Chapter 1288: An Immortal Artifact Connects Two Realms
Chapter 1288: An Immortal Artifact Connects Two Realms
The atmosphere in the hall, already simmering with anticipation, reached a fever pitch with the announcement of Gan Jingda’s resolution.
A complete and thriving cultivation world, rich with resources—a notion that had previously existed only in the wildest fantasies of the Mysterious Immortal Boat’s crew, now seemed tantalizingly within reach. How could their hearts not pound with excitement?
Before the meeting, the vast majority of cultivators aboard the Mysterious Immortal Boat knew of the Xuanhuang Realm only through the captured flying vessel that had arrived from its distant shores. After the meeting, they began to frantically devour every piece of information they could find about it.
The Mysterious Immortal Boat had a long and storied history. Though it had suffered the tragedy of being split in two, its legacy had never been broken.
Ten days after the council, the Broken Immortal Tower, the Immortal Pivot Academy, the Dao Proving Academy, and the various great families of the Immortal Boat collaborated to produce a detailed report on the Xuanhuang Realm.
The bulk of the report, provided by the Broken Immortal Tower, was sourced from the testimony of their prisoner, the Dao Integration cultivator Lan Yu.
The contributions from the Immortal Pivot Academy and other organizations, however, were drawn from archival records of the unified Xuan Shang Immortal Boat’s several visits to the Xuanhuang Realm before the calamity in the Star Sea.
During a smaller-scale meeting among the highest echelons of the Mysterious Immortal Boat, this report was distributed to all present.
“At present, we cannot be certain of the extent to which the Star Sea anomaly will develop in three years. Therefore, whether we can truly launch an expedition to the Xuanhuang Realm remains to be seen. But that doesn’t prevent us from making preparations in advance.”
“Everyone, please take a look...”
A quiet man named Lu Yuzhi, one of the five Dao Integration cultivators from the Broken Immortal Tower present, began to summarize the findings for the assembly.
“Our Xuan Shang Immortal Boat visited the Xuanhuang Realm on three separate occasions in ancient times. One was an official visit, where we were received with great hospitality. The other two were clandestine visits to gather resources. At that time, the Xuanhuang Realm had two unique products that were priceless even across the entire Star Sea. One was the [Ruomu Fruit], and the other was [Immortal-Gifted Artifacts].”
“This Ruomu Fruit contains the most primordial laws of life from the Xuanhuang Realm. When consumed by a cultivator, it can dramatically increase their lifespan.”
“As for the Immortal-Gifted Artifacts...”
Lu Yuzhi paused, and Li Fan could detect a slight tremor in his voice.
“According to our records, the Xuanhuang Realm was one of the few cultivation worlds in antiquity that maintained frequent contact with the Immortal World. As a result, it possesses a considerable number of artifacts bestowed as gifts from above. Over the long course of time, some of these immortal artifacts became ownerless. There were even specialized cultivators in the Star Sea who would travel to the Xuanhuang Realm to secretly gather information on these lost artifacts, hoping to make a fortune.”
“Although the chances of success were infinitesimal, there were indeed a few successful instances. The two secret visits our Mysterious Immortal Boat made were, in fact, to rendezvous with those who had succeeded.”
Lu Yuzhi’s words immediately stirred a commotion in the hall.
Even among these high-ranking members of the Immortal Boat, some had never heard of such secrets.
“Of the two immortal artifacts we collected from the Xuanhuang Realm, one was sold before the Star Sea calamity struck. The other, unfortunately, fell into the hands of the[Shang Immortal Boat]during the schism,” Lu Yuzhi stated, his voice thick with regret.
A collective breath was held, and faces throughout the room contorted with expressions of bitter resentment.
Gan Jingda, the Second Elder of the Broken Immortal Tower, cleared his throat, quelling the murmurs in the chamber and signaling for Lu Yuzhi to continue.
“Although the immortal artifacts from the Xuanhuang Realm are no longer in our possession, we do still have a[Ruomu Fruit].”
Lu Yuzhi glanced for approval at the representative from the Immortal Pivot Academy, who then performed a series of hand seals.
Amidst a dazzling display of light, a translucent, circular fruit, like a sphere of polished white jade, materialized before their eyes.
Even sealed under layers of restrictive arrays, every cultivator present could feel the surging life force emanating from the Ruomu Fruit.
For the resource-starved cultivators of the Immortal Boat, this was an irresistible temptation. Even the high-ranking members present had never had the privilege of enjoying such a treasure.
Most of them stared intently at the Ruomu Fruit, swallowing hard.
Li Fan observed it just as closely.
“A familiar aura.”
“It’s definitely from the Ruomu tree. But the vibrant life force permeating this fruit is something the current Ruomu is incapable of producing. It seems the wounds the tree suffered back then were truly grievous.”
“And...”
A thought stirred in Li Fan’s mind. He noticed that faint wisps of life force seemed to be radiating from the Ruomu Fruit, vanishing into thin air—or rather, flowing into the void itself.
Lu Yuzhi’s voice grew solemn. “As you should all understand, the life force of this Ruomu Fruit has been constantly dissipating for ten thousand years. Although our Immortal Boat has employed numerous secret techniques over the generations to significantly slow the rate of escape, we have ultimately been unable to stop the process.”
Someone in the hall gasped in amazement. “After ten thousand years of dissipating, the life force it contains is still this potent. It’s hard to imagine what the original Ruomu Fruit must have been like.”
“No wonder it’s considered a treasure of immense value across the entire Star Sea.”
“Hmm, strange. How did those old codgers at the Immortal Pivot Academy manage to restrain themselves from just swallowing such a treasure?”
Amidst the flurry of discussion, someone grasped the crucial point of Lu Yuzhi’s presentation.
“Brother Lu, are you implying that the life force dissipating from this Ruomu Fruit is returning to the Xuanhuang Realm?”
Hearing this, the room fell silent. All eyes turned back to the Ruomu Fruit, their expressions now holding something more than just greed and desire.
Lu Yuzhi nodded. “Correct!”
“The Star Sea is boundlessly vast. Even the captured Lan Yu from Xuanhuang doesn't remember the way back. But with this Ruomu Fruit, we can precisely lock onto the Xuanhuang Realm’s position in the endless expanse of the Star Sea!”
A moment of silence was shattered by another explosion of fervent discussion.
“Does the Xuanhuang Realm still have these Ruomu Fruits? If we could each have one... the thought is almost too much to imagine...”
“No wonder the fellows at the Immortal Pivot Academy didn't consume it. A treasure is a treasure, but this one is entangled with the very source power of another cultivation world. For ordinary cultivators, it might be fine, but for those in power on the Immortal Boat, it’s absolutely out of the question. Not unless they're willing to give up their position.”
“Wait a moment, can something be so coincidental? And the way this fruit’s life force drifts back to its world of origin... it feels a bit too deliberate. Could it be that this fruit is actually bait, designed to lure beings from the Star Sea to be hunted?”
...
The debate raged on, and Lu Yuzhi, the presenter, made no move to stop it.
Instead, he closed his eyes and sank into contemplation.
Only when the hall grew quiet once more did Lu Yuzhi speak again to summarize, “From Lan Yu’s memories, we have ruled out the possibility of a trap. Even if a Ruomu Fruit conspiracy existed in ancient times, we need not worry about the present-day Xuanhuang Realm. Although it survived the great calamity of the Star Sea, it has also undergone unimaginable changes.”
“The current Xuanhuang Realm is under the joint rule of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Council...”
Lu Yuzhi proceeded to provide a detailed briefing on the Xuanhuang Realm for everyone present.
“Something’s not right. Why is this Xuanhuang Realm so much larger than what’s described in our records?”
“Our initial assessment is that survivors from the Star Sea have banded together in an attempt to resist the suction of the Immortal Ruins. What they call the Xuanhuang Realm would be more accurately described as the[Land of All Worlds’ Survivors].”
“In that case, the Xuanhuang Realm must have hidden masters. It’s certainly not just the Dharma Spreader and the five Longevity Heavenly Venerates on the surface.”
“To reverse the logic of heaven and earth to achieve Longevity... quite interesting. By binding themselves to a world, they can indeed attain a lifespan beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators. They can even grow stronger as their world prospers. The only pity is that their strength is greatly diminished outside their world. And if their world is destroyed, they can only perish along with it.”
The attendees studied the information on the Xuanhuang Realm with grave expressions.
“Let’s not forget that there are numerous Immortal-Gifted Artifacts within the Xuanhuang Realm. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance’s Tianxuan Mirror is clearly one of them. Does the Alliance possess other immortal artifacts? If we launch an expedition, we must factor this in. I believe we all understand how powerful a True Immortal’s strength is. Can we truly be certain of an easy victory?”
“In my opinion, fighting isn't necessarily our only option. From Lan Yu’s memories, we know that the Xuanhuang Realm is currently quite rich in resources. Our Immortal Boat is, at best, equivalent to less than half a province of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. We could very well use trade to acquire what we need.”
“Indeed. Even if we can't occupy the Xuanhuang Realm, investigating the so-called Immortal Ruins would be of great benefit to us. Such overwhelming True Immortal power... perhaps there are complete[True Immortal Scripts]within!”
“Sigh, I urge everyone to be more cautious. We covet the resources of the Xuanhuang Realm, but are they not just as desperate to escape the shackles of the Immortal Ruins? To them, isn't our Mysterious Immortal Boat just another piece of fatty meat?”
...
Whether to journey to the Xuanhuang Realm was a decision that could irrevocably alter the fate of the Immortal Boat. It was too momentous to be made in a short time. And due to historical scars, no one present even suggested sending a smaller force to probe first.
The Mysterious Immortal Boat had to advance or retreat as one. It could not withstand a second schism.
The council decided to reconvene in thirty days to make a final decision.
After the attendees departed one by one, only nine cultivators remained.
Four from the Broken Immortal Tower, three from the Immortal Pivot Academy, one from the Dao Proving Academy, and one from the Immortal Boat’s Star Forging Workshop.
Li Fan, as a direct disciple, was not qualified to be present and waited outside.
Gan Jingda lightly pointed a finger, and an image instantly materialized before the small group.
A beam of sword light tore through the heavens.
Sixteen characters blazed across the celestial curtain, shining brilliantly.
Beyond the Star Sea, beneath the High Wall, the Xuan Shang Immortal Boat floats through calamity.
Gan Jingda spoke slowly, “What are your thoughts?”
“This messaging method...[Boundless]?” Nangong Lie of the Dao Proving Academy asked, his expression grim.
“Is there a traitor on the Immortal Boat?”
“Not necessarily. It could be the group that defected all those years ago. Are they trying to divert disaster our way? To reap the benefits from the chaos?”
“Regardless, in the face of absolute strength, all plots and schemes are but illusions. The only thing we need to consider is whether it is worth it.” rAN0Bеs
...
They spoke one after another, deliberating the future of the Mysterious Immortal Boat.
Outside the council chamber, Li Fan did not leave early, but waited for his master.
He gazed down at the structures scattered across the divine tree of the Immortal Boat, but his thoughts were focused on the Ruomu Fruit he had briefly seen in the meeting.
“The life force of the Ruomu Fruit is indeed drifting towards the Xuanhuang Realm. But not through ordinary means; it involves the very fabric of the Star Sea itself.”
“To rely on its life force to pinpoint the Xuanhuang Realm’s location... is utterly impossible.”
“They are lying. They must be relying on another method.”
Several possibilities flashed through Li Fan’s mind, but for now, he had not yet reached the true inner circle of the Immortal Boat’s leadership.
He could not be certain of the correct answer.
As he pondered, a message interrupted his thoughts.
“Brother Zhao, come quickly!”
It was a transmission from Wang Hai, another of Ai Tianjue’s disciples.
Under normal circumstances, Wang Hai rarely sought out Li Fan. This urgency suggested something important had occurred.
Li Fan decided not to wait for Ai Tianjue any longer and returned directly to Wang Hai’s residence.
“Brother Zhao, look at this.”
“The Immortal Boat’s report has such a massive oversight.”
Wang Hai had not attended the meeting, but he had already obtained a copy of the joint report on the Xuanhuang Realm.
Li Fan narrowed his eyes. In Wang Hai’s hand was a jade slip that exuded an ancient aura.
The contents recorded within the slip surprised Li Fan greatly.
“...At this point, the Mysterious Immortal Boat had reached its most critical moment of life and death. To solve the problem of survival for the cultivators on board, the last remaining immortal artifact was finally used.”
“The[Transformation Seed].”
“With the planting of a black, seemingly unremarkable seed, a divine tree took root and sprouted on the shattered hull of the Immortal Boat.”
“It was only with the reinforcement of this divine tree that the broken half of the Immortal Boat gradually regained stability.”
“As the saying goes, every drink and every peck is preordained. Who could have imagined that this immortal artifact from the Xuanhuang Realm, once deemed to have no trade value, would become the Immortal Boat’s lifeline in the end...”
After reading the contents of the jade slip, Li Fan realized it was a historical record, a personal reflection on the period after the Immortal Boat’s schism.
“Where did you get this?” Li Fan asked, slightly taken aback.
“Where else? It’s been passed down in my family, of course,” Wang Hai replied, a little perplexed but with an air of self-assurance.
“I read all the classic jade slips in my family’s collection when I was a child, so I remembered this passage. It clearly states that the Immortal Boat’s divine tree came from the Xuanhuang Realm. Yet this report claims the Immortal Boat has no immortal artifacts left...”
Noticing Li Fan’s peculiar expression, Wang Hai quickly explained, “I know there must be something strange about this, so I haven't spread it around. That’s why I called you here.”
“I just wanted to see if pointing out this error would count towards[Correction]merit. If not, then I’ll just pretend I never said anything.”
The so-called[Correction]merit was one of the most significant honors a cultivator on the Mysterious Immortal Boat could accumulate. If, during their cultivation or studies, they discovered and pointed out errors in the Immortal Boat’s inherited texts, or proposed improvements, they would receive incredibly generous rewards.
For countless years, the Immortal Boat had not remained stagnant. It had survived in the Star Sea thanks to the wisdom of generations of cultivators.
Li Fan returned the jade slip and answered bluntly, “In my opinion, this isn’t an error. The Immortal Boat is intentionally concealing the connection between the divine tree and the Xuanhuang Realm.”
“Why would they do that? There’s no need...” Wang Hai was stunned.
Li Fan then showed him the sixteen characters from Lan Yu’s memory.
“Ah, I remember now.”
“The reason the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance sent a flying vessel to this side of the Star Sea,” Wang Hai said, deep in thought.
Li Fan whispered, “This is the Boundless Communication method, a secret art of the Immortal Boat.”
Wang Hai was shocked and was about to say more, but Li Fan stopped him.
“The divine tree came from Xuanhuang. Could it be that Xuanhuang cultivators still retain some method of controlling it?”
“The divine tree saved the Immortal Boat, yet we are planning to invade the cultivation world that gifted it to us. Isn’t that repaying kindness with enmity?”
“If the truth were revealed, it would inevitably cause hesitation and concern throughout the Immortal Boat. It’s better to conceal this matter. Besides, so many years have passed; not many know the truth of what happened back then,” Li Fan explained.
“And there might still be spies from the Xuanhuang Realm on the Immortal Boat. If they learned of this secret, it would be greatly disadvantageous for us,” Wang Hai added via voice transmission, having come to his senses.
Li Fan nodded in agreement.
“Sigh, what a pity. I thought I had finally found another error,” Wang Hai said, looking dejected.
“You need not worry. The Star Sea anomaly is coming. As the residual True Immortal power in the Star Sea slowly reawakens, it will surely become easier for us to comprehend the True Immortal Scripts,” Li Fan consoled him, his expression inscrutable.
...
“The[Transformation Seed]?”
In the Xuanhuang Realm, Li Fan’s divine sense, attached to Sun Tianci of the Sun family, tried to search his mind for any clues related to those two words.
“The name doesn’t quite match. But the description is remarkably similar to the relic left behind after the Divine Wood Sect was destroyed.”
Li Fan mused thoughtfully.
The Divine Wood Sect, one of the ancient immortal sects of the Xuanhuang Realm.
It existed in the same era as the Desolate God Sect and the Reincarnation Sect, during the great age of cultivation before the path to immortality was severed.
The[Mountain Sitting Technique]that Li Fan was familiar with also originated from this sect.
Within the Divine Wood Sect was an otherworldly divine tree. Because it grew continuously, it threatened the existence of the Ruomu tree.
A conflict erupted between the two.
In the end, the Divine Wood Sect was annihilated and vanished from the river of history.
Besides the fact that the Ruomu tree of that time was at the absolute peak of its power and ferocity, and had the assistance of many other cultivators, there was another reason for the Divine Wood Sect’s defeat.
Much like the Desolate God Sect, the Divine Wood Sect’s connection to the Immortal World was inexplicably severed, rendering many of its techniques unusable.
After the Divine Wood Sect fell, its otherworldly divine tree was utterly destroyed.
Only a few relics remained, which were divided among the various sects of that time.
One of those treasures, which resembled a tree seed, was almost identical to the[Transformation Seed]described in the Mysterious Immortal Boat’s records.
“No wonder there are no records of it in the Xuanhuang Realm after that point.”
“So it was sold to the Xuan Shang Immortal Boat long ago.”
“According to the deductions of the cultivators back then, planting this seed would give birth to another otherworldly divine tree. At that time, the Ruomu was basking in its victory. Even if it were planted, it would have inevitably faced a reckoning from the Ruomu, making it pointless. Besides, the Xuanhuang Realm could no longer accommodate a second divine tree.”
“It truly had little value and was slowly forgotten by cultivators.”
“If my prediction is correct, the Immortal Boat’s divine tree, which sprouted from the Transformation Seed, should have some faint connection to the otherworldly divine tree of the old Divine Wood Sect. That tree was defeated in battle, its body destroyed, and its essence absorbed by the Ruomu...”
“This must be how the Mysterious Immortal Boat is able to remotely lock onto the Xuanhuang Realm’s position in the void.”
“...”
“The Star Sea may be vast, but all things are subtly connected.”
“It seems the Mysterious Immortal Boat’s arrival in the Xuanhuang Realm is almost certain. When they arrive, they might just stumble into the war between the Saint Emperor and the Immortal Alliance and jump into the fray. Interesting!”
A hint of a smile touched his heart. “If that’s the case, then I’ll add a little more fuel to the fire!”
In a space of endless darkness.
Over a hundred terrifying, illusory ghosts and gods floated through the air, their howls echoing endlessly.
Beneath these divine and demonic figures sat a woman with disheveled hair, her eyes closed.
Though her face was calm, one could sense the extreme resentment buried deep within her heart.
It was Wu Ninglu, the wife of Sun Ang, the body Li Fan’s main consciousness currently occupied.
During the process of Dao Integration, she was used as a sacrifice by the Sun family to grant Sun Tianci the peerless talent of being born a Dao Integration cultivator.
On the verge of her soul’s dissipation, a single remnant of her consciousness was saved by Li Fan.
He bestowed upon her the Three Disasters and Hundred Tribulations Mind God Technique.
“Your cultivation is too slow!”
“After all this time, you’ve only cultivated three hundred and sixty-four mind gods with the Three Disasters and Hundred Tribulations Mind God Technique...”
“Truly useless!”
“Take a look at what your precious son has achieved now!”
Li Fan mocked her as he waved his hand, conjuring an image of Sun Tianci.
In the image, Sun Tianci looked to be only five or six years old.
Yet before him stood three adult Dao Integration cultivators, on high alert.
“Please enlighten me!”
Without another word, the three Dao Integration cultivators joined forces and launched an attack on Sun Tianci.
These three were not weak; one of them had even assimilated the treacherous and unpredictable Black Mist as his Earthly Soul.
However, as their techniques approached Sun Tianci, they were all silently blocked and neutralized, dissipating into nothingness.
Li Fan explained with a sneer, “Do you know what this means?”
“Your precious son’s comprehension of the laws of heaven and earth has reached an astonishing level. The attacks of Dao Integration cultivators, which utilize the power of Earthly Souls, are all easily converted by him back into their most primordial form of law-force, returning to the world of Xuanhuang! If they continue to fight like this, all three of them risk having their cultivation realms drop...”
As if to confirm Li Fan’s words, a short while later, the three Dao Integration cultivators in the image stopped their assault, their faces pale. They clasped their hands and conceded defeat to Sun Tianci.
And Sun Tianci, ever so polite, returned the gesture with a bow.
The image vanished.
The perpetually calm Wu Ninglu suddenly descended into madness.
“That was mine! All of that should have been mine!”
“Hate! I hate them so much! The Sun family... they all deserve to die!”
She cursed ceaselessly.
Li Fan’s voice was cold. “Even if you curse until your soul shatters, it won’t affect them in the slightest.”
“It seems I made a mistake, cultivating such a useless thing!”
Wu Ninglu slowly recovered from her frenzy.
Though she couldn’t see the hidden divine sense of Li Fan, it didn’t stop her from kowtowing and begging.
“Senior, please help me! I’m willing to give anything! As long as I can make the Sun family and that little bastard pay the price...” Wu Ninglu said, grinding her teeth.
“Pay? With what you have to offer?” Li Fan’s voice was filled with contempt.
Faced with Li Fan’s blatant scorn, the hundred demon gods Wu Ninglu had condensed trembled, as if on the verge of rampaging.
Yet Wu Ninglu forcibly suppressed them.
She continued to beg, weeping tears of blood.
Li Fan glanced at the demon gods, which were still glaring at him ferociously despite being restrained, and smiled faintly. “At least they have some backbone.”
“Besides, I enjoy a good show myself. Helping you is not out of the question!”
Wu Ninglu’s face lit up with ecstatic joy.
“However, you must first change this repulsive appearance of yours.”
A blurry figure of Li Fan’s divine sense suddenly materialized from the shadows, placing a hand on Wu Ninglu’s head.
Wu Ninglu’s body, originally composed of shadows, instantly erupted in clouds of white smoke.
She let out a blood-curdling scream and collapsed to the ground.
Her pleas to the senior she had just been begging turned into a torrent of vicious curses.
“Hehehe...”
Li Fan paid her no mind, never removing his hand.
The hundred demon gods condensed by Wu Ninglu tried to charge him.
But the moment they neared Li Fan’s divine sense, they were violently sucked into his body and vanished without a trace.
Without exception.
The hundred demon gods that Wu Ninglu had painstakingly refined were reduced to a mere handful in an instant, all because they had dared to attack Li Fan.
They trembled in fear, no longer daring to approach.
Her life’s work destroyed, her body tormented, Wu Ninglu wailed, but still refused to give up the struggle.
“As expected of a consciousness forged from pure hatred...”
Li Fan praised her inwardly, but quickened the pace of his remodeling.
An unknown amount of time passed before Wu Ninglu’s agonized cries slowly faded.
Her once sinister and terrifying form now looked no different from that of a normal person.
“In your previous ghostly state, you would have been purified on sight before you could even get close to your son.”
“If you want to deal with him, you must target his weakness.”
“No matter how much of a peerless genius he is, he is still, at the end of the day, a pitiful child who grew up without a father or mother.”
“He longs for the familial love he has always lacked. So, you will first learn how to be a proper mother.”
Li Fan sneered, pouring countless images into Wu Ninglu’s mind.
Slowly, Wu Ninglu’s features softened.
She truly looked like a kind and loving mother.
But only Li Fan could see the blazing, inextinguishable hatred that still burned deep within her eyes.
And outside this dark space.
In a place Wu Ninglu could not perceive.
“Master, how was my performance just now?” Sun Tianci asked the image of Li Fan deep within his sea of consciousness.
“You could have done better. Did you hesitate?” Li Fan chided him lightly.
Sun Tianci admitted it frankly. “It was merely a spar. If it were a battle to the death, those three would have had their cultivation reduced by thirty percent in the time it took me to act.”
“Did you sense the emotions of heaven and earth?” Li Fan asked again.
A flash of guilt crossed Sun Tianci’s face. “Not yet.”
“No matter. The enmity of heaven and earth towards cultivators of the New Method cannot be reversed in a day. Continue to challenge Dao Integration cultivators from all over under the pretext of sparring. With your talent, you will soon be able to change the world’s attitude towards you,” Li Fan said calmly.
(End of Chapter)
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