Chapter 1545: The Grand Celestial Venerable's Past

"Until the Profound Heaven King's rise, the First Grand Celestial Venerable's descendants were among the most powerful in the Xuanhuang World," the Grand Celestial Venerable continued, their voice like a gentle breeze, soothing and calming. "Even rivaling some ancient sects. People speculated they possessed not only immortal blood, but also treasures stolen from their ancestor."

"So, their fate wasn't pleasant," Li Fan observed.

"Indeed, Senior. When the Profound Heaven King returned from the Immortal Realm with his Twelve Dharma Kings, the First's descendants led the resistance, aiming to restore their ancestor's empire. They were quite powerful, initially causing considerable trouble for the King."

"But that was due to the King's misplaced mercy. Once he resolved to act, no one could withstand him." A hint of emotion, not just admiration but also a subtle resentment, colored the Grand Celestial Venerable's voice as they spoke of the Profound Heaven King. They seemed unaware of this, continuing their story.

"The First's descendants, though lacking true immortal power, mirrored their ancestor's depravity. When the Profound Heaven King conquered their territory, their crimes were revealed. To maintain their bloodline's "purity," they practiced incest, abducted gifted children, enslaved cultivators, and even sacrificed living beings to maintain their power. Their atrocities were countless."

"Enraged, the Profound Heaven King transformed and imprisoned them all."

Li Fan interrupted. "Let's talk about the First Grand Celestial Venerable. If I'm not mistaken, they didn't abandon their immortality completely. They preserved their immortal body, a path back to the Immortal Realm, correct? They could regain their immortality if the opportunity arose."

"As expected of someone entrusted with such an important position, moving freely between the mortal and immortal realms."

"And you're downplaying their actions to make me overlook this hidden immortal body." Li Fan's gaze turned cold.

Though exposed, the Grand Celestial Venerable remained calm, offering no response.

"You're stalling, hoping to find a way to escape my control," Li Fan observed, glancing towards the distance. The Grand Celestial Venerable's expression flickered for the first time.

"And I've been patiently listening, waiting for the right moment."

The time had come. He unleashed the suppressed Mo Annihilation power, engulfing the Grand Celestial Venerable. Their surprised expression froze as they became like a statue, devoid of life.

He hadn't killed them, merely preserving a sliver of their life force and soul, sealing them like a Heavenly Pillar.

"Asking questions is less efficient than seeing for myself." He shook his head. He wouldn't trust a woman's words, especially this one. He had listened to their story for amusement. Now, he would uncover the truth himself.

He had hesitated before because of their position. The Grand Celestial Venerable was crucial to the Xuanhuang World's stability. Removing them abruptly could cause chaos, and he couldn't risk destabilizing his anchor points.

Thus, while severing their connection to the world, he had used his True Immortal power to temporarily assume the role of acting Grand Celestial Venerable, ensuring a smooth transition. Then, he had acted. He hadn't forgotten their initial hostility, their collaboration with the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao to suppress him upon his arrival.

"Let's see…" He narrowed his eyes, flipping through the Grand Celestial Venerable's memories like pages in a book.

The Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, sensing the Grand Celestial Venerable's sudden disappearance and Li Fan's usurpation, reacted with curiosity and caution. Dark clouds gathered as a powerful wave of consciousness, far surpassing any ordinary cultivator's, descended upon Li Fan. It felt like the weight of the entire Xuanhuang World pressing down on him.

Li Fan snorted and stomped his foot, instantly reversing the pressure. His divine sense surged, suppressing the Heavenly Dao's probing consciousness.

The current Heavenly Dao, not yet warped by future calamities, was easier to control than its future, twisted self. He unleashed a combination of threats and incentives: the pressure of his True Immortal power, the nourishment of immortal spiritual qi, and the all-consuming threat of the Mo Annihilation Immortal Soul. The Heavenly Dao retreated, silenced.

He returned to the Grand Celestial Venerable's memories. Frozen in time, their past was laid bare before him.

The Grand Celestial Venerable, once an ordinary mortal named Yi Yutong, had lived under the Profound Heaven Sect's protection, her family worshiping a statue of the Faceless Profound Heaven God. Though the sect later ordered the removal of all such statues, her parents, out of gratitude, kept it hidden, continuing their worship in secret.

For a while, nothing happened. The Profound Heaven Sect, seemingly content with a symbolic decree, didn't enforce it strictly.

Then, one day, Yi Yutong awoke to find her parents dead, their faces, like the statue's, blank, their features vanished, suffocated in their sleep. Fortunately, their deaths had been painless.

But under the Profound Heaven Sect's rule, even mortal lives mattered. The mysterious death of two mortals, connected to the forbidden statue, caused a stir. Why would worshiping the benevolent Profound Heaven God bring misfortune?

The sect quickly intervened, blaming the family for defying their decree and suffering the consequences.

Yi Yutong was brought before the Profound Heaven King. She still remembered his expression of delight upon seeing her. He took her in.

Later, she understood the reason for his joy. He had found a suitable successor.

She, too, had worshiped the Faceless God alongside her parents, but she had been unaffected. According to the Profound Heaven King, and her own speculation, she had been exposed to the statue's influence while still in the womb, granting her immunity. This unique resistance had saved her life, attracting the King's attention.

But he hadn't shown her any special favor, perhaps to avoid drawing attention to her unique nature. She grew up alongside countless other orphans under the sect's care. Except for the King's occasional visits to teach her cultivation techniques and check on her health, she was treated like any other orphan.

But her cultivation was unusually slow, a mysterious force hindering her progress, despite her exceptional talent. She advanced at a predetermined pace, the mockery of her peers and the pressure from the sect driving her to tears.

She confronted the Profound Heaven King, who simply replied, "Slow growth leads to strength, and strength leads to longevity." His cryptic words offered little comfort.

But she persevered, finally reaching Golden Core at twenty-nine, officially entering the path of cultivation. Though slow, she could finally contribute to the sect.

Then, disaster struck. Powerful invaders attacked the heavily fortified Profound Heaven Sect, overwhelming its defenses. As a mere Golden Core cultivator, she could only flee with the others. She vaguely remembered hearing the Profound Heaven King's voice amidst the chaos, but she wasn't sure.

Outside the sect, countless cultivators, once seemingly loyal followers, now hunted down and slaughtered the fleeing disciples without mercy.

As an insignificant Golden Core cultivator, she wasn't a priority target. Though severely injured, she managed to escape, then collapsed from her wounds.

She had a long, strange dream.

When she awoke, she was the Grand Celestial Venerable. She possessed the memories of past Grand Celestial Venerables and a message from the Profound Heaven King, explaining this was his contingency plan. If he perished, she would automatically inherit his position.

Normally, becoming the Grand Celestial Venerable required specific trials. But according to the King, she had already passed them as a child, upon entering the sect, though she had no memory of this.

From a Golden Core cultivator to the Grand Celestial Venerable, wielding power that could crush Dao Integration experts… it was overwhelming.

Her first instinct was revenge against the treacherous Ten Sects. But the restrictions of her new position prevented this. As Grand Celestial Venerable, she couldn't act on personal grudges. She possessed immense power, but she couldn't even avenge her fallen comrades. And she couldn't abandon her duty. The images of their deaths at the Ten Sects' hands were still fresh in her mind. How could she forgive them, let alone cooperate with them to protect the Xuanhuang World?

She tried to resist the restrictions, but the threat of being incinerated by the Heavenly Dao's karmic flames terrified her. She couldn't sacrifice her life for revenge. This only deepened her shame.

Every day as Grand Celestial Venerable was torture. She avoided contact with the Ten Sects' leaders, unable to bear their presence.

While fulfilling her duties, she searched for the Profound Heaven King, hoping to return the burden of her position to him, then seek her revenge. But she couldn't find him. He seemed to have vanished. Yet, her instincts told her he was still alive. She hadn't given up hope.

But time heals all wounds.

Fifty years, one hundred… eight hundred, three thousand… The memories of her fallen comrades faded. And most of those responsible for their deaths had died of old age.

She finally understood the Profound Heaven King's cryptic words: "Slow growth leads to strength, and strength leads to longevity."

Her desire for revenge waned.

But she still wanted to relinquish her position.

(End of chapter)