Chapter 715: The World Beyond Heaven
The Price of Restoration
Hanyue's condition caught both Luke and Diana by surprise.
"Your blood is still preserved somewhere?" Diana asked.
"Yes, at the Celestial Court."
Luke stated seriously, "I don't know why you're so certain, but if your blood truly exists, I can help. Cloning a god is a fascinating proposition, and I'm very interested in the subject."
Hanyue shook her head slightly.
"I don't need your help. I only need you to teach me the knowledge related to cloning."
Luke laughed heartily.
"Your Highness, I don't think you grasp the scope of human technological development. Cloning is cutting-edge technology. On the entire planet, fewer than five people possess both the knowledge and the ability to execute it. I am one of them, and I'm the best."
"Knowledge alone is not enough. You also need instruments, equipment, and professional laboratories, all of which require money. You currently don't have a single penny."
Hanyue still stuck to her original demand. "That is my concern. Regardless, I must learn that knowledge. You will teach me."
"Alright!"
Luke spread his hands. "I agree to teach you. Do you have any other demands?"
"No."
"Very good. Diana, pack up. We are going to Kunlun."
Piercing the Veil
Half an hour later, on the highest peak of the Kunlun Mountains.
The sky was above them, and the clouds were below. Looking out, where white met blue, mountains soared into the air, their snow-covered peaks like spears piercing the heavens.
Luke and Diana, fully geared up, stood on the summit. They couldn't help but marvel at the surrounding scenery.
This area was like a paradise on Earth.
Hanyue materialized behind them, pointing upward.
"The entrance is up there."
"How do we get in?"
"In the past, the Celestial Court entrance was constantly guarded. All you had to do was shout loudly, and they would open the door. Now that the guards are gone, we have to rely on ourselves."
Luke said gravely, "You want me to force it open."
"It is the only way."
Luke said nothing more. His soul left his body and surged against the wind, growing into a six-armed giant over twenty meters tall. After absorbing the Soul Crystal, his soul power had undergone a qualitative leap; previously, his giant form was a maximum of ten meters. Now it had doubled.
His six hands simultaneously executed magic seals.
The clouds below roiled violently as if alive. Dark clouds gathered, lightning streaked across the sky, and in mere seconds, the vast sea of clouds turned into a world of thunder and electricity.
"Such powerful soul power! Such high cultivation!"
Hanyue's pupils contracted. Luke's ability to manipulate the thunderclouds was no less than her father's, and the scope was even wider.
He's clearly not a god, yet he possesses power and a soul far exceeding that of a god. How did he do it?
One moment, Kunlun was bathed in clear, sunny skies; the next, it was shrouded in a world of dark clouds, with lightning flashing through, punctuated by deafening roars.
Suddenly, a bolt of electricity pierced the heavens. The dark clouds tore open, and an incredibly thick pillar of lightning appeared in the sky. Only seconds later did the roaring thunder of the explosion follow.
The sky vanished, and a world exuding an ancient aura was presented before the three of them.
Hanyue took a deep breath, suppressing her excitement.
"It's here! Hurry and go in! The entrance will close in ten seconds at most!"
With that, she took the lead and flew toward the sky. Luke and Diana followed close behind.
The Vestiges of a Lost Civilization
Shortly after they left, two white-haired old men in Taoist robes appeared near the Kunlun Mountains. One of them was Master Yun Shang of the White Cloud Temple, with whom Luke had dealings before.
The other held a horsetail whisk and had a peach wood rod strapped to his back. His eyes were severe and authoritative. He was none other than Zhang Xintuo, the previous Longhu Mountain Master and the most senior legendary figure in the Taoist faith.
The two passed through the dark clouds and stood beneath the tear in the sky.
"That world, did you feel it?"
Master Yun Shang stroked his beard. "Boundless Heavenly Venerate. I never imagined the Celestial Court truly existed."
Zhang Xintuo frowned. "The person used thunder magic. Who could it be?"
Master Yun Shang chuckled. "Aside from you, Uncle Master, who else can use such Divine Firmament Thunder Magic?"
"No."
Zhang Xintuo shook his head seriously. "His cultivation far exceeds mine. I cannot tear a hole through the void with a single strike."
"Uncle Master, how do you think we should handle this matter?"
Zhang Xintuo contemplated for a moment, then spoke slowly.
"The entrance has closed. With our cultivation, we can't enter. We can only wait. I will guard this spot. You return and gather manpower. We must determine that person's identity and find out how he knew the location of the Celestial Court."
Master Yun Shang smiled helplessly.
"Uncle Master is truly a practitioner of deep solitude. You don't understand the changes in the world. To 'call in people' now, you don't need to go in person."
He then pulled out a satellite phone.
Inside the Forgotten World
A world within a world—such things only existed in legends. This was Luke's first time witnessing it.
The Celestial Court?
No, it should be called Buzhou Mountain.
The moment Luke stepped into the world, he saw the pillar that stood between heaven and earth, ascending through the clouds, reaching straight into the sky.
From a distance, the pillar looked like a mere needle. Only upon approaching did he realize that the pillar's diameter was over twenty kilometers wide.
What a colossal "needle." What a thick pillar!
This was Buzhou Mountain!
It truly was something that had to be seen to be believed.
Hanyue spoke up,
"Follow Buzhou Mountain upward. The Celestial Court is at the very top."
Luke nodded slightly, then turned to look around. The environment of this world was extremely similar to Earth. Perhaps due to the absence of humans, the vegetation was incredibly lush, and there were many animals—all of them extinct species only seen in documentaries.
Triceratops, Allosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, Crocosaurus, Saber-toothed Tigers... It was momentarily disorienting, feeling like he had traveled back in time.
"Incredible."
Luke chuckled excitedly. "I think I should open a Jurassic Park and instantly expand the scale of my collection."
Diana shot him a look.
"Don't forget the purpose of our visit."
Luke reluctantly pulled his gaze away, his mind already formulating a plan for the construction of his Jurassic Park.
Diana asked curiously, "Are there no humans here?"
Hanyue pointed toward some ruins not far away.
"Many people used to live there."
"What happened later?"
"The city was already destroyed when I left Earth."
"Why was it destroyed?"
Hanyue shook her head. "Ask no more. That matter has nothing to do with you. We should go up."
With that, she ignored the two of them and flew straight toward the sky.
Luke walked up to Diana and explained in a low voice,
"The seven great pantheons each have their characteristics, but the Celestial Court is the most unique. The archives in the Rock of Eternity record that the number of deceased gods in the Eastern Celestial Court is greater than the total of the other six pantheons combined."
"How did they die?"
"You guess."
Diana's expression faltered, and she couldn't help but whisper, "Could it be..."
"Precisely. Infighting. They are masters of internal strife. As for the reason, it might be related to their cultivation methods, or perhaps simply the struggle for power."
"Hanyue, she..."
"That woman's identity is unique. God knows what role she played in all of it."
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