With the announcement of Gan Jingda's resolution, the atmosphere of the assembly reached its zenith.
An intact cultivation realm brimming with abundant resources—something that had previously existed only in the fantasies of the celestial vessel's populace—now seemed well within reach. How could this fail to invigorate their spirits?
Prior to the assembly, the vast majority of cultivators aboard the Xuan Celestial Vessel knew of the Xuanhuang Realm only through that captured flying boat that had arrived from it. Following the assembly, they began voraciously poring over any and all records concerning Xuanhuang.
The Xuan Celestial Vessel possessed an ancient lineage. Though it had suffered the tragic catastrophe of being split in two, its heritage had never truly been severed.
Ten days after the conclusion of the council, following collaborative compilation by the Severing Immortal Tower, the Immortal Pivot Court, the Dao Confirmation Academy, and the various prominent clans of the vessel, a detailed report regarding the Xuanhuang Realm was produced.
The material provided by the Severing Immortal Tower comprised the lion's share of the report, sourced from the confession of their captive, the Dao Integration cultivator Blue Feather.
The contributions from the Immortal Pivot Court and other factions derived from surviving records of several visits the Xuanshang Celestial Vessel had paid to the Xuanhuang Realm before the astral calamity descended.
At a small-scale council of the Xuan Celestial Vessel's upper echelons, copies of this Xuanhuang report were distributed to everyone.
Though Li Fan lacked sufficient standing, he attended in tow as Ai Tianjue's disciple.
"At present, it remains uncertain what degree the astral sea's upheaval will reach three years from now. Thus, whether we can mount an expedition to Xuanhuang requires further observation. Yet this does not preclude us from making preparations in advance."
"Please, everyone, look here..."
A mild-mannered man named Lu Yuzhi—ranked fifth among the Severing Immortal Tower's six Dao Entry cultivators—provided the summary for the gathered crowd.
"In ancient times, our Xuanshang Celestial Vessel visited the Xuanhuang Realm on three separate occasions. One was an official visit, where we were warmly received by Xuanhuang. The other two were clandestine visits made to gather resources. At the time, the Xuanhuang Realm possessed two local specialties of priceless value even across the entire astral sea: the Ruomu Fruit, and immortal realm-bestowed artifacts."
"This Ruomu Fruit contains the most primordial laws of life of the Xuanhuang Realm. Upon consuming it, a cultivator can substantially extend their lifespan."
"As for these immortal realm-bestowed artifacts..."
Lu Yuzhi paused briefly, and Li Fan could detect a faint tremor in his voice.
"According to records, the Xuanhuang Realm was one of the few cultivation realms in ancient times capable of maintaining the most frequent contact with the Immortal Realm. Consequently, a considerable number of bestowed immortal artifacts remained there. Over the passage of time, some of these immortal artifacts gradually became ownerless. There were cultivators across the astral sea who specifically traveled to the Xuanhuang Realm to secretly gather information on these lost immortal artifacts, seeking exorbitant profits.
"Though the odds of success were infinitesimal, there were indeed a few who succeeded. Our celestial vessel's two covert visits were actually made to receive those who had pulled it off."
Lu Yuzhi's words immediately caused a stir in the chamber.
Even among the upper ranks of the celestial vessel, some had never heard such secrets.
"Of the two immortal artifacts we retrieved from the Xuanhuang Realm, one was resold before the astral calamity arrived. The other fell into the hands of the Shang Celestial Vessel during the vessel's schism back then," Lu Yuzhi said with deep regret.
Everyone's breath caught, their faces displaying looks of bitter resentment.
Gan Jingda, Second Elder of the Severing Immortal Tower, cleared his throat lightly to quell the murmurs in the hall and signaled Lu Yuzhi to continue.
"Though the immortal artifacts brought out of the Xuanhuang Realm are no longer in our possession, a Ruomu Fruit is still preserved within our vessel."
After Lu Yuzhi made a brief request, the representative attending from the Immortal Pivot Court cast several hand seals.
Amid radiating beams of light, a round, translucent fruit resembling white jade appeared before everyone's eyes.
Even sealed beneath layers of restrictions, the cultivators present could still feel the surging vitality emanating from this Ruomu Fruit.
To the vessel's cultivators, who had long suffered from severe resource scarcity, this was an immense temptation. Even though those gathered here were all high-ranking figures of the vessel, none had ever enjoyed such a treasure.
The vast majority stared intently at the Ruomu Fruit, swallowing hard.
Li Fan observed it just as closely.
*A familiar aura.*
*It does indeed come from Ruomu. Yet the vibrant vitality permeating the fruit is something the current Ruomu could never produce. It seems the injuries Ruomu suffered back then were truly severe.*
*Moreover...*
Li Fan's heart stirred. He noticed that faint wisps of vitality seemed to emanate from the Ruomu Fruit and vanish into thin air—or rather, flow into the void.
Lu Yuzhi said in a deep voice, "Everyone should understand that over the past ten thousand years, the vitality of this Ruomu Fruit has been continuously dissipating. Although past generations of our vessel have employed numerous secret arts to greatly slow its escape, we could never truly halt the process."
Someone in the hall marveled, "Even after ten thousand years of dissipation, the vitality nurtured within is still so potent. It is truly unimaginable what the original Ruomu Fruit was like."
"No wonder it was called a priceless treasure across the entire astral sea."
"Hmm, strange. How could those old fogies in the Immortal Pivot Court hold themselves back and not swallow such a treasure directly?"
Amid the flurry of discussion, someone grasped the crucial point of Lu Yuzhi's introduction of the Ruomu Fruit.
"Brother Lu, do you mean to say that the vitality dissipating from this Ruomu Fruit is returning to the Xuanhuang Realm?"
At those words, the room instantly fell silent. Looking at the Ruomu Fruit in unison, their eyes held an entirely different meaning beyond mere greed and longing.
Lu Yuzhi nodded. "Precisely!"
"The astral sea is boundless. Even the Xuanhuang cultivator Blue Feather whom we captured cannot remember the route back. But through this Ruomu Fruit, we can pinpoint the precise location of the Xuanhuang Realm across the vast astral sea!"
Following a brief silence, fervent discussion erupted once more.
"Does the Xuanhuang Realm still possess Ruomu Fruits today? If every one of us could have one, the taste would truly be beyond imagination..."
"No wonder the people of the Immortal Pivot Court never consumed it. Fine as the treasure is, it is inextricably entangled with the origin power of another cultivation realm. For other cultivators, that might be fine, but for the rulers of our celestial vessel, it is absolutely out of the question—unless one is willing to surrender their seat of power."
"Wait, could there truly be such a convenient coincidence? Furthermore, the way this fruit's vitality drifts toward its world of origin seems a bit too deliberate. Could this fruit actually be bait meant to lure entities from the astral sea to be hunted?"
...
The crowd debated endlessly, and Lu Yuzhi, as host, made no move to stop them.
Instead, he closed his eyes in contemplation.
Only when the hall quieted down again did Lu Yuzhi resume his summary: "From the memories of Blue Feather, we have ruled out the possibility of a trap. Even if a conspiracy surrounding the Ruomu Fruit existed in antiquity, there is no need to worry about the present Xuanhuang Realm. Although Xuanhuang survived the great astral catastrophe, it also underwent unimaginable upheavals.
"Today, the Xuanhuang Realm exists under the joint rule of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals and the Five Elders Association..."
Lu Yuzhi gave everyone a detailed rundown of the Xuanhuang Realm's current situation.
"Wait, why is this Xuanhuang Realm so much larger in scale than what is recorded in our Xuan Celestial Vessel's archives?"
"Preliminary assessments suggest that survivors of the astral sea joined forces to resist the suction of the Immortal Ruins. In my view, the so-called Xuanhuang Realm would be more appropriately termed the 'Land of Realm Survivors.'"
"In that case, Xuanhuang must have hidden masters lurking in the shadows—certainly far more than just Chuanfa, the five Longevity Heavenly Venerables, and others on the surface."
"Defying the principles of Heaven and Earth to achieve Longevity... Quite interesting indeed. Binding oneself to a world does grant a lifespan ordinary cultivators can never hope to reach. One's strength can even grow alongside the world's prosperity. Pity that once outside their realm, their power weakens drastically. And when the world is destroyed, they have no choice but to perish alongside it."
The gathering solemnly reviewed the Xuanhuang records.
"Let us not forget that numerous immortal realm-bestowed artifacts exist within the Xuanhuang Realm. The Heavenly Profound Mirror of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals is evidently one of them. Do other immortal artifacts exist within the Alliance? If we launch an expedition, we must take this factor into account. I trust everyone understands how formidable the power of a True Immortal is. Can we truly triumph so easily?"
"In my view, there is no need to resort to slaughter. Blue Feather's memories show that Xuanhuang's resources are quite abundant. Our celestial vessel is, at most, equivalent to less than half a province of the Alliance. We could very well employ trade to acquire what we need."
"Indeed. Even if we cannot conquer the Xuanhuang Realm, exploring the so-called Immortal Ruins would be of great benefit to us. Such surging True Immortal power... Perhaps there might even be complete True Immortal seal characters within!"
"Alas, I urge everyone to be more cautious. We may covet Xuanhuang's various resources, but isn't Xuanhuang just as desperate to break free from the shackles of the Immortal Ruins? For them, isn't our Xuan Celestial Vessel just as juicy a piece of fat meat?"
...
Whether to journey afar to Xuanhuang was a monumental decision capable of completely altering the vessel's destiny. In the short term, reaching a conclusion was difficult. Due to historical reasons, no one present proposed sending a detached force as a probing vanguard.
The Xuan Celestial Vessel, from top to bottom, had to advance and retreat as one. It could not endure a second schism.
The council resolved to reconvene in thirty days to reach a final decision.
After the crowd gradually dispersed, only nine cultivators remained behind:
Four from the Severing Immortal Tower, three from the Immortal Pivot Court, one from the Dao Confirmation Academy, and one from the Celestial Vessel Star Forging Workshop.
Li Fan, being merely a direct disciple, lacked the qualification to sit among them and waited outside.
Gan Jingda pointed lightly with his finger, and an image promptly materialized before them:
A beam of sword light tore across the firmament.
Sixteen characters shone brilliantly against the canopy of heaven:
*At the astral sea's far end, beneath the High Wall, the Xuanshang Celestial Vessel floats across the calamity.*
Gan Jingda said slowly, "What do you all make of this?"
"This transmission method... Wujiang?" Nangong Lie of the Dao Confirmation Academy wore a solemn expression.
"Has a traitor emerged aboard our vessel?"
"Not necessarily. It could also be that group who rebelled and fled back then. Are they trying to shift disaster eastward and reap the spoils of the fisherman?"
"Regardless, in the face of absolute strength, all conspiracies and schemes are mere illusions. The only thing we need consider is whether it is worth it."
...
They discussed the future of the Xuan Celestial Vessel back and forth.
Outside the council chamber, Li Fan had not left early, waiting for his master.
Looking down at the structures scattered across the celestial vessel's Divine Tree, his thoughts were focused on the Ruomu Fruit that had been shown during the council.
*The vitality of the Ruomu Fruit does indeed dissipate toward the Xuanhuang Realm. But it is not through ordinary means; rather, it involves the level of the astral sea itself.*
*Relying on its vitality to lock onto Xuanhuang's coordinates... is utterly impossible.*
*They are lying. They must be relying on another method.*
Several possibilities crossed Li Fan's mind, but at present, he had not reached the celestial vessel's true inner circle.
He could not pinpoint the correct answer.
As he pondered, a transmission interrupted his thoughts.
"Brother Zhao, come quickly!"
It was a voice transmission from Wang Hai, who also studied under Ai Tianjue.
Under normal circumstances, Wang Hai rarely took the initiative to seek Li Fan out. To be so urgent this time, there had to be something truly important.
Li Fan no longer waited for Ai Tianjue, turning back immediately to head toward Wang Hai's residence.
"Brother Zhao, take a look at this."
"The vessel's report actually contains such a massive oversight."
Wang Hai had not attended the council, but he had already obtained the Xuanhuang report jointly compiled by the vessel's various factions.
Squinting, Li Fan looked over and saw that Wang Hai held an archaic-looking jade slip.
And the contents recorded within took Li Fan quite by surprise.
"...At this point, the Xuan Celestial Vessel had reached its most critical juncture of life and death. To resolve the survival of the vessel's cultivators at the time, the sole remaining immortal artifact aboard the vessel was finally employed.
"The Seed of Transformation.
"As a black, ordinary-looking seed was planted, a divine tree took root and sprouted atop the vessel's shattered hull.
"It was precisely through the reinforcement of the Divine Tree that the severed half of the vessel gradually regained stability.
"As the saying goes, every sip and peck is predestined. Who could have imagined that an immortal artifact from the Xuanhuang Realm, once deemed devoid of trade value, would ultimately become the vessel's saving grace..."
After Li Fan finished reading, he saw that the contents of the jade slip were a historical record and reflective essay written after the vessel's schism.
"Where did you get this?" Li Fan asked, slightly startled.
"Where from? Handed down by my ancestors, of course!" Wang Hai replied indignantly, finding the question bizarre.
"When I was young, I read through all the jade slips in my family's collection, so I had some impression of this passage. The celestial vessel's Divine Tree clearly came from the Xuanhuang Realm, yet this report claims the vessel has no surviving immortal artifacts..."
Seeing Li Fan's somewhat peculiar look, Wang Hai quickly explained, "I know there must be something fishy going on here, so I haven't spread the word. Isn't that why I invited you over?
"I just wanted to see if pointing out this error would count toward 'error correction' merits. If it doesn't count, just pretend I never brought it up."
The so-called "error correction" merit was one of the most significant categories of merit that cultivators of the Xuan Celestial Vessel could accumulate. If one discovered and pointed out errors within the vessel's inherited scriptures and archives during cultivation and study, or proposed suggestions that led to improvements, they could receive extraordinarily generous rewards.
Over countless years, the celestial vessel had not remained stagnant; it was through the wisdom of successive generations of cultivators that it had survived in the astral sea to this day.
Returning the jade slip, Li Fan replied directly, "In my view, this is not an error, but rather the vessel intentionally concealing the connection between the Divine Tree and the Xuanhuang Realm."
"Why would they do that? There's completely no need..." Wang Hai was bewildered.
Li Fan displayed for him the sixteen characters from Blue Feather's memories.
"Ah, I remember now."
"The reason the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals dispatched a flying boat to the far end of the astral sea," Wang Hai murmured thoughtfully.
Li Fan whispered, "This is the Wujiang transmission method, a secret art of our celestial vessel."
Wang Hai gasped in shock. He began to say something more, but Li Fan stopped him.
"The celestial vessel's Divine Tree came from Xuanhuang; could Xuanhuang cultivators still retain methods to control it?
"The Divine Tree saved the vessel, yet we contemplate invading the very cultivation realm that provided it. Wouldn't that be repaying kindness with enmity?
"If the truth were made public, it would inevitably create widespread misgivings across the vessel. Rather than stirring unrest, it is better to conceal it. In any case, so many years have passed that few remember what happened back then," Li Fan explained.
"And there might even be Xuanhuang spies aboard the vessel. If this secret were discovered by them, it would be severely detrimental to us," Wang Hai realized, transmitting his voice.
Li Fan nodded in agreement.
"Sigh, what a shame. I thought I'd finally managed to uncover an error," Wang Hai muttered dejectedly.
"You need not worry. The astral upheaval approaches. As the lingering True Immortal power in the astral sea gradually activates, comprehending the True Immortal seal characters will surely become much easier," Li Fan consoled him, his expression unreadable.
...
*The Seed of Transformation?*
In the Xuanhuang Realm, Li Fan's divine sense attached to Sun Tianci of the Sun Clan searched his memory for clues related to those words.
*The name doesn't match, but the appearance is strikingly similar to the relic left behind after the annihilation of the Divine Wood Sect in the records.*
Li Fan pondered.
The Divine Wood Sect had been one of the ancient immortal sects of the Xuanhuang Realm.
It existed in the same era as the Desolate God Sect and the Reincarnation Sect, during the great age of cultivation before the immortal path was severed.
The Mountain Sitting Art with which Li Fan was well acquainted originated precisely from this sect.
Within the Divine Wood Sect grew an otherworldly divine wood that, through continuous growth, came to threaten the existence of Ruomu.
Conflict erupted between the two sides.
In the end, the Divine Wood Sect was destroyed, vanishing forever into the river of history.
Beyond Ruomu being at the pinnacle of its life and immensely powerful, and the assistance of many other cultivators, the defeat of the Divine Wood Sect had a far more pivotal cause—much like that of the Desolate God Sect: the Divine Wood Sect's connection to the Immortal Realm was inexplicably severed, leaving its many methods unusable.
After the sect fell, that otherworldly divine wood was completely destroyed.
Only a few relics remained, carved up among the various sects of the era.
One treasure resembling a tree seed was virtually identical to the Seed of Transformation described in the Xuan Celestial Vessel's records.
"No wonder there were never any further records of it in the Xuanhuang Realm.
"It turns out it had long since been sold to the Xuanshang Celestial Vessel.
"Cultivators deduced back then that planting this seed would give birth to another otherworldly divine tree. But at that time, Ruomu had just achieved a resounding victory. Even if planted, it would inevitably face Ruomu's reckoning. It was completely pointless. Furthermore, the Xuanhuang Realm could no longer accommodate a second divine tree.
"Because it held virtually no value, cultivators gradually ignored it.
"If I am not mistaken, the vessel's Divine Tree—grown from the sprout of the Seed of Transformation—must share an unseen connection with that otherworldly divine wood of the Divine Wood Sect. When the otherworldly divine wood fell in battle back then, its body was destroyed, and its essence was absorbed by Ruomu...
"The Xuan Celestial Vessel must be using this method to lock onto the Xuanhuang Realm's position from across the void.
"..."
"Vast as the astral sea is, all things remain faintly connected.
"Looking at it this way, the Xuan Celestial Vessel is all but certain to come to Xuanhuang. When that time comes, they might even arrive right in the middle of the war between the Sacred Emperor and the Alliance, stepping in to meddle. How interesting!"
A smile surfaced in his heart. *In that case, let me add more fuel to the fire!*
Within an endless space of darkness, over a hundred horrific, illusory ghosts and deities drifted across the air, howling unceasingly.
Beneath these ghastly apparitions sat a woman with disheveled hair, eyes closed in meditation.
Though her face appeared serene, the profound, extreme resentment deep within her heart was faintly discernible.
She was none other than the wife of Sun Ang, the host whose body Li Fan's true self occupied—Wu Ninglu!
During her Dao Integration, she had been used as a sacrifice by the Sun Clan to fulfill Sun Tianci's peerless innate talent of being born at the Dao Integration realm.
At the brink of death, only a sliver of her remnant consciousness had been rescued by Li Fan, who bestowed upon her the Three Disasters and Hundred Tribulations Bright God Technique.
"Your cultivation is too slow!"
"After all this time, you have only formed three hundred and sixty-four spirits with the Three Disasters and Hundred Tribulations Bright God Technique..."
"What a useless waste!"
"Look at what stage your precious son has reached now!"
Mocking her, Li Fan waved a hand to project an image of Sun Tianci.
In the projection, Sun Tianci appeared only five or six years old.
Yet before him stood three adult Dao Integration cultivators waiting in solemn readiness.
"Please grant us instruction!"
Without wasting words, the three Dao Integration cultivators joined forces to launch a siege against Sun Tianci.
None of the three was weak; one had consumed an Essence of Heaven and Earth in the form of a bizarre and treacherous black mist.
Yet when their techniques neared Sun Tianci, they were quietly neutralized and dissolved into nothingness.
Li Fan explained derisively, "Do you understand what this represents?
"Your precious son's comprehension of the laws of Heaven and Earth has reached an appalling level. The attacks launched by Dao Integration cultivators using their Essences of Heaven and Earth were all effortlessly converted by him into primordial law power and returned to the world of Xuanhuang! If they keep fighting like this, all three Dao Integration cultivators risk regressing in realm..."
Matching Li Fan's words, before long, the three Dao Integration cultivators in the projection looked exceedingly grim and ceased their assault. Cupping their hands, they conceded defeat to Sun Tianci.
Sun Tianci politely returned the courtesy.
The projection snapped shut.
Wu Ninglu, who had remained calm until now, suddenly went mad.
"It's mine! All of that was supposed to be mine!"
"I hate them! How I hate them! The Sun Clan—every last one of them deserves to die!"
She cursed incessantly.
Li Fan merely stated in a cold voice, "Even if you curse until your soul shatters, it will not affect them in the slightest.
"It seems I truly blundered, nurturing such a piece of trash!"
Wu Ninglu gradually recovered from her frenzy.
Though she could not see Li Fan's concealed divine sense, it did not stop her from kowtowing and begging.
"Senior, help me! I am willing to give anything! As long as the Sun Clan and that little bastard pay the price..." Wu Ninglu gritted her teeth.
"Give? With just you?" Li Fan retorted disdainfully.
Faced with Li Fan's naked mockery, the hundred fiendgods Wu Ninglu had refined trembled slightly, as if ready to go berserk at any moment.
Yet she forcibly suppressed them.
Wu Ninglu continued to beg with weeping blood.
Li Fan looked at those fiendgods, which glared malevolently at him even under suppression, and smiled faintly. "You still have some backbone, at least.
"Besides, I personally enjoy watching a good show. Helping you isn't out of the question!"
Ecstasy flashed across Wu Ninglu's face.
"However, you must first change this wretched form of yours that disgusts both men and ghosts."
Li Fan's avatar suddenly emerged as a blurred figure from the darkness, pressing a hand atop Wu Ninglu's head.
Her body, composed of shadows, immediately billowed with endless plumes of white smoke.
She screamed agonizingly and collapsed limp to the ground.
Her earlier pleas to this senior instantly morphed into vicious curses directed at Li Fan.
"Hehehe..."
Li Fan turned a deaf ear, never loosening his grip.
The hundred fiendgods Wu Ninglu had refined tried to charge at him.
Yet the moment they drew near Li Fan's avatar, they were abruptly sucked into his body and vanished without a trace.
Without exception.
Because of their assault on Li Fan, the hundred fiendgods Wu Ninglu had painstakingly refined were reduced in an instant to a mere handful.
Shivering, they dared not advance another inch.
With her life's work devastated and her body tormented, Wu Ninglu wailed, yet she still did not cease struggling.
*Truly a remnant born purely of hatred...*
Li Fan marveled inwardly, but quickened the pace of his transformation.
After an unknown length of time, Wu Ninglu's screams gradually subsided.
Her originally sinister and terrifying form came to look no different from a normal human.
"With your original ghostly look, you would have been casually purified before you could even get close to your son.
"If you want to deal with him, you must target his weakness.
"No matter how peerless a prodigy he is, he remains a pitiful wretch who grew up without parents.
"He longs deeply for the familial affection he has always lacked. So you shall first learn how to be a proper mother."
Sneering, Li Fan poured countless images into Wu Ninglu's mind.
Gradually, Wu Ninglu's features softened.
She truly looked like a gentle, loving mother.
Yet only Li Fan could see the blazing, indelible hatred burning deep within her eyes.
And outside this dark space,
in a place beyond Wu Ninglu's perception,
"Master, how was my performance just now?" Sun Tianci asked the Li Fan residing deep within his sea of consciousness.
"You could have done better. Did you hesitate?" Li Fan rebuked him mildly.
Sun Tianci admitted candidly, "It was merely a spar. In a battle to the death, in that brief moment, I would have stripped away thirty percent of their cultivation."
"Did you sense the mood of Heaven and Earth?" Li Fan asked again.
A hint of guilt flashed across Sun Tianci's face. "Not yet."
"No matter. The enmity of Heaven and Earth toward cultivators of the new method cannot be reversed in a single instant. Continue seeking out Dao Integration cultivators across the realm under the pretext of sparring. With your talent, you will soon alter Heaven and Earth's disposition toward you," Li Fan said calmly.
Chapter 1288