Chapter 503: Chapter 416: Secrets of the Star God, Retracing the Ancient Past

"What is this?"

Beside him, Bo Yuan frowned and asked, while the others stared intently, carefully examining the mural above.

As the Starry Sky Evil God is the dominator of the cosmos, no one knows exactly how many there are, just as you cannot determine how many stars are in the sky or the vastness of the cosmos.

However, there are indeed differences in strength among the Evil Gods, and they fight and conflict with each other, relentlessly. Otherwise, with their power, there would be no way for other beings to survive.

The Red Refining Fairy’s eyes showed some surprise, "Judging by what’s depicted on this mural, could it be that the Starry Sky Evil Gods have factions?"

"Not factions..."

An aged voice sounded, it was Zhang Kui who took out a silk scroll, releasing the Scribe Old Ghost.

"Shu Dianzhang?!"

Master Illusion was stunned upon seeing this.

The Scribe Old Ghost sighed slightly and bowed to Master Illusion, saying, "I greet Lord Huan. Unexpectedly, after tens of thousands of years, I can still encounter you, My Lord."

Perhaps because his surrendered appearance was seen by an old acquaintance, Master Illusion’s expression was somewhat unnatural, "Oh, you’re quite lucky to have survived."

Zhang Kui’s eyes flashed slightly, his suspicion toward the old ghost somewhat alleviated.

This old ghost indeed lied; he wasn’t just a minor clerk managing records but was the chief curator of the Immortal Hall, which explains his knowledge of many secrets of the Immortal Dynasty.

The Scribe Old Ghost then turned and bowed respectfully to Zhang Kui, "Sect Leader, it’s not that I wanted to hide anything, but with my low cultivation, the record pavilion in the Immortal Hall is not valued, and really not worth mentioning."

Thinking of this, Zhang Kui asked in a deep voice, "It’s fine, what do you know?"

The Scribe Old Ghost turned his head to look at the mural and sighed, "In the Immortal Hall, there’s a team specialized in excavating the Ancient Secret Realm. Sometimes they find some ancient stone carvings, and I, immersed in the sea of books for thousands of years, was fortunate to decipher a few."

"There once was a stone carving found in a Black Tide area, recording that among the plethora of Star Gods, they appear chaotic and unordered, but in truth, the foundation upon which they devour the Law’s Great Path also becomes part of this world’s operation."

"Simply put, just as the cosmos has the darkness of the void and the brilliance of stars, the vastness of the Mortal World, and the eeriness of the Underworld, heaven and earth are split into two, with Yin and Yang opposed, so too are the Starry Sky Evil Gods."

The Red Refining Fairy laughed, "According to what you say, could it be that the Starry Sky Evil Gods have divisions of light and darkness, and the Red Pigeon is renowned?"

The Scribe Old Ghost smiled, "You speak of good and evil in creatures. How could the Heavenly Dao have good and evil, just as the Scorching Sun nurtures all things but also scorches the world into silence. Everything always has two sides; being black or white is just human ignorance."

The Red Refining Fairy thought for a moment and bowed, "I’ve been enlightened."

Zhang Kui said in a deep voice, "What you said is correct, but the celestial order concerns Yin and Yang, and human concerns good and evil, all things and all beings are interlinked. Without order and rule, it results in this current chaos."

The old ghost respectfully bowed, "The Sect Leader has grand ambitions, to go against the heavenly schemes with human intentions; I am impressed."

Zhang Kui nodded without speaking, knowing that what he pursued seemed powerless to others, yet the path he sought was exactly this, though thousands oppose me, I walk my path unbothered!

The old ghost continued, "Since my deciphering, I only felt it was ludicrous, hence I haven’t mentioned it to anyone, but unexpectedly it appears here too, indicating the Longevity Immortal Monarch has long been aware."

Master Illusion nodded in agreement, "The twelve Immortal Kings studied under Emperor Venerable, so of course, they know quite a few secrets of the cosmos. Judging by the mural, these Star Gods are divided according to their laws of devouring, but I know, even within one faction, there is incessant conflict with no pattern. It must have been randomly categorized by predecessors."

The Scribe Old Ghost smiled bitterly, "I am also unclear."

Zhang Kui concentrated on observing, suddenly a flash of insight passed through his mind, and he frowned, "Not light and darkness, rather expansion and collapse!"

"Expansion and collapse?"

Everyone looked at each other, somewhat puzzled.

Zhang Kui recalled the theories of his past life and the contraction of stars in the Underworld, feeling an inexplicable fear in his heart, "The Dao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, evolving all things in the world, but if this process can be reversed, would it ultimately return to chaos?"

"Comrade... you must be joking..."

The others frowned, finding this somewhat unbelievable.

Zhang Kui took a deep breath, "Why wouldn’t there be? All things in heaven and earth have reincarnation; so-called longevity is just a joke. Even this vast cosmos has a day of end, and the Starry Sky Evil Gods rampaging the cosmos might merely be pawns manipulated."

Upon these words, everyone fell silent.

They, too, thought about how in the Underworld, stars contract immensely.

Could it be that the Mortal World will be this way too?

Would it be Yin and Yang reversing, or another type of end?

Who controls the pawns?

Is it the Great Path?

Or is there another hand in the shadows?

The Scribe Old Ghost was silent for a long time, suddenly smiling bitterly, "My master was the previous curator, and he once sighed that ignorance is bliss. The more one knows, the more one thinks, the greater the fear."

Master Illusion was stunned, "Your master, is it the crazy one?"

The Scribe Old Ghost nodded silently.

"Thinking so much is useless!"

Zhang Kui waved his hand, looking at Master Illusion and the Scribe Old Ghost, "Focus on the present first, what’s going on with this Immortal King Tower? Do you know how to control it?"

The Scribe Old Ghost respectfully bowed, "With my shallow cultivation, I only know the Immortal King Tower is abandoned here. I don’t want it to be seized by the Starry Sky Evil Gods, so I invited the Sect Leader to take it."

Master Illusion’s face showed some embarrassment, "Zhang... Sect Leader, to be honest, I was tricked by a villain, that’s why I foolishly came to inspect, not expecting such danger."

Zhang Kui was somewhat speechless.

This Immortal King Tower is a significant weapon refined by the Longevity Immortal Monarch, a treasure that suppresses fortune. The Immortal King is an existence even more ruthless than the Starry Sky Evil God, and even True Monarch Ying Hai wouldn’t dare to take the risk. Just thinking about it tells you it’s not simple.

Honestly, if it weren’t for accidentally bringing along the Red Refining Fairy, he might not have been able to enter this great hall.

Still, he had to rely on himself...

With this in mind, Zhang Kui immediately used the Immortal Skill "Observing Through a Wall" to carefully inspect inside and outside the great hall.

This was a great hall built on a Floating Island, a small island less than a kilometer in circumference, surrounded on all sides by the Endless Void.

The great hall’s design was ancient and very simple, with no visible arrays, yet it continuously emitted a golden light, as if it were a fiery sun standing in the darkness.

An unfamiliar method to him...

Moreover, they arrived through the golden chains, but the gap they entered through was now impossible to find, as if it never existed.

Could they be trapped here?

Zhang Kui’s brow furrowed heavily as he carefully sensed the Laws surrounding them, gradually perceiving a slight difference.

He was familiar with the Void Law, but the void outside this great hall was somewhat different: there was no up or down, no near or far, and even the concepts of past and future seemed to have vanished.

Time...

Zhang Kui suddenly recalled that the Cave Heaven Foundation of the Longevity Immortal Monarch was the Time Law. Could it be that the key to breaking the situation was related to time?

The Celestial Gang Skill naturally had Immortal Skills related to Time Laws, such as "Returning to Heaven and Returning to the Sun," which could illuminate the past, present, and future, and "Shifting Stars and Changing Dipper," which could transform time and space simultaneously. However, these were powerful Immortal Skills that required a despairing amount of Golden Light of Law.

The easier ones include "Returning Wind and Returning Fire" and "Flowers Bloom in an Instant." "Returning Wind and Returning Fire" could reverse the effects of skills, while "Flowers Bloom in an Instant" accelerated them.

Both involved the Time Law, and with the Golden Light of Law Zhang Kui had accumulated, he could only learn one.

Truth be told, Zhang Kui originally didn’t plan to learn them because it wasn’t cost-effective.

Such advanced Immortal Skills, while subtly profound, could not display their power until reaching high levels.

For example, "Returning Wind and Returning Fire" had limitations on range and upper limit. It could only reverse effects within a two-meter radius, and anything capable of harming oneself was also powerless. It was more practical to improve "Guiding Primordial Yang" and "Wishful Size," but now it might be the key to breaking the situation.

Of course, confirmation was still needed.

With this thought, Zhang Kui immediately used the Moon Fetching Technique. To everyone’s surprise, an inexplicable moonlight fell in the once pitch-black great hall, cool and enchanting, with a touch of fantasy.

Yet, the scene inside the great hall remained unchanged.

Everyone exchanged glances, uncertain of Zhang Kui’s intentions.

What they didn’t know was that this was Zhang Kui’s first time fully operating the Moon Fetching Technique since becoming an Immortal, attempting to trace back the past scenes to find a clue.

The scene currently displayed inside the great hall was that of a hundred years ago.

This place had been dormant for tens of thousands of years, and with its unique space, naturally, there was no change.

Zhang Kui remained patient, continuing to channel Mana.

Several hundred years...

A thousand years...

Several thousand years...

Still, there was no change.

Even Zhang Kui had reached his limit at this point, with his eyes ablaze as he suddenly activated Dharma Aspect Heaven and Earth, nearly piercing through the great hall with his head, forcing him to sit cross-legged.

"He’s tracing back the ancient light and shadow!"

Master Illusion suddenly realized something, staring at Zhang Kui incredulously.

Similar skills were already advanced, and tracing back such distant times was simply astonishing. The Longevity Immortal Monarch could certainly achieve it, but he was a Starry Sky Dominator...

Everyone became solemn, not daring to make a sound for fear of disrupting the spell.

After Zhang Kui displayed Dharma Aspect Heaven and Earth, his power doubled, and the speed of his tracing skyrocketed.

Ten thousand years ago...

Eleven thousand years ago...

The further back he went, the more difficult the reversal became. Zhang Kui even felt a tinge of despair. Could it be that the images of this world had long been erased?

Just then, there was finally a change in the light and shadow.

In front of the great hall suddenly appeared a stone throne, on which sat an ancient three-headed race member, towering and massive, with broken copper armor covering the body, and golden blood continually oozing out.

Yet, even in this state, he was still full of arrogant dominance, with pupils continuously bursting with flames...

"Scorching Sun True Monarch!"

Master Illusion exclaimed in shock, involuntarily stepping back.

Seeing Zhang Kui’s confusion, he explained with a somber expression, "Sect Leader Zhang, this man is called Scorching Sun True Monarch, an arch-enemy of True Monarch Ying Hai, reclusive by nature, and sent by the Immortal King to guard the Immortal Prison. Rumor had it that during great turmoil, he was slain by the Red Pigeon Star God, but unexpectedly, he died here..."

Suddenly, Zhang Kui frowned, looking towards the Scorching Sun True Monarch.

He saw this man slowly raise his head, staring at him intently, a faint smile on his face, "You’ve arrived?"