"Back then, your master was a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator with some reputation in Yunzhong. At that time, there was a legend in the Guixu Sea that every hundred years or so, an Immortal Mountain would appear. Those destined to see it could step onto the path to immortality. All of my divine abilities come from ancient ruins, so I had some insight into such legends."
Fuyaozi spoke slowly. "Legends that have been passed down for a long time often become distorted in the telling, but they are rarely without some basis in fact. So, I went to the legendary location in the Guixu Sea to search for traces of this legend."
"Is the legend Master speaks of this spatial crack?"
"Correct." Fuyaozi said. "I searched the Guixu Sea for several years and finally found some clues. Coincidentally, at that very time, the legendary Immortal Mountain was actually discovered in the sea..."
The cultivation world of a hundred thousand years ago was no different from today's. Since an Immortal Fate had appeared, cultivators naturally flocked to it. In truth, the so-called Immortal Mountain in the rumors was merely a mirage; the true Immortal Fate was not at the mountain's location. It was by understanding this that Fuyaozi managed to trace and find this spatial crack.
And the clues Fuyaozi left behind allowed four others to also find this place. They were the other four cultivators later known in Yunzhong as the Five Sages.
These five cultivators—two Daoists, one Buddhist, one Confucian scholar, and one demonic cultivator—belonged to different factions and were all outstanding figures among the cultivators of their time. After entering this spatial crack, they were initially hostile and wary of each other, each going their own way. Eventually, they discovered that this space far exceeded their individual capabilities and were forced to join forces to explore it.
Their experiences in this space could be described as narrowly escaping death. Fortunately, they were all exceptionally intelligent individuals. After setting aside their past grievances, they obtained astonishing opportunities from within and shared the Space-Tearing Technique they found.
Upon leaving this spatial crack, due to mutual distrust, they destroyed the entry and exit passage, divided the Space-Tearing Technique into five parts, and went their separate ways. Later, each cultivated astonishing divine abilities, becoming top-tier cultivators in Yunzhong and collectively known as the Five Sages.
It could be said that without this space and the opportunities here, there would be no Five Sages of Yunzhong.
"All five of us who cultivated to this level were individuals of exceptional talent and wisdom. Yet, upon entering this space, we found ourselves constrained at every turn, ultimately forced to join hands. The biggest reason for this was the Origin Demonic Qi."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange asked, "Master, the Origin Demonic Qi I've seen before is powerful, but not to such an extent. What is the mystery behind the Origin Demonic Qi within this space?"
Fuyaozi chuckled lightly and said, "That is a question your master cannot answer either. Due to the limitations of our cultivation, back then we merely obtained opportunities from it and managed to retreat unscathed. We were unable to explore all its mysteries."
"Then how did you encounter the Origin Demonic Qi back then?"
Fuyaozi remained silent for a long while before answering, "Beneath this Immortal Palace, there is an Underground Palace."
"An Underground Palace?"
"Correct." Fuyaozi said. "This Origin Demonic Qi originates from a Stone Stele within that Underground Palace."
"A Stone Stele!!!" Mo Tiange's expression changed.
"What's wrong?" Qin Xi turned to look at her.
Mo Tiange gave him a meaningful glance and continued communicating with Fuyaozi via divine sense. "Master, within this Underground Palace... is one of the Five Spirits enshrined there?"
Fuyaozi paused, somewhat surprised. "Correct. How did you know?"
Another Five Spirits Sacrificial Temple! Mo Tiange couldn't help but recall her own speculations.
During her Foundation Establishment period, she encountered one in the extreme northern glaciers of Tianji. A disciple of the Zhengfa Sect, Ren Yu-Feng, consequently embarked on the demonic path. After coming to Yunzhong, Feifei mentioned there was also one in Wuyou Valley. Later, it was discovered that Mei Feng, the City Lord of Xingluo City near Wuyou Valley, practiced the Origin Demon Great Art. Now, within this spatial crack in the Guixu Sea, Origin Demonic Qi had been discovered, and Fuyaozi confirmed that the Guixu Sea also had a Five Spirits Sacrificial Temple containing a Stone Stele emanating Origin Demonic Qi.
She had previously made an inference about this matter: a temple enshrining one of the Five Spirits, an eerie Stone Stele, from which one could comprehend the Origin Demon Great Art. This involved three individuals: Ren Yu-Feng, Song Feng Shangren, and City Lord Mei.
Ren Yu-Feng failed to cultivate the true Origin Demon Great Art, possibly due to his low cultivation level and poor comprehension. However, there was no doubt that Song Feng Shangren and City Lord Mei had practiced the Origin Demon Great Art.
And now, Fuyaozi said there was also one within this spatial crack. Counting them, that made four.
The Five Spirits: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and Qilin. So, that so-called Divine Dragon Sacrificial Temple back then was actually the Azure Dragon Sacrificial Temple.
What was the mystery behind these Five Spirits Sacrificial Temples left behind from ancient times?
"Master, which of the Five Spirits is enshrined in this temple?"
"The Vermilion Bird." Fuyaozi sounded puzzled. "Have you seen it before?"
Mo Tiange took a deep breath and said, "Yes. When I was at the Foundation Establishment stage, I saw a similar temple in the extreme northern glaciers of Tianji. The one there enshrined the Azure Dragon." She had already told Fuyaozi about her experiences, though not in exhaustive detail. With this mention, Fuyaozi understood.
"So that's how it is. It seems this matter is somewhat unusual..."
After a while, hearing no further words from Fuyaozi, Mo Tiange couldn't help but speak up. "Master? You haven't explained clearly yet. What exactly is the deal with the Origin Demonic Qi in this space? Also, what about that Stone Stele from back then? Did you all..."
"Back then, Demon Venerable Tianyao wanted to take that Stone Stele, but the rest of us didn't let him." Fuyaozi said nonchalantly.
Mo Tiange made an understanding sound. In that situation, although they had joined forces, they were still wary of each other. Given the immense power of this Origin Demonic Qi, the other four would absolutely not allow Demon Venerable Tianyao to take the stele and cultivate the Origin Demon Great Art.
So, didn't that mean the stele was still in the sacrificial temple... "We roughly studied the contents on the stele. We learned that this aura is called Origin Demonic Qi from the stele itself." Fuyaozi changed the subject. "Don't you find it strange? What's clearly built on this mountain is an Immortal Palace, so why is there a sacrificial temple in the Underground Palace? Since this temple enshrines one of the Five Spirits, why is there a Stone Stele emanating demonic qi?"
"This disciple also cannot understand." Before Mo Tiange could finish, Fuyaozi continued, not expecting her to answer. "Your master has a premonition that if we can unravel this mystery, we will learn the secrets of the ancient cultivation world."
"..." Mo Tiange knew this master of hers was passionate about exploring the true meaning of the Immortal Dao, but she felt the possibility was too slim. It was common knowledge in Yunzhong that Fuyaozi had achieved God Transformation and become a sage. Since his true body had become a God Transformation cultivator, why hadn't he returned here to continue exploring? Either it was unnecessary, or he couldn't do it.
If a God Transformation cultivator deemed it unnecessary or impossible, what could she do?
"Alright, enough of that. Let's just talk about the Origin Demonic Qi. Within this space, spiritual qi is abundant. It should have been an excellent spiritual vein. For some unknown reason, the Origin Demonic Qi from the Underground Palace leaked out. This Origin Demonic Qi is very peculiar; the stronger the spiritual qi, the stronger it becomes. Therefore, if you detect Origin Demonic Qi around you, absolutely do not use high-powered magical treasures. Otherwise, you will suffer a backlash."
"Understood, Master."
Her communication with Fuyaozi temporarily concluded. Mo Tiange relayed the information she had just heard to Qin Xi.
After listening, Qin Xi remained silent for a long moment.
Seeing him deep in thought, Mo Tiange asked, "What is it? Have you thought of something?" Qin Xi was meticulous; perhaps he had considered something she hadn't.
Qin Xi said, "I haven't seen the others with my own eyes, but I have seen the dragon bone you obtained from the extreme north."
"Yes, is there a problem?"
"It's precisely because there's no problem that it's strange." Qin Xi said. "That dragon bone had a powerful and sacred aura; it shouldn't be fake. That means that temple enshrined a true member of the Five Spirits. If so, why would there be a Stone Stele emanating demonic qi?"
"..." This was also something Mo Tiange couldn't understand, so she didn't answer now, merely looking at Qin Xi, waiting for him to continue.
"I can only think of one possibility," Qin Xi paused, then slowly uttered two words. "Suppression."
Mo Tiange was startled, then suddenly understood. "So that's it!" Using the power of the Five Spirits to suppress the Origin Demonic Qi.
Qin Xi looked at her and smiled. "This is just a possibility, not necessarily the truth. Moreover, this creates another point that doesn't quite make sense. Several people have obtained these steles. Although they comprehended demonic arts from them, the power wasn't overwhelmingly strong. If that's the case, why suppress it instead of simply destroying it?"
Mo Tiange thought for a moment and said, "That can be explained. The Origin Demonic Qi in this space gave the Five Sages such a headache back then, indicating it was extremely powerful. Therefore, the Origin Demonic Qi on this stele was originally powerful. The steles others obtained might have lost their former potency due to certain reasons, perhaps simply the passage of time."
Qin Xi thought briefly and nodded. "What you say is not impossible. However, these sacrificial temples are relics from ancient times, not even recorded in records. What exactly is going on is merely our speculation."
"Mmm." Mo Tiange temporarily gave up on further investigation. After a moment's thought, she said, "However, we still need to go down to that Underground Palace. If we have the chance, we should also take that Stone Stele—oh right, you obtained Mei Feng's Qiankun Bag. Is there a similar stele inside?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Xi took out Mei Feng's Qiankun Bag from his robe, reached in, and felt around. Sure enough, he pulled out a heavy Stone Stele.
Mo Tiange looked at it. It was similar to the one Ren Yu-Feng obtained, but the carvings were different. It wasn't an Azure Dragon, but a Black Tortoise.
"So it's the Black Tortoise Sacrificial Temple." Finding this stele confirmed part of her speculation. The Five Spirits Sacrificial Temples, the Stone Steles, and the Origin Demon Great Art were indeed connected.
Qin Xi tossed the stele back into the bag. "We'll study it slowly when we have time."
"Mmm." After a moment's thought, feeling uneasy, she added a warning. "Back when I came into contact with the stele, I nearly lost my mind. You must be careful."
Qin Xi smiled. "Don't worry. The reason you were so easily overwhelmed back then was likely due to your insufficient cultivation level. Didn't you give that stele to Master? Master wasn't affected, which means I'll be fine too."
Thinking about it, that was true. Back then, she was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Her mental state and divine sense were incomparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator's.