Chapter 1320: The Shock of Creation
Chapter 1320: The Shock of Creation
"I never lie," Li Fan declared, his gaze sweeping over them with disdain.
"Besides... there's no need to exaggerate."
The aggressive mood that had been stirring among the Immortal Boat elders instantly dissipated.
They began to secretly debate the reliability of Li Fan's words.
Nangong Lie sent a message, "A single True Immortal Script worth more than all the others combined? I don't buy that nonsense."
Gan Jingda countered, "It's safer to assume he's telling the truth. His civilization's understanding of the True Immortal Scripts is on par with our own... If they got lucky and genuinely found something, acting rashly now means we might miss out on it completely."
Lu Yuzhi added, "Exactly. Capturing someone with a True Immortal Script is nearly impossible. We'd have to strike instantly and kill him. That being the case, we should extract as much knowledge from his mind as possible before we make our move."
"No matter what, this man knows too many of our secrets. We absolutely cannot let him leave." This was a consensus the elders had already reached, so when Zhong Daogong voiced it, no one objected.
After a brief exchange, they reached another agreement. This time, Jian Daosheng spoke up, "Since you're so certain, fellow Daoist, you've truly piqued our interest."
"Something worth more than a dozen True Immortal Scripts combined... If what you say is true, we are willing to pay any price to see it for ourselves."
The other elders of the Immortal Boat all nodded in agreement.
"I just wonder what else you have to offer. Ordinary True Immortal Scripts won't be enough," Li Fan pressed, his tone startlingly bold.
Jian Daosheng smiled faintly. "Rest assured, fellow Daoist. Our world possesses the [Hundred Rumors Immortal Record], passed down from ancient times. It contains remnants of special products and treasures from all the cultivation worlds that have perished in this star sea. If your claim is true, in addition to the True Immortal Script, we will allow you to select any three treasures from it..."
Li Fan seemed unmoved by Jian Daosheng's offer, merely muttering to himself, "Hundred Rumors Immortal Record, Hundred Rumors Immortal Record... I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before."
Seeing this, the elders of the Immortal Boat were all a bit taken aback.
Suddenly, recognition dawned on Li Fan's face, and he uttered a name, "The Xuanshang Immortal Boat?!"
The words struck the ears of the Immortal Boat elders like a clap of thunder.
Their auras shifted abruptly, and they all tensed as if facing a formidable enemy.
Sensing the change, Zhong Daogong secretly signaled the other elders to prepare for a fight while forcing a smile. "What do you mean by that, fellow Daoist?" he asked.
Li Fan cupped his hands. "In ancient times, the Xuanshang Immortal Boat roamed across the myriad realms. Who hadn't heard of its fame? I thought the Immortal Boat had vanished with the silence of the star sea, but to think it still survives after ten thousand years!"
"If my masters knew, they would be thrilled. No, I must tell them this news at once..."
These words made Zhong Daogong's eyelid twitch.
He hastily interrupted Li Fan, changing the subject. "You flatter us, fellow Daoist. Since you've already recognized us, we won't hide our identity any longer."
"We are indeed descendants of the old Xuanshang Immortal Boat. However, much has happened over the past ten thousand years. Although we escaped the great calamity, the Xuanshang Immortal Boat was split in two. We are one of those halves."
Zhong Daogong watched Li Fan's surprised expression and raised an eyebrow. "But there is one thing I don't understand. The [Hundred Rumors Immortal Record] is a top secret even within our Immortal Boat. How could a mere outsider like yourself know of its existence?"
After learning the Immortal Boat's identity, Li Fan's attitude became much friendlier. He explained to the elders, "To be honest with you all, my homeland, Daqi, has deep ties to the Xuanshang Immortal Boat. It was thanks to an immortal artifact we acquired in a trade with the Boat back then that we were able to survive the great calamity."
"Even now, that artifact continues to protect us. As a result, all of Daqi has always felt a certain gratitude toward the Immortal Boat..."
After hearing Li Fan's explanation, the elders of the Immortal Boat were momentarily stunned.
Gan Jingda asked, "Old Zhong, is that true?"
Zhong Daogong frowned, searching his memory for any records on the Immortal Boat.
"In ancient times, the Immortal Boat did indeed complete several transactions involving immortal artifacts. However, according to our rules and the clients' requests, the relevant data was destroyed after the trades were completed. The central core of the Xuanshang Immortal Boat should have had a backup, but with the civil war... that information is likely with the Shang Immortal Boat now," said Jian Daosheng, the Chief of the Immortal Pivot Court.
"The fact that the Xuanshang Immortal Boat sold immortal artifacts was known only to a very select few factions back then. Since this man can speak of it, his story is likely true..." Nangong Lie said slowly.
"A deep understanding of True Immortal Scripts, and protected by an immortal artifact..."
In the minds of the Immortal Boat elders, the image of a powerful cultivation civilization that had survived from ancient times slowly took shape: Daqi.
Just then, Li Fan gave them another huge surprise.
"Since you're from the Immortal Boat, this makes things much easier."
"The Immortal Boat has always been known for its integrity in business. I can trust you!"
"I was originally planning on 'not releasing the eagle without seeing the rabbit,' after all, this True Immortal Script is far too precious. It was discovered within the residual memories of the Immortal Realm preserved in our artifact..."
Every word from Li Fan held the elders of the Immortal Boat in suspense.
"Everyone, watch closely!" Li Fan's voice suddenly rose in pitch.
The illusion of pavilions and flowing water vanished, replaced by a vast, boundless prairie.
Upon the prairie, a solitary stone stood alone.
Suddenly, the earth began to tremble.
Vast swaths of green grass, as if stimulated by some unseen force, began to grow at a frenzied pace.
In an instant, the grass shot up, towering over a person's head.
It even pushed the solitary stone up from the ground, lifting it into the air.
An arc of light appeared in the sky.
The arc shimmered with seven colors, and within it, one could faintly see lightning flashing and storms gathering.
Around the seven-colored arc, numerous invisible phantoms materialized one after another. They gathered together, seemingly waiting for something.
A bolt of pitch-black lightning shot down from the arc, striking the earth.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The world was split in two. Deep fissures were torn in space, taking an eternity to heal. On the prairie, the endless green grass was set ablaze, and a raging fire spread with terrifying speed.
The prairie trembled. Beneath the scorching flames, something seemed to be awakening.
And high above, the invisible beings around the arc of light pressed closer towards its center.
They even began to squabble amongst themselves, fighting for position.
The sounds of colossal roars and impacts echoed continuously.
The storm brewed to its absolute peak, then in a flash, everything fell silent. The roiling black clouds vanished in an instant.
Within the seven-colored arc, under a clear, thousand-mile sky.
An incomparably profound character hung there in all its glory!
...
At this point, the vision came to an abrupt halt.
The elders of the Immortal Boat, who had been completely captivated, suddenly snapped out of it, their eyes wide with fury as they turned to Li Fan.
"What happens next?!" Jian Daosheng shouted, all composure forgotten in his frantic impatience.
The Chief of the Immortal Boat's Immortal Pivot Court had already caught a fleeting glimpse of the True Immortal Script hidden within that arc of light.
Even though Li Fan had cut the vision short, preventing him from seeing the whole thing.
Jian Daosheng was still certain that the power of that True Immortal Script far surpassed any he had ever witnessed before!
This cultivator from Daqi before them hadn't been lying!
"How much did you see?!" Jian Daosheng demanded, his voice nearly a roar.
"Too fast! He cut it off too quickly! How could anyone possibly see such a powerful True Immortal Script clearly in that single instant?!"
"There's no mistaking it. That feeling that made my very soul tremble... it was even stronger than the first time I ever laid eyes on a True Immortal Script. Its power is far beyond that of any single character!"
"That scene just now... were those True Immortals from the Immortal Realm, fighting over the character in that solitary light? Even immortals were fighting for it... Unimaginable, simply unimaginable!"
"We must obtain it, no matter the cost!"
Outwardly, the elders of the Immortal Boat remained impassive, but inwardly, their minds were in an uproar.
After personally witnessing the profound character in that solitary light, they no longer had the slightest doubt about Li Fan's words. They instantly reached a unanimous decision: they had to make that True Immortal Script their own!
The elders were bursting with impatience, but Li Fan seemed completely oblivious.
He spoke with great solemnity, "There is one thing I must clarify upfront. The vision I just showed you comes from the memories of that ancient immortal artifact. It was originally hidden deep within the artifact's imprints, impossible to detect. However, over the past ten thousand years, as Daqi has progressively deepened our use and understanding of the artifact, we were finally able to uncover it."
"At that time, the artifact was newly born and its power was weak. It wasn't strong enough to perfectly record the True Immortal Script. Therefore, what we have managed to reproduce from it is merely a flawed copy..."
The elders of the Immortal Boat were all experts who had studied the True Immortal Scripts extensively; how could they not understand the implication of his words?
Far from being disappointed, they found their trust in him deepening because of his "candid" attitude.
"Fellow Daoist, since we've come this far, why not accompany us to the Immortal Boat? The True Immortal Script and the treasures of the Hundred Rumors Immortal Record will be yours to choose from!" Zhong Daogong said in a low voice, suppressing his excitement.
Amidst their expectant gazes, Li Fan pondered for a moment before finally agreeing with a smile. "I have long heard of the Immortal Boat's fame. To have the honor of boarding it today... I'll certainly have something to boast about to my masters and peers when I return..."
Hearing this, the elders all breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The group escorted Li Fan out of the illusionary formation in the void, heading toward the Relic Sea.
After crossing the Relic Sea and reaching its outer edge, Zhong Daogong formed a hand seal, revealing the concealed Immortal Boat.
For a perfectly timed moment, a flicker of disappointment crossed Li Fan's eyes.
But it was hidden just as quickly.
Upon boarding the Immortal Boat, his expression shifted to one of renewed wonder as he saw the divine tree floating in the void.
The elders began to introduce it to Li Fan. "This is the [Huasheng Divine Wood]. Its true form is said to be a magnificent divine tree rooted beneath the endless star sea, its sprawling branches reaching into countless cultivation worlds."
"Once its branches penetrate a cultivation world, it can draw upon that world's life force, its roots fusing with the world itself. That's how it earned the name 'Huasheng'—Life Transformation. It is through this method that the Divine Wood was able to spread throughout the entire star sea."
"But that's all just legend. No one has ever seen the tree's main body. Now that the star sea is shattered, who knows if it even exists anymore..."
The elders' topic of conversation soon shifted to the other sights within the Immortal Boat.
"This three-eyed golden skull is from the ancient Chenyuan Realm. It's said that the bloodline of a True Immortal from the Immortal Realm circulated there, so most of its cultivators had three eyes. They had extraordinary talent and possessed all sorts of incredible divine abilities. But when the great calamity struck, the Chenyuan Realm was one of the first worlds to fall."
As they talked, they soon arrived at the very top of the Immortal Boat's divine tree.
With a shared glance, the elders made no effort to hide their actions from Li Fan, joining forces to cast a spell.
An invisible ripple spread out from the top of the divine tree.
Then, a pink flower appeared out of thin air, slowly blooming.
It was only an image, not a physical object, yet it exuded a faint, sweet fragrance.
At the center of the flower, a path materialized.
"After you, fellow Daoist," Zhong Daogong said, looking at Li Fan.
Li Fan smiled, and without a hint of caution, stepped straight onto the path.
As he strode forward, the scene before him changed instantly.
Rows upon rows of wooden shelves were arranged in perfect order.
They stretched on as far as the eye could see.
And in the air, a long, narrow arm was constantly rearranging items on these shelves.
When it sensed Li Fan, an outsider, the long arm's movements suddenly froze.
It extended its five fingers, about to grab at him.
Fortunately, the elders of the Immortal Boat, who had followed close behind, stopped the arm's action.
Li Fan examined the long arm with great interest. "It doesn't seem to be alive?" he asked.
Zhong Daogong nodded. "You have a keen eye, fellow Daoist. This long arm, strictly speaking, is also a True Immortal Script. Or rather, it is the sum of countless True Immortal Script fragments."
"Many years ago, due to a moment of carelessness, the Immortal Boat was infiltrated by thieves. We lost several priceless treasures from this Hundred Rumors Immortal Record. After that painful lesson, we developed this [Severing Immortal Arm]."
A hint of pride flashed across Zhong Daogong's face. "Without the collective permission of the Immortal Boat's council of elders, no matter how powerful someone is, trying to take a treasure from under the watch of this Severing Immortal Arm..."
"Is absolutely impossible."
Jian Daosheng added, "Fellow Daoist, can you discern the secret of this [Severing Immortal Arm]?"
Li Fan squinted, observing for a moment before a look of understanding crossed his face. "So, the Immortal Boat has directly engraved the structural fragments of True Immortal Scripts into this space?"
"In fact, the place we're standing in... is inside the Severing Immortal Arm itself?"
Zhong Daogong chuckled. "Not only that! Even the many treasures within this Hundred Rumors Immortal Record are now all part of the Severing Immortal Arm. To take even one, it must be separated using our secret technique."
"Otherwise, one would have to take the entire Severing Immortal Arm with them..."
"Hmph, that is a feat no mortal can accomplish."
Nangong Lie also chimed in, "Let's not even mention that we old folks are here. Just this arm alone, which fuses the power of countless True Immortal Scripts..."
"I'm afraid there isn't a single cultivator in the entire star sea who could forcibly move it."
...
Listening to the elders' explanations, Li Fan simply nodded in praise.
He then began to stroll leisurely through the secret vault of the Hundred Rumors Immortal Record, taking his time to choose.
(End of Chapter)
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