Chapter 1264: The Immeasurable Mirror Peers into the World Crack
Chapter 1264: The Immeasurable Mirror Peers into the World Crack
Of course, in the cultivation world, strength was the ultimate arbiter.
The crucial factor would be the final battle against the Dharma Spreader.
A wise man knows his own limitations, and the Sage Emperor was keenly aware that a significant gap still existed between his current strength and that of the Dharma Spreader.
After all, his adversary had dominated the Xuanhuang Realm for millennia and had achieved enlightenment deep within the Star Sea.
The man was truly unfathomable.
Although the Sage Emperor had already reached the very limits of the Xuanhuang Realm and had the extraordinary fortune of encountering the source Dao intent of the Star Sea...
...he had yet to fully convert that fortune into tangible power.
"I need... more time."
"Time waits for no one."
He hadn't felt this way before his journey to the Star Sea. But since his return, a subtle premonition warned him that his time was perhaps running out.
...
The Sun family.
Sun Luyuan circulated his spiritual energy to ward off the bone-chilling cold that filled the air as he stepped slowly into the room.
He looked at Sun Tianci, who sat cross-legged on the bed, not crying or fussing, but simply staring into space. A wave of helplessness washed over him.
Every family has its own share of troubles.
Outsiders knew only that Sun Tianci was born at the Combined Dao stage, his presence radiating an extraordinary power. They didn't know that the boy, perhaps from witnessing his own mother's death at the moment of his birth, had grown incredibly cold toward everyone.
His body naturally emanated an aura of extreme cold, making it nearly impossible for anyone to get close.
If he hadn't been born with a Combined Dao cultivation base, he likely would have starved to death within days for lack of care.
But no matter how extraordinary he was, he was still a newborn infant in need of constant care.
The few Combined Dao cultivators of the Sun family had no choice but to take turns looking after him.
"Tianci..." Sun Luyuan offered a gentle smile as he took out a vial of expertly prepared, top-grade spiritual liquid.
"How about you have something to eat?"
Sun Tianci merely shook his head, refusing the offer.
Sun Luyuan sighed internally, a fresh wave of helplessness washing over him.
Then, suddenly recalling something, he spoke again in a gentle voice. "I visited your father recently. When he learned of your birth, he personally created a technique just for you. Take a look..."
With that, Sun Luyuan used his divine sense to transmit "Righteous Law High-Spirited," the technique Li Fan had created, directly into Sun Tianci's mind.
Upon learning that this was a gift from the father he had never met, the icy aura surrounding Sun Tianci thawed ever so slightly.
He slowly absorbed the text of "Righteous Law High-Spirited," and as if struck by a sudden insight, he closed his eyes.
Sun Luyuan was overjoyed as he felt the oppressive cold in the room recede, the environment returning to normal.
More importantly, the profound, seemingly innate sorrow that clung to Sun Tianci was also gradually dissipating.
"What a magnificent 'Righteous Law High-Spirited'!"
"That lad really has a way with things!"
Knowing that the boy was now in a state of enlightenment, Sun Luyuan dared not disturb him. He gently placed the vial of spiritual liquid aside and quietly slipped out of the room.
He sealed the room with a restrictive spell to ensure no one would disturb the boy, only then feeling a measure of relief.
"Tianci's disposition might be for the best," he mused. "Staying cooped up, disappearing from the public eye... in a few years, the world will forget he ever existed."
"In this era of great upheaval, the Sun family's primary goal should be to lie low and preserve our strength."
This thought brought him back to the mission the Sage Dynasty had recently assigned him.
Since joining the Sage Dynasty, his life had been quite leisurely. The Dynasty had never issued any mandatory assignments.
His previous plan—to lure Fairy Kongyou to the Sage Dynasty to become a Dao companion for one of the Sage Emperor's disciples—had been interrupted by an unexpected commission from Xu Yuanxian. Now, with no way to contact her, the plan had to be shelved indefinitely.
This frustrated Sun Luyuan, who was eager to prove his worth and increase his standing within the organization.
He had finally received an assignment from the Dynasty, but it was a troublesome one, and he had yet to find an opportunity to make a move.
"The Gloomy Prison..."
"Isn't that just a place for high-profile criminals? What does the Sage Dynasty want by getting involved?"
Sun Luyuan muttered to himself.
Getting into the Gloomy Prison wasn't difficult.
But infiltrating it while maintaining contact with the outside world? That was another matter entirely.
"The Gloomy Prison operates as its own independent system within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, under the rotating jurisdiction of the Dharma Spreaders. Interfering would be..."
The mission briefing hadn't specified the consequences of failure, but Sun Luyuan knew this was undoubtedly a test from the Sage Dynasty.
Faces flickered through Sun Luyuan's mind as he mentally compiled a list of individuals who might be able to help him.
After a long while, he came up empty.
Habitually, he made his way to the underground chamber.
His younger brother, Sun Luyao—the spirit of the Immeasurable Mirror—sensed his distress and inquired about the cause.
"Brother, I've found some information. It might be useful."
As Sun Luyuan reviewed the information his brother sent, his furrowed brow began to smooth out.
"This might just work."
"I'll go give it a try."
He was about to leave in a hurry when Sun Luyao's voice stopped him. "By the way, brother, you promised to take me out for a bit. When can we finally go?"
Sun Luyuan faltered for a moment before replying evasively, "Just a little longer. The Sun family is still being watched. If I take you out now, we risk a repeat of what happened last time, when the Chen family of the Medicine Hall ambushed us while we were searching for the fragments."
"It's best if we wait for things to cool down."
With that, he hurried away without waiting for Sun Luyao to respond.
"Alright, I understand, brother..."
Just before he left, he heard his younger brother's reply.
But the tone of voice seemed... strange.
Sun Luyuan, however, didn't give it a second thought.
The information Sun Luyao had gleaned by peering through the Heavenly Profound Mirror revealed that a high-profile criminal from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was about to be sent to the Gloomy Prison.
This individual's identity was special, however, as he was a direct descendant of the Dharma Spreader known as Sun.
With such a background, he should have been exempt from a place like the Gloomy Prison.
But the crime he had openly committed this time was simply too great to ignore.
It was common knowledge that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was organizing a second World-Escaping Rainbow Light expedition deep into the Star Sea.
Clear Void Flowing Crystal was a crucial material required for this endeavor.
After a series of public and private compromises, the Alliance had agreed to evenly distribute the participation slots for the expedition among all Combined Dao cultivators, regardless of their background. Seizing this opportunity, the Alliance, in the name of the greater good, once again stressed the scarcity of Clear Void Flowing Crystal.
They began employing various methods, including entrapment, to reclaim the crystals that major families had been hoarding.
And Sun Wanyun, the direct descendant of Dharma Spreader Sun, was caught red-handed privately acquiring a massive quantity of Clear Void Flowing Crystal.
The cultivators in charge of the arrest were, of course, well aware of Sun Wanyun's identity. But with so many eyes watching, they had to make a show of it. Thus, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and take him into custody.
They had intended to release him quietly later, but someone behind the scenes fanned the flames of the incident.
In less than half a day, news of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's impartial and uncompromising arrest of Sun Wanyun had quietly spread everywhere.
Many even praised Dharma Spreader Sun for upholding the Alliance's laws above all, righteously punishing his own family for the greater good.
With things having developed to this point, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance couldn't very well go back on its word. Besides, Clear Void Flowing Crystal was far too important. And so, Sun Wanyun was sentenced to the Gloomy Prison in accordance with the law.
But he was, after all, the direct descendant of a Dharma Spreader. No one knew when he might be released, so it was only natural that he enjoyed certain privileges within the Gloomy Prison.
"This man is the perfect opening."
"All I have to do is give him the item from the Sage Emperor under the guise of a visit..."
With this in mind, Sun Luyuan made his way to the temporary detention area at the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters where Sun Wanyun was being held.
When he arrived, he was stunned by the sight.
It turned out there were quite a few "clever" people who understood the value of offering help in a time of need.
The entrance was thronged with visiting cultivators, bustling with activity. It hardly looked like the holding cell for a high-profile criminal on his way to the Gloomy Prison. The scene was deeply ironic.
Although he shared the surname Sun, Sun Luyuan had no blood ties to either Dharma Spreader Sun or this Sun Wanyun. They were mere acquaintances who had met on a few occasions.
And so, Sun Luyuan—patriarch of the Sun family, a clan that boasted five Combined Dao cultivators and was viewed as immensely powerful by outsiders—had no choice but to dutifully get in line.
Meanwhile, in the underground chamber of the Sun family estate.
Li Fan's divine sense was mercilessly mocking Sun Luyao.
"I told you your brother would never let you out. See?"
"He only took you out before because you were having sporadic fits, constantly on the verge of dying and causing the mirror to lose control."
"Now, under my care, the source of the Immeasurable Mirror's instability—that grinding wind calamity—is slowly being purged. You've become much more stable."
"You, my boy, are an immortal artifact now—the key to the Sun family's future rise. How could your brother possibly let you roam free? What if you were captured? What then?"
Sun Luyao listened to Li Fan's taunts in silence.
The only sign of his inner turmoil was the way his reflection in the mirror occasionally warped and distorted.
"Senior..."
After a long silence, he wisely decided to ask Li Fan for help.
Sun Luyao knew that this mysterious entity wouldn't have said so much just for the sake of a few taunts.
"Heh heh. You're getting smarter, kid,"
Li Fan cackled.
As he spoke, he conjured a pair of massive hands that reached for the top of Sun Luyao's head.
Sun Luyao's heart leaped in alarm, but he forced himself to remain still.
The massive, dark hands closed in, and the space within the Immeasurable Mirror trembled violently.
Li Fan tore a phantom image from within Sun Luyao's form.
With a flick of his wrist, Li Fan sent the phantom floating out of the Immeasurable Mirror, where it began to merge with a pile of materials that had appeared out of thin air in the chamber.
Moments later, another "Immeasurable Mirror," identical to the original, materialized before Sun Luyao.
As the spirit of the Immeasurable Mirror, Sun Luyao knew the immortal artifact better than anyone.
Yet even he could not spot a single difference between the object before him and the artifact that served as his body!
His heart pounding with suspicion, Sun Luyao flew into the counterfeit. Finding it to be nothing but an empty shell, he flew back out, his form buzzing with excitement.
"Senior, your methods are truly unfathomable! To replicate an immortal artifact so perfectly is beyond belief!" Sun Luyao gushed.
"Hmph. It's merely a hollow imitation,"
Li Fan stated coldly. "Now, split off another thread of your divine sense and place it inside this copy. With my handiwork as the foundation and your essence to animate it, it will be more than enough to fool your brother."
With freedom so close at hand, Sun Luyao didn't hesitate. Enduring the searing pain of his soul being torn, he split off a thread of his divine sense.
Once Sun Luyao's divine sense entered the replica, the counterfeit artifact became flawless.
In a sense, it had become a true extension of the original. Though merely an empty shell, as long as the real Immeasurable Mirror existed, the replica could instantly synchronize any information the original perceived.
"Senior, does this mean we can sneak out now?"
Sun Luyao asked eagerly, his gaze fixed on the replica Immeasurable Mirror that now floated silently in the original's place.
"Fool! What do you mean, 'sneak out'?"
"This is called... freedom! As vast as the sea for a fish to leap, as boundless as the sky for a bird to fly!"
Li Fan's divine sense cackled, enveloping the Immeasurable Mirror. They transformed into a streak of black light, effortlessly bypassing the layers of protective spells Sun Luyuan himself had placed, and shot out of the Sun family estate in an instant.
Seeing the blue sky above him once more, Sun Luyao was ecstatic.
"Senior, where are we going?"
"Are we going to search for the lost immortal artifacts of the Xuanhuang Realm, as you mentioned before?"
Though he lacked a physical body, Sun Luyao took a deep, symbolic breath of the free air before cautiously posing his question to Li Fan.
"The immortal artifacts... are not a priority," Li Fan replied simply.
Seeing that his companion offered no more, Sun Luyao dared not press the matter.
He could only allow himself to be carried along as they sped southward across the Xuanhuang Realm.
Seven days later, Sun Luyao's senses were jolted by a surging wave of energy ahead, and his attention sharpened.
"That's..."
Across the endless ocean, turbulent currents converged on a single point in the center.
Fierce winds howled, cracking like whips.
The violent tempest tore at the very fabric of space, unleashing jagged bolts of lightning.
Beside the colossal vortex, which seemed to swallow all the waters of the world, was a striking chain of islands resembling a long, coiling sea dragon.
This distinctive landscape instantly told Sun Luyao where he was.
"The World Cracking Great Vortex!"
He exclaimed.
Although he had long known of this natural wonder from the countless records he had viewed through the Heavenly Profound Mirror...
...the experience of witnessing it in person was worlds apart.
"Such churning currents, such a violent, raging wind..."
"How could a mere projection of data ever convey even a fraction of this?"
Trapped since his youth in a small, lightless mirror, he had been robbed of the world's magnificent vistas.
This majestic, world-spanning spectacle stirred Sun Luyao's soul, making him feel like the passionate young man he once was.
"Making such a fuss. You truly haven't seen anything."
Li Fan's clicking tongue pulled Sun Luyao from his state of awe.
"Done admiring the view? Let's get to work."
He flicked a finger toward the Immeasurable Mirror, and Sun Luyao's phantom form was instantly drawn inside.
A moment later, the mirror's surface began to emit an uncontrollable, ghostly light.
It focused on the World Cracking Great Vortex in the distance.
The body of the Immeasurable Mirror vibrated gently as countless images cascaded across its surface like a waterfall.
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, quietly waiting for the changes to unfold.
"Boundless, Primordial Vision."
"With this grand array as its core, the Immeasurable Mirror should, in theory, be able to analyze any secret in the world."
"Even though it's damaged now, using it to peer into the secrets of this World Crack shouldn't be too difficult."
"After all, the power of the original cataclysm was simply too immense. Even after all this time, the wound it left upon the Xuanhuang Realm has yet to heal."
...
As Li Fan pondered, the Immeasurable Mirror seemed to reach its limit.
Cracks began to spiderweb across its surface.
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