. The boundless inspiration he gained from the Lesser Destiny Technique made him realize something.

"This is definitely an Emperor's array pattern! Was it personally set up by the Boundless Heavenly Venerable?!"

Ning Qingyi got excited and finally figured out one of the secrets of the Daotai, but soon he was troubled again.

"Even with the help of the Minor Destiny Technique, with my current cultivation level, it's difficult to calculate how long it would take to decipher the Great Emperor's array patterns, unless I burn my lifespan regardless of the cost."

Ning Qing sighed, "If I could obtain the inheritance of the Boundless Heavenly Venerable, perhaps..."

As he muttered to himself, he suddenly realized something.

Although he did not obtain all of the inheritance of the Boundless Heavenly Venerable, he did obtain the supreme achievement of this Heavenly Venerable's life, the "Lin" character secret. With the help of the "Lin" character secret, he might be able to make a breakthrough.

He became excited and once again immersed himself in contemplation.

"boom!"

The moment he used the secret character "临" (Lin), he felt something was different.

The "Lin" Secret is the ultimate result of the Boundless Heavenly Venerable's research on the Chaos Body. It allows cultivators to maintain a state of being in harmony with the myriad paths of heaven and earth! As long as one continues to cultivate the "Lin" Secret, one's understanding of the myriad paths of heaven and earth will become deeper and deeper. On the path of cultivation, one can be said to be far ahead of the crowd, turning the rotten into the miraculous, which is truly incredible.

Now, the Ancient Dao Platform is also resonating with him, and the endless Dao patterns seem to have found their backbone, starting to operate with his "Group" character secret as the center.

The grand formation has been activated!

The ancient Dao Platform emitted a brilliant divine light, forming a black hole above the Holy City once again, while the empty spaces of the nine stone tokens each emitted their own light.

"Did he succeed?" Upon receiving the news, the faces of the many holy lands and noble families who were watching on the sidelines were filled with excitement.

"The Little Celestial Venerable's skills are so profound that he will definitely be able to comprehend this treasure!" Some people were full of confidence in Ning Qingyi.

Ning Qingyi did not disappoint. In the state of the "Lin" character secret, the infinite Dao patterns seemed to be open for him to comprehend. Relying on the "Zu" character secret and the minor destiny technique, he even gradually calculated the three missing array patterns and eliminated the gaps in the three stone tokens.

This made him very excited.

Unfortunately, this state consumed a great deal of his divine power. By the time he comprehended the fourth one, his divine power was completely depleted, forcing him to stop.

As he dispersed the great formation, many people gathered around him. Just as they were about to speak, a tremendous aura emanated from Ning Qingyi.

“I have gradually deciphered the mysteries of the Ancient Dao Platform. In at most a month, I will be able to see what is hidden behind it.” Ning Qingyi said calmly, “If the various holy lands are interested in going together, that is fine with me. However, I cannot guarantee the time or safety. If that is the case, I will not turn them away.”

Ning Qingyi finished speaking, and a five-colored divine light rose from his body. He left in an instant.

(End of this chapter)