Immortal Realm, Ancient Heavenly River Crossing.
The place had fallen into ruins long ago, scarred everywhere with the battle traces of an ancient era—a desolate border zone. The ancient crossing was shrouded in thick fog. Figures were often seen flitting through the mist, or ancient warships sailing within the vapor, yet charging into the fog yielded nothing at all.
Some said they were the wraiths of an ancient age; others claimed they were merely residual reflections of times long past.
No one knew what year or month the Heavenly River had run dry. The ferry was abandoned, and because it was deemed ominous, not a single soul settled here, even in an Immortal Realm where every inch of soil was worth its weight in gold.
"Xiao Xixian, can we really smuggle ourselves into the lower realm from here?"
A party of over a hundred people hurried to the Ancient Heavenly River Crossing. These individuals were unaffiliated immortals of the Immortal Realm—so-called because they received no stipend from the Immortal Court.
Unaffiliated immortals were all impoverished wretches from the worlds of the heavens. They had labored bitterly, cultivating for over a thousand years, tempering flesh, Primordial Spirit, divine consciousness, vital qi, yin and yang, and heart power before overcoming tribulations to ascend.
Possessing a bit of cleverness, they were mostly self-taught. Once they arrived in the Immortal Realm, they had no master or grandmaster to look after them, nor had they paid homage to an Immortal King or Immortal Monarch as pupils or disciples, so they held no official standing.
If they wanted to enter the offices of the Immortal Court, they lacked connections. Some squeezed and scraped with all their might just to wedge their way into the court, while others lost heart and resigned themselves to living out their modest lives.
They had no immortal mountains, no sacred grounds, no immortal herbs, no ancestral legacies, and no one to fight for their rights. They could only dwell in the barren corners of the Immortal Realm, ingesting qi to cultivate.
Occasionally, when the Immortal Court needed to handle matters inconvenient to pursue in public, it would post bounties for unaffiliated immortals, allowing them to earn a meager bit of immortal spirit qi to scrape by.
They would also come to blows over the immortal herbs produced in barren mountains, wage bloody wars over meager ore veins, and plot against other immortals just to fight for a single bottle of immortal spirit qi.
Some of them roamed the edges of darkness, preying on others to elevate themselves.
They were a silent multitude. Usually, their voices were never heard in the Immortal Realm, and even when they spoke up, they were almost always ignored.
Such immortals made up the vast majority of the Immortal Realm. Though not lacking powerful figures among them, they were still called unaffiliated immortals.
Those who had come to the Ancient Heavenly River Crossing were precisely individuals who walked along the shadowy fringes of the Immortal Realm. Despite their airy Dao bones and celestial grace, they were truly ruthless and formidable beneath the surface.
"Rest assured, everyone. My boat is both fast and stable. I will definitely deliver you safely to the lower realm!"
The speaker was a woman clad in crimson. She brimmed with valiant spirit and vibrant energy, her nose as exquisite as a jade peak, her eyes like arcs of starlight and moonbeams.
This woman in red was also a figure who frequented the dark fringes of the Immortal Realm. She went by the moniker Xiao Xixian. Mingling among unaffiliated immortals, she claimed to know the means of smuggling people across, often conducting the business of ferrying people down to the mortal realm.
"On my boat, you won't need to sever your own cultivation. I guarantee you will arrive in the lower realm lively and kicking."
Xiao Xixian leaped onto a rotting wooden piling. Standing tall and straight, she blew a sudden, sharp whistle that pierced deep into the vast fog.
After a brief moment, the sound of splashing water came drifting through. A dilapidated immortal raft glided leisurely out of the mist, its prow curved upward like a canoe carved from a single trunk of immortal timber.
Yet the Heavenly River had dried up long ago. Where would water come from?
The unaffiliated immortals looked toward the dry riverbed, wondering how there could be the sound of rushing water.
Xiao Xixian hopped onto the curved bow of the immortal raft, her face stern. "Payment first. One bottle of spirit liquid per person."
The immortals boarded the raft one after another, only to find the craft thoroughly decrepit—it did not even have a bottom! Shocked and infuriated, they shouted, "Can this boat of yours even float? It won't sink to the bottom halfway through, will it?"
Xiao Xixian beamed playfully. "The Heavenly River has no water, so how could it sink? Don't worry, my boat is as steady as can be. It has traveled back and forth between the three realms over a hundred times without a single mishap. Praised by every mouth!"
A middle-aged immortal looked displeased. "All right, all right, Xiao Xixian, spare us the bragging. Just get moving."
Xiao Xixian wiped away her smile, turning solemn. "Listen well, everyone. Three rules before we set sail: First, under no circumstances are you allowed to leave this boat. Second, make no sound whatsoever during the journey. Third, if anyone dares to sell me out after getting off, this old lady will butcher them! Adhere to these three, and I can deliver you safely to the lower realm. Understood?"
The immortals hurried her along: "Understood, understood! Just cast off!"
Xiao Xixian blew her whistle. Suddenly, the immortal raft jerked slightly, and the splashing of water resonated once more as the craft sailed into the fog.
The middle-aged immortal's thoughts stirred, and he whispered to his companions, "There is something strange about this boat. I've heard that in ancient times, there was an immortal tree whose roots reached into the Netherworld, whose canopy touched the Immortal Realm, and whose trunk stood in the mortal realm. Could this boat be carved from a Tree of the Three Realms that grew across the Netherworld, mortal realm, and Immortal Realm? If we could seize such a treasure, we could also travel back and forth—"
Before his words finished, a tentacle reached silently out of the thick mist, coiled violently around his neck, and dragged him into the fog like lightning!
Seeing this, several of his companions soared into the air to pursue into the fog, while another shouted at the top of his lungs, "Xiao Xixian, stop the boat! Stop the boat at once!"
Another tentacle swept out, wrapping around the shouting man, and pulled him into the mist with a swoosh. As for the two who had leapt off the immortal raft moments ago, not a sound came from them once they plunged into the mist.
Everyone aboard the raft was gripped by suspicion and dread.
The middle-aged man's group was exceptionally powerful—known as the Four Saints of the Little Heavenly Palace, they were top-tier Heavenly Immortals among the unaffiliated. To think they had met such a foul end without even the strength to resist!
"What on earth is hiding in this mist?"
The immortal raft pressed on without pausing, sailing deeper into the mist. It was as though water flowed beneath the craft, the gentle gurgling of a stream sounding clear.
Moments later, the fog parted slightly. They saw enormous, bulbous creatures growing on the intangible riverbed, waving long tentacles like flower stamens. Yet these stamens were exceedingly supple and agile, seemingly made of flesh and blood, weaving through the air into vast nets.
The immortal raft wove gingerly between these colossal creatures, not daring to make the slightest stir.
Those were creatures that originally grew in the Heavenly River, like aquatic plants. Though the river had dried up, they had not perished. Instead, they had grown immensely powerful, mutating into bizarre hybrids of plant and animal.
The few who had vanished earlier were seated amidst the stamens, their bodies pierced with tendrils as they were slowly drained and devoured.
At that moment, the splashing of water grew louder. Enormous vessels suddenly sailed into view—tower ships ablaze with lantern light. Many immortals clad in golden armor stood along the gunwales, looking majestic and awe-inspiring, as though patrolling the Heavenly River.
Though the immortal raft was not small, compared to these tower ships, it looked like a lone leaf.
Xiao Xixian gestured for everyone to close their eyes. The passengers complied, hearts pounding wildly. The waters of the Heavenly River had dried up, so where did these patrol ships come from? And what were these immortals aboard them?
Xiao Xixian clearly knew a great deal, but she naturally refused to divulge anything.
More and more bizarre occurrences unfolded. Colossal faces began drifting in the mist, hanging high above to gaze down upon them.
A moment later, an immortal sacred ground appeared along the riverbank, vast and boundless, adorned with palaces and halls—the very cultivation sanctuaries of their dreams!
There were even divine immortals cultivating there, their attainments appearing profound, lofty, and unfathomable.
One person hesitated, then suddenly abandoned the boat, dashing toward the sanctuary, only to vanish without a trace.
Not long after, another Dao domain manifested on the shore, where a Supreme was preaching the Dao. Indeed, flowers rained from the sky and golden lotuses welled from the earth—an indescribably marvelous sight.
"To receive preaching from a Supreme, I could die content!" Unable to withstand the temptation, another person leaped off the boat and rushed toward it.
Many of the remaining immortals wavered, itching to dash over, but remembering Xiao Xixian's warning, they managed to hold back.
After a short while, the person who had left to hear the Supreme's sermon returned. Standing in the mist, he smiled. "I went to look—it truly is a Supreme preaching the Dao. The Supreme there detests conflict, so he stayed far away from the Immortal Realm to establish a bodhimanda here. The Supreme said that since you have arrived here against all odds, it is a twist of fate, and you may listen for a few days before departing. If you fellow Daoists have hearts devoted to the Dao, follow me."
The temptation of a Supreme legacy was simply too overwhelming. These unaffiliated immortals had no access to profound methods in the Immortal Realm; let alone a Supreme legacy, they would crack heads just for an Immortal King's technique!
Several more immortals jumped from the boat, following that man toward the Supreme bodhimanda.
One immortal unleashed a divine power, hurling a burst of flames into the fog. The flames exploded with the brilliance of thousands of suns, finally revealing what lurked in the mist.
There was no Immortal Court, nor was there a Supreme—only dragon-like, serpent-like monsters entwining the immortals who had just left the boat, feasting upon them!
The mist radiated a chilly draft. Everyone fell silent. Suddenly, the mist dispersed, revealing riverbanks covered in unowned immortal grasses and herbs, their fragrance intoxicating and irresistibly alluring.
Someone could not resist casting a divine power from afar to pluck an herb—it was a genuine immortal herb!
Seeing this, how could the rest hold back? One after another, they struck out, harvesting the herbs from a distance.
Yet with every herb plucked, one fewer person remained aboard the boat, replaced by an immortal herb, while on the shore stood an herb gatherer rooted in the soil like a plant.
A dozen more people vanished from the boat, leaving only immortal herbs standing upright on the raft like people, thoroughly eerie. Meanwhile, the herb gatherers on the riverbank wore expressions of agony, crying out to them for help.
Moments later, the mist closed in again, and the immortal herbs let out giggles before vanishing from the raft.
The decrepit craft carried them through the ancient river channel, where rotting ships, tenacious primeval creatures, and ancient corpses preserved in the riverbed conjured all manner of bizarre phenomena.
After who knew how long, they finally drifted out of the chaotic mist. Ahead came the roaring sound of rushing water, and a great river suddenly surged into view.
The immortal raft sailed along this grand river, cruising onward.
At the river's end lay the Ancestral Court!
"The dried-up Heavenly River has water again!" Xiao Xixian gasped in utter astonishment. When she had come here last time, the river had not possessed a single drop!
A few days later, they finally arrived at the Ancestral Court.
Of the hundred-plus people originally aboard, only forty or fifty remained. Gripped by lingering terror, they stepped off the immortal raft. One of the old men said, "Xiao Xixian, when you said 'praised by every mouth,' did you mean everyone without praise died?"
Xiao Xixian chuckled playfully. "You're sharp, old immortal."
No sooner had she spoken than she gasped softly, looking up at the sky above the Ancestral Court.
Auspicious clouds surged across the firmament, glowing with radiant dawn hues as the ancient Great Daos of heaven and earth slowly revived!
Floating in the sky were massive immortal artifacts, seemingly refined not long ago. Strange Dao patterns were etched across their surfaces, distinct from the Immortal Dao runes of the Immortal Realm!
"This is... mending the heavens!"
Xiao Xixian was filled with shock, murmuring, "The Little Celestial Venerable is truly remarkable—he actually pulled it off. Once the heavens are mended, the Ancestral Court will also possess vitality, capable of standing as an equal against the Immortal Realm."
The unaffiliated immortals cared nothing for this, taking to the air one after another to fly away. One of the old men said, "Find Xu Ying! Claim this immense merit, and go be lords in the Immortal Realm!"
Xiao Xixian watched them leave. Hesitating for a moment, she stowed the immortal raft, refrained from returning to the Immortal Realm, and followed them, streaking through the sky.
***
Xu Ying and Buddhist Child Jijue departed the Tongtian River and arrived in the Jianwu World.
Jianwu was a great world endowed with numerous ascension quotas. Legacies left behind by Immortal Kings and Heavenly Immortals abounded here, and many immortal descendants or disciples were undergoing tribulations.
Xu Ying and Jijue observed for a while, finding that without interference from the Immortal Realm, these Qi Refiners in the Ascension stage all died under the heavenly tribulation without exception.
Xu Ying was delighted and said to Jijue, "Only now is it truly fair."
Buddhist Child Jijue said, "Patron A'Ying, does this action of yours not lack benevolence?"
Xu Ying shook his head. "Zhou Qiyun was brimming with talent and held heavenly gods hostage, yet after crossing his tribulation, he was not permitted to ascend. Xu Fu possessed boundless intellect and replicated the immortal artifacts of the great sects to overcome his tribulation, yet he was not permitted to ascend. The Master of Mud Pill Palace swept through forty thousand years of fishermen and leek farmers, gathering forty-eight thousand years of immortal herbs and cultivation to overcome his tribulation, yet he too was denied ascension and could only smuggle himself into the Immortal Realm. Over these forty-eight thousand years, countless Qi Refiners staked their lives against the tribulations, perishing in body and spirit without ascending. If immortal descendants can ascend simply by taking the exam by proxy, how blameless were the deaths of those who came before? Buddhist Child, what I am doing is the greatest mercy of all!"
Buddhist Child Jijue pondered for a moment, then asked, "Since overcoming tribulations is so arduous, why don't you release the constraints of the super heavenly tribulation and allow the true Heavenly Dao to govern the trials?"
Xu Ying replied, "What is the true Heavenly Dao? Right now, the gods of Kunlun are in dire straits, the Four Emperors of the Netherworld are hiding in every corner, and the orthodox gods of the world can barely protect themselves. My taking charge of the Heavenly Dao is merely an expedient measure. If I release the restrictions of the super heavenly tribulation, it will still be hijacked by the Immortal Realm, and they will restrict it just as they did before."
He paused and smiled. "Buddhist Child, I shall send you to the Great Thunderclap Temple on Mount Sumeru. Master Daoyuan is still there, suppressing the Evil Buddha Ji Puti. Your cultivation is not yet ripe enough to help me completely suppress the Six-Syllable Great Mantra; Master Daoyuan must assist me."
Jijue asked in surprise, "Senior Brother Daoyuan is still alive?"
"Alive, of course. He is a clever man, using the unique nature of the Wangxiang Platform to preserve his life and survive to this day."
Xu Ying raised the Third Heavenly Pass, unlocking it to search for the Taishi Great World. The next moment, the gateway swung open, revealing the Taishi World on the other side. Far in the distance, the majestic Mount Sumeru stood towering into the heavens.
The two stepped through the gate. Xu Ying brought out the Buddha Ancestor's prayer beads and said, "This treasure was given to me by Master Daoyuan; it practically saved my life. That master is truly remarkable."
He praised him unreservedly, adding, "He preserved his own life, waiting until Ji Puti was on the verge of breaking free before finally stepping forth to suppress him once more."
Jijue said solemnly, "Senior Brother Daoyuan gifting you this string of beads also saved my life."
He too grew emotional, saying, "The Buddha Ancestor once said that had Senior Brother Daoyuan not been born in an Age of Dharma Decline, his achievements would have been boundless. It was only because the era he lived in already suffered from the Dao weeping, when the Great Dao was rotting away, that he was denied the chance to advance further. After all these years, even if he has had no opportunity to become a Buddha, his cultivation is bound to be fathomless!"
Hearing him mention the Dao weeping again, Xu Ying wondered inwardly, *What exactly is this Dao weeping?*
Meanwhile, within the Great Thunderclap Temple, the Evil Buddha Ji Puti suddenly felt a stir of intuition and laughed. "Xu Ying is here."
Chapter 443