Even after becoming an Immortal Monarch, Yanshi continued to reside in his original quarters at the Northern Mountain Gate, no different from when he had been a True Monarch.
This side hall was quiet and elegant, but modest in scale, standing only thirty feet tall. Perched atop the peak and bounded on three sides by sheer cliffs, it was an environment Yanshi favored.
The moment Wei Yuan stepped into the side hall, the scenery before him suddenly shifted. The entire hall vanished, replaced by boundless void and a sky full of stars. The only solid ground was the small patch beneath their feet.
This was no illusion. Wei Yuan's divine consciousness could extend exceedingly far, yet he still could not reach those stars suspended in the void. Though intangible to his touch, he could genuinely perceive their existence and distinguish each star's unique nature.
Immortal Monarch Yanshi sat cross-legged in empty space. Seeing Wei Yuan enter, he said, "Step forward and speak."
At this moment, hundreds of stars floated around Immortal Monarch Yanshi as well. Behind him, a surging river drifted in and out of view.
Though the hall had appeared merely a hundred feet across from the outside, the two now seemed separated by thousands of paces. Not daring to quicken his pace, Wei Yuan walked over respectfully at an ordinary stride.
Immortal Monarch Yanshi chuckled. "How long do you intend to take walking like that? With that unyielding temperament of yours, you're a born rebel—why act so constrained?"
Wei Yuan's vision blurred, and he found himself standing right before Yanshi.
Only upon reaching Yanshi did Wei Yuan realize those points of starlight were not mere ornamentation, but distinct scenes unfolding. Some felt vaguely familiar, while others were entirely new. Many depicted apocalyptic cataclysms—collapsing skies, sweeping tsunamis, fracturing earth, and surging fire.
Noticing Wei Yuan observing those cataclysmic projections, Immortal Monarch Yanshi said, "That old bastard, the Worthy Prince of the Left, just won't give up his wicked designs. He insisted on trading blows with me. These are fragments of minor worlds shattered by our fight that I haven't had time to repair yet. The rest are other matters I'm currently dealing with."
At this, Yanshi sighed. "I truly never imagined that becoming an immortal would involve so much work. It was far more carefree before ascending. No, I must crack the whip on that old scoundrel Chunqiu. With his talent, fifty years might be enough if he concentrates on cultivation."
Wei Yuan said, "If Patriarch Xuanyue ascends to immortality, I'm afraid you will only be busier."
Yanshi froze for a moment, then snapped angrily, "You jinx! That's right—if that old thief ascends, he's bound to cause trouble, and who knows how many times I'll have to wipe his ass! Forget it, let him take his time. So, when do you plan to ascend?"
Wei Yuan was stunned. "This disciple is afraid it is still far off. There are countless hurdles along the way."
Yanshi glared at him. "It's merely ascending to immortality, the bare beginning of a ten-thousand-year journey. What's so hard about it? If you can't even manage that, why bother cultivating at all?"
What could Wei Yuan say? He could only reply, "Grandmaster's admonishment is well taken."
Yanshi gave a heavy snort. "If ascending isn't easy, then I'll give you a simple task. You, Zhang Sheng, and Liuli—the three of you will support one another and walk the immortal path together. How about that?"
Wei Yuan said, "That is this disciple's duty. I will naturally do my utmost."
"You'd better do your utmost," Yanshi said.
Wei Yuan nodded meekly. By now, he understood one thing clearly: the grandmaster was in a very foul mood. Whatever he said, one had best just listen.
Immortal Monarch Yanshi flicked a finger, and a point of light expanded, displaying the battle that had just concluded. But upon the battlefield were many things Wei Yuan had not seen. Several translucent figures drifted ceaselessly among the ranks. Approaching human cultivators one after another, they opened their mouths and inhaled, drawing out faint, transparent wisps from within the cultivators' bodies.
Once robbed of that transparent substance, the human cultivators became sluggish and dull-witted. Most were subsequently slain by the Liao Clan; a fortunate few suddenly plunged from the city wall, perishing without another sound.
Seeing those translucent figures, Wei Yuan's expression changed drastically. He clearly recalled one of those scenes: a late Dao Foundation cultivator had suddenly collapsed right before his eyes, tumbling outside the walls, only for more than ten sharp arrows to sprout from his body a moment later.
At the time, Wei Yuan had only felt a mild doubt, unable to fathom why an experienced Dao soldier captain fighting in prime form would suddenly collapse. In the heat of battle, Wei Yuan had assumed an old, hidden injury had flared up. He had never imagined someone had stolen the man's life right in front of him.
No wonder the casualties in this battle had been so catastrophic!
Wei Yuan had been unable to see those translucent figures, and they had deliberately steered clear of him. Next, Wei Yuan saw a woman with silver braids. She strolled across the battlefield as though walking through an uninhabited land; no one could see her, and she paid no heed to anyone else, walking straight up to Feng Tingyu.
At that moment, Feng Tingyu held the demonic saber, having just slain a rampaging Liao dharma idol head-on. At the demonic blade's urging, she had stabbed the corpse a few extra times.
The silver-haired Liao woman drew a short blade and thrust it into the back of Feng Tingyu's heart in a single stroke!
Feng Tingyu's eyes closed at once. Then, her leg flew up, striking the silver-haired woman's face from an impossible angle. Raising an arm to protect her head, the silver-haired woman parried Feng Tingyu's kick, then turned her blade around and drove the pommel into Feng Tingyu's thigh, carving out a wound the size of a broad bean.
Feng Tingyu whipped an arm across in a slap, finally landing a strike on the silver-haired woman's face. The woman had seemingly not expected to be hit; she struck back with her blade, stabbing Feng Tingyu several times in quick succession. This time, Feng Tingyu finally ceased moving.
She tossed Feng Tingyu into an empty, abandoned house, erected a barrier of immortal power to seal off the inside from the outside, and only then departed.
She had attempted to approach Ji Liuli as well, but the moment she drew near, a pagoda faintly materialized above Ji Liuli's head, and the young woman instantly looked around in vigilant guard.
Seeing no opportunity to strike, the silver-haired woman turned her gaze toward Wei Yuan. Above Wei Yuan's head, the massive head of a bird flickered in and out of view. With only a single eye open, it coldly surveyed everything in this world.
The bird head shifted its gaze, suddenly looking straight toward the Wei Yuan who was watching this scene! In that instant, Wei Yuan felt an extreme chill, loneliness, death, void, and an intense sense of threat.
This was the first time Wei Yuan had observed the shadow in the moon from an external perspective, yet the feeling it gave him now was completely different from before.
"The threat was meant for me, warning me to stay away from you. Hmph, that thing clearly doesn't put this seat in its eyes!" Immortal Monarch Yanshi fumed irritably.
"This... As for what it actually is, this disciple does not really know either."
Immortal Monarch Yanshi said, "Never mind you—even I checked the palace archives and failed to uncover its origin. I only know it definitely comes from some otherworldly realm of exceedingly high status. You needn't worry. You serve as its window into this world; whatever it wishes to do must be done through you. For now, it should try its best to help you."
"Who is that silver-haired woman? And what were those translucent figures? Why couldn't I see them at the time?" Wei Yuan asked.
Yanshi replied, "That Liao woman is likely a subordinate of that old bastard, the Worthy Prince of the Left—an expert probably cultivated only in recent years. Those translucent figures are representations manifested through my immortal power; in reality, they were that old dog's killing intent. It's only natural you couldn't see them."
Wei Yuan could not help but remark, "The Worthy Prince of the Left is an immortal after all. How could he stoop to targeting Dao Foundation cultivators? Isn't that a bit too shameless?"
Yanshi chuckled. "Didn't you say it yourself just recently? When two nations go to war, every means is fair game. What talk can there be of morals or principles?"
Immortal Monarch Yanshi paused briefly before continuing, "Qingming is an immortal stone and lies beneath the Shattered Lands. True Monarchs cannot manifest their forms there, and immortals are powerless to intervene. Empowered by the realm's might, you naturally enjoyed every advantage on the battlefield. But the battle just now is what war truly looks like. Many more grueling battles lie ahead. You must prepare yourself early."
Chapter 704