The enormous tree that stretched across the heavens and earth had already died, its entirety appearing as if cast from gold, yet to the naked eye, the trunk had become a transparent shell emitting a decaying aura.
Where Lu Ren stood was revealed to be a sprawling palace complex that extended endlessly to the horizon.
Though these palaces seemed terribly dilapidated today, devoid of any life, the grandeur and splendor of the buildings suggested a once-thriving Moon Palace.
Lu Ren glanced around at the almost-ruins of the palace complex, losing interest as they held no value for exploration after so much time had passed.
As for Chang'e in the mythological tales...
Could Chang Xin be a descendant of Chang'e?
With this thought, Lu Ren glanced at Earth, returning to the real world, confirming that Celestial Master Zhang Tongxuan was still stationed, continually excavating graves to hunt down mythological figures buried deep underground.
Practically embodying the sentiment of sparing none unjustly.
Having confirmed that Lu Ren's assistance was not presently needed, he was in no rush to return to Earth via the laurel tree.
Through the Seeking Truth Realm, indeed, one could return to Earth by following the roots of the laurel tree, as many things in the Seeking Truth Realm defied conventional logic.
Even though Lu Ren had been exploring for a long time now, under Chang Xin's guidance, he still felt like a toddler learning to walk, steps uncertain.
After all, the environment within the Seeking Truth Realm is not static; over the millennia, even the real world has changed immensely.
Within the Inner Realm.
"So, is the Seeking Truth Realm born out of the real world?"
Facing Lu Ren's inquiry, Chang Xin gently shook her head, saying, "That's not exactly the case, both realms are inseparable; the real world is a safe haven for life, but the Seeking Truth Realm is more like a shadow universe, filled with negative energy attributes."
Chang Xin tucked strands of hair behind her ear and said lightly, "Everything in the world is divided into Yin and Yang, with positives accompanied by negatives. We seek the ultimate secrets, pursuing true immortality and survival; after confirming that the real world doesn't hold what we desire, we turned our focus to the Seeking Truth Realm."
Lu Ren asked, "So the entire cultivation system is about upgrading one's senses to perceive the Seeking Truth Realm?"
"In theory, yes; the cultivation system was preliminary formed over countless years during the Great Wilderness Era, by numerous people."
Chang Xin's expression grew obscure, revealing no emotion: "To achieve transcendence, we have sacrificed far too much."
Although Chang Xin's words were understated, Lu Ren could fully imagine that during her so-called Great Wilderness Era, there must have been long-spanning, immeasurable human experiments, employing extremely primitive methods to develop various cultivation techniques, ultimately revealing this path of cultivation.
It's fair to say that everything Lu Ren cultivates now was rooted in a dark history during the era when cultivation emerged.
Lu Ren spoke, "Was this place discovered first?"
"It was the Supreme; he was the first to achieve Taoism Fruit, entering the Seeking Truth Realm after his life leaped, leading the Great Wilderness Era into a golden era. The Seeking Truth Realm contains many wondrous items, obtaining them can elevate one's Divine Soul and life to inconceivable heights.."
Chang Xin's face grew solemn: "However, within the Seeking Truth Realm, there are terrifying entities, whose nature remains unknown to this day."
Lu Ren expressed curiosity: "Who was the Supreme? Is he still alive?"
"I don't know; he has reached a Realm unimaginable to us."
Saying this, Chang Xin's expression became exceedingly complex: "By the time I fell asleep and the mythological Spiritual Mechanism faded, the Supreme had long left Earth in pursuit of the ultimate secrets of the Cosmos."
"In the Seeking Truth Realm, those colossal creatures that induce fear at first sight?"
"They are the True Gods, primarily natives of the Seeking Truth Realm." Chang Xin's face showed a trace of solemnity: "Though rare in the Seeking Truth Realm, they were encountered several times during the Great Wilderness Era. If not for the intervention of several top-tier super experts led by the Supreme, Earth could have been destroyed." Googlᴇ search novel~fire~net
"Despite often remaining motionless, these beings possess the ability to appear in the real world." Chang Xin's expression grew stern: "These creatures are truly terrifying, even the Supreme can only repel them."
"Alright, what I'm curious about now is, within the Moon Palace of the Seeking Truth Realm, is there Chang'e?"
Chang Xin, gazing through Lu Ren's perspective at the sprawling palace complex ahead, marveled: "I can scarcely imagine someone establishing their residence in the Seeking Truth Realm, aren't they afraid of being permanently imprinted by it, drawn in, and never returning to the real world?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Ren's expression subtly shifted, suggesting a disconnect between the mythical world of the modern era and Chang Xin's Great Wilderness Era.
The Great Wilderness Era is completely unrecorded in history; despite Lu Ren's research during his time at the Security Bureau, he found not a single mention, not even fragments of the Great Wilderness Era.
The most mentioned was a lost civilization before any recorded human history.
Unable to extract tangible information from Chang Xin, Lu Ren ceased dwelling on the matter, refocusing on the Moon Palace.
In ancient myths circulating modernity, there is Wu Gang ceaselessly chopping at the laurel tree, and Chang'e residing in the Moon Palace.
If as Chang Xin indicated, prolonged existence in the Seeking Truth Realm renders return to the real world impossible, this might imply that means to return to the real world after long stays in the Seeking Truth Realm existed in that era.
Kunlun Exotic Realm and Underworld are increasingly integrating into reality; if ancient sayings hold, with Heaven, Earth, and Human Three Realms converging, Spiritual Mechanisms reviving, and Ancient Immortal Gods returning.
The future's direction remains completely unknown.
Lu Ren sighed quietly to himself, after gathering his thoughts slightly, he began walking towards the most magnificent, grand building within the sprawling palace complex.
The path was lined with broken walls, collapsed jade stone pillars, dried ponds, and faintly visible winding corridors.
Yet all of these, submerged under the passage of time, have vanished from history, leaving only subtle traces.
Arriving before the main hall, most of it had collapsed, while some unique Seeking Truth Realm ghostly entities surreptitiously observed from the shadows.