Chapter 1621: The Watchdog at the Sage Lord's Gate
The tentacles writhed, splitting into nine distinct streams that plunged into Rinsing Moon Bai’s mind.
Compared to the aid of a single tentacle, the boost to her comprehension was nearly five times as potent.
Yet, Rinsing Moon Bai keenly sensed something was different. Her own lifespan wasn’t being drained.
The Immeasurable Wall spoke, a touch of heartache in its tone. “Over tens of thousands of years, I’ve only managed to store a few thousand ‘snacks.’ It’ll probably only be enough to sustain your cultivation for a few dozen years...”
“You mean you’re using the lifespan extracted from other cultivators for my benefit?” Rinsing Moon Bai understood immediately.
“If a few thousand people can support decades of cultivation...”
“Are there any requirements for their aptitude or comprehension?” she pressed at once.
“None. It’s just better if they have more lifespan remaining. Why?” the Immeasurable Wall asked, staring at her with some surprise.
After a moment of contemplation, Rinsing Moon Bai declared, “I’ll handle it.”
“If I can secure enough support to reach the Longevity stage,” she mused, “I might even be able to avert that apocalyptic crisis...”
And so, Rinsing Moon Bai took up residence within the Immeasurable Wall. Every so often, she would venture out to hunt and capture cultivators, providing a continuous stream of lifespan for her enlightenment.
The efficiency of her cultivation, backed by the Wall’s full power, was truly terrifying. In just a century, she had completely exhausted the accumulated insights from her previous life.
The shadow of the path to Soul Transformation under the new law was growing ever clearer. Rinsing Moon Bai was preparing to make one final push to formally deduce it.
But just then, the Immeasurable Wall began to vibrate violently.
“This is bad. Someone’s attacking,” the Wall’s massive head materialized, its single eye betraying a hint of terror.
Rinsing Moon Bai frowned slightly. “You’re an immortal artifact, aren’t you? You talk a big game. How can you be so cowardly now that there’s actually trouble?”
In the century they had spent together, Rinsing Moon Bai had naturally learned a thing or two about its background. And since the Wall had been willing to share its “snacks,” which it had treasured for millennia, it was generally forthcoming with answers to her questions.
However, it had steadfastly refused to reveal anything about the truth of the Mountain and Sea, insisting that it would disrupt her Dao heart and hinder her cultivation.
Now, faced with Rinsing Moon Bai’s accusation, the Immeasurable Wall felt no shame at all. “An immortal artifact... There are plenty of immortal artifacts in this Xuanhuang Realm! The fellow attacking us right now has two of them on him!”
Rinsing Moon Bai was stunned. “What did you say?”
Peering outside, she saw a handsome youth beyond the Immeasurable Wall, his body radiating a brilliant golden light. He was relentlessly pounding on the Wall’s barrier, seemingly determined to obliterate it completely.
As he attacked, the youth roared, “Give me back my father! Give me back my father!”
Although he was only at the Soul Transformation stage, the golden light emanating from him exuded an aura that sent an inexplicable chill down even Rinsing Moon Bai’s spine.
The Immeasurable Wall could hold out for a while longer, but the youth’s strength seemed limitless, his assault tireless. If this continued, the barrier’s collapse was only a matter of time.
“Who is his father?” Rinsing Moon Bai asked, a note of frustration in her voice.
She had been exceptionally careful in her hunt for cultivators, never targeting those with powerful backgrounds. Even the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance had remained oblivious. She couldn’t believe this youth had somehow found her and tracked her all the way here.
“I found him!” the Immeasurable Wall suddenly shouted.
Its tentacles waved, dragging a stark white skeleton before Rinsing Moon Bai.
It had long since been drained dry.
Rinsing Moon Bai’s eye twitched. She sighed. “Fine. It seems I’ll have to face him first. You find a chance to slip away.”
The Wall sounded pained. “I’m not like other immortal artifacts. Once I take root, I can’t move easily. I can escape, but I’ll likely have to fall dormant for some time.”
“Better than being smashed to pieces by that kid!”
“Sigh... you’re right.”
With the Immeasurable Wall hanging its head in dejection, Rinsing Moon Bai charged out to face the attacker.
Under the illumination of her Spirit Mirror Nascent Soul, she saw the true nature of the brilliant youth’s golden light.
It originated from his immortal bones!
Immortal bones—not as a figure of speech, but the literal, genuine bones of an immortal being.
It was as if a True Immortal had descended. Before its aura, mortal ants could only tremble uncontrollably. Even though Rinsing Moon Bai’s cultivation was higher than the youth’s, it took her a great deal of effort just to steady her mind.
“The immortal aura in this boy isn’t evenly distributed. It feels like it’s growing from a specific point.”
“The closer to his left hand, the more intense it becomes...”
Struck by a flash of insight, Rinsing Moon Bai’s spiritual sense locked onto the youth’s arm. Her hands mimed a tearing motion in the air.
An immense, rending force transcended time and space, descending upon the youth in an instant.
This was a divine ability she had comprehended from her memories of the Xuanhuang Realm's destruction, of the heavens beyond collapsing to reveal the void of the mountain and Sea.
As if crushed by mountains and inundated by seas, the golden light around the youth flickered violently, like a candle flame in a storm.
“Reverse Qian and Kun!”
But a moment later, with a furious roar from the youth, the mountains were overturned and the seas rose to the heavens.
The tearing force that had been applied to him was completely reversed, now hurtling back toward Rinsing Moon Bai.
Her expression shifted. She hastily retracted her power, narrowly avoiding injury from her own attack.
In that fleeting moment, however, the youth had already pinpointed her location.
With a flash of golden light, he closed the distance rapidly.
“Pay for my father’s life!”
The youth’s eyes blazed with fury. Above his head, a book bound in ancient black and white pages slowly unfurled.
As the book’s pages locked onto her, thousands of illusions instantly flooded Rinsing Moon Bai’s vision. Each one depicted a different, gruesome end for herself.
The light from her Spirit Mirror Nascent Soul pulsed violently. In a flash of inspiration, she used its hub-like ability to discern the true nature of the immortal bones and the black-and-white book.
The Qiankun Bone Hand!
The Ten Thousand Death Book!
Just as the Immeasurable Wall had claimed, they were born of immortal artifacts!
And there was more...
Rinsing Moon Bai had a faint feeling that the Qiankun Bone Hand was more than just an artifact. Within the youth’s body, as the immortal bones grew, a True Immortal seemed to be gestating!
“The Xuanhuang Realm is truly filled with hidden masters!” Rinsing Moon Bai exclaimed inwardly in astonishment.
Despite her twenty-odd rebirths, she had rarely engaged in combat. Her experience was severely lacking, and with her only divine ability countered, she was already outmatched.
Just as she was about to be suppressed by the youth, a strange voice suddenly cried out, “Hey, kid! The father you’re looking for is over here!”
A single tentacle, wrapped around a white skeleton, shot out from the Immeasurable Wall and fled toward the horizon.
The youth recognized his father Ou Daozi’s remains in an instant, and his eyes nearly split with rage.
He could no longer be bothered with Rinsing Moon Bai and immediately gave chase.
“Go, now!” the Immeasurable Wall shouted to Rinsing Moon Bai.
In truth, even without its urging, she was already in full retreat.
“No!”
A heart-wrenching roar echoed from the distance. Rinsing Moon Bai glanced back to see that the tentacle carrying the skeleton had already exploded into dust, taking the bones with it.
A knot of tension formed in her chest, and she redoubled her speed.
A full three days passed before the premonition of danger finally faded, and she allowed herself to stop.
“That insolent brat! How dare he!”
In all her twenty-something reincarnations, Rinsing Moon Bai had never been forced into such a pathetic retreat.
Though she had indeed mistakenly captured his father, an enemy was now an enemy...
“I refuse to believe I can’t defeat you! Besides, I’ve never wielded an immortal artifact before.”
“What do you mean? Am I not an immortal artifact?” the Immeasurable Wall protested, fighting for its dignity.
Freed from its rooted state, the Wall had reverted to its original form. It was nothing more than a green jade tile, marred by a rather conspicuous crack.
This was the first time Rinsing Moon Bai had seen its true form. “Thank you for your help back there.”
“But... as far as immortal artifacts go, you’re in much worse shape than his,” she commented.
The Immeasurable Wall flew into a rage. “What does a mere mortal like you know? Have you ever heard the name of Saint Tai Yi? Yours truly once served in the Sage Lord’s Dao Palace! That pathetic bag of bones was, at best, from some common True Immortal. How could he possibly compare to me?”
“If you served under a Sage Lord, how did you end up in this state?” Although she had no idea who Saint Tai Yi was, the title “Saint” suggested a figure of extraordinary status, even in the Immortal Realm. Rinsing Moon Bai tried to goad it into revealing more useful information.
The Immeasurable Wall fell for the bait. “Even after the Sage Lord was gone, yours truly was living quite comfortably in the Dao Palace. No immortal dared to disturb me. It was peaceful. But who would have thought that one day, a thief with audacious courage would show up!”
“He not only rummaged through everything, but he also... the Dao Palace...”
It suddenly caught itself, its words coming to an abrupt halt.
It muttered to itself in a frightened tone, “Great Master above, forgive this humble Wall for failing to punish that scoundrel...”
Then, its tone shifted back to one of immense pride as it commanded, “You just need to know that my background is terrifyingly grand, that’s all!”
Rinsing Moon Bai saw through the facade but simply smiled and nodded in agreement.
“Since you come from a Sage Lord’s domain, do you know how to deal with that youth? After suffering such a humiliating defeat, if we just let it go, wouldn’t that tarnish Saint Tai Yi’s reputation?” she reminded it.
“You... do have a point,” the Immeasurable Wall mused for a moment, as if having made a momentous decision.
Upon the surface of the green tile, an incredibly complex character materialized.
“This is...”
The character seemed to possess an infinite, demonic charm. With a single glance, Rinsing Moon Bai’s mind was utterly captivated.
Her Mixed Origin Golden Core blazed with light.
And around the statue of her true self, the dark, unknown regions were swept away as if by a hurricane, revealing vast, blank canvases ready for the next carving.
Within her Spirit Mirror Nascent Soul, Rinsing Moon Bai saw a vision of a boundless Immortal Realm, a magnificent scene of countless immortals gathered like a dense forest.
“This is a True Immortal Script: [Detain]. It’s a special script exclusive to the former Immortal Court.”
“That kid’s brute strength comes entirely from the immortal bones inside him. This ‘Detain’ character should be able to suppress him!” the Immeasurable Wall said with complete confidence.
“Then why didn’t you use this ‘Detain’ character earlier?” Rinsing Moon Bai asked.
The Immeasurable Wall was momentarily speechless.
“You wouldn’t understand. This True Immortal Script is best deployed with immortal spiritual energy for maximum effect. Where would I get any residual immortal spiritual energy from?” the Immeasurable Wall argued.
“I’m a mortal. I don’t have immortal spiritual energy either,” Rinsing Moon Bai retorted.
“Spiritual power. Use your spiritual power. The effect will be weaker, maybe only one percent of its full potency, but it should be enough to suppress that kid,” the Wall said, its gaze flickering.
“Is it possible... that there’s a side effect to using this True Immortal Script?” Rinsing Moon Bai was no fool; she immediately saw the hidden meaning in the Wall’s words.
Facing Rinsing Moon Bai’s piercing gaze, the Immeasurable Wall gave a dry laugh before finally coming clean. “First, for a mortal to wield a True Immortal Script is an act of great disrespect! Not only would you fail to unleash even a ten-thousandth of its true power, but you would certainly suffer a backlash.”
“And second... the ‘Detain’ script is not something an ordinary True Immortal can use. Only immortal officials appointed by the Immortal Court are qualified to use its power. Furthermore, permission to use this type of True Immortal Script is granted hierarchically, passed down from the Immortal Emperor, to the Immortal Chancellor, and so on.”
“One can, of course, comprehend and use it forcefully on their own. But doing so will inevitably be sensed by the next level up in the hierarchy. This is especially true if there’s an immortal official nearby. Though the Immortal Realm was destroyed and the Immortal Court ruined, this rigid hierarchical system did not die. It has survived within the True Immortal Scripts themselves...”
After the Wall’s long explanation, Rinsing Moon Bai finally understood. “You’re afraid that if you use the ‘Detain’ script, you’ll be sensed by other True Immortals?”
The Immeasurable Wall grunted, which she took as a confirmation.
“The Immortal Realm was destroyed. How could there still be immortals in this world?” Rinsing Moon Bai asked, stunned.
The Immeasurable Wall gave her a look that was practically an eye-roll. “Look around this Xuanhuang Realm. There are so many immortal artifacts remaining. Do you really think there are no immortals?”
“Besides, that golden-glowing boy—don’t be fooled by his current antics. By the time his immortal bones are fully grown, he might not be himself anymore.”
“Resurrection?” Rinsing Moon Bai’s brow furrowed.
The methods of True Immortals were indeed beyond her imagination.
“If using this ‘Detain’ script is so risky, why did you tell me about it?” After a moment, Rinsing Moon Bai caught on. Her brows drew together as she stared at it, her eyes filled with anger.
“Why can’t you understand? It’s not risky for you; it’s risky for me! You’re just a tiny mortal. Even if a True Immortal sensed it, why would they bother with you? They would lose face just by sparing you a glance. But I’m different. I...” The Immeasurable Wall darted anxiously up and down in the air, then froze when it noticed the faint smile playing on Rinsing Moon Bai’s lips.
“How are you different? Explain it to me, in detail,” Rinsing Moon Bai said, studying the Wall intently.
The Immeasurable Wall spoke sheepishly. “Hehe, well, I’m not really that different. I am an immortal artifact, after all. If another True Immortal found me, they might just snatch me up and refine me...”
Rinsing Moon Bai cut it off. “It’s not that simple. You might be of great use to mortals, but in the eyes of a True Immortal, your value is likely mediocre.”
“However...”
Rinsing Moon Bai’s eyes narrowed. “You said before that you were on duty at the Sage Lord’s gate. Then a thief broke into the Dao Palace, not only stealing many items but also damaging the palace itself...”
“You wouldn’t have... taken the opportunity to steal a few things yourself, would you?”
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