Chapter 1314: The Memories of Ji Yuzhen
Chapter 1314: The Memories of Ji Yuzhen
The Boundless Heavenly Pivot Separating Spirit Art created a distinction between countless fragmented souls and a single primordial soul. What Li Fan had previously discovered at the Annular Mountain in Dongyong Prefecture were merely memories contained within those fragmented souls.
The truly crucial primordial soul, however, had remained elusive.
It wasn't until the white ring, [Falling into the Mortal Dust], took action and completely annihilated the Annular Mountain that the primordial soul hidden within finally revealed itself.
Unlike the myriad spiritual energy flowers drifting outside, the soul flowers hidden within the Annular Mountain appeared to still be dormant.
Even when approached directly, they posed no threat and launched no attack.
Once these soul flowers lost their sanctuary and were exposed, they began to spontaneously gather in a systematic pattern, slowly coalescing into a single, enormous, luminous white blossom.
Within the area of the Annular Mountain, the countless spiritual energy flowers drifting between heaven and earth seemed to have found their anchor, and they began to revolve around the luminous white blossom.
Amidst the brewing tempest, the primordial soul flower gradually transformed to resemble the ordinary spiritual energy flowers, an apparent attempt to conceal itself.
How could such a clumsy illusion possibly deceive him?
But Li Fan quickly realized he was mistaken.
When his divine sense made contact with what he thought was a piece of the primordial soul flower, the images that flooded his mind felt eerily familiar. They were the very same scenes he had witnessed from the ordinary spiritual energy flowers!
"So, it does have a few tricks," he mused. "Even after I locked onto it, it could silently swap places..."
Gazing at the sea of countless blossoms before him, Li Fan let out a cold snort. "But now that I've seen through your trick, how could I possibly let you escape again!"
"You hide in an endless sea of flowers? Then I shall boil the sea!"
"Xuanhuang World-Ending Transformation: [Heaven's Scourge, Earth's End: Gather Souls to Forge Life]!"
A monstrous, baleful aura erupted from Li Fan's body.
His eyes turned pitch-black, and the baleful aura condensed into a tangible form, writhing like thousands of minute tentacles swaying in an unseen wind.
Within this black aura, faint bolts of lightning crackled, as if heavenly judgment had descended upon the world to annihilate every living thing.
This was one of the variations of Li Fan's Xuanhuang World-Ending Transformation.
It was a desperate measure, mirroring the Xuanhuang Realm's own final gambit: when faced with absolute annihilation, the world itself would purge all life within its borders, absorbing their flesh and souls to bolster its own chances of survival against the world-ending crisis.
This variation was even more extreme than the [Heaven and Earth Fall Silent, All Creation Freezes] he had used before. It was an all-or-nothing gamble, a transformation for survival that decreed: besides myself, nothing else shall exist.
Above Dongyong Prefecture, boundless black clouds rolled in from the horizon—a stress response from the Xuanhuang Realm's Heavenly Dao, which had sensed the extreme transformation taking place.
Li Fan could even feel the Xuanhuang Realm's disposition toward him souring rapidly because of this world-altering technique. The goodwill he had painstakingly accumulated plummeted to zero in an instant.
However, Li Fan was unconcerned.
The tentacles of baleful aura continuously branched out, ensnaring every spiritual energy flower they could reach and piercing them viciously.
One by one, the spiritual energy flowers withered.
Simultaneously, streams of incomparably pure energy—tinged with a strange, eerie aura—were extracted and concentrated. Mixed within were countless fragmented memories.
Some belonged to Ji Yuzhen, while others were from the cultivators who had fallen in this place.
Li Fan sorted and organized the memories belonging to Ji Yuzhen, gradually piecing together a coherent narrative.
At the same time, he kept his mind sharply focused, waiting for the moment the primordial soul would be uncovered.
The immortal arts of the Xuantian Sect each had their own treacherous secrets. To be safe, Li Fan resisted the temptation to directly absorb the energy converted from the spiritual energy flowers.
Instead, he gathered it all and sealed it away using Source Power Essence.
The black tentacles writhed wildly. Before his eyes, vast swaths of the flowers filling the sky vanished at a visible rate.
Soon, the first piece of the primordial soul could hide no longer and was found by Li Fan.
He did not drain or destroy it, but merely peered into the memories hidden within the soul.
Instantly, a deluge of memories assaulted his senses.
Scenes flashed past in a dizzying montage, like a revolving lantern.
They were hazy, as if veiled in a layer of white light that flickered in and out of focus. It was like trying to see flowers through a thick fog—everything was indistinct and ephemeral.
"Zhen'er, have you memorized the method to activate the [Golden Lock Across the Sky Array]?" the Xuantian King's voice drifted through, though his face was shrouded in white light, impossible to see clearly.
"Do you really think I'm that slow, Brother Xuanyuan?" Ji Yuzhen's voice held a teasing note.
The Xuantian King quickly explained, "Zhen'er, don't misunderstand. I know your talent is by no means inferior to mine. But this array is, after all, a modification of an immortal array. The gap between immortal and mortal is something one cannot truly comprehend without experiencing it firsthand."
"Since you're so worried, Brother Xuanyuan, why don't you teach me one more time?" Ji Yuzhen said softly.
"Er... very well." The Xuantian King hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.
He spoke in a deep voice, "The Golden Lock Across the Sky spans the heavens. Even if a target is at the far end of the Star Sea, once locked on, the chains can reach it in an instant and capture it."
"As I've told you before, the reason it can achieve this effect is because it has the [A Thousand Miles in a Moment Array] embedded within it. This array was originally inscribed on the Ascension Platform in the Immortal Realm. When I fled, I took the entire thing with me..."
Ji Yuzhen looked at Xuanyuan Hong, a vivid image of him fleeing for his life while simultaneously looting relics from the Immortal Realm playing in her mind. She couldn't help but let out another soft laugh. "Even though this isn't the first time I've heard you say it, I still find it hard to believe you're that kind of person, Brother Xuanyuan."
Xuanyuan Hong coughed lightly in embarrassment. "The Immortal Realm was facing a calamity that would undoubtedly affect the lower realms. It was only natural for me to make some preparations. Besides, they were all ownerless items by then..."
The Xuantian King justified himself with a straight face before continuing his explanation. "Spacetime in the Star Sea is prone to shifts. The position of a cultivation world observed by the Tian Beast's Eye might have slight deviations from its actual location. Therefore, when using the golden locks for capture, you must make the necessary adjustments. Currently, there's no perfect way to solve this deviation, so it relies entirely on the operator's experience and intuition."
"The A Thousand Miles in a Moment Array consumes an immense amount of power. It needs to be repaired and replenished after each period of use. However, you don't need to worry about it being damaged. I've already replicated three copies of the key core components. At worst, the capture efficiency will decrease, but it won't affect the array's overall function..."
The Xuantian King's explanation was meticulous, and Ji Yuzhen listened to his every word.
Her gaze, however, remained fixed on Xuanyuan Hong's face, never once wavering.
...
Returning from the memory to the present, Li Fan carefully sealed away this fragment of the primordial soul.
He then turned his attention to the remaining sea of flowers.
As more and more of the ordinary flowers were eliminated, his search for the primordial soul fragments accelerated.
More of Ji Yuzhen's memories surfaced, one after another.
...
The scene shifted to what seemed to be a secret chamber.
Ji Yuzhen and Xuanyuan Hong stood facing each other.
"Brother Xuanyuan, have you finally come to your senses? Inviting me here all alone," Ji Yuzhen said, her beautiful eyes shimmering as she gazed at the Xuantian King.
"Zhen'er, stop this foolishness. We are here on serious business," Xuanyuan Hong replied sternly.
"The other eleven have already chosen their immortal arts. Only you remain undecided..."
"I told you, I want you to choose for me, Brother Xuanyuan," Ji Yuzhen interrupted.
Xuanyuan Hong looked helpless. "That is precisely why I have summoned you."
"You've chosen for me?"
"The Boundless Heavenly Pivot Separating Spirit Art. Even among the many immortal arts I've collected, it is among the absolute best. It allows one to divide their soul into limitless fragments. As long as a single fragment survives, the soul can never be extinguished. More importantly, you can nurture your soul to split off primordial soul fragments. Each primordial soul can then embark on its own independent path to immortality..." the Xuantian King explained eloquently.
"I trust you, Brother Xuanyuan. I'll cultivate this one," Ji Yuzhen declared before he could even finish.
Xuanyuan Hong paused, then nodded slightly. He pointed a finger at the spot between his own brows, and a series of dark, obscure characters flew out.
He closed his eyes, his expression calm, though his brow twitched from time to time as if he were enduring immense pain.
"The spirit is the flower of life. When the spirit roams the great void, its splendor is like the fresh green of spring willows—abundant but not chaotic, separate yet able to unite..."
The instant she saw the swirling, dark characters, an incomparably profound technique bloomed in her mind.
It wasn't just the text of the technique; it was accompanied by countless memories of cultivating it, along with detailed insights. Though she was a novice, it felt as though she had lived through a thousand lifetimes, practicing it over and over again.
After what felt like an eternity, the dark characters slowly returned to the Xuantian King's sea of consciousness.
"Brother Xuanyuan, are you alright?" Ji Yuzhen rushed forward to check on him, her voice filled with concern.
For a brief moment, a thousand hideous faces flashed across the Xuantian King's features, struggling for dominance, but they quickly subsided, and his original appearance returned.
"You could have just transcribed the technique, Brother Xuanyuan. Why did you have to use this transmission method?" Ji Yuzhen's tone was tinged with reproach.
Xuanyuan Hong sighed softly. "Zhen'er, the complexity of immortal arts is far beyond that of the techniques of the lower realms. Though your talent is exceptional, without the guidance of a direct transmission, it would likely take you more than a decade just to grasp the basics of this Separating Spirit Art. We don't have that much time..."
Ji Yuzhen fell silent.
Xuanyuan Hong continued, "Besides, from the progress of the other brothers, there is a clear difference between those who received the direct transmission and those who didn't. It must be a limitation of the techniques within the [Azure Nether Pearl] itself."
"This [Azure Nether Pearl] might not be a good thing," Ji Yuzhen snorted.
Xuanyuan Hong did not agree. "Techniques have no inherent good or evil; it all depends on the cultivator who wields them. The same is true for this pearl."
"The ability to absorb the corpses of fallen cultivators and extract the techniques they practiced in life is a testament to this treasure's extraordinary nature."
"It's just a pity I found it too late. I could only hastily sweep up the nearby corpses before I had to flee in a panic," Xuanyuan Hong said with a hint of regret.
...
A series of images flashed through Li Fan's mind.
They were all from the life of the former Xuantian Sect Law King, Ji Yuzhen.
Compared to the fragments stored in the spiritual energy flowers, the memories within the primordial soul were far more complete.
Moreover, they all pertained to various secrets of the Xuantian Sect's leader, the Xuantian King.
Secrets like the origin of the Law Kings' immortal arts—the enigmatic immortal treasure, the Azure Nether Pearl.
Or the methods for activating and controlling the great translocation array, the Golden Lock Across the Sky.
And, of course, the small details of Ji Yuzhen's time with Xuanyuan Hong.
But what puzzled Li Fan was that even these primordial soul memories were not complete.
Certain crucial fragments were missing.
He scanned his surroundings, ensuring there were no more stray spiritual energy flowers.
"Did some escape while I wasn't paying attention? Or..."
"...were those parts of the primordial soul never preserved to begin with?"
From Ji Yuzhen's memories, Li Fan had obtained the complete text of the Separating Spirit Art.
Although he couldn't practice it without the so-called transmission method, he now had a general understanding of its contents.
Beyond the ability to create countless soul fragments and achieve a form of immortality, the primordial soul had an even greater function: after one attained the Dao, it could be used as a catalyst.
Whether consumed by oneself or another, it allowed two completely different Dao paths to merge and fuse perfectly.
A True Immortal pursues a single Great Dao.
The Great Dao is solitary.
It not only rejects other cultivators who walk the same path but also makes it exceedingly difficult to cultivate two different paths simultaneously.
But the Separating Spirit Art could cleverly circumvent this restriction.
Compared to this heaven-defying [Dao Fusion] ability, the healing properties of consuming a primordial soul were practically insignificant.
"I recall from a previous memory that when the Xuantian King was injured, Ji Yuzhen considered feeding him her primordial soul."
"Now, her most important primordial soul fragments are missing. Could it be that in her final moments, she found the Xuantian King and fed them to him?"
Li Fan couldn't help but speculate.
Ji Yuzhen was clearly deeply in love with the Xuantian King.
For some reason, however, Xuanyuan Hong never accepted her affection, even intentionally keeping his distance.
Sacrificing herself to save the Xuantian King was entirely something Ji Yuzhen would do.
"Xuantian King."
Li Fan whispered the name, glancing up at the sky.
The dark clouds gathered by the Xuanhuang Realm had reached their limit, looking as if they might collapse at any moment.
Having absorbed all of Ji Yuzhen's scattered soul fragments, Li Fan deactivated the Heaven-Scourging, Earth-Ending Transformation.
His figure flickered and vanished from the spot.
The celestial anomaly above also dissipated.
The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators, previously blocked by an invisible barrier, finally arrived on the scene.
Discovering that the Annular Mountain and the sea of spiritual energy flowers had vanished into thin air, they were aghast and immediately reported back to the Alliance headquarters.
...
Li Fan did not immediately go to find Mo Rubin.
Instead, he first entered seclusion to digest the memories from Ji Yuzhen's soul.
A Law King's entire life, even with some of the most crucial parts missing, was still an immense volume of information.
More importantly, the primordial soul fragments contained not just memories, but also the thoughts and emotions of that time.
As he delved into them, he was inevitably eroded by these lingering feelings.
To prevent himself from being influenced—or worse, possessed by Ji Yuzhen's remnant will—Li Fan had to pause after experiencing each segment of memory to erase the encroaching emotions.
"The memory of her first meeting with the Xuantian King is also missing. It seems that was the very reason she fell in love with him, and thus one of her most precious memories."
"However, her memories of the other eleven Law Kings have been preserved."
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