The Tristar Crescent Secret and the Lineage of Power

The spatial vortex opened directly into the skies above Mount Innerheart.

“Ji Ning, Red Snow. Follow me.” Patriarch Subhuti, who had appeared in midair, instructed.

“Yes.”

Ji Ning and Empyrean God Red Snow obediently followed, while the other six—Empyrean God Snow Scorpion, Empyrean God Yuanguang, and the rest—temporarily entered the aquatic manor.

Within the Daoist temple on Mount Innerheart.

Patriarch Subhuti drifted down lightly and sat cross-legged.

Ji Ning and Red Snow stood respectfully to one side.

“Red Snow.” Patriarch Subhuti looked at Empyrean God Red Snow, a faint smile on his face. “Last time I saw you fight in the Realm of Annihilation, it seemed you had not yet touched the threshold of spacetime.”

“It was only after that battle, particularly after watching the Patriarch make your move, that I gained some insight,” Empyrean God Red Snow said respectfully. “Only by combining the power of time with the power of space was I able to find the threshold of spacetime.”

Patriarch Subhuti understood.

When he acted, it naturally contained the boundless profundities of spacetime.

Empyrean God Red Snow had been cultivating for countless eons, and was merely lacking this final push. Having gone through a life-and-death battle and witnessing Patriarch Subhuti’s actions, it wasn’t strange that he had gained some understanding.

“Do you know who in the Three Realms has the highest achievement in spacetime?” Patriarch Subhuti looked at Empyrean God Red Snow with a beaming smile.

“I once heard the Manor Lord mention it,” Empyrean God Red Snow said respectfully. “Patriarch, you come without a trace and vanish without a shadow. Even the Tristar Crescent Major World is opened within the space of a different layer. In terms of controlling spacetime, the Patriarch is undoubtedly the foremost in the Three Realms.”

Patriarch Subhuti sighed with emotion. “Threelives truly valued you; he told you everything. Yes… my Tristar Crescent Major World is not in the same layered space as the other worlds of the Three Realms. It is only natural that those Daofathers can never find it.”

“Master, what does it mean to be in a different layered space?” Ji Ning pressed.

Both Patriarch Subhuti and Red Snow had already passed through the Spacetime Gate.

Ji Ning? He hadn’t even comprehended the single Grand Daos of Time and Space, let alone stepped into the Spacetime Gate.

“Have you ever seen a multi-layered cake?” Patriarch Subhuti smiled at Ji Ning.

“Yes,” Ji Ning nodded.

“All the other worlds of the Three Realms live on the surface of the multi-layered cake,” Patriarch Subhuti explained with a laugh. “My Tristar Crescent Major World, however, is within one of those layers. Ordinary escape techniques, even Greater Teleportation, all operate on the surface of the cake. Naturally, no matter what, they cannot enter my Tristar Crescent Major World.”

Ji Ning suddenly understood. “So… space can be divided into layers…”

“The mysteries of Heaven and Earth are naturally magical and inexhaustible,” Patriarch Subhuti nodded.

“If that’s the case, isn’t the Tristar Crescent Major World the safest place? Besides you, Master, no Daofather can enter. Couldn’t we completely avoid this calamity here?” Ji Ning asked immediately.

“No.”

Patriarch Subhuti shook his head. “We cannot avoid it. We can avoid it for now… but in the end, we cannot avoid it.”

“Why is that? If they can never come here, how can we not avoid the calamity?” Ji Ning inquired.

Patriarch Subhuti pondered for a moment, then shook his head. “I cannot answer you that now. I myself have many things I do not understand. But I can feel the fate in the indistinct void… This calamity, no living being in the Three Realms can avoid. Alright… Ji Ning, you are now a Pure Yang True Immortal. I will naturally tell you many of the Three Realms’ secrets. But what I do not know myself, I cannot speak of. You must remember one thing… This endless world is too mysterious. Even Mother Nuwa decided to enter the endless Chaos to explore it back then.”

Ji Ning nodded.

“Red Snow.” Patriarch Subhuti looked at Empyrean God Red Snow. “Many of my ultimate techniques have found successors. But my proudest achievement, my spacetime ultimate technique, has never had a suitable successor. Are you willing to take me as your master?”

Empyrean God Red Snow was startled, then overjoyed. He immediately knelt. “Your disciple pays respects to Master!”

“Haha…” Patriarch Subhuti laughed. “Rise.”

“Greetings, junior apprentice-brother.” After standing up, Empyrean God Red Snow bowed to Ji Ning.

Ji Ning was stunned. Empyrean God Red Snow had been born at the very dawn of the world; he had always addressed him with respect as a senior.

“You calling me ‘senior apprentice-brother’ is really quite awkward,” Ji Ning said.

“You can each address one another according to your own status,” Patriarch Subhuti said, smiling at his two disciples. He was in an excellent mood. First, his disciple Ji Ning’s strength had improved at an astonishing rate. Second, his proudest ultimate technique had finally found a true successor.

Patriarch Subhuti laughed. “Ji Ning has been studying under me for many years now, but I suspect he doesn’t even know the strength of his senior fellow disciples.”

“Your disciple truly does not know,” Ji Ning said respectfully.

Under his master, there were a total of nineteen disciples. Including the newest one, Red Snow, that made twenty.

From the eldest disciple down, Ji Ning knew all of his senior fellow disciples’ names, but he truly was unclear on the specifics of their strength.

“Ji Ning, your strength has now improved. As for Red Snow, he is now only a step away from becoming a Daofather. And in this great calamity… I always feel that danger lurks in the shadows. You fellow disciples must aid one another in the future.” Patriarch Subhuti said, “Among my disciples, there are four who have reached the Elder God / Daofather level.”

“Four?” Ji Ning and Red Snow were both astonished.

“First is my eldest disciple,” Patriarch Subhuti said. “He is the woodcutter chopping wood on the mountain outside the mountain gate. If you ever have any doubts in your training, you may go and ask him. His strength is the greatest among you all.”

“Second is my second disciple, Jidian, who guards the Three Realms Palace and is always sleeping.” Patriarch Subhuti continued. “Jidian has truly inherited much of my essence. The methods of both the Buddhist and Daoist sects, he has learned them all. If you have any doubts in the future, you can also go and ask him.”

“Third is my sixth disciple, Sun Wukong, who established the Flowerfruit Mountain world and is the master of the Flowerfruit Mountain lineage.” Patriarch Subhuti said. “He has also received guidance from Mother Nuwa and is quite skilled in battle.”

“The last is my twelfth disciple, Black Tiger, who loves to wander and travel throughout the Three Realms. Although he hasn’t established a major world and has no subordinates, and his strength is the weakest among these four, he has still become an Elder God Daofather. Even I took him as my disciple because of a karmic connection. Who would have thought that his lazy, mischievous nature could also lead him to cultivate all the way to becoming an Elder God Daofather?”

With these words, Patriarch Subhuti introduced all four Daofathers among the disciples of the Mount Innerheart lineage.

Ji Ning was astonished.

Black Tiger?

His twelfth senior fellow disciple, Black Tiger, who titled himself ‘Lord Black Tiger’. When Ji Ning was studying at Mount Innerheart, this senior fellow disciple had even come over and sparred with him. But at the time, Ji Ning hadn’t thought much of it, nor had he sensed how strong this senior fellow disciple was. From the feeling of it… Senior Apprentice-Brother Black Tiger didn’t even seem as strong as Senior Apprentice-Brother Silver Moon! Who would have thought he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, an Elder God Daofather!

“The rest of the disciples, including Ji Ning, who has cultivated for the shortest time, are all at the Empyrean God / True Immortal level,” Patriarch Subhuti said. “You must not slack off. Now that the great calamity has arrived, the chances of surviving it are greater for those who train to become Elder God Daofathers.”

“Your disciples understand,” Ji Ning and Empyrean God Red Snow both said respectfully.

“Mm.”

Patriarch Subhuti nodded with a smile. “Now you are clear on the seniority of your fellow disciples. As for some secrets of the Three Realms, Red Snow may know a little, but given Ji Ning’s previous weaker strength, I never told him. This time, I will explain everything in detail. I will tell you all about the Dawn War. After you hear it, you will have a clear understanding of where the Seamless Gate came from.”

Ji Ning and Empyrean God Red Snow both listened attentively. The Dawn War, the war of the primordial age; even Empyrean God Red Snow knew very little about it.