Behind Xu Ying's head, the Innate Great Luo slowly rotated as he drifted above the Heavenly River. The river waters rippled with emerald green waves, and countless aquatic creatures were being drowned by the water.
These aquatic creatures had originally lived in the Heavenly River. Later, when the river dried up, after countless generations of evolution, they had adapted to an arid climate.
Now that the Heavenly River had recovered, it led to them drowning in the water.
This river water was exceedingly peculiar. Standing above it exerted a bizarre pulling force dragging downward toward the river, making it difficult to fly. The power of this Heavenly River was bizarre: anyone tainted with karma would be dragged into the Heavenly River.
The heavier one's karma, the stronger the pull. Therefore, crossing the river was perilous in the extreme; the slightest misstep would cause one to plunge into the river and drown.
This was also why the Heavenly River was so hazardous.
Xu Ying's figure swayed as he resisted the pull of the Heavenly River. Although the Great Luo Heaven was also entangled in karma, because it was formed from the Dao itself, even if tainted with karma, it was not affected by the Heavenly River's attraction. Thus, he was still able to fly above the river's surface.
"The Ruyi Great Luo Heaven definitely isn't as simple as just housing my Dao attainments; there must be other wondrous uses."
Xu Ying landed on the south bank of the Heavenly River. A giant flower crept stealthily behind him, snapping open its petals. Rows of sharp teeth lined the inside as it bit down at Xu Ying.
*Bang!*
The giant flower bit down on Xu Ying, only for all its teeth to shatter against him. It scrambled backward in panic, daring not approach him again.
Xu Ying hesitated for a moment, then reached out and uprooted the strange flower of the Heavenly River, tossing it into the Ruyi Great Luo Heaven. He wanted to see if the Ruyi Great Luo Heaven possessed other functions.
However, when that strange flower landed in the Ruyi Great Luo Heaven, nothing changed. It merely scurried all over the ground, trying to escape from this place.
Xu Ying observed for a while, seeing the strange flower scurry about before seemingly giving up, drooping despondently.
"It doesn't seem to do much."
Xu Ying stopped observing it. He activated his seven great cave-heavens, circulated the Supreme One Indestructible True Scripture, and pressed on with his cultivation, thinking, "The greatest function of the Ruyi Great Luo Heaven is to melt all my Dao methods into a single furnace, unifying them. Dao methods I couldn't mobilize before and divine powers I couldn't cast can now be displayed! What if..."
He sank into contemplation. The Heavenly Fiend Supreme had once said that his Dao attainments were too high, and his realm could not accommodate them. He had to forge his own path to contain his Dao attainments.
Later, through numerous twists and turns, he obtained the treasures refined from the nine great realms of his first life, greatly advancing his cultivation and strength, yet this problem continued to plague him.
"If I can pioneer a cultivation technique that comes with its own Great Luo bodhimanda, wouldn't I be able to imprint my Heavenly Monarch Dao attainments into it?"
Xu Ying's heart pounded wildly. If so, he would truly have forged a path of his own!
"Right now, I am only borrowing the Innate Great Luo of the Evil Ancestor Xiao Lanshan. If one day I can effortlessly unleash various Heavenly Monarch-level Dao attainments even without the Ruyi Great Luo Heaven, only then will I truly have succeeded!"
He walked down along the Heavenly River. What he did not notice, however, was that as he cultivated, the imprints within the Ruyi Great Luo Heaven were continuously deepening, and their power grew ever stronger!
Not only that, streaks of multi-hued light radiated from this Great Luo Heaven, permeating into the big bell and the strange river flower. The big bell suddenly felt various Dao methods become crystal clear without needing to be pondered, filling it with pleasant surprise.
"I've had an epiphany!"
The big bell rejoiced, comprehending the Dao within this Great Luo Heaven. Although what it comprehended was the Great Dao cultivated by Xu Ying, Xu Ying's Dao methods were diverse and contained countless methods regarding cultivation. Through analogy and cross-connection, the bell actually comprehended a path for a magic treasure to form its own imprints and cultivate!
And that strange flower of the Heavenly River also turned misfortune into a blessing. It suddenly gained enlightenment, its abilities growing ever stronger, and the strange flower itself swelling larger and larger!
Suddenly, the Heavenly River trembled violently. Rumbles of thunderous booms echoed incessantly from upstream. Following the sound, Xu Ying looked back and was instantly stunned. In the previously empty void, an incomparably vast world had suddenly appeared above his head, suffocating in its sheer oppression!
That world was vast and boundless, enshrouded in immortal radiance. It resonated with Xu Ying's seven great cave-heavens, giving him an uncanny sense of familiarity.
The Immortal Realm!
Xu Ying's heart leaped in astonishment, but then he chuckled self-deprecatingly. "I'm being too paranoid. The Immortal Realm only appears close, but in reality it's exceedingly far away. Who knows how long it will take before it merges with the realms of Yin and Yang."
Yet in the next moment, his smile froze.
"If I can see the Immortal Realm standing right here, I fear it isn't far from the mortal world at all. The tide of the three realms is escalating, growing more and more dangerous."
His expression turned solemn. Lately, the Immortal Realm had been exceedingly indulgent toward the mortal realm, even sending people down with the Returning Dao Jade Platter to revive ancient Great Daos everywhere, creating the illusion of a demonic realm invasion.
The Ancestral Court's Heaven Mending Plan, the revival of Daoist Taiqing, Daoist Yuxu, and others—the Immortal Realm had turned a blind eye to all of it, just as it had toward Xu Ying.
Even when the Thunder Department and the Dou Department suffered heavy casualties, the Immortal Realm paid it no mind at all. When Heavenly Monarch Pingnan escaped his entrapment and Sword Monarch Jinhe failed his duties, no questions were asked either.
It didn't even care about gains or losses in the Netherworld.
However, this resembled an angler dangling bait, setting a trap. Only after the fish swallowed the bait and the prey jumped into the trap would it be time to reel in the rod and cast the net, catching every enemy in one swoop!
"The Imperial Monarch, the Heavenly Venerables, the Primordial Monarch... all these figures are waiting to draw in their nets."
Xu Ying composed himself and murmured, "The Demon Ancestor, the Ancestral God, Daoist Taiqing, Daoist Yuxu, Grand Dao Monarch Xuhuang... are all these beings the fish targeted by the Imperial Monarch and Heavenly Venerables? They need a monumental merit to ascend to the next realm. Yet on that realm, someone already sits upon the throne. Would that person truly yield the seat, or allow the Imperial Monarch and Heavenly Venerables to rise and rival them on equal footing?"
He looked up at the Immortal Realm and murmured, "Supreme, what will you do to rein in these ambitious figures like the Imperial Monarch and Primordial Monarch? You certainly wouldn't want them to overthrow you, or to sit as your equals, would you?"
For those in power, holding supreme authority in one's own hands versus dividing it among four or five others felt entirely different.
"What will the Supreme of the Immortal Court do? Or is he also angling, letting the Imperial Monarch and Heavenly Venerables run wild while he simply waits to haul in the net?" he thought to himself.
On the other side, after more than a month of arduous travel, Xu Jing finally reached the Immortal Court.
He proceeded with the utmost caution, disguising himself as an ordinary immortal and sneaking into the Immortal Court.
The Immortal Court had not seen war for countless years, and its inspections had long grown lax, allowing him to slip inside. Yet once Xu Jing truly arrived, he found himself facing a thorny problem: he had no idea where to even begin looking for her.
The Immortal Court was comprised of countless immortal mountains, the largest rivaling Mount Sumeru, and the smallest spanning several li across. Heavenly palaces were built all across these mountains of varying sizes, countless palaces linked together to form an incomparably magnificent and grandiose vista!
These heavenly palaces were the locations of the Immortal Court's various departments and the dwellings of the various Imperial Monarchs and Heavenly Venerables!
"How am I ever going to find her..."
Just as Xu Jing felt dejected, an immortal boy suddenly trotted up to him. Sizing Xu Jing up, the boy beamed, "It really is the son-in-law! Son-in-law, this way, please. The master has been waiting for quite some time!"
Xu Jing froze and hurriedly said, "Immortal child, have you mistaken me for someone else? I'm no son-in-law..."
The immortal boy cut him off with a smile. "Your name is Xu Jing, isn't it? You used to be the Reception Emissary of Mount Kunlun, didn't you? You have a child named Xu Ying, don't you?"
Xu Jing nodded repeatedly and stammered, "Yes, but..."
"Then there's no mistake!" The immortal boy clapped his hands and laughed. "You are my master's son-in-law! Son-in-law, please follow me!"
Xu Jing remained rooted to the spot. Looking back and seeing his hesitation, the boy smiled. "You have a hairpin on you, don't you? Anyone holding that hairpin is the son-in-law. Or does the son-in-law not wish to see the owner of the hairpin?"
Xu Jing shuddered, quickly catching up to him and grabbing his wrist. "You know the owner of the hairpin? Where is she right now? Take me to see her at once!"
The immortal boy winced in pain and cried, "You're hurting me!"
Xu Jing quickly let go and apologized profusely, "I'm sorry, that was my fault. I apologize. The owner of that hairpin..."
Rubbing his wrist, the boy smiled. "You're quite impatient. Come with me, and won't you see her for yourself?"
Xu Jing followed him forward. Gradually, high walls and grand courtyards flanked their path. Heavenly palaces stood resplendent and magnificent, lofty and imposing, showcasing utter opulence.
Above each of these heavenly palaces hung colossal cave-heavens, within which lay vast stretches of Immortal Realm continents.
Having just arrived, Xu Jing did not know what those were. Anxious as he was, he did not ask.
In a daze, he thought about how he and his wife had been separated for so many years, not knowing if she was dead or alive. Wondering if the owner of this hairpin truly was his wife, his heart rose and fell like a tumultuous sea, every manner of emotion surging through him.
After they walked for a long time, a dragon carriage arrived to greet them. The immortal boy invited him aboard. After traveling for a short while, a phoenix carriage approached, and they transferred into it.
They switched carriages several times in this fashion. When the carriage finally stopped and Xu Jing stepped down, he saw they had already entered a certain heavenly palace.
Above their heads hung an incomparably vast and profound cave-heaven. Viewed from afar, the cave-heaven gave the distinct impression of being composed of pure Dao, with lingering Dao rhythms where myriad phenomena were born of the Dao—an awe-inspiring sight.
"That up there is a Great Luo Heaven."
Xu Jing suddenly heard an aged voice. Turning abruptly, he saw a burly elder walking over. His beard and hair were grizzled, yet he walked with vigorous strides like a dragon or tiger, full of spirit.
The burly elder fixed his gaze upon him, sized him up, and smiled. "No wonder Suying took a liking to you; you are indeed a handsome talent. All these years I urged her to remarry, yet she refused every time."
"You are...?" Xu Jing hesitated.
The burly elder smiled. "You may not recognize me, but you will definitely recognize this."
Behind him, an ancient aura suddenly diffused. One cave-heaven after another whirred as they opened in succession, appearing before Xu Jing's eyes.
There were six cave-heavens in total, each ancient beyond measure. On their outer walls, one could even see the marks of cleavers and axes, as if a giant had wielded an axe, hewing and cleaving through the void to carve out a foothold!
Xu Jing's mind was profoundly shaken. These six great cave-heavens were far older than his own. His cave-heavens had been opened more than fifty thousand years ago, thick and majestic, refining all manner of immortal herbs into roaring dharmic power when summoned!
Yet this burly elder's cave-heavens were more than ten times older than his own!
When the burly elder's cave-heavens operated, they even caused space itself to shudder, momentarily draining and exhausting the power of the six other shores!
Never before had he witnessed such terrifying cave-heavens!
The burly elder smiled and said, "These are the primordial cave-heavens. Back when I roamed the Great Void, lamenting the eternity of heaven and earth and the fleeting brevity of cultivators' lives, I wished to pioneer a method of longevity so that even mortals could attain long life. Thus, sensing the connection between the human body and the Great Void, I carved out the six other shores within the Great Void to serve as footholds."
Xu Jing's mind went completely blank with shock. Only after a good while did he regain his senses, crying out in disbelief, "You are the one who carved out the six other shores! You are the founder of Kunlun!"
His soul trembled. The closely guarded secret of the Kunlun Xu family, the ancestral method of the six secret depositories, originated from this very person!
This burly elder was the pioneer of the six secret depositories, the originator of the Nuo methods, the creative genius who opened the six other shores. Every practitioner of Nuo methods who came after owed him the title of Kunlun Founder!
The burly elder laughed. "Kunlun Founder? You could say that. Back when the world underwent cataclysmic upheaval, I used Kunlun to migrate all living beings to the myriad worlds to escape the catastrophe. From that perspective, calling me the Kunlun Founder isn't wrong."
Xu Jing was stunned, stammering, "You... you were the first Reception Emissary of Mount Kunlun?"
The burly elder shook his head. "I was the one who received and guided all living beings. The Reception Emissaries were those who brought people from the myriad worlds to Kunlun to offer sacrifice to the ancestors. Our duties were different."
Xu Jing's head buzzed, unable to recover his composure for a long time.
Dismissing the attendants, the burly elder smiled. "Later, I ordered my disciples to remain behind to guard Kunlun. They were likely the forebears of your Xu clan. Your Xu clan received my legacy and survived to this day, so there is deep karmic affinity between us."
Xu Jing nodded. Suddenly recalling his purpose, he asked hurriedly, "Why did the Patriarch summon this disciple, and why say 'son-in-law'..."
Realization struck the burly elder, and he smiled. "It's a long story. When Kunlun suffered that great disaster in the past, upon hearing of it, I sent people to search for any survivors of Kunlun. To my surprise, they actually found one—a woman named Lan Suying. Pitying her plight, I took her in as my adopted daughter."
Xu Jing was overcome with emotion, the blood rushing to his temples, his pulse hammering madly. Lan Suying was none other than his wife's name!
Husband and wife had been torn apart by life and death, believing each other lost to different realms of existence, yet never had he imagined there would come a day of reunion.
The burly elder laughed. "Since I took her in as my adopted daughter, does that not make you my son-in-law?"
Choking with tears, Xu Jing fell to his knees in a deep kowtow. "Father-in-law above, please accept your son-in-law's bow, in deep gratitude for your saving grace!"
The burly elder laughed heartily, making a lifting gesture with both hands. "Rise quickly. You two haven't seen each other in so long; you must have endless things to say. No need to keep company with an old codger like me."
He waved his hand, summoning the immortal boy who had guided Xu Jing earlier. "Take the son-in-law to see Princess Suying."
Xu Jing thought to himself, "Palace Master Suying? Has Suying become the master of a heavenly palace?"
He apologized for his haste and hurried away behind the immortal boy.
The burly elder watched his departing figure with a smile. At that moment, Heavenly King Huang, who guarded the South Heavenly Gate, hurried over, brushing past Xu Jing.
Seeing the burly elder, Heavenly King Huang bowed low. "Reporting to Your Majesty: this minister monitored the Heavenly Sea and discovered violent fluctuations in the tides. Additionally, an immortal emissary sent word that the Heavenly River has revived and is now connected to the Immortal Realm. Another emissary reported that the Heavenly Road has been reconnected, and an immortal has arrived in the Immortal Realm via the Heavenly Road."
The burly elder looked surprised. "Someone actually ascended to heaven via the Heavenly Road? In this day and age, someone could actually undergo tribulation and become an immortal? What is his background?"
Heavenly King Huang replied, "He hails from the Yuanshou world and is named Zhao Zheng."
The burly elder said in surprise, "The Yuanshou world again? How does the Yuanshou world produce so many formidable figures? Bring this person to see me. Also, continue monitoring the Heavenly Sea."
Heavenly King Huang acknowledged the order, rose, and withdrew.
The burly elder's gaze deepened as he chuckled softly. "The tide of the three realms draws nearer and nearer. Imperial Monarch, Heavenly Venerables, Primordial Monarch... your little parlor tricks are quite impressive. But in this Immortal Realm, there can only ever be one Supreme!"
Chapter 487