Chapter 157: The Book of the Earth

"My Lord is truly merciful."

The old man said with deep gratification, "For that Gu Sha, born merely as a destined substitute, it is his utmost fortune to encounter such a benevolent true sovereign as you."

The young man lowered his head to sip his tea, a flash of imperceptible disdain crossing his eyes.

His name was Jiang Chen, a genuine native human from Earth. Before the advent of the apocalypse, he had been the young master of a wealthy family, living a life of utter extravagance. However, the descent of the Scarlet Crimson had stripped him away of everything.

Overnight, he transformed from a noble elite into a lowly refugee.

Yet, his luck was not entirely bad. During the second descent of the Scarlet Crimson, he managed to acquire a Source Pearl and became a transcendent.

Relying on his newfound supernatural powers, he successfully took refuge within a sanctuary, managing to scrape by. But he was merely an ordinary transcendent; let alone godlike figures like Gu Sha, even those Sequence-level individuals casually slaughtered by Gu Sha were entirely out of reach for the Jiang Chen of that era.

Yet, he was someone unwilling to remain mediocre, constantly striving with all his might to carve out a destiny for himself in the apocalypse.

Therefore, when the third descent of the Scarlet Crimson came to an end and blessed grotto-heavens emerged in vast numbers across the globe, he seized the very first opportunity to make his way to Mount Tai.

He believed that Mount Tai, renowned as the legendary site of imperial sacrifices, would inevitably be the supreme grotto-heaven in all the world.

To his disappointment, however, the wildly famous Mount Tai turned out to be nothing more than an utterly ordinary minor grotto-heaven lacking any substantial resources. Yet, many others held the exact same notion, including numerous powerful beings hailing from the Upper Realms who had flocked to Mount Tai with similar expectations.

Consequently, it resulted in a situation where there were far too many monks and far too little gruel.

The resources of Mount Tai were scarce, while heroes vied fiercely for supremacy. As a thoroughly mediocre transcendent, securing resources was out of the question; even surviving was an arduous struggle, and his life was thoroughly wretched.

Yet, heaven leaves no path completely blocked.

During a scramble for a strange fruit, while he was attempting to lurk in the shadows and ambush someone, he was counter-killed instead. Just as he was about to perish, a fissure ripped open in the ground, and he tumbled into it, unexpectedly discovering a hidden realm within—a vastly magnificent subterranean palace.

Stumbling headfirst into a small tripod housed within the subterranean palace, droplets of blood from his forehead fell into it, and the diminutive tripod instantly transformed into a stream of radiance that merged into his body.

His cultivation surged madly, elevating him directly to the rank of a War King.

Following that, he began exploring the subterranean palace, discovering numerous ancient cultivation secret tomes within, and ultimately, inadvertently awakening a living dead man.

That living dead man referred to himself as the guardian of the Son of Providence, an immortal who had survived since ancient times, whose sole purpose was to await the arrival of the Son of Providence here.

The living dead man was named Long Chengfeng, whom Jiang Chen respectfully addressed as Elder Long.

From Long Chengfeng, he learned that the small tripod within the underground palace was called the Nine Provinces Tripod, which bore the destiny of the entire world. Whoever could win the recognition and ownership of the Nine Provinces Tripod would be the Son of Providence.

Long Chengfeng's mission was to safeguard the path of the Son of Providence's growth.

Upon perceiving that the Nine Provinces Tripod had already recognized Jiang Chen as its master, Long Chengfeng immediately pledged his allegiance to him. Thereafter, he guided Jiang Chen's cultivation in Mount Tai, scouring for resources and offering profound guidance, allowing Jiang Chen's cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds daily.

...

"Elder Long," Jiang Chen put down his teacup and asked, "to what extent has your cultivation recovered now?"

"Peak Sea-Crossing, well, what you mortals call peak Domain Lord," Long Chengfeng replied. "Because Earth currently imposes severe restrictions, I am unable to restore my higher cultivation levels. However, My Lord, rest assured. Though my current cultivation is not even a ten-thousandth of my prime, here on Earth, I can guarantee your absolute safety."

Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "With Elder Long here, I am naturally at ease. However, the path of cultivation lies in relentless struggle; one can never remain perpetually inside a greenhouse. Therefore, Elder Long, you must still apply a certain degree of pressure upon me."

Long Chengfeng said with deep gratification, "For My Lord to possess such awareness means the path of cultivation is already half-completed."

Jiang Chen smiled slightly and asked, "Elder Long, why did you suddenly wish to bring me down the mountain today? Is it because of Gu Sha?"

"Yes," Long Chengfeng stroked his beard and said, "Because My Lord bears immense great providence, this providence also carries profound karmic entanglement. Therefore, we must wait until your substitute has accumulated sufficient worldly momentum so that he may shoulder this karma on your behalf."

Jiang Chen asked with perplexity, "How should that be explained specifically?"

Long Chengfeng pondered for a moment and said, "The notion of providence is exceedingly ethereal, and I find it difficult to explain. Even during my prime, I could only manage to glimpse a mere fraction of it.

The reason I remained in the subterranean palace to await My Lord is because, in ancient times, I received guidance from a senior figure hailing from the endless starry skies. That senior... cannot be spoken of, nor can he be recorded. I can only say that I hold him in my heart, yet I have no way of voicing his existence to My Lord.

That senior once borrowed five thousand years of providence from Earth's predecessor, the Earth Immortal Realm. At the same time, he took away the final batch of powerful cultivators from the Earth Immortal Realm. Because my destiny was peculiar, I was left behind on Earth and sealed away as a living dead man.

He told me that in this era of the Earth Immortal Realm, a Son of Providence would emerge to recreate the Earth Immortal Realm, save it, and reforge its providence, and instructed me to wait and assist him here, bestowing upon me the Eyes of Aura Observation."

At this point, Long Chengfeng paused for a moment before continuing, "Judging by my previous observations of Earth's grand momentum, there should have been still several months left before reaching the catalyst for the next phase of revival. And this catalyst naturally rests upon My Lord.

It is also Earth's final revival—Mount Kunlun.

Within Mount Kunlun lies the most vital secret of the Earth Immortal Realm. Of course, that too belongs to My Lord. Once you retrieve the secret concealed within Mount Kunlun, a brand-new era will be unlocked, and My Lord's era will truly arrive.

However, previously, your substitute had not yet gained sufficient momentum. If Mount Kunlun were to be opened prematurely, the backlash of providence would bring you many unnecessary troubles. Most typically, you would suffer numerous calamities. But now, your substitute's momentum is fully formed, and he has amassed enough to fulfill his mission. Mount Kunlun is now ripe for opening, and all the calamities within Mount Kunlun will be borne by him in your stead."

Jiang Chen realization dawned upon him. "You mean Gu Sha's recent annihilation of the four major factions in Northern Long?"

"Precisely," Long Chengfeng said. "That boy's momentum and prestige are currently burning fiercely, much like a false son reaching a state of illusory inflation. He has now gathered magnificent providence, though it is merely a facade. Yet, he will passively endure the backlash of providence for you.

And My Lord, you can seize this exact opportunity to enter Mount Kunlun and claim what rightfully belongs to you. As for that false son, he will fade back into obscurity once his mission is fulfilled."

Jiang Chen asked, "What is that item?"

Long Chengfeng replied, "The Book of Earth."

Jiang Chen frowned. "What is the Book of Earth?"

"A supreme divine treasure that records all karma in the world, capable of recreating the past and recording the present and the future!"