Chapter 1637: The Immortal-Slaying Path to the Mountain
Despite everything she had been through, Bai Shuyue still hadn't forgotten her dear nephew.
In fact, part of her motivation for creating an entirely new method of cultivation was so that Li Fan could practice it.
Besides, Bai Shuyue had a faint premonition that the potential and future of this brand-new method would far surpass any conventional cultivation path.
"The Immeasurable Wall's perspective is limited to this single lifetime."
"But my plans span dozens, even hundreds of lifetimes to come! I can't possibly scheme for the 'Wuji' before cultivating in every single life. Not only would it be troublesome, but a single misstep could waste a precious chance at reincarnation."
"This brand-new method..."
"I cannot abandon it!"
"However, that doesn't conflict with my decision to temporarily practice the old method to rapidly advance my cultivation. With greater strength comes a broader perspective, which will surely make deducing the new method far more efficient."
In a flash, a myriad of thoughts raced through Bai Shuyue's mind. She then nodded to the Immeasurable Wall. "Don't worry," she said, "I have my own plans."
As for resources, with the Immeasurable Wall's sponsorship, she had nothing to worry about.
The terrifying power of the spiritual aptitude she had accumulated over thirty lifetimes was now on full display.
After just over ten days in seclusion, Bai Shuyue felt an invisible barrier materialize before her.
Ahead...
The path had ended.
"According to the ancient cultivation classics, I have now reached the very pinnacle of the mortal path—the peak of Dao Integration."
"If the path to immortality were closed, my only recourse would be to seek longevity, either by borrowing the power of the world's laws or by relying on life-extending treasures."
"A realm that countless cultivators throughout history have dreamed of achieving... and I reached it in a mere ten days."
"Cultivation... it's almost too easy."
Bai Shuyue looked up at the sky and let out a long, slow breath.
Honestly, even she hadn't anticipated that her cultivation speed would be so terrifyingly fast.
So much so that when she emerged from her seclusion, it took her a moment to process it all.
And as for the Immeasurable Wall...
The Immeasurable Wall, which had previously been clamoring for her to enter seclusion and cultivate, now fell into an uncharacteristic and eerie silence after witnessing her unrestrained cultivation speed.
It even seemed a little frightened, subtly distancing itself from her. The previous closeness was gone.
Bai Shuyue found this amusing. "You were the one who did everything to get me to cultivate," she remarked. "And now that I've actually put in the effort, you're the one acting like this."
"What's the reason?"
The Immeasurable Wall muttered, "I just suddenly thought of something... something frightening."
"Frightened?"
"Perhaps you're some incredible powerhouse in other worlds," it speculated. "It might only be the unique environment of the Xuanhuang Realm that has suppressed you, keeping you a mortal. If you were to transcend and meet your other selves..."
"Wouldn't that be like a sheep walking into a tiger's den?"
The more the Immeasurable Wall considered it, the more sense it made. Its expression grew increasingly gloomy, and it sighed, looking as wilted as a frostbitten eggplant.
"How would that be like a sheep walking into a tiger's den?" Bai Shuyue asked, her curiosity piqued.
At this point, she knew little of the truth of the Mountain and Sea, or the fact that countless possibilities ran in parallel. She certainly had no idea about the cultivation method of transcendent beings, where all of one's selves merge into one.
The Immeasurable Wall gave her a brief explanation, and Bai Shuyue's expression turned serious.
"So, you're saying that even after achieving transcendence, I won't necessarily be any safer? That by revealing myself, I might actually be in even greater danger?"
"Normally, anyone who reaches the transcendent realm wouldn't need to worry about such things. After all, even with infinite possibilities in the Mountain and Sea, it's exceedingly rare for multiple versions of a single person to achieve transcendence. But your talent... it's monstrously high. With you, it's hard to say," the Immeasurable Wall sighed.
High cultivation talent was a blessing, but if it was *too* high, it could turn into a curse.
This was a complication the Immeasurable Wall hadn't considered before.
But Bai Shuyue knew her own situation best; she understood perfectly well where her heaven-defying aptitude came from.
*My other selves in other worlds, if they don't have this ability to endlessly reincarnate, certainly won't be like me,* Bai Shuyue thought, feeling a sliver of relief.
Even so, she couldn't very well explain this to the Immeasurable Wall, so she simply remained silent.
In the silence, her mind began to race once more. She found herself growing curious again about the truth behind her endless reincarnations.
"If I can be reborn again and again, what about my other selves in other worlds?"
"What kind of power is orchestrating all of this?"
When she was still just a mortal, Bai Shuyue hadn't felt much fear about her ability to reincarnate. She had simply considered it a stroke of luck.
But now, standing just a single step away from immortality, she could see things with a terrifying clarity.
This was a divine power so immense that even a True Immortal could scarcely comprehend it, let alone hope to achieve it!
The more she contemplated it, the more insignificant and powerless she felt in its presence.
Both the Immeasurable Wall and Bai Shuyue fell into a prolonged silence, though the source of their fears was entirely different.
After a long while, it was the Immeasurable Wall that finally broke the silence.
"Damn it all, I'm going to trust my gut on this one. It can't be a disaster—it has to be a stroke of immense fortune!" it declared, gritting its teeth.
Bai Shuyue snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head with a wry smile. "Let's just take it one step at a time. I started as a mere mortal, and I've already lived so many extra lives. Even if I were to die suddenly, it would have been worth it. There's no point in worrying about all this."
With that interlude over, the two began to formally discuss the method of ascending to immortality.
"The reason immortals are different from mortals," it began, "lies in the [Mountain and Sea]."
"The Upper Mountain grants them their superior standing; the Infinite Sea provides them with an endless wellspring of power..."
Like any other being hearing the truth of the Mountain and Sea for the first time, Bai Shuyue was profoundly shaken. The might of immortals was far beyond anything she could have imagined.
*No wonder the gulf between mortals and immortals is as wide as the heavens,* Bai Shuyue reflected.
The Immeasurable Wall continued, "Your cultivation is sufficient now. If the Immortal Court still existed, I could sneak you an imperial edict, and you could ascend on the spot. But..."
"The Immortal Realm has been shattered. Even if I have a few stashed away in my belly, they're probably useless now."
Hearing this, Bai Shuyue grew puzzled. "Exactly how much have you swallowed over the years?"
The Immeasurable Wall rolled its eye. "What do you know? A full belly keeps the heart calm. If I hadn't prepared for a rainy day and stockpiled so many resources back then, how could I have possibly escaped the great calamity that destroyed the Immortal Realm?"
"I suspect it's precisely because you're overstuffed that your current strength is less than it used to be," Bai Shuyue scoffed.
"There's some truth in that. But..." The Immeasurable Wall's large eye swiveled, and it spoke with a smug air, "The kind of strength I pursue is quite different from what you cultivators seek."
"At the end of the day, I'm just a tile. Why would I pursue a life of fighting and killing?"
After spending so many lifetimes together, this was the first time Bai Shuyue had heard the Immeasurable Wall speak like this. She thought for a moment, an incredulous look dawning in her eyes. "Don't tell me your ultimate goal is still..."
"That's right! My wish is to become the foremost foundational pillar in all the Mountain and Sea!" the Immeasurable Wall declared with solemn dignity.
"You must understand, back in the days of the Great Change Palace, I was situated above the Sage Lord himself! To look down upon a Sage Lord and anchor the Mountain and Sea—that is the lifelong pursuit of us pillars!"
"All the resources I've devoured in the past have been converted into an internal force, honing me and pushing me ever closer to that goal..."
"Of course, external assistance is also crucial." The Immeasurable Wall's tone suddenly shifted, and it fixed its gaze on Bai Shuyue.
"If you can transcend and bring me along to the legendary Other Shore... you could save me a million years of hard work. But you're not even a True Immortal yet, so you'd better get to it."
The lighthearted banter completely dispelled the earlier, oppressive atmosphere.
"Since the Immortal Realm no longer exists, how can I possibly become an immortal?" Bai Shuyue asked again.
"Floating clouds obscure your sight, hiding the Mountain and Sea. If you wish to behold its true face..."
"Hold on to me!" the Immeasurable Wall suddenly commanded, releasing threads of the Great Dao of Wuji.
It then continued, "You must use the bones of this realm's True Immortals to pave a path to the mountain and a way to the sea!"
Bai Shuyue's heart jolted.
For a mortal to slay an immortal—it should have been nothing more than a fanciful tale.
But with the Great Dao of Wuji in her grasp, it was no longer impossible.
Comments