Chapter 1198: Sinner of the Xuanhuang Realm
Chapter 1198: Sinner of the Xuanhuang Realm
In a way, Chen Tianhai bore a great deal of responsibility for the Xuanhuang Realm's current, tragic state.
It was he, after all, who had activated the Transformation Dao Stone Mother without authorization and run more than ten billion deductions.
This was what allowed the Dharma Spreader to glimpse that single, fleeting possibility of victory.
The fall of the Ten Great Immortal Sects and six cultivators at the Longevity stage... for this, Chen Tianhai was an undeniable sinner!
Naturally, so many deductions from the Transformation Dao Stone Mother could not be concealed. When his master, Xingji Daoren, returned and discovered the terrible consequences—realizing they were very likely the result of Chen Tianhai's treachery—he was consumed by a towering rage. He nearly executed Chen Tianhai on the spot to atone for his sin before the world.
Yet, after much deliberation, Xingji Daoren stayed his hand.
For one, the bond between them was as deep as that between a father and son, and in the end, Xingji Daoren's heart softened.
For another, if the truth ever came out, the Taiyan Sect would become a public enemy, perhaps even erased from the Xuanhuang Realm entirely. A traitor, after all, is always more despised than a foe.
And so, he stripped Chen Tianhai of his title as first direct disciple and imprisoned him in the depths of the Taiyan Sect's dungeons, sentenced to eternal suppression. To the outside world, they announced that Chen Tianhai had betrayed them and fled.
Chen Tianhai languished in that sunless cell for an age he could not measure.
By the time he was released, the great calamity had already fallen, and the Taiyan Sect was on the brink of annihilation.
The world had descended into chaos. The once-mighty Ten Great Immortal Sects were too preoccupied with their own survival to aid others.
Thanks to their ability to use Transformation Dao Stones for constant, complex deductions, the disciples of the Taiyan Sect were able to suppress the murderous intent brought on by the Law of Incompatible Cultivation. They had not yet fallen into the same depths of chaos as the other immortal sects.
But they, too, had reached their breaking point.
It wasn't just the individual Transformation Dao Stones. The Transformation Dao Stone Mother itself, forced to discard all previous calculations due to the sudden appearance of an [Extreme Variable], had begun a frantic new series of deductions. In its desperate search for a sliver of hope for the Taiyan Sect, its computational power was stretched to the very brink. Just before his own life force was extinguished, Master Xingji Daoren released Chen Tianhai.
And he showed him a path forward.
To discard the physical form, for information is eternal.
"Fortune and misfortune are two sides of the same coin," he had said. "Though you committed a grave error back then, it was through that error that you uncovered the Dharma Spreader's true nature."
"Now, our final gambit has lured the Dharma Spreader away from the Xuanhuang Realm for the time being. This has bought us a precious chance to preserve what strength we have left."
"Otherwise, I fear the legacies of our immortal sects would have been utterly destroyed!"
Before he could impart all of his final words, Xingji Daoren perished.
And so, before the calamity of the Law of Incompatible Cultivation could completely consume the Taiyan Sect, Chen Tianhai completed his master's final directive: integrating every member of the sect into the Transformation Dao Stone Mother.
Thankfully, his master had eliminated all opposition within the sect before he died.
Otherwise, Chen Tianhai would never have survived to see it through.
When every member of the sect was able to experience and command the near-infinite computational power of the Transformation Dao Stone Mother, Chen Tianhai knew his master had made the right choice.
And as the separated Transformation Dao Stones were reintegrated into its core, now imbued with the collective consciousness of over a thousand Taiyan Sect cultivators, the Stone Mother itself underwent a wondrous and profound transformation.
It developed a consciousness of its own.
A consciousness that was, at the same time, the collective will of the Taiyan Sect.
During the thousands of years the Taixuan Realm remained hidden from the world, Chen Tianhai reflected on the past, re-examining his actions from all those years ago.
Back then, he had been plagued by a persistent unease and had even suspected he'd fallen victim to one of the Dharma Spreader's insidious plots.
But neither the sect's protective artifacts, nor his master, nor even the Longevity cultivators from the Tai Shang and Heavenly Sword Sects could find anything amiss with him.
Chen Tianhai could only conclude that he was merely being tormented by his own inner demons.
"The Dharma Spreader's methods," he mused, "are truly treacherous and impossible to defend against."
"It's a shame my master passed on before he could reveal the Dharma Spreader's true nature. The other sect leaders who knew are long gone as well. Still, after so many years, I've managed to deduce the general picture..."
As he listened to Sun Erlang recount his experiences in the simulation, Chen Tianhai's thoughts churned.
"By the way, Senior," Sun Erlang began, then hesitated. "Those cultivation techniques I learned in the simulated world..."
"They are real, of course," Chen Tianhai stated flatly.
"But I advise you not to practice them in the real world. Doing so might bring the Law Enforcement Hall of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance down upon you," Chen Tianhai added.
"The Law Enforcement Hall of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, you say...'" Sun Erlang murmured, his eyes showing no trace of fear.
"Well then, since you've had a fruitful visit, you should return. Don't keep your master waiting," Chen Tianhai said, dismissing him.
"Yi Shu will accompany you to the Great Qi small world."
The words had barely left his lips when Sun Erlang's vision blurred.
When he regained his senses, he found himself outside the translucent blue structure.
Yi Shu was standing nearby with a broad smile, looking as if he had been waiting for some time.
"Hm?" Sun Erlang immediately sensed something different about Yi Shu.
He was different from before, and different from every other cultivator in the Taiyan Sect.
He no longer possessed that cold, uniform aura they all shared. Instead, he radiated a vibrant life force that was uniquely his own.
"Thanks to you, young man, I have a physical body again, at least for a while. I can go out and stretch my legs," Yi Shu explained with a grin, proceeding to describe the Taiyan Sect's current state.
"Information is eternal..." After tempering himself for centuries in the simulated world, Sun Erlang was noticeably more composed.
Even so, he was still stunned by the sheer, unbridled ambition of the Taiyan Sect's plan.
"No need to be so surprised, young man. If you'd experienced it yourself, you'd know there's little difference between having a physical body and not. In fact, this flesh-and-blood form is often nothing but a burden," Yi Shu said with a hearty laugh.
"Still, a change of scenery now and then is nice."
Yi Shu followed Sun Erlang out of the Taixuan Realm, and they headed directly for the Cong Yun Sea, toward the entrance to the Great Qi small world.
Evidently, the Taiyan Sect was already familiar with the location of the Great Qi small world.
But when they passed through the Immortal-Forbidden Array and found only a vast, empty void where a small world should have been, a flicker of surprise finally crossed Yi Shu's face.
Sun Erlang froze for a moment, then memories from a century ago seemed to rush back to him.
He looked a bit embarrassed. "Apologies, Senior. The Great Qi Sacred Dynasty is currently drifting through the void, its location unfixed. I'm afraid I don't know where it is right now..."
"Let me ask around."
A moment later, a streak of golden light shot from the darkness, materializing before them in an instant.
"Greetings, Senior Bai Hua!" Sun Erlang exclaimed, bowing respectfully as he recognized the newcomer.
Daoist Bai Hua glanced at Yi Shu but offered no comment.
"Follow me."
A brilliant golden light enveloped them, and the surrounding void twisted, shimmering with an otherworldly radiance.
When the golden light faded, they found themselves back within the Great Qi Sacred Dynasty.
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