"Xin'er!"
The Primordial Monarch hurriedly summoned her Primordial Spirit and reached out with her palm, suppressing Ling Wuxin's Primordial Spirit. After Ling Wuxin's physical body exploded, his Primordial Spirit had also shown signs of tearing apart. Had she not intervened to suppress it, even his soul would have been blasted to dust!
"Mother, Xu Ying tried to kill me..."
Ling Wuxin's Primordial Spirit felt dazed and drained, his spirit faltering. Xu Ying's tap of a single finger had seemed like merely smearing a drop of blood onto his forehead, but in reality, a colossal surge of soul power had abruptly crashed into his body, swelling his Primordial Spirit beyond control.
Of Xu Ying's seven Immortal Realm cave-heavens, one could refine Immortal Realm spiritual energy and spiritual force into soul power. That tremendous surge of soul power had instantly overwhelmed and crushed Ling Wuxin's mortal shell.
Furthermore, Xu Ying's single finger was also a divine power: Zhuxian sword intent had ridden along that torrent of soul power, slashing straight toward his Primordial Spirit!
That was the truly fatal strike!
"Curse that damned Xu Ying! He has no regard for our past ties and dared to lay such a vicious hand on you!"
The Primordial Monarch cursed in fury as she helped suppress the strand of Zhuxian sword qi within his Primordial Spirit. Ling Wuxin remained delirious, slipping in and out of consciousness.
She tried to dispel the Zhuxian sword qi, but the sword qi was ferociously overbearing. If it could be broken so easily, it would hardly deserve the name Zhuxian.
After several attempts, not only had she failed to unravel the sword qi, she had inadvertently aggravated the wounds on Ling Wuxin's Primordial Spirit.
The Imperial Monarch, the Heavenly Venerable, and others heard of the matter and came one after another to the Primordial Monarch's estate. Inspecting Ling Wuxin's condition, each of them furrowed their brows.
"Has Xu Ying's attainment reached such heights already?"
The Imperial Monarch remarked with considerable surprise, "Even I cannot easily unravel his Daofa. If you can suppress this strand of sword qi for a thousand years, Primordial Monarch, I should be able to break it."
The Primordial Monarch sighed. "Thank you, Brother Dao. This sword qi constantly grinds away at my son's Primordial Spirit; I fear he cannot hold out that long."
The Imperial Monarch sighed, took his leave, and departed.
The Heavenly Venerable examined him and asked, "Primordial Monarch, do you intend to bear another child?"
The Primordial Monarch shook her head.
The Heavenly Venerable also bade farewell and left.
Seeing her guests off, the Primordial Monarch's expression shifted between light and dark. She wanted to sever this mother-and-son bond to purge her heavenly fiend, yet she was loath to part with it. Tears fell as she said, "Rest assured, my son. Mother will do everything in her power to revive you and let you execute Xu Ying with your own hands to claim your vengeance."
Ling Wuxin murmured, "Mother, has night fallen? I... I can't see anything..."
Tears welled in the Primordial Monarch's eyes once more. She thought to herself, *I can care no longer for pride. I have no choice but to seek out Xin'er's father and make that heartless man act to resolve this sword qi. But would he truly be willing to intervene?*
Though torn with hesitation, she stepped out the door nonetheless.
After an unknown length of time, Ling Wuxin vaguely felt as if his mother had returned, and he dimly discerned another figure beside her. Yet he was utterly exhausted, his mind muddled, unable to see clearly.
He could only faintly catch words like "Zhuxian" and "remnant soul" before blacking out once more.
When Ling Wuxin woke again, he felt considerably better, his mind clear, though he still lacked a physical body. The hidden strand of Zhuxian sword qi within his Primordial Spirit had been thoroughly purged, and even his severed souls and spirits were miraculously whole again.
Seeing Ling Wuxin awaken, the Primordial Monarch breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Though you have no body now, a physical form is a minor matter—nothing more than an empty shell. If you wish to cultivate the divine path, Mother will fashion you a golden body. If you wish to remain an immortal, just tell me whose body catches your eye, and Mother will capture them for you to seize. You may also reincarnate; after your rebirth, Mother will open your apertures to restore your memories so you may live another life."
Ling Wuxin said, "The divine path can hardly achieve great heights. Reincarnation progresses too slowly and requires starting from scratch. Your child is willing to seize a body—I only hope the body will be sturdy enough so it will not burst from my Primordial Spirit."
Wiping away her tears with a smile, the Primordial Monarch beamed. "Then I shall find you an Immortal King or Immortal Monarch with a robust body. It will only be stronger than your original form, never weaker."
Ling Wuxin was delighted and said, "I have heard that Hao Kaiyang, head of the Four Fiends of the Hidden Lands, possesses an exceptionally formidable physical body. He created his own Eight Gates Direct-Reverse Life and Death Art, and while only in the Immortal King realm, he tempered his body to rival an Immortal Monarch. When he activates the Life and Death Art, his physique can withstand an eightfold surge of magic power."
The Primordial Monarch smiled. "There are many extraordinary talents among unaffiliated immortals. For Hao Kaiyang to cultivate his body to such a state is truly remarkable. Once you claim his body and cultivate to Immortal Monarch, your cultivation will advance instead of regressing, and your strength will grow significantly!"
She departed in high spirits.
The Hidden Lands of the Immortal Realm.
This was a secluded wonderland hidden within the Immortal Realm. In the sky hung deep cave-heavens forming a realm of their own, containing shattered immortal paradises where immortal light and immortal qi surged and cascaded into the hidden valley.
Thousands of unaffiliated immortals gathered here, seeking refuge under the Four Fiends of the Hidden Lands and cultivating alongside them.
Hierarchy was strictly enforced here as well. Immortals were ranked according to their cultivation base, and immortals of different realms received different daily rations of immortal spiritual qi. It was much like starving refugees awaiting relief porridge each day—those of lower status received small bowls, while those of higher status received large ones.
Hao Kaiyang was the foremost of the Four Fiends of the Hidden Lands. He had originally intended to descend to the lower realm to capture Xu Ying and secure an official post at court.
Unexpectedly, Xu Ying's cultivation and strength were overwhelmingly ferocious. Unable to kill Xu Ying within three moves, Hao Kaiyang judged that continuing the fight would not result in Xu Ying's death either, and thus he had retreated.
Even so, his prowess had been truly astonishing; within those three strikes, Xu Ying had been pressed into a disadvantage, forced back again and again.
"Eldest Brother has remained in seclusion since returning. He must be reflecting on his failure to kill Xu Ying and determined to make another breakthrough."
The second of the Four Fiends of the Hidden Lands was named Chen Shilin. He was also an Immortal King, whose strength was hardly inferior to Hao Kaiyang's. He chuckled. "When Eldest Brother emerges from seclusion this time, he will surely have progressed further!"
The third was named Li Yakun, likewise an Immortal King. He said, "I heard him say he was ashamed of failing to kill Xu Ying within three moves, feeling his physical body's attainment was still insufficient. That's why he returned to train his body relentlessly."
"Still insufficient? He has already refined it to the stage of the Eight Gates Direct-Reverse. How much further could he possibly push it?"
"Eldest Brother was always a genius. If not for lacking an immortal wonderland, he would have attained the Immortal Monarch realm long ago. If we cannot advance, he certainly can."
As they were talking, a deafening boom suddenly echoed from the secluded grounds where Hao Kaiyang was in closed-door cultivation. Heaven and earth trembled violently, and then silence returned.
Filled with doubt and alarm, the three fiends rushed toward Hao Kaiyang's retreat. When they arrived at the paradise, they found the bronze immortal palace blown wide open, its roof torn with a breach half an acre wide—and Hao Kaiyang, who had been meditating within, had vanished without a trace!
The Primordial Monarch had torn straight through the retreat of the prodigy Hao Kaiyang, captured him, and brought him before Ling Wuxin.
Fearing that Hao Kaiyang was so exceptionally gifted that Ling Wuxin might suffer a backlash during the possession, her jade-slender fingers tapped against Hao Kaiyang's Primordial Spirit, sealing away his Primordial Spirit cultivation and leaving him powerless to resist.
"What a fine body, tempered so solidly,"
the Primordial Monarch could not help praising. "With this physical vessel, my son will turn misfortune into blessing and advance even further."
Hao Kaiyang tried to struggle, but to the powerful figures of the Immortal Realm, unaffiliated immortals like him were merely resources to be seized at will. How could he possibly escape?
Once Ling Wuxin possessed him, devouring his Primordial Spirit as nourishment, he felt the vessel tempered through a thousand trials and praised, "Mother, this body is crafted wonderfully. By the way, Mother, who is my father? While I was asleep, I vaguely saw someone come to see me. Could that have been my father?"
The Primordial Monarch was reluctant to elaborate, saying, "He is a figure of great stature; I do not wish to tarnish his reputation. It was out of regard for flesh and blood that he acted to save you, erasing Xu Ying's Zhuxian sword qi. As for who he is, do not ask."
Ling Wuxin complied.
The Primordial Monarch added, "I know you bear a deep grudge against Xu Ying, but his cultivation and strength are formidable now. You have yet to grow accustomed to this body, and your Primordial Spirit is not yet deeply integrated with the flesh. You must never seek revenge against him right away. Go first to Mother's Liangyi Precious Realm to cultivate, and advance this body's cultivation to the Immortal Monarch realm before doing anything else."
Suppressing his discontent, Ling Wuxin entered the Liangyi Precious Realm.
This Liangyi Precious Realm was the Primordial Monarch's fiefdom, suspended above her estate. Inside lay countless immortal mountains and blessed grounds; looking up from below, it appeared like a revolving black-and-white Taiji diagram.
Possessing such a precious realm allowed one to cultivate into a Heavenly Monarch.
Ling Wuxin entered the Liangyi Precious Realm and cultivated diligently for roughly half a year. Hao Kaiyang had already been at the pinnacle of the Immortal King realm, held back only by a lack of resources for a breakthrough. Within merely half a year, Ling Wuxin broke through to the Immortal Monarch realm.
"Xu Ying destroyed my true body and nearly shattered my Primordial Spirit, forcing me to live in this world wearing another's face. This debt must be repaid!"
Quietly leaving the Liangyi Precious Realm, he stole the Primordial Monarch's immortal talisman for descending to the mortal world and slipped down from the Immortal Realm.
Meanwhile, Xu Ying had evaded the assault of the myriad immortal artifacts by stepping into the Third Heavenly Pass, leaving the countless weapons without a target before returning to the Netherworld.
By this time, Dongyue and the Northern Emperor had already slain Wang Ruo'an, avenging Dongyue's murder.
Great Emperor Cangwu and Perfected Jade Pot were still locked in combat upon that stretch of the Heavenly River. Blood had already dyed the river red—the blood of Perfected Jade Pot.
The old man was covered in gory stains, crying out incessantly, "Cangwu, do you still remember our friendship back then? Have you forgotten how we became friends across generations? Back then, I was merely an insignificant young cultivator, a boy who stumbled into the Abyss of Cangwu and met you. We spoke with such delight! Afterward, I visited you often. You watched me grow up—how can you bear to lay such a deadly hand on me?"
Great Emperor Cangwu could not help recalling those past days. Back then, Perfected Jade Pot had indeed been an extraordinary Qi Refiner endowed with astonishing insight and talent, which was why he had viewed this junior in a different light.
From the mortals of the world, Great Emperor Cangwu had seen mostly awe and reverence; only Perfected Jade Pot had befriended him as an equal.
One was a Qi Refiner, the other a primordial deity, and between them blossomed a deep friendship.
Later, when Jade Pot ascended, Great Emperor Cangwu had felt both happy and sorrowful for him. Happy that he had ascended to become an immortal, where his talents would surely find their place and an old friend would rise to prominence; sorrowful that they would likely rarely meet again.
Though Perfected Jade Pot could not often descend to the mortal world, he could invite Cangwu to the Immortal Realm, continuing their friendship.
Yet after reaching the Immortal Realm, that old friend's face had gradually lost its smiles. He was always sighing, speaking of how strictly stratified and faction-ridden the Immortal Realm was.
The two often lamented together, feeling deeply that Jade Pot was an unrecognized genius, and Cangwu yearned to lend him a hand.
He had even gone to visit old acquaintances serving as officials in the Immortal Court, but all claimed they were powerless to help.
Until one day, Perfected Jade Pot invited him once more to the Immortal Realm as a guest. The old friend had been brimming with joy, telling him at the banquet that he was no longer an unaffiliated immortal—he had found a backer and become a perfected person in the Primordial Monarch's household.
Great Emperor Cangwu had rejoiced for him. The two drank until they were thoroughly intoxicated. But on his return journey, Great Emperor Cangwu was ambushed, ultimately meeting his demise at the hands of Immortal Monarch Zhang Shanzong and others.
He had never understood how it happened until Qi Refiners arrived at the Abyss of Cangwu under orders, raising a divine whip to lash his physical body.
A whip designed to strike gods—only Perfected Jade Pot, who understood him so intimately, could have devised such a whip specifically meant to restrain him.
Only then did he realize that the price Perfected Jade Pot had paid to gain the Primordial Monarch as his patron was him, his old friend.
"Father, watch out!"
Suddenly, Chu Xiangxiang's alarmed cry rang out, snapping Great Emperor Cangwu back to reality. In that split second of distraction, Perfected Jade Pot struck viciously, surging before him and aiming straight for his face.
Great Emperor Cangwu had no time to dodge. Chu Xiangxiang charged in from the flank, attempting to intercept the strike.
Perfected Jade Pot laughed wildly and swung his hand around, slamming heavily into Chu Xiangxiang. With a muffled groan, every magic treasure on her body shattered with sharp cracks. Spitting blood, she collapsed on the verge of death.
That stretch of the Heavenly River immediately collapsed, no longer able to bind Perfected Jade Pot.
This was precisely the chance Perfected Jade Pot had sought. He leapt at once, plunging into the void and shouting, "Cangwu, it seems our bond has truly faded if you wish to kill me! From this day forth, all ties between us are severed!"
His Gourd Heaven Dao-Attainment Scripture was indeed incomparably exquisite. It instantly breached layers of spacetime, bursting through one world of the heavens after another, fleeing an immense distance from the Netherworld in the blink of an eye.
Yet amidst those layers of void, massive root tendrils were everywhere.
Those colossal roots pierced through spacetimes, extending in every direction, traversing world after world. Wherever Perfected Jade Pot fled, all that met his eyes were roots!
The roots of Cangwu.
The Abyss of Cangwu was itself an abyss connecting the myriad worlds of the heavens.
Great Emperor Cangwu was himself the boundless sprawling roots within that abyss, rooted between the realms of Yin and Yang across the heavens!
Perfected Jade Pot's spatial arts had originally been comprehended from observing Great Emperor Cangwu, a Dao of space derived from the god himself.
Perfected Jade Pot fled frantically, escaping from one world to the next. Yet no matter how swift he was, behind him walked a towering old man, steadily drawing closer.
The elder wore a crown of thorns, shrouded in shifting gray mist, his gaze burning like subterranean magma as he advanced with raging fury.
Seeing that escape was impossible, Perfected Jade Pot turned around in desperation and cried, "Brother Dao, you once said I was astonishingly gifted and had boundless prospects! But in the Immortal Realm, I was turned away at every door for centuries, stuck as a petty Human Immortal without making an inch of progress! If I hadn't betrayed you, how could I ever have had a future?!"
Great Emperor Cangwu's face was grim as he strode forward. Taking a single step, he caused Perfected Jade Pot's bodhimanda to tear open with a loud crack, revealing a deep abyss!
The rift of that abyss ripped right between Perfected Jade Pot's legs. In the next instant, the Immortal King was torn cleanly in two, spraying a torrent of blood everywhere!
Sensing disaster, Perfected Jade Pot's Primordial Spirit had already fled his flesh, desperately scrambling away as he shrieked, "Brother Dao, do not ruthlessly exterminate me!"
Great Emperor Cangwu raised his hand. The sky cracked open with a resounding snap, cleaving a chasm that tore his Primordial Spirit in two as well!
Chapter 492