Chapter 84: The Celestial Palace of White Jade
"Is this city... is this the Jade Capital?" Riding atop the swiftly soaring sea eagle, Lu Sheng gazed at the enormous white city that grew ever larger before his eyes, unable to keep from murmuring in awe.
Though he had learned from the legend of the “Jade Capital rising from the earth” that this city’s magnificence was beyond the comparison of ordinary cities, only upon beholding it in person did Lu Sheng realize that its grandeur still exceeded his imagination.
Bathed in the morning light, the city walls of the Jade Capital gleamed with a milky radiance, pure and white as flawless jade. The sunlight upon them was gentle, not dazzling, but rather grew softer still, casting a faint, dreamlike aura over the square city—an air of mist and illusion, as if it did not belong to the mortal world.
“The Jade Capital of white jade in the heavens, twelve towers and five cities.”
“This city should not have risen from the ground, but descended from the heavens!”
Before the otherworldly splendor of the city, Lu Sheng could not help but sigh in wonder, unconsciously reciting a verse from his former life. This city, so ethereal, seemed not meant for the earth, but to float among the clouds as a dwelling for immortals.
“Oh?”
Lu Wanshan glanced at Lu Sheng in surprise.
“You know that poem as well?”
“In the past, it was from the White Emperor that the Emperor Jing heard those lines—”
“Only then did he expend such tremendous effort to build this colossal city!”
“It is said that within its design lies the secret of immortality!”
As he pointed to the twelve city gate towers of the Jade Capital, as well as the inner city and the four outer cities aligned with the cardinal directions, Lu Wanshan explained. This very layout was what Emperor Jing had derived from the phrase “twelve towers and five cities,” and he had forged a mysterious formation from it.
Thus, though the city’s buildings had changed countless times over the past thousand years and no longer resembled the original capital, its fundamental structure remained—the title “twelve towers and five cities” was as fitting as ever.
“This...”
A cold sweat broke out on Lu Sheng’s brow as he asked Lu Wanshan,
“The secret of immortality? How did the White Emperor know of such things? What is his true name and identity?”
That line, “The Jade Capital of white jade in the heavens, twelve towers and five cities,” had originated from an ancient poet in Lu Sheng’s original world. He had never expected that, aside from himself, anyone else would know it here. The thought of the Venerable Lingxu’s use of “old Daoist” and his own soul’s transmigration into this world filled Lu Sheng with deepening curiosity about the nature of the realm he now inhabited.
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“The Jade Capital of white jade in the heavens, twelve towers and five cities.”
“The immortal strokes my crown, and I receive the secret of longevity.”
Reciting the four lines, Lu Wanshan continued,
“This poem was comprehended by the White Emperor in a moment of divine wandering through the void, when he sensed the mysteries of heaven and earth.”
“However, by then, he had already concluded his affairs in this world and was preparing to return to his true form—”
“So he passed this verse to Emperor Jing, entrusting him to seek out the secret of immortality hidden within.”
“That is why Emperor Jing built the Jade Capital in the first place!”
As the mightiest figure of the Great Jing dynasty, Lu Wanshan knew nearly all the secrets of the imperial Lu clan. Though Emperor Jing’s reason for constructing the Jade Capital was extraordinary, to Lu Wanshan it was no secret at all. Precisely because it touched upon the secret of immortality, Emperor Jing chose this design for the city—the very name “Jade Capital” was drawn from that poem.
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“Divine wandering through the void, sensing the heavens and earth...”
Murmuring these words and hearing of the White Emperor’s return to his true form, Lu Sheng relaxed his suspicion that the White Emperor might be the reincarnation of Li Bai. Yet the phrase “return to his true form” only deepened his confusion:
“Who exactly is the White Emperor? Why is it said he must return to his true form?”
“The White Emperor? He does not belong to this world!”
Upon hearing Lu Sheng’s question, Lu Wanshan revealed a revelation that struck Lu Sheng to his core.
His mind reeling, Lu Sheng listened as Lu Wanshan went on,
“Before Emperor Jing and the White Emperor’s fateful battle, they had conversed at length. According to the records left by Emperor Jing, the White Emperor was not of this world—he is the incarnation of a mighty cultivator, whose true self resides in another realm, where he was once known as the Sword Emperor! Like the Ancestor of the Void, he came to this world to resolve unfinished business.”
Of the four supreme grandmasters, the identities of the Qin Emperor and Emperor Jing were well documented, but the Ancestor of the Void and the White Emperor seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Only a descendant of a supreme grandmaster such as Lu Wanshan would know even a little of their true origins.
“The Ancestor of the Void is also the incarnation of a mighty being! Like the White Emperor, he came here only to settle old affairs?”
Having just learned of the White Emperor’s true nature and now hearing the Ancestor of the Void’s purpose, Lu Sheng thought of his own origins and a sudden realization dawned in his heart:
“It seems the Ruyi brought me here for a reason! Perhaps, in this world, I can resolve the karma bound within it.”
If two mighty beings would send incarnations here to settle the past, then this world must surely hide deeper mysteries.
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“Yesterday, the Venerable Lingxu called himself ‘old Daoist’—why is that?”
With the mention of the Ancestor of the Void’s identity, Lu Sheng finally seized the chance to voice a lingering question.
“Old Daoist?” Lu Wanshan was momentarily taken aback, seemingly surprised that Lu Sheng had noticed this detail. With an approving nod, he explained,
“‘Old Daoist’ is the self-address used by Lingxu and the other old Daoists of his sect. They call themselves practitioners of the Way. It is said that the ultimate goal of cultivation is to become an immortal. The techniques left behind by the Ancestor of the Void are rumored to contain the secret of longevity!”
As the inheritor of a supreme grandmaster, Lu Wanshan knew more about the Supreme Void Sect than most of its own core members. Not only the secret of the Ancestor’s identity, but even the transmission of the Supreme Void Scripture—below the grandmaster level, the Lu clan of Great Jing had already acquired much of its content, just as other powers had with the Hunyuan Art.
“Then what are immortals? Did the Ancestor of the Void achieve immortality? Did Emperor Jing obtain the secret of longevity?”
Lu Sheng pressed on. The mention of “cultivation to immortality” had stirred a keen interest in the Supreme Void Sect’s techniques—after all, his greatest purpose in coming to this world was to seek the secret of eternal life.
“Immortals...”
Lu Wanshan chuckled and shook his head.
“What immortals truly are, how could I know? Whether the Ancestor of the Void achieved immortality is unclear, but after building the Jade Capital, Emperor Jing did not attain the secret of longevity. All this is still far beyond your reach! For now, your task is to hone your martial skills and become a grandmaster. Otherwise, the title of Prince Jin can only be restored to your branch if your daughter is born and herself becomes a grandmaster!”
During their conversation, they had unknowingly reached the Jade Capital atop the sea eagle. With a casual gesture, Lu Wanshan dropped Lu Sheng into a courtyard within the city, then mounted his sea eagle and soared away with a howl.
Lu Sheng stood before the courtyard, gazing at the sign that read: "Chunyuan Pavilion."