Chapter 4: The Divine Seal of the Celestial Emperor

Yet what use was knowing the truth? He was merely a lowly servant in the Yang household; living so many years had been a stroke of fortune, and how could he ever hope to truly understand the root of his illness? There was nothing left but resignation—no other way forward.

But now, a sliver of hope stirred within Shen Yan’s heart. Although he hadn’t consumed an entire Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish, he had acquired the medicinal essence from nearly half of one. After the black mole on his chest released its healing warmth, would the cold poison relapse again?

With this question in mind, Shen Yan waited until the heat from the black mole had mended his wounds. Then, he took the fishing net from the wall and headed out. After about an hour’s walk, he arrived at the dock. He untied the ropes from the fishing boat and steered toward the waters where he had previously caught the Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish.

…

The vast expanse of Jinzhou Bay stretched endlessly, waves surging across the sea. Shen Yan’s little fishing boat was but a speck amidst the tempest, insignificant and fragile.

“It hasn’t relapsed!”

Overcome with excitement, Shen Yan leaped and danced upon the boat. In the past, after the black mole healed him, the cold poison would return within an hour. But now, an hour had passed and the cold poison had not reappeared. The old physician had been right—the Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish could indeed cure his affliction!

“Could it be that the black mole has absorbed enough of the medicinal essence? If that’s the case, I cannot delay taking the Blood Ginseng Pill any longer—this illness must be eradicated.”

Without hesitation, he took out the porcelain bottle containing the Blood Ginseng Pill. Each time the cold poison returned, a layer of frost would cover him from head to toe; the sensation of being engulfed by ice and snow was not something he wished to endure again.

He opened the bottle, and a surge of warmth rushed forth, invigorating him. Without delay, he took out a pill the size of his thumb, deep red and cylindrical, and swallowed it whole.

Mingyue had warned him not to take the pill too soon, lest the combined power of the fish’s essence and the pill overwhelm his body. But Shen Yan understood—the essence of the Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish had surely been completely absorbed by the black mole on his chest.

His eagerness to take the Blood Ginseng Pill was driven by hope, just as Miss Yang Yun had promised: that this spiritual medicine could truly cure him, once and for all.

He wished to be rid of the cold poison forever. Moreover, he knew that, as a lowly servant in the Yang household, he could never keep such a precious medicine for long.

After swallowing the pill, a wave of scorching heat spread through him, prompting a sigh of relief. But in the next instant, Shen Yan’s expression changed—the black mole on his chest drew away all the warmth, just as it always had.

“How can this be? Has the black mole not been filled by the fish’s essence?”

His face darkened, disappointment flooding him. “If I keep taking these pills, I fear I’ll succumb to the cold poison after all…”

He rubbed the black mole on his chest with resignation, forcing a bitter smile. Yet at that moment, the mole suddenly radiated a brilliant light.

All around the boat, the sea surged. Powerful energies converged from every direction, flowing into Shen Yan’s body. He felt as though his flesh had been boiled then torn apart; the pain was so intense he could not help but scream in agony.

But as he opened his mouth, he abruptly realized that his consciousness had left his body, drifting into an endless starry sky.

In this celestial realm, countless dazzling stars exploded like fireworks, dissolving into dust. Majestic figures, as grand as ancient gods, battled fiercely—blood staining heaven and earth, their bodies eventually becoming lifeless corpses floating in the void.

At the zenith of this starry sky, innumerable towering forms were locked in incomprehensible combat. Their clashes sent a palace, vast as the heavens themselves, tumbling down to earth.

As the palace plummeted, pavilions, towers, and jade halls scattered to the four winds. From the highest hall, a radiant light—like a meteor—shot forth.

It pierced through countless figures, detonated innumerable stars, traversed worlds beyond number, and finally floated gently into a woven sea.

“This sea… is Jinzhou Bay. That meteor must be the black mole on my chest!”

Shen Yan’s spirit trembled—he finally understood the origin of his black mole.

In that moment, the world spun wildly, and when Shen Yan regained his senses, he found himself back aboard his fishing boat. A foul stench assaulted him; his body was covered in putrid, blood-soaked filth.

He hastily washed himself, scrubbing away the black, reeking blood until he was clean. Then, he sat at the bow, recalling the incredible vision he had just witnessed.

“So this is what they call earth-shattering catastrophe in legends?”

Shen Yan sighed; the vision had been as if the world itself were crumbling, leaving him in awe.

“Hmm… my body… Why has it become so robust?”

He was about to check his black mole when he suddenly realized that his once gaunt frame had become strong and muscular. Not only that, his whole body was filled with strength, his mind sharp and clear—every puzzle that had once confounded him now made perfect sense.

“Transmuting sinews and cleansing marrow, a rebirth! Did the black mole undergo some unknown transformation just now?”

Perhaps it was finally full, and had begun to nourish him in return.

As Shen Yan pondered, a torrent of strange information surged into his mind.

[Divine Seal of the Heavenly Emperor]!

A flood of chaotic knowledge overwhelmed him, forcing him to furrow his brow in pain.

He discovered that the palace he had seen in the unknown starry sky was the headquarters of a force called the Celestial Court. The so-called Divine Seal of the Heavenly Emperor belonged to the Celestial Court’s ruler, the Heavenly Emperor.

For reasons unknown, the Celestial Court had been destroyed. The Divine Seal had traversed endless worlds and arrived at Jinzhou Bay, falling into Shen Yan’s possession.

This information was fragmented, lacking many clues, but one detail burned brightly in Shen Yan’s mind.

Once the Divine Seal was refined, its master could receive its blessings.

Within the cosmos there were five immortals: Heaven, Earth, Spirit, Human, and Ghost.

Heaven Immortal held the highest rank, Ghost Immortal the lowest.

Mortals aspiring to immortality could only choose the paths of Earth, Spirit, Human, or Ghost.

Heaven Immortals were exalted beings, existing since the dawn of creation; only after achieving mastery in one of the other four paths could a mortal hope to qualify for the rank of Heaven Immortal.