"Does the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable have any connection to this abruptly emerging Severing Immortal Tower?"
"What was his ultimate objective in summoning sixteen Dao Integration experts to the Pitch-Black Star Sea?"
"And that cultivator I encountered when I first arrived in this debris field strewn with relic fragments... he was not from the Xuan Celestial Vessel. Another immortal cultivation civilization must exist here. Is it the Shang Celestial Vessel, or is it related to Chuanfa?"
...
Li Fan's train of thought was disrupted by violent energy fluctuations within Zhao Xian.
Above Zhao Xian's head, spiritual energy formed a vortex, violently pouring into his body.
Within his dantian, cracks spread across his slightly purplish Golden Core.
It seemed as though something was gestating within it.
After two months of frantic secluded cultivation, Zhao Xian stepped into the Nascent Soul realm!
Yet this Nascent Soul...
It was entirely unlike what Li Fan had read in the ancient texts of the Xuanhuang Realm.
Rather than an infant brimming with vital energy and Dao charm, it was a direct miniature of Zhao Xian himself.
In fact, it looked even more aged than Zhao Xian did.
Observing closely, Li Fan discovered a subtle mystery in the manifested age of this Nascent Soul.
"Is it a predetermined destiny? An innate constraint on Zhao Xian's ability to break through to the next realm? In other words, before reaching the age manifested by his Nascent Soul, Zhao Xian cannot break through to the Soul Formation realm?"
After a long while, Li Fan formed a faint deduction.
"Could this be considered... an alternative kind of bottleneck? I have never heard of such a thing in the records of the Xuanhuang Realm. I wonder if this predetermined span of years can be altered."
Having finally awakened from seclusion, Zhao Xian also noticed the abnormality of his Nascent Soul.
Advancing too quickly had left his mindset slightly shaken, and it took him quite a while to accept this reality.
He sought out Zhao Wuji in private to inquire.
"What? You formed a Nascent Soul?"
This time, Zhao Wuji was not merely shocked; he was thoroughly frightened.
The academy had not even concluded its deliberations regarding how to handle Golden Core Zhao Xian, yet he had already become a Nascent Soul cultivator!
Wouldn't all their prior discussions be rendered entirely moot?
"How could this be?"
It was only when Zhao Xian released the slightly older miniature from his body that Zhao Wuji was forced to believe it.
"Looking at your condition, you have hope of reaching Soul Formation within ten years. This..."
Zhao Wuji stared blankly for a moment, completely at a loss for words.
"No, this is beyond my authority to decide. I must report directly to the Academy Master." Zhao Wuji fled in haste, his retreating figure appearing utterly disheveled.
Li Fan's avatar seized the opportunity to temporarily transfer onto Zhao Wuji.
Zhao Xian was certain to undergo strict scrutiny shortly.
Since he was uncertain of the Dao Confirmation Academy's master's true strength, it was better to avoid facing him directly for now.
Zhao Wuji climbed all the way to the top floor of the academy and pushed open the door.
Three white-haired elders were present, all looking with slight surprise at Zhao Wuji's loss of composure.
"Zhao Xian has formed his Nascent Soul."
That single sentence caused all three elders' expressions to change slightly.
Just as Li Fan had anticipated, they could no longer spare any attention for Zhao Wuji, who had brought the news.
With a flicker of movement, their figures vanished, reappearing directly beside Zhao Xian.
When Zhao Wuji saw Zhao Xian again, seven days had already passed.
Though he had only recently formed his Nascent Soul, his aura had completely stabilized.
"The Academy Master retrieved the recorded projection of our meeting that day. Because of my impassioned words, he ultimately abandoned his original plan. Instead, he decided to genuinely nurture me."
"Talented people are not rare. Talented people who are unconditionally loyal are very rare,"
Zhao Xian said to Zhao Wuji.
Recalling what had transpired over the past few days, Zhao Wuji felt a profound sense of unreality.
"Still, Master, you weren't entirely wrong. Had I remained at the Golden Core realm, I fear I would have already been refined into a Dao Pill and swallowed by the Academy Master by now. Fortunately, I was one step faster, snatching life from the jaws of death. After all, the Academy Master has nearly reached the limit of his lifespan. The academy needs a successor as well," Zhao Xian transmitted in a whisper.
"This will also be the last time I call you Master."
Zhao Wuji watched Zhao Xian's departing figure, overcome with a deep sense of loss.
Li Fan's avatar, meanwhile, transferred back onto Zhao Xian.
As the successor to the academy, Zhao Xian's treatment had undergone an earth-shattering transformation compared to before.
Not only did he now reside on the academy's second-highest tier, but he was also granted access to many secrets that had previously been entirely out of reach.
For instance, the Xuan Celestial Vessel's true system of power.
One of the three academy elders, a cultivator named Yu Shuo, personally instructed Zhao Xian.
"Nascent Soul, Soul Formation, Dao Integration—these realms are actually nothing more than superficial appearances."
"Before the pervasive, lingering power of True Immortals that blankets the star sea, there is fundamentally no distinction between them."
"So-called greater strength merely allows one to cling to life a little longer."
"Those who ought to die will still die."
Seeing Zhao Xian's worldview shaken and his expression somewhat bewildered, Yu Shuo smiled and continued, "The reason our Dao Confirmation Academy is qualified to bear the words 'Dao Confirmation' is that we were the first to discover a method to avert the perils of True Immortal power and even harness it."
"We call it the Dao Entry Method."
"The Dao Entry Method?" Zhao Xian asked, still completely perplexed.
"Rumor has it that every True Immortal possesses their own unique Dao. The Pitch-Black Star Sea in which we reside is permeated with their unique power. For mortal flesh to avoid being affected by a True Immortal, one must use one's body to enter that Dao." As Yu Shuo spoke, a bizarre transformation occurred across his body.
His visage flickered without warning.
From a white-haired elder with a youthful complexion, he transformed into an innocent young boy, then abruptly shifted into an ambitious young man.
Not just his appearance, but his physique and aura were also constantly altering from moment to moment.
"Once you enter the Dao of a True Immortal, not only will you be spared from its harm, but you can also largely shut out the power of other True Immortals in the star sea." Yu Shuo reverted to his original appearance, speaking with a touch of pride.
"This is the very method employed by the Immortal Pivot Court and the vast majority of upper-echelon cultivators aboard the celestial vessel."
After a moment's contemplation, Zhao Xian keenly pointed out the crux of the matter.
"Does the Dao Entry Method have any flaws? Has that Severing Immortal Tower discovered a new way to utilize the power of True Immortals?"
Yu Shuo nodded, wearing the expression of an instructor pleased with a promising student.
"The power of True Immortals is not something just anyone can touch. If mortal cultivators wish to master it, not only do they face high demands regarding constitution and aptitude, but they must also advance step by step using specialized materials and methods. If an ordinary person is exposed to too much at once, only death and the dissolution of their Dao await them."
"Elder Yu, are you referring to realm-annihilation relics?" Recalling something abruptly, Zhao Xian quickly asked.
"Correct. Moreover, the relics that work best are those where the residual power of a True Immortal is on the verge of dissipating, at its absolute weakest."
"And the reason the Severing Immortal Tower could rival the Immortal Pivot Court in such a short time is reportedly because they have found a way to absorb realm-annihilation relics harmlessly and perfectly." Yu Shuo's tone carried a hint of skepticism.
Chapter 1227