Chapter 1279: Dao Integration Cultivators Die Like Ants
Chapter 1279: Dao Integration Cultivators Die Like Ants
Regardless of the moral character of Mo Rubin and the members of the Xuantian Sect, they were, after all, cultivators born and raised in the Xuanhuang Realm.
The primary conflict now gripping the Xuanhuang Realm was a struggle for sovereignty, a clash between its native cultivators and the outsiders from cultivation worlds that had been devoured for various reasons since the Great Calamity of the Immortal Realm.
The key to resolving this conflict lay with two individuals: the Dharma Spreader and the Heavenly Doctor.
"As for Mo Rubin, he might even offer his help at a critical moment. And as for the Xuantian King..."
From the clues available, the ultimate goal of the Xuantian King, Xuanyuan Hong, was consistent with Li Ping's: to save the Xuanhuang Realm from its perilous situation. If he were truly still alive, Li Ping wouldn't mind returning the title of Xuanhuang Great Heavenly Venerate to him.
This journey with Mo Rubin had been incredibly fruitful for Li Ping. Not only had he unexpectedly mastered an immortal-grade formation, the [Spirit Gathering Immortal Ascension Array], but more importantly, he had thwarted the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's clandestine efforts to draw power from the Gloomy Sea of Darkness.
Without the artifact needed to control the formation, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, with its current publicly displayed strength, would be utterly incapable of manipulating the Gloomy Sea of Darkness again. While the purpose behind the Alliance's siphoning of the Gloomy Sea's power remained unclear, there was no doubt that this operation had sabotaged their plans, effectively stripping them of a hidden trump card.
As for deepening his connection with the Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm, that now seemed like a rather negligible improvement to Li Ping.
Only then did the Sacred Emperor return to his throne, where he sat in deep contemplation.
"I knew that many of the Xuantian Sect's Law Kings were still slumbering throughout the Xuanhuang Realm," he mused, "but I never had a precise, quantifiable measure of their strength. Mo Rubin claimed to be the weakest of the twelve..."
"Even if that was an exaggeration, the power of the Law Kings is still terrifying. After all, their foundation is the legacy of the Immortal Realm."
"The Xuantian Sect inherited the legacy of the Immortal Realm. The Ten Great Immortal Sects studied under the Tiandu Grandmaster, and when they overthrew the Xuantian Sect, they surely plundered countless treasures. And as for the Dharma Spreader..."
"He even forcibly 'borrowed' the Tai Shang Sect's supreme technique, the *Tai Shang Primordial Scripture*. Countless treasures from the Ten Sects must have fallen into his hands. Not to mention, he controls a pivotal artifact like the Tianxuan Mirror, something the Ten Sects themselves could never find. The Dharma Spreader's power must surely surpass that of the Xuantian Sect's Law Kings."
A question inevitably presented itself to the Sacred Emperor.
If he were to force the Dharma Spreader into the open, a battle between them would be inevitable.
Vast as the Xuanhuang Realm was, it could not withstand the turmoil of their conflict. Moreover, there were far too many strange and bizarre entities hidden within it, such as the True Immortal's [Will to Survive] dwelling deep within the Gloomy Sea of Darkness.
If their battle were to disturb such entities...
Forget fighting for the legitimate rule of Xuanhuang. The very survival of the Xuanhuang Realm would be in question.
"The final battle must take place in the void, outside the Xuanhuang Realm," Li Ping concluded silently.
Li Ping believed the Dharma Spreader would agree with him on this point. After millennia of painstakingly patching things up, the Dharma Spreader surely wouldn't want to see the Xuanhuang Realm destroyed.
Li Ping held little malice toward the Dharma Spreader.
It was purely a matter of their opposing stances.
"It seems I'll have to make a trip into the outer void myself," Li Ping thought. "To familiarize myself with the future battlefield."
But before that, Li Ping turned his attention to the [Spirit Gathering Immortal Ascension Array].
This formation shared a remarkable similarity in principle with the [Sentient Soul Refinement Formation]. After being modified by the Xuantian King, its bloody and malevolent aura had been greatly diminished, making it something Li Ping did not reject out of hand.
The Spirit Gathering Immortal Ascension Array could extract matter and convert it into transcendent immortal power.
The Sentient Soul Refinement Formation, on the other hand, could merge consciousness, condensing it into an energy capable of resisting a True Immortal.
If the two were to be combined...
"Perhaps it could solve the problem of my insufficient supply of Source Power Essence."
"Although the lack of materials will greatly diminish the Ascension Array's effectiveness, it shouldn't be too difficult to ultimately condense a power on the same level as Source Power Essence."
The Sacred Emperor's decisiveness was unquestionable; the moment the thought arose, he began his deductions on the spot.
Formation patterns decomposed and merged within his mind, one after another.
A brand-new formation was slowly taking shape.
In reality, however, someone else in the world had already beaten him to it, having already deduced the very formation he envisioned.
Beneath the Gloomy Sea of Darkness, one constantly faced the threat of utter annihilation.
The connection between the Sacred Emperor's clone and Li Fan's true self had grown tight once more.
Especially after Mo Rubin had placed that demonic mask on the Sacred Emperor, the images perceived by Li Fan's true self became unprecedentedly clear.
Thus, Li Fan had a crystal-clear understanding of their entire operation, as if he had witnessed it firsthand.
Within the space of the Deduction Jade, a strange light flashed in Li Fan's eyes as he reviewed the deduction results reported by the Fabricated Personality of the Final Dissociation Disc.
"The Spirit Gathering Immortal Ascension Array is powerful, yes, but its energy extraction is too inefficient. Completely refining an entire world into nothingness yields only a meager amount of immortal power. But if it's integrated with the Sentient Soul Refinement Formation..."
"It would truly make the most of everything! Matter converted to energy, spiritual will merged and sublimated. Marvelous!"
Li Fan's mind raced with deductions. "If I had used this formation before to sacrifice the inhabitants of all the small worlds..."
"...the time I could have delayed the Faceless Immortal would have tripled!"
"Not only that," he thought, "with this grand formation, I'll no longer need to rely so heavily on the You Clan."
Regardless of his personal feelings toward Mo Rubin, Li Fan took his advice very seriously.
He had taken to heart the warnings: "The immortal power of the mortal world is more harmful than beneficial," and "Do not become a True Immortal unless you have no other choice."
As for his tangled history of grievances with Mo Rubin...
...that was a matter for the next life.
"Hmph." Li Fan's eyes flickered as he forcibly suppressed the thought that had begun to surface, returning his focus to the newly conceived formation.
The Fabricated Personality of the Dissociation Disc was still waiting for him to name the grand formation.
"All things in this world, be they living beings or spiritual energy, originate from chaos and nothingness."
"Under this formation, all things shall return to their primordial state..."
"Its name shall be the [No Beginning Spirit Void Array]!"
As Li Fan's thought took form, a chaotic, yellow light began to envelop the interior of the Final Dissociation Disc.
The name Li Fan chose, the [No Beginning Spirit Void Array], was naturally inspired by the immortal-grade [Mysterious Origin Primal Spirit Grand Array], of which he had only caught a fleeting glimpse.
Although the names had a similar imposing feel, their actual performance was worlds apart.
But Li Fan was confident. As he continued through his cycles of reincarnation, constantly strengthening the No Beginning Spirit Void Array, he knew that one day, its power would be in no way inferior to the [Mysterious Origin Primal Spirit Grand Array].
"It's just... this formation is too extreme," Li Fan mused. "I doubt the Sacred Emperor's clone will see eye to eye with me on this."
This journey of the Sacred Emperor had also been a tremendous gain for Li Fan's true self.
The immortal-grade formation personally laid by the Xuantian King provided the Dissociation Disc with a massive data supplement, to say nothing of other benefits.
He coveted both the True Immortal's [Will to Survive]—which Mo Rubin and the Sacred Emperor had avoided like the plague—and the power of darkness that had condensed in the Gloomy Sea over millennia.
Compared to them, who had only one life to live, Li Fan had ample time and a sufficient margin for trial and error in the future to make all these secret treasures his own.
The only condition was...
...to survive.
"Mo Rubin, though somewhat loathsome, speaks a great deal of sense."
Secluded within the Deduction Jade's space in this lifetime, he had ample time to digest these gains.
......
Those who held the fate of the Xuanhuang Realm in their hands had just experienced earth-shattering events in a few short days. Yet the countless beings living within the realm remained utterly oblivious.
The same was true within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
The matter of the Gloomy Sea of Darkness was classified at the highest level; only a few Dharma Transmitters were aware of it. They were currently gathered together, discussing their next move.
The most frequent topic of discussion among the cultivators of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was the message from the rainbow light beyond their world.
More than three months had passed since the rainbow light carrying dozens of the Alliance's Dao Integration cultivators departed the Xuanhuang Realm.
Most cultivators had assumed that once the group of Dao Integration experts left, they would never be heard from again.
But to everyone's surprise, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance possessed a method for long-distance communication and would occasionally release messages sent back from the departing vessel!
Originally, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance had been incapable of such a feat.
It was all thanks to the message delivered by a beam of sword light from the depths of the Star Sea.
After analyzing it, the Alliance successfully replicated the communication technology and applied it to the departing vessel.
As a result, the members of the Alliance were now able to witness the sights beyond the Xuanhuang Realm.
"What is all this? Why is it pitch-black?"
"The Alliance isn't trying to fool us, are they? This doesn't look any different from a regular spatial rift."
"They promised the other side of the Star Sea, the Xuan Shang Immortal Boat. Where is it?"
"Good thing I didn't choose to go. I'd be bored to death watching this all day."
"You can't even get on that rainbow light without reaching Dao Integration. May I ask what your cultivation level is, brother?"
"I've only been cultivating for a hundred years and I've already reached the Golden Core path. I imagine reaching Dao Integration will be a simple matter!"
......
The vast majority of cultivators treated the images released by the Alliance—for whatever unknown purpose—as mere entertainment, offering their own casual judgments.
But there were some who could discern deeper clues from these fleeting glimpses.
Outside the Abyss of Roars, within the Eternal Immortal Fortress.
Shang Shaojun had watched the footage of the outer void dozens of times, over and over again.
In addition to the publicly released footage, he had also obtained several top-secret versions through special channels.
Cold sweat broke out on his forehead as Shang Shaojun staggered, pulling back from his deep contemplation.
"What are your thoughts, Shaojun?"
The speaker was Diyi Jinglun.
He coughed lightly, sizing up Shang Shaojun with the air of a man enjoying a good show.
"The outer void... it's so treacherous. I considered myself quite powerful, but if I were to encounter those calamities... I fear I wouldn't survive," Shang Shaojun said, his voice laced with lingering fear.
"Don't worry, neither would I," Diyi Jinglun chuckled. "Which is why I'm becoming more and more curious about that white-robed sword immortal you mentioned."
Diyi Jinglun's smile faded. "Not only can he traverse the void unscathed, but he can also transmit such crucial information from the other side of the Star Sea... such a peerless genius, and I've never even heard of him?"
Shang Shaojun sighed in agreement. "It was only from that day that I truly understood how many hidden experts there are in this world. I will never again underestimate another hero."
"No, no, you don't understand what I mean," Diyi Jinglun said, shaking his head. "I'm saying, the appearance of such a person is completely illogical."
Shang Shaojun froze.
Diyi Jinglun suddenly stood up, fanning himself lightly. "In this era where the Law cannot be cultivated together, not only are cultivation techniques strictly controlled, but even the resources needed for advancement are constantly monitored by us."
"Even a rogue cultivator with heaven-defying luck would hit their limit at the Nascent Soul stage. To advance further, they would inevitably fall under the gaze of our Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. Yet, this white-robed sword immortal you speak of..."
"...it's as if he sprang from a rock. No matter how we investigate, we can't find a trace of him."
Hearing Diyi Jinglun's serious tone, Shang Shaojun was somewhat dismissive. "The Xuanhuang Realm is full of hidden powers. How could the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance possibly know of them all?"
Diyi Jinglun gave another light wave of his fan, and a projection of light and shadow appeared before them.
It was the scene of the Holy Embryo Li Fan displaying his might outside the Abyss of Roars, his sword shattering the demonic sound.
"What do you think of this swordsmanship, Shaojun?" Diyi Jinglun asked.
"Exquisite, absolutely natural," Shang Shaojun replied without hesitation.
"This sword... is the Sword of Xuanhuang." Diyi Jinglun's white jade fan mimicked the movements of the Holy Embryo Li Fan in the image, and an actual beam of sword light shot forth from its tip.
"The Sword of Xuanhuang..." Shang Shaojun savored the words.
"There are many who practice the way of the sword in the Xuanhuang Realm, and no shortage of geniuses among them. So naturally, they can discern the nuances of the techniques used by this white-robed sword immortal."
With every slash from the Holy Embryo Li Fan in the projection, Diyi Jinglun swung his fan in unison.
Identical miniature sword lights echoed the movements in the image.
"Brother Jinglun, what are you getting at?" Shang Shaojun asked with a frown.
"Do you know of the Heaven Controlling Division, Shaojun?" Diyi Jinglun asked, avoiding the question.
"Of course. Through the Heaven Controlling Division, the Alliance constantly monitors the principles of heaven and earth. Besides observing the Spirits of Heaven and Earth, its most important function is to detect signs of logic reversal in advance," Shang Shaojun answered quickly.
"But what does that have to do with the Sword of Xuanhuang?"
"This sword is a marvel of heaven. It points directly to the principles of heaven and earth," Diyi Jinglun said gravely.
At these words, a glint of understanding flashed in Shang Shaojun's eyes.
"The Heaven Controlling Division did observe an anomaly in the Dao of the Sword before. But it was extremely brief, lasting less than half a month before returning to normal. It didn't involve the phenomenon of a Heavenly Venerate reversing logic, so the Division simply reported it as a matter of procedure and filed it away. I saw the record at the time but didn't think much of it. It wasn't until you mentioned this white-robed sword immortal that I connected the two," Diyi Jinglun explained slowly.
"Half a month?" Shang Shaojun was incredulous.
By now, if Shang Shaojun still didn't understand what he meant, he wouldn't be worthy of guarding the Abyss of Roars.
The Dao of the Sword had not been completely reversed, meaning the prior anomaly was a sign of someone reaching the Dao Integration stage.
And since it only took half a month from anomaly to event, it meant that the white-robed sword immortal he had met...
...was not some long-established expert, but a fortunate newcomer who had just broken through.
But was that possible?
One might break through to a new realm in a short time through a stroke of luck, but the mastery of the sword, the carefree grace of his every swing—that required years of accumulation.
Shang Shaojun once again pictured the Holy Embryo Li Fan walking beside him.
"Perhaps... he is a genius of unprecedented talent?" he said, a note of uncertainty in his voice.
Diyi Jinglun was noncommittal. "Perhaps that's a possibility. But I'm more inclined to believe that an outsider has infiltrated our Xuanhuang Realm, used a heavenly marvel of the Sword Dao to break through to the Dao Integration stage, and is now luring us into the depths of the Star Sea..."
Shang Shaojun raised a hand, cutting Diyi Jinglun off.
"Brother Jinglun, isn't that a bit too far-fetched?"
Diyi Jinglun smiled. "It's merely the most logical explanation after eliminating all other impossibilities."
"This person has no background, appearing out of nowhere."
"And upon reaching Dao Integration, he achieved complete mastery... and of the Dao of the Sword, no less, one of the most complex principles of heaven and earth."
"If this person truly accomplished all this on his own, with no foundation whatsoever, I would call him the most gifted individual since the Dharma Spreader, throughout all of history."
"And, from your description of him, his words alone were enough to easily win the hearts of everyone in this fortress..."
Diyi Jinglun let out another cold laugh.
Shang Shaojun, however, began to consider more.
There were traitors within the Alliance, who sought to set things right.
That had been the man's repeated plea.
After being guided by him, Shang Shaojun had indeed started to have such suspicions. He had even planned to unite with some friends to uncover the truth.
But what if that man himself had ulterior motives?
If he caused internal strife within the Alliance and allowed others to take advantage of the chaos, wouldn't he become a traitor to the Xuanhuang Realm?
At this thought, a cold sweat broke out on Shang Shaojun's back.
Diyi Jinglun chose that moment to add, "When you came to me before, I admit I was somewhat persuaded."
"But after some investigation, I discovered some inconsistencies."
"Shaojun, you are a high-ranking minister of the Alliance. You must be cautious in your words and actions."
Shang Shaojun nodded slightly, lost in thought.
"Do not act rashly until the truth is clear. If that person contacts you again, report it immediately. I will handle it."
After giving his instructions, Diyi Jinglun gracefully departed from the mist-shrouded Abyss of Roars.
It was a long while before Shang Shaojun finally registered what had happened.
He had intended to win Diyi Jinglun over, but instead, he had been the one so easily swayed.
Worthy of the name "Diyi" (The First).
"Just who are you?" Shang Shaojun gazed at the starry sky, and the image of that white-robed figure, ethereal as a celestial being, appeared before his eyes once more.
Leaving aside the Xuan Shang Immortal Boat on the other side of the Star Sea for now.
Let's turn to the departing rainbow light, currently on its journey through the Star Sea towards the Immortal Boat.
After transmitting the recorded images back to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, Lan Yu focused his attention ahead once more.
The surroundings were pitch-black, seemingly tranquil.
But in his senses, it was a place fraught with hidden killing intent, a minefield of danger.
"Old Brother Lan Yu, we've been out here for so long. Have we made any gains?"
The voice of Jin Ri came from behind.
Lan Yu had never had a good impression of this Dao Integration cultivator who loved to meddle in everything.
He simply gave a faint reply, "You could say we've had some minor gains."
Jin Ri chuckled insidiously and sent a telepathic message, "Old Brother Lan Yu, now that we're in the Star Sea, we're no longer bound by the Heavenly Venerate's power. Do you think it would be easier to break through?"
"I heard your cultivation technique is a direct legacy from the great Grandmaster of old, perhaps even from the Immortal Realm. And I've noticed you seem to have grown much younger in a short time..."
"Jin Ri, you've crossed a line," Lan Yu interrupted, his voice heavy.
Jin Ri wasn't embarrassed at all. He cupped his hands in a perfunctory gesture and walked away with a smile.
Lan Yu turned back, continuing to monitor the dark void ahead of the rainbow light.
He sighed inwardly.
The atmosphere aboard this flying vessel, internally named the [Wangzun Flying Boat], was growing strange.
The protective rainbow light had been nearly depleted during their escape from the Immortal Ruins, yet the vessel continued to speed towards the other side of the Star Sea without slowing down.
But in just a few short months, three Dao Integration cultivators aboard had already died violently.
It would be one thing if they had died from some bizarre calamity in the Star Sea, but the crucial point was that all three had died under mysterious circumstances.
Everyone had personally examined the bodies, but no one could figure out the truth behind their sudden deaths.
The three corpses still lay quietly in the vessel, their faces ruddy, as if they were merely asleep.
But inside, their entire souls had been hollowed out without a trace.
"These are Dao Integration cultivators," Lan Yu thought, his heart heavy.
Among the three who had fallen, one named [Qing Yan] was a veteran Dao Integration cultivator just like him. His strength was not much inferior to his own.
Yet he had died just like that, without any explanation.
Lan Yu even found himself missing the death omens of the Xuanhuang Realm. At least then, one would know the cause of death.
"But I heard that even those omens became abnormal before we left? Truly a time of many troubles."
As someone who had survived since the Great Calamity, Lan Yu instinctively sensed something unusual was afoot.
Just as his thoughts were drifting, a sudden, piercing scream startled him awake.
Lan Yu's expression changed. Realizing something was wrong, he immediately rushed towards the source of the sound.
By the time he arrived, four Dao Integration cultivators were already gathered there.
The focus of their horrified gazes was another body lying on the ground.
Lan Yu's pupils constricted, because this time, the one who had died was none other than Jin Ri, the Immortal Venerable who had just been trying to cozy up to him!
Looking at Jin Ri's rosy face and lifeless body, Lan Yu couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
Soon, all the survivors on the vessel had gathered.
"Old Guan, you should do it."
From the crowd, Guan Xingxiu walked out slowly, his face grave.
After carefully examining Jin Ri's body, he made his judgment: "The same cause of death."
An uproar went through the crowd.
"Who the hell is it?"
"This is infuriating! So infuriating! Each of us is a mighty Dao Integration cultivator who commands respect in our own right, yet here we are on this small ship, being slaughtered like this without knowing why!"
"Maybe... maybe we should go back? It's not that I, Old Xu, am afraid of death. If we could see the legendary Xuan Shang Immortal Boat and die after hearing the Dao, it would be one thing. But what is this? If word of this gets back, we'll lose all face."
......
"Quiet!" Guan Xingxiu impatiently cut off their discussion.
"From now on, we move together. No one is to be separated."
"This is not a calamity from the void. Someone has attained enlightenment and is committing murder."
Guan Xingxiu's words sent shockwaves through the crowd.
"What did you say?"
"Old Guan, have you lost your mind? Even though you're the head of the Garrison Court and specialize in this stuff, this is too outrageous."
Guan Xingxiu waved his hand, silencing the voices.
"I have my reasons for saying so."
Behind Guan Xingxiu, a small golden sword rose into the air.
After circling once, it shot instantly towards Jin Ri's body on the ground.
A faint, black thread was severed from the corpse by the small golden sword.
Guan Xingxiu pinched the thin thread, and it struggled wildly as if it had a life of its own.
After observing it for a moment, Lan Yu also said in disbelief, "Xingxiu, are you saying that the killer used this thread to easily kill those people?"
Guan Xingxiu held a great deal of respect for Lan Yu and nodded. "From the looks of it, that is correct."
"If any of you don't believe it, you can try the power of this black thread for yourselves."
"I'll do it!" Sun Luchang volunteered.
Soon, the experiment ended with several holes poked through his body.
And that was with the black thread being suppressed by the golden Falling Star Divine Sword.
"How is this possible? A mere thread... how can it be so strong?" Sun Luchang was in a state of shock.
The other Dao Integration cultivators wore similar expressions of disbelief.
Guan Xingxiu's gaze swept over the crowd as he announced, "Everyone, I know you all hold important positions and high status in the Alliance. But don't forget, we are now in the Star Sea!"
"I'm sure you've all sensed it. The upper limit of the laws in this Star Sea is far higher than in the Xuanhuang Realm. Coupled with the absence of the Heavenly Venerate's shackles, for someone who has been suppressed for so long to suddenly achieve enlightenment and make a great leap in their cultivation... it's not impossible!"
Sun Luchang said, somewhat unwilling to accept it, "Even so, how can the gap be this large? It's one thing to be no match, but to not even be able to make a sound while struggling... If he truly possesses such strength, why not just kill us all?"
Sun Luchang's words resonated with the others.
But Lan Yu spoke up, "Perhaps it's because this person's technique is rather special. It's not a matter of overwhelming strength, but that the battle takes place within the sea of consciousness and soul, causing no energy fluctuations."
"And this black thread is the medium used to launch the attack."
Lan Yu was the most senior among them, and with his explanation, the others gradually came to accept it.
"In that case, let's follow the thread and find this bastard!"
At the crowd's suggestion, Guan Xingxiu touched the black thread to each of the surviving Dao Integration cultivators.
He found no connection to any of them.
"The killer is cautious and cunning. He certainly wouldn't leave such an obvious clue. In my opinion, this was deliberately left behind to mislead us," said a Dao Integration cultivator named Zi Mu.
"Not necessarily. He surely didn't expect that Brother Guan would also have a rapid advancement and be able to discover the traces he left behind," someone immediately disagreed.
"Brother Guan, how exactly did you achieve enlightenment? In this vast, dark star sea, I haven't had any insights at all!"
"That's right, Old Guan, please tell us. With this hidden killer lurking in the shadows, the only way we can avoid being picked off one by one is if each of us grows stronger."
As everyone chattered, Guan Xingxiu, feeling helpless, began to recount the story of his sudden epiphany.
(End of Chapter)
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