Xu Ying put away the Hundong Indestructible Scripture. The value of this technique was likely even greater than that of the Hunyuan Cave Abyss Calamity Avoidance Scripture!
Of course, the Calamity Avoidance Scripture was a complete technique, whereas the Indestructible Scripture was already fragmented. Otherwise, Min Bo would never have handed it over to them.
Xu Ying rose to take his leave, and the others stood up as well. Min Bo and his companions escorted them to the edge of the ruins, where they halted and said, "Forgive us, fellow Daoists, but we cannot escort you any farther."
"Please stay your steps."
After a long pause, Xu Ying said, "Father, please make early arrangements for selecting mortals to enter the ruins to study. Though we made a Chaos contract with them, their disciples are bound by no such agreement. A clash and collision between the civilizations of the Three Realms and the Yuan Realm is bound to happen sooner or later."
Immortal Emperor Xu Jing nodded gently. "Once I return to the Immortal Court, I will begin preparations immediately."
Xu Ying said, "Although the Immortals in the ruins cannot leave for now, once they obtain the Calamity Avoidance Scripture, it becomes possible for them to temporarily avoid the calamity and depart. In the future, they will definitely find ways to leave. Everyone must work hard in cultivation, or else turmoil will inevitably strike the Mortal Realm."
The Ancestral God said in a deep voice, "If turmoil arises, they will definitely attempt to seize the Mortal Realm. Sacrificing ten elders still leaves two hundred sixty-two Immortals—a worthwhile bargain for them."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
The Holy Venerable said, "My Dao is equal to my person, and I have attained the Indestructible realm, so I can guarantee the peace of the Three Realms for a time. Still, the rest of you must cultivate diligently and catch up to me soon, so as not to leave too much pressure on my shoulders."
At these words, the others changed countenance, each displeased. Everyone present considered themselves no inferior to the Holy Venerable; several among them were also in the Indestructible realm, but because they had not yet had time to switch to the New Dao, they were outdone by him.
Yet their fighting spirit to cultivate anew was indeed ignited. For one, even though the Yuan Realm was destroyed, there were still two hundred seventy-two Immortals and a Grand Dao Master, which truly spurred them on. For another, the destruction of the Yuan Realm—a calamity fortune that annihilated an entire realm and forced even Immortals and Grand Dao Masters to scrounge and scheme just to survive—instilled in them a deep sense of crisis.
The Far Ancestor suddenly soared into the air and surged away, his voice carrying back from afar: "Everyone, I shall take my leave first! I will return to the Heavenly Immortal Realm to cripple my cultivation and switch to the New Dao! In the future, wait for my triumphant return!"
Currently, he was still practicing methods from the other shore, but lacking a cave abyss, his cultivation and strength were far below what they once were.
He had hesitated to sever his cultivation earlier. Cultivating the New Dao anew carried risks: first, he feared the Earth Immortal Realm might exploit the opening to attack the Heavenly Immortal Realm and wipe out the Dragon Clan; second, he feared instability in his rule, where someone might surrender to the other shore and seize power.
The Dragon Clan was valiant and combative, making such occurrences quite likely.
He had to wait until Emperor Ming Xun achieved success in his cultivation and acquired the strength to deter threats on all sides before he could switch to the New Dao himself.
Useless Qingxuan watched him depart and said, "Now that Emperor Mingdao has left, he will certainly be unable to hold back and will sever his cultivation. If I were the Immortal Emperor, I would seize this golden opportunity, lead the Supremes of the Earth Immortal Realm to infiltrate the Heavenly Immortal Realm, eliminate Mingdao and Ming Xun, and suppress the Far Ancestor!"
Aboard the tower boat, pair after pair of eyes turned toward Immortal Emperor Xu Jing.
Immortal Emperor Xu Jing's gaze, however, fell upon Useless Qingxuan, prompting everyone to look back at Useless Qingxuan.
The Ancestral God, on the other hand, had long grown accustomed to such power struggles and paid it no heed.
Useless Qingxuan hopped onto the roof of the cabin pavilion, leaned back, his eyes flickering, and muttered softly, "First marry the dragon princess to secure a legitimate claim. The Dragon Clan has many experts; for the human race to rule them, one must ally with one faction while striking at another. Father children with the dragon princess, establish the child as Dragon Emperor, and then promote intermarriage between the two races—gradually replacing dragons with humans. In education and culture, progressively suppress the Dragon Clan, demoting them into an inferior race to face a slow extinction. That way, their resistance wouldn't be nearly as fierce..."
The Holy Venerable looked toward Immortal Emperor Xu Jing and said, "It is feasible."
Immortal Emperor Xu Jing smiled and said, "At present, our enemies and rivals are not the Dragon Clan. When the Three Realms live in peace, why stir up war again?"
The Holy Venerable shook his head. "Your Majesty is a benevolent emperor of a generation, but lacks the drive to conquer and expand."
He did not pursue the matter further. The Earth Immortal Realm was currently thriving, with experts emerging in droves. Starting a war would cost lives and very likely derail this momentum. Moreover, with the Yuan Realm ruins glaring hungrily from the Mortal Realm, open conflict between the Heavenly and Earth Immortal Realms could not be permitted.
When they returned to the Earth Immortal Realm, Xu Ying took out the Hundong Indestructible Scripture and studied it meticulously. The Holy Venerable, Useless Qingxuan, and the others stayed behind as well to comprehend the scripture together.
The Hundong Indestructible Scripture was full of gaps, making it far harder to decipher than the Calamity Avoidance Scripture. Even though Xu Ying, Yuan Weiyang, Useless Qingxuan, the Holy Venerable, and the others were once-in-a-generation geniuses rarely seen in six hundred thousand years, deciphering it proved exceedingly arduous.
Useless Qingxuan even suspected at one point that the Immortals of the Yuan Realm intended to use this scripture to divert their attention and keep them from focusing on cultivation to advance their strength.
Unawares, three years passed. Many youths had already entered the Yuan Realm ruins to study, learning numerous closely guarded secrets of the Yuan Realm.
Yet what influenced the Three Realms most was the interaction between the Heavenly Immortal Realm and the Earth Immortal Realm.
Many human and demon experts from the Earth Immortal Realm traveled to the Heavenly Immortal Realm to decipher the Dao techniques and divine abilities of the other shore, reinterpreting them through the New Dao.
The Heavenly Immortal Realm also sent many dragons into the Earth Immortal Realm to seek knowledge and study the New Dao.
Exchanges between the two realms flourished day by day.
On this day, Emperor Mingdao announced his abdication to sever his cultivation and cultivate the New Dao, causing an uproar throughout the Heavenly Immortal Realm. Even the Earth Immortal Realm was deeply shaken.
Sure enough, news arrived that Princess Mingman had become the Empress of the Dragon Clan, while the former emperor Ming Xun made tremendous progress in cultivation, leaping to become a top powerhouse of the Dragon Clan.
Former Emperor Ming Xun forged the severed cultivation realms of himself and Emperor Mingdao into treasures, among which were even two Indestructible treasures.
Princess Mingman possessed the status of Second Ancestor of the New Dao in the Heavenly Immortal Realm, backed by two Indestructible treasures and assisted by Ming Xun and Mingdao, quickly solidifying her imperial throne.
Now, the only concern was whether Immortal Emperor Xu Jing of the Earth Immortal Realm would take advantage of the Dragon Clan being down three Immortals to invade.
Fortunately, Princess Mingman was a disciple of Dao Ancestor Xu, so such an event never transpired.
Over those three years, the Mortal Realm remained peaceful. The Yuan Realm ruins showed no signs of expanding, and the ruin masters dutifully taught disciples within the ruins; peace reigned across the Three Realms.
During those three years, Useless Qingxuan, the Holy Venerable, and the others grew despairing of the Hundong Indestructible Scripture and departed one after another, no longer studying the technique.
Yuan Weiyang also gave up. Only Xu Ying continued to ponder it. Though he made modest gains, he made little real progress toward fully deciphering it.
Thinking up to this point, Xu Ying also began to suspect Min Bo's intentions.
On this day, as he unrolled the golden book once again, he saw one of the characters abruptly vanish. Calamity fortune was taking its toll; even the golden book could not escape decay, and the Dao characters inscribed by the Grand Dao Master were fading away because of it.
"The more characters that vanish, the harder it will be to comprehend this technique thoroughly."
Xu Ying closed the golden book. Seeing that Yuan Weiyang was in secluded cultivation, he went out for a walk to ease his strained state of mind.
He had been immersed in deciphering the Indestructible Scripture, his spirit under intense tension. Now, traveling abroad, he saw that under Immortal Emperor Xu Jing's governance, the Earth Immortal Realm was orderly and flourishing in all pursuits, with academies especially thriving.
The Qi Refiners in these academies were even stronger than Xu Ying had been in his youth. They cultivated the New Dao, learning Dao techniques and divine abilities born from the other shore and summoning cave abysses, their foundations immensely solid.
So long as one had aptitude and comprehension, making a name for oneself was well within reach.
Xu Ying looked around as he traveled and unwittingly arrived at the former Yuanshou world. By now, Yuanshou was part of the Earth Immortal Realm and could no longer be called a world of its own. He saw many academies established across Yuanshou as well; the traditional sects and clans were teetering under the impact of the academies, many unable to hold on, leaving only an old man or two guarding the mountain gates.
Xu Ying wandered on and found himself in Yongzhou. This was not his true hometown, merely the hometown arranged in his memories for this lifetime, yet he had returned here nonetheless.
Yongzhou had long since transformed beyond recognition. Immortal mountains hung inverted, floating in the sky, with ethereal spiritual energy cascading from them like pristine white waterfalls.
Atop the immortal mountains were academies. Many Qi Refiners who had not yet learned to fly climbed along green vines that hung from the mountains ten thousand rods high. They wove through mist and spiritual energy, burning with the urge to learn.
Among the peaks dwelt many giant beasts. Powerful demons let out cries that echoed across the mountains, and immortal birds darted between clouds and mist.
Xu Ying came to an academy atop an immortal mountain and saw that it was named Jiuyi Academy. A stirring in his heart prompted him to ask a Qi Refiner about the academy's origins. Hearing Xu Ying's local accent, the Qi Refiner smiled and said, "You haven't been back in a long time, have you? Jiuyi Academy was established by Fairy Qingbi, over a decade ago."
"Qingbi?"
Xu Ying froze, the image of that white-clothed maiden dressing her hair by the ancient well in the ruined temple on the stone mountain unbiddenly rising before his eyes.
Just then, her figure caught his eye, awakening memories buried in years gone by. Fairy Qingbi appeared in his sight, and she too stared in slight stunned surprise upon seeing him.
After a moment, Xu Ying and Fairy Qingbi walked side by side, arriving atop Mount Jiuyi to clear weeds and sweep a neglected grave.
"You haven't been here in a long time," Fairy Qingbi could not help saying as she watched him offer incense to Zhou Qiyun.
Xu Ying straightened his posture and smiled. "Indeed. I had no idea you had returned here, let alone founded Jiuyi Academy."
Gazing at this woman whose robes were whiter than snow, various emotions surged back into his heart. He had thought that after dying and returning to life, having Yuan Weiyang by his side, he would forget this hazy affection forever.
Yet upon seeing Fairy Qingbi, that hazy feeling rekindled once more.
"How have you been?" Xu Ying asked.
A complex emotion flickered in Fairy Qingbi's eyes. She smiled and said, "Before you arrived, my heart was always at peace. Outside of teaching disciples, I followed Daoist Wukong in cultivating the Taishang Dao, and have achieved some modest progress."
Xu Ying asked in surprise, "Daoist Wukong? He is here as well?"
Fairy Qingbi shook her head. "He originally cultivated in the Taishang Cave Abyss. Since I cultivate this Dao too, I met him there. Back then, he gave me three lotus seed Dao fruits and still remembered me, so I cultivated at his side."
The Taishang Cave Abyss was extraordinarily perilous. It was a damaged cave abyss—a Dao wound left behind when Emperor Haotian struck and wounded the master of the Taishang Cave Abyss. That Indestructible True King had been using the cultivation and comprehension of those who cultivated the Taishang Cave Abyss to mend the Taishang Dao and heal himself. Thus, entering the Taishang Cave Abyss to cultivate carried a high risk of assimilating into the Dao, dying, and fulfilling that Indestructible True King's recovery.
However, Daoist Wukong was far from what he once was. Though he still walked the path of the Old Dao, his strength was immense, far beyond what the Taishang Cave Abyss could assimilate.
"Where is Daoist Wukong now?" Xu Ying inquired.
"Still inside the Taishang Cave Abyss."
Xu Ying immediately set off with her for the Taishang Cave Abyss. A moment later, the two ascended with their physical bodies, entering the Taishang Cave Abyss.
When Xu Ying had first come here with Fairy Qingbi, they had ascended with their primordial spirits. Now entering again, even with their physical bodies, there was hardly any hindrance. Their cultivation and strength were vastly greater than before.
They flew toward the depths of the cave abyss, but when they reached that great fissure, there was no sign of Daoist Wukong.
Fairy Qingbi let out a soft exclamation of surprise and searched around, but still found no trace of Daoist Wukong.
"Could Daoist Wukong have left?"
Fairy Qingbi said in astonishment, "He came here to comprehend the Indestructible realm and attempt a breakthrough in the Taishang Dao... Has he already attained the Indestructible realm?"
Xu Ying shook his head. "How could achieving the Indestructible realm be so easy? With Daoist Wukong's foundation, he wouldn't reach it so quickly."
Fairy Qingbi conjectured, "If he has left, he must have mastered the Taishang Dao and returned to the Ancestral Court."
Xu Ying's gaze fell upon the great fissure in the Taishang Cave Abyss, and he said suddenly, "I don't think he is still in the Three Realms. If he were, with his temperament, he would have popped up long ago. So many major events have happened in recent years without any trace of him. I suspect he has entered the fissure."
Fairy Qingbi looked toward the fissure and murmured, "Where does this fissure lead?"
Xu Ying said in a low voice, "The other shore. Right behind the head of that Immortal on the other shore who founded the Taishang Dao."
"The other shore?"
Fairy Qingbi was shocked.
On the other shore, an Indestructible True King awakened from his slumber and spoke: "Have the scouts searching the Three Realms returned?"
"Not yet."
A disciple hurriedly bowed and said, "While Master was in seclusion, a monkey broke out of Master's cave abyss, smashed, looted, and ransacked the place, and made his escape!"
Chapter 724