Chapter Seventeen: The Taiji Palace of Kunlun Mountain

There are three places in all of heaven and earth that inspire the greatest awe: the Immortal Palace of Phoenix Mountain, the Dragon Palace of the Heavenly Lake, and the Qilin Cliff.

The Immortal Palace’s fame was fought for by the Phoenix itself; as for the Dragon Palace, its master laid a supreme Dragon Gate upon the world with boundless magic, allowing all who reached a certain cultivation to pass through, transforming their bodies, elevating their realms, and awakening new divine powers.

But the Qilin Cliff remained an enigma—no one knew where it was. For centuries, its name had been spoken, yet its location remained a mystery. Occasionally, someone from Qilin Cliff would appear. It was once witnessed that someone from the cliff battled the Sixth Prince of the Dragon Palace; his true form resembled a deer, covered in scales, with a single horn upon his brow and a tail like a bull’s. Though those of the Qilin Cliff rarely walked the world, their mystery was such that their reputation stood equal to the other two.

These three places became renowned for the exceptional feats of their mighty cultivators. Yet two other places were also famous: Buzhou Mountain, called the Pillar of Heaven and Earth, and Mount Kunlun, known as the Mother of Ten Thousand Mountains.

Buzhou Mountain stands at the earth’s center, towering into the clouds, as if it joins the sky itself—the highest and greatest of all mountains. But its energies are chaotic, with turbid and pure forces mixed together, making cultivation there utterly impossible; not a single cultivator dwells upon its slopes.

Mount Kunlun is quite the opposite. Stretching for more than ten thousand miles, with over a thousand peaks, each summit shelters one or more cultivators in seclusion. They avoid conflict and devote themselves to the Dao, communing with heaven and earth, calmly discussing cultivation, harmonizing the energies of dragon and tiger. The entire mountain is blessed with auspicious signs, veiled in clouds and mist—a true celestial paradise.

At its heart lies a Daoist temple, majestic and grand as if shaped by the natural order. At first glance, it might seem illusory, but on closer inspection, it is simple and unadorned. Above the temple gate hangs a plaque with three characters: Supreme Ultimate Palace.

Within the Supreme Ultimate Palace, an old man sat in meditation, his hair and beard white as snow, but his complexion as rosy as an infant’s.

Before him stood a great cauldron, dark blue and ancient in design, with the eight trigrams embossed upon each side. Beneath the cauldron, a pale white flame burned quietly, radiating no heat at all.

Nearby, two children of about seven or eight sat. Each bore a tiny horn on his forehead—one gold, one silver—and wore Daoist robes of azure blue. Their features were uncannily alike. Each held a small blue fan and gently fanned the fire beneath the cauldron. With every motion, the pale white flame remained steady, yet the two took turns fanning it tirelessly.

“Children, guests have arrived. Quick, open the palace gates to welcome them,” the old man said, his voice gentle as a spring breeze.

“Yes, Master!” The two children swiftly set down their fans and, though they answered solemnly, excitement filled their voices.

The palace gates, seeming heavy and imposing, were pushed open with ease by the children.

“Hehe… Finally, someone’s come to visit Master again. Now we won’t have to fan the fire for a while,” the silver-horned child said, delighted as he opened the door.

The gold-horned child glanced back into the palace and muttered, “Don’t let Master hear you, or he’ll make us recite the Alchemical Dao again…”

“Mm, mm, keep your voice down. That Alchemical Dao is too hard to memorize. It’s been over ten years and Master still hasn’t changed his way of punishing us,” the silver-horned child whispered, peeking nervously inside.

Although Kong Xuan had passed through Mount Kunlun before, it was only in passing. He had no friends here, and his pride made friendship difficult. He had heard of Kunlun’s miraculous golden elixir, which could revive the dead and restore flesh and life, but only from others.

He and Zhu Rong were wrapped in radiant clouds of five colors as they drifted above Kunlun. The mountains stretched endlessly, veiled in mist, countless abodes hidden within. It was not easy to find the Supreme Ultimate Palace amid such vastness.

“Look there, the Supreme Ultimate Palace!” Zhu Rong exclaimed, pointing at the palace whose gates were now being opened by the gold and silver-horned children.

A glimmer flickered in Kong Xuan’s eyes. On the mid-slope of an unremarkable mountain, a palace of natural grandeur appeared, half-concealed in thick spiritual mist. He smiled, “It may seem ordinary, but the surrounding hundred mountain veins all converge here. The palace, though plain, is naturally integrated with the land—a true manifestation of the Dao. Indeed a fine place, and a masterful hand behind it. Clearly, someone of great power abides within.”

The two descended from their clouds and landed before the Supreme Ultimate Palace. The gold and silver-horned children, having been sent to greet them, exchanged glances, then bowed their heads in a gesture of welcome, saying in unison, “Our master invites you in.”

Kong Xuan smiled and nodded in return. Zhu Rong, surprised, asked, “How did your master know we were coming?”

The children were secretly pleased by Zhu Rong’s astonishment; this was one of the reasons they enjoyed receiving visitors. Whenever a guest asked that question, pride and joy welled up inside them, though their faces remained impassive, imitating their master’s demeanor. “We do not know. Master simply ordered us to welcome guests.”

The silver-horned child, unable to resist, added proudly, “Our master is skilled in divination, able to perceive the changes of heaven and earth, past and future, so naturally he knew you were coming.”

“Ha! Then, little immortals, please lead the way,” Kong Xuan said warmly, all traces of his cold and aloof demeanor from three days before nowhere to be seen.

Zhu Rong glanced around and remarked, “The arts of divination, the alchemical way, and just by the palace’s layout, one can tell its master’s abilities are extraordinary. Yet I’ve never even heard of such a person, nor do I know his origin.”

“Heaven and earth, yin and yang, give birth to all things. Many who have attained the Dao dwell hidden in these mountains. The Phoenix, Dragon, and Qilin clans are famous, but only by name,” Kong Xuan replied lightly, cradling Nanluo in his arms as he and Zhu Rong followed the children.

The Supreme Ultimate Palace was not large, but it felt spacious, with the air of a celestial sanctuary.

“Master, the guests have arrived,” announced the children as they led Kong Xuan and Zhu Rong into the main hall. Upon the throne sat an elder in a robe adorned with the Taiji diagram.

As soon as Kong Xuan and Zhu Rong entered, they felt the aura of the Great Dao envelop them. Zhu Rong, sensing a threat, instinctively struggled, and a surge of searing, destructive fire rose within her, as if to incinerate the entire palace.

The Wu clan are by nature warlike, powerful enough to rival the divine powers of the demons. Each of the twelve ancestral witches possesses an innate ability to connect with the primal forces of the world. Zhu Rong’s gift is to summon the infernal fire at the earth’s core, able to burn all things.

Yet as soon as her thought arose and the fire began to stir, it vanished without a trace, as if the hall itself were a boundless sea. Frustrated, she tried again, but found herself as though in another realm altogether, unable to command any energy outside her own body, unable even to sense the infernal fire between heaven and earth.

“I am Tongxuan, bestowed the title of Celestial Master here. Greetings, fellow Daoists.” The old man’s eyes were bright and pure, unstained by worldly dust. Peer closer, and they seemed a swirl of chaos, containing all things. His tone revealed no sign of having taken offense at Zhu Rong’s outburst.

“Kong Xuan of Phoenix Mountain, together with my friend Zhu Rong, greets the Celestial Master Tongxuan,” Kong Xuan replied.

“Your request, I already know. Though my elixir can cure him, he must remain in my temple and recuperate for a hundred days to be fully restored,” Tongxuan said, without joy or sorrow.

“Many thanks, Celestial Master. If you have any requests, as long as it is within my power, I will fulfill them,” Kong Xuan said—rare for him to make a promise, but if he did, he would keep it. Zhu Rong knew this best.

Tongxuan shook his head. “You are too formal, Daoist Kong Xuan. My teachings come from heaven and earth; having attained the alchemical way, I am duty-bound to save lives. How could I ask for anything in return?”

Neither Kong Xuan nor Zhu Rong had expected the Celestial Master to be so accommodating, asking nothing of them—only that they return in a hundred days.

“Not only is Celestial Master Tongxuan possessed of great magic, but he is also a man of virtue. We must treat him with the utmost respect in future,” Kong Xuan said, gazing down from the clouds at the peaceful Supreme Ultimate Palace.

Zhu Rong’s eyes sparkled. She was rarely impressed by anyone. Even faced with the combined might of the Phoenix, Dragon, and Qilin clans, who ruled over the world’s myriad beings, she had never faltered. She believed that with her own powers she was second to none, especially with eleven gifted kin at her side. Yet before this Celestial Master Tongxuan, she felt utterly uncertain. Though her attempt in the hall was only at a fraction of her strength and on another’s ground, she sensed she could not defeat him.

“Yes, his powers are truly beyond belief,” Zhu Rong murmured.

Hearing the wistfulness in her tone, Kong Xuan smiled. “What’s this? Aren’t your Wu clan known as the Children of Heaven and Earth? You answer to no one, not even our three clans. Why so humbled now?” Before she could reply, he added, “He isn’t quite as formidable as you think. Just now, you were in his temple, where he has cultivated for years. His essence has merged with the mountain veins; with a thought, he can draw upon all of Kunlun’s spiritual energy. Naturally, fighting him here would put you at a disadvantage.”

Zhu Rong, hearing his consolation, smiled, her eyes crescent-shaped. The fiery aura that ordinarily clung to her gestures softened; she became suddenly radiant, her gaze clear and sparkling like a mountain spring bubbling with laughter.

“I envy that boy Nanluo,” Zhu Rong said, looking at Kong Xuan with a bright smile.

Kong Xuan’s gaze flickered evasively. “What is there to envy? He’s only a human, life so brief, with no divine powers, no body like your Wu clan—he cannot even sense spiritual energy, less than a newly awakened little demon. What could you possibly envy?”

“To have Prince Kong Xuan, Lord of the Peacock Hall, fly into a rage and unleash the five-colored divine light for his sake—what regret could there be, even in death?” Zhu Rong’s eyes, brimming like dewdrops, rested upon Kong Xuan; her voice was dreamy, admiration and longing plain upon her face.

Beneath their feet drifted a cloud of five colors. A white cloud floated over, enveloping them gently; before long, the wind carried it away. The fiery woman and the man wrapped in radiant light had vanished without a trace.