Chapter 304

Chapter 304: Son of Heaven, Moon Goddess

Lin Qianmo had not a single memory of Lin Miaochang’s previous life.

In her heart, she even felt a hint of doubt toward Ye Xu’s answer.

Of course, this fleeting suspicion vanished in an instant.

Ye Xu had no reason to deceive her.

“Master, could you possibly…”

Lin Qianmo intended to speak, but Ye Xu shook his head and chuckled lightly, “To be frank, Daoist Friend Lin, even selling you couldn’t raise enough Star Yuan.”

Lin Qianmo fell silent. She gazed at Ye Xu, her eyes clear as autumn water yet now veiled in a thin haze.

“Twelve billion Star Yuan,” Ye Xu said lightly.

Without giving her an answer, she would never relent.

“Twelve billion…”

Lin Qianmo’s expression turned despondent; even exhausting all her efforts would barely cover a fraction of that sum.

If this truly was her third life, who had she been in her first?

“Perhaps that temple, that elder, could give me the answer,” Lin Qianmo thought.

From establishing her Dao foundation to attaining immortality, it seemed she’d always been guided by the young monk.

This was no mere coincidence.

“It seems I must return to the Seven-Treasure Mystic Forest, visit the Reincarnation Dao Field in person, and see that elder.” Lin Qianmo was no indecisive soul. Decisively, she made her resolve.

“Master, is the Seven-Treasure Mystic Forest still in Tianxu?”

Since Ye Xu addressed her as an equal, she saw no need for false modesty.

“System, look up the information on the Seven-Treasure Mystic Forest,” Ye Xu commanded inwardly.

Ding!

[The Seven-Treasure Mystic Forest is sealed. None may enter without Immortal Venerable strength.]

Ye Xu’s gaze flickered—the answer matched his expectations.

With the Immortal Realm nearing collapse, the human ancestor straining to avert calamity, the Seven-Treasure Mystic Forest was one of his hidden cards; its contents would fuel his efforts to rescue all from catastrophe.

“The Seven-Treasure Mystic Forest is sealed. None beneath Immortal Venerable level can breach it,” Ye Xu stated flatly.

Lin Qianmo blinked. “Master, no charge?”

The question startled Ye Xu. He quipped lightly, “If you insist on paying, I won’t refuse. A few billion Star Yuan will do.”

Lin Qianmo’s radiant smile seemed to dim the heavens and earth.

For a heartbeat, Ye Xu’s focus wavered, but he steadied himself immediately.

This wasn’t enchantment—Ye Xu’s cultivation made him immune. Among all the women he’d met, Lin Qianmo’s beauty ranked within the top three.

She was a woman of formidable self-possession.

“Daoist Friend Lin, once you aid his emergence, he shall resolve your doubts himself,” Ye Xu advised lightly. “Your current strength remains limited. There’s no need for haste.”

"Many thanks for your enlightenment, Master." Lin Qianmo forced a bitter chuckle, suddenly realizing she had been obsessing.

That said, anyone else in Lin Qianmo’s position would undoubtedly have sought a definite answer at the earliest opportunity.

"Daoist Friend Lin, the Immortal Realm is on the verge of collapse. Time is rapidly running out for you." Ye Xu smiled faintly. "Should the day come when you are driven into a corner, you may seek refuge at the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion and serve me."

Lin Qianmo’s identity, shrouded in profound mystery, undoubtedly involved the transcendents. Forming a benevolent connection with her was absolutely necessary.

"Is the Master not afraid of becoming implicated?" A strange light flashed in Lin Qianmo’s eyes.

"I’ve already obliterated the incarnation of the Dark Emperor and the White Emperor once. A mere Moon Goddess, having just barely stepped into the end of the Great Dao, is nothing but a minor character." Ye Xu waved dismissively.

"And what of the Son of Heaven?" Curiosity colored Lin Qianmo’s expression.

As the saintess of Tianwai Pavilion, shielded by the Xuan Du Ancient Immortal, Lin Qianmo felt no fear of the Moon Goddess. Yet she dreaded the Son of Heaven, an invincible being embodying the Heavenly Dao’s will, one who had even suppressed the Ancient Heavenly Emperor.

Ye Xu smiled without saying a word.

Theoretically, the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion existed beyond the Heavenly Dao’s reach. Nevertheless, a part of him entertained the thought of testing who held greater power: this universe’s Heavenly Dao, or the Heavenly Machine System? An actual physical exchange with the Son of Heaven would settle the question.

But this was merely a passing fancy.

Unless pushed to the uttermost extreme, Ye Xu had no desire to make an enemy of the Son of Heaven. Ruling supreme over all realms, commanding infinite resources, the Son of Heaven’s assistance would be crucial for his own transcendence.

"Though the Moon Goddess is formidable, she does not inspire such fear in me." Lin Qianmo offered a faint, resolute smile. "That day will never come."

…

Immortal Realm, Purple Star Heavenly Court.

A lone, radiant moon hung high within the heavenly court. Its cool, pure radiance cast an ethereal, desolate glow. Nestled within the luminescent sphere sat a Moon Palace, its form indistinct yet profoundly mysterious within the hazy moonlight.

Inside the Moon Palace stood a woman clad in flowing white robes. Ink-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, her bare feet snow-white. Her features were divinely sculpted, exuding an aura of icy isolation, like an immortal maiden dwelling in a desolate celestial abode.

Her beauty was flawless, every inch perfect, her eyes holding the profound, enigmatic depth of the moon itself.

"Someone dares scheme against this consort?" The Moon Goddess frowned slightly, sensing a faint, unseen force trying to pry into her secrets.

She could sense the intrusion, yet its origin remained frustratingly elusive.

"Who would be so bold?" Her brows knitted deeper in consternation.

"Your Highness, this humble servant begs an audience."

A voice echoed from beyond the palace doors. It belonged to one of her palace attendants, a figure whose aura distinctly marked her as an early-stage Immortal King.

Such was the formidable underpinning of the Purple Star Heavenly Court. Among its celestial beings, even a formidable Immortal King served merely as a personal attendant to the gods.

"What is it?" The Moon Goddess’s voice, melodious as celestial chimes, carried an underlying frost.

"The Taihao Heavenly Sect has requested deliverance of a letter," replied the attendant, swiftly entering the palace with a jade slip held respectfully in both hands.

"The Taihao Heavenly Sect?" Puzzlement touched the Moon Goddess’s expression. The sect master of the Taihao Heavenly Sect held a minor, honorary post within the Purple Star Heavenly Court. Though at the Immortal Venerable realm, he was a thoroughly insignificant figure. Why would he write to her?

With a slight movement of her jade-white hand, the Moon Goddess drew the jade slip towards her. It landed softly in her palm.

Her thoughts flooded into the jade slip, instantly frosting her face as killing intent welled up.

Boom!

The Ultimate Yin Dao erupted at its peak, freezing the Moon Palace. The palace maid turned into an ice sculpture, utterly powerless to resist.

One breath later, the Moon Goddess calmed herself, reined in her aura. The power of the Ultimate Yin Dao dissolved, leaving the maid shivering intensely, trembling with fear as she knelt on the floor.

"Lin Qianmo, you’ve finally shown up," the Moon Goddess declared icily.

Twelve million years ago, Lin Qianmo had wielded the Reincarnation Dao, not only suppressing her but also shattering her immortal residence, nearly annihilating her completely, condemning her beyond resurrection.

Had she not become the Heavenly Son’s companion, and had the Heavenly Son not intervened, her fate would likely have been no better than that of the Chaotic Immortal King.

The whole conflict had sparked simply because the Heavenly Son glanced at Lin Qianmo once too often.

It was vital to understand: the Heavenly Son embodied the Heavenly Dao, unrivaled across all realms. Within the vast Purple Star Heavenly Court, she was his sole acknowledged companion. Never before had another woman captured his attention.

It was precisely this that ignited the Moon Goddess’s jealousy.

Afterwards, the Moon Goddess relentlessly investigated Lin Qianmo’s origins. Yet, Lin Qianmo seemed to have appeared out of thin air, a complete enigma, without a single trace of background information.

That lifetime, she had seemingly vanished without a trace.

It was only now, twelve million years later, that news of Lin Qianmo reached her ears via the Taihao Heavenly Sect.

The palace maid was petrified. She served the Moon Goddess with meticulous care daily and couldn’t fathom why her mistress had erupted in fury today.

She had never witnessed the Moon Goddess harbor such killing intent before.

Who on earth is this reckless fool, daring to provoke an Innate Divine Being? the maid silently wondered.

Whoosh!

The Moon Goddess vanished from the Moon Palace.

Within moments, she arrived at the Heavenly Palace.

"Your Majesty."

The Moon Goddess gazed at the figure before her. Though only his back was visible, it radiated an immeasurably profound presence, as lofty and immense as the heavens themselves.

"Lin Qianmo has appeared," the Moon Goddess stated, her killing intent still sharp.

"Even after all these millennia, your thirst for vengeance hasn’t diminished one bit."

The man turned. His features were strikingly handsome with sword-like brows and star-like eyes, his elegance truly on par with Ye Xu’s.

Even the Moon Goddess could detect not the faintest trace of his aura.

He seemed to have merged with Heaven and Earth, existing everywhere at once.

Before him, the Moon Goddess felt a twinge of discomfort; that oppressive aura made her intensely uneasy.

Since he had embodied the Heavenly Dao, their meetings had grown increasingly rare.

She could perceive the Heavenly Son continuously changing.

The Heavenly Son lightly remarked, "She has become your inner demons."

"Without slaying Lin Qianmo, your cultivation journey has reached its end."

The Moon Goddess gave a slight nod.

"It is precisely because Lin Qianmo has become my inner demon that I must kill her. Without killing her, I could never break free from this inner demon in my entire lifetime."

"I must descend to the mortal realm," the Moon Goddess solemnly declared.

The Heavenly Emperor shook his head.

"Moony, your jealousy runs too deep. After over ten million years, it remains unchanged," the Heavenly Emperor’s voice was detached, yet his eyes held a flicker of tenderness.

Burdened with the Heavenly Dao, he had been quietly reshaped by the Heavenly Dao’s will.

This was the price for taking a shortcut.

"This will affect your dao path," the Heavenly Emperor said gravely.

"Moreover, Lin Qianmo is no ordinary person."

"I intend to keep her alive."

Burning with jealousy, the Moon Goddess’s phoenix-like eyes turned sharp with fury. "I want to kill her, yet you choose to shield her?"

"Even if I abstain, you cannot end her life."

The Heavenly Emperor stated calmly, "In merely a year and a half, the Immortal Realm will collapse, crushing all realms and bringing calamity upon all living beings. The Human Ancestor is already weaving plans, striving to prevent the inevitable fall."

"If you reveal yourself, the Human Ancestor will surely move against you."

"With him guarding the mortal realm, he will never permit the Innate Divine Beings to descend prematurely."

"So soon?"

The Moon Goddess was visibly shaken.

A year and a half was but the blink of an eye to cultivators of the Immortal Realm.

"The Immortal Realm, forged only a few epochs ago – how could it collapse with such haste?" The Moon Goddess’s apricot eyes narrowed fiercely. "Who is working behind the scenes?"

The Heavenly Emperor had built the Immortal Realm upon the power of all beings; it stood strong, a foundation meant to last countless ages. In theory, its collapse could only result from a major calamity.

Yet, since the shattering of the Ancient Heavenly Court ten million years ago, order within the Immortal Realm had deteriorated, as if struck by a great catastrophe, unable ever to regain its former vigor.

The passage of vast time left it stagnant, tilting toward ruin.

Even a fool could sense foul play stirring beneath.

Her lovely face grave, bound as the Heavenly Emperor’s companion, the Moon Goddess stood by his side. Her thoughts leaned toward the Innate Divine Beings meddling in secret.

The Heavenly Emperor remained calm as an ancient well, offering no answer to her question.

"A year and a half hence, the Immortal Realm will shatter, and all realms will revert to the state before the creation of the heavens, a primordial chaos where no cage can confine the Innate Divine Beings."

The Heavenly Emperor gazed deeply into the distance. "An era without rules, truly a calamity lies ahead."

"What does it matter? Even if the world descends into chaos, with you by my side, we shall remain an eternal, unfettered pinnacle within Heaven and Earth." The Moon Goddess dismissed it lightly.

"Now, I will descend and kill Lin Qianmo."

Her killing intent was kindled, impossible to quell.

"Go."

Seeing her resolve unshakeable, the Heavenly Emperor spoke no more.

With him standing guard, even should the Human Ancestor strike, he could ensure her safe retreat.

"This mess… is proving impossible to conceal forever…"