The chasm separating celestial from mortal was vast, not something that could be crossed by willpower and thought alone. The Immortal Celestial had not truly attained the level of a celestial; he was only at the Tribulation Transcendence stage.
Although possessing only a soul and no physical body meant he could hardly be considered a complete Tribulation Transcendence cultivator, his possession of a rudimentary Immortal Dao fruit made up for any deficiency in raw combat power.
Had any ordinary Tribulation Transcendence cultivator encountered the Immortal Celestial within a spiritual space, they would have been forced onto the defensive. Unfortunately for him, he had run straight into the genuine Immortal Fairy.
Before a true Dao fruit, a rudimentary Dao fruit could not muster even a fraction of its might.
After receiving a harsh lesson, the Immortal Celestial realized that he was most likely not a true celestial at all, but merely an imitation of the Immortal Fairy.
"As for how this Dao fruit came to be, Senior, what are your thoughts?" Yun Zhi directed the question to the Immortal Fairy.
The Immortal Fairy had been pondering this very matter just now. Bringing out that cluster of golden light, she said, "My initial assessment was not mistaken. This thing can barely be called an Immortal Dao fruit, though it falls far short of maturity; it is merely a rudimentary form.
"The principle behind its appearance should be the same as this lad's—both were brought into existence through thought and belief."
Curious, Lu Yang asked, "Can a Dao fruit really be conjured purely through thought? Wouldn't becoming an immortal be remarkably simple then?"
The Immortal Fairy shook her head, correcting his misconception. "It isn't a Dao fruit, but a rudimentary Dao fruit. Setting aside that this fruit is the product of over ten thousand years of accumulation by the Immortal Cult, producing even a rudimentary Dao fruit through thought alone carries tremendous limitations."
A Dao fruit was the hallmark of attaining immortality, an ultimate creation capable of altering the laws of the world. Its true nature lay far beyond Lu Yang's present comprehension, not something he could currently grasp.
"There is a world of difference between a rudimentary Dao fruit and a true Dao fruit. If I wished, I could conjure as many rudimentary Immortal Dao fruits as I pleased, but there will only ever be one true Immortal Dao fruit—mine."
At this point, a confident smile surfaced on the Immortal Fairy's face. She believed her Immortal Dao fruit was the strongest of all, far superior to the Dao fruits of Immortal Ying Tian and the others.
As for rudimentary Dao fruits, in her eyes, they were crude parlor tricks beneath notice.
"Yet a rudimentary Dao fruit possesses the potential to replace a true Dao fruit."
Yun Zhi's remark doused the Immortal Fairy's pride like a bucket of cold water. Understanding what Yun Zhi meant, the Immortal Fairy calmed down in an instant.
"What do you mean?" Lu Yang asked.
Matters concerning Dao fruits were understood only by the Immortal Fairy and Yun Zhi. Lu Yang and the Immortal Celestial were completely in the dark.
The Immortal Celestial couldn't even distinguish between a Dao fruit and a rudimentary one. Had it not been explained just now, he wouldn't have had the faintest idea how his rudimentary Dao fruit had originated in the first place.
Yun Zhi explained, "A rudimentary Dao fruit is merely a rough blank, crude in form, its internal structure entirely unstable. If it gradually matures, it draws closer and closer to becoming a true Dao fruit.
"However, only one Dao fruit of the same kind can exist. For a rudimentary Dao fruit to reach full maturity, it must abolish the already mature Dao fruit and usurp its place."
Lu Yang gasped in astonishment. "Meaning... the fairy's Dao fruit could be replaced by a rudimentary Immortal Dao fruit?"
He couldn't help worrying on her behalf. Although the fairy wasn't particularly reliable, rarely helped out, and constantly brought him trouble, Lu Yang still hoped she would always retain her Dao fruit and never be supplanted by anyone else.
Yun Zhi shook her head, her expression grave. "Senior wields supreme authority over the lineage of 'Immortality.' None can rival her within this domain—not even a rudimentary Dao fruit infinitely close to maturity.
"There is only one condition under which a rudimentary Dao fruit can replace a true Dao fruit: when the true Dao fruit is masterless, while the rudimentary Dao fruit has a master."
Lu Yang breathed a sigh of relief. "Then we're fine. The fairy is alive, so no one can replace her."
"Except she wasn't supposed to be alive."
Hearing Eldest Senior Sister's words struck Lu Yang like a bolt from the blue.
Indeed. Had he not inadvertently called out the Immortal Fairy's true name, she likely wouldn't have revived even by the time the struggle of the Golden Age concluded.
Perhaps, just as Eldest Senior Sister had said, without him, it might have taken another three hundred thousand years before a second person unwittingly called out her true name.
No—if the Immortal Fairy had not revived, the Immortal Celestial would have allowed the rudimentary Immortal Dao fruit to mature and supplant the original Immortal Dao fruit.
Once the struggle of the Golden Age arrived, the Immortal Celestial would have led the Immortal Cult into the world and proclaimed his name far and wide. By then, who would ever dare utter the words 'Immortal Fairy' in jest as Lu Yang had?
At that point, the Immortal Fairy would have been rendered utterly incapable of reviving, dying a true and final death.
Having realized this as well, the Immortal Fairy felt a lingering dread.
Yun Zhi organized her thoughts and laid them out simply. "During the antiquity era, Senior was ambushed and killed. The Immortal Dao fruit lost its master, becoming an ownerless object.
"The mastermind made the concept of the Immortal Dao fruit public knowledge and fabricated a nonexistent Immortal Celestial, leading the devotees of the Immortal Cult to believe, visualize, and attempt to revive him. Meanwhile, the Immortal Celestial himself knew nothing of this, striving desperately to nurture the rudimentary Dao fruit to maturity.
"Once the time was ripe, the mastermind would step forward, harvest the Immortal Dao fruit, and claim it for himself.
"The only uncertainty remaining is whether the mastermind intended to harvest it once the Immortal Dao fruit fully matured, or when it was on the verge of maturity, or perhaps... he has already arrived?"
As she spoke, Yun Zhi's voice turned as frigid as ten-thousand-year-old ice, carrying a murderous intent that chilled Lu Yang to the bone.
Yun Zhi and the Immortal Fairy unleashed their spiritual sense simultaneously, sweeping across every inch of the surrounding space to flush out the mastermind.
Suddenly, the space in the corner of the secret chamber rippled. A pitch-black figure strolled out with measured grace, clapping his hands in a steady rhythm, admiring Yun Zhi's extraordinary keenness.
Lu Yang stared at the dark figure. Even though the man stood right there, his spiritual sense detected nothing at all.
To Lu Yang, the figure felt like a bottomless abyss, harboring vast ambition capable of devouring all creation, sending a cold shiver down his spine.
Yun Zhi and the Immortal Fairy moved to shield Lu Yang, warily eyeing the intruder.
"Worthy of being the strongest among the Five Great Immortal Sects. In my eyes, the Central Continent holds only a handful of threats, and you are the greatest among them.
"I originally came here to observe whether a rudimentary Immortal Dao fruit had truly formed. I never expected that just a few days of watching would yield such a bountiful harvest."
The dark figure turned toward the Immortal Fairy. Though his features were obscured, Lu Yang could sense he was smiling. "I truly didn't foresee this... Immortal Fairy, you actually revived. You are the greatest variable, one completely beyond my calculations.
"Now that you have returned, the plan to supplant the Dao fruit with a rudimentary one is rendered void. What a pity for the fourteen thousand years of preparations by the Immortal Cult—all of it has amounted to drawing water with a bamboo basket."
The dark figure shook his head regretfully, though whether he pitied the Immortal Cult or his own thwarted scheme remained unclear.
"Ying Tian, Qilin, Suiyue, Jiuchong—which one are you?! Creeping around in the shadows, show your true face!" the Immortal Fairy snapped sharply. This person had sought to erase her existence entirely; this was a blood feud of life and death, entirely irreconcilable!
A reckoning between her and this shadowy figure was inevitable!
The dark figure chuckled and shook his head. "Did your era truly possess only five celestials? Was Immortal Jiuchong genuinely the first celestial?
"Fairy, there are far too many matters lost to certainty. How can you be so sure I am one of those four?"
"Stop putting on airs!" the Immortal Fairy gritted her teeth.
Yun Zhi wasted no more words. Decisive and direct, she unleashed her full might and struck without hesitation.
The dark figure's expression hardened. "As expected, your true strength lies far beyond what you display to the world. Even if my true body were here, I likely could not best you.
"To think someone like you could emerge after the antiquity era... a true marvel of heaven and earth."
Knowing he stood no chance, the dark figure detonated himself without a second thought.
"A pity my true body will never learn of what transpired here."
Some people died, yet were not entirely dead...
Chapter 198