Chapter 1193: A Sudden Change of Fate
Chapter 1193: A Sudden Change of Fate
"The Great Qi..."
The Taiyan Sect cultivator narrowed his eyes, a flicker of countless images flashing through them.
"The Great Xuan?"
"Oh?"
It was impossible to tell what he had seen, but his tone was laced with astonishment. He turned to Sun Erlang. "In just a few years, the deviation has become this significant? How did this happen?"
Sun Erlang was utterly bewildered, having no idea what the man was talking about.
"Interesting," the Taiyan Sect cultivator said after studying Sun Erlang closely for another moment. "Come with me."
As he finished speaking, his form turned transparent in an instant.
Sun Erlang transformed into a streak of light and followed close behind.
Once they were inside the mountain, the silver path vanished behind them.
Even the pit Sun Erlang had dug earlier on Mount Taixuan silently filled itself in, leaving no trace.
"My name is Yi Shu," the Taiyan Sect disciple explained as they walked. "The remains you brought back belonged to my kinsman."
"When the great calamities struck—the Law of Incompatible Cultivation, the Immortal-Mortal Miasma, and the rest—my kinsman made a wise retreat. He sought refuge in a small mortal world. Though it meant forsaking the path of immortality, he rose to become an emperor among mortals. It was his destiny, you could say."
"We hadn't seen each other in thousands of years, only to be reunited like this. I suppose I always knew it would end this way when we parted, but still..."
"Fate is a cruel trickster."
"A simulation is one thing... but seeing it for real is another."
Yi Shu sighed softly and fell silent.
"Simulation? The real thing?" Sun Erlang keenly picked up on the two key phrases in Yi Shu's words.
"The Taiyan Sect was renowned in ancient times for its arts of divination. Could the 'simulation' and 'deviation' he mentioned be referring to the future they foresaw?"
They continued their descent deep into the earth, but when the scene before them resolved once more, they found themselves high in the heavens.
An azure sky stretched above, clear and cloudless, while below, fertile fields rolled on for hundreds of miles.
Sun Erlang could clearly sense the presence of a vast mortal population below.
Yi Shu, however, flew onward through the open sky.
Sun Erlang hurried to keep pace, a flicker of doubt suddenly igniting in his mind.
Ever since they had entered this small world, something about Yi Shu seemed to have changed.
But for the life of him, Sun Erlang couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
"I don't sense any danger, and I know Master would never harm me..." Sun Erlang pushed down the strange feeling in his gut and continued to follow.
Before long, a floating city materialized in the distance, appearing in what had been an empty expanse of sky.
The city was encased in a transparent crystal barrier. It was this barrier that had hidden the celestial city from his sight until now.
"Impressive," Sun Erlang thought. "To completely conceal a city this large... they certainly have their methods."
Yi Shu finally spoke again. "Our Taiyan Sect is merely borrowing the Taixuan Realm. Since mortals and immortals must remain separate, we built this barrier so as not to disturb the realm's mortal inhabitants."
Sun Erlang was skeptical of this claim about not wanting to disturb the mortals.
He didn't voice his doubts, however, merely giving a slight nod.
They passed through the transparent barrier, officially entering the domain of the Taiyan Sect.
The instant his feet touched solid ground, Sun Erlang felt the weight of countless eyes turning to look at him in unison.
He could feel the auras of many Dao Integration experts among them.
Sun Erlang was inwardly stunned. "The Taiyan Sect's strength has been preserved so perfectly! How can there still be so many cultivators? How did they manage to overcome the Law of Incompatible Cultivation?"
As they ventured deeper into the floating city, the strange feeling in Sun Erlang's gut intensified.
"It's too quiet," he noted. "Nothing like a normal, vibrant city."
"And..."
Sun Erlang stopped in his tracks.
He had finally figured out the source of his unease.
The cultivators of the Taiyan Sect, much like the treants of the Spirit Wood Realm, all had different faces yet radiated the exact same aura.
It was as if they were all just different bodies for the very same person!
Though startled, Sun Erlang remained composed. Rather than letting his mind race with wild speculation, he decided to ask directly. "Senior Yi, about your Taiyan Sect..."
Yi Shu seemed to sense his unspoken question and smiled. "You will understand everything once you meet Senior Brother Chen. But please, young sir, rest assured. The Taiyan Sect is very clear when it comes to debts of gratitude and enmity. By returning the remains of our disciple, you have done this sect a great service."
"While the alliance you spoke of may not come to pass, you have absolutely no reason to fear for your own safety."
Sun Erlang remained noncommittal, swallowing the words that had been on the tip of his tongue.
He followed Yi Shu to the center of the floating city, where they entered a building made of translucent blue crystal.
For a moment, it was as if he saw infinite reflections of himself entering the building all at once. When he snapped out of the illusion, a strikingly handsome man with hair that fell to his waist was standing before him.
"Senior Brother Chen," Yi Shu said with a respectful bow.
"Yi Xing went to the Great Xuan small world on a mission for the sect. In his day, his aptitude wasn't sufficient to enter the inner sect, a fact that he could never let go of..."
"Now, with the passage of time, such distinctions as 'inner' and 'outer' sect have become a joke. Let Yi Xing come home."
This Senior Brother Chen, none other than Chen Tianhai of the Taiyan Sect whom Li Fan had once met, spoke in a level voice.
"Thank you, Senior Brother," Yi Shu replied, bowing with the utmost solemnity.
Then, his form dissolved into a shower of blue starlight and vanished completely.
Only then did Chen Tianhai turn his attention to Sun Erlang.
His first words were staggering. "According to the original trajectory, you, Sun Erlang, after failing repeatedly to find an immortal on Jieli Mountain, were meant to give up. You would have settled down, married, and had children. Seven years later, infuriated by the excessive demands of a new prefect, you would have committed murder. Afterward, you and your companion, Wang Xuanba, would have become bandits, seizing a mountain for yourselves and terrorizing the local populace."
"You would have raised hell for over a decade before finally being annihilated by the imperial army. You and Wang Xuanba would have fought to the death, refusing to surrender, and been cut to pieces for your defiance."
Hearing this "destiny" that was supposedly his, Sun Erlang couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"But now," Chen Tianhai continued, "everything is different."
"Your future..."
Chen Tianhai's form shimmered, turning azure and ethereal.
A moment later, he returned to normal.
"Magnificent! Beyond all variables!"
"The Great Qi..." A strange light glinted in Chen Tianhai's eyes.
"To cause such a massive deviation in just a few short years..."
He mumbled to himself, looking as if he had just discovered something incredibly exciting.
"Do you know the origin of this master of yours?" Chen Tianhai asked.
Sun Erlang simply stared at Chen Tianhai in silence.
"Of course," Chen Tianhai said with a cryptic smile. "Even if you did know, you likely wouldn't—or couldn't—say."
A sudden wave of discomfort washed over Sun Erlang.
"Hmm? Wait a moment... that cultivation technique you're practicing..." Chen Tianhai's tone shifted abruptly as he studied Sun Erlang, a look of shocked disbelief on his face.
"Is that... the Mountain Meditation Technique from the Divine Wood Sect?"
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