The Celestial Vessel Split in Two

"Zhao Xian!" Zhao Wuji huffed coldly when he saw this. Zhao Xian snapped back to his senses at once. "Tell me: what does the strife between Severing Immortal Tower and the Immortal Pivot Court have to do with why I sent you three on this mission?" Zhao Wuji asked with narrowed eyes. "Master is taking a stand, and extending an olive branch," Zhao Xian said listlessly. "This is the first time relics have been gathered since Severing Immortal Tower took over the Valley of Suppressed Guilt. Everyone is watching from the sidelines, waiting to see how Severing Immortal Tower's new methods hold up and whether they surpass the Immortal Pivot Court's longstanding traditions. Delivering useless relics to be repurposed... that was something that could be done in passing, yet Master insisted that the few of us make the trip in person. It both signals your stance to Severing Immortal Tower and serves as an explanation to those watching factions outside..." Zhao Wuji nodded repeatedly as he listened, quite pleased with Zhao Xian's analysis. Yet seeing the youth's indifferent expression, he still couldn't suppress a flare of anger. Just as he was about to speak, Zhao Xian took the initiative to cut in: "Master, I truly don't understand. The celestial vessel has already been reduced to such a state—why can't we unite instead of fighting one another to the death first?" Zhao Wuji's expression changed. He waved a large hand to prevent his disciple's voice from leaking outside. "You worthless pupil..." "Am I wrong?" Zhao Xian held his head high, showing no fear at all. A discipline ruler suddenly appeared in Zhao Wuji's hand. He raised it high, about to bring it down on Zhao Xian's head, but in the end, he stayed his hand. "Xian'er, you don't understand. "This Xuan Celestial Vessel must have—and can only ever have—a single helmsman. The tragedy of years past already demonstrated the terrible consequences that ensue when the highest decision-makers cannot unify." Zhao Wuji let out a long sigh. Hearing this, Zhao Xian looked dejected and offered no further rebuttal. "You may withdraw," Zhao Wuji said, his enthusiasm suddenly waning. "Don't go out in the near future. Stay obediently in the academy and cultivate. Since your master has already chosen a side, all that remains is to wait for them to decide a victor. Even if Severing Immortal Tower truly loses, the Immortal Pivot Court wouldn't dare do much to our Dao Confirmation Academy. At most, they will cut some of our resource allocations." The three disciples obeyed and departed, returning to their respective quarters. The name "Dao Confirmation Academy" sounded rather domineering. Yet Zhao Xian's residence was overly spartan. There was no trace of it being a resting place for an immortal cultivator, only a single room barely large enough to live in. The only praiseworthy aspect was that the spiritual energy density inside was noticeably higher than in other areas of the celestial vessel. It was more than adequate for cultivation below the Golden Core stage. After shutting the door and skillfully sealing it with restrictions, a flicker of excitement crossed Zhao Xian's eyes. He rummaged under the bed and retrieved a book-shaped magical artifact. Just as he was about to use it, he suddenly lost consciousness and fell into a deep sleep. Li Fan's divided soul slowly manifested. He took the book-shaped artifact. "Hmm... rather similar to the Heavenly Profound Mirror. It connects to the celestial vessel's information network and allows one to exchange academy contribution points for corresponding resources. However, it is restricted to the interior of the Dao Confirmation Academy and cannot connect to other areas of the celestial vessel." Li Fan shook his head and tossed the so-called Record of Myriad Curiosities aside. Then, turning into a wisp of blue-green smoke, he slipped into Zhao Xian's consciousness. How could a mere youth at the Qi Condensation stage resist Li Fan's prying? Before long, all of Zhao Xian's secrets from childhood to the present had been laid completely bare before him. Though Zhao Xian shared the surname Zhao with Zhao Wuji, they had no blood relation. Zhao Wuji doted on Zhao Xian entirely because of the youth's strong cultivation talent. Having arrived at the Dao Confirmation Academy just one year ago, Zhao Xian had already reached the late Qi Condensation stage. While such cultivation speed was hardly worth mentioning in the Xuanhuang Realm, within this celestial vessel, it was already extraordinary. Cultivation resources on the celestial vessel were limited; even the Dao Confirmation Academy scraped by on tight rations and could only prioritize providing for disciples of exceptional talent. Every three school years, an elimination system weeded out those at the bottom. Anyone whose progress lagged behind had to leave the academy, either returning home to live as an unattached rogue cultivator, or accepting an appointment from the Immortal Pivot Court to serve in various posts across the vessel. It was precisely this ruthless elimination system that kept the Dao Confirmation Academy constantly sharp and vibrant. It was not just disciples who faced expulsion; Nascent Soul stage cultivators like Zhao Wuji also endured immense pressure. If the disciples one taught were mediocre, it indicated a lack of teaching ability. Without strong backing, one would be removed from teaching posts and reassigned to other positions that carried a degree of danger. For that very reason, the atmosphere throughout the Dao Confirmation Academy was exceedingly stifling. No one knew when they might be forced out. Zhao Xian, however, was an exception. Perhaps owing to his natural temperament, he possessed no great obsession with staying at the Dao Confirmation Academy, and his enthusiasm for cultivation was tepid at best. Outsiders believed that reaching late Qi Condensation in a single year was the fruit of bitter, dedicated effort, but only he knew it was the result of slacking off—working one day and loafing the next—without investing much energy at all. Zhao Xian's greatest passion was combing through the Record of Myriad Curiosities for bizarre tales and legends. The origins of the celestial vessel, everything regarding the ancient cultivation world, the endless astral sea beyond the vessel... he was fascinated by all of it. Li Fan carefully read through what the boy had gathered over the past year. Not only was it gleaned from the Record of Myriad Curiosities, but some had also come from asking the academy elders. "In ancient times, the celestial vessel was once intact. However, after abruptly suffering an astral sea realm-annihilation calamity and internal strife breaking out, the vessel fractured and split into two. "One was named 'Xuan,' and the other 'Shang.' "This one is the Xuan Celestial Vessel." ... Pausing, Li Fan continued reading. "For a long period after the celestial vessel broke apart, it drifted aimlessly through the astral sea during a chaotic era of complete loss of control. "The population plummeted during that time as well, with nearly nine out of ten perishing in that era. "It was not until the vessel finally stabilized that it found itself within this sea of relics. "From then on, it never left... "Though it can maneuver within a localized area, it lacks the power to escape the binding force that encircles the periphery of the relics." ... Looking at the celestial vessel people's name for that attractive force, Li Fan fell into deep thought. "'Reverberating Astral Force'? "What is the meaning behind the word 'reverberating'?" Zhao Xian was merely a Qi Condensation cultivator; being able to learn this much was already thanks to his shameless persistence in pestering academy seniors. The origin of the Reverberating Astral Force was truly beyond what he could know. Li Fan could only put the question aside for now and turn his thoughts to the next step of his plan. His divided soul was far too weak. Only by bringing his sacred embryo inside would he have sufficient leeway to maneuver. The sole issue to resolve was the residual power of the True Immortal seal characters. Li Fan immediately thought of the talisman Severing Immortal Tower had used earlier.