Chapter 94: The Secret of the Nine-Colored Altar, The Ancient Celestial Emperor’s Token

As the smoke gradually dissipated, the summit of the Jade Emperor became clearer. A solitary figure stood upright, his posture proud and unwavering. It was as though the terrifying explosion that had just occurred had left no trace upon him. Not even the corner of his robe was damaged; not a speck of dust had settled upon him.

“King Lu—it’s King Lu!”
“What? After dozens of intercontinental missiles, King Lu is completely unharmed?”
“This is utterly terrifying. Can humans truly evolve to resist missiles?”

At that moment, everyone who watched the remaining footage saw Lu Yuan still standing atop the Jade Emperor’s summit, and their expressions changed drastically. Each wore a look of disbelief; some could not even utter a word. None had anticipated this outcome. This was the aftermath of dozens of missiles. The explosion had shaken heaven and earth; if not for the unique nature of Mount Tai, half the mountain might have been destroyed. Yet in the end, Lu Yuan was unscathed. This was not merely a miracle—it was divine intervention.

At the foot of the mountain, Ji Huaiyuan and the others, who had been tense and anxious moments before, were now stunned by the live broadcast. Their scalps tingled, their mouths dry.

Human strength?
Could it truly contend with intercontinental missiles?
To what extent had Lu Yuan evolved?
Was this merely the power of the “Cage Realm,” or was it that only he could achieve such feats?

Just as they sought to observe further, the live feed abruptly cut off. There was no help for it; the last drone equipped with a camera had succumbed to the explosion’s effects and was now completely destroyed.

“Old Ji, shall we send up more drones?” Elder Yun recovered first and spoke.

“No need.” Ji Huaiyuan shook his head. “As long as we’re certain King Lu is unharmed, nothing else matters.”

He and Lu Yuan had made an agreement; after resolving matters on Mount Tai, Lu Yuan would retrieve something from within. Ji did not know what, but he knew it was a secret. Thus, he would not send any more drones to interfere.

Moreover, Ji Huaiyuan’s attitude toward Lu Yuan had changed yet again.

As for Zhu Qingyu, the Northern Emperor, the Ice Fairy, and the Pure Sun Young Master, their minds still lingered on the final broadcast image. After dozens of intercontinental missiles, Lu Yuan stood atop the Jade Emperor’s summit as if untouched.

Was he still human?

These young people exchanged glances, feeling as though they were dreaming. Was the gap between people truly so vast?

On the Jade Emperor’s summit, the shroud of blood and energy around Lu Yuan had vanished. His gaze had grown sharper. The destructive power of humanity’s weapons was indeed formidable; even he had to treat them with caution. He had activated his blood-energy shield to withstand the explosion, but even so, it had cost him some strength—a first since his transformation.

“West!”
He uttered the word coldly, his eyes filled with killing intent. The matter would have to be settled once he left Mount Tai.

He took a deep breath and looked to the spirit monkey beside him. The creature had been shaken by the force; though not fatal, it had been fearsome enough. If this happened again, especially unknowingly, it would be troublesome.

The spirit monkey turned, asking, “Is this also the power of your kind?”

“In a sense.”
Lu Yuan nodded, offering no further explanation. He pointed to the nine-colored altar atop the platform: “Has this existed since the transformation?”

There was another in Shennongjia, and now he encountered one here—it was no simple matter.

“I’m not sure,” the spirit monkey replied, shaking its head. “I think so. My inherited memories awakened recently; I only know the altar seems to be some kind of passage, or perhaps an ancient road. I know no more.”

Powerful beasts typically possessed inherited memories that emerged after the transformation. Its situation was much like the Golden-Winged Roc—further memories required more power to unlock.

Lu Yuan narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.

A passage?
An ancient road?
Such words carried many implications. Did they relate to deep space?

He could not help but think so. Lu Yuan knew that soon, mysterious beings from beyond would descend. In his previous life, they had appeared suddenly with few signs; by the time people realized, many had already arrived—some terrifying enough to survive in the cosmos. Were these nine-colored altars connected to them?

Lu Yuan was uncertain. He could not confirm; the world held too many secrets. Even he could not uncover them all. Shennongjia, the imperial tomb of Lishan—each event brimmed with mysteries, some tied to ancient figures, others to legendary emperors. Now Mount Tai was the same.

“Forget it.”
Lu Yuan shook his head. Though he possessed some strength now, delving into true secrets was still beyond him. Perhaps only when those beings from beyond arrived could he truly understand.

Clearing his thoughts, he looked at the spirit monkey: “Rest here for now. I held back earlier; you weren’t too badly injured. You’ll recover in a few hours.”

With that, he paid no heed to the monkey’s response and turned away. The first task was done. Next came his second purpose for visiting Mount Tai.

“You…” The spirit monkey watched his back, speechless. It scratched its fur and bared its teeth, clearly vexed. The reason was simple: Lu Yuan’s words made it clear he had not used his full strength. Even without going all out, he had subdued the monkey—a realm lower at that. The spirit monkey was proud, but against Lu Yuan, it was helpless. It could not win.

At last, it discarded its iron staff and sat cross-legged, recognizing that Lu Yuan had other business on Mount Tai. It shut itself off from the outside world, breathing deeply; wisps of white vapor rose and faded with each breath. Golden fur shimmered, giving it an extraordinary appearance. Inside, organs pulsed and emitted humming sounds. Clearly, the spirit monkey possessed a powerful breathing technique.

Lu Yuan smiled at this sight. The spirit monkey was one of the few beasts friendly to humanity. Its temperament appeared fierce, but it was not unreasonable; with human intelligence, it was easy to deal with. In his previous life, it had even represented the world in battles against beings from beyond.

Thus, Lu Yuan had only subdued it, harboring no other intentions. In the coming turmoil, he could not be everywhere at once; he needed allies—one reason he agreed to cooperate with those above.

Turning, Lu Yuan gazed at the vast Jade Emperor’s summit. The area was immense—almost the size of a small city, filled with palace ruins and massive stones weighing tens of thousands of tons. Seeking a divine artifact here was like finding a needle in the sea; even the Meridian Furnace would not suffice.

Fortunately, he was prepared.

With a flick of his hand, the Fuxi Bagua Diagram appeared and unfurled. Sun, moon, and stars were depicted within, glowing faintly and circulating. Lu Yuan took the sword embryo and cut his finger, letting a drop of blood merge with it.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

The celestial bodies on the Fuxi Diagram trembled. The eight trigrams shifted, and soon a bright spot appeared—like a pinpoint for navigation.

“Indeed, this is a relic left by Emperor Fuxi,” Lu Yuan’s eyes brightened.

The Fuxi Diagram acted as a navigator, able to precisely locate divine artifacts. It had found one already, far faster than the Meridian Furnace—which was not only slow but prone to errors, and its usefulness was limited. Alas, it could only locate divine artifacts, not spirit fruits, strange herbs, or ancient trees—unless they were as extraordinary as the Bodhi tree.

But Lu Yuan was satisfied; there were countless wonders in the world—how could he claim them all?

Confirming the location, Lu Yuan carried the Fuxi Diagram toward the dazzling spot. He ventured deep into the palace ruins, surrounded by broken walls and rubble. It felt as though he had left the mortal realm and entered the heavenly court, though the court had collapsed and lay in ruins, desolate and lifeless. The so-called gods and immortals were absent; only a mysterious force lingered, giving the place a dead air.

“Hmm?”

As he walked and observed, Lu Yuan sensed something odd. The vast ruins seemed not built atop the Jade Emperor’s summit, but rather fallen from the heavens. Every part was chaotic; some walls bore marks of swords, spears, and halberds. It was as if, in antiquity, a world-shaking battle had taken place.

If this was truly the heavenly court, how had it come down? Had a divine war occurred? Had it been struck down?

The thought startled Lu Yuan, but he found it too absurd, almost ludicrous.

Buzz~

At that moment, the Fuxi Bagua Diagram trembled gently. Lu Yuan realized he was very near the bright spot—the divine artifact he sought.

Judging by the surrounding ruins, he was in a grand hall, flanked by eight massive stone pillars, pure white and carved with coiling dragons. Yet the passage of ages had left them cracked, as was the rest of the area.

Finally, Lu Yuan came to a colossal plaque, only half intact, its writing fallen away, unreadable. The Fuxi Diagram indicated the divine artifact lay beneath it.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Yuan did not hesitate. He grasped the plaque with both hands. It was incredibly heavy, like a small mountain—so much so that even those at the Cage Realm could not lift it. But Lu Yuan was different; his heart beat, his whole body vibrated, golden light surrounded his arms, and a tremendous power surged forth.

Crack, crack, crack~

The half plaque was lifted, dust billowing. Beneath it lay an ancient token of purple-gold hue, radiating a gentle light. But what truly drew attention was the aura of supreme authority that surrounded it—untouchable, inviolable. Upon it, Lu Yuan saw two characters inscribed:

Heavenly Emperor!

(End of chapter)