History's Strongest Senior Brother

Yan Zhaoge placed the Profound Sky Purple Golden Furnace on the altar by the South. Above the altar, light and shadow were floating, and formed into ancient runes.

Cloud Conquest Emperor stood beside and chanted softly.

“I opened my own eyes in the darkness, as if I was a baby that was given a chance of birth… From being oblivious of matters, I slowly came to an understanding towards many things. As if being possessed by a spirit with memories of the past, everything that happened throughout the passage of time slowly resurfaced within me… It felt like an era had passed. From the annihilation of the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace, thousands of years had passed… The past is the past, and now is the present. From today onwards, Awakened Sky shall be my name. I shall not be referred to as Awaken Sky Hall anymore. I shall live for myself!”

He Mian said, “As expected, it was an intent from the start. This should be the thought of the Awakened Sky Hall’s hall spirit when his intelligence had been completely formed.

Pill Hall was the common name of the hall. The Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace’s official name was the Awakened Sky Hall.

Yan Zhaoge did not say anything. He took the Profound Sky Purple Golden Furnace and placed it on the altar by the Northeast side of the pavilion.

Light and shadow also projected from the altar, and condensed into a sentence.

After Yan Zhaoge read it, he remained silent, and seemed to be distracted.

“I’m not alone… Last time when I had no intelligence, I had never bothered investigating matters despite the countless years of experiencing and interacting with it. Now that my intelligence is completely formed, fragments of the past resurfaced within my mind, and I’m aware that I’m not the first one… Before the annihilation of the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace, the Primordial Prosperous Pavilion already had its own intelligence. It is much superior compared to my peers who are like dolls… Pity, it got destroyed along with the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace. It died… What kind of feeling is death?”

As the Cloud Conquest Emperor continued reading, he was surprised, “From what the Awakened Sky Hall’s hall spirit said, a building in the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace had already formed its own intelligence before the Grand Calamity?”

“Master, the Primordial Prosperous Pavilion is referring to?” He Mian asked.

Cloud Emperor let out a long sigh, and his expression returned back to normal. “The ancient texts are incomplete, so I can’t be too sure. However, if I’m not mistaken, it should be the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace’s legendary Martial Repository.”

“Martial Repository?” He Mian’s face turned serious, “The Martial Repository of the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace which had recorded ninety percent of the Daoist martial arts before the Grand Calamity other than the Three Clear lineage”

“Based on the rumours, the Three Clear lineage also has the records. However, it isn’t complete.” Cloud Emperor said, “Other than lineages handed down in a direct line from the founder, it isn’t exaggerating to say they have ninety percent of it.”

“Before the Grand Calamity, martial arts flourished. There were many excellent martial arts that branched from the Three Clear lineage. They wouldn’t let the ancestors horde up all the glories of the martial arts.”

He Mian felt fascinated when he was listening to it.

“Unfortunately, they were all destroyed in the Grand Calamity. Otherwise, it would be such an enormous pile of treasure.”

As he came back to his senses, he complimented, “I never expected another building in the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace to have a spirit that possessed its own intelligence before the Pill Hall. However, just like what the Pill Hall hall spirit had said, it was unfortunate for it to perish together with the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace, and was killed just like a human.”

Yan Zhaoge’s facial expression seemed to have recovered from the shock. He nodded and said, “Indeed…”

He took the Profound Sky Purple Golden Furnace and placed it on the altar by the West.

The contents of the runes this time caused Yan Zhaoge’s pupils to shrink slightly.

“Despite being alive, I seem to have been trapped in a cage the moment I was born… I can’t leave this hall, and I can’t become stronger. Even my wounds from the annihilation of the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace can’t be healed… I feel unresigned… Since Primordial Prosperous can attempt to forge a body for himself by imitating the physique of a human, I can do it as well. I must undo myself from these shackles!”

Cloud Emperor and He Mian were shocked when they read it, “Forge a body by imitating the physique of a human?”

They looked at each other.

Primordial Prosperous must be the PIll Hall hall spirit’s way of calling the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace’s Martial Repository hall spirit which had gained intelligence before it.

“Based on this, doesn’t that mean not only the Primordial Prosperous Hall’s hall spirit had gained intelligence, it also forged itself a human-like body before the Grand Calamity?”

Moreover, according to the words of the Pill Hall’s hall spirit, the Martial Repository spirit seemed to have succeeded.

Cloud Emperor and his apprentice felt it utterly beyond comprehension. Everything they had seen and heard today were beyond their expectations.

“Hold on. If that’s the case, the Pill Hall’s hall spirit left the core hub, the Purple Divine Pavilion in order to forge a human-like body?” He Mian immediately realized.

Yan Zhaoge said slowly, “I have already retrieved the corpse of those six daoist that went missing. However, I had also checked it thoroughly.”

“Unfortunately, everything inside of their bodies had been destroyed. It was destroyed in a very detailed and delicate manner.”

“Before this, I still didn’t understand the reason for it. Now that I think of it, I’m afraid…”

As he was talking, he shook his head.

Both Cloud Emperor and He Mian’s facial expression turned serious, “It was for investigating the human body’s structure, and preparation for him to forge a human body!”

“The altar in the middle said that his preparations weren’t complete. Was he also implying this?” He Mian muttered.

“I’m afraid so.” Yan Zhaoge nodded, “He said I destroyed his plan by taking the Profound Sky Purple Golden Furnace. His intentions were to abduct more people in order to continue investigating them.”

Cloud Emperor said, “This Pill Hall’s hall spirit is an extremely dangerous existence after gaining intelligence.”

Selfish, cold, firm, and decisive.

“From what he said, he can’t just take over a human’s corpse. Even if the person is dead, he is unable to possess one.” He Mian started analysing, “Without acquiring a human body, he won’t be able to leave the Pill Hall. He also wouldn’t be able to recover from his own injuries.”

“If he were to acquire a human body, he would be completely free. He can also cultivate like us and increase his own strength.”

He Mian frowned lightly, “We don’t know how much controlling power towards this hall will remain after he acquired a human body.”

“It’s hard to tell. However, to play it safe, let’s just assume he still has the same controlling power towards the Pill Hall as before.” The Cloud Emperor looked at the sentence. He gave it a thought and said, “This sentence where he mentioned the matter about the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace’s Martial Repository’s spirit. It somehow seems weird, doesn’t it?”

Yan Zhaoge was concentrating on the line of words. He suddenly said, “Before the Grand Calamity, there were plenty of experts in the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace. Despite being the controller of the Martial Repository, the Martial Repository spirit had formed its own intelligence. Did the rulers in the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace realize this?”

“Especially when the spirit attempted to forge a human body for itself.”

Cloud Conquest Emperor clapped his hands and complimented, “Indeed, Fallen Deity. This was the part that I felt was out of place.”

The old man looked at the line of text and sighed, “It’s a pity. The once prosperous Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace’s Martial Repository that had collected most of the sutras in the world did not survive the Grand Calamity like this Pill Hall. All the mysteries are buried within history.”

“Indeed. I’m also curious about the answer to this mystery.” Yan Zhaoge narrowed his eyes.

He had always had some questions in his heart.

For example, what was the Grand Calamity at that time.

“And for example…” Yan Zhaoge thought deeply in his heart, “… In my first life in this world, why did I not even have a chance to become a human. And when I had my consciousness, why did I already become the Martial Repository’s spirit?”