Feng Yao also knew little about this, saying, "Among these three places in Kunlun, the Jade Pool is in the western mountains, the God Bridge is in the eastern mountains, and as for the Jade Capital, even I do not know where it lies. As for how they correlate to the stages of Qi Refinement, that is beyond my knowledge."
Hearing this, Xu Ying frowned slightly. Cultivating both Nuo and Qi Refinement, he possessed a nuanced comprehension of the realms of both Nuo masters and Qi Refiners. A Nuo master's realms were not clearly demarcated; their stages were divided based on the number of cave-heavens opened within a single secret depository, and cultivating to the ninth cave-heaven made one a Nuo Immortal.
Qi Refiners, however, possessed distinct stages: the Qi Harvesting stage, the first Pass-Breaching stage, the Cross-Refinement stage, the second Pass-Breaching stage, the Twelve-Story Pavilion stage, the Jade Pool stage, the Divine Bridge stage, the third Pass-Breaching stage, and the Ascension stage. Each of the nine stages possessed its own unique qualities rather than being a mere increase in combat prowess. For a Nuo master, each realm was simply an increase in raw combat power, with a qualitative leap occurring only at the ninth cave-heaven, where a Nuo Immortal's Hidden Scenery underwent latent transformation to make them an earthly immortal. Even so, it was far less refined than the stage divisions of Qi Refiners.
Yet now, listening to the two girls, the Qi Refiners' Jade Pool, Divine Bridge, and third Pass-Breaching stage all corresponded to the geography of Kunlun. How could he not be curious?
Could cultivation stages also be part of heaven and earth's Dao manifestations? Especially the third Pass-Breaching stage—the Jade Capital Sky Pass. Could such a sky pass truly exist in the mortal world? Could breaking through this pass truly allow one to ascend?
Furthermore, the Jade Pool and the God Bridge also had corresponding geographic locations. The Jade Pool stage involved gathering the water of the Jade Pool to shed one's mortal frame and undergo rebirth; the Divine Bridge stage entailed soaring across the God Bridge to gaze upon the Immortal Realm across the other shore, receiving heaven's bounty and grace.
If these two stages also corresponded to real geography, didn't that mean coming to the Jade Pool could allow one to be reborn, and ascending the God Bridge could allow one to gaze upon the Immortal Realm, receiving the baptism of its immortal radiance and the nourishment of its immortal qi?
"Within the human body's Realm of Xiyi, there are also the Jade Pool, God Bridge, and Jade Capital. If these three places in Kunlun merely resemble those in the Realm of Xiyi, one could write it off as mental constructs and forced associations," Xu Ying said to Feng Yao. "However, if Kunlun's Jade Pool, God Bridge, and Jade Capital truly align with the Realm of Xiyi, that would be intriguing."
What made it intriguing he wasn't yet certain; he would have to see it in person to find out. Feng Yao and Qingluan already intended to head toward the Jade Pool, so Feng Yao smiled and said, "Uncle, why don't you come with us?"
Xu Ying smiled. "I need to fetch Jade Pool immortal water, so of course I'll go with you."
They divided the rice into three portions, with Xu Ying, Feng Yao, and Qingluan each taking one, while leaving behind a single grain as a seed. Xu Ying felt a surge of anticipation. This rice was a natural elixir of the Immortal Realm; consuming it daily would surely cause his cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds, far outstripping countless other miracle medicines.
Qingluan took to the sky to monitor their surroundings, while Xu Ying walked alongside Feng Yao, conversing and sharing what they knew. Although Feng Yao was a descendant of the Undying People who served the Queen Mother of the West at the Jade Pool, she had little idea what the Jade Pool immortal water actually was. She said, "The Son of Heaven of Zhou once came seeking the waters of the Jade Pool, but before he could see it, he encountered the six Nuo ancestors. Welcomed by their hospitality, he learned that there were immortal medicines upon six great other shores, which could grant longevity if harvested."
Xu Ying asked, puzzled, "What exactly is the origin of the six Nuo ancestors? Are they also Undying People?"
Feng Yao shook her head. "They claim to be Undying People."
Xu Ying's gaze fixed on her face as he asked, "Claim?"
Just then, Qingluan came fluttering down with a whoosh and perched upon his shoulder. "Those six old ghosts claim to be Undying People, but they definitely aren't. They must rely on immortal medicine to maintain their long life."
Xu Ying looked back toward the Yuxu Palace on Yuxu Peak. That Yuxu Palace was the other shore of the Jade Pool secret depository. While it appeared to rest within the Kunlun Mountains, it was not truly there, but rather located on a distant and unfathomable other shore.
Nuo Lu among the six ancestors held the key to unlocking the Yuxu Palace, granting access to the palace's immortal medicine.
Qingluan flapped her wings and took off, her voice drifting back: "What the Son of Heaven of Zhou received from the six Nuo ancestors was the method to reach the other shore, not the immortal medicine that allows ascension. I'll scout ahead!" She soared through the sky, keeping watch over their surroundings.
Feng Yao continued: "The six Nuo ancestors told the Son of Heaven of Zhou that he had arrived a step too late—someone had already taken the immortal medicine. Having obtained the immortal medicines from all six immortal palaces and halls, that person had already attained immortality."
Hearing this, Xu Ying stirred inwardly and asked, "Who was that person?"
Feng Yao replied, "The six Nuo ancestors didn't say, only that he was exceptionally powerful. He wasn't a Qi Refiner; through cultivating pure Martial Dao alone, he reached a level comparable to Ascension. Had the Son of Heaven of Zhou arrived a few days earlier, he might have met him and perhaps even vied with him, but unfortunately, the man had already departed."
Xu Ying was deeply shaken. Was it that Martial Dao Great Emperor who walked out of the Taichu World?
Feng Yao continued, "The six ancestors told the Son of Heaven of Zhou that the next time the immortal medicines matured would be three thousand years later. After returning from Kunlun, the Son of Heaven of Zhou abandoned the idea of ascending with his entire imperial court. Knowing he wouldn't survive another three thousand years, he began preparing the Divine Boat of the Other Shore to venture to the other shore in search of immortal medicine, hoping to preserve his life."
Xu Ying remarked, "Yet, the Son of Heaven of Zhou didn't return three thousand years later to Kunlun."
Feng Yao also seemed puzzled: "As one of the Undying People, I had no need to harvest medicine across the other shore, so I didn't board the boat with them. I don't know what befell them or why they failed to return on schedule. But today, six thousand years later, the Son of Heaven of Zhou surely hasn't given up."
Flapping her wings, Qingluan flew over and landed, transforming into a maiden in green robes. She squeezed between Xu Ying and Feng Yao, crest feathers swaying atop her head, while multicolored plumage trailed behind her like an elongated skirt.
She chirped crisply, "The Son of Heaven of Zhou was most likely ruined by that heavenly artisan of his! I always felt that artisan named Chanchan was unreliable, cutting corners when refining the Divine Boat of the Other Shore..."
After wedging Xu Ying and Feng Yao apart, she suddenly beat her wings again and took off with a flutter into the sky to resume watching the surroundings.
Feng Yao, gentler in demeanor, said, "That heavenly artisan of the Son of Heaven of Zhou was indeed somewhat unreliable. However, even if she cut corners, the quality wouldn't have been compromised to that extent. I suspect the Son of Heaven of Zhou ran into trouble on the other shore, leaving him unable to return."
Qingluan's voice floated down from above: "It definitely was that busted boat that went wrong and caused the Son of Heaven of Zhou to miss the three-thousand-year mark! I couldn't stand that Zhu Chanchan from the start! I asked her to forge me a pair of bells and gave her a small mountain of materials, and all she actually forged me was a pair of bells!"
Xu Ying inquired, "Has the Son of Heaven of Zhou returned from the other shore?"
Feng Yao said, "With his brilliance and resourcefulness, he must have returned long ago. He certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity."
Qingluan barged right back between them in a whirlwind of energy and declared, "If the Son of Heaven of Zhou is back, the first thing he should do is chop off Zhu Chanchan's head to consecrate his banner!"
Feng Yao said, "The Son of Heaven of Zhou has always been one to plan thoroughly before acting. If he executed Heavenly Artisan Zhu to consecrate his banner, it would only alert the enemy and reveal his return. Having been refined by the immortal fire of the other shore, he has lost all his cultivation, so he definitely wouldn't let people know he's back so carelessly." Her eyes gleamed. "Knowing him, he's most likely disguised himself as a successor of some prominent sect, blending into the crowd this time to seize the immortal medicine."
Taking two swift steps forward, Qingluan transformed into a cyan bird and took flight. "That lad may have deep schemes, but his cultivation and strength are astonishing. If he's among the crowd, it won't be difficult for him to defeat the others and seize the immortal medicine."
Following Feng Yao uphill, Xu Ying smiled and said, "Their fight over the immortal medicine gives us an opening to search for places like the Jade Pool and the God Bridge instead. By the way, Feng Yao, are we really the only Undying People left? Have you met any other Undying People?"
Feng Yao shook her head, her slender frame looking somewhat frail beneath her blue robes. "In the past, I could still encounter descendants of other Undying People, but with the Heavenly Dao Crowd hunting us relentlessly, our numbers dwindled more and more. In recent years, you are the only one left."
Her gaze turned to Xu Ying, just as Xu Ying looked over at her. As their eyes met, both young hearts skipped a beat, and an unfamiliar flutter stirred within them. With the Undying People reduced to just one young man and one young maiden, it was impossible not to harbor other thoughts.
With a whoosh, Qingluan flew back and wedged herself right between them. "Someone else is heading toward the Jade Pool too."
Xu Ying and Feng Yao grew solemn.
Qingluan said, "Uncle, your cultivation isn't high enough. If we run into danger, don't step forward—leave it to us."
Recalling the sheer volume of food the two could eat, Xu Ying surprisingly did not argue, nodding in agreement.
Yuzhu Peak was the sister peak to Yuxu Peak, and it was extraordinarily vast. The mountain contained diverse terrains like a world unto itself. As they walked through the mountain ranges, they crossed climates and vegetation of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, enduring wind, snow, bitter frost, and scorching heat. Suddenly, a peach orchard appeared ahead.
Covering thousands of acres, the orchard was quite magnificent, planted along the slope in three tiers with different varieties of peach trees. Alas, all of the trees were dead.
Evidently, a brutal battle had ravaged this place and destroyed the orchard.
Beneath one of the trees, someone was weeping bitterly, their voice choked with sobs. From the sounds of their lament, they seemed to be mourning that the immortal fruit capable of prolonging life had withered and died, leaving them with no choice but to eat humans to survive. Sensing Xu Ying and the others entering the grove, the figure hastily covered their face with a sleeve and fled like the wind. Xu Ying and Feng Yao exchanged looks of doubt and alarm.
After passing through the peach orchard, they came upon a cliff. Across the chasm, a fortified city stood built into the precipice, likely another settlement of the Undying People. Within the city stood a strange tree over a hundred feet tall, bearing numerous luminous pearls. A figure was punting a small boat, suspended floating between the two cliffs, striving to steer toward the walled city on the cliff face.
"The angler who devoured Li Xiaoke?"
Xu Ying was startled. He saw the conical-hatted man aboard the boat reach out, attempting to grasp the pearls on the strange tree. Yet the myriad pearls on the tree radiated brilliant beams of light; wherever the light shone, boundless space multiplied wildly, keeping the boat perpetually about a zhang away from the tree. The boat whistled through the air at lightning speed, moving at a velocity beyond Xu Ying's wildest imagination, yet it remained unable to get any closer!
Suddenly, Qingluan spread her wings and flew into the overlapping layers of light radiating from the strange tree, weaving through them in a flash. An instant later, her beak darted out and snatched a bright pearl.
Radiating immortal light, the strange tree whipped its branches toward her. Qingluan immediately darted backward and landed on Xu Ying's shoulder.
The conical-hatted man on the boat abandoned his attempts to harvest pearls from the immortal tree. Turning his prow around, he reached out toward Qingluan on Xu Ying's shoulder, clearly deciding that since he couldn't obtain a pearl himself, he would simply rob it.
Right then, Feng Yao took a gentle sidestep, shielding Xu Ying, and raised her hand to meet the conical-hatted man's palm. The moment the frail maiden's hand made contact with his, a series of deep hums resonated. Six blindingly bright cave-heavens suddenly manifested behind the conical-hatted man, booming with the roar of the Dao as they rotated violently! Feng Yao's aura surged, and behind her, Xu Ying was instantly dazzled by a brilliance so intense it blinded him—six successive cave-heavens passed directly through him and Qingluan, rising to float in the sky behind Feng Yao!
The conical-hatted man took a step back, bowed slightly, and said, "So you are a fellow traveler on the same path. My apologies for offending you, Fellow Daoist."
The boat beneath his feet drifted upward and vanished from their sight.
Chapter 239