Chapter 1495: The Tomb Wind Sweeps the Immortal Realm
Beyond his lingering thoughts on the Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm, the Nameless True Immortal Chaos was more concerned with the Hidden Emperor himself.
In the ancient legends of the Immortal Realm, the Sage Lords possessed the supreme divine power to elevate True Immortals to transcendence with a mere stroke of a brush.
"Since the destruction of the Immortal Realm, the four Sage Lords have all vanished without a trace. If this individual has walked the path of Becoming a Saint, then could it be..." Every time Chaos entertained this thought, an irrepressible urge would surge within him to return, no matter the cost, and personally visit the Hidden Emperor.
However, having achieved his Dao many years ago, Chaos still possessed enough composure to restrain himself.
"This matter cannot be rushed. It requires careful consideration."
"It would be best to contact the others. After all, alone, I might not even be worthy of a Saint's notice."
Chaos pondered the various legends he knew about the four Sage Lords of the old Immortal Realm.
Saint Tai Yi, Lian Shan, Gui Hai, and the Scripture Grave Great Saint.
Lian Shan, the Connecting Mountains Saint, pioneered the path to immortality on the Upper Mountain. As the world's first immortal, his power was truly unfathomable. If one were to rank the strength of all True Immortals by their position on the Upper Mountain, then the one standing at its very peak would undoubtedly be Lian Shan.
Gui Hai, the Returning to Sea Saint, connected to the Infinite Spring, causing another qualitative leap in the power of immortals. After eons of excavation, the Infinite Spring transformed into the vast Infinite Sea, granting every True Immortal in the Immortal Realm access to endless resources. By using the sea to counter the mountain, his might was no less than that of Lian Shan.
The Scripture Grave Great Saint...
The mere thought of this figure sent an instinctive chill through Chaos's heart.
He silently recited a mantra, and only then did the intense feeling of dread slowly dissipate.
The Scripture Grave Great Saint came into being only after the Immortal Realm had reached its zenith and was the last Sage Lord to achieve his Dao in its history.
Although the Immortal Realm had established the method of infinity, the birth and death of Daos, their rise and fall, were all part of heaven's natural cycle. Not even the Immortal Realm could escape this truth.
The reason the Immortal Realm was filled with vibrant life, with no place for Daos to perish, was entirely thanks to the Scripture Grave Great Saint. He used his own body as a tomb to bury the Great Daos of all heavens, ensuring their decay and demise would not affect the flourishing Immortal Realm. Only when the cycle of the Dao turned, and it was time for them to be born and grow again, would he release them.
"The Scripture Grave devours the Dao to start the cycle, upon the desolate mounds."
This was an ancient proverb passed down in the Immortal Realm.
It was precisely because the four Sage Lords, like celestial pillars, supported the sky of the Immortal Realm that the boundless, vibrant, and infinite paradise for all immortals existed.
Yet, it was also because the four Sage Lords' duties were too heavy, leaving them unable to be everywhere at once or manage the affairs of all immortals, that the succession of Immortal Emperors came to be.
In the early days of the Immortal Realm, the True Immortals still knew the names of the four Sage Lords and would often silently recite them in gratitude. But as time passed and the Sage Lords remained unseen for ages, their memory inevitably faded among the immortals. Though not forgotten, they became little more than symbols.
Had the four Sage Lords remained constant, perhaps much of what followed would never have happened. The turning point for everything was when the Scripture Grave Great Saint decided to quit.
Though it sounded disrespectful to put it that way, it was the truth.
After burying and managing the decaying Daos of the Immortal Realm for countless eons, the fourth Sage Lord of the Immortal Realm suddenly went on strike one day.
He laughed three times and, in a single breath, spat out all the decaying Daos that had not yet completed their cycle.
A corrosive gale capable of eroding all immortal Daos instantly swept across the entire Immortal Realm. Countless immortal servants, puppets, and artifacts decayed after being touched by this Tomb Wind. Even True Immortals and Nameless True Immortals could not escape the corrupting aura of decaying Daos. The casualties and losses throughout the Immortal Realm were incalculable.
However, for an Immortal Realm with infinite energy, such losses were not insurmountable. With some time, everything could be restored.
The crucial point was that the Scripture Grave Great Saint had quit.
With no one left to manage the decay and demise of Daos, they could only be left to their own devices, to be endured and avoided.
Moreover, having been imbued with the nature of infinity, this process of Dao decay grew even more powerful. It didn't just manifest as sporadic corrosive gales that assaulted various parts of the Immortal Realm; it also evolved into numerous apocalyptic phenomena, descending irregularly upon the realm. Even the Star Sea of the lower worlds could not escape it.
Of the four celestial pillars, one had suddenly vanished.
It was destined to bring unparalleled chaos to the Immortal Realm.
It was said that Saint Tai Yi, Lian Shan, and Gui Hai, unable to bear the suffering of the Immortal Realm, had all tried to persuade the somewhat "willful" Scripture Grave Great Saint.
The final outcome was unknown.
The phenomena in the Immortal Realm merely disappeared for a brief three thousand years before gradually beginning to manifest again in various places.
However, they no longer erupted on a massive scale all at once. Instead, they started from nothing, gradually increasing in intensity and frequency. This at least gave the immortals a reasonably long period to adapt.
Under the guidance of the three Sage Lords, the reigning Immortal Emperor appointed numerous Nameless Immortals to suppress the Tomb Wind phenomena in various regions. Through the combined efforts of all immortals, the chaos in the Immortal Realm was finally brought under control.
Chaos had once been one of these many Nameless Immortals.
That was a long, long time ago. So long that when Chaos tried to recall it now, he couldn't even be sure how many Immortal Emperors had reigned since then.
Later, the immortals of the Immortal Realm slowly grew accustomed to the various phenomena brought by the Tomb Wind. They gradually forgot the origin of these phenomena, simply accepting them as a normal part of the Immortal Realm's landscape.
In truth, what in the Immortal Realm was ever truly innate?
Although the Scripture Grave Great Saint no longer involved himself in worldly affairs, he had not vanished. He sensed every being who expressed even the slightest criticism of his actions, even if it was only in their thoughts.
Not one of these True Immortals was spared. All were captured by the Scripture Grave Great Saint and thrown into his belly.
One must understand that the Scripture Grave Great Saint could absorb and transform even the decay and demise of Daos. To him, enlightened True Immortals were hardly different from delicious delicacies.
Powerless to resist, they were all transformed into the corrosive Tomb Wind.
At that time, the number of True Immortals who silently cursed the Scripture Grave Great Saint was beyond count. The Scripture Grave Great Saint treated them all equally, sparing none.
After such a cleansing, the Immortal Realm felt almost emptied out.
This was a great calamity in the early history of the Immortal Realm.
But only for the True Immortals of that era.
For the Immortal Realm as a whole, subsequent history proved that it was, in fact, a good thing.
Years after swallowing countless True Immortals, the Scripture Grave Great Saint began to spit out the Daos they had comprehended.
Some of these Dao principles filled the heavens and earth of the Immortal Realm, while others quickly found new masters.
The Immortal Realm once again became a scene of vibrant life.
But after this event, very few people still remembered the Scripture Grave Great Saint.
Only the phrase "The Scripture Grave devours Immortals to reveal the Dao, upon the desolate mounds" remained, circulating among a handful of True Immortals.
Faced with such perverse and violent actions, the True Immortals dared not voice any criticism, but they expressed their attitude through their actions and daily speech.
On the rare occasions he was mentioned, they no longer used the title "Sage Lord."
They simply called him the "Scripture Grave Great Saint."
Perhaps quite satisfied with this title, the Scripture Grave Great Saint himself didn't seem to mind and allowed the name to spread.
Chaos had been lucky to escape that calamity back then, having even witnessed an entire immortal domain and countless True Immortals turn into wisps of green smoke and be sucked away.
Naturally, he held this Scripture Grave Great Saint in a state of reverence, awe, and fear.
He didn't dare imitate others by calling him the "Scripture Grave Great Saint" and continued to refer to him as the "Scripture Grave Sage Lord" in his heart.
And it was precisely because the Scripture Grave Sage Lord had "resigned" from his post that the world later learned that Sage Lords could elevate True Immortals to transcendence.
The Scripture Grave Sage Lord's devouring of immortals did not just inspire fear. Some True Immortals were so stunned by the power he displayed that they became even more convinced of his supremacy, their hearts filled with piety, even bordering on fanaticism.
For the most part, the Scripture Grave Sage Lord ignored these "followers."
But because they thought of him day and night, the Scripture Grave Sage Lord saw deep into their hearts.
Three among them received the Sage Lord's favor.
He then elevated them, and they transcended and departed under the watchful eyes of all.
This drove the followers of the Scripture Grave Sage Lord into an even greater frenzy.
Another purge followed, after which both the detractors and the fanatics were wiped from the world.
Only his faint four-character title remained in the world.
As for where this Scripture Grave Sage Lord went after the destruction of the Immortal Realm...
...that was something Chaos could not know.
...
"That Hidden Emperor's power is surely not on par with the four Saints of the Immortal Realm."
"But since he is already on the path of becoming a Saint, elevating a True Immortal to transcendence is likely not a difficult task for him."
"After all, the many Heavenly Emperors and celestial scars within that Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm demonstrate his close connection to the Infinite Sea."
"And to transcend, to cross to the Other Shore, this is the most crucial point."
...
Chaos's thoughts churned. After a long while, he did not seek out the other Nameless Immortals first.
Instead, he summoned "Wuxian."
In all of Shuo Xinghai, this was the one who had the most contact with the Hidden Emperor.
For the past century, he had been the one to run errands and deliver messages every time.
Chaos questioned Wuxian about every detail of his contact with the Hidden Emperor, trying to fathom the latter's temperament.
"It seems he isn't particularly difficult to approach."
"Relatively speaking."
In Chaos's eyes, the act of turning people into stone pillars was truly nothing remarkable.
After dismissing Wuxian, Chaos mulled it over and ultimately decided that a swift decision was necessary.
Thus, the Nameless Immortals of Shuo Xinghai gathered once more.
The first to speak was a figure in black robes accompanied by a white cat. "What is seen is not necessarily true. The Hidden Emperor may not be a Hidden Emperor. Even if he did create that Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm, it doesn't necessarily prove his true strength. After the Immortal Realm was destroyed, the scepter of the reigning Immortal Emperor also vanished. Perhaps this fellow just got lucky, found it, and is now playing god."
"If he were truly a former Immortal Emperor, wouldn't he have sought us out as soon as he descended to the mortal world?"
"How could he have remained quietly as our neighbor for so many years?"
The one who spoke this time was a black cat perched on the shoulder of a white-robed figure, its tone laced with sarcasm.
A pair of large blue hands also chimed in to agree. "The region that Hidden Emperor occupies... is somewhat peculiar."
"It is the former territory of the Holy Merchants."
Upon hearing the name "Holy Merchant," the expressions of the True Immortals present changed to varying degrees.
In the great war between their True Immortal faction and the Immortal Hunt, the greatest losses they had suffered on several occasions were caused by the Holy Merchants.
After a moment of silence, Chaos spoke, "Brother Boyan, I think you are overthinking this. No matter how capable the Holy Merchants are, they cannot be compared to that Hidden Emperor."
"Indeed, they developed many powerful tools, some even capable of severely injuring us. But none of them involved the Infinite Sea. That is the most critical point."
The black cat immediately retorted, "Chaos, I'm afraid you are unaware. The predecessor of the Holy Merchants was the Shang Immortal Boat, which split from the Xuanshang Immortal Boat. Since there is a 'Holy Shang,' who's to say a 'Holy Xuan' doesn't also exist in this world?"
"Besides, the Holy Merchants mastered no power related to the Infinite Sea? I think that's hardly a certainty. The Holy Merchants vanished from the Star Sea in a single day. Isn't that escaping to another possibility? Without a connection to the power of infinity, how could they have accomplished that?"
The black cat's words left Chaos speechless.
But his experiences in the Immortal Realm had tempered his nature; he was not one to engage in verbal sparring simply for the sake of winning an argument.
So he remained silent.
The white-robed figure stroked the black cat on his shoulder. The cat's voice stopped abruptly as it was released from its state of being controlled.
The white-robed figure said, "Hei's deductions are not without reason. Upon careful consideration, the sudden appearance of that Hidden Emperor does indeed have many inconsistencies."
"However..."
The white-robed figure smiled. "All of that is completely beside the point."
"The key is, what is the true extent of his power."
"If we can fight and defeat him, who cares if he's the Hidden Emperor or something else? Everything in that Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm will be ours. Even that scepter connecting to the Infinite Sea..."
These words stirred the hearts of the immortals, and they found it difficult to contain their expressions.
Only Chaos was stunned.
He truly hadn't expected these seemingly rational companions to make such a muddle-headed judgment.
His gaze couldn't help but drift to the black cat on the white-robed figure's shoulder. After a long pause, he managed to ask, "Do you all remember the Scripture Grave Great Saint of old?"
"The Scripture Grave Great Saint?"
It was an extremely ancient name.
At least half of those present had never heard this title. They looked somewhat bewildered.
As for the rest who had heard it, an instinctive flicker of fear flashed in their eyes.
But they quickly retorted, "Brother Chaos, you're confused! That so-called Hidden Emperor has only created a tiny immortal land. How can he be compared to the Scripture Grave Great Saint?"
"That Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm sounds impressive, but in truth, it's not even as large as my old grotto-heaven. Hmph, if the Immortal Realm still existed..."
"Brother Chaos, you're being an alarmist. If that Hidden Emperor truly had the power of the Scripture Grave Great Saint, what would it matter if we became a meal on his plate?"
...
Listening to the differing rebuttals from those around him, Chaos gradually understood.
There were three main reasons why they had reached a completely different conclusion than he had.
First, they had not personally visited the Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm. They hadn't experienced firsthand the might of the Hidden Emperor when he established his immortal court and appointed Heavenly Emperors. Simply hearing his description made it easy for them to make a flawed judgment.
Second, they had ultimately grown greedy for the scepter connecting to the Infinite Sea that the Hidden Emperor had revealed.
Third, and most crucial...
...what that black cat represented had given this group of True Immortals their confidence.
"The Guangwu Xinghai, where countless immortals gather, indeed holds more power than this corner of Shuo Xinghai."
"But..."
Thinking of the voice from beyond the celestial curtain of the Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm, Chaos quickly made his decision. "You can all decide for yourselves."
"In any case, I'm not going."
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