Among the five great sects of Chenping Continent, Kongshan Sect had the shallowest historical foundation.

Approximately eighty-two thousand years ago, a rogue cultivator named Li Xuanyin secluded himself in cultivation on a mountain in the northwest of Chenping Continent.

This mountain was called Kongyuan Mountain.

Although Li Xuanyin was merely a Myriad Transformations Realm cultivator, for a rogue cultivator to reach this level was exceptionally difficult.

Using various fragmented cultivation methods he had collected over the years, combined with insights gained from years of secluded cultivation on Kongyuan Mountain, he created an entirely new cultivation method—the Kongshan Record.

Then, Li Xuanyin founded the Kongshan Sect.

This was the earliest history of the Kongshan Sect. Relying on Li Xuanyin's prestige, the sect quickly rose to become a second-rate cultivation sect on Chenping Continent.

However, over the next three thousand years, the Kongshan Sect's development stagnated.

Until Yan Yunhe emerged.

As an unprecedented prodigy on Chenping Continent, the legends surrounding Yan Yunhe were no less widespread than those of Immortal Venerable Fusheng or the Falling Star Realman.

He single-handedly created the third part of the Kongshan Record—the Kongshan Kongmiao Commentary—providing the Kongshan Sect with a complete cultivation system spanning from the Lower Three Realms to the Upper Three Realms.

The complete cultivation systems of the other four great sects were collectively developed by countless predecessors and successors.

But the Kongshan Sect's system was almost entirely Yan Yunhe's achievement, with perhaps some contribution from the founding patriarch, Li Xuanyin.

Moreover, within two hundred years, he cultivated from Body Forging to Ascending to Immortality.

This cultivation speed was unprecedented in the history of Chenping Continent's cultivation world, surpassing even Immortal Venerable Fusheng and the Falling Star Realman.

Furthermore, he single-handedly stood against Heavenly Summit Mountain. Even Pure Dust True Person, Qiu Siruo, dared not speak loudly in his presence.

It was well known that Pure Dust True Person, Qiu Siruo, was renowned across Chenping Continent for her fiery temper. Yet even she was wary of this first Steward of the Kongshan Sect. Several times she considered attacking the sect, but each time it came to nothing.

It could even be said that the later achievements of the Kongshan Sect's two Immortal Ascension cultivators—True Person Minghua, Xie Shouzhuo, and True Person Caiyun, Kong Yang—were possible because they stood on Yan Yunhe's shoulders.

And for the Kongshan Sect to enter the ranks of the Five Great Sects, at least ninety percent of the credit belonged entirely to Yan Yunhe.

Yan Yunhe was the most legendary figure in the Kongshan Sect's history and one of the most legendary figures in Chenping Continent's history.

But...

"Threads of cause and effect from the Ultimate Sage of Imperial Void."

In the Heavenly Summit Palace, Mr. You softly repeated Chen Yan's words:

"Are you saying...?"

"Yan Yunhe is Bai Chen."

Chen Yan said with absolute certainty.

Now an Immortal Ascension cultivator wielding the Emptiness Annihilation Art, Chen Yan had developed a deep understanding of cause and effect.

Having used the Secret Art left by Kong Yang multiple times over the past eight thousand years to remove over sixty thousand years of karmic burden, Chen Yan was very familiar with the characteristics of Bai Chen's karmic threads.

Yan Yunhe's cause and effect was Bai Chen's cause and effect.

"I recall you said that the Ultimate Sage of Imperial Void was active before the Ultimate Sage of Heaven's Extremity."

Mr. You said slowly:

"Then, near the end of Tianji Continent's era, because the Ultimate Sage of Heaven's Extremity ruined everything, the Ultimate Sage of Imperial Void returned from outside this domain to salvage the situation, quelling Tianji Continent's chaos and ushering in a new era—the current age of Chenping Continent."

"That's right."

Chen Yan nodded in confirmation:

"Perhaps in this current era, this domain should have been governed by the Ultimate Sage of Imperial Void, Bai Chen. But for some unknown reason, he initiated some kind of arrangement."

"He split his own existence into several fragments of cause and effect, scattering them across every corner of this domain."

Mr. You said:

"The fragment that caused the severing of the path to immortality on Chenping Continent—the one called the 'Cause of Calamity' by the world—is one of those fragments."

Above, these were all the confirmed intelligence currently held by Chen Yan and Mr. You.

No one knew the past of Bai Chen, the Ultimate Sage of Imperial Void.

Having used the Heavenly Summit Mirror to travel back countless ages, Chen Yan had only learned fragments about Zuo He, the Ultimate Sage of Heaven's Extremity, from the Scripture Repository of Qingxuan Immortal Sect.

As for the Ultimate Sage of Imperial Void, he was an even older figure, active before the Tianji Continent era.

Concerning matters related to the Ultimate Sage of Imperial Void, even speculation was impossible.

Mr. You slowly raised his head, gazing at the pitch-black rift in the sky, which was growing larger by the moment:

"Perhaps everything happening now is still within Bai Chen's plan."

"Not necessarily."

Chen Yan shook his head:

"Maybe he was gambling too. Splitting his own existence into fragments of cause and effect and hiding them throughout the world seems more like a necessary move than a calculated scheme."

"You mean Bai Chen was also targeted by 'that existence'?"

Mr. You asked.

"That is very likely."

Chen Yan said:

"'That existence' does not allow any cultivator on Chenping Continent to reach the Uncarved Simplicity Realm—that was your judgment, Master, from eight thousand years ago."

Hearing this, Mr. You chuckled softly, then sighed:

"The me from eight thousand years ago really was a towering figure. But times have changed!"

"What is lost will eventually return."

Chen Yan said calmly.

Now, Mr. You was merely a Dao Union Realm cultivator.

The dao rhyme of Immortal Venerable Fusheng had been completely ground away eight thousand years ago when he forcefully attempted to become a Sage and fought against 'that existence' in the spatial rifts.

Now, as the foundation of Fusheng City, Mr. You's Dao Basis was nothing but an empty shell.

It wasn't that Mr. You didn't want to ascend to immortality—he simply couldn't.

If he forced his way to ascension, his fate would likely be the same as those Immortal Ascension reincarnations who forcefully raised their cultivation after awakening their memories.

Their souls scattered, never to return.

As for restoring his original peak cultivation at the Returning to Void Realm, let alone breaking through to the Uncarved Simplicity Realm, it was almost entirely impossible.

"Let's set aside the matter of that Sage of Imperial Void for now."

Mr. You said:

"If he is truly planning something, then one day, we will eventually come into contact with him."

Chen Yan agreed with Mr. You's thinking.

"The Du Cang Mountain Dao Discussion three years from now will officially declare you, Realman Du Cang, Chen Yan, as the 'Steward of Chenping Continent.' As you said before, this should be the authority of a Sage."

Mr. You smiled:

"How do you feel?"

"If you wish, Master, I can also yield this position to you."

Chen Yan said calmly:

"After all, compared to a mere Immortal Ascension Realman like me, it would be more fitting for an Immortal Venerable like you to hold this seat."

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