Chapter 1625: Seeing the 'What Matter' Immortal Again
To the Hunger Immortal, the words "Sage Lord" held far less power than "Non-Action."
After all, she had never seen a Sage Lord with her own eyes. To her, the Three Saints of the Immortal Realm were nothing more than ethereal legends.
But Non-Action...
...was truly her master!
Even now, when she was but a single step away from the realm of Nameless True Immortals, she still believed from the bottom of her heart that Non-Action was her true master.
Therefore, when the Infinite Wall called her an "immortal servant," the Hunger Immortal wasn't angered in the slightest. Instead, her interest was piqued.
"You can actually discern my origins?" The Hunger Immortal's fingers, pressed against the Infinite Wall, loosened slightly.
The Infinite Wall gasped for a moment before reverting to its usual arrogant tone. "A joke! The palaces of the Sage Lords connect the mountains and seas and reflect the entire Immortal Realm. Nothing, great or small, can escape their divine sight. Since I stand at the very gate of a Sage Lord, how could I possess so little knowledge?"
"Back then, when the Southern Immortal Pillar suddenly collapsed, it was only thanks to the timely intervention of the True Immortal Non-Action that a greater catastrophe was averted. One could say he single-handedly extended the life of the Immortal Realm by several epochs. How could I not be aware of such a monumental achievement?"
...
The Infinite Wall rambled on, trying to prove that its words were not mere bluffs.
The Hunger Immortal did not refute it.
However, she didn't release her grip on the Infinite Wall either.
"Non-Action..."
"Even when he was around, he never meddled much in the affairs of us immortal servants."
"Besides, he has likely already transcended and departed, free and unfettered."
"The more you know, the greater your value. Did you really think I'd be frightened by a few words?" A powerful suction force emanated from the Hunger Immortal's hand.
The Infinite Wall felt as if a colossal vortex had appeared outside. Not only was its fragile jade surface being pulled, but the core within, which housed the Sage Palace's Dao plaque and numerous other treasures, felt as if it were about to be dragged away by the maelstrom.
"This is a true disaster!" the Infinite Wall cried out inwardly.
However, the Hunger Immortal's power was close to the realm of a Nameless True Immortal. It was not something a mere immortal artifact like itself could resist.
"Damn it, if only I had more time! Once I've fully digested everything in my belly, I could shed this immortal artifact body and truly become Nameless. This servant of Non-Action would be no match for me then..."
At this critical juncture, the Infinite Wall's thoughts raced, searching for a way to escape.
"Wait! You just said your master had already departed, free from worldly affairs, and transcended..."
"That's completely and utterly wrong!"
Suddenly, as if it had thought of something, the Infinite Wall shouted repeatedly.
"Oh?" The Hunger Immortal was genuinely concerned about news of her master. Even though the artifact before her was prone to baseless boasts and its words were often untrue, she still paused the process of devouring it.
"Speak!"
"You have to promise to spare my life! Oh, right. And the mortal inside my belly!"
Before the Hunger Immortal could answer, the Infinite Wall added, "Don't think you can just swallow me and get the information. Let me tell you, besides the Sage Palace's Dao plaque, I have plenty of other fine treasures in my belly."
"If you push me too far, I'll detonate them..."
As if to add credibility to its words, the surface of the jade Infinite Wall became clearer.
Beneath the Dao plaque, thousands of items shimmering with spiritual light were packed together, forming a veritable mountain of treasures. The plaque itself rested at the very peak of this small mountain.
The Hunger Immortal could see clearly that the vast majority of these items retained a trace of some supreme, unparalleled aura.
She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Did you... happen to loot the Sage Lord's palace during the collapse of the Immortal Realm?"
The Infinite Wall burst out cursing, "You're the one who loots! This was a rescue mission, don't you understand? Back then, the palace was attacked by thieves, most of the restrictions were destroyed, and the sentient items inside fled for their lives. The ones left behind wouldn't have met a good end anyway. This master brought them along, so if the Sage Lord ever reappears, it'll be easier to rebuild the palace."
The Infinite Wall spoke with righteous indignation, but the Hunger Immortal merely offered a silent smile.
Meanwhile, hiding inside the Infinite Wall, Bai Shuyue—who hadn't dared to move an inch out of terror since the Hunger Immortal appeared—couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly at the wall's words.
Never mind that it called itself 'Grand Master' in front of her, but now it was 'Little Master' before this True Immortal.
So, the reason the Infinite Wall couldn't use its full power was because it had "eaten too much" and practically stuffed itself to the bursting point.
"It's barely told me a single true word."
If it weren't for the fact that it had remembered her in this life-or-death moment, Bai Shuyue would already be plotting all the different ways she would torture it in every one of her future reincarnations.
The emotional fluctuations of a mere mortal naturally escaped the Hunger Immortal's notice.
But after some careful consideration, she agreed to the Infinite Wall's request.
This was because the Infinite Wall and the so-called "treasures" within it were, in fact, disposable to the Hunger Immortal.
She was only one step away from attaining the Dao of the Nameless. And once one has forged their own path, external objects no longer hold much importance.
In comparison, she was far more interested in information about her master, the Non-Action Immortal.
With this in mind, the Hunger Immortal spoke: "I will choose any three treasures from your belly. After that, you will tell me what you know about my master. If it proves to be true..."
"...I will let you go."
"Three pieces?!" the Infinite Wall's voice suddenly grew several octaves louder.
"Hm?"
The Infinite Wall's voice subsided again.
"Three pieces it is, then. Don't go back on your word!"
The Hunger Immortal merely snorted coldly, the pride on her face saying it all.
Seeing this, the Infinite Wall was finally relieved.
It scanned the treasures inside itself, wincing with a heartache, while simultaneously gathering its thoughts.
After a moment, it finally spoke. "With the Non-Action True Immortal's power and talent, transcending and departing should not have been a major issue."
"But his repeated actions to save the Immortal Realm from Dao Annihilation were antithetical to his own path of Non-Action. Every intervention was a severe blow to his own Dao. Therefore..."
"...there is a high probability that he never left."
Hearing this, the Hunger Immortal's expression changed instantly. Recalling the bits and pieces of information she had gathered about her master in the past, she already found herself believing some of it.
The logic was not complicated, but because Non-Action was her master and had always presented an image of being invincible, the Hunger Immortal had never considered this possibility.
"With Master's power, he certainly wouldn't have perished in the calamity that destroyed the Immortal Realm. In that case, could he be in the lower realms as well?" At this thought, the Hunger Immortal's heart trembled for reasons she couldn't explain.
It was like achieving great success and wanting to tell one's parents at the first opportunity. The Hunger Immortal's desire to comprehend the Dao and break through her bottleneck became stronger than ever before.
"If Master saw me attain the Dao of the Nameless, he would surely be surprised, wouldn't he?"
The Hunger Immortal couldn't help but think.
In comparison, the many treasures of the Dao Palace inside the Infinite Wall suddenly seemed dull and uninteresting.
"Be gone, both of you. Do not disturb my secluded cultivation."
Tossing the Infinite Wall into the distance, the Hunger Immortal said coldly.
The binding force vanished, and the Infinite Wall didn't reply. Fearing she might change her mind and demand the treasures after all, it pushed its speed to the absolute limit and fled in a sorry state.
Having survived the ordeal, Bai Shuyue finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Although the Infinite Wall's protection meant the pressure from the Hunger Immortal was less than what she'd felt from that mysterious golden-needle expert, encountering a situation where she was completely at another's mercy right after leaving the Xuanhuang Realm still left Bai Shuyue deeply unsettled.
She said weakly, "It's too dangerous out here. I think we should return to the Xuanhuang Realm. At the very least, if we're careful..."
Before she could finish, the Infinite Wall's response made her heart stop.
"The Xuanhuang Realm? What Xuanhuang Realm? When that witch woke up just now, she destroyed it with a casual wave of her hand!"
As it spoke, the Infinite Wall showed Bai Shuyue the direction from which they had come.
The cluster of light that had represented the Xuanhuang Realm was gone.
The starry sky was pitch-black and deathly silent, with only a few tiny points of light remaining.
"Fan'er..." Bai Shuyue was completely stunned.
She never could have imagined that the destruction of the vast Xuanhuang Realm was merely a casual act for a True Immortal.
"Don't even think about going back for revenge now. Once we get to a safe place, we need to focus on cultivating. Look, have the cultivation restrictions vanished? With your talent, you might even transcend before that witch does. When that time comes, you can get some brutal revenge for us!" the Infinite Wall said in a vicious tone.
But Bai Shuyue seemed not to hear, still reeling from the shock of the Xuanhuang Realm's destruction.
In all her past reincarnations, the worst that had ever happened was her own death. This was the first time an entire world had been destroyed.
After the better part of a day, Bai Shuyue finally recovered.
Temporarily suppressing the urge to end her life and restart, Bai Shuyue forced herself to calm down and began to comprehend the Dao in the pitch-black starry sky.
A moment later...
"The Great Dao is so clear!" Bai Shuyue realized with a start.
If comprehending the laws of the Great Dao in the Xuanhuang Realm was like peering through layers of thick, blurry mist...
...then comprehending the Dao in this Star Sea was like observing a perfectly clear painting up close.
It was as if heaven and earth had become crystal clear in an instant.
"The difference is this vast?"
Somewhat surprised and delighted, Bai Shuyue immersed herself in this unprecedented level of comprehension.
Then, she keenly sensed a faint, almost imperceptible will within the starry sky!
"This is..."
"...the consciousness of the Star Sea?"
Bai Shuyue's mind reeled with shock.
This was an entirely new experience for her. She had never imagined that the vast Star Sea beyond the Xuanhuang Realm could give birth to its own consciousness.
And so, naturally, Bai Shuyue wanted to make deeper contact with it.
"Go there!"
Bai Shuyue said, pointing to a spot in the darkness.
"Why..." the Infinite Wall grumbled, slightly displeased.
But after Bai Shuyue's repeated requests, it changed direction.
As they slowly approached the center of the Star Sea, the once pitch-black expanse began to brighten in Bai Shuyue's eyes.
And she also keenly perceived a budding, reviving life force within this deathly silent Star Sea!
However, this wisp of life was still incredibly weak. So weak that any further damage would snuff it out in its cradle.
The fragile, infant-like life reminded Bai Shuyue of what Li Fan looked like when he was just born.
A sense of pity and affection welled up in her heart.
Hum...
And because of this strange emotion, Bai Shuyue made her first official contact with the true will of the Darkest Star Sea's origin.
A boundless starry sky, once brimming with life.
Peace and harmony reigned everywhere.
But from time to time, dark clouds would flash across it—inexplicable turmoil originating from the upper realm.
Meteors from the Immortal Realm fell with increasing frequency.
But they had little effect on the Star Sea's continued existence.
Until that day.
The path of immortality crumbled, the Star Sea shattered, and calamity spread.
A figure, its face and details indistinct, grew fainter and fainter.
And then vanished completely.
Only its soft laughter lingered, echoing for a long time in the Star Sea where disaster was about to unfold.
"What does it matter to me..."
"What does it matter to me..."
"Hahahaha..."
...
It was as if she had just watched an infant Li Fan being strangled in his swaddling clothes. A sudden surge of rage erupted in Bai Shuyue's heart.
It made her ignore even the vast chasm between their immortal arts.
Facing the direction where the figure had vanished, she demanded, "Who are you!"
"Who are you?"
Bai Shuyue's voice echoed endlessly in the memory of the Star Sea's original will.
On and on it went.
Like ripples in a pond.
And the figure that had already vanished completely began to rematerialize, spurred on by the ceaseless ripples!
It was no longer laughing maniacally. It just looked at Bai Shuyue.
Its expression was somewhat inscrutable.
"Interesting."
The faint voice rang out, striking Bai Shuyue's ears like a clap of thunder.
"This... This isn't part of the Star Sea's memory. It's speaking to me?"
"How is that possible?"
An illusory existence from a memory had actually become real.
It was a divine ability beyond Bai Shuyue's comprehension.
As if a basin of cold water had been dumped on her, the rage in her heart was instantly extinguished.
Endless fear rose in its place.
She wanted to escape from the Star Sea's memory.
But she found she couldn't move.
As if the day the calamity befell the Star Sea was replaying, the figure approached Bai Shuyue.
It tried to gently caress her.
At that very moment...
"Aiyaa! It's you, you thief!"
The Infinite Wall's furious voice suddenly broke through.
A plaque, like a flying sword.
Tore through space and time, descending upon this place and smashing violently toward the figure's face.
When the figure saw the Dao Palace's sage plaque, it rippled slightly.
It cautiously and rapidly scanned its surroundings.
Upon discovering that the newcomer was merely a roof tile, it relaxed again.
Before it could speak, it saw several more spiritual lights streaking toward it like a meteor shower.
All of them aimed at it.
As they flew, they burst into brilliant flames.
And as they drew near, they exploded violently.
In the chain of explosions, the illusory space shattered like glass dropped on the ground, breaking into a thousand tiny pieces.
"What a pity."
"Hiding too far away."
As its form vanished, it let out a soft sigh.
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