History's Strongest Senior Brother

Cao Jie said slowly, “I myself was only told of this after attaining the Human Exalt stage.”

Yan Zhaoge and Yan Di focused their gazes on him.

Cao Jie sounded far away as he said, “There is information which indicates that the Immeasurable Heavenly Lord is searching for a treasure known as Heavenly Essence Stone.”

“If this treasure is obtained by him, not only will martial practitioners beneath the Human Exalt stage be illuminated upon hearing his name, even Exalts, even Emperors of our orthodox Daoism who have already opened the door to Immortality would no longer be safe as well!”

Yan Zhaoge’s brows were knit tightly as he pondered, “Heavenly Essence Stone…”

This name was foreign even to him.

He had not heard of it even in the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace back in pre-Great Calamity times.

“We have not been able to confirm the veracity of this piece of information as it is still contentious even today,” Cao Jie continued, “Still, at that time, someone would not risk disbelieving that this threat did indeed exist.”

Yan Zhaoge said, “The Dim Radiant Emperor, Yin Tianxia!”

“That’s right. The Dim Radiant Sect’s conquest into distant dimensional space that year was but a feint,” Cao Jie said, “The Dim Radiant Emperor’s true goal was to find the Heavenly Essence Stone.”

“At that time, the conflict between Buddhism and the Immortal Court was at its most intense as the majority of the Immortal Court’s experts were engaged in battle with the Buddhists. The Immeasurable Heavenly Lord and Future Buddha had tied each other down too.”

“In the end, the Dim Radiant Emperor really pulled the tooth off a tiger, wresting away a fragment of the Heavenly Essence Stone.”

At this point, Yan Zhaoge could basically understand what had happened, “Still, the Dim Radiant Emperor also perished as a result?”

Cao Jie answered, “That’s right, it is precisely so.”

“Although he died, that fragment of the Heavenly Essence Stone still did not fall into the possession of the Immortal Court.”

“The Immortal Court was naturally unwilling to let it go just like that. As a result, the World beyond Worlds suffered immense pressure and had to pay a steep price.”

News indicated that the Bright Connection Emperor Hu Yuexin and her descendants had obtained that Heavenly Essence Stone fragment. Thus, they became wanted fugitives of the World beyond Worlds and the Immortal Court.

Meanwhile, some people from the Immortal Court also suspected that clues might be concealed amongst the relics of the late Dim Radiant Emperor Yin Tianxia.

While those of the World beyond Worlds could basically confirm that the Heavenly Essence Stone fragment was unrelated to the Dim Radiant Mausoleum and the Dim Radiant Wheel, those of the Immortal Court did not fully believe this.

As a result, those in the World beyond Worlds who were in the know had turned a blind eye to the Dim Radiant Emperor and warned those of their lineage not to get involved with it.

“We originally believed that your mother obtained the Heavenly Essence Stone fragment inadvertently as trouble was drawn to her as a result,” Cao Jie looked at Yan Zhaoge, “Still, it is probably because of your mother that you were able to obtain the Dim Radiant Wheel. As such, it seems that the Bright Connection Emperor and the Dim Radiant Emperor were co-conspirators in that previous incident in the first place.”

He sighed slowly, “The Bright Connection Emperor is a great taboo in the World beyond Worlds as I too do know not much about her. I only know that many of her ideas clashed with that of the Earthly Sovereign.”

“From the looks of it now, the tensions between them must have hinged primarily on their stances towards the Immortal Court.”

Hearing this, Yan Zhaoge smacked his lips, “So, what you mean is that the Earthly Sovereign holds the attitude of trying to appease the Immortal Court?”

Cao Jie answered, “It is not to that extent. Still, the Earthly Sovereign does not like to take risks.”

“The Great Calamity caused us orthodox Daoists of the Three Clear lineages to be depleted greatly as regaining our vitality has not been easy.”

“Ever since the Kunlun Nine Luminaries established the World beyond Worlds, many sacrifices were made for the stable situation we see today to be forged as we finally gradually regained our vitality in recent years under the leadership of the Three Sovereigns. Part of the credit here naturally goes to the Earthly Sovereign.”

Yan Di raised his brows lightly, “If the rumour is real and the Immeasurable Heavenly Lord manages to gather that complete Heavenly Essence Stone, wouldn’t all this have been for naught, dissipating into ashes overnight?”

Cao Jie said mildly, “The problem is that we cannot confirm the veracity of this matter.”

“Perhaps the Heavenly Essence Stone does indeed exist, and the Immeasurable Heavenly Lord and the Immortal Court do desire it greatly.”

“Still, are its effects really as the Dim Radiant Emperor claimed?”

Cao Jie shook his head slowly, “No one knows if the Dim Radiant Emperor acted for the sake of all or for his own personal gain.”

“Even if he was unselfishly acting on behalf of all Daoism, willingly sacrificing himself in the process with the dao tradition of his Dim Radiant Sect even being destroyed as a result, there is still no one who can guarantee that he was not fooled and made use of by others.”

His mind seemed to drift off somewhat, “Thus, some approved of and supported him while others denied and criticised him.”

Yan Zhaoge murmured aloud, “They suspect it to be a ploy of the Immortal Court’s?”

He exchanged looks with Yan Di, father and son both frowning as they pondered.

The actions of the Dim Radiant Emperor might have been righteous and saintly as he could be said to have performed an immeasurably meritorious service which the entirety of Daoism’s Three Clear lineages had to be grateful to.

Yet, it was also possible that he had found a righteous-sounding excuse for his own personal gain. Being greedy and selfish, he had dragged others down into it with things ultimately ending terribly.

Even worse was if this was a trap that the Immortal Court had set up. By stepping into it, apart from his own death, the Dim Radiant Emperor Yin Tiaxia had also entrapped the World beyond Worlds, forcing them into a passive, vulnerable state.

Yet, there was hardly any way for this to be verified now.

Therefore, this had become a rather contentious issue.

Along with that, Xue Chuqing who had been drawn into things with the Heavenly Essence Stone fragment was in hot soup too.

Regardless of the intentions of the Dim Radiant Emperor and the Bright Connection Emperor, they had wrecked the plans of the Immeasurable Heavenly Lord. Even with the Dim Radiant Emperor’s death, this matter was still not considered over as responsibility ultimately still had to be taken by the World beyond Worlds.

As the head of the Three Sovereigns who led their policies, whether the Earthly Sovereign believed the Dim Radiant Emperor and the Bright Connection Emperor was not important. He had to account for things to the Immortal Court officially, at least.

This was especially so when the reason behind the incident, the Heavenly Essence Stone fragment that had been wrested away by the Dim Radiant Emperor, had always been nowhere to be found.

Therefore, the relics of the Dim Radiant Emperor had become a taboo while the Bright Connection Emperor who had always been hostile towards the Immortal Court had become the dark history of the World beyond Worlds. Meanwhile, Xue Chuqing who might have obtained the Heavenly Essence Stone fragment had become a wanted fugitive.

Still, it was precisely because this matter was contentious that there were many different views regarding it within the World beyond Worlds.

This could be seen in how some sought strongly to capture Xue Chuqing, some were opposed to it and others simply pretended to see nothing.

Xue Chuqing’s cultivation base had still been limited when she had first started running around as a fugitive within the World beyond Worlds.

It would not have been difficult for those bigwigs to find her if they truly wanted to.

It was the tensions due to the differing opinions floating around that had given her enough time and space to avoid being caught.

“Despite your relationship with the Sword Sovereign, if your family truly reunites, it would still be best to keep a low profile with how things are right now, not letting this become known,” Cao Jie said earnestly as he looked at Yan Zhaoge, “You must also be mentally prepared in having gotten that Dim Radiant Wheel. This supreme treasure could bring calamity to you.”

“The conflict between the Immortal Court and Buddhism has been the most intense these past few years as they have had no time to pay attention to you. Still, after the peak will come a trough. With things set to become less heated between them, the Immortal Court will be able to keep an eye on us.”

“With the Sword Sovereign present, the pressure on you will be greatly diminished. However, there can still be no letting down your guard.”

Knowing that the other party was speaking from his vast experience that came with age, Yan Zhaoge nodded slightly before asking, “You personally trust and respect the Dim Radiant Emperor, right?”

Cao Jie said calmly, “We are all of the orthodox tradition of Daoism, at least.”