Chapter 1404: The Most Precious Thing

He tried to probe indirectly, but no matter how he asked, the other party wouldn't answer the question. Zu An understood that this matter likely involved something significant, and it was understandable that the other party was unwilling to reveal everything.

"Then let's try another question," Zu An said, curious. "Why are the 'Taotie Devouring Heaven Art' and 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra' also part of the White Emperor's lineage? One clearly originated in the Shang Dynasty, and the other in the Zhou Dynasty. How are they connected to the White Emperor?"

"I've seen people from the White Emperor's lineage use them, so of course, I know they belong to the White Emperor," the voice replied, sounding somewhat surprised, as if Zu An had asked a foolish question. "Actually, distinguishing between the White Emperor's lineage and the Black Emperor's lineage is quite simple. The White Emperor's lineage worships the phoenix, and their totems are often various birds transformed from the phoenix. In contrast, the Black Emperor's lineage's totem is the divine dragon."

Hearing this, Zu An thought, "No wonder the dragon and phoenix held such high status in Chinese civilization in my previous life. So that's where it originated."

The Zhou Dynasty's cultivation method, the 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra,' already had "phoenix" in its name, so that was self-explanatory.

As for the Shang Dynasty, Zu An had spent a long time in the Yin Ruins previously and was very familiar with many aspects of the dynasty. Legend had it that the Shang Dynasty's ancestor was conceived after their mother swallowed an egg from a xuanniao, a mystical bird.

And the xuanniao was, naturally, a phoenix.

At this point, Yan Xuehen couldn't help but ask, "According to you, Elder, Hou Yi's heroic journey involved slaying those terrifying fierce beasts. If those beasts are already dead, how can we retrace that path now?"

The voice explained, "You underestimate those fierce beasts. They were born from heaven and earth, nurtured by all sorts of negative human emotions. Even if killed, as long as there are still various desires among humans, they will resurrect after a certain period. By my calculations, it should be just about time for them to revive."

Hearing his words, the expressions of the group instantly turned serious. "They can resurrect? What kind of beings are these?" they thought.

Yun Jianyue then asked, "Even if we complete your so-called heroic path, why would we obtain a divine artifact? It feels like there's no inevitable connection between the two."

"This is a law of this land," the voice explained. "As long as you can retrace Hou Yi's heroic path, you will gain the recognition of the will of heaven and earth, and naturally obtain a divine artifact."

"What divine artifact is it exactly?" Yu Yanluo asked, worried. "Based on the story you told, if Yu were alive today, he would undoubtedly be incredibly powerful. How could a single divine artifact possibly be enough to deal with him?"

"You needn't worry about that," the voice replied. "With that divine artifact, you will have the ability to deal with Yu. As for what it specifically is, I cannot tell you now. You will know when the time comes."

Zu An thought, "This riddle-giver is truly annoying." He then said, "But what if we complete the task, and you don't fulfill your end of the bargain as promised? We'd have no guarantee whatsoever."

"If you can complete the task, you will have already gained the recognition of the will of heaven and earth and possess a divine artifact," the voice chuckled. "If you can even defeat Yu, why wouldn't you be able to deal with me?"

Zu An was speechless. "What he said makes so much sense that I can't refute it."

"Elder, could you perhaps show yourself and meet with us?" Yun Jianyue, being from the Demonic Cult, was accustomed to schemes and felt uneasy.

The voice sighed. "I would like to come out, but a forbidden array seals me here. With your current strength, forcing your way in would only cost you your lives. Follow my instructions: first complete the heroic journey and gain the recognition of the will of heaven and earth. We can discuss other matters after that."

The group exchanged glances. They had sensed his immense power earlier, but his consistent refusal to appear had already led them to similar suspicions, which were now confirmed.

Yan Xuehen's voice, transmitted by vital energy, sounded, "This cave indeed is densely covered with runic formations. Their power and mystical complexity far surpass anything we saw in the demon imperial tomb. They are even beyond my current comprehension."

Zu An looked at the continuous Jiuyi Mountains and added, "Not only are there runic arrays, but this cave also uses the surrounding mountain ranges and dragon veins as conduits, leveraging the grand power of heaven and earth to set up an absolute formation. Even the Demon Emperor or Zhao Hao, if suppressed inside, wouldn't be able to escape."

Having recently studied "Di Tian Sui Chan Wei," he had made some small gains and could vaguely perceive the grand configurations of mountains and rivers.

Seeing that the group no longer had doubts, the voice began to explain Hou Yi's heroic journey: "The first beast Hou Yi slew back then was the Yaoyu..."

After listening to the explanation, Zu An asked a few more questions, then said, "This junior will strive to the utmost and certainly live up to your expectations, Elder."

The expressions of the goddesses showed surprise; they hadn't expected him to agree so readily.

However, being composed, they didn't voice their doubts immediately, despite having them.

The voice sounded quite relieved: "After all these years, I finally see the dawn of success, ha ha ha! Heaven has been kind to me after all."

Zu An seized the opportunity and said, "Elder, since you're so pleased, why not bestow upon us some divine artifacts, immortal artifacts, or perhaps some peerless cultivation methods? This isn't just for us, but also to help us better complete your task. It's a win-win situation!"

The voice chuckled softly. "You rascal, you certainly know how to scheme for benefits. But precisely because of that, I feel you have a greater chance of success. As for divine artifacts or immortal artifacts, I have none here. And as for divine techniques or secret arts, I... also have none."

Zu An was dumbfounded.

His interest had been piqued by the first half of the sentence, but then it plummeted unexpectedly.

He was reminded of a text by Lu Xun he had studied in his previous life: "There are two trees in my backyard. One is a jujube tree, and the other is also a jujube tree."

"Doesn't he know that talking like that makes people want to hit you?"

As if sensing his resentment, the voice said, "My divine consciousness is incomplete; I no longer remember cultivation methods and such. Furthermore, my cultivation methods are related to my bloodline, so even if I remembered them, you wouldn't be able to cultivate them."

Zu An thought, "That might not be true. Anyway, I have the Keyboard cheat; perhaps I'll learn them instantly then."

"You don't need to be disappointed," the voice comforted him. "I've already given you the most valuable thing."

"How would I know?" Zu An's expression was strange. "Don't tell me the most valuable thing is chastity; I wouldn't want that."

The three women beside him blushed slightly. This guy was still so provoking.

The voice was speechless.

Rage points from Shun +233, +233, +233...

Clearly, he was somewhat baffled by Zu An's train of thought. "Hmph, of course not. It's the ancient secrets I just told you. These have mostly been lost in the long river of history, and with various deliberate concealments by those in power, very few people know the truth. By understanding these origins and circumstances, you'll be able to clear away the fog and pinpoint the truth when encountering various situations in your upcoming tasks, which will help you complete the trial."

Zu An sighed. "Elder, you are the stingiest elder I've encountered in all these years."

His earlier remark was actually meant to provoke the other party. After all, he hadn't even met this person; how could he know if what he said was true or false?

Thus, using the Keyboard cheat, he had indeed detected that this was Shun's soul power, which finally put his mind at ease.

"Hmph, ignorant boy, one day you will understand that no divine artifact or secret manual can compare to the value of what I've told you today," the voice snorted discontentedly, clearly somewhat annoyed.

Rage points from Shun +250, +250, +250...

"Just brag all you want," Zu An said dismissively. "I don't expect anything else. Just remember your promise once this is all done."

There was no point in staying any longer, so he quickly led the women away from the location.

"A'Zou, do you truly believe what he said?" Yu Yanluo asked worriedly. "And that Yu sounds like an extremely powerful being. Are we really going to provoke him?"

Although Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen didn't speak, their worried expressions were evident.

"Actually, I didn't accept this task because I believed his words," Zu An explained. "You haven't been to the Unknowable Land before, but essentially, every Unknowable Land has something akin to a main quest. You must complete this quest to unlock the secret realm and have a chance to successfully leave. Otherwise, only eternal damnation awaits you."