359 - It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists

Chapter 359: So They Were the Protagonists Author: ccc Although Ye Yu's speed in overcoming the trials couldn't match Mu Zhian's, he still surpassed most of the prodigies present. As a descendant of the Ye family, his talent was indeed impressive. Ye Yu successfully passed the assessment and, as expected, encountered Mu Zhian at the gates of the Celestial Palace. With this, her goals were accomplished. Ye Qingxin's alluring red lips curled into a subtle smile as she once again turned her gaze toward Mu Zhian. At this moment, he had already opened his eyes, seemingly now aligned his chaotic spiritual energy. His black robe, adorned with golden threads, added a touch of nobility to his demeanor, making him appear just like a refined young gentleman, with striking and distinct facial features. In terms of looks alone, few could compare to him. Yet, in the world of cultivation, appearances were of little significance… Ye Qingxin was about to shift her gaze to assess the situation of others when her peripheral vision was suddenly caught by a faint glare. She squinted slightly and glanced aside. It was light, boundless light spreading within the scroll, surging like a tide. Subsequently, under Ye Qingxin's vividly crimson eyes that gradually froze in place, she witnessed a scene that would remain unforgettable. Within the painting, Mu Zhian raised his hand and pressed lightly against the gate of the Celestial Palace. Then, without any resistance, he gently pushed it open. Chapter 324: Mu Zhian: Isn't This My Home? A blinding white light swept past, reflecting within the painting, presenting a sight of the scene behind the gates of the Celestial Palace! The Celestial Palace rose majestically, shrouded in mist, with distant echoes of ancient bells faintly heard as white cranes roamed the Celestial grounds, creating an ethereal paradise. The last time he came, Mu Zhian was too occupied with absorbing the spiritual energy of the Celestial Palace to venture deeper. But this time, relishing the rare opportunity, he stepped into the Celestial Palace without hesitation. “No wonder Ye Qingxin would offer a first-grade spirit item as a reward… This trial of the Celestial Palace is beyond what an ordinary person could pass.” Mu Zhian muttered to himself. Only those in alignment with the rules or the master of the Celestial Palace could open its gate, and none among the people here was wearing Nirvana Silk-stockings. To put it simply, the prerequisite of being 'female' already excluded many cultivators. Even for female cultivators, who would imagine such an odd requirement? Yet, Ye Qingxin couldn't have possibly envisioned that among these trial disciples, someone would actually succeed in opening the Celestial Palace's gate. Actually, even without the first-grade spirit item as a prize, the spiritual energy within the Celestial Palace alone would be considered an extremely rare fortune. The spirituality within the Celestial Palace came from Ye Qingxin's insights while creating the paradise, containing unique Dao rhymes; with luck, one might even break through their bottleneck. Despite being of the Ye family, the ancestor seemed much more generous compared to Ye Yu. “Although in agreement, the spiritual energy of the Celestial Palace isn’t particularly significant for me…” Mu Zhian shook his head in thought, initially planning to proceed directly into the depths of the Celestial Palace. But after reconsidering, he halted at the gate, and with a wave of his hand, spread a wisp of spiritual energy from a furnace across the entrance. It was like leaving a ‘Mu Zhian Was Here’ mark. After marking his presence at the gate of the Celestial Palace, Mu Zhian finally stepped further into its depths. He certainly hadn’t realized that his every move was being observed by two empresses. On the Ascension Platform, Ye Qingxin's gaze was fixated on the painting, unable to tear her eyes away, filled with shock and disbelief. The gate of the Celestial Palace, a portal only traversable by those who met specific criteria, had been effortlessly opened by Mu Zhian, who hadn’t even activated his spiritual energy. Yao Meng, too, stared quietly, her expression retaining its usual calm, though a thoughtful glint had appeared in her emerald eyes. From the moment she saw the back of the young man at the end of the path to becoming an immortal, she had felt a sense of familiarity. Yet, at that time, it was hard for Yao Meng to align the master of the Celestial Palace with Mu Zhian in her imagination. Now, however… the figure she saw at the end of the path was likely not an illusion at all. “Seems like you didn’t expect anyone to open the gate leading to the Celestial Palace, did you?” Yao Meng gently tilted her head toward Ye Qingxin, observing her demeanor. Although Ye Qingxin’s expression remained calm, the astonishment hidden in the depths of her eyes was undeniable. “Did you foresee that he could open the Celestial Palace gate?” she asked, retrieving focus from her earlier thoughts to meet Yao Meng’s green eyes. Yao Meng shook her head gently, speaking softly, “It was merely a guess I couldn’t bring myself to believe… but now, thinking back, his imaginative scenes of intimacy could have already given us the answer.” Ye Qingxin’s eyes flickered, contemplating what Yao Meng had said. “The first step of the trial you set has something we all overlooked.” Yao Meng continued, “The illusions within your heaven spring forth from the desires buried inside the hearts of cultivators.” She glanced at the painting, where the youth was now wandering deeper into the Celestial Palace, before speaking again, “Remember when you and he were together… I mean, the version of you he imagined?” Recalling some unpleasant memories, Ye Qingxin gritted her teeth internally yet maintained a composed countenance: “Of course, I remember.” How could anyone forget such a situation? In the past, she never would have thought a mere cultivator dared show disrespect towards a formidable being of the agreement realm. Against such a presence, maintaining composure without kneeling was the utmost limit. Who could’ve imagined Mu Zhian would not only entertain special thoughts about her but also act on them... The broken pieces she saw near the bed flashed in her mind, causing a tinge of redness to spread across her cheeks. “Why do you bring this up now?” she inquired, suppressing the flutter in her heart. “Wasn't the imagined palace in his mind reminiscent of the Celestial Palace’s quarters?” Yao Meng asked. Ye Qingxin paused momentarily. Indeed… The illusions within the heavenly realm mirrored the desires within a cultivator’s heart. Yet, the extent of Mu Zhian’s imagination wasn’t just limited to women; he had envisioned the Celestial Palace’s quarters and more. If that's the case, then how could Mu Zhian imagine what the Celestial Palace’s quarters looked like without having been there? Ye Qingxin's eyes shimmered as she gradually calmed down. Then, she gave an answer that took Yao Meng by surprise: “I’ve never seen what the quarters of the Celestial Palace look like.” “The Celestial territory isn’t as small as you might think; on the contrary, it’s vast, so vast that one’s experience would vary greatly from another’s,” Ye Qingxin explained. “This implies that after ascending to the Celestial Palace, the scenes one witnesses may be entirely different?” Yao Meng murmured softly. Ye Qingxin nodded slightly, “The gate of the Celestial Palace leads to any of its regions beyond one's control.” Despite their detailed discussion, Ye Qingxin’s gaze once again fell upon the painting. Despite saying so much, she still couldn’t understand one crucial aspect: — How exactly did Mu Zhian manage to push open the gate of the Celestial Palace? In fact, Ye Qingxin had already formed a theory but was still struggling to accept it. However… as the narrative unfolded before them, proof of her hypothesis may soon unfold. After all, a palace known as the ‘Celestial Palace’ existed in the depths of the Celestial realm, never before treaded upon. If Mu Zhian made it there, it might just confirm her conjecture. With Mu Zhian continuing on deeper within, Ye Qingxin's attention reflexively shifted to the remaining trial disciples in the painting. Among them was naturally Ye Yu, her family's descendant. Ye Yu’s trial wasn’t filled with the same improper vistas. At its core, this heaven merely manifested people’s desires, not everyone like Mu Zhian had a mind filled with indecent thoughts. Fixating on Ye Yu, who now stood before the gate, Ye Qingxin's gaze held a newfound interest. Judging Mu Zhian as the Celestial master’s heir, or even as the master himself, based solely on him opening the gate, seemed impulsive. If Ye Yu also succeeded in opening the gate, the previous conjectures about Mu Zhian would have to be reevaluated. Ye Qingxin watched the young man in the painting closely, as he placed his hand steadily against the grand gate, closed his eyes slightly, and focused intensely. Suddenly, spiritual energy burst from Ye Yu as his right hand forcefully pushed against the gate of the Celestial Palace! Yet, the ancient gate remained unmoved. Unwilling to concede, Ye Yu channeled more spiritual energy into his palm, resolutely pushing toward the gate once more. But still, the door showed no sign of changing. "Why… If Ye Qingxin is my ancestor, why can't I open this door?" Ye Yu stared up at the Celestial Palace's grand gate, his eyes glinting with a deep unwillingness. At that moment, he sensed a reaction from the elder within him and inwardly inquired, "Could Master possibly know how to pass this trial?" "Even I have never set foot in the Celestial Palace before," the elder's voice, tinged with helplessness, replied. Suddenly, with a hint of surprise, he added, "Hmm? It seems someone has been here recently… There's a lingering trace of spiritual energy left behind." Ye Yu muttered to himself softly, "Someone came here just now…?" "If so, then why can't I see them?" "Could it be… that person opened this gate and proceeded to the next trial?!" The elder pondered briefly, seeming to resonate with the footsteps of the one who passed earlier. Soon, he fell silent. Ye Yu sensed something was amiss and asked quietly, "Master…?" After a long pause, the elder murmured, "It was Mu Zhian." Upon hearing this, Ye Yu froze for a moment, then his eyes filled with a changing intensity. Gradually, he clenched his fists and struck the gate of the Celestial Palace fiercely, internally roaring in frustration, "Why?!" "I am the child of fortune, so how could he pass this trial while I am left without any opportunity?!" Wasn't Ye Qingxin supposed to be his ancestor?! Why was Mu Zhian able to pass the trial, while he was shut out?! At this moment, a sense of helpless fury filled Ye Yu, who felt betrayed as he watched the gate so close yet so unattainable, hammering it in vain with no progress. On the Ascension Platform, Yao Meng observed the scene with a hint of amusement, glancing at Ye Qingxin, "It seems your Ye family descendant lacks stability." Ye Qingxin's brows furrowed lightly but she refrained from responding. Initially, she thought this descendant of the Ye family had solid talent and a willingness to work hard, making him a promising young talent. However, witnessing Ye Yu’s impotent rage now… it was clear his temperament remained overly impulsive. Given that he was still part of the Ye lineage, she considered offering appropriate assistance afterward to ensure she honored her family legacy. As these thoughts occupied her mind, her gaze turned back to another part of the scroll. Even this empress couldn't have anticipated that Ye Yu's breakdown was not solely about failing to pass the gate. Rather, it was because he realized that Mu Zhian might have already succeeded, especially knowing this heavenly realm was the creation of Ye Qingxin. To see Mu Zhian succeed while he did not, created a dissonance that was hard for Ye Yu to stomach, stirring up jealousy. Of course, Ye Yu’s internal struggles were of minimal concern to Ye Qingxin now. Her focus was elsewhere… As Mu Zhian ventured into the depths of the Celestial Palace, the scroll depicted an astonishing scene. In the distance, the majestic sunset seemed ablaze with an unquenchable fire, an ancient grand palace standing beneath the sky. Constructed from white jade, every stone resonated with rich spiritual energy. Rays of golden light cascaded from above, pooling inside the palace, and in the blink of an eye, it was shrouded in a gilded aura. "The entire palace is built from spirit stones, and special spirit stones seem embedded within… If I could take a few pieces back, they would likely fetch a hefty price," Mu Zhian mused, gazing at the celestial palace in awe. He conjured a flying sword with a gesture, swiftly soaring towards the palace. Yao Meng’s lips curled slightly as her bright eyes followed the moving figure, never leaving him for an instant. Ye Qingxin, too, watched the young man in the painting with traces of surprise. The Heavenly Palace was an incredibly mysterious place. In the past, upon ascending to the Celestial Palace, she had attempted to approach it only to be deterred by peculiar arrays before getting close. If one were to guess, the Heavenly Palace might be where the master of the Celestial Palace once resided. Now, seeing Mu Zhian move effortlessly across its grounds without any resistance felt almost as if he was simply returning home. In no time, as Mu Zhian entered the palace, a scene unfolded of countless paper cranes filling the air. Even for Ye Qingxin, who had once ascended the Celestial Palace, the sight left her somewhat puzzled. Why were there so many paper cranes inside the heavenly palace…?