Chapter 1188: The Immortal Boat Splits in Two
"Zhao Xian!" Zhao Wuji's voice was sharp, followed by a cold snort.
Zhao Xian was instantly jolted back to his senses.
"Explain yourself. What does the conflict between the Broken Immortal Tower and the Immortal Pivot Academy have to do with the mission I've given you?" Zhao Wuji demanded, his eyes narrowing.
"You're making a statement, Master. A gesture of goodwill. This is the first relic collection since the Broken Immortal Tower took over the Sin Suppression Valley, and everyone is watching. They want to see how the Tower's new methods stack up against the Immortal Pivot Academy's traditions, to see which is superior. Disposing of useless relics for recycling... it's a trivial task, yet you insisted that we handle it personally. It's a way to signal your stance to the Broken Immortal Tower and to make your position clear to the other powers watching from the sidelines..."
Zhao Xian explained, his voice laced with weariness.
Zhao Wuji nodded repeatedly, quite satisfied with his disciple's analysis.
But when he saw the indifferent expression on the young man's face, his anger flared again.
Just as he was about to say something, Zhao Xian cut him off. "Master, what I don't understand is this: the Immortal Boat is already in such dire straits. Why can't we unite? Why must we fight amongst ourselves until one side is annihilated?"
"You insolent whelp..."
"Am I wrong?" Zhao Xian challenged, craning his neck without a hint of fear.
A disciplinary ruler suddenly materialized in Zhao Wuji's hand. He raised it high, ready to bring it down on Zhao Xian's head.
But in the end, he couldn't bring himself to strike.
"Xian, you don't understand."
"This Mysterious Immortal Boat must have—and can only have—one person at the helm. The tragedy from so many years ago already demonstrated the horrific consequences of a divided leadership," Zhao Wuji lamented with a long sigh.
Hearing this, Zhao Xian's face fell into a somber expression. He offered no further rebuttal.
"You may all leave," Zhao Wuji said, his enthusiasm suddenly drained.
"Stay within the academy for the time being. Don't go out. Since I've already chosen a side, all we can do now is wait for them to determine a winner. Even if the Broken Immortal Tower loses, the Immortal Pivot Academy wouldn't dare do anything to our Dao Proving Academy. The worst they could do is cut our resource allocation."
The three disciples took their leave and returned to their respective quarters.
The Dao Proving Academy had a rather grand and imposing name.
However, Zhao Xian's living quarters were disappointingly simple.
It hardly looked like a place a cultivator would rest, consisting of just a single room barely large enough to live in.
The only commendable feature was that the concentration of spiritual energy in the room was noticeably higher than in other parts of the Immortal Boat.
It was sufficient for cultivation below the Golden Core stage.
After closing the door and skillfully sealing it with a restriction, a flash of excitement appeared in Zhao Xian's eyes. He fished out a book-like artifact from under his bed.
But just as he was about to use it, he suddenly slumped over, falling into a deep sleep.
A sliver of Li Fan's divine sense slowly materialized.
He picked up the book artifact.
"Hmm... it's similar to the Tianxuan Mirror. It connects to the Immortal Boat's information network, and you can also use contribution points from the academy to exchange for resources. The only difference is that its access is restricted to the Dao Proving Academy; it can't connect to other areas of the boat."
Li Fan shook his head and tossed the so-called [Myriad News Record] aside.
Then, he transformed into a wisp of green smoke and slipped into Zhao Xian's consciousness.
How could a mere Qi Refining stage youth possibly resist Li Fan's probing?
Before long, every secret Zhao Xian had held from childhood to the present was laid bare before Li Fan.
Although Zhao Xian and Zhao Wuji shared the same surname, they were not related by blood.
The reason for Zhao Wuji's particular fondness for Zhao Xian was entirely due to the boy's impressive "cultivation talent."
In just one year at the Dao Proving Academy, he had already reached the late stage of Qi Refining.
While such a cultivation speed would be unremarkable in the Xuanhuang Realm, here on the Immortal Boat, it was considered outstanding.
Cultivation resources on the Immortal Boat were scarce. Even an institution like the Dao Proving Academy operated on a tight budget, forced to prioritize supplying only the most gifted disciples.
Every three academic years, a culling system was enforced.
Those who fell behind in their progress would have to leave the academy. They could either return home and become rogue cultivators or accept an appointment from the Immortal Pivot Academy to serve in various posts across the Immortal Boat.
It was this ruthless system of elimination that kept the Dao Proving Academy sharp and vigorous.
It wasn't just the disciples who faced elimination; Nascent Soul cultivators like Zhao Wuji were also under immense pressure.
If the disciples under their tutelage all performed poorly, it was taken as a sign of their lack of teaching ability.
Without a strong backer, they would be removed from their teaching positions and reassigned to other, more dangerous duties.
For this reason, the atmosphere throughout the Dao Proving Academy was incredibly tense.
No one ever knew when they might be forced to leave.
Zhao Xian, however, was an exception.
Perhaps it was his nature, but he had no great attachment to staying in the Dao Proving Academy.
He wasn't even particularly enthusiastic about cultivation.
Outsiders believed his reaching the late Qi Refining stage in a year was the result of diligent training.
Only he knew it was the outcome of a lazy, half-hearted effort, where he barely put in any real work at all.
Zhao Xian's greatest passion was searching the Myriad News Record for strange and fascinating tales.
The origin of the Immortal Boat, the history of the ancient cultivation world, the endless sea of stars beyond the boat...
All of it captivated his interest.
Li Fan carefully read through the boy's accumulated knowledge from the past year.
This information came not only from the [Myriad News Record] but also from pestering the academy elders with questions.
"In ancient times, the Immortal Boat was once whole. However, it was suddenly struck by a star sea-ending calamity and simultaneously torn apart by internal conflict. From that point on, the Immortal Boat was broken, split into two halves."
"One was named 'Xuan,' the other 'Shang.'"
"This vessel is the Mysterious Immortal Boat."
"..."
After a brief pause, Li Fan continued reading.
"For a long time after the boat split, it drifted aimlessly through the sea of stars. It was an era of chaos, completely out of control."
"The population plummeted during that time, with nearly nine-tenths perishing."
"It wasn't until the Immortal Boat finally stabilized that it found itself here, within this Relic Sea."
"It has never left since..."
"Although it can move within a small area, it lacks the power to break free from the powerful force that binds the periphery of the Relic Sea."
"..."
Reading the name the people of the Immortal Boat had given that gravitational pull, Li Fan was momentarily lost in thought.
"Echoing Star Power?"
"What is the meaning of this 'echoing'?"
Zhao Xian was just a Qi Refining cultivator. The fact that he knew this much was already a testament to his shameless persistence in nagging the academy's elders.
The origin of the Echoing Star Power was certainly beyond his scope of knowledge.
Li Fan could only temporarily set the question aside.
He began to ponder his next move.
The power of his divine sense was too weak. Only by bringing his holy embryo here would he have enough leeway to act.
The only problem he needed to solve was the lingering power of the True Immortal Script.
Li Fan's mind immediately went to the talisman the Broken Immortal Tower had used earlier.
(End of Chapter)
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