Chapter 836: The Enigma of the Ancient Immortal Severance
Chapter 836: The Enigma of the Ancient Immortal Severance
It was common knowledge that the Human Treasures of the Xuanhuang Realm were, for the most part, formed from cultivators who had fallen in ages past.
These were known as Human Treasures.
Earthly Treasures and Celestial Treasures, on the other hand, were almost always manifestations of the very Dao of heaven and earth in the Xuanhuang Realm.
The [Heaven and Earth Bone Hand] in Ou Shangtian's possession, capable of reversing the cosmos, had clearly transcended the category of Human Treasures, reaching a level that approached a Celestial Treasure.
And yet, it still took the form of a human hand bone.
This was something that demanded deep consideration.
What did the Celestial Treasures he had previously encountered look like?
There was the [Deduction Jade] and the [Sword].
All of them were purely creations of heaven and earth, without a single feature that could be described as "human."
"The remains of a human, yet close to a Celestial Treasure."
"I fear only a legendary immortal could have accomplished such a thing..."
Li Fan couldn't help but wonder.
Moreover, the shape of the bone hand Ou Daozi had shown him seemed vaguely familiar...
The Dao Transformation Stone pulsed with blue light, calling forth an image from his memory.
It was the White Bone Pioneer Realm, the very one he had used to deceive the people of the Li Realm.
He had chosen it from among the many rentable pioneer realms back then precisely because he had been so deeply captivated by its unique and stunning visuals.
Unlike other pioneer realms, which depicted picturesque immortal landscapes, this one was built upon a gigantic, skeletal left hand.
Surrounded by a dark and silent void, the massive bone hand floated in endless space.
It was steeped in an atmosphere of the fantastic, the bizarre, and the mysterious.
According to Immortal Zimiao, the cultivator who had sold him the White Bone Pioneer Realm, the scene was inspired by the very "Immortal" who had created the entire Fallen Immortal Realm with a single thought.
Li Fan compared the two images.
A perfect match!
A jolt of shock went through him.
This was far beyond the realm of coincidence.
Li Fan was now intensely interested in anything and everything related to "Immortals."
After a moment of contemplation, his clone, Ji Shaoli, contacted the cultivator who called himself Immortal Zimiao under the pretext of wanting to rent the White Bone Pioneer Realm.
He didn't use an anonymous handle, but directly revealed Ji Shaoli's identity.
Unlike the cold indifference from their last encounter, Zimiao was exceptionally warm and enthusiastic toward Ji Shaoli.
"Senior, you've heard of me?" Ji Shaoli asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"Hehe, since I'm in business, how could I not familiarize myself with the potential clients in every province of the Immortal Alliance?" Zimiao replied with a chuckle.
"After all, there really aren't many cultivators willing to spend a fortune in contribution points every year to rent a pioneer realm."
Ji Shaoli instantly understood.
The few million contribution points from winning the Fish Gambling top prize wouldn't have been enough to catch Zimiao's eye. It must have been his clone's recent activities—using his foresight to speculate wildly in the market and amass a fortune. That was what had put him on the other man's radar.
Ji Shaoli felt no fear. Instead, he put on an air of immense interest in the White Bone Pioneer Realm.
He immediately proposed a hundred-year lease, even suggesting the possibility of buying it outright.
Zimiao grew even more attentive.
He answered nearly every question Ji Shaoli had.
Thus, Ji Shaoli gradually learned the origins of the White Bone Pioneer Realm and the reason it was almost identical to Ou Shangtian's [Heaven and Earth Bone Hand].
"A True Immortal's remains?" Ji Shaoli asked, his interest piqued.
"That's right. His Reverence, the Immortal Sage, had the good fortune to see an illustrated album depicting the [Remains of a True Immortal] before the Great Calamity. The images within left such a profound impression on him that he couldn't forget them even after several thousand years. So, when he created this pioneer realm, he imitated its form and emulated its spirit," Zimiao explained effusively.
Ji Shaoli pressed for more details about the True Immortal's remains.
"Before the Great Calamity, when the path to immortality was not yet severed, the Xuanhuang Realm still had contact with the Immortal World. Not only did the major immortal sects possess immortal artifacts bestowed by the Immortal World for protection,"
"but a True Immortal's body was also said to be circulating in the mortal world. No one knows whose hands it fell into, but the matter is absolutely true, corroborated by numerous clues."
"This bone hand is but one part of the immortal's remains. There was also the immortal's torso, the immortal's skull..."
Zimiao was in the middle of a grand, mystical explanation when his tone suddenly shifted. "Right up until the Great Calamity descended, there were all sorts of rumors about the True Immortal's remains appearing in the world. However, after the Great Calamity struck, the True Immortal's remains, and even the supreme immortal artifacts of the various sects, all vanished without a trace!"
"The chaos this caused is unimaginable; it directly accelerated the downfall of the immortal sects."
Hearing this, Ji Shaoli was momentarily lost in thought. "The remains, the immortal artifacts... they all disappeared?"
Zimiao sighed. "Indeed. To this day, it remains an unsolved mystery; no one knows where they went. However, in the Xuanhuang Realm today, the only thing that can be linked to 'Immortals' is probably the Fallen Immortal Realm. Therefore, a considerable number of cultivators who know of this believe that the vanished remains and immortal artifacts are very likely hidden somewhere within it."
"Otherwise, you wouldn't see so many Dao Integration cultivators still exploring the Fallen Immortal Realm so tirelessly."
"The Fallen Immortal Realm, you say..." Ji Shaoli mused, nodding to himself.
After that, he couldn't pry any more useful information from Zimiao.
After a round of bargaining, Ji Shaoli bought the White Bone Pioneer Realm outright for a price of eight hundred thousand contribution points.
It was clear Zimiao hadn't encountered such a major client in a long time, and his voice was thick with excitement. He promised to include a hundred years of free maintenance for the pioneer realm.
He also added that if Ji Shaoli ever needed to purchase another pioneer realm in the future, he should come to him for a generous discount.
The details of the handover and transaction were, of course, a minor matter.
The perspective shifted back to Li Fan's true self.
"The person behind this account probably isn't Immortal Zimiao himself."
"Someone capable of carving out a space from the void is by no means weak, even among Dao Integration cultivators. They wouldn't be so materialistic."
Li Fan then began to speculate on the connection between the True Immortal's remains and the [Heaven and Earth Bone Hand].
"The remains of a True Immortal, washed up in the Xuanhuang Realm."
"The power of heaven and earth circulates, seeking to devour and refine it, to transform it into its own laws."
"Judging from the appearance of this [Heaven and Earth Bone Hand], it seems to have partially succeeded."
"The question is, where have the rest of the True Immortal's remains gone?"
"Could things like the Deduction Jade and the Dao Text Compass also be related to the True Immortal's remains?"
"Most importantly, whether it's the immortal artifacts or the True Immortal's remains, they are all treasures of unimaginable value. The major immortal sects would have guarded them with their lives. For them to vanish into thin air under those circumstances..."
"Interesting."
Li Fan's eyes flickered as he pondered the possibilities.
However, an ancient secret of this magnitude was not something he could hope to deduce with just his mid-grade Dao Transformation Stone.
Before long, Li Fan had no choice but to regretfully halt his train of thought.
(End of this chapter)
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