Chapter Twelve: Ascending the Divine Realm, First Stage – Approaching the Mystical Depths

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The Golden Cavalry Douluo still drove his carriage, but from now on, this carriage belonged to Lu Chun.

Entering the court without haste, receiving bows without naming, and stepping into the hall wearing sword and boots—Lu Chun licked his lips, marveling at how daring the Douling Emperor truly was. These three privileges were undeniably the exclusive rights of a powerful minister.

Lu Chun could already imagine the expressions on the faces of the ministers and nobles at the morning court a few days later when they heard this proclamation. Any loyal subject among them would surely risk their life to remonstrate.

Yet Lu Chun knew that this was purely the Douling Emperor’s way to secure his own position. If that seed failed to sprout the life-prolonging celestial herb, then no matter how extravagant his current rewards were, his death would be all the more cruel.

Fortunately, Lu Chun never intended to deceive. That was indeed a life-extending celestial herb, though this longevity might differ greatly from what most imagined.

Thinking this, Lu Chun smiled. He cared little for so-called rewards; from beginning to end, all he sought was a broader, clearer path to the future. And the Douling Emperor was the stepping stone helping him illuminate the dark road ahead.

The seed had been planted; now it was just a matter of waiting for it to sprout.

The carriage soon returned to the Duke’s mansion, where Heral had been anxiously awaiting, accompanied by a few plainly dressed villagers—the ones who had been released back.

As Lu Chun disembarked, a sharp gaze landed on him. Turning slightly, he saw the Golden Cavalry Douluo staring intently.

“I don’t know what you intend,” the Golden Cavalry Douluo said in a low voice, “but since His Majesty has accepted you, be prepared to do what you must. Otherwise…”

Murderous intent flickered in his eyes. Four millennium soul beasts nearby breathed heavily in fear, yet Lu Chun appeared utterly unfazed.

He shrugged and smiled, “Your Highness, rest assured. After all, that is our esteemed Emperor. How could I harbor any other thoughts?”

“I am wholeheartedly hoping that His Majesty will remain in this world forever.”

No hint of insincerity was detected in the Golden Cavalry Douluo’s words; it seemed Lu Chun’s earnest expression came from the heart.

The killing intent gradually faded. Without further words, the Golden Cavalry Douluo turned and left.

Watching his retreating figure vanish from sight, Lu Chun’s face played with a teasing expression. “Truly a loyal minister.”

“Master!”

“Divine one!”

Only after the Golden Cavalry Douluo departed did Heral and the villagers dare approach. Upon hearing the titles, both Heral and Lu Chun were momentarily stunned.

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Heral immediately reacted, eyeing those villagers whose demeanor and emotions far surpassed his own with suspicion. A strong sense of crisis surged within him.

No! I am the number one servant of the Divine One; how dare you lowly commoners compete with me!

You’re not even worthy to smell the Divine One’s presence!

Lu Chun, watching the fervent expressions of the villagers, realized what had happened: their minds had been twisted by the power of the celestial sand resurrection technique.

Unlike the way Heral was controlled, this distortion was irreversible, because fundamentally their mental states remained normal—all emotions were genuine and sincere.

Lu Chun’s heart grew complicated. Many of these villagers he recognized; they were neighbors, people who had watched him grow in this lifetime. Yet now, they had become like this.

He sighed and told them to return and rest first, then headed to the courtyard behind.

The current courtyard was devoid of bird songs and floral fragrances; instead, it resembled a primeval jungle. Within just a few dozen acres grew hundreds of species of plants, many grotesquely strange in appearance.

Every plant bore obvious signs of grafting; on a single tree, one could find hundreds of different kinds of flowers. Some plants even possessed animal organs and features!

Originally, these plants were motionless, but as Lu Chun entered, they seemed to greet their master, moving as if alive. Countless root-like tendrils waved wildly in the air, blocking the starlight and moonlight—demons danced wildly within the courtyard!

And indeed, Lu Chun was their master. These plants had been catalyzed by his power, all merely to maximize the development of his abilities.

They were all failures or half-finished products; the only complete specimen had already been handed over to the Douling Emperor.

Arriving at the fountain in the courtyard’s center—the only pure land here—Lu Chun never did anything himself. All this was accomplished by the papers scattered around.

These sheets recorded some arcane texts, inexplicable yet powerless; nevertheless, the plants endowed with mobility dared not approach them.

Among the papers lay a manuscript, its cover fluttering as the wind passed, revealing its contents.

It read:

“Preliminary judgment: my transmigration may be related to those great beings. After all, the last contact in the 'Seven Chapters of the Mysterious Lord' was with a purely playful entity, who is probably laughing somewhere right now, spying on me.”

Below that:

“Mysterious Lord... Guan Yinzi... Master Wenshi... According to official records, his fate is unknown; legends say he attained immortality and joined the ranks of the immortals. Generally, myths are just historical side notes—does this imply he became a deity in the secret history?”

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“But what did he rely on to become a god? The 'Five Thousand Words of Laozi'? The 'Tao Te Ching'? Who exactly is Laozi in the secret history? A great incarnation?”

Various questions were raised, but no answers came, driving the recorder to anxious frenzy, filling the pages with chaotic writing.

Finally, the recorder wrote:

“Ultimately, it returns to the problem of the 'Seven Chapters of the Mysterious Lord.' The celestial sand resurrection talisman revived me, yet granted me traits akin to those great beings. I’m unsure if they are the same, but at least in this regard, the secret scripture differs from the popular account.”

“Resurrection? No! This should be called corpse liberation, seeking life amid death, shedding the mortal body!”

“Yes! Exactly! The so-called 'Seven Chapters of the Mysterious Lord' is not a summoning technique. It records the true method of ascending to godhood!”

The subsequent passages were written heavily and rapidly; many pages were torn, and the handwriting resembled a child’s scribbles. Fortunately, near the end, the recorder seemed to calm down and the script became neat again.

“Ascension! I name this transcendence method ‘Ascension,’ meaning climbing the divine ladder. According to the 'Seven Chapters of the Mysterious Lord,' there are seven levels of ascension. I am currently at the first level!”

“As a gratitude for the Mysterious Lord’s enlightenment, I name this level ‘Approaching Mystery’!”

“And the next stage of ascension should be...”

“Bang!”

The manuscript was slammed shut. Lu Chun chuckled softly, “Haha, how come I never knew I had this kind of wisdom? Indeed…”

He glanced slightly toward the darkness behind him, as if gazing at something.

He spoke no more, casually tossed the manuscript onto the ground, and turned to leave.

A strong wind blew again, scattering the papers into the air. Under the moonlight, the words on them seemed to twist and warp.