After Xuanmiao's accusation, Hanquan looked at her deeply and replied, "Little girl, believe it or not, we were not aware of this matter before. If you hadn't found that senior, we wouldn't have known that there were still ancient divine beasts left in this world."
Hanquan's answer left Xuanmiao stunned. "This... you even know about the sacrificial temples, how could you not know..."
Hanquan waved his hand. "You are of the Qilin clan. These matters should be explained to you by your ancestors."
Xuanmiao knew that there had been ancestors in her clan who broke through to the tenth rank, but that was only a family legend without any proof. Moreover, for some reason, after their breakthrough, these ancestors no longer stayed with the family and disappeared from the world. Now, she actually had a chance to meet them. Could it be that these ancestors had always been there, just not meeting with them? What secrets were these God Transformation cultivators hiding with such behavior?
Hanquan said no more. He simply gathered a spiritual light at his fingertip and casually pointed to the side, where a door emitting mist appeared. "Go in. Once inside, you will meet your ancestors."
"Ah?" Such a miraculous spell only existed in legends. It took Xuanmiao a moment to regain her composure. She respectfully bowed to Hanquan. "I was rude earlier. I hope Senior will be magnanimous. This junior is deeply grateful for Senior's kindness."
Hanquan waved his hand, completely unconcerned. "Go."
Xuanmiao led the other demon cultivators in another bow and then walked toward the door.
The demon cultivators entered the door and finally disappeared. Hanquan gently waved his hand, and the door vanished as well.
It was very much like a teleportation formation, but far more casual. The divine abilities of God Transformation cultivators were truly too miraculous.
"And you two." Hanquan's gaze fell upon Mo Tiange and Qin Xi, a faint smile on his lips. "The two of you have connections with the other two, so..."
"Is Senior going to send us away as well?" Mo Tiange asked.
Hanquan nodded gently. "That is only proper."
Mo Tiange looked around. "What about them?"
Hanquan said, "Don't worry. God Transformation cultivators do not kill. Since they have the fate to meet me, they will naturally have an opportunity."
A look of joy appeared on Mo Tiange's face as she sincerely kowtowed in thanks. "Thank you, Senior."
Hanquan nodded and pointed again, conjuring another teleportation door.
Mo Tiange and Qin Xi stood up, bid farewell to the others, and stepped through the door.
White light gathered around them and then dispersed. In the blink of an eye, Mo Tiange and Qin Xi were standing atop white clouds.
"Oh, you're out. That was pretty fast," came a somewhat flippant voice by their ears.
The two turned and saw a young man sitting opposite them on the clouds.
The speaker was naturally Yuanbao. He leaned back in a cloud chair with poor posture, grinning at Qin Xi. "Kid, how was the taste of being a cauldron?"
Qin Xi was taken aback, remembering how he had been tricked by him years ago into thinking he was really being groomed to be Tian Ge's cauldron, a matter that had troubled him for years. His face flushed slightly, his voice stiff. "Thank you for your concern, Senior. Such matters need not trouble you."
"..." Seeing that Yuanbao still wanted to tease him, Zhong Muling cleared his throat and shot him a warning look.
Yuanbao raised his hands in surrender.
Mo Tiange brushed her sleeves and knelt down. "Tian Ge pays respects to Great-Great-Grandfather. After parting all those years ago, I finally see you again. I hope you have been well these past two hundred years?"
Zhong Muling nodded gently, his gaze approving, a faint smile appearing on his face. "I am well. You are not bad either. To have achieved what you have today is worthy of the opportunity I gave you in the past."
Mo Tiange said, "I have not yet achieved God Transformation. I dare not accept Great-Great-Grandfather's praise."
Zhong Muling's smile deepened. "God Transformation? The difficulty of God Transformation is a hundred, a thousand times greater than that of Nascent Soul. It is good that you have this ambition, but you must not be impatient. When I achieved God Transformation, I was already over a thousand years old. Even someone with peerless talent like A-Yuan here did not achieve God Transformation within a thousand years. You still have a long way to go."
"Yes. I will respectfully follow Great-Great-Grandfather's teachings."
Zhong Muling shifted his gaze. Qin Xi, who was beside her, also kowtowed. "I pay my respects to Senior."
Seeing his somewhat reserved manner, Zhong Muling smiled. "No need to be so polite. Just follow Tian Ge and call me Great-Great-Grandfather."
Zhong Muling's acknowledgment made Qin Xi sigh in relief. "Yes, Great-Great-Grandfather."
"Sit, both of you." Zhong Muling gently waved his hand, and two cloud chairs floated up beside the table.
After bowing to them once more, the two finally stood up and sat in the cloud chairs.
"That you two have come this far is somewhat beyond my expectations," Zhong Muling said. "Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and Qilin... Originally, we old folks thought no one would have the opportunity to gather the Five Spirits. We didn't expect you to accomplish it."
This matter had filled Mo Tiange with questions ever since meeting Hanquan. The Five Spirits Sacrificial Temples were known to God Transformation cultivators. Could it be that all of this was designed by them?
"Great-Great-Grandfather, you actually know about these sacrificial temples?"
Zhong Muling nodded gently. "We know." Seeing the deeper confusion on her face, he waved his hand. "It's not what you think. We did not deliberately design anything."
Unable to guess what was going on, Mo Tiange could only say, "Please speak plainly, Great-Great-Grandfather."
Zhong Muling let out a long sigh, his fingers gently tapping the tabletop.
After a long while, he spoke. "The existence of the Five Spirits Sacrificial Temples is actually related to an ancient wager, related to the truth of this world's existence, and even related to the existence of gods. I must tell you, knowing this matter may subject your beliefs to an unprecedented impact, causing you to lose the meaning of cultivation, or even doubt your own existence."
His expression was solemn, his words terrifying. This couldn't help but make Mo Tiange and Qin Xi somewhat uneasy. They exchanged glances, clasped hands, and felt that no matter what it was, they had the courage to face it.
Mo Tiange nodded firmly. "Great-Great-Grandfather, whether we know or not, this matter already exists. What good is temporary ignorance? Please speak plainly."
"Good." Zhong Muling revealed a faint smile, quite satisfied with them.
He thought for a moment and began to narrate slowly. "This story must start with the gods. In your hearts, what kind of existence are gods?" He paused only for a moment, not waiting for their answer before continuing. "In the eyes of the world, gods are the creators and rulers of the world. They are benevolent, fair, possess vast divine abilities, and are omnipotent. But they clearly overlook one point: as creators, they may be fair, but they absolutely cannot be benevolent." The last sentence was resolute and decisive.
"'Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs.' The Daoist scriptures annotate it thus: all things between Heaven and Earth are the same to the gods. He creates all things, lets them grow, and views them all equally. In such a situation, how can there be benevolence? Cattle and sheep eat grass—how is that benevolent to the grass? Lions and tigers eat sheep—how is that benevolent to the sheep? Heaven and Earth have no concept of benevolence; the gods who created Heaven and Earth will not be benevolent either—what is important to them is establishing rules and letting nature take its course."
Mo Tiange was silent for a long while before slowly nodding.
"Therefore, to the gods, they care not about the destruction of a world—where there is life, there is death; where there is creation, there is destruction," Zhong Muling said in a tone approaching indifference. "They create worlds, set rules. Once they find a world unsatisfactory, destroying it is not a pity."
Mo Tiange suddenly remembered words her master, Dao Lord Jinghe, had said to her many years ago. How similar they were to what Zhong Muling was saying now. For a moment, she trembled slightly. "Once a world is established, if its development is unsatisfactory, it will be destroyed and rebuilt. We... are all the gods' playthings..."
"Yes! Exactly!" Zhong Muling's gaze gradually sharpened. "We are all the gods' playthings. They created us, watch us live, cultivate, even change the world. But as long as they are dissatisfied, they can erase us!"
Zhong Muling closed his eyes, calming his tone. "Our world is the same. The end of the Primordial Era was one such destruction and reconstruction. The separation of immortals and demons, the division of spirits and monsters—all are the gods slowly adjusting the rules. Therefore, the Primordial Era is different from the Ancient Era, and the present era is different from the Ancient Era. Not only are spiritual energy and resources different, but even the philosophies of practitioners from different paths are different..."
"...Perhaps you don't know, our world is not the only Human Realm created by the gods. They can create one Human Realm, naturally they can create thousands upon thousands. In the Primordial Era, this world was already abandoned once. But, one god fought for us, winning a sliver of life." Zhong Muling suddenly changed the subject. "You have been to the Godfall Abyss before, haven't you?"
Mo Tiange nodded, not understanding the connection.
"The Godfall Abyss is actually the trace left when two Heavenly Gods took action and the aftermath struck."
"Ah!" Mo Tiange exclaimed in surprise. They had originally thought it was the trace of immortal combat, but it turned out to be the aftermath of Heavenly Gods taking action. No wonder there was Chaotic Qi there. No wonder Qin Xi had said the place was too clean; presumably, God Transformation cultivators had already been there long ago.
"Two Heavenly Gods fought fiercely. One Heavenly God stopped the other from destroying the Primordial Era. That is why our world was able to continue to exist."
Mo Tiange asked hesitantly, "Why would two Heavenly Gods fight so fiercely?"
"Gods are also different," Zhong Muling said. "They have different personalities, different preferences. One Heavenly God believed this world should be destroyed; another felt it could exist. And the result was that the latter won."
"...Perhaps out of momentary pity, perhaps out of liking, he prevented the destruction of the Primordial Era and, with the other Heavenly God, made a wager."
Mo Tiange's heart stirred, thinking of how solemnly Amber had said it was a wager, a monumental wager. If they won, the Human Realm would have life.
"What was it?"
"The wager was: can living beings save themselves? If they can, they will never actively destroy this world." Speaking these words, Zhong Muling was calm, his tone without the slightest ripple.
"To leave a sliver of life and win the wager, that Heavenly God used human hands to establish the Five Spirits Sacrificial Temples. He sealed this matter within the temples, leaving both the aura of the Five Spirits and demonic cultivation techniques. He wanted to see if anyone could uncover this truth. If someone found it, whether they were of the Daoist, Confucian, Buddhist, or Demonic path, they would gain something." Zhong Muling looked at them and said, "Therefore, obtaining the inheritance of the Five Spirits Sacrificial Temples, or the Primordial Demonic techniques, is the path to heaven!"
This seemed like good news, but there were no smiles on the faces of Zhong Muling and Yuanbao, making them feel that what followed might not be so wonderful.
Qin Xi asked, "But since the God Transformation Seniors know of the existence of the Five Spirits Sacrificial Temples, how could it be our turn? And why, apart from the Qilin Sacrificial Temple, are the others still well-preserved?"
Zhong Muling shook his head with a smile, a desolate smile. "Because it's too late. We discovered it too late. This wager... ended long ago... If we were cultivators of the Ancient Era, this would indeed be the path to heaven. But we were born in this present world. The Ancient Era was destroyed; the path to heaven was severed."