Chapter 1280: Secrets of the Blue Feather in Heavenly Capital |
Guan Xingxiu spoke eloquently within the flying vessel. At first he was somewhat stiff, but the more he spoke, the more confident he became, as if what he had comprehended were the natural laws of the star sea itself.
“The laws of the star sea can almost be regarded as a higher level substitute for the laws of the Xuanhuang Realm. Therefore, the key to our breakthrough is to find, within this silent and desolate star sea, the corresponding Star Sea Dao that matches our own path of cultivation. Since all of you have achieved Dao Integration, your aptitude cannot be weak. As long as you cast aside your inner fear of the star sea and instead approach it with a calm mind, just as you did in the Xuanhuang Realm, and quietly comprehend it, achieving this should not be too difficult.”
Guan Xingxiu went into detail about how he had sensed his own Star Sea Dao. Just as he was speaking with growing enthusiasm, an extremely anxious voice suddenly interrupted him.
It was Zimu among the survivors.
“Old Guan, suppose, I mean suppose, that within the star sea, the Dao corresponding to what I cultivate no longer exists. What should I do?”
Zimu stared tightly at Guan Xingxiu.
“Does that mean the path ahead is cut off and I can no longer advance?”
Guan Xingxiu fell silent.
The other Dao Integration cultivators present also showed different expressions upon hearing this.
Because they too had discovered that, perhaps due to the various calamities that once destroyed the Immortal Realm, the laws of the star sea were shattered and incomplete.
It was not that their aptitude was insufficient and they could not sense their corresponding Star Sea Dao.
Rather, that Dao had already vanished from the star sea.
“Perhaps you can try sensing other laws. After all, all paths ultimately lead to the same destination.” Seeing despair beginning to spread, Guan Xingxiu thought for a moment and quickly offered a suggestion.
However, he was immediately refuted without mercy.
“That might work for those below Dao Integration or for cultivators from other worlds. But we Xuanhuang Dao Integration cultivators have already devoured the Spirit of Heaven and Earth and merged our bodies with the laws. Hmph, how could it be so easy to switch to another path?”
“In that case, among us, the one most likely to achieve the highest accomplishment is probably Brother Lan Yu,” a Dao Integration cultivator named Qingshuang suddenly remarked.
The flying vessel instantly fell into silence as everyone’s gaze turned toward Lan Yu.
Lan Yu himself did not deny it.
There was no need.
Because among all the Dao Integration cultivators present, and even within the entire Xuanhuang Realm, he was the most special.
He was the only one who had achieved Dao Integration through the ancient method.
He was not bound to the principles of the Xuanhuang world, which meant that within this silent star sea, any law could be used by him for comprehension and breakthrough.
“I say, Brother Lan Yu, the reason you have not broken through yet is not because you have too many choices and cannot decide, right?”
“Congratulations in advance, Fellow Daoist Lan!”
“Sigh, the new method. Sigh, Heavenly Sovereign.”
For a time, everyone reacted differently.
Lan Yu’s expression remained serious as he casually responded, but inwardly he was puzzled.
Because he had not sensed any Star Sea Dao within the void.
“Could it be that my aptitude is truly this poor, or that I am too old and have already lost all spiritual sensitivity?”
Lan Yu was momentarily dazed.
“Oh, I seem to remember now.”
“I, Wu Fuqiu, never really had much aptitude.”
Lan Yu froze slightly as his thoughts seemed to return to his youth.
At that time, the Immortal Dao was flourishing and the Ten Great Immortal Sects stood tall. He was merely one of countless ordinary cultivators under their rule. His talent was mediocre, and he had no remarkable encounters. The Golden Core realm should have been his limit.
But one day, a moment of curiosity completely changed his fate.
“Fellow Daoist, what is happening ahead with such a grand display?” Wu Fuqiu asked curiously as he looked at the sealed air route ahead and the massive flying boats, each as large as a city, passing overhead one after another.
“Shh, keep your voice down. If you disturb the Ten Great Immortal Sects’ Ceremony of Honoring the Master, you might not even know how you die.”
The fear and reverence in others’ eyes only made Wu Fuqiu more curious.
After half a day, the vast procession of the Ten Great Immortal Sects finally passed, and the air route reopened.
Yet Wu Fuqiu continued to gaze in the direction they had gone, unwilling to leave.
After making inquiries, he learned that this Ceremony of Honoring the Master was a grand event held once every hundred years by the Ten Great Immortal Sects to express gratitude to the Grand Mage of Heavenly Capital for imparting the Dao. Important figures from all ten sects would attend.
Wu Fuqiu did not know who the Grand Mage of Heavenly Capital was.
But even as a wandering cultivator from the wilderness, he had long heard of the immense prestige of the Ten Great Immortal Sects.
“If the Ten Great Immortal Sects are already so powerful, just how formidable must the one who imparted the Dao to them be?”
“If I could somehow gain his favor…”
Wu Fuqiu’s mind trembled, and for the first time, an unprecedented ambition arose in his heart.
After repeated deliberation, he ultimately could not rid himself of this obsession.
He set out toward the legendary Heavenly Capital.
After enduring countless hardships to reach its outskirts, his hopes were instantly shattered.
Heavenly Capital itself could not be seen. Only a Source Dao Palace stood among the mountains, faintly visible within the clouds.
At the foot of the mountain were countless young cultivators like him, who had come across great distances seeking opportunities.
Wu Fuqiu was confused.
He knew that Heavenly Capital was the residence of the Grand Mage. But what was this Source Dao Palace?
“You do not even know the Source Dao Palace? Where did this bumpkin come from? The source of all methods, the origin of all paths. Even direct disciples of the Ten Great Immortal Sects must queue obediently here.”
“Think carefully. Who is the Grand Mage? How could someone like him be easily seen by mortals like you? If you want to behold his presence, you must first enter the Source Dao Palace and pray devoutly. If you catch his attention, he will naturally guide you to Heavenly Capital.”
“What, you want to go in as well? Easy. Pay one thousand high grade spirit stones and you can go queue over there.”
Wu Fuqiu was pushed out by the crowd, his mind in disarray.
One thousand high grade spirit stones was enough to purchase a decent Nascent Soul technique. If he had that much wealth, why would he have traveled thousands of miles just to seek an opportunity?
Although he was poor, Wu Fuqiu did not intend to leave.
Because he discovered that there were many others like him who could not afford the fee and thus could not ascend the mountain.
After spending half a month befriending them, he learned an important piece of information.
The so called Source Dao Palace had actually been built later by the Ten Great Immortal Sects and had no real connection to Tiandu.
The true land of the Source Dao referred to this vast region beneath Heavenly Capital. The Ten Great Immortal Sects had simply enclosed a large portion of it and constructed the palace.
However, they had not gone too far and had left a section at the mountain’s base.
“The Grand Mage has not appeared for who knows how many years. They say it is easier to catch his attention on the mountain, but that is just for comfort.”
“Exactly. The Grand Mage stands high above in the heavens. In his eyes, what difference is there between the mountain top and the mountain base?”
Listening to these words, Wu Fuqiu settled down at the foot of the Source Dao Palace.
This stay lasted twenty years.
Some people arrived, others left. Some died with regret. Some, filled with resentment, cursed the Grand Mage and were beaten to death.
Wu Fuqiu also aged from a young man into a middle aged man.
He did not know what had allowed him to persist here all this time.
Perhaps for someone as mediocre as him, it made no difference where he went.
During these years, while he waited, he did not neglect his cultivation. However, without a source of spirit stones, he could only consume his reserves. Although the land of the Source Dao was rich in spiritual qi, it could not sustain so many cultivators drawing from it at once.
Not only did he fail to make progress, he even began to regress.
At this point, Wu Fuqiu had accepted his fate and no longer held unrealistic hopes.
After all, he had been an orphan since childhood, drifting without support. Having stayed at the foot of the Source Dao Palace for over twenty years, he had grown accustomed to the surroundings and vaguely regarded this place as his home.
Whenever young people arrived full of hope, praying for the Grand Mage’s blessing, he would only smile without saying a word.
It was as if he saw his former self.
However, he did not expose the illusions of these young people.
Because anyone who did so would be completely eliminated by the people of the Ten Great Immortal Sects.
Yet the strange and wondrous nature of the world lay precisely in this.
Just when Wu Fuqiu had already cast aside the thought of the Great Mage’s blessing…
On this day, a boundless seven colored radiance suddenly bloomed across the sky.
Beneath the Source Dao Palace, tens of thousands of cultivators were stunned on the spot.
No one knew who shouted first, the Great Mage has manifested.
Then, in overwhelming excitement and fear, a dense crowd of cultivators knelt across the ground.
Only Wu Fuqiu stood there blankly, his mind completely empty.
“How dare you show disrespect to the Great Mage!”
A streak of sword light, accompanied by an angry shout, flew in from afar.
Just as Wu Fuqiu was about to be beheaded, a blue feather slowly drifted down from the sky.
The white sword light struck first, incomparably fast.
The blue feather descended later, swaying gently and moving extremely slowly.
Yet a strange scene occurred. Before everyone’s eyes, the blue feather actually arrived first and landed on Wu Fuqiu.
The sword light arrived a moment later, but did not sever Wu Fuqiu’s head. Instead, it passed through his body and instantly killed the three kneeling cultivators behind him.
As for Wu Fuqiu himself…
Bathed in the blue feather’s glow, he slowly rose into the air, beyond his control.
Amid the cries of the crowd, he ascended continuously.
Passing over the mountain peak and the Source Dao Palace, piercing through the clouds, he arrived in an instant before a purple gold Dao arena.
Wu Fuqiu felt as if he were in a dream. Only after standing there for a long time did he come back to his senses.
His body trembled with excitement, so much so that he even forgot proper etiquette and pushed the door open directly.
Unlike the sacred Heavenly Capital he had imagined, this place was completely empty.
Silent and lifeless.
Only faint chanting could be heard from within.
Following the direction of the sound, Wu Fuqiu cautiously made his way to the deepest part of the Dao arena.
A simple and ancient purple gold wooden building emitted a faint fragrance.
Wu Fuqiu knelt and paid his respects. After waiting a long time without any response, he gathered his courage and pushed the door open.
The scene inside came into view.
A vague figure sat cross legged, murmuring continuously.
Behind him stood a child in a blue and white Dao robe, eyes closed.
The child had red lips and white teeth, with delicate features, making it impossible to tell whether they were male or female.
However, Wu Fuqiu noticed that the child seemed to have fought someone before. The Dao robe was slightly damaged, with faint traces of blood on it.
Wu Fuqiu did not dare act rashly and once again kowtowed.
But neither the figure nor the child gave any response.
“That figure should be the Great Mage of Heavenly Capital.”
After a long while, Wu Fuqiu gathered his courage, stood up, and imitated the figure, sitting cross legged.
He carefully listened to the continuous chanting.
Gradually, it seemed as if he understood something.
The blue feather that had previously vanished into his body suddenly appeared within his dantian.
“Feather Transformation Technique.”
“Across endless epochs of heaven and earth, countless worlds are born and perish, like feathers drifting in the void.
“Transform the body into a feather, resonate with the world, drift through cycles of life and death, cross calamities, and achieve eternal transcendence.”
Wu Fuqiu listened in a trance, at times frowning, at times filled with joy.
This Myriad Calamities Feather Transformation Technique was far too profound for him, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Yet even glimpsing a fragment of it brought enlightenment, and his cultivation rose continuously.
Wu Fuqiu was immersed in it, unaware of how much time had passed.
Suddenly, he felt the light before him flicker and was startled awake.
He saw that the child who had been standing with closed eyes was now waving at him.
Though no words were spoken, Wu Fuqiu understood that he was being told to leave.
Even with great reluctance, he could only withdraw.
Before leaving the purple gold wooden building, he even politely closed the door.
Just before the door shut, a streak of light flew out.
Wu Fuqiu instinctively caught it and found it was a ring shaped miniature structure.
“A magic treasure, a training arena, It also has storage functions.”
After a brief inspection, Wu Fuqiu showed a look of joy.
He kowtowed again toward the inside, repeating it three times, before finally leaving Heavenly Capital.
Only then did he realize that after leaving the purple gold wooden building, he could no longer hear the chanting of the seated figure.
A sense of loss arose in his heart, and he even felt an impulse to return. But that was the Grand Mage, the teacher of the Ten Great Immortal Sects, so he did not dare act recklessly and left the Heavenly Capital.
When he returned to the mortal world, he was shocked to find that the Source Dao Palace at the mountain had disappeared.
Even the surrounding terrain had drastically changed, as if a great battle had taken place.
After searching for a long time, he finally found living cultivators nearby.
From their extremely respectful attitude, Wu Fuqiu realized in shock that he had unknowingly become a top powerhouse of the Xuanhuang Realm, a Dao Integration cultivator.
And hundreds of years had already passed.
The rule of the Ten Great Immortal Sects was no longer unshakable, and an organization called the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance had risen to prominence.
“Fellow Daoist Lan Yu?”
Guan Xingxiu’s voice pulled Lan Yu out of his memories.
“Yes, I was merely a mediocre person who relied on luck to reach Dao Integration.”
“For so many years, the flattery of disciples and subordinates almost made me forget this truth.”
Lan Yu felt a sense of relief in his heart.
“If my aptitude were not so poor, I would not have only cultivated the Myriad Calamities Feather Transformation Technique to the Dao Integration level.”
“Without the impartation of dharma from Grand Mage, after thousands of years, I have made no further progress.”
Lan Yu shook his head inwardly, returned to the present, and looked at Guan Xingxiu.
“I believe your judgment. Since the culprit is hidden among us, we only need to gather together and wait for him to reveal a flaw.”
Lan Yu paused, then added, “This person has just broken through and already cannot wait to commit murder. If it is not due to a psychological issue, then it must be because of his cultivation method, which requires him to perform blood sacrifices of other cultivators after breaking through. Next, he will certainly not stop.”
Hearing this, everyone nodded, affirming Lan Yu’s judgment.
For the sake of self preservation, this group of Dao Integration cultivators from the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance remained inside the main hall of the Wangzun flying vessel, watching over each other.
However, the cunning of the killer far exceeded their expectations.
Nine days later, after everyone piloted the flying vessel and successfully passed through a remnant calamity in the void, another corpse appeared on the vessel.
Lan Yu and Guan Xingxiu exchanged a glance, confirming the fall of Zimu.
The pressure in their hearts instantly increased by several degrees.
“Old Guan, this time we were all together, right? Among everyone here, your strength is the highest. Did you notice which bastard made a move?!”
Facing the hopeful gazes of the crowd, Guan Xingxiu could only shake his head helplessly.
An uproar erupted in the hall.
“Everyone, calm down. Just now we were all focused on dealing with the void calamity, so we were careless for a moment and the killer seized the chance to strike again.”
“What do we do next? If we do not evade the calamities, we die. But if we evade them, we get assassinated…”
“Hmph, in my opinion, we might as well stop bothering to avoid any calamities. At worst, we all perish together!”
“Brother Xu, do not speak in anger. We still have so many people here!”
“No, I am leaving this ship!”
As everyone argued, a sharp scream suddenly cut through all other sounds.
Lan Yu and the others looked over, only to see that Qing Shuang, who had been relatively calm before, now seemed to have mentally collapsed.
His expression was deranged, with a trace of madness flashing in his eyes.
While muttering to himself, he rushed toward the exit, attempting to leave the flying vessel.
“Stop him!” Guan Xingxiu shouted angrily.
Only a few, including Lan Yu, took action.
Inside the flying vessel, everyone feared damaging it, so they fought with great restraint.
For a moment, they were actually unable to subdue the frenzied Qing Shuang.
Just as the situation reached a stalemate, Qing Shuang suddenly stopped moving.
The expression on his face froze as he stood there blankly.
Before anyone could react, Guan Xingxiu’s expression changed. He immediately flew forward to check.
“He is dead.”
After a moment, he turned back with an extremely grim expression and spoke.
A chill instantly enveloped everyone.
Compared to the initial killings, the murderer’s methods seemed to have grown even more skillful.
Before, they could still use the excuse of dealing with the void calamity. But now, they had all been fully focused and watching.
And yet the killer still acted without restraint.
How could this be defended against?
A deathly silence fell over the flying vessel.
“I actually think that what Qing Shuang said before his death was not without reason.” Sun Luchang spoke, breaking the silence.
“From the current situation, the killer’s strength is growing too quickly. Perhaps before long, after slaughtering a few more, he will no longer need to act in secret. Instead, he will appear directly and kill us one by one in the open. Staying on this vessel is definitely a dead end. It is better for each of us to abandon the vessel and seek survival in the void.”
Sun Luchang’s words also gained the agreement of the other Dao Integration cultivators. “That is right. The Wangzun flying vessel is extremely fast. As long as we leave at intervals, the distance between us in the star sea will become very large. The star sea is vast. Even if he has heaven-defying abilities, he will not be able to eliminate all of us at once.”
“Moreover, this area is still within the range of the Immortal Ruins’ gravitational pull. As long as we follow the direction of that pull, we can return to the Xuanhuang Realm. In addition, each of us carries the Voidbright Flow Crystal artifact issued by the Immortal Alliance, so returning safely should not be a problem.”
…
One by one, voices rose and merged into a unified decision.
In the end, more than half chose to abandon the vessel midway.
Guan Xingxiu looked at Lan Yu, seeking the opinion of this most senior Dao Integration cultivator.
Lan Yu let out a soft sigh. “Between heaven and earth, life is the greatest. Their choice is understandable.”
“To avoid further casualties, let us decide this way.”
“Elder Lan, you are not leaving?”
Lan Yu shook his head. “My lifespan is already nearing its end. Even if I return, I will only be waiting for death. I might as well seek a sliver of hope within the void.”
When everyone heard this, they were greatly shocked. After expressing their blessings, they left the flying vessel one after another and returned to the Xuanhuang Realm.
The journey to explore the star sea had ended midway. It was somewhat humiliating, but it was still better than losing one’s life.
After all the commotion, only five people remained on the flying vessel in the end.
Lan Yu, Guan Xingxiu, Sun Luchang, Xu Guanhai, and Zi Mei.
Guan Xingxiu looked at Xu Guanhai in surprise. “You actually did not leave?”
Xu Guanhai chuckled. “I think that now that a large group has left, the flying vessel is actually safer.”
“Besides, no matter what, I still want to personally see that Xuanshang Immortal Ark.”
Xu Guanhai then looked at Sun Luchang. “Brother Sun, you are the strange one, right? Earlier when everyone was shouting to leave, you were the loudest. So why did you stay instead?”
Sun Luchang looked somewhat embarrassed. “My strength is too weak. If I leave the flying vessel and rely on myself alone, I probably will not be able to return to the Xuanhuang Realm. Staying here is actually safer.”
Everyone fell silent upon hearing this.
They could tell that what Sun Luchang said was indeed true.
Unlike them who volunteered, Sun Luchang had been forcibly arranged by the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance to board the vessel. His strength was at the bottom among them.
Sun Luchang moved closer to Guan Xingxiu and Lan Yu. “You two, do you think that among us, there is actually a murderer?”
The other four exchanged glances, their expressions subtle.
Before the murderer’s identity was revealed, no one dared to make any guarantees.
“Since everyone has decided to stay, then we will not change our original route.” After a moment of silence, Guan Xingxiu spoke loudly. “We can reduce the internal space of the Wangzun flying vessel and increase our travel speed.”
“Oh right, Xingxiu. Why is this flying vessel called Wangzun? I always feel that this name is somewhat ominous.”
After hearing Guan Xingxiu’s words, Lan Yu seemed to recall something and frowned as he asked.
Guan Xiuxing was slightly startled, then replied, “I do not know either. It was a directive personally issued by the Dharma-Transmitters. I guess it means ‘to go and meet the Heavenly Sovereign.’”
As soon as these words were spoken, Lan Yu’s frown deepened.
He looked up at the flying vessel and raised a question that made the other four feel a chill down their spines.
“On this Wangzun flying vessel, besides us, are there any others?”
“There should be none… right?” Guan Xingxiu said hesitantly.
At this moment, Zi Mei, who had remained silent all along, suddenly spoke. “Perhaps… this ship is alive?”
Sun Luchang was startled and quickly asked, “Fellow Daoist Zi, why do you say that?”
Zi Mei said softly, “I have comprehended the Dao of the star sea, and observed the Dao Integration lives within the vessel withering like ants. Thus I achieved a breakthrough.”
“In my perception, this flying vessel…”
“It is as if it has its own life.”
Zi Mei’s words made everyone feel a chill run down their backs.
Guan Xingxiu hesitated and said, “If that is true, then before departure, the Immortal Alliance would definitely have…”
At this point, Guan Xingxiu suddenly stopped.
The golden Falling Divine Star Sword above his head emitted brilliant light. Guan Xingxiu gathered all the black threads extracted from the assassinated Dao Integration cultivators.
Like living worms, the threads fused together and became thicker.
Previously, he had already tested this murder weapon against every cultivator present, and none had reacted to it.
But one thing had been overlooked, the ship itself.
The remaining five people on the flying vessel exchanged glances and instantly reached a consensus.
They formed a formation, trapping the black thread at the center.
“Old Guan, go to the flying vessel’s control core,” Xu Guanhai said in a deep voice.
These words seemed to anger the black thread, which began violently crashing against the seal that restrained it.
The five Dao Integration cultivators worked together to firmly lock it in place.
They made their way to the center of the Wangzun flying vessel.
Guan Xingxiu took a deep breath and activated the main control formation of the vessel.
At the center of the formation, a phantom of the Wangzun flying vessel floated.
As if guided by some unseen force, the black thread that had been trapped suddenly drifted uncontrollably toward the phantom within the control formation.
All five of them turned pale at the same time.
Boom.
At that moment, the flying vessel suddenly began to shake violently.
The thick black thread suddenly erupted with several times its previous force, instantly breaking free from their restraints.
It returned into the phantom of the flying vessel.
At this point, the truth was completely revealed.
The culprit that had killed several Dao Integration cultivators was actually the flying vessel they were riding.
This conclusion was almost impossible to imagine.
Even with the truth right before his eyes, Guan Xingxiu still found it hard to believe.
“Why…” he said through gritted teeth.
As the commander appointed by the Immortal Alliance, and the one who held control authority over the Wangzun flying vessel, this creation that should have been under his control had killed his comrades right under his nose.
This was an outright humiliation.
Clang.
The Falling Divine Star Sword was unsheathed, pointing directly at the vessel’s phantom.
In the next moment, Guan Xingxiu was about to cut the flying vessel in half with a single strike.
At this moment, a cold voice suddenly echoed through the space.
“Final mission objective: meet the Heavenly Sovereign.”
“Based on calculations, mission success probability, low.”
“Searching for solution…”
“Based on calculations, for each Dao Integration cultivator on the vessel converted into vessel energy, mission success probability increases…”
The flickering voice of the flying vessel made everyone feel as if they had fallen into an ice abyss.
What followed made their eyes split with rage.
Dozens of corpses appeared one after another in the projection.
They were precisely the Dao Integration cultivators who had previously “disembarked.”
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