Chapter 1279-1280 (8.5k+ words)

Chapter 1279: Uniting the Dao, the Death of Insignificant Ants 

Regardless of Mo Ruxin and the various characters in Xuantian Sect, they are all cultivators native to the Xuanhuang Realm.

The main contradiction in the Xuanhuang Realm now stems from the conflict between the native cultivators of Xuanhuang and the foreign cultivators from other realms who have been devoured for various reasons since the calamity in the Immortal Realm. This conflict revolves around the struggle for sovereignty between the two groups.

The key to resolving this contradiction lies in the transmission of knowledge and the Heavenly Physician.

"As for Mo Ruxin, he might lend a helping hand at a critical moment. As for King Xuantian..."

Based on the current clues, it seems that King Xuantian Xuanyuan Hong shares the same goal with Li Ping - to save the Xuanhuang Realm from its crisis. If he is indeed alive, Li Ping has no objections to returning the position of Xuanhuang Heavenly Sovereign to him.

This journey with Mo Ruxin has been extremely fruitful for Li Ping. Besides unexpectedly gaining proficiency in a celestial-grade formation, the Gathering Spirit Ascending Immortal Formation, he has also disrupted the subtle actions of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance in extracting power from the Dark Sea.

Without the control formation, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, relying solely on the strength they have shown openly, cannot manipulate the Dark Sea again. Although the purpose of the Alliance in extracting power from the Dark Sea is unclear, disrupting their plan this time has effectively neutralized one of their hidden cards.

As for deepening the connection with the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, Li Ping currently sees it as a progress that is neither here nor there.

Returning to the Great Saint Dynasty, Li Ping first went to the treasury, summoned Cat Treasure, and once again used the **Void Shackles** to duplicate every treasure, ensuring three copies of each.

The Saint Emperor then returned to his throne, contemplating deeply.

"Although I knew before that the Law Kings of Xuantian Sect still have many slumbering across the Xuanhuang Realm, I didn't have a precise understanding of their strengths. Mo Ruxin claims to be the weakest among the twelve..."

"Even if there's some exaggeration, the strength of these Law Kings is indeed shocking. After all, they inherit the legacy of the Immortal Realm."

"Xuantian Sect inherited the legacy of the Immortal Realm; the Ten Sects of Immortality inherited the teachings of the Great Mage Tian Du, and when they destroyed Xuantian Sect, they undoubtedly plundered many treasures. As for the transmission..."

"Even the supreme technique **Supreme Primordial Scripture** was forcibly borrowed by him, and many treasures from the Ten Sects undoubtedly fell into the pockets of the transmission. The strength of the transmission surpasses even the Law Kings of Xuantian Sect."

A question lay before the Saint Emperor.

If the transmission was pressured, there would inevitably be a battle between the two sides.

Although the Xuanhuang Realm is vast, it cannot withstand their turmoil. Moreover, there are many strange things hidden within the Xuanhuang Realm, such as the true immortal **Survival Intention** in the depths of the Dark Sea.

If their conflict alarmed these existences...

Forget about competing for the legitimacy of Xuanhuang. It would be a question of whether the Xuanhuang Realm could survive at all.

"The future battlefield will definitely be in the outer void of Xuanhuang." Li Ping thought to himself.

Li Ping believed that in this regard, the transmission should reach a unified opinion with him. After all, after thousands of years of patching up, the transmission certainly wouldn't want to see the destruction of the Xuanhuang Realm.

Li Ping harbored no ill will towards the transmission.

It's purely a matter of different stances.

"It seems that I need to personally go to the outer void of the realm. Familiarize myself with the environment for the decisive battle." Li Ping thought so.

But before that, Li Ping focused his attention on the **Gathering Spirit Ascending Immortal Formation**.

This formation, similar to the **Life-forge All Beings Formation**, underwent significant improvements by King Xuantian, greatly reducing its bloodthirsty nature. Li Ping has no objections.

**Gathering Spirit Ascending Immortal Formation** can extract and transform material into transcendent immortal power.

As for the **Life-forge All Beings Formation**, it can merge consciousness and condense energy capable of resisting true immortals.

If the two are combined...

"Perhaps it can solve the problem of insufficient essence of source power."

"Although the effectiveness of the Ascending Immortal Formation will be greatly reduced due to the lack of materials, it should not be difficult to eventually condense power equal to the essence of source power."

The Saint Emperor's actions don't need much explanation. As soon as the thought arose, he began deducing on the spot.

One formation pattern after another disintegrated and merged in his mind.

A brand new formation is slowly taking shape.

In reality, someone in the world has already taken the lead and deduced the anticipated formation.

Beneath the Dark Sea, there is a constant threat of facing death.

The connection between the Saint Emperor's avatar and Li Fan's main body has become even closer.

Especially when Mo Ruxin put that demonic mask on the Saint Emperor, the images perceived on Li Fan's side became unprecedentedly clear.

Therefore, Li Fan is well aware of their entire course of action.

In the Expanding Law Space, Li Fan watched the deduced results reported by the Disintegration Disk, and a strange light flashed in his eyes.

"Gathering Spirit Ascending Immortal Formation, powerful indeed, but the efficiency of extracting energy is too low. Completely refining the void of a realm will only increase a bit of immortal power. But if it's integrated into the Life-forge All Beings Formation..."

"It can make the most of everything! Material transformation into energy, consciousness merging and sublimation. Marvelous!"

Li Fan rapidly deduced in his mind, "If, in the past, I had used this formation to sacrifice the living beings in various small worlds..."

"It would be able to delay the time for the Faceless True Immortal by up to three times!"

"Not only that, with this grand formation, there's no need to overly rely on the Ghost Tribe people anymore."

Regardless of Mo Ruxin's sensory perception or the advice he gave, Li Fan takes it very seriously.

The statement "Worldly Immortal Power is harmful and useless" and "Not becoming a true immortal until absolutely necessary" struck a chord with Li Fan.

As for the entanglement with Mo Ruxin, that can be dealt with in the next life.

"Hmph." Li Fan's gaze flickered, forcefully suppressing the faint thoughts that surfaced, and his attention returned to the newly-born formation.

Inside the Disintegration Disk, the constructed personality was still waiting for him to name this grand formation.

"All things in the world, living beings or spiritual power, all come from the chaos of nothingness."

"Under this formation, all things return to their origins..."

"The formation shall be named **Infinite Spirit Void**!"

As Li Fan's thoughts emerged, a chaotic yellow light began to envelop the interior of the Disintegration Disk.

Li Fan's choice of the name **Infinite Spirit Void Formation** naturally drew inspiration from the immortal-grade formation that had glimpsed before, the **Primordial Elemental Spirit Formation**.

Although the imposing aura of the formation name is not much different, the actual performance is incomparable.

However, Li Fan is confident that as he continues to cycle and strengthen this Infinite Spirit Void Formation, its power will undoubtedly surpass the **Primordial Elemental Spirit Formation**.

"It's this formation, it's too extreme. I don't think the Saint Emperor's avatar will think the same way as I do." Li Fan secretly contemplated.

This journey of the Saint Emperor has been tremendously rewarding for Li Fan's main body as well.

The celestial-grade formation personally arranged by King Xuantian has provided the Disintegration Disk with a large amount of data. The true immortal **Survival Intention** avoided by Mo Ruxin and the accumulated dark power in the Dark Sea are also things that Li Fan covets.

Compared to them, who can only live for one lifetime, Li Fan has plenty of time and enough trial-and-error costs to turn all these hidden treasures into his own.

The premise is...

Surviving smoothly.

"Mo Ruxin, although somewhat detestable, speaks words that make sense. In this life, staying closed in the Expanding Law Space, I have plenty of time to digest these gains."

...

The person who can decide the fate of the Xuanhuang Realm has, in just a few days, undergone earth-shattering changes. However, the countless beings in the Xuanhuang Realm are completely unaware of this.

The same goes for the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.

The secrecy level of the Dark Sea is too high, and only a few transmission practitioners are aware of this. They are currently gathering to discuss countermeasures.

Nowadays, among the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators, the most discussed topic is the information from the rainbow lights outside the realm.

It has been more than three months since the rainbow lights carrying dozens of Dao Fusion experts from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance left the Xuanhuang Realm.

Originally, cultivators believed that this group of Dao Fusion experts should have vanished without a trace.

Unexpectedly, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has mastered a method of long-distance communication and occasionally reveals the information sent by the rainbow lights leaving the realm!

Originally, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance couldn't achieve this.

Thanks to the sword-light transmission from the depths of the starry sea.

After analysis, the Alliance successfully reproduced this transmission technology and applied it to the rainbow lights leaving the realm.

Because the cultivators of the Alliance have the privilege of seeing the scenery outside the Xuanhuang Realm.

"What's all this? Why is it pitch-black?!"

"Could the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance be fooling us? This is no different from ordinary spatial rifts."

"Where's the Xuan Merchant Immortal Ship that was promised at the other end of the starry sea?"

"Fortunately, I didn't choose to go, or I'd be bored watching these scenes every day."

"Without entering Dao Fusion, you have no qualification to board the rainbow lights leaving the realm. May I ask, brother, what is your current cultivation level?"

"I've practiced for less than a century and have already entered the Golden Core Dao. It should be easy for me to enter Dao Fusion!"

...

Regarding the images released by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance for unknown reasons, most cultivators judged them with a curious mindset.

However, some people could discern clues from this brief glance.

Roaring Abyss, outside the Deep Palm Immortal City.

Shang Shaojun has repeatedly watched these images of the outer void dozens of times.

In addition to the ones publicly shared by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, he obtained some top-secret versions through special channels.

Cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and Shang Shaojun staggered, withdrawing from his comprehension.

"How does it feel, Shaojun?"

The one speaking was the First Prime.

He cleared his throat, looking as if he were enjoying the show, observing Shang Shaojun.

"The outer void is unexpectedly perilous. I consider my strength not bad, but if I encounter these disasters, I'm afraid I won't escape death." Shang Shaojun said with lingering fear.

"It's okay, I feel the same way." The First Prime smiled, "That's why I am increasingly curious about the white-robed swordsman you mentioned."

The First Prime restrained the smile on his face, "Not only can he cross the void safely, but he can also transmit such crucial information from the other side of the starry sea... Such an extraordinary genius, how come I've never heard of him before?"

Shang Shaojun also sighed, "It wasn't until that day that I realized how many extraordinary people exist in the world. I won't underestimate other heroes anymore."

"No, no, you didn't understand what I meant." The First Prime shook his head, "I mean, the appearance of such a person is completely illogical."

Shang Shaojun was stunned.

The First Prime suddenly stood up, lightly fanning his feathered fan, and said slowly, "In the current situation where it's forbidden to cultivate multiple laws, not only are techniques strictly controlled, but the resources needed for advancement are also under our constant supervision."

"Those cultivators, even if they have incredible luck, reaching the Yuanying stage is their limit. If they want to progress further, they will inevitably fall into the sight of our Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance before that. However, the white-robed swordsman you mentioned..."

"He truly seems to have popped out of a crack in the stone, no matter what, there is no information about him."

Hearing the First Prime's serious tone, Shang Shaojun was a bit skeptical, "How many hidden forces are there in the Xuanhuang Realm? How can the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance know them all?"

The First Prime lightly fanned again, and before the two of them, images appeared.

It was the scene where Saint Embryo Li Fan displayed his mighty power outside the Roaring Abyss, breaking through the demonic sounds with his sword.

"Shaojun, how do you find this sword technique?" The First Prime asked.

"Exquisite and extraordinary, as if it were born from heaven." Shang Shaojun answered without hesitation.

"This sword is the Sword of Xuanhuang." The First Prime, imitating the appearance of Saint Embryo Li Fan in the image, then actually produced a sword light from the tip of his feathered fan.

"The Sword of Xuanhuang..." Shang Shaojun carefully pondered these four words.

"In the Xuanhuang Realm, there are many practitioners of the sword path. There are also geniuses among them. So naturally, they can see the clues of the sword technique displayed by this white-robed swordsman."

Every time Saint Embryo Li Fan wielded a sword in the image, the First Prime also swung his feathered fan.

Similarly, miniature sword lights echoed each other in the image.

"Brother Prime, what do you mean?" Shang Shaojun asked with a frown.

"Do you know about the Heaven Control Division?" The First Prime avoided answering directly and asked in return.

"I do know. The Alliance monitors the principles of heaven and earth through the Heaven Control Division. Besides being able to observe the soul of heaven and earth, the most important thing is to sense traces of anomalies before they happen." Shang Shaojun quickly answered.

"But what does this have to do with what you said about the Sword of Xuanhuang?"

"This sword is a marvel of heaven. It points directly to the principles of heaven and earth." The First Prime said solemnly.

As soon as these words were spoken, Shang Shaojun seemed to understand something, and a glint of understanding flashed in his eyes.

"Sword path anomalies were observed by the Heaven Control Division before. However, the time was extremely short, lasting less than half a month before returning to normal. It did not involve the anomaly of a Heavenly Sovereign, so the Heaven Control Division just followed the standard procedure to report and file it. I saw this record at the time, but didn't pay much attention to it. It wasn't until you mentioned this white-robed swordsman that I connected the dots." The First Prime slowly said.

"Half a month?" Shang Shaojun found it hard to believe.

With these words, if Shang Shaojun still didn't understand the other party's meaning, then he wasn't worthy of guarding the Roaring Abyss.

The Dao of the Sword hasn't been completely reversed, indicating that the previous anomaly was a manifestation of Dao Fusion.

Moreover, from the occurrence of the anomaly to its end, it only lasted for half a month. This indicated that the white-robed swordsman Shang Shaojun encountered...

He was not a powerful figure in Dao Fusion for a long time. Instead, he was a lucky newcomer who had just stepped into this realm.

But, was that even possible?

Realms can be breakthroughs that happen suddenly, but the understanding of the Dao of the Sword and the graceful and free interpretation when wielding a sword require accumulated time.

Once again, scenes of Saint Embryo Li Fan and his various companions flashed before Shang Shaojun's eyes.

"Perhaps... this person is a natural genius?" he said somewhat uncertainly.

The First Prime did not deny it, "Perhaps there is such a possibility. But I would rather believe that an outsider infiltrated our Xuanhuang Realm, broke through to the realm of Dao Fusion using the extraordinary Sword of Xuanhuang, and then induced us to go deep into the starry sea..."

Shang Shaojun interrupted the First Prime's speech.

"Brother Prime, isn't this a bit too absurd?"

The First Prime smiled, "It's just the most reasonable explanation after eliminating many impossibilities."

"This person has no foundation and appeared abruptly."

"After Dao Fusion, one can completely integrate and comprehend... or it is one of the most complex sword paths in the principles of heaven and earth."

"If this person really achieved all this relying solely on his own efforts, without any foundation, I would call him the most talented person in the history of the transmission of laws."

"And, from your description of him, this person easily won the hearts of the soldiers in the Broken Palm Immortal City..."

The First Prime sneered again.

Shang Shaojun also thought of more.

Within the Immortal Alliance, there were unscrupulous individuals. They wanted to rectify the chaos.

This was the repeated appeal.

After being guided, he did have such suspicions. He even planned to unite with friends to find out the truth.

But what if that person had malicious intentions from the beginning?

If he caused internal turmoil in the Immortal Alliance because of this, and others took advantage of the situation, wouldn't he become a traitor to the Xuanhuang Realm?

Thinking of this, Shang Shaojun couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

At this time, the First Prime also said, "When you found me before, I was indeed somewhat swayed by what was said."

"But after some investigation, I found something inappropriate."

"Shaojun, as a high-ranking member of the Immortal Alliance, every word and action must be careful."

Shang Shaojun nodded slightly, sinking into contemplation.

"Before figuring out the truth, don't act recklessly. If that person contacts you again, report it immediately. I will handle it."

After giving instructions, the First Prime's figure fluttered and left the Roaring Abyss in the white mist.

And after a long time, Shang Shaojun reacted.

Originally, he wanted to subvert the First Prime, but unexpectedly, he was easily shaken by the other party.

Deserving of the name "First."

"What kind of person are you?" Shang Shaojun looked at the starry sky, and the figure of the white-robed immortal, like a celestial being, appeared in his mind again.

Putting aside the Immortal Ship to the other side of the starry sea for now.

Let's talk about the rainbow light departing towards the Immortal Ship while rushing through the starry sea.

After Blue Feather completed the transmission of the recorded impact of the rainbow light to the Immortal Alliance, he focused his attention on the front.

The surroundings were pitch-black, seemingly calm.

However, in his senses, danger lurked everywhere, and it was perilous.

"Blue Feather, we've been out for so long, any gains?"

The voice of Jin Ri came from behind.

Blue Feather never had a good impression of this Dao Fusion expert who liked to join in the fun everywhere.

At this moment, he responded indifferently, "I guess we made some gains."

Jin Ri smirked and secretly transmitted, "Blue Feather, brother, have you noticed that within this starry sea, we are not constrained by the power of the Heavenly Sovereign? Do you want to break through more easily?"

"I heard that your cultivation technique is the direct inheritance from the Great Magus of the past, maybe from the immortal realm. And it seems like you've become younger in a short time..."

"Jin Ri, you've gone too far," Blue Feather said sternly, interrupting Jin Ri's words.

Jin Ri wasn't embarrassed either; he arched his hand, smiled, and left.

Blue Feather turned around, continuing to monitor the dark void in the direction of the advancing rainbow light.

In his heart, he let out a long sigh.

On the flying ship named "Towards the Revered," the atmosphere was somewhat subtle.

The protective rainbow light consumed a lot when escaping from the Immortal City, but the speed of the ship remained undiminished, rushing towards the other side of the starry sea.

However, in just a few months, three Dao Fusion experts had died on the ship.

If they had died due to strange disasters beyond the starry sea, it would be acceptable, but the key was that all three Dao Fusion experts died under mysterious circumstances.

All the people personally examined the bodies, but no one could figure out the truth behind their sudden deaths.

The three corpses lay quietly in the ship, their faces rosy, as if they were just sleeping.

But inside them, their entire souls had been unknowingly emptied.

"This is Dao Fusion." Blue Feather felt very heavy-hearted.

Among the fallen three, one named "Qing Yan" was also an old Dao Fusion expert like him, and his strength was not much inferior.

However, he still died suddenly and inexplicably.

Blue Feather even somewhat missed the phenomenon of falling in the Xuanhuang Realm. At least, even if he fell, he could find out the cause of death.

"But I heard that before we left, those anomalies also appeared abnormal? It's really an eventful autumn."

Blue Feather, who survived since the arrival of the Great Catastrophe, instinctively sighed with a slightly unusual taste.

As his thoughts drifted, suddenly another sharp scream awakened him.

Blue Feather's expression changed, realizing something was wrong, and immediately rushed towards the source of the sound.

When he arrived, four Dao Fusion experts had gathered.

The focus of everyone's frightened gaze was another corpse lying on the ground.

Blue Feather's pupils shrank because this time, the one who died was none other than Jin Ri, the Immortal Venerable who had approached him before.

Looking at Jin Ri's rosy face and the lifeless body, a chill rose in Blue Feather's heart.

Not long after, the survivors on the flying ship had all gathered.

"Old Guan, it's up to you."

Among the crowd, Guan Xingxiu walked out with a serious expression.

After carefully examining the body of Immortal Venerable Jin Ri, he made a judgment, "The same cause of death."

There was an uproar among the crowd.

"Who the hell is it?"

"Unbearable, too unbearable! We, who are dominant Dao Fusion experts, were slaughtered so inexplicably on this small ship!"

"Let's go back, okay? It's not that I'm afraid of death, but what's happening now? If we go back, our old faces might be completely lost."

...

"Quiet!" Guan Xingxiu impatiently interrupted the discussions.

"From now on, act together. Do not separate."

"It's not occasional disasters in the void, but someone is comprehending the Dao, committing murder."

Guan Xingxiu's words stirred up a thousand waves.

"What did you say?"

"Old Guan, are you crazy? Although you are the head of the Defense Institute, responsible for this area, isn't this too outrageous?"

Guan Xingxiu waved his hand, silencing the crowd.

"I have my reasons for saying this."

Behind Guan Xingxiu, a golden sword rose into the air.

After circling in the sky, it instantly targeted the body of Jin Ri lying on the ground.

A faint black thread was cut from the body by the golden sword.

Guan Xingxiu pinched the thread, and it struggled as if it had its own life.

After observing for a while, Blue Feather, somewhat incredulous, said, "Xingxiu, are you suggesting that the murderer used this thread to easily kill those people?"

Guan Xingxiu, who respected Blue Feather, nodded and said, "It seems so for now."

"If any of you doubt it, you can try the power of this black thread yourselves."

"I'll do it!" Sun Luchang volunteered.

Soon, the experiment ended with him having several holes in his body.

This was still the result after the black thread was suppressed by the golden sword.

"How is this possible? Just a thread, and it's so powerful?" Sun Luchang seemed somewhat lost.

The other Dao Fusion experts also looked incredulous.

Guan Xingxiu swept his gaze over everyone and said loudly, "I know that you all hold important positions and are highly respected within the Immortal Alliance. But don't forget, we are now in the starry sea!"

"I believe you have all felt that the upper limit of the laws in this starry sea is far beyond that of the Xuanhuang Realm. Coupled with the absence of the restraint of the Heavenly Sovereign, after being suppressed for a long time, sudden enlightenment can lead to a rapid breakthrough in cultivation. It's not impossible!"

Sun Luchang said with some unwillingness, "Even so, the gap is so huge? Not only were they defeated, but they couldn't even make a struggling sound... If he really has such strength, why not just kill all of us?"

Sun Luchang's words resonated with the crowd.

At this moment, Blue Feather spoke, "Perhaps, it's because the culprit's cultivation technique is special. It's not a power crush but a battle that occurs within the soul and consciousness, causing no energy fluctuations."

"As for this black thread, it is the medium for launching attacks."

With Blue Feather being the oldest among the people, when he spoke, others gradually began to believe.

"In that case, let's follow the thread and find this scoundrel!"

At the suggestion of the crowd, Guan Xingxiu contacted each surviving Dao Fusion expert with the black thread.

No one was found to be connected to it.

"The murderer is cautious and cunning, certainly not leaving such obvious flaws. In my opinion, this seems to be a deliberate misdirection." A Dao Fusion expert named Purple Wood said.

"But not necessarily. He certainly didn't anticipate that Brother Guan would progress so rapidly and discover the traces he left behind." There were immediately different opinions among the crowd.

"Guan brother, how did you comprehend the Dao? In this vast dark starry sky, I have no enlightenment at all!"

"Yes, Old Guan, you should tell us. Now, with the murderer lurking in the dark, only when each of us comprehends the Dao, adds some strength, can we avoid being individually defeated by him."

People were talking incessantly, and Guan Xingxiu, feeling helpless, began to narrate the process of his sudden enlightenment.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 1280: Blue Feather's Starry Sky Secret 

Guan Xingxiu spoke confidently in the flying ship. Initially a bit awkward, his speech became more assured as he continued, as if he had comprehended the natural laws of the starry sea.

"The laws of the starry sea can be considered as a superior replacement for the laws of the Xuanhuang Realm. So, the key to our breakthrough lies in finding the corresponding 'Starry Sea Dao' for our own cultivated paths in this silent starry sea. I believe that all of you, who have achieved Dao Fusion, have no weak aptitude. As long as you cast away the fear of the starry sea, approach it with a calm mind, just like when you were in the Xuanhuang Realm, and focus on contemplating, achieving this should not be too difficult."

Guan Xingxiu elaborated on how he sensed his own Starry Sea Dao, speaking with increasing confidence. However, a voice full of panic suddenly interrupted him.

It was Purple Wood among the survivors, staring at Guan Xingxiu. "Old Guan, what if... I mean, what if there is no corresponding path in the starry sea for my cultivated path? Does that mean the road ahead is cut off, and we can't progress any further?"

Guan Xingxiu fell silent.

The other Dao Fusion experts on the scene had various expressions after hearing this. Some turned pale, while others felt relieved.

Because they had also noticed that, perhaps due to various catastrophes that had destroyed the immortal realms in the past, the laws of the starry sea were shattered and incomplete. It wasn't because their aptitude was lacking, and they couldn't sense their corresponding Starry Sea Dao, but rather that this path no longer existed in the starry sea.

"Perhaps we can try to sense other laws. After all, all paths lead to the same goal." Seeing a hint of despair spreading among them, Guan Xingxiu quickly suggested after some contemplation.

But he was mercilessly rebutted, "If it were under Dao Fusion, or if it were cultivators from other worlds, maybe they could do that. But for us Xuanhuang Dao Fusion cultivators, we have already integrated with the essence of heaven and earth, becoming one with the laws. Hmph, changing to another path is easier said than done."

"In that case, among us, perhaps Blue Feather is the most likely to achieve the highest attainment." A Dao Fusion expert named Qing Shuang suddenly made a seemingly inexplicable statement.

A silence fell over the flying ship, and everyone's gaze converged on Blue Feather.

Blue Feather himself did not refute this.

No other reason, because among all the Dao Fusion experts present, or even in the entire Xuanhuang Realm, he was the most unique.

He was the only practitioner of the ancient method of Dao Fusion.

Not bound by the principles of the Xuanhuang world, it meant that in this desolate starry sea, any law could be used by Blue Feather to comprehend and break through.

"I've been waiting for you, Blue Brother, to break through for quite some time. Could it be that you're delayed because you have too many choices and can't make up your mind?" 

"Congratulations in advance, Blue Friend!"

"Ah, a new method! Ah, a heavenly venerable!"

For a moment, the reactions of the people were varied.

Blue Feather's expression remained serious, casually responding to everyone. However, he couldn't help feeling a bit puzzled in his heart.

Because he had not sensed the Starry Sea Dao in the void.

"Could it be that my aptitude has deteriorated to such an extent? Or maybe, I'm too old, and my spiritual sensitivity has been completely lost?"

Blue Feather was a little absent-minded for a moment.

"Oh, I seem to remember."

"I, Wu Fuqiu, seem to have mediocre aptitude."

Blue Feather was slightly stunned, and his thoughts seemed to return to his younger days.

At that time, the path of immortality was flourishing, with ten sects standing tall. He was just an ordinary cultivator under the jurisdiction of one of the ten sects. With average talent and no remarkable encounters, his Golden Core realm should have been his limit.

However, one day, a moment of curiosity completely changed his destiny.

"This friend, what's going on with the large commotion ahead? Why is the sky blocked? And these airships, each one comparable in size to a city, flying over, what's happening?" Wu Fuqiu looked at the blocked path ahead and the various airships flying over, curious and inquisitive.

"Shh, keep your voice down. If you disturb the 'Respectful Teacher Grand Ceremony' of the ten sects, you might not even know how you died."

Others fell silent like cicadas in winter, their eyes filled with awe, making Wu Fuqiu increasingly curious.

After a half-day wait, the grand parade of the ten sects finally passed, and the sky was once again open for passage.

However, Wu Fuqiu couldn't take his eyes off the direction the ten sects had departed. He learned, after some inquiries, that the so-called "Respectful Teacher Grand Ceremony" was a celebration held every hundred years by the ten sects to express gratitude for the bestowed grace of the Grand Mage of the Celestial Capital. Important figures from all ten sects would attend.

Wu Fuqiu had no idea who the Grand Mage of the Celestial Capital was, but the renowned fame of the ten immortal sects that ruled the cultivation world was widely known, even to him, a lone wanderer in the wilderness.

"The ten sects are already remarkable, but how formidable is the Grand Mage who bestows grace upon them?"

"If I have the good fortune to gain his favor..."

Wu Fuqiu's mind was shaken. Simultaneously, an unprecedented ambition arose within him.

After much contemplation, he couldn't free himself from the entwining obsession.

He set forth towards the legendary Celestial Capital.

Despite the hardships, when he finally arrived outside the Celestial Capital, his hopes turned to bubbles.

The Celestial Capital was nowhere to be seen, only a Source Dao Palace standing between the clouds, faintly visible in the mountain range.

At the foot of the mountain, it was packed with young cultivators like him, all harboring a trace of fantasy, who had come here seeking opportunities.

Wu Fuqiu suddenly felt perplexed.

He knew the Celestial Capital was the Grand Mage's residence. But what was this Source Dao Palace?

"Don't know about Source Dao Palace? Where are you from, country bumpkin! The origin of all laws, the head of all paths. Even if you're personally taught by the ten immortal sects, you still have to obediently wait in line when you get here!"

"Think about it carefully! Who is the Grand Mage? Can mere mortals like you easily see him? If you want to meet the Grand Mage, you need to enter the Source Dao Palace, devoutly pray. If you can catch the eye of the Grand Mage, he will guide you to the Celestial Capital."

"What, you also want to go in? Fine, pay a thousand top-grade spirit stones, and you can join the queue!"

Wu Fuqiu was pushed out by the crowd that swarmed in.

A thousand top-grade spirit stones were enough to buy a decent foundational cultivation technique. If he had so many spirit stones, he wouldn't need to come all the way here for an opportunity.

Although he was tight on funds, Wu Fuqiu didn't plan to leave like this.

He found out that there were many people like him, unable to afford the fee and unable to climb the mountain.

After spending half a month mingling with them, he obtained crucial information.

The so-called Source Dao Palace was built later by the ten sects. It had no actual connection with the true Celestial Capital. The real Source Dao location referred to a large area beneath the Celestial Capital. The ten sects had enclosed a large part and constructed the Source Dao Palace but left a section at the foot of the mountain.

"The Grand Mage hasn't appeared for many years. They say it's easier to catch the Grand Mage's eye on the mountain, but in reality, it's just to comfort us."

"Yeah, the Grand Mage is high above, and in his eyes, there's no difference between the mountain and its base."

In the midst of the conversations of the crowd, Wu Fuqiu also settled at the foot of the Source Dao Palace.

This wait lasted for a full twenty years.

People came and went. Some died with regrets, while others, harboring resentment, cursed the Grand Mage and were beaten to death.

Wu Fuqiu transformed from a young lad into a middle-aged man during this period.

He didn't know what kept him persistently guarding this place.

Perhaps, for someone like him, who was mediocre, anywhere would be the same.

During these years, he didn't neglect his cultivation while keeping vigil. However, without a source of spirit stones, he could only rely on absorbing the abundant spiritual energy from the Source Dao. Yet, with so many people doing the same simultaneously, it struggled to meet the demand.

Not only did he not make any progress, but there were also faint signs of regression.

At this point, Wu Fuqiu accepted his fate, no longer harboring any unrealistic fantasies.

After all, he had been an orphan since childhood, drifting aimlessly without any support. Having spent over twenty years at the foot of the Source Dao Palace, he had grown accustomed to the surroundings. In his heart, this place had become like a hometown.

Whenever a hopeful young person arrived, seeking the grace of the Grand Mage, he would smile but remain silent, as if seeing his past self. However, he didn't burst the bubble of these young people because anyone who did so was cleaned up by the ten sects.

However, the marvels of the world lay in unexpected twists.

Just when Wu Fuqiu had completely cast aside any expectation of the Grand Mage's grace...

One day, the sky suddenly burst with a magnificent rainbow light.

Beneath the Source Dao Palace, countless cultivators were stunned.

Someone shouted first, "The Grand Mage has manifested!"

Then, in a mix of excitement and fear, countless cultivators knelt on the ground.

Only Wu Fuqiu, with a blank mind, stood still.

"Bold! Daring to disrespect the Grand Mage!"

A sword light, accompanied by a stern rebuke, flew in from afar.

As Wu Fuqiu was about to lose his head, a blue feather slowly floated down from the sky.

The white sword light was swift and rapid.

The blue feather, however, descended leisurely, exceptionally slow.

In a bizarre turn of events, the blue feather unexpectedly landed on Wu Fuqiu before the white sword light could reach him.

The sword light arrived late, merely passing through him without beheading him. It continued to cut down three kneeling cultivators behind him.

As for Wu Fuqiu...

Enveloped in blue radiance, he slowly ascended uncontrollably.

Amidst the astonished exclamations, he rose continuously.

Over the mountaintop, past the Source Dao Palace, through the clouds, he arrived in front of a purple-gold Daoist temple in an instant.

Wu Fuqiu stood as if in a dream, staring for a long time before regaining his senses.

His body trembled with excitement, even forgetting the proper etiquette, he directly pushed open the door and entered.

Different from the sacred Celestial Capital he had imagined, this place was empty, devoid of anyone.

Quiet and deathly still.

Only a faint chanting sound came from inside.

Following the direction of the sound, Wu Fuqiu cautiously arrived at the deepest part of the temple.

A simple, ancient purple-gold wooden building emitted a pleasant fragrance.

Kneeling in worship, Wu Fuqiu waited for a long time without any response. Mustering his courage, he pushed the door open again.

The scene inside the wooden building entered his eyes.

A blurry figure sat cross-legged, chanting.

Behind him, a child dressed in blue and white Daoist robes stood with closed eyes.

The child had rosy lips and white teeth, with a clear and delicate face. It was difficult to tell if it was a boy or a girl. However, Blue Feather noticed that the child seemed to have been in a fight, as the Daoist robes were damaged, and there were faint bloodstains on them.

Wu Fuqiu didn't dare to be presumptuous; he bowed and paid his respects again.

However, whether it was the figure or the child, there was still no response.

"This figure should be the Grand Mage of the Celestial Capital."

After a long time, Wu Fuqiu gathered his courage, imitating the appearance of the figure, and sat cross-legged.

Carefully listening to the continuous chanting, he gradually seemed to understand something.

The Blue Feather, which had disappeared from him before, suddenly appeared in his dantian.

"The Feather Transformation Technique..."

"The infinite epochs of heaven and earth, countless worlds born and perished, like feathers drifting in the void."

"Transforming into feathers, harmonizing with the world, one can follow the cycles of epochs, unpredictable in life and death, transcending eternity through calamities..."

Wu Fuqiu listened with fascination, occasionally frowning and sometimes rejoicing.

This "Feather Transformation Technique" was too profound for him, a mere foundational cultivator. However, even if he only glimpsed a corner of it, it made him feel enlightened, and his internal realm kept rising.

Immersed in it, Wu Fuqiu lost track of how much time had passed.

Suddenly feeling the flickering of light before him, he was awakened.

The child who had been standing with closed eyes waved at him.

Although no words were spoken, Wu Fuqiu understood that he was being dismissed.

Despite his reluctance, Wu Fuqiu had to leave silently.

Before leaving the purple-golden wooden building, he politely closed the door.

As the door closed, a stream of light flew out.

Wu Fuqiu subconsciously caught it and found it to be a miniature building resembling a ring.

"Magic treasure, arena."

"And it has storage functions."

After a brief inspection, Wu Fuqiu showed a pleased expression.

Once again, he kowtowed inside three times before leaving Celestial Capital.

Only then did he recall that after leaving the purple-golden wooden building, he could no longer hear the sound of the figure sitting in meditation.

A sense of loss surged in his heart, and Wu Fuqiu even had an impulse to return.

However, that was, after all, the Grand Mage, a teacher of the ten sects of the Immortal Dao. In the end, he didn't dare to act recklessly and left the Celestial Capital's vicinity.

When he returned to the mortal world, he was surprised to find that the Source Dao Palace at the foot of the mountain had inexplicably disappeared.

Even the surrounding terrain had undergone significant changes, as if a great battle had erupted here.

After searching for a long time, Wu Fuqiu finally found living cultivators around.

From their extremely respectful attitudes, Wu Fuqiu was shocked to realize that, unknowingly, he had become a top-level expert in the Xuanhuang Realm, a cultivator in the state of Harmonization!

And the time had passed for several hundred years.

The dominance of the ten sects of the Immortal Dao was no longer unshakable, and a new organization called the "Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance" had emerged.

"Blue Feather Daoist?"

The voice of Guan Xingxiu awakened Blue Feather from his memories.

"Yes, I've always been a mediocre cultivator who achieved Harmony through good luck."

"Over the years, the flattery from disciples and subordinates almost made me forget this fact."

Blue Feather felt a sense of relief in his heart.

"If it weren't for my truly poor aptitude, the mighty 'Feather Transformation Technique' wouldn't have only reached the Harmony realm in my cultivation."

"Without the Grand Mage's guidance, I have made no progress in thousands of years."

Blue Feather shook his head inwardly, returning to the present and looking at Guan Xingxiu. "I believe in your judgment. Since the culprit is hiding among us, gathering in one place and waiting for them to reveal their flaws is the right approach."

Blue Feather paused and added, "This person just broke through and couldn't wait to commit a crime. If it's not for psychological reasons, it's because the cultivation technique forces him to blood sacrifice other cultivators after the breakthrough. Next, he will certainly not stop."

Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement with Blue Feather's judgment.

To protect themselves, this group of cultivators in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance stayed in the hall of the Ascendant Venerable ship, mutually supervising each other.

However, the cunning of the murderer completely exceeded their expectations.

Nine days later, when everyone successfully crossed a surviving calamity in the void using the ship, another body appeared on the ship.

Blue Feather and Guan Xingxiu exchanged glances, confirming the fall of Zi Mu.

The pressure on their hearts increased instantly.

"Old Guan? We are all in this together, right? Among everyone, your strength is the highest. Did you notice which damn person attacked?!"

Facing the expectant eyes of everyone, Guan Xingxiu shook his head helplessly.

There was an uproar in the hall.

"Everyone, calm down. We were all concentrating to deal with the calamity in the void just now, so we were caught off guard by that murderer."

"What should we do next? We can't avoid this calamity, but hiding would lead to assassination..."

"Hmph, in my opinion, we don't need to waste our thoughts on avoiding calamities. We can all perish together if necessary!"

"Xu, don't say angry words. We still have so many people!"

"No, I want to leave this ship!"

While everyone was discussing, suddenly, a sharp scream pierced through all other sounds.

Blue Feather and others looked over, only to see Qing Shuang, who had been relatively calm before, suddenly seeming to undergo a mental breakdown.

With a blank expression and a hint of madness in her eyes, she mumbled to herself and was about to rush out of the hall to leave the ship.

"Stop her!" Guan Xingxiu angrily shouted.

Only Blue Feather and a few others took action.

Inside the ship, fearing damage to the ship, the others were hesitant to act.

For a moment, Qing Shuang, who seemed to have gone mad, was at their mercy.

Just as they fell into a deadlock, Qing Shuang suddenly stopped her movements.

Her facial expression also froze, standing still in a daze.

Before everyone could react, Guan Xingxiu's expression changed, and he immediately flew forward to check.

"She's dead."

After a moment, he turned around with an extremely ugly expression.

A chill enveloped everyone.

Compared to the initial murder, the methods of this murderer seemed even more proficient.

While dealing with the void calamity just now could be used as an excuse, what was happening now was genuinely witnessed by everyone's concentrated attention.

And the murderer continued to kill without hesitation...

How could they defend against this?

Inside the ship, silence fell like death.

"I think Qing Shuang's words before her death may not be unreasonable." Sun Luchang spoke up, breaking the silence.

"From the current situation, the strength of this murderer has grown too fast. Perhaps soon, after more slaughter, he won't need to act secretly. He will openly appear and kill us one by one. Staying on the ship is undoubtedly a dead end. It's better for each of us to scatter in the void, abandoning the ship for survival."

Sun Luchang's words gained agreement from other cultivators: "Right, the speed of this 'Ascendant Venerable' ship is extremely fast. As long as we each leave at different times, our relative distances in the starry sea will be far apart. The starry sea is vast, and even if he has extraordinary abilities, he won't be able to capture all of us at once!"

"Moreover, this place is still within the range of the Immortal Ruins' gravitational force. Just follow the direction of the gravitational force, and we can return to the Xuanhuang Realm. In addition, each of us has a crystal artifact issued by the Immortal Alliance, so returning safely is not a problem."

...

One by one, expressing their opinions, they gradually reached a consensus.

In the end, more than half of the people chose to give up and disembark midway.

Guan Xingxiu looked at Blue Feather, seeking the opinion of this most experienced cultivator.

Blue Feather sighed slightly, "Life is paramount. Their choice is not unjustified."

"To avoid more casualties, let's decide on this."

"Blue Elder, aren't you leaving?"

Blue Feather shook his head, "My end is near anyway; going back would be waiting for death. It's better to seek a glimmer of hope in the void."

Hearing this, everyone was surprised. After expressing their blessings, they gradually left the ship, returning to the Xuanhuang Realm.

The journey of exploring the starry sea was a bit miserable, but it was better than losing their lives. After some twists and turns, only five people remained on the ship.

Blue Feather, Guan Xingxiu, Sun Luchang, Xu Guanhai, and Zi Mei.

Guan Xingxiu looked at Xu Guanhai with some surprise, "You didn't leave?"

Xu Guanhai smirked, "I think, with a large group gone, the ship is actually safer now. Besides, no matter what, I want to see that mysterious Immortal Merchant ship with my own eyes."

Xu Guanhai looked at Sun Luchang, "Brother Sun, aren't you a bit strange? When everyone was clamoring to leave earlier, weren't you shouting the loudest? How come you decided to stay now?"

Sun Luchang felt a bit embarrassed, "My strength is too weak. I'm afraid that leaving the ship and relying solely on my own strength would make it difficult to return to the Xuanhuang Realm. Staying here is safer."

Everyone fell silent upon hearing this. They realized that what Sun Luchang said was not untrue. Unlike those who volunteered to leave, Sun Luchang was forcibly arranged onto the ship by the Immortal Alliance and had the lowest strength among them.

Sun Luchang approached the positions of Guan Xingxiu and Blue Feather, "Two, what do you think? Among us, is there really a murderer?"

The other four looked at each other, their expressions subtly nuanced. Before the identity of the murderer was revealed, no one dared to guarantee anything.

"Since you all have decided to stay, then our original route remains unchanged," after a moment of silence, Guan Xingxiu declared loudly, "We can reduce the space of the Ascendant Venerable ship and increase the traveling speed."

"By the way, Xingxiu, why is this ship called Ascendant Venerable? I always feel that this name is ominous."

Hearing Guan Xingxiu's words, Blue Feather seemed to recall something, frowning as he asked.

Guan Xingxiu was slightly stunned, then answered, "I don't know; it was the will of the law transmitters. I guess it should mean 'Ascend to See the Celestial Venerable.'"

Upon hearing this, Blue Feather's frown deepened. He looked up at the ship and raised a chilling question that made the other four people present feel uneasy, "On this Ascendant Venerable ship, besides us, are there any other people?"

"Probably... not," Guan Xingxiu hesitated.

At this moment, Zi Mei, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, "Maybe? This ship is alive?"

Sun Luchang was startled and quickly asked, "Why do you say that, friend Zi?"

Zi Mei softly said, "I comprehend the ways of the starry sea and observed the lives of cultivators in the ship diminishing like ants. So I made a breakthrough."

"In my perception, this ship..."

"Seems to have its own life."

Zi Mei's words sent shivers down everyone's spines.

Guan Xingxiu was a bit hesitant, "If it's true, then the Immortal Alliance, before departing, must have..."

Speaking to this point, Guan Xingxiu suddenly stopped.

The golden Falling Star Divine Sword above his head emitted a golden light. Guan Xingxiu gathered all the black threads extracted from the assassinated cultivators into one place. Like a living worm, the threads merged and became thicker.

Previously, he had already touched every cultivator present with this deadly weapon, but no one had sensed it.

Except for the ship itself.

The last five people on the ship looked at each other and instantly reached a consensus.

They formed a formation, surrounding the black threads in the center.

"Guan, go to the control center of the ship," Xu Guanhai said in a deep voice.

This sentence seemed to anger the black threads, violently attacking the seal that trapped them.

The five Dao Fusion experts joined forces to firmly lock it down.

They arrived at the central part of the Ascendant Venerable ship.

Guan Xingxiu took a deep breath and opened the main control array of the ship.

In the center of the array, the virtual image of the Ascendant Venerable ship floated.

As if guided by destiny, the black threads, besieged by the five people, uncontrollably floated towards the virtual image in the main control array!

At the same time, the faces of the five people turned pale.

Boom!

At this moment, the ship suddenly shook violently.

The thick black thread erupted with an impact several times stronger than before, instantly breaking free from the restraint of the five people.

It returned to the virtual image within the ship.

At this point, the truth was already clear!

The mastermind behind the slaughter of several Dao Fusion experts turned out to be the ship they were riding!

This was an unimaginable conclusion.

Even though the facts were now before their eyes, Guan Xingxiu still found it somewhat unbelievable.

"Why..." he gritted his teeth and said.

As the appointed commander by the Immortal Alliance, with control over the Ascendant Venerable ship, this creature that was originally under his control actually slaughtered his colleagues right under his nose!

It was a blatant humiliation!

Swish!

The Falling Star Divine Sword unsheathed, pointing directly at the virtual image of the ship.

In the next moment, Guan Xingxiu was about to cleave the ship in two with a single sword.

Just at this moment, a cold voice suddenly echoed in the space.

"The ultimate mission of this journey: to meet the Celestial Venerable."

"Based on deduction, the probability of mission success is low."

"Currently searching for a solution..."

"Based on deduction, each Dao Fusion cultivator on the ship will be converted into energy for the ship. The probability of mission success increases by one..."

The continuous blinking voice of the ship left the crowd in an icy horror.

And what followed, the dozens of bodies gradually appearing in the scene, made their eyes red with anger.

These were the Dao Fusion cultivators who had "left the ship" earlier!

(End of this chapter)