Qin Chuan turned his head and looked.
In the distance, a white-clothed youth appeared in the sky, arms crossed and holding a black flute. The youth was handsome, with a rebellious smile on his face, looking disdainfully at the multitudes below.
"Are you talking to us?" Qin Chuan asked calmly.
"Of course, I don't enjoy talking to myself," the youth's mouth curled up as he turned his gaze towards them, smiling, "May I know this brother's name?"
"Qin Chuan."
Qin Chuan replied.
"So it's Brother Qin! Your name precedes you like thunder in my ears. Meeting you today, you truly are extraordinary," the youth laughed heartily, clasping his hands in greeting. "I am Jade-faced Flower Lord. It's an honor to meet you."
"What do you want?" Qin Chuan asked directly, knowing that this person had approached them for a reason.
"Hehe, I sensed Brother Qin's powerful aura from afar and knew you were no ordinary person. I'm here to propose a collaboration," Jade-faced Flower Lord said with a smile.
"What do you want to do?"
Qin Chuan asked again.
The youth smirked confidently and replied, "This time, Xuanhuang Mountain will establish a new Xuanhuang Heaven Lord, and by tradition, the Heaven-Worshiping Platform will be opened. There is a great opportunity within the platform, and I happen to know a few secrets about it. I was hoping Brother Qin could help me seize this opportunity, and we'll split the spoils fifty-fifty."
"You're not competing for the position of Xuanhuang Heaven Lord?" Qin Chuan asked with a playful smile.
"Hahaha, Brother Qin, you must be joking. Such a thing is beyond the reach of ordinary folk. One shouldn't even entertain the thought," Jade-faced Flower Lord laughed, shaking his head. "It's not just us—no God King dares think about it either."
"Why not?"
Qin Chuan asked.
Jade-faced Flower Lord pointed to the star map surrounding the periphery of Xuanhuang Mountain and said, "Count the remaining living titans of Xuanhuang Heaven."
Qin Chuan looked at the star map, where thirty-six small mountains were moving. Each of these was a forbidden divine mountain.
Along with the two more from the Nine Skies World, that made thirty-eight in total. This meant Xuanhuang Heaven had thirty-eight titans!
Qin Chuan immediately understood.
With so many titans still alive, how could they possibly allow someone to rule over them?
If the new Heaven Lord was stronger or of the same level, they might tolerate it, but if it were an ant suddenly climbing above them, they wouldn't hesitate to crush them.
Crushing would be inevitable.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Qin Chuan's eyes brightened, as if he had thought of a great opportunity. His heartbeat quickened.
"Father, what's the matter?" Qin Zi asked, puzzled.
"Nothing," Qin Chuan quickly composed himself, silently scolding himself for his lapse in composure. It seemed his self-control still needed improvement.
At this moment, Jade-faced Flower Lord asked, "Brother Qin, have you considered my proposal? Will you cooperate with me?"
"I think I'll pass. I'm not interested in this opportunity you mentioned," Qin Chuan smiled and shook his head.
"I haven't even told you what the opportunity is. How do you know you're not interested?" Jade-faced Flower Lord frowned.
"Precisely because you didn't say," Qin Chuan replied calmly. "The fact that you didn't mention it earlier shows a lack of sincerity. I'm not interested in any cooperation that lacks sincerity."
"Uh…" Jade-faced Flower Lord was momentarily taken aback, then smiled bitterly.
"Brother Qin, you're quite a straightforward person. It was my mistake. I'll tell you now."
"I've heard that on the Heaven-Worshiping Platform of Xuanhuang Mountain, there is a blood-stained guillotine. It's said that this guillotine once beheaded a titan, and thus the blade is soaked in the blood of a titan, which never dries."
"You should understand the significance of a titan's blood, right?" He looked at Qin Chuan with a solemn expression.
In truth, Qin Chuan didn't fully understand.
But he didn't want to show his ignorance nor resort to lying, so he simply put on a serious expression and remained silent.
At this point, Qin Zi suddenly asked, "If that's the case, why not just take the guillotine itself? Isn't it more valuable than the blood?"
Indeed, if the guillotine could slay titans, wasn't it far more precious than the titan's blood?
Jade-faced Flower Lord smiled wryly, explaining, "The artifacts on the Heaven-Worshiping Platform are not to be touched. To do so would be an act of defiance, and the consequences could be catastrophic, leading to divine retribution. Even a titan cannot withstand such a punishment."
"Are you sure stealing the blood from the guillotine won't bring divine retribution?" Qin Zi looked at him skeptically. He had a feeling this person might be trying to trick them.
People were deceitful.
Apart from his father, no one could be trusted!
"Haha, no, no," Jade-faced Flower Lord waved his hand, though his eyes darted nervously, revealing a hint of guilt.
"Let's go," Qin Chuan said, looking at Jade-faced Flower Lord.
It seemed he had agreed.
"Glad to cooperate!" Jade-faced Flower Lord grinned widely. "You're not familiar with Xuanhuang Mountain, so let me lead the way."
"Alright."
With that, Qin Chuan and Qin Zi followed him as they flew toward Xuanhuang Mountain.
The closer they got, the more Qin Chuan could feel the vastness of Xuanhuang Mountain. Though it stood on the earth, it felt as though it reached into the stars, with the sun, moon, and stars orbiting around it.
At this time, countless figures were rushing in from all directions, some running on the ground, others flying through the air.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
One figure after another shot past them, all in peace, like countless arrows flying parallel to one another.
Boom, boom, boom!
These people collided with the golden glow surrounding Xuanhuang Mountain, like raindrops falling onto a lake, sending ripples across the surface.
Pop!
Qin Chuan and his group also entered.
This time, it wasn't a narrow path, but rather a vast and magnificent world that unfolded before them.
The land stretched out, boundless and majestic.
In the sky, golden clouds spiraled endlessly, like ribbons coiling one after another.
At the center of the world stood a cylindrical, earthy-yellow platform. Everything around it seemed minuscule in comparison.
Boom, boom, boom!
"Charge!"
Countless beings were rushing toward the platform, like specks of dust. Even in the trillions, they remained insignificant.
"Why is everything so small?" Qin Chuan frowned.
In his perception, the platform shouldn't have been that large, and the beings shouldn't have been that small. The proportions didn't seem right.
Jade-faced Flower Lord took a deep breath and said solemnly, "This is the wonder of Xuanhuang Mountain—where all beings are like ants."
"That platform is the Heaven-Worshiping Platform. As long as you're outside of it, you will shrink to a fraction of your size. Only by stepping onto the platform will you return to your normal size. It's a form of selection."
"In theory, all creatures in Xuanhuang Heaven can approach the Heaven-Worshiping Platform, but whether they can step onto it depends on their own abilities."
He smiled as he continued, "Of course, for us, getting up there is no problem. With Xuanhuang Heaven currently in decline, we are among the top-tier experts."
With that, he flew toward the platform.
Zzzz…
Golden storms whirled around the Heaven-Worshiping Platform, but Jade-faced Flower Lord glowed, squeezing his way through.
His body, initially small, instantly expanded by tens of thousands of times the moment he stepped onto the platform, towering over the masses like an ancient god.
"Let's go."
Qin Chuan enveloped himself and Qin Zi in a layer of energy and then pushed forward toward the Heaven-Worshiping Platform.
After some effort, they finally squeezed their way through.
Thud, thud!
The two landed lightly on the enormous platform, their arrival barely causing a ripple.
All around them, people were bustling, examining the statues and pillars with awe-struck gazes.
The grandeur of the place was unlike anything they had ever seen. Everything around them made them feel incredibly small.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
At that moment, every stone slab on the platform began to glow, and countless golden characters emerged like vines, spiraling up and wrapping around the people on the platform.
"These are the legacies! Quick, start comprehending!"
"I've heard that all the legacies that ever appeared in Xuanhuang Heaven are recorded by the will of the world and will manifest here!"
"Huh? The Monkey Steals the Peach technique?"
"Rain of Blossoms Needles?"