Chapter 344: Crumble
Translator: Ninetales Editor: DarkGem
Qin Mu's brain was blown, and all kinds of thoughts surged through his mind, turning it into a mess. Even his ears were buzzing.
What Hermit Qing You had revealed was simply too astonishing, just too unbelievable!
Little Jade Capital, Heavenly Saint Cult, and Hall of Human Emperors actually came from the same source and the same era, they were created by people who had walked out from the same place. Not only that, these three sacred grounds were actually the fragments of the same place!
Qin Mu turned around to look at Village Chief. His expression was normal, without any fluctuations. It was as if Hermit Qing You's world-shaking words were not enough to move his heart.
Or more likely, he had already known the connection between the three sacred grounds, so the words held no shock value for him.
Old Rulai and Old Dao Master, however, were shocked. It was obvious that these two previous leaders of two big sacred grounds didn't know the inside story.
The origin of those two sacred grounds was even more ancient, but not all history got recorded.
Hermit Qing You pulled his gaze away from Village Chief and looked at Qin Mu. As he smiled, there was surprise in his expression. "Looks like Old Human Emperor didn't tell you any inside information. You have also not been to Hall of Human Emperors. Young Human Emperor, you should take a trip there; you'll learn many secrets in that place."
Qin Mu composed himself and said solemnly, "May Immortal Qing You clarify!"
Hermit Qing You looked at Village Chief whose expression was like an old well.
Hermit Qing You smiled. "If you are not saying, I shall meddle in your affairs, even if it's not my place. Human Emperor, please follow me."
He walked down the mountain, and Qin Mu followed. Village Chief also quietly floated behind the two of them. Xiong Xiyu hesitated for a moment, then pulled back Xiong Qi'er while shaking her head. "We shouldn't dabble into the affairs of Middle Earth."
Xiong Qi'er couldn't understand, but Xiong Xiyu had her own worries. The matters of True Heaven Palace were already giving her a headache, yet the matters of Middle Earth were even more terrifying. She could sense that some secrets were better off not known.
Old Dao Master and Old Rulai looked at each other, and Old Dao Master smiled. "We are already free from our burdens and have become immortals of Little Jade Capital. Let not learn any more secrets so we don't spoil our frame of mind."
Old Rulai took a look at him and said, "What that golden book records in the method to connect the divine bridge. Is Dao friend's heart not moved?"
"So what?" Old Dao Master said leisurely. "Where's the person that created the method to connect the divine bridge now?"
Old Rulai was stunned and laughed loudly. He didn't plan to follow after them as well. "All the previous human emperors failed, so there's no need to join in the fun."
As for the dragon qilin, he also didn't follow after them. He sprawled out to the side began to snore, which sounded like thunder striking the land.
"You will be eaten," Xiong Qi'er whispered in his ears.
The dragon qilin immediately raised his head and looked around cautiously. When he saw Qin Mu not around, he said to the little girl, "I will exercise after taking a nap."
Xiong Qi'er actually believed him.
Qin Mu followed Hermit Qing You across the long rope bridge and passed by a few celestial mountains until they came to a particular one.
Hermit Qing You led them up to the mountain peak through an extremely ancient hall. It seemed to not have been repaired for many years and was a little dilapidated. The walls were broken, and there were not many pillars that were supporting the ceiling. It was as if they had been destroyed in the fires of war.
That huge hall was called Hall of Historical Records. The writings on the horizontally inscribed board were slightly blurry, but Qin Mu could still see that the person who had written those four words had extremely high attainments in calligraphy and painting. The words, Hall of Historical Records, had a profound meaning of history as a feeling of transformation swept into one's face from the words.
"During Founding Emperor Era, Hall of Historical Records was a famous place."
Hermit Qing You walked through the hall, but there were no books there. Only rows of ancient bookshelves were left. The interior of the room they were in had a circular shape, which was very vast. Qin Mu saw numerous shelves placed on the circular walls, so anyone who wanted to read them would have to take a walk around.
However, it was a pity that all the books were gone.
"Many books in this place were destroyed in the fires of war, while the remaining books were moved to other halls to preserve them. The group of immortals that founded Little Jade Capital had at first planned to tear down Hall of Historical Records, but in the end, they found it meaningful to let it remain, so they didn't touch it."
Hermit Qing You went to walk the wall, past the rows of empty bookshelves, his hand caressing them.
Qin Mu followed after him, slightly stunned. A magnetic force came from the wall and drew his body toward it, allowing him to be able to walk freely on the wall.
"Those immortals that founded Little Jade Capital were in charge of recording the history during Founding Emperor Era.
"Not only during it, but also the time before it. Because of them recording everything, we can see the failures in history and know the dangers that come with them. That's why when Founding Emperor Era was obliterated, they moved out of Hall of Historical Records to found Little Jade Capital, this sacred ground.
"Little Jade Capital is far from the mortal realm and doesn't participate in worldly affairs. We only quietly float outside the mortal realm to record the prosperity and decline of the world. Does Human Emperor know where Hall of Historical Records used to be located in Founding Emperor Era?"
Qin Mu shook his head.
Hermit Qing You walked to the domed roof with his head facing the ground and legs moving over the roof. "In that case, does Human Emperor know the meaning of Jade Capital?"
"It's the capital in which Celestial Emperor lives," said Qin Mu.
Hermit Qing You sighed. "That's right, the capital city where Celestial Emperor lives. Jade Capital is Celestial Heavens. The name Little Jade Capital is used to commemorate the capital in which resides Celestial Emperor. The history recorded in Hall of Historical Records was actually for Celestial Emperor to read."
Qin Mu's heart was greatly shaken, and he stared blankly at him while muttering, "Little Jade Capital is from Jade Capital?"
"That's right, Little Jade Capital is from Jade Capital!" Hermit Qing You turned around and looked away from him to glance at Village Chief. He said in a solemn voice, "Little Jade Capital comes from the capital city of Founding Emperor Era, Jade Capital! Hall of Human Emperors is also from there! As well as Saint Arrival Mountain!
"They are all fragments of Jade Capital! The ones that created the three big sacred grounds, no matter if they were the immortals of Little Jade Capital, the First Generation Human Emperor of Hall of Human Emperors, or Saint Woodcutter of Heavenly Saint Cult, they were all from Founding Emperor Era's Jade Capital!"
Village Chief's eyes sparkled. "Since we are all from the same source, why won't Little Jade Capital lend a hand? Human Emperor Qin is also the cult master of Heavenly Saint Cult. Based on sentiment and reason, your Little Jade Capital should support us with your fullest might!"
Hermit Qing You walked down from the domed roof and shook his head. "Old Human Emperor, your magnificent aspirations are hard to eliminate, you are still so stubborn and pigheaded, swallowing ancient learning without digesting it. I really want to show you the history recorded in Little Jade Capital, I really want to show you the cruelty of it and crush all your beliefs, to see you crawl on the floor and cry helplessly, to see you devastated and void of life!
He let out a shaky breath and then added indifferently, "I don't need to do this. Because I just need to let you see a few stone statues and you will crumble."
He walked out Hall of Historical Records and looked at a celestial mountain nearby.
Qin Mu and Village Chief also left Hall of Historical Records, side by side.
The clouds above the celestial mountain far away were rising in spirals and the celestial rays were like rainbows sashes surrounding the majestic stone statues. These stone statues had multifarious ambience and it wasn't known which heavenly work had sculpted them.
Hermit Qing You walked down the celestial mountain and headed towards the direction of a rope bridge.
They came to a celestial mountain with stone statues, and the corner of Qin Mu's eyes suddenly twitched. He saw a stone statue with the getup of a woodcutter and a stone hatchet in his hand.
It was very tall, as if the person had been a giant.
The woodcutter was sculpted to be remarkably life-like. He didn't seem like something sculpted, but a petrified human.
"This is the saint which Heavenly Saint Cult worships. He is the woodcutter who imparted his path on the rock."
Hermit Qing You looked up at Woodcutter's stone statue and said, "After he imparted his path, he was completely disheartened and came to Little Jade Capital. Like the immortals who founded Little Jade Capital, he chose to turn into a stone statue here. Look, where is his gaze looking?"
Qin Mu's heart shuddered, and he croaked, "Great Ruins."
"He's looking toward Great Ruins. That was once his homeland, but that place had become a barren land at the time. He couldn't do nor change anything."
Qing You's words were like knives into Qin Mu's heart, the man's ordinary words were like the most terrifying divine art that could destroy his will. "The previous cult masters of your Heavenly Saint Cult were all outstanding, but which one's attainments surpass those of Woodcutter? So what if he is your saint? Wasn't he disheartened to the point he chose to become a stone statue in Little Jade Capital?"
He walked to the second stone statue, which had the appearance of a scholar. The man's gaze was bemoaning the state of the universe and pitying the fate of mankind. He held a scroll in his hand, but even though it was open, his gaze was not on it.
He was also looking at Great Ruins.
"This is one of the immortals that founded Little Jade Capital. He was one of the historians in charge of Hall of Historical Records during Founding Emperor's Era.
Hermit Qing You then walked to the third stone statue. "This is also a historian from Hall of Historical Records. There's also him, and her!"
He walked past those stone statues and came to one that was extremely tall and large. It had a presence that was extraordinary heroic, and the man's hands were propped on a sword which was stabbed into the ground. The statue's gaze was aimed into the distance, in the direction of Great Ruins.
"Their homeland had turned into ruins. and no matter how gallant or fierce they were, their magnificent aspirations were all crushed."
Hermit Qing You raised his head and revealed a serious expression. "That person during the ancient era when Founding Emperor Era was destroyed tried his best to save the world, but he who struggled for the human race to survive couldn't help becoming disheartened as well, turning into a rock here. Old Human Emperor, among the corpses of the past human emperors in your Hall of Human Emperor, hasn't one always been missing? He's right here."
Hermit Qing You expression turned sorrowful as he said, "He's right here…"
Village Chief's mind was blown as he raised his head to look at the extraordinary majestic stone statue.
The founder of Human Emperor Hall, the first human emperor, the one who saved countless big and small sects, saving the seeds for the future civilizations, the man who was revered by all sects as the emperor of the human race, the person who founded Hall of Human Emperor, yet this legend had lost his drive in the end as well.
He had turned into a stone statue in Little Jade Capital!
A rumbling came from Village Chief's heart. It was the sound of his persistence and certainty crumbling.
It was akin to that day all those years ago. All that he persisted on and all his beliefs suddenly crumbled, turning him back into the helpless old man whose limbs had been severed. He wanted to struggle, but he had no hands to grab onto anything. He wanted to stand, but he had no legs; he could only squirm on the ground!
That was what he was back then.
Only after Qin Mu had come to Disabled Elderly Village that he slowly walked out of that helplessness and despair.
Yet the moment the god in his heart crumbled, he was thrown right back into that swamp of misery!
His eyes became hazy, and he wanted to stretch out his hands to grab something, but he couldn't grab onto anything. He collapsed on the ground and wanted to stand up, but he couldn't.
Qin Mu hugged the white-haired and helpless old man.
"Mu'er…" The previous human emperor cried out, begging, "Let us return to Disabled Elderly Village, let's return, let's not come out anymore… Return Human Emperor's Seal to me, return it to me! I can't let you walk my old path, I need to bring it to my grave! You can't handle this responsibility—"