The immortal boat plunged into the dense cascade of purple qi. Assorted Dao tones clamored in all at once, jumbled in a cacophony that assaulted the ears and troubled the mind, flooding directly into their consciousness. Even Xu Ying found it difficult to bear.
Nan Ziyan uttered a low shout. His Primordial Spirit manifested behind him like an immortal emperor, steeped in purple qi and brimming with exalted nobility. Forming a seal with both hands, he conjured a colossal character behind him: "Suppress."
Formed from Dao patterns, the character was extraordinarily profound, sharing marvelous similarities with Immortal Dao runes.
Seeing this, Xu Ying was filled with admiration. "What an exceptional seal technique!" he praised.
"The Dao tones here mostly stem from the shattered Daos of ancient eras clashing with the Immortal Dao, making it difficult for outsiders to enter," Nan Ziyan explained. "I was taught by the Great Emperor, which is the only reason I can come and go freely. In the past, these Dao tones were even fiercer. In recent years, with the revival of the Ancestral Court's Great Dao suppressing the Immortal Dao to an extent, their effects have become far less violent."
As they spoke, they entered the Ziwei Ancestral Court.
Xu Ying had once imagined that the Ziwei Ancestral Court would surely be a realm of broken rivers and mountains, filled with crumbling ruins, devastation, and bleak desolation.
Yet, following Nan Ziyan inside, he saw only a vast and boundless void. Floating in that void were gargantuan chains, shackling a relatively small landmass.
That continent possessed mountains and rivers, above which hung massive Immortal Dao talismans. Even from a distance, Xu Ying could clearly see the runes on them—Immortal Dao runes of utmost profundity, each one an indomitable seal!
Xu Ying looked upon them, filled with suspicion and shock.
Accustomed to the sight, Nan Ziyan calmly steered the immortal boat toward the landmass.
A small settlement lay upon the land, home to several hundred families, which immediately reminded Xu Ying of the Xujiaping of years past.
Though a humble hamlet, immortal qi permeated the land. The air was rich with extraordinarily dense immortal spiritual energy, and immortal radiance shone over it, revealing its extraordinary nature.
Spotting Xu Ying's arrival, the villagers looked up at the immortal boat one after another.
"This is the Ziwei Ancestral Court?" Standing at the bow, Xu Ying asked, somewhat perplexed. "This is a bit different from what I imagined..."
Nan Ziyan brought the vessel down. "This is indeed the Ziwei Ancestral Court. We have lived here for generations as tomb keepers for the immortal emperors of old. The past emperors are buried in Mount Qian."
*Qian* signified Heaven. Mount Qian was the mountain where Heaven was buried.
As the boat touched down in the village, several fair young women hurried forward, carrying treasures such as swords, zithers, and vases, intending to flank Nan Ziyan.
Nan Ziyan quickly intervened, "Senior sisters, this is Young Master Xu Ying. He's no outsider—there's no need to put on a show of pomp!"
Some of the maidens blushed, while others burst into laughter before scattering in all directions.
Looking rather embarrassed, Nan Ziyan said to Xu Ying, "Whenever I leave, I represent the face of the Ancestral Court, so I ask a few senior sisters to pose as handmaidens standing behind me. Only then can we avoid diminishing the prestige of the Ziwei Ancestral Court."
Stunned, Xu Ying asked, "How did the Ziwei Ancestral Court fall to such a state? Where is the Immortal Court?"
Nan Ziyan replied, "After the Ancestral Court's defeat, the Immortal Court was carved up completely. Only Mount Qian remained, spared because it was the burial site of the past immortal emperors and no one was shameless enough to claim a share. Did Young Master Xu notice that this place produces immortal spiritual energy?"
Xu Ying nodded gently. When the immortal boat had flown overhead earlier, he had looked down and noticed the abundant immortal spiritual energy. The people settled here were all masters of extraordinary arts, their cultivation deep and formidable.
However, considering the Ziwei Ancestral Court had once been the Immortal Court, its production of immortal spiritual energy was hardly surprising.
Nan Ziyan asked, "I heard that in your past life, Young Master Xu once stole immortal mountains from the Immortal Realm. Do those mountains bear any resemblance to Mount Qian?"
Xu Ying's heart stirred. He had not paid attention to that detail, but after Nan Ziyan's reminder, he examined the terrain closely.
Mount Qian was roughly the size of Penglai, yet its immortal spiritual energy was far richer. Compared to Yingzhou, however, Mount Qian was much smaller, though Yingzhou's immortal spiritual energy was not as dense as Mount Qian's either.
As for Fangzhang, its immortal spiritual energy was faint to the point of insignificance.
"In truth, whether it is Young Master Xu's three immortal mountains or the other mountains of the Immortal Realm, all of them originated from Ziwei," Nan Ziyan said with a smile. "The Immortal Realm is merely the Earth Immortal Realm. It is one and the same with the heavens and myriad realms, possessing nothing inherently special. It was only when Ziwei was defeated and carved up by powerful factions back then that it evolved into today's Immortal Realm."
Xu Ying murmured, "You mean to say the Ziwei Ancestral Court is the real Immortal Realm?"
Nan Ziyan smiled. "The Ziwei Ancestral Court is not the Immortal Realm either."
Xu Ying was thoroughly baffled.
Just then, a voice echoed, "Or rather, no such thing as an Immortal Realm ever existed. Back then, the Ziwei Ancestral Court was also a part of the Earth Immortal Realm, merely floating above it rather than constituting an independent realm of its own."
Xu Ying followed the sound. Ahead stood a magnificent, resplendent immortal palace, from which the voice had emerged.
Nan Ziyan gestured invitingly. "The Great Emperor is inside the palace. Young Master Xu, please."
"The Great Emperor? Could it be one of the immortal emperors who once resided in Ziwei?" Xu Ying felt a surge of excitement. "An immortal emperor is still alive in this world?"
He stepped into the palace and glanced back, noticing that Nan Ziyan had not followed, choosing instead to wait outside.
Upon entering, Xu Ying found the immortal spiritual energy even denser, yet no living person was in sight. Only a voice drifted over: "The immortals of the Earth Immortal Realm overcame their tribulations, yet they did not ascend; instead, they lived in the mortal world. That is why it was called the Earth Immortal Realm."
Xu Ying followed the sound with his gaze and saw ancestral memorial tablets for successive immortal emperors enshrined along the palace walls, each accompanied by a portrait behind it.
The portrait of one immortal emperor was opening and closing its mouth, speaking directly to him!
"No need to look around. It is Zhen speaking to you."
The painted immortal emperor possessed long, slender eyebrows, a high-bridged nose, and a regal, imposing countenance. "Zhen is Emperor Ai of the Ziwei Immortal Court, known to later generations as the Last Lord of Ziwei. You may address me as Your Majesty."
Xu Ying chuckled. "Daoist Brother, you are a painting, not a living person. Addressing you as Your Majesty feels inappropriate. Emperor Ai..."
The painted emperor's expression darkened. Observing his mood, Xu Ying tactfully corrected himself: "Last Lord of Ziwei, you said earlier that it was called the Earth Immortal Realm because immortals did not need to ascend after overcoming their tribulations. But where does immortal spiritual energy come from?"
The painted emperor suddenly lifted a foot, stepping straight out of the portrait to stand before Xu Ying. He raised a mirror, examined his reflection, and scowled in disgust before tossing the mirror back into the painting. "This looks nothing like me! Blundering fools, they didn't capture my likeness at all!"
Xu Ying blinked, bewildered.
The Last Lord of Ziwei surveyed the portraits of the past emperors one by one, shaking his head. "All the painters who depicted the immortal emperors were scoundrels! None of these look like them!"
Pausing, he continued, "Immortal spiritual energy partially stems from the sacred grounds of the Earth Immortal Realm, and partially from the other shore. In ancient times, Haotian proclaimed himself emperor under the title Taiyi, seizing the throne from the Demon Court and forcing the Demon Emperor to abdicate and yield the position, whereupon he ascended the grand throne. Do you know why Haotian was so formidable?"
He walked over to the memorial tablet of Haotian Shangdi, stared at the portrait of Emperor Haotian, and shook his head again. "This one doesn't look like him either. All those wretched court painters deserved to be beheaded!"
Xu Ying's heart stirred. He wondered if this 'Taiyi' had any connection to the Xu family's Taiyi Inborn Technique.
The ancestral methods of the six secret depositories of the Xu family traced back to ancient origins, but the Taiyi Inborn Technique seemed to belong to an entirely different lineage.
Testing the waters, Xu Ying asked, "Could Haotian have been so formidable because of the other shore?"
The Last Lord of Ziwei glanced at him and praised, "You are indeed clever, deducing the truth from mere snippets of Zhen's words. Precisely—because of the other shore. Emperor Haotian discovered an otherworldly stone inscribed with mysterious, supreme teachings, filled with all manner of bizarre patterns distinct from the Dao methods and divine powers of that era, appearing to harbor extraordinary profoundness."
Xu Ying could not help but blurt out, "The Emerald Rock?"
The Last Lord of Ziwei looked surprised. "You even know of the Emerald Rock? Boy, you are far too clever. Had this been in the past when Zhen was still on the throne, I would have had you beheaded on the spot, lest you grow into a powerhouse and rebel against me."
He paused, his expression shifting to one of genuine admiration. "Emperor Haotian was a peerless genius. He managed to decipher a portion of those patterns, uncovering a tremendous secret—the secret of the other shore."
Xu Ying started to speak, but thought better of it and held his tongue.
The Last Lord of Ziwei continued, "Back then, the Demon Emperor ruled the mortal world. The demon race was prosperous and mighty, their strength unfathomable. Facing such a behemoth, humanity stood no chance at all. Yet Emperor Haotian, drawing upon the contents of the Emerald Rock, created a technique capable of sensing the other shore. By channeling his profound art, he dragged a colossal immortal mountain from the other shore into reality! That other shore seemed hidden within an abyss of cave-heavens, and so it was termed a cave abyss."
A thunderbolt seemed to strike Xu Ying's mind, setting his heart pounding violently.
He was instantly reminded of the cultivation technique belonging to Sovereign Cang, the leader of the Four Sages of the Northern Pole: the Supreme Cave Abyss Sovereign Cang Heart Sutra!
That name also bore the words *cave abyss*.
However, seeing as this Emperor Ai was rather fond of beheading people, Xu Ying refrained from pressing further.
The Last Lord of Ziwei continued, "Haotian was magnificent. His cave abyss was colossal, harboring an enormous other shore known as the Taiyi Other Shore. Drawing upon the Taiyi Other Shore, he attained a supreme realm that surpassed the Demon Emperor of the time. Heh heh, he forced the Demon Emperor to yield the throne to him, seizing the orthodox lineage, and even renamed the fellow Emperor Gong—the 'Humble Emperor.' He was hardly any better than those who gave me the posthumous title of Emperor Ai..."
Reaching this point, he suddenly shot Xu Ying a wary glance. "Did you hear that? Zhen will have your head!"
Xu Ying smiled. "Last Lord, how about letting my head remain deposited on my shoulders for now?"
The Last Lord of Ziwei burst into hearty laughter. "Fret not, I wouldn't truly behead you. I am merely a wisp of spirit residing in a painting, scraping by to survive. This is no longer the human Immortal Court of old; I have no power to take your life."
He let out a sigh of deep regret, as if he genuinely would have lopped off Xu Ying's head had he still held the imperial authority.
"Haotian desperately wished to keep the Emerald Rock and the other shore a secret, but how could such a thing be hidden?" the Last Lord of Ziwei continued. "If he refused to pass it on, the formidable powerhouses of the demon race would have united to overthrow him with ease. Yet imparting it would inevitably destabilize his own rule. Thus, he taught it, but only in incomplete fragments. Later, more and more cave abysses appeared. Some of the smaller immortal mountains from those other shores were even dragged into the Earth Immortal Realm. Over time, combined with the original sacred grounds of Ziwei, they formed the Ziwei Immortal Court."
Xu Ying pondered for a moment and asked, "The Supreme Cave Abyss is immense and terrifyingly potent. How does it compare to the Taiyi Cave Abyss?"
"It is in no way inferior," replied the Last Lord of Ziwei.
Xu Ying smiled. "In that case, someone else managed to glean insights from the Emerald Rock that rivaled Haotian's."
The Last Lord of Ziwei nodded gently, sighing with emotion. "Geniuses are the one thing this world never lacks. How could it be easy for Emperor Haotian to keep his throne secure? As many grand cave abysses were discovered, the Ziwei Immortal Court grew ever stronger, but his grip on power grew increasingly precarious—until the subsequent upheavals occurred..."
He paused abruptly, then sighed. "Later, after I ascended the throne, those ambitious warlords took advantage of the Dao weeping catastrophe to storm Ziwei. They fragmented Ziwei into pieces, turning them into separate immortal mountains. Refining those mountains into precious realms, they severed the Earth Immortal Realm from the mortal world, establishing a state where the heavens, the myriad realms, and the Immortal Realm were completely isolated from one another. Since then, immortals and mortals have had no commerce."
Realization dawned upon Xu Ying. "No wonder the Immortal Realm restricts the number of immortals. It's because resources are insufficient."
The immortal mountains of the Immortal Realm had been derived partly from sacred grounds of the Earth Immortal Realm rich in immortal spiritual energy, and partly from the other shore. These locations had been forged into precious realms of varying grades, each yielding differing amounts of immortal spiritual energy and other resources.
Because the number of precious realms was limited, the number of immortals who could control them was naturally limited as well.
Suddenly, Xu Ying realized that the ancestral methods of the six secret depositories originated from the cave abyss methods of the ancient era in the Ancestral Court. His own opening of the seven great cave-heavens had also evolved from these six secret ancestral methods.
If so, was the origin of the spiritual energy and power within his seven Immortal Realm cave-heavens coming from the Immortal Realm itself, or from the claimed precious realms belonging to powerful figures?
*I might very well be siphoning the resources from the precious realms of some formidable entities in the Immortal Realm!* Xu Ying blinked in realization.
The Last Lord of Ziwei suddenly smiled and remarked, "Minister Xu, you truly are brilliant. Even with the methods of summoning the other shore long lost, you managed to teach yourself how to open a cave-heaven and connect it to the other shore. It makes Zhen feel an urge to kill—err, cherish such talent!"
Xu Ying replied modestly, "Thank you for the praise. You flatter me."
The Last Lord of Ziwei laughed. "This is no mere flattery! After Emperor Haotian was ousted and forced into abdication, Emperor Taihao realized that he could not allow those bastards to continue cultivating cave abysses to sense the other shore. Otherwise, if they dragged over a few more other shores, his own rule would be destabilized. Thus, he issued an empire-wide ban forbidding anyone from summoning the other shore. Someone like you, who figured it out independently, would have been executed along with nine generations of your kin back in Zhen's day!"
He could not help but continue his praise: "Any descendant carrying your bloodline would have been uprooted, leaving none behind! Even the eggs laid by your chickens would have had their yolks shaken to mush! Otherwise, if those chickens cultivated and became spirits in the future, they would probably try to rebel and overturn the heavens!"
Chapter 494