A Great Fortune, the Supreme Fantian Seal, a Trial?

Indeed, that character written in blood was none other than "Immortal"! The overwhelming pressure that had weighed upon him ever since stepping into the grand hall originated entirely from it. Lu Yuan stood where he was, his eyes gleaming with a flicker of astonishment. It was not just the power radiating from the character for "Immortal." Even more remarkable was what he discovered upon closer inspection: the blood looked as though it had just seeped from a living body. It showed no trace of drying, glistening with flecks of lustrous light. It might not have been brilliantly dazzling, but it seized the spirit and carried a vibrant, boundless vitality that remained imperishable despite the endless passage of time. "Legends say immortals can recline amidst the clouds for myriad millennia, calmly watching the ages pass in the mortal realm, deathless and eternal. Could this truly be the blood of an immortal left behind by one of the legends?" Lu Yuan murmured to himself, genuinely shaken. He understood that the entity who had left this character was certainly no ordinary being. Given its meaning, his mind naturally turned toward immortals—existences that transcended saints. Moreover, this place was intimately tied to the immortal Guangchengzi. The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. How else could a mere trace of blood remain so astonishing? With his thoughts settled, Lu Yuan composed his mind, drew a deep breath, and channeled the Ancestral Dragon Breathing Method. Within him, his internal organs resonated as golden qi and blood rose to hover over the surface of his skin. Only then did the crushing pressure ease somewhat. Choosing not to look at the character any longer, he slowly moved his feet. He turned his gaze to inspect other areas of the grand hall, finding more traces of blood and a variety of battle marks. Channeling his Martial Dao Heavenly Eye, wisps of an enigmatic aura surged straight into his mind, and he seemed to glimpse the past. He saw that in an era long ago, a fierce battle had erupted within this very hall. The clash had been extraordinarily tragic; many had fallen. Not even their corpses remained—only patches of blood, which had dried as the ages rolled on. "Battles... nothing but battles. It was like this in the East Sea Dragon Palace, and it is the same in Guangchengzi's Daoist sanctuary..." Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze, an inscrutable look surfacing in his eyes. Every time he entered these mythological secret realms and folded spaces, he made new discoveries. In particular, the structures atop Jade Emperor Peak on Mount Tai, which were suspected to belong to the ancient Heavenly Court, had also been shattered. Looking back now, was it not entirely possible that a massive war had taken place there as well? In that distant past, just what had happened? Lu Yuan's doubts deepened. He suddenly felt that perhaps the true crisis had not yet arrived. After all, even the Daoist sanctuary of the immortal Guangchengzi had suffered such a catastrophic battle. There was also the Shennong Altar... Everything seemed to hint at some unpredictable, looming crisis. After entering the hall, Lu Yuan felt this premonition even more acutely than before. Yet he merely observed in silence, sweeping his gaze across every corner in search of further secrets. In the end, however, he found nothing. There were no spirit fruits or exotic herbs; the hall stood entirely empty. It was unlike the East Sea Dragon Palace, which had held vast stores of resources, divine armaments, and sharp weapons. Thus, Lu Yuan finally turned his attention to the very center of the hall, where a Dao chart depicted the confluence of yin and yang. Unlike the charts commonly seen, there were no eight trigrams guarding the periphery—only the black and white twin fish, with nothing resting atop them. It was as if that immortal, Guangchengzi, had left behind nothing at all. Still, having come this far, Lu Yuan naturally had no intention of leaving empty-handed. It was impossible for this mythological secret realm to truly contain nothing. Enduring the pressure exerted by the character for "Immortal," Lu Yuan strode forward step by step. He halted only when he reached the exact center of the Yin-Yang twin fish diagram, then continued his observation. *Hum, hum—* Right at that moment, layers of light welled up beneath his feet, distinctly divided into black and white. The radiance posed no danger, intertwining and revolving like a pair of yin and yang fish. Lu Yuan knew his arrival had triggered some restriction, activating the Dao chart beneath him, though there was no telling what would appear in the end. As time passed, the light grew increasingly brilliant until characters began to emerge, one after another. Like raindrops, these characters fell before him and swiftly arranged themselves in neat order, forming a passage of text. Seeing this, Lu Yuan studied them closely and quickly grasped their meaning: *"I, Guangchengzi, sought the Dao for over ten thousand years, cultivating the mind, the body, and heaven and earth. At last, blessed by providence, I achieved modest success. Yet sensing that heaven and earth were on the verge of great upheaval and calamity was imminent, those of my generation naturally could not shirk our duty. Uniting with fellow Daoists, we threw all our strength into resisting the great tribulation. Yet in the end, we were powerless, leaving behind only a broken frame.*" *"Hence, I leave two objects in my Mount Kongtong sanctuary. That you could enter proves you are fated; you may choose one.*" *"Should you possess the ability to take both, that too shall be your fortune. May it be well!"* Though only three sentences, the amount of information they conveyed was staggering. The most critical revelation was the mention of the impending calamity and great tribulation. Yet in the end, it seemed they had failed. Furthermore, Guangchengzi had not fought alone; he had joined forces with others. One had to realize that Guangchengzi had likely already attained immortality, transcending above the level of saints. Those whom he addressed as fellow Daoists had to be entities standing at the very same realm. Yet so many mighty beings had still failed to withstand that great tribulation... Moreover, going by the words, Guangchengzi had lived for at least ten thousand years. As Lu Yuan read on, many thoughts surfaced in his mind. Back then, the Human Sovereign Shennong had conveyed a similar message on the stone stele. "Just what was it?" he murmured under his breath, feeling the fog grow thicker. What secrets were concealed in ancient times? Was Guangchengzi dead or alive? *Hum—* While he was lost in thought, the characters began to disperse. From the eyes of the yin and yang fish in the Dao chart, two distinct items slowly rose, hovering before Lu Yuan. One was a pure white jade slip, and the other was an azure seal. The seal was damaged, its surface covered in countless fractures as though it might shatter at any moment, and nearly half of it was missing. Yet Lu Yuan could distinctly feel a boundless energy contained within the seal. If unleashed, it would likely crush his physical body to powder. "Could... could this be the legendary Fantian Seal?" Astonishment colored his eyes, and he could not help but blurt out the question. The Fantian Seal was one of the most formidable dharma treasures in Guangchengzi's possession, wielding terrifying might. It was said that even immortals would perish if struck by it. That was precisely why even Lu Yuan was shaken. Its origin was simply too illustrious; it was recorded even in modern mythology. Now, he was seemingly looking upon the genuine article. He instinctively reached out, preparing to inspect it, but quickly caught himself and paused. He remembered Guangchengzi's words: he could choose only one. A look of helplessness flitted across Lu Yuan's face. He then shifted his gaze to the jade slip. The slip looked completely ordinary, far less captivating than the Fantian Seal, leaving him uncertain of its contents. Even so, he could make a rough guess; it was likely some visualization method or breathing method. After all, the Ancestral Dragon Breathing Method he had obtained back in the Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum had been inscribed upon a similar medium. "On one hand, an immortal's legacy; on the other, an immortal's supreme treasure..." Lu Yuan felt torn. Although Guangchengzi's message stated that taking both was permissible, doing so was clearly far from easy. He knew that an immortal of such stature, who had stepped forward to confront a great tribulation at a crucial hour, would not act maliciously to slaughter younger generations. Therefore, this had to be a trial of some sort; only by passing could one claim both. "A trial it is, then. There's no harm in trying." After turning the matter over in his mind, Lu Yuan extended both hands. One reached for the jade slip, and the other for the Fantian Seal. *Hum—* The moment his palms made contact with the two items, the character for "Immortal" on the distant iron wall suddenly blazed with blinding radiance. A magnificent, overpowering might instantly flooded the entire hall, bearing down directly upon Lu Yuan to crush him. The force was immense. Blood left behind by an immortal, now actively erupting, was all the more terrifying. *Thump, thump—* Inevitably, the entire hall began to shake, echoing with continuous rumbles. At that moment, Lu Yuan felt his physical body groaning under tremendous pressure. It was a strain unlike anything he had encountered since evolving and fusing the two divine items. It was truly terrifying, causing even his breath to hitch. Could mere blood left behind by an immortal be this formidable? And yet Guangchengzi had described it in his message as merely "modest success"? Lu Yuan felt helpless, but he did not give up, determined to press on. Naturally, if it truly proved impossible, there was no need to force it. In the end, he simply wanted to see how far he could go. *Buzz, buzz, buzz—* As time ticked by, the light emanating from the character for "Immortal" grew ever more intense, and the pressure mounted. Eventually, Lu Yuan felt the strain on his physical body approaching its absolute limit. If he persisted, he might inflict real harm upon himself. *Should I let go?* He frowned. *Decree—* Yet right at that instant, a grand, majestic voice suddenly resonated within his mind. It was the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token. Resonating with his innate spirit, it shot forth wisps of purple radiance. All at once, a mighty power that swept through the eight wildernesses with unrivaled supremacy surged directly from his body. *Rumble—* A crack of thunder resounded, like the Heavenly Emperor provoked to wrath by an insolent challenge. At the far end of the hall, the character for "Immortal" instantly shrank under this intimidation. It then withered, and even the blood lost its glow. The entire hall trembled once more, giving off a violent roar. As for Lu Yuan, he felt the pressure vanish completely, leaving both the jade slip and the seal firmly clasped in his hands. Meanwhile, outside the hall, the sequence prodigies of the three clans opened their eyes in unison. They discovered that the grand hall before them was actually shuddering, and an inexplicably powerful aura was surging directly out from within. "What is happening?" The Three-Headed Ghost Clan sequence rose to his feet, visibly startled. That aura just now had been extraordinarily potent; though it lasted only an instant, it had caused his very soul to tremble. The Origin Demon Clan sequence was no different, clenching his fists as he stared at the still-trembling hall. "It's the human, Lu Yuan," Lei Xuan spoke, his gaze razor-sharp and tinged with jealousy. "It has to be him. Inside, he has obtained the fortune and legacy left behind by the immortal Guangchengzi!"