Chapter 1287: Changes Arise in the Star Sea
"A desperate gamble..." Having received his answer, Master Yin fell silent.
"Don't concern yourself with it. I have already made my plans," Saint Emperor Li Ping said calmly. "Win or lose, the true lineage of Xuanhuang will be re-established. You and Xu Ke just need to do what you must."
"But..." Master Yin began, still hesitant.
"The moment the Dharma Spreader appears will be the moment the Sage Dynasty's army launches its final assault on the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters. You two will use the chaos to infiltrate the Museum of Divine Treasures and retrieve Mr. Bai's skull. At this stage, victory or defeat is a matter of grand strategy. While you both are powerful, you cannot influence the overall outcome. Besides, the Museum of Divine Treasures is managed by the Illusionary Truth Sage lineage of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. Keeping them occupied will be a great service in itself."
A gloomy aura flickered in Master Yin's eyes. "They are nothing more than the lingering ghosts of the Xuanhuang Realm's ancient beasts. If Di Yi were still around, I might be wary. But a single Emperor Sanmo..."
"He is nothing to fear!" Master Yin snorted.
"The Illusionary Truth Sages control the great artifact, [Era]. After millions of simulations and deductions, even the most mediocre being can create miracles. Do not underestimate them!" Li Ping warned solemnly.
The Saint Emperor's words carried some weight with Master Yin.
He stopped arguing and instead narrowed his eyes in thought.
Master Yin grew instantly irritated, and Li Ping teleported to his side.
With a gentle touch of his palm, specks of starlight seeped in, and the strange activity gradually subsided.
"This is a backlash from your true self. Forcibly suppressing it all the time is not a wise solution," the Saint Emperor advised, seeing the problem at a glance.
Master Yin looked helpless. "Starting halfway is not the same as cultivating from the beginning. There are bound to be lingering side effects. I once thought that after consuming my original, flawed foundation and re-cultivating with 'Using me to build the foundation,' all would be well. But a while ago, listening to your sermon on the Star Sea, I had another epiphany. I realized that what I thought was my complete self was not complete at all. My foundation has been shaken, and it truly needs to be stabilized again."
"Rest assured, I will handle it before the final battle," Master Yin guaranteed.
"As long as you are aware."
The Saint Emperor's voice lingered, but his figure had already vanished.
Master Yin glanced around, only to find with astonishment that on the long table where the Saint Emperor had been sitting, the incomplete [New New Law]—which had materialized from the void and been taken away—had reappeared.
It had suddenly appeared again at some unknown time.
Knowing the Saint Emperor had left it for him intentionally, Master Yin didn't stand on ceremony and immediately picked it up to study it.
"Marvelous..."
Even though it was merely a compilation designed to deceive the world, this partial New New Law was still endlessly profound in Master Yin's eyes, almost indistinguishable from a true divine technique.
He quickly became completely engrossed.
Within the Sage Dynasty, in the fire-attribute grotto-heaven of the Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven.
An endless sea of fire raged, with roaring flames surging like monstrous waves, erupting periodically to scorch the sky.
The scorching flames were like wild stallions, devouring everything within the grotto-heaven.
Yet, in the deepest part of this infernal landscape, a golden, glazed flower bloomed magnificently. No matter how violently the surrounding flames raged, the flower remained as clear and pristine as ever, completely unaffected.
At the center of the glazed flower, the image of a world flickered in and out of view.
From time to time, a wisp of golden light would drift out from the glazed world within the flower. Upon contact with this golden light, the surrounding flames would instantly combust, burning even more fiercely.
Viewed from high above, one could see Daoist Baihua using the golden glazed light as a guide to continuously organize and manage the fire grotto-heaven.
Compared to when it was first captured, not only the fire grotto-heaven but the entire Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven had expanded by nearly a full circle. Daoist Baihua's contribution was undeniable.
The figure of Saint Emperor Li Ping appeared beside the golden glazed flower.
The raging flames instantly withered, not daring to even draw near. They merely flickered from a distance, as if trying to curry favor.
"Well done. The Five Elements Grotto-Heaven has been managed very well."
"The other grotto-heavens as well," Li Ping added calmly.
His gaze pierced through the sky of the Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven, reaching into the void beyond the realm.
The Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven, like a powerful navigator, was guiding the Great Qi of the Sage Dynasty as it sped through the void.
Surrounding it, nearly a hundred other small worlds of various sizes were being carried along in unison.
With the Great Qi as its core, they vaguely formed a battle formation. Like a colossal warship, the sight was awe-inspiring and intimidating.
"It is merely my duty. Without the Myriad Spirits Nectar bestowed by the Saint Emperor, I could not have achieved this," Baihua said, bowing before Li Ping.
Baihua also looked in the direction of Li Ping's gaze.
After a brief silence, she couldn't help but marvel, "I can hardly believe that I created such a magnificent sight."
"The vast majority of them are no smaller than my homeland."
"Next, I must trouble you with another task. You are to return this Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven to the Xuanhuang main realm," Li Ping's voice interjected.
Baihua was slightly taken aback.
But the Saint Emperor smiled and explained, "The time for evasion has passed. Now is the time for a direct confrontation. Let this be the vanguard for the first battle!"
As the Saint Emperor spoke these words, the surrounding flames seemed to be encouraged, surging violently higher.
And Daoist Baihua noticed something more: within the roiling fire grotto-heaven, apart from the flames themselves, a deep shadow flowed.
It was a terrifying presence, powerful enough to threaten her.
The Saint Emperor extended his palm. The shadow flowed swiftly into it, transforming into an adorable little insect with a chubby, tiger-like head.
It looked plump and harmless, but Baihua knew all too well how terrifying this little thing was.
The fire grotto-heaven they were in, and indeed the entire Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven, was merely an incarnation of this black insect.
For all these years, it would be more accurate to say that Baihua had been raising this insect named [Dao One] rather than tending to the grotto-heaven.
"With [Dao One] to help you, dragging the grotto-heaven back won't be as strenuous as it was on the way here."
"You only need to return the Five Elements Grotto-Heaven to its place. Dao One will handle everything else properly," the Saint Emperor instructed.
As Li Ping spoke, rays of starlight emanated from his palm.
The Dao One insect seemed rather pleased, rubbing its plump body affectionately against Li Ping's palm before greedily devouring the specks of starlight.
Its black body seemed to grow even more solid.
"Go on."
Li Ping gave it a gentle pat. Though reluctant, the Dao One insect obediently dissipated into a shadow and returned to the surrounding grotto-heaven.
The surrounding flames instantly blazed even more intensely.
And Baihua could feel the entire grotto-heaven spring to life. Being inside it was like being in the belly of a giant beast.
A rising sense of crisis made Baihua feel restless and uneasy.
Li Ping noticed Baihua's strange state and led her out into the void beyond the Five Elements Grotto-Heaven.
With a light tap of the Saint Emperor's finger, the Five Elements Grotto-Heaven detached from the Great Qi and its fleet formation in the void.
"Do not worry. Dao One will faithfully execute my commands."
Since the Saint Emperor had said so, Baihua could only nod. Suppressing the fear in her heart, she transformed into a streak of golden light and flew towards the Five Elements Grotto-Heaven.
The Five Elements Grotto-Heaven was instantly edged in gold.
Rumble!
After the initial roar, the grotto-heaven's departure became completely silent.
Concealed by the Saint Emperor's formation, one might not even notice the colossal object moving past, even if standing right beside it.
Watching the Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven returning home, Li Ping thought to himself, "In its current state, [Dao One] is capable of silently altering the spiritual energy of the entire Xuanhuang Realm."
"This isn't just aimed at the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance; it's also an opportunity to stimulate the Xuanhuang Realm, prompting it to further manifest signs of recovery."
Since his enlightenment at the center of the Star Sea, the Xuanhuang Realm had experienced a brief burst of restorative power. But it was water without a source, and with the passage of time, the signs of recovery had gradually stagnated.
The new buds on the Ruomu Tree's branches were beginning to turn yellow and wither again.
Transformed by the Dao One insect, the insectified Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven was like a powerful dose of medicine.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth is a crucial component of the Xuanhuang Realm. If it were to be corrupted, it would inevitably trigger a fierce, instinctual reaction from the realm itself.
"The mission of the Dao One insect, aside from creating a battlefield environment suitable for the soldiers of the Great Qi, is to insectify and devour as many of the foreign cultivation realms that have been stitched onto this world over the millennia as possible."
"After the great war ends, the Dao One insect will die. The spiritual energy will return to normal, and its corpse—those foreign realms—can become nourishment for the Xuanhuang Realm."
"After surviving this insect plague, the Xuanhuang Realm itself will become much stronger. Coupled with the measures I've already put in place for the [Xuanhuang Orthodoxy], regardless of who wins between myself and the Dharma Spreader, the Xuanhuang Realm will hold an absolute advantage in the future integration of realms."
The Saint Emperor's mind continuously simulated scenes from the upcoming great war.
His eyes gazed into the distance, piercing through layers of space and time, and he saw Daoist Baihua smoothly dragging the insectified Five Elements Grotto-Heaven back into position.
Amidst a silent roar that shook heaven and earth, the Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven returned to Tianling Province and began to emit a gushing, abnormal spiritual energy.
The concentration of spiritual energy in the Xuanhuang Realm would rise slightly in a short period.
Cultivators would find it difficult to notice the abnormality of this new spiritual energy. Only when the [Insectification] was activated would they be caught off guard and lose their 'right' to command the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Seeing the plan being implemented smoothly, Saint Emperor Li Ping finally withdrew his gaze.
With a step, he returned to the Great Qi of the Sage Dynasty.
In the deepest sanctum of the Saint Emperor's Seat.
The core of the Heaven and Earth Myriad Spirits Array resided here.
In addition, many other formations were layered here, such as the Sentient Soul Refinement Formation. Even the consciousness of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, which was closely connected to the Saint Emperor, would have its link severed in this place.
This ensured that all external prying could be cut off.
The Saint Emperor's disciple, Lin Ling, the former incarnation of the Spirit Tree from the Spirit Wood Realm, had now revealed her true form.
But it was a rather bizarre sight: the tree was suspended upside down, its crown at the very bottom.
A dense network of roots was at the very top.
Buildings scattered throughout the Great Qi—such as the Heroic Spirit Hall, the Sacred Medical Institute, the Sacred Academy, the Saint Heart Palace, and the Sacred Supervision Court—were all connected to the roots of the inverted Spirit Tree.
At the heart of the tree, all the events taking place within the Great Qi appeared in sync.
After an image was displayed, it would transform into green light and be absorbed by the inverted Spirit Tree.
Saint Emperor Li Ping looked at the inverted Spirit Tree before him, a rare flicker of hesitation in his eyes.
"As the saying goes, before planning for victory, plan for defeat. The Saint Emperor's action is truly one of great wisdom!"
Beside Li Ping, a yellow paper figure with a sorrowful expression was lavishing praise without restraint.
It was none other than Yi Jue, the One Absolute Daoist of the Salvation Sect.
He was sitting on the Calamity Crossing Book, his eyes fixed on the inverted Spirit Tree before him.
"Besides, Your Majesty's plan is for the sake of the Xuanhuang Realm, not a personal escape route. Therefore, it cannot be said to dampen your resolve or morale," the One Absolute Daoist continued.
The Saint Emperor remained silent.
He merely sent out seals from time to time, causing the roots of the inverted Spirit Tree to sway.
And at the tree's heart, the speed at which the images of the Great Qi were absorbed seemed to quicken slightly.
After a long while, the Saint Emperor finally stopped.
He suddenly spoke, "For this final battle with the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, your Salvation Sect does not need to act."
"As I said before, hide in the shadows and see..."
"...if there are any other prying eyes," the Saint Emperor said in a strange tone.
"The war between the Sage Dynasty and the Immortal Alliance is a change in the Xuanhuang Realm unseen in ten thousand years. If that power secretly monitoring the Xuanhuang Realm is still active, it will surely observe this event and transmit information about it. I don't require you to find the final destination of the information. I only need you to confirm whether the event happens at all," the Saint Emperor instructed, word by word.
The tightly furrowed brow of the Salvation Sect's One Absolute Daoist finally began to relax.
He clapped his hands in praise. "The Saint Emperor's action aligns perfectly with the Great Dao of my Salvation Sect! If Your Majesty is willing, I could yield the position of Sect Master of the Salvation Sect..."
Before the One Absolute Daoist could finish, the Saint Emperor cut him off. "Regardless of whether I or the Dharma Spreader wins, you must report the result to the victor. As for after you complete your mission... you may do as you please."
The One Absolute Daoist showed no joy at his impending freedom. Instead, he looked stunned, his small, indistinct paper hand pointing at the inverted Spirit Tree. "I'm not going with it?"
The Saint Emperor chuckled. "The only living being within this [Extramundane Tree] is Lin Ling, who serves as its core. I myself am not leaving any escape route on it. Does your Salvation Sect truly expect to tag along?"
The One Absolute Daoist's face instantly crumpled. "Your Majesty, please reconsider! What can a tree spirit born not long ago possibly accomplish? The Star Sea is vast; it might encounter some disaster and perish along the way. Wouldn't Your Majesty's escape plan then be for naught...?"
But Li Ping waved a hand, cutting him off.
Staring at the inverted Spirit Tree, he corrected, "It is not an escape plan, but a method of information preservation."
The One Absolute Daoist sighed. "Is there really a difference?"
Li Ping narrowed his eyes and remained silent.
This [Extramundane Tree] not only stored image data of all events that had occurred in the Sage Dynasty since its founding.
It would even transfer the true spirits and memories of those who had fallen during this period—originally housed in the Heroic Spirit Hall—to this location upon activation.
This was a contingency plan the Saint Emperor had prepared for the entire Sage Dynasty, inspired by the Tai Yan Sect's theory of indestructible information.
Or perhaps, the word "proof" would be a more fitting description.
If Li Ping won, it went without saying; the Extramundane Tree would not be activated at all.
But if Li Ping lost, then upon the destruction of the Great Qi, this Extramundane Tree would carry the true spirits of the Sage Dynasty's citizens and fly into the depths of the void.
If it were a physical entity, it would surely not escape the Dharma Spreader's grasp.
But if it were merely information, the Dharma Spreader might not even care.
Furthermore, the Salvation Sect would be there to create a diversion.
It wasn't that the Saint Emperor was having doubts about the final battle. After all, there was no place reserved for any living being on this Extramundane Tree.
Rather, the Saint Emperor wanted to leave behind proof of existence for the countless citizens who followed and believed in him.
Li Ping knew that during the millennia the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance had ruled half of Xuanhuang...
...the Great Qi of the Sage Dynasty was not the first to rise in rebellion.
Five hundred years ago, there had been an instance of various realms uniting to rise up and resist.
But after their defeat, all information about them was erased and sealed away by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
It was as if these failures had never existed.
Li Ping's action was to prevent such a thing from happening again.
"Even in defeat, our existence will not be erased!"
"If, many years from now, the Extramundane Tree could return to Xuanhuang and inspire those who come after, that would be even better."
Numerous thoughts flashed through Li Ping's mind.
Stirrings of emotion surged, but were quickly quelled.
"Dharma Spreader Heavenly Venerate." Li Ping silently repeated this name in his mind.
In truth, with his current strength, he was already thirty percent confident of not losing to the Dharma Spreader, and even of winning.
After all, since his enlightenment in the Star Sea, he understood the current limits of this Darkest Star Sea.
Even if the Dharma Spreader had dominated Xuanhuang for nearly ten thousand years, he certainly had not broken the current limits of the Star Sea.
But what made Li Ping vaguely uneasy was the shadow behind the Dharma Spreader.
The Heavenly Doctor.
Although Li Ping knew little about this figure, a faint intuition told him that this person was not to be underestimated.
To be able to conspire with the Dharma Spreader, his strength could not be weak.
"The Dharma Spreader, I can still handle. But if you add the Heavenly Doctor to the mix..."
Though the situation was not optimistic, the Saint Emperor's plan to launch a full-scale attack in three years was not an impulsive decision.
Three years from now was a very special point in time.
The specialty lay not in the Xuanhuang Realm, but in the entire Darkest Star Sea.
According to the sensation from the vast, true will of the Star Sea's origin, in three years, the Star Sea would once again erupt with the restorative power of its origin.
At that time, the restorative power from the Star Sea would engage in a large-scale conflict with the calamitous power lingering throughout the Star Sea.
Under the clash of these two immense forces, any cultivator within the Star Sea who had not yet reached a level to contend with them would inevitably be affected.
This was true for both cultivators enlightened in the Star Sea and believers in the power of calamity.
And this effect, when manifested in individual cultivators, would be a significant weakening of their upper strength limit.
Just as a larger body encounters more wind and waves in the ocean...
...the stronger a cultivator's cultivation, the more deeply they would be affected by the forces of the Star Sea and calamity within the Darkest Star Sea.
The Dharma Spreader and the Heavenly Doctor, these two beings at the pinnacle of the Star Sea, would be temporarily and forcibly dragged down.
Although the Saint Emperor's strength would also be diminished, a large part of his combat power came from the destiny of the Sage Dynasty. As long as the Sage Dynasty did not fall, his effective strength would remain at a relatively stable level.
On the other hand, he had a subtle connection with the true will of the Star Sea's origin. Under its protection, compared to other beings in the Star Sea, he would only have to face the ripples of the calamitous power.
"Through my brief communication with the Star Sea's origin will, I've confirmed that no cultivator had contact with it before me. I don't know why the Dharma Spreader and the others haven't discovered the revival of the Star Sea's origin will over the past ten thousand years, but it is undoubtedly a fortunate thing for me."
"Not only has it narrowed the gap between us to some extent, but I can even borrow the power of this vast Star Sea to a certain degree."
"However, unlike the Xuanhuang Realm, which has no other choice, this Star Sea is currently undergoing a vigorous rebirth, and my power is too insignificant. I only have one chance..."
The Saint Emperor stood before the inverted Spirit Tree, deducing the various scenarios he might encounter in the great war three years later.
No matter how the Salvation Sect's One Absolute Daoist tried to persuade him, he remained unmoved.
"If I could borrow the power of calamity, perhaps my chances of winning would increase even more."
The Saint Emperor couldn't help but think.
But he never would have imagined that on the far side of the Star Sea, a group of beings attempting to master the power of calamity had also foreseen the changes that would occur in three years.
The Mysterious Immortal Boat, the Broken Immortal Tower.
Zhao Xian, also known as the Holy Embryo Li Fan, who was in seclusion, was hastily summoned.
At a general meeting of all core members of the Broken Immortal Tower, Ai Tianjue spoke, announcing an event that could have a major impact on the Immortal Boat.
"Across the Star Sea, the lingering power of calamity is continuously strengthening and is expected to reach its peak within three years?"
"Influenced by this, the True Immortal power attached to the Relic Sea will also resonate. The usual fluctuations will intensify dramatically, making it an excellent opportunity for us to search for effective World Extinguishing Relics. Such a chance comes once in a thousand years!"
"If all goes well, we might be able to gather enough relics in one go to last us for the next hundred years!"
Upon hearing Ai Tianjue's report, the crowd became exceptionally excited.
Currently, due to the scarcity of World Extinguishing Relics, the Broken Immortal Tower's research into the True Immortal Script had been progressing very slowly, to say the least.
Often, several cultivators had to share a single relic.
Only the true power holders and their disciples had the opportunity to possess one exclusively.
Almost every cultivator in the Broken Immortal Tower was confident that their aptitude was no less than others'. If each person had sufficient relics to study, the difficulty of the research would surely be greatly reduced.
"What I'm more concerned about is why this phenomenon is happening," Chi Gongdao's voice rang out.
He himself was not present at the meeting; the one speaking was merely a pen woven from flesh and hair.
The flesh pen flew about in the void, gesturing as it wrote, "The Immortal Boat has always kept detailed records of the fluctuations in calamitous power. Such an anomalous phenomenon has never occurred before."
"And an anomaly either means an opportunity, or it represents..."
"Disaster!"
The flesh pen wrote a large character in the air.
A strange fluctuation emanated from the character. All the cultivators present couldn't help but feel a chilling cold rise in their hearts, as if they were standing on the edge of a bottomless abyss.
"Gongdao, stop this nonsense," a blue-haired elder said in a deep voice.
With just a single glance from him, the character was actually absorbed into his eye.
The speaker was the Second Elder of the Broken Immortal Tower and the host of this council, Gan Jingda.
After stopping Chi Gongdao's mischievous behavior, Gan Jingda said gravely, "However, what you said is not without reason. In fact, a few of us have already analyzed this in private."
"This disturbance is different from the previous riot of echoing star power. I'm afraid the root of the disturbance comes from the Star Sea itself."
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall fell silent.
The cultivators all contemplated the deeper meaning behind this statement.
None of them were fools; they knew very well that their current source of power was the remnant True Immortal power within the Star Sea.
But to the Star Sea as a whole, this True Immortal power was a foreign substance, a heresy.
It was something that needed to be cleansed.
Judging by the current trend, there was no possibility of the two merging.
The change was about to happen. What would the possible outcome be?
The power of calamity running out of control? For the Mysterious Immortal Boat, which was already surviving precariously, as if walking on thin ice, this wasn't necessarily a good thing. Even if there might be more True Immortal power to utilize in the future, the crises they would face would inevitably increase in tandem.
This was the price of mortals scheming for the power of True Immortals.
And if the Star Sea gained the upper hand, then the future for the Mysterious Immortal Boat would be even more grim.
As remnants belonging to the faction of True Immortal power, their strength would surely be greatly diminished once they lost the sharp weapons they once wielded.
Unless they were willing to change their allegiance and return to the path of cultivation and enlightenment.
But...
A subtle atmosphere circulated through the hall.
Having tasted the ability to command the power of True Immortals with a mere gesture, who could be content to return to the slow, step-by-step process of cultivation?
Ai Tianjue cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Everything right now is still just speculation. There is no substantial evidence."
"The Mysterious Immortal Boat has endured countless calamities since ancient times. I believe we will be able to weather this change safely as well."
The cultivators responded with applause.
"However, this change is a matter of great importance. We have decided that from this day forward, the Immortal Boat will enter a state of emergency preparedness."
"Be ready to enter a wartime state at any moment," Gan Jingda announced, stating the purpose of the meeting.
Although no one raised any objections, the grave expressions on their faces were unmistakable.
Just then, Li Fan suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.
"When the change occurs, will the suction force in the Star Sea also be affected?"
"I've heard before about the existence of the Xuanhuang Realm on the other side of the Star Sea. Compared to our Immortal Boat, that cultivation realm, which is still relatively intact, has far more abundant resources. Previously, we considered the journey too long and the influence of the Star Sea's suction force too great, making an expedition not worth the cost. But now..."
As Li Fan spoke, everyone's eyes lit up.
Gan Jingda, Ai Tianjue, and the others exchanged glances, seemingly discussing something.
Then, under the expectant gazes of the crowd, he said, "Regarding the feasibility of this matter, the council of elders will conduct a detailed assessment after further study."
"If it is feasible..."
"Our Immortal Boat might just be able to find a place to settle down on the other side of the Star Sea."
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