"Later on, Lingshan tried many ways, hoping that by triggering the descent of Emperor's Flowing Dew, the world's spiritual energy would be replenished. During this time, we managed to secure several surges of spiritual energy; otherwise, Lingshan itself would have ceased to exist long ago." Wang Xingyi sighed softly. "The battle between immortals and Heavenly Fiends has never ceased over these past two thousand years."
He Lingchuan remained silent.
No wonder the immortals had vanished from the mortal realm, disappearing from the eyes of all living beings so long ago—it turned out that most of the time, they could barely look after themselves.
"Our adversary is Beijia, backed by the Heavenly Fiends. Therefore, Lingshan's operations always require an immortal presiding over them; not a single month can be without one."
He Lingchuan caught the key point immediately.
"You mean an immortal is stationed in Lingshan at all times?"
This, most likely, was the Mou Kingdom and Lingshan's greatest trump card when facing Beijia.
"Precisely," Wang Xingyi said solemnly. "Spiritual energy is thin, and it is exceedingly difficult for exalted immortals to linger in the mortal realm. Every so often, they must return to their grotto-heavens and blessed lands to recuperate and recover. Thus, Lingshan's resident immortals operate on a rotational system. Every few years, another exalted immortal must emerge from seclusion to stand guard, taking over the duties of their predecessor."
For a whole sixty-year cycle before this, not once had Emperor's Flowing Dew descended upon the mortal realm, causing spiritual energy to decline severely. Although the dew had erupted three times over the past two years, it remained far from enough for immortals.
They were like fish stranded out of water. They might not die immediately, but they lived in perpetual agony from the lack of water.
Therefore, the rotation system adopted by Lingshan was a helpless concession to their current environment.
"Sounds reasonable."
"And that brings me to the mission I wish to entrust to you." Wang Xingyi gave a bitter smile. "By rights, an immortal was supposed to end his seclusion three years ago to oversee Lingshan. But even after the opening period of his grotto-heaven expired, he never came out!"
"Uh." That sounded ominous. "Did Lingshan send people in to look for him?"
"Naturally. We sent two groups in, one after another, and both vanished like stones dropped into the ocean." Wang Xingyi shook his head. "Not only did the exalted immortal never show himself, but our operatives never came back out either."
"For Lingshan, this is a massive problem. With no successor arriving, the previous exalted immortal cannot return to his seclusion and must linger in the mortal world, waiting in torment. If this drags on, Lingshan's operations will be heavily disrupted." Wang Xingyi sighed. "What we fear even more is that something went wrong in the grotto-heaven, or that Beijia found the entrance..."
He added, "For all these years, Beijia has also been searching relentlessly for the immortals' hiding places."
"Have they ever succeeded?"
Wang Xingyi nodded, his expression grave.
"So, you want me to go in and find him?" He Lingchuan pointed at his own nose. "The first two groups went in and never came back, so I'm group number three?"
Wang Xingyi smiled. "Extraordinary matters must be entrusted to extraordinary men. He Xiao can sow chaos in the Heavenly Palace and stir turmoil in Lingxu City; he naturally possesses the fortune and skill to walk through danger as if it were level ground."
No matter how extravagant the praise, He Lingchuan instantly caught the underlying meaning:
Yes, exactly, you're group number three.
"Is it too late to say no?"
Wang Xingyi's smile didn't waver in the slightest. "A real man's word is his bond."
The terms had been negotiated, the promises given. Wanting to back out now? Too late.
Lingshan's ship was not one anyone could step off just because they felt like it.
He Lingchuan exhaled. "Sounds like a perilous place. Does National Preceptor Wang have any specific guidance for me?"
Hearing him accept the task, Wang Xingyi's smile gained a touch more sincerity. "Have you ever heard the saying, 'a world in a flower'? An immortal's grotto-heaven is an ever-shifting pocket realm whose underlying principles may be entirely different from the mortal world. The key to moving in and out freely is adapting to the laws of that realm."
He Lingchuan asked in confusion, "Since the grotto-heaven is so dangerous, wouldn't sending Beijia operatives in just be sending them to their deaths? What are you afraid of?"
Wang Xingyi remained silent for a moment before answering, "When immortals reside in grotto-heavens, they mostly hibernate or travel the Great Void in spirit, leaving only their physical bodies seated behind to minimize their consumption. Should an external enemy invade, the consequences would be catastrophic.
"For that reason, the hiding places of immortals have always been Lingshan's closest-guarded secret, never to be spoken of to outsiders."
The "outsider," He Lingchuan, immediately asked, "After an immortal's term in office, when they return to seclusion, do they return to the same grotto-heaven?"
"Not always. If an immortal can find a new grotto-heaven, they might relocate for safety. The exalted immortal you are to visit is known as Perfected Qianhuan. The last time he entered seclusion, he changed his location, and more than a hundred and fifty years have passed since."
He Lingchuan let out a breath. "How do I find him? You have to give me some clues, at least."
"Before entering seclusion, Perfected Qianhuan stated that the grotto-heaven he dwells in is called 'Sea-Sky Horizon.' It opens for only ten days every five years. The rest of the time, it remains sealed, with no entry or exit allowed."
A dwelling sealed in ordinary times? An immortal staying in such a sanctuary was truly safe.
"In other words, I have to enter and leave within those ten days?" He Lingchuan stroked his chin. "When does the dwelling open next?"
"On the full moon twenty months from now—the fifteenth day of the seventh month."
What a day to choose. "Where is Sea-Sky Horizon located? Surely Lingshan can find that much?"
"Perfected Qianhuan left behind a verse: A wisdom lamp illuminates the illusory sea; a silver pearl conceals the cavern's heart." Wang Xingyi said, "Based on this, Lingshan determined that Sea-Sky Horizon should be on Yinzhu Island in the Endless Sea. It is known as 'an island within the sea, a sea within the island.'"
"A sea within an island?" He Lingchuan murmured. "The Upside-Down Sea?"
"Precisely."
He Lingchuan could not help rubbing his forehead. "The Upside-Down Sea is the ancestral domain of the yin dragons, teeming with yin fiend energy. Why would Perfected Qianhuan choose to seclude himself there?"
If a fish wanted to hibernate, it would at least pick a quiet bay. Who would leap into a desert?
Yin fiend energy was harmful to living beings; even immortals avoided it.
Wang Xingyi immediately said, "Through the great cataclysms of heaven and earth, the yin fiend energy in the Upside-Down Sea has grown faint, and the yin dragons moved away long ago."
He Lingchuan fell silent for a moment. "Is it truly on Yinzhu Island? Are you certain?"
"The yin dragons left long ago, and islanders already reside on Yinzhu Island," Wang Xingyi said. "The exalted immortals of Lingshan believe the odds are eight or nine out of ten."
He Lingchuan said solemnly, "Very well. When the time comes, I'll make a trip to Yinzhu Island."
"Including you and me, fewer than five living people know this secret today," Wang Xingyi said gravely. "There is still some time before the dwelling opens. You can start making preparations."
He Lingchuan thought about it and asked, "Is this Perfected Qianhuan human?"
"No. He is a formidable mirage demon." Wang Xingyi listed several basic details about Perfected Qianhuan before clearing his throat lightly. "Therefore, you must exercise the utmost caution upon entering his dwelling. When I get back, I will compile a dossier and have Songyuan deliver it to you."
A mirage demon? He Lingchuan smiled wryly. Zhu Erniang's Pansi Island also had a mirage demon, and to this day, He Lingchuan had no idea what it actually looked like.
As for an ancient monster like Perfected Qianhuan, if it didn't want to see anyone, probably no one could ever find it.
This trip to Yinzhu Island was proving to be harder and harder by the second.
Chapter 1017