Chapter 1277-1278 (8.5k words)

Chapter 1277: Hidden Immortal in the Dark Sea 

A substantial intent to kill swept towards the Holy Emperor but was dissolved before him into faint golden threads.

After Mo Ruxin's rage subsided a bit, Li Ping calmly said, "I can tell that your inner turmoil is not genuine."

"Are you acting in front of me? Or once immersed in the act, can't you even distinguish reality?"

"Look, true anger is like this…"

The Holy Emperor suddenly took a fierce step, powerful energy erupted from his toe, sweeping around. The radiance of the white jade flagpole swayed like willows in the wind.

However, this surging energy rapidly diminished after leaving the light circle and entering the dark sea.

The silent dark sea stirred subtle ripples, erasing all disturbances.

As if consoling the enraged Holy Emperor.

"No need for your guidance! I understand this place better than you!"

Mo Ruxin's figure suddenly flashed behind Li Ping. A shadow hid beneath the white light of the white jade flagpole, like a snake ready to strike at Li Ping's neck.

Cracks appeared on the golden armor on the surface of the Holy Emperor. From the central hole, a black line shot out, heading straight for Li Ping's neck.

But just as it was about to succeed, Li Ping stopped it with his outstretched palm.

Li Ping looked at the shadow in his hand, bound and wriggling. He said coldly, "Another persona? This... looks a lot like you."

After saying this, instead of crushing the covert attack directly, he let it return to Mo Ruxin's side.

However, Mo Ruxin himself abandoned the immortal tool, the white jade flag. Taking advantage of this conversation, he had already disappeared from the spot.

Li Ping shook his head slightly; his previous kick was not in vain.

Following the remaining sense, he swiftly moved forward in the dark sea, chasing after Mo Ruxin.

Mo Ruxin's direction seemed to be towards the crack where the Wanxian Alliance extracted the power of the dark sea.

"Do you dare to boast in front of me after learning some clever tricks?"

"Do I not understand that this dark sea accommodates everything, even stirring up ripples in cultivators' emotions, later concealed by the darkness?"

"Do you even see through my heart?"

Dozens of Mo Ruxin's faces, hidden in the darkness, floated towards Li Ping, mocking and ridiculing him from time to time.

Their tones were different, but without exception, after delivering their lines, they spontaneously dissolved into the dark sea.

Since these demonic faces didn't launch an attack, Li Ping ignored them, letting them mock while he rapidly approached Mo Ruxin.

The chattering of the demonic faces continued.

"What does the 'real me' mean? I am the first genius of the Nine Refinements Sect, the first person destined for immortality. I am also the twelfth king of the Xuantian Sect, assisting Xuan Yuanhong in building the great cause of the Xuantian Sect and unifying the Xuanhuang Realm."

"Even so, should I always show the same face? Should the chief prodigy always be steady? Should the twelfth king always plan before acting?"

"Wrong! Joking and scolding are me, unruly arrogance is me, debauchery is also me!"

"With an immortal heart, face whatever situation, and display the corresponding attitude!"

"For those acting, accompany them in acting. For those extremely fearful, intimidate them to the end. For those unforgivable, collude with them."

"As for sanctimonious good people like you, wake them up harshly!"

"Who do you think you are?! Haven't even reached the immortal realm, yet daring to save the world?!"

Dozens of faces appeared again, directing their offensive words towards the Holy Emperor, all extremely unpleasant.

However, the Holy Emperor showed no expression at all.

His gaze seemed to penetrate layers of darkness. In the not-too-distant distance, on Mo Ruxin's original face, there was the same calmness as his own.

Hoo...

The surges of the dark sea blocked Mo Ruxin's advancing steps.

He suddenly stopped, looking up at the distant sky.

A gap, regularly erupting dark energy outward. The intermittent muffled sound, like a heavy heartbeat.

"This is really annoying."

"With such a group of pests, how can success be achieved."

Another shadowy face appeared above Li Ping. This time, the words were not as frantic and angry as before. However, Li Ping could hear the real intent to kill hidden within the calmness.

"I once tried to activate the power of the dark sea to close that gap. However, it was obstructed by an eyeball…"

"The owner of that eyeball, is it Xuantian King?"

The Holy Emperor approached Mo Ruxin, placing his hand on his shoulder, and transmitted a message.

Mo Ruxin didn't turn around, but a face suddenly appeared on the back of his head, looking at Li Ping with disdain.

"Would Brother Xuanyuan do such a thing?" Li Ping asked without irritation, following his words, "So why can that eyeball harness the power of the dark sea?"

The face on the back of Mo Ruxin's head disappeared, and he asked, "Do you know the true nature of the dark sea?"

"Formation?" Li Ping answered after a moment of contemplation.

"Indeed foolish," Mo Ruxin sneered, "Formation is just a facade. What truly formed this gathering of darkness, enabling the Xuanhuang Realm to resist the attraction from the ruins of the ascension channel, is..."

As he reached a crucial point, Mo Ruxin suddenly stopped.

"Do you want to know?" he teased, a playful tone in his voice.

"Yes," Li Ping replied calmly.

Seeing Li Ping so serious, Mo Ruxin seemed to lose interest suddenly. His tone returned to normal.

"The only power that can contend with a true immortal is the power of another true immortal."

"The one who created the catastrophe in the Dark Star Sea was a true immortal who comprehended the Dao. So, to generate enough power to allow the Xuanhuang Realm to escape..."

"Of course, it had to be another true immortal."

This revelation hit the Holy Emperor's mind like thunder.

The surrounding darkness seemed to come alive in an instant, all prying into him.

"True immortals, indeed true immortals."

"But they are dead true immortals. Right?"

However, the Holy Emperor, who suddenly learned such a secret, seemed to have expected it.

He calmly asked, "Really?"

Mo Ruxin shrugged, "Talking to intelligent people like you is really boring."

"Yes, the foundation of the entire dark sea is transformed from the corpse of a true immortal."

Li Ping wasn't surprised by this revelation.

The dark sea could absorb the faith of the dark tribe and transform it into essential source power. However, it didn't care if its worshippers changed their faith.

The net of true immortals, once created, actually existed in substance and couldn't be moved by will.

Once caught in the net, escaping was only possible by bursting out with power capable of tearing the net of true immortals.

Those weak dark tribe members naturally didn't possess such abilities. The only reasonable explanation was that the owner of the net, the true immortal, had already perished.

The restraint was no more.

"True immortals," Li Ping repeated these two words.

"A true immortal has fallen in the Xuanhuang Realm."

"It's quite miraculous. In the mere mortal realm, a true immortal has fallen here. Fortunately, the Xuanhuang Realm hides the body of a true immortal; otherwise, Brother Xuanyuan would have no way to save it." Mo Ruxin sighed with emotion.

However, Li Ping introduced the existence of the Fallen Immortal Realm to Mo Ruxin.

"Oh. I didn't expect that there really is a successor to the Heavenly Sovereign willing to share the memory of the true immortal with the world." After hearing this, Mo Ruxin's aura became unstable again.

"It's hard to imagine that there are people even more foolish than Brother Xuanyuan in the world. Truly..."

"He has already fallen," Li Ping added.

Mo Ruxin suddenly calmed down again.

After a long time, he finally said, "Good death. A good death..."

Although he said so, for some reason, Li Ping felt a hint of sadness in his expression.

So Li Ping asked the question he had been wanting to ask, "Did King Xuantian really die?"

Mo Ruxin turned his head, staring at Li Ping, "You ask me, who should I ask? He probably didn't die. I'm also looking for him. Brother Xuanyuan, such a powerful person, even if he's secretly plotted against by someone, wouldn't just die like that."

After saying this, without giving Li Ping a chance to continue the conversation, he turned away.

"The foundation of the dark sea lies in the [Gathering Spirit Ascension Immortal Formation], with the true immortal's remains as its bones, and the bloodline of the first-generation Heavenly Sovereign as its rope. Creating something out of nothing, nurturing a force capable of resisting the suction of true immortals."

"But after all, it's just a lifeless object. Once the manipulative core is lost, it actually becomes food for others."

"So, never die. Even if you were a true immortal in your lifetime? After death, ants could still bully you."

Mo Ruxin looked again at the device used by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance to extract the power of darkness from a distance, mocking in tone.

"The bloodline of the first-generation Heavenly Sovereign?" Li Ping's mind flashed with the strange appearance of the dark tribe members, causing a reaction.

"No wonder only these people can communicate with the Dark Sea. But..."

The direct bloodline of a true immortal was undoubtedly prestigious. However, now it had become a semblance of neither man nor ghost.

Mo Ruxin seemed to perceive Li Ping's thoughts and coldly said, "There's no need to sympathize with these people. If you had lived in that era and experienced how the bloodline of the Heavenly Sovereign enslaved others..."

"Perhaps you wouldn't be the first to rise up."

"If Brother Xuanyuan hadn't intervened back then, wiping out their minions, these people, I'm afraid, would have continued to oppress for a long time. Their current appearance is considered their retribution." Mo Ruxin said with a cold smile.

Li Ping didn't argue with Mo Ruxin on this issue.

"The Dark Sea actually relies on the remains of true immortals to condense dark immortal power to resist the celestial ruins. What about the eye controlled by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance? Li Ping asked softly.

"Celestial ruins..." Mo Ruxin seemed to strongly disagree with this term and sneered.

But this time, he didn't dwell on these details. Instead, he directly answered Li Ping's question, "That is a tool Brother Xuanyuan refined in the past to control the Dark Sea. After all, he couldn't watch over here all the time, and the Dark Sea is too crucial in the entire escape plan, so he needed our assistance. There are three in total, each handed over to different law kings."

"But I don't know whose hands the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance currently holds it," Mo Ruxin added with a hint of killing intent.

Li Ping nodded slightly, "Is there a way to influence the control of the eye apparatus over the Dark Sea?"

"If your formation skills are superior to Brother Xuanyuan's..."

"Hmm?"

Mo Ruxin was about to mock, but suddenly remembered the array proficiency demonstrated by the Holy Emperor in their previous confrontation.

What he was about to say got stuck in his throat.

"At the central hub of the Gathering Spirit Ascension Immortal Formation, perhaps it's worth a try," Mo Ruxin said.

His gaze shifted away from the crack in the Dark Sea and turned to the other side.

Li Ping followed his gaze and sighed, "This formation is truly extraordinary. Despite my pride in array skills, I can't perceive any traces of formations in this profound darkness."

"That's the effect of the true immortal's corpse." Mo Ruxin bluntly pointed out Li Ping's mistake, "If it weren't for the diffusion power of the true immortal's remains, you should be able to do it."

The Holy Emperor fell silent.

"Come with me."

Mo Ruxin called out, then distinguished the direction and turned into a black line, disappearing into the darkness.

Li Ping followed closely.

As they approached the so-called core of the Dark Sea, for some reason, an inexplicable uneasiness surged in Li Ping's heart.

Some vague scenes even flashed through his mind, among which was Mo Ruxin left as just a shell, lying silently in the Dark Sea.

"Wait!"

A sense of horror arose, and Li Ping called out to stop Mo Ruxin.

"Hmm?" Although somewhat dissatisfied, Mo Ruxin temporarily stopped.

"You better have a real reason for this."

Ignoring the other's attitude, Li Ping contemplated for a moment before saying, "What kind of power could instantly kill you?"

As if hearing an extremely amusing joke, faces flew out from Mo Ruxin, coming to Li Ping and shouting.

"Instantly kill me? The demonic heart is indestructible, and the immortal body is inexhaustible. As long as a personality exists, I won't truly die!"

"Even if it's a true immortal..."

"A true immortal should be able to."

Mo Ruxin's main body suddenly said, and the noisy faces instantly quieted down.

"In fact, with Brother Xuanyuan's strength, under the guise of intention and unintention, it's also achievable."

Mo Ruxin's main body calmly analyzed.

"I feel something is wrong with the central hub of the array ahead."

After hearing Mo Ruxin's conclusion, Li Ping straightforwardly expressed his concerns.

Unexpectedly, this time Mo Ruxin did not refute.

Suddenly, he said something seemingly irrelevant, "The entire Dark Sea is built upon the remains of true immortals."

"In our era, this place was far from being as vast as it is now. It seems that the bloodline of the Heavenly Sovereign has flourished well over the years."

"Well... Although there's a recent trend of contraction, it doesn't affect the overall situation."

"The Gathering Spirit Ascension, Ascension Gathering Spirit. In fact, this place can be seen as self-cultivation for nearly ten thousand years, a body without a true immortal master. Inside the bodies, there is only pure true immortal power."

"However, these true immortal powers are cultivated based on the remains of true immortals. So theoretically, only the deceased true immortal can use them."

"Theoretically," Mo Ruxin repeated these three words.

"But in the world, there are countless extraordinary techniques. Who knows, there might be a method to break free from this restraint."

The Faceless Holy Emperor gazed at this boundless Dark Sea from afar, "If such a magnificent energy could be controlled, it might erupt with a power comparable to true immortals in an instant."

"A child carrying a cauldron will end up being crushed by the cauldron," Mo Ruxin shattered Li Ping's fantasy.

They continued walking towards the central hub of the Gathering Spirit Ascension Immortal Formation.

"I'm thinking, is it possible that Brother Xuanyuan, after suffering severe injuries, hid here?"

"If anyone in the Xuanhuang Realm is most likely to absorb the power of this Dark Sea, it's undoubtedly him."

Seemingly talking to himself, and perhaps explaining to Li Ping the reason he disregarded the danger and insisted on going there.

"No harm, I'm here. The two of us working together, even if we encounter a crisis, there shouldn't be a problem escaping." Li Ping said calmly, following closely.

"Really foolish. That's why good people die quickly," Mo Ruxin mocked Li Ping's kindness as if unappreciative.

However, Li Ping's attention was focused on the surroundings.

Darkness converged here, becoming more intense. Knowing that the essence of this darkness was the power of true immortal corpses, Li Ping, being within it, felt a completely different sensation than before.

However, what puzzled him was that Cat Bao, who was usually very greedy for immortal-level energy, seemed completely unaware of such a huge energy.

He continued to sleep soundly on his shoulder, without even opening his eyes.

"Interesting." Li Ping increased his vigilance in his heart.

Soon after, Mo Ruxin stopped.

"It should be here," he surveyed the surroundings and said.

"Should be?" Li Ping was a bit puzzled.

Such seemingly uncertain words should not come from the mouth of Mo Ruxin, the Law King of the Xuan Tian Sect.

"Somebody has been here. They modified the formation," Mo Ruxin's tone became unusually serious. Li Ping could sense a hidden anticipation and excitement.

However, after circling around, he looked at Li Ping again.

"This formation is somewhat complex."

Meaning that he wanted the Holy Emperor's help.

Li Ping shook his head slightly, "The power of the true immortal's remains is pervasive, and I can't sense any formation traces."

Mo Ruxin snorted, "Watch closely!"

A shadowy face suddenly flew out from him and came towards Li Ping.

Li Ping didn't feel any malice, so he didn't dodge.

This shadowy face of Mo Ruxin swam around interestingly and attached itself to Li Ping's blank face.

Before he could express his displeasure, Li Ping was attracted by the spectacular scene that suddenly lit up before him.

The pitch-black and silent Dark Sea suddenly shed its mysterious veil, revealing its true face hidden underneath.

Like thick clouds accumulating in the sky, they evolved into various forms. The power of the Dark Sea gathered in patches. Li Ping and Mo Ruxin seemed to be in the kingdom of clouds, high above the sky, surrounded by the power of darkness.

The aggregation of the Dark Force swam slowly yet extremely rapidly. When they approached each other, they engulfed one another, transforming into new shapes.

In the very center of the Dark Sea, the ancient clouds of darkness that had settled for over ten thousand years emitted an aura that even made Li Ping's heart tremble.

These ancient conglomerates, like terrifying ancient beasts, quietly nested deep within the Dark Sea.

"It truly is the power of true immortals. The energy released by each cloud here surpasses a full-powered strike in the Longevity Realm."

"What formidable power!" Li Ping exclaimed.

Li Ping also noticed that the device used by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance to extract Dark Force was actually absorbing the freely floating clouds in the Dark Sea.

Moreover, the alliance seemed to distinguish the sizes of the clouds; they didn't act against the larger conglomerates. Their targets were mainly the smaller, freely floating entities.

"Now you see." Mo Ruxin's voice interrupted Li Ping's thoughts.

Shaken out of his awe, Li Ping carefully examined the surroundings again.

Sure enough, around these conglomerates, he found traces of formations.

Before attempting to decipher them, Li Ping asked a question.

"In the Star-Traversing Sky Array, based on my previous deduction results, there are four secondary formations."

"Golden chains to lock and capture the cultivation realms beyond the starry sea; the eyes of the Tan Beast serve as observation stations; the Dark Sea, which breaks free from the attraction of the Immortal Domain, is the Gathering Spirit Ascension Immortal Formation. What about the last one?"

Using Mo Ruxin's demonic face, Li Ping only stared at Mo Ruxin's original form.

Mo Ruxin shrugged, responding casually, "How would I know?"

"The Star-Traversing Array was almost entirely built by Brother Xuanyuan. We only had the opportunity to get close after he completed the construction of the formation. Different Law Kings are responsible for different areas. I'm only familiar with this place."

Li Ping didn't find any loopholes in Mo Ruxin's words, but he also didn't readily believe.

For now, Li Ping didn't dwell on this matter. He focused on analyzing the formations here because he genuinely wanted to see the legendary King of the Xuan Tian Sect in person.

"These formations are quite old, differing in style from the ones passed down in the Xuan Huang Realm."

"There seems to be traces of being triggered. Has there been a conflict here?"

"It can only be considered an anomaly. It's not particularly complicated and doesn't reach the threshold of immortal-level formations."

After observing for a while, Li Ping made this conclusion.

"Will casting spells here cause an outbreak of Dark Force?" Before breaking the formation, Li Ping asked Mo Ruxin cautiously.

Mo Ruxin, unsurprisingly, mocked him, "Have you ascended to the realm of true immortals? Don't bother about these trivial matters."

"If you can trigger an outbreak of true immortal power here, then the first thing I should do is escape immediately."

With Mo Ruxin's reply, Li Ping proceeded without hesitation.

One hidden formation after another separated in front of him, intertwining and decomposing.

Before long, Li Ping found the flaw in this formation.

"Go this way."

Guiding him in, Li Ping didn't trigger any counteraction from the formation.

"Quite skilled; you have some ability." Mo Ruxin, for once, praised.

The scene inside the formation seemed no different from the outside.

However, judging from Mo Ruxin's expression, they probably hadn't gone the wrong way.

"Here is the original central core formation of the Gathering Spirit Ascension Immortal Formation."

Following Mo Ruxin's words, Li Ping scanned left and right.

The ancient Dark Force conglomerates from the outside were absorbed here.

They turned into thin blue smoke and dissipated.

"No residual true immortal power; the essence of the energy is still deeper in the formation." Li Ping pondered.

"The power section of the Ascension Immortal Formation, once sealed, cannot be entered again. However, the central control area is not sealed."

"Be cautious." Mo Ruxin, familiar with the situation, continued to move deeper inside.

While Li Ping proceeded cautiously, he observed his surroundings and memorized every detail of the formation.

Although only a small part of the formation was exposed, given his current proficiency in formations, he could infer the source of the formation by peeking through.

"Interesting, there are traces of a battle."

Mo Ruxin, leading the way, suddenly stopped.

He looked towards a corner of the formation.

From the slight damage to the formation, Li Ping also saw a sword light.

"Longevity Realm," Li Ping judged, becoming alert.

"Not a weak Longevity Realm," Mo Ruxin added.

After saying this, he accelerated and continued moving inward.

From a visual perspective, it seemed that the positions of the two hadn't changed.

The ancient conglomerates in all directions remained motionless.

But Li Ping could clearly feel that, even with Mo Ruxin's demonic face, the surrounding environment was becoming darker.

"The depths of the Dark Sea."

The familiar, all-encompassing sense of pitch darkness struck again.

Compared to the darkness on the periphery, the darkness here was even more suffocating.

Li Ping felt that his cultivation was being hindered, and even the essence of source power couldn't be avoided.

When darkness swallowed the last trace of light, and relying solely on Mo Ruxin's demonic face to barely sense the surroundings, Li Ping suddenly felt that Mo Ruxin in front had stopped.

A cold breath faintly emanated.

Li Ping approached slowly and discovered why Mo Ruxin had stopped.

Not far ahead lay a set of bones.

Or, to be more accurate, an empty shell.

Dead for who knows how long, the face still vividly displayed the terror and disbelief before the person's demise.

Yet, despite the seemingly intact body, the inside was already hollow.

Nothing remained.

"Longevity Realm," Mo Ruxin communicated with Li Ping using the attached demonic face.

"And, the clothing on him looks a bit familiar." Mo Ruxin suddenly surged with a hint of killing intent.

"Great Dao Sect, Fang Dingge."

After carefully observing for a while, Li Ping confirmed the person's identity from the records on the Primordial Stone Tablet.

"So, it's him." Li Ping suddenly realized.

At the same time, the sense of vigilance in his heart rose unprecedentedly.

"Who are you?" Mo Ruxin asked concisely.

"In your era, thousands of years later, he was the sect master of the Great Dao Sect during the great calamity."

"In order to chase down the one who passed down the method, the founder of the current Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, six Longevity Realm experts joined forces. However, their fates remain unknown. No one has seen them alive or dead. The one who passed down the method, however, survived."

"At that time, the one who passed down the method was only at the Unity Realm." Li Ping briefly explained the origin of the matter to Mo Ruxin.

"All six Longevity Realm experts died here?" Mo Ruxin wasn't calm.

He took a slight step back, looking serious.

"I hope it won't be as I suspect." After a while, Mo Ruxin muttered to himself.

"Did the one who passed down the method use the power of this Gathering Spirit Ascension Immortal Formation to kill those six Longevity Realm experts?" Li Ping asked.

"If that's the case, it would be the best outcome." Mo Ruxin's voice came faintly.

"Just afraid that the true immortal remains might come back to life."

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 1278: Survival in the Apocalypse 

"Just afraid that the true immortal remains might come back to life."

As Mo Ruxin spoke these words, whether it was Li Ping's illusion or not, the depths of the Dark Sea seemed to become even colder.

It felt as if an unknown presence had suddenly locked onto him, and a chilling sensation arose in his heart.

The Holy Emperor looked around with a solemn expression but found no lurking presence.

Turning his gaze back to the corpse of Fang Dingge from the Great Dao Sect, Li Ping asked, "After taking on this appearance, can it come back to life?"

Li Ping wasn't referring to Fang Dingge himself but rather the true immortal whose celestial body turned into the Dark Sea, and his consciousness transformed into the Meteoric Immortal Realm.

Mo Ruxin also observed the nearby corpse and whispered, "Let me tell you a story."

"At one time, our Nine Refinement Sect worshipped an ancestral stone statue, said to be personally crafted by Ancestor Jiulian and Master Miaofa."

"This stone statue had been worshipped for thousands of years. If disciples in the sect had any doubts in their cultivation, as long as they sincerely prayed to it, most would receive a response from the depths of the unknown. Thus, the incense and offerings never ceased for many years."

"Then one day, calamity clouds suddenly shrouded the sky above the Nine Refinement Sect, and divine lightning struck down. The target, however, was that ancestral stone statue! A figure broke out from within the stone statue, soaring straight into the sky! This person's strength was terrifying, enough to instantly obliterate the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder meant for the Unity Realm. Laughing heartily within the thunderstorm, he was about to resist the tribulation and ascend..."

Mo Ruxin paused at a critical point, waiting for the Holy Emperor to urge him on. When there was no prompt, he had to hold his breath and continue, "Originally, the shattered fragments of the ancestral stone statue scattered on the ground quietly gathered back together. Approaching those undergoing tribulation, when caught off guard, it swallowed him back into the stone statue!"

"Now, no matter how that figure struggles, he can't escape the envelopment of the stone statue. The stone statue and that figure ascended into the void together!"

After finishing this somewhat mysterious story, Li Ping couldn't help but furrow his brows.

Mo Ruxin asked, "Guess who among the two ascending together is our Nine Refinement Sect's Ancestor?"

Li Ping contemplated for a moment and replied, "The figure within the stone statue needs to face the tribulation of ascension. He should be the one? Unable to ascend during his lifetime, he took on the form of the stone statue and was worshipped by disciples for thousands of years, attempting to ascend..."

Mo Ruxin smirked slightly, "Wrong!"

"Ancestor Jiulian, Master Miaofa, has a clear record of publicly ascending to immortality in front of everyone. However, only successive heads of the Nine Refinement Sect knew that, after entering the immortal realm, Master Miaofa fell for some unknown reason in the second year!"

Li Ping was taken aback.

Mo Ruxin continued contentedly, "However, the stone statue he personally crafted had a hidden trick left by him. Even if the divine soul in the upper realm was annihilated, it could use the stone statue to be reborn!"

Li Ping frowned again, "Then who is the figure inside the stone statue?"

Mo Ruxin chuckled, "It's the third-generation Sect Master of our Nine Refinement Sect. This person, who did not follow the ancestral instructions, wanted to establish new rules. After a series of internal struggles and injuries, he disappeared without a trace. Unexpectedly, he had been hiding inside the ancestral stone statue all along, cultivating to the point of ascending."

"But in the end, he became someone else's scapegoat."

"Master Miaofa ascended to immortality only a year ago and didn't have much foundation. Yet, he could still be reborn using the stone statue. Not to mention that true immortal."

"Look at this Dark Sea; you can imagine how powerful he was in his lifetime. In short, don't judge the methods of the [immortals] with the eyes of us cultivators. It's truly worlds apart!"

Perhaps due to the communication between them for some time, Mo Ruxin's emotions had stabilized a lot, and he spoke with emotion.

Li Ping remained silent.

He felt that there were some inaccuracies in what the other party said about Master Miaofa using the stone statue for rebirth and the connection between the third-generation Sect Master of the Nine Refinement Sect. However, it was an ancient secret, and now wasn't the time to delve into it while being deep in dangerous territory.

"Do we still need to continue deeper? The tragic death of Fang Dingge doesn't seem like something an ordinary cultivator could achieve," Li Ping changed the topic.

"Let's go inside first. If the true immortal has died and resurrected, after so many years, it's impossible for them to stay in the same place," Mo Ruxin said. Bypassing Fang Dingge's remains, he continued to dive into the darkness below.

Passing through three formation barriers, some belonged to the Gathering Spirit Ascension Immortal Formation, while others were set up later. With the combined efforts of Li Ping and Mo Ruxin, they finally reached the central control hub of the Gathering Spirit Ascension Immortal Formation after some effort.

Along the way, they didn't discover the remains of the other four fallen Longevity Realm experts.

The control hub, clearly located in the deepest part of the dark sea, seemed like a transparent observation platform.

Through the surrounding formation restrictions, which seemed like panoramic glass, Li Ping and Mo Ruxin could see the entire Dark Sea.

Even though it had been magnified countless times, they could still clearly see the outline of the humanoid conglomerates in the Dark Sea, resembling human forms.

Mo Ruxin, obviously not the first time he had come here, wasn't distracted by the magnificent scene before him. Instead, he came to the center of the observation platform.

His expression changed slightly.

"Good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?" Mo Ruxin asked.

After a moment of silence, Li Ping responded, "Let's hear the good news first."

"The good news is that the fallen true immortal didn't resurrect using the remains," Mo Ruxin said in a mysterious tone.

"And the bad news?"

Mo Ruxin sneered, "You'll see when you come and take a look."

Li Ping walked slowly to Mo Ruxin's position.

Suddenly, the scene in front of him changed. The towering observation platform seemed to be rapidly plummeting from its high position.

The view of the dark sea below rapidly approached and continuously expanded.

Suddenly, it entered his line of sight, reaching deep into his soul.

Boom!

The surrounding scenery changed, as if they had left the dark sea and arrived in an entirely new unknown place.

"Don't move."

Mo Ruxin's voice echoed in his mind, and Li Ping felt a sense of reassurance, surveying his surroundings.

He saw the other four fallen Longevity Realm experts.

Maintaining the last moments of their lives, unlike Fang Dingge, their faces were covered with a gray-like substance, making it impossible to see their specific features.

Only vaguely, one could see the terrifying power they tried to resist, which sought to devour them.

Li Ping attempted to find the culprit responsible for the downfall of these five Longevity experts.

Extending from under the feet of the four Longevity corpses, the gray, intertwining vine-like substance caught Li Ping's attention.

In Li Ping's observation, these gray vines were definitely lifeless, pure energy aggregates.

But for some reason, when facing them, Li Ping felt like he was being targeted by venomous snakes.

"What is this?" Ask if you don't know; Li Ping had no psychological barriers.

"This is the 'Intent of Survival,' the residual intent of a fallen true immortal." After a considerable pause, Mo Ruxin slowly answered Li Ping's question.

"Intent of survival?" Li Ping carefully pondered the meaning of these four words.

"A true immortal can't be judged by common sense. When Brother Xuanyuan modified the remains of the true immortals, he had concerns in this regard. To prevent them from resurrecting, he made many arrangements. But unexpectedly..."

Although Li Ping couldn't see Mo Ruxin's figure, he could sense him staring intently at the gray "Intent of Survival" covering this area.

In accordance with common sense, the true immortal remains, which had already turned into the dark sea, should not have such a strong intent of survival.

Hearing Mo Ruxin's words, Li Ping also contemplated, "Unless someone deliberately triggered it."

"Exactly. This person is not simple." Mo Ruxin commented.

"Firstly, being able to crack Brother Xuanyuan's restrictions is not simple. Secondly, being able to stimulate the intent of survival in the remains of a true immortal is not simple. Thirdly, after triggering the intent of survival, still able to leave unscathed... Remarkable." Mo Ruxin praised without a hint of admiration in his tone.

"Don't underestimate these things. Even you and I, if accidentally targeted by them, would probably find it hard to escape death. We could only end up like these five empty shells."

Li Ping frowned slightly, having some confidence in his own strength.

Mo Ruxin did not argue with Li Ping but continued to explain in a low voice, "The intent of survival, ignited in the remains of the deceased, is like grabbing the last straw for survival. It erupts suddenly, instinctively devouring any life it can come into contact with, converting it into sustenance for its own resurrection. Only someone with Brother Xuanyuan's strength can barely resist. Despite our appearance of strength, we are still far from enough."

Li Ping fell silent.

Mo Ruxin continued, "Fortunately, the person who triggered this back then didn't destroy Brother Xuanyuan's arrangements. After absorbing these four Longevity experts, the 'Intent of Survival' couldn't find any more objects to absorb and fell back into silence."

"If it were to escape the dark sea..."

"I'm afraid the entire Xuanhuang Realm would become its feast."

Li Ping instantly became extremely solemn.

"But speaking of which, Brother Xuanyuan's methods are not so easily broken. The person who triggered it, the one you mentioned as 'Chuanfa,' did not directly destroy the restrictions of the dark sea. He didn't even change them but added his own methods separately."

"However... Having mastery over the control formation instrument and being so proficient in the restrictions here, he made progress effortlessly." Mo Ruxin seemed to recall something, and the concentration of his aura suddenly became unstable.

"Let's get to work." Just when Li Ping was worried that Mo Ruxin might become erratic and uncontrollable, Mo Ruxin suddenly regained composure.

Transmitting a large amount of information into Li Ping's mind.

"This is... the Gathering Spirit Ascension Array?" Li Ping immediately saw through its secrets.

"In strict terms, it's the Gathering Spirit Ascension Array modified by Brother Xuanyuan. The original version of the ascension array was created by a demonic cultivator. Hehe, this individual was a true fiend. Born lowly, with insufficient natural aptitude, he reached the limit at the Golden Core stage. However, he forcefully created this sinister array, where everything under its formation would be refined into the purest energy."

"He started by targeting ordinary worlds, going from weak to strong, and who knows how many worlds' creatures he annihilated before finally ascending to the Immortal Realm. After arriving in the Immortal Realm, the first thing he did was to improve the array, hoping to repeat his deeds. Hmph, this person, even in the calamity of the Immortal Realm, died like a mere fly. All the treasures he accumulated throughout his life ended up cheapening Brother Xuanyuan. However, Brother Xuanyuan seems quite disdainful of his legacy..." Mo Ruxin sneered.

"So, someone so fiercely ruthless can still achieve Immortality? Is the heavenly tribulation in his world different from the Xuanhuang Realm?" Li Ping asked with a frown.

Because in Li Ping's memory, fiends like him facing the tribulation in the Xuanhuang Realm had a difficulty level tens of times higher than usual. Success in overcoming the tribulation was nearly impossible.

"No matter how strong the heavenly tribulation, there are limits in the mortal realm. It just needs to be stronger than what it faces. Besides, the concepts of good and evil are not fixed..."

Li Ping could clearly feel that Mo Ruxin, as he spoke, fell into a kind of bewilderment.

"What do you need me to do?" Li Ping timely diverted Mo Ruxin's attention.

"Your proficiency in formations shouldn't be much weaker than Brother Xuanyuan. The central control of this Gathering Spirit Ascension Array must not be disturbed. If possible, reinforce the formations, press down on the inside of the dark sea, and then cut off the connection between the control formation instrument in the hands of the Wanxian Alliance and the grand array," Mo Ruxin said as he came back to his senses.

Li Ping nodded, observing the details of the surrounding formations while comparing them with the array diagram that appeared in his mind.

"Indeed, worthy of being the King of Xuantian, considered the most extraordinary person in the Xuanhuang Realm for thousands of years."

As fellow formation masters, Li Ping couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie with Mo Ruxin after sensing the exquisite aspects of the array here.

The essence of the power sourced from the prayers of the Dark Tribe, after being absorbed and transformed by the dark sea, which is also the remains of a true immortal, condensed deep within the formation.

It seemed like an irregular accumulation, but Li Ping vaguely sensed that through some means, these forces, capable of contending with true immortals, could instantly erupt.

Driving the Xuanhuang Realm, escaping the control of the true immortals in the Immortal Ruins.

"To manipulate the power of true immortals with mortal formations, impressive."

Li Ping did not find the shadow of the original grand array of the Xuanhuang Realm within the formations of the dark sea. The formations here were likely crafted solely by the King of Xuantian. Even the fallen true immortals were sufficient to illustrate Xuanyuan Hong's transcendent skills in formations.

"To reinforce the formation, we need some auxiliary materials..." After observing for a while, Li Ping pondered.

"I have them here." Mo Ruxin immediately spoke.

Apparently well-prepared, as soon as the two returned from the hiding place of the "Intent of Survival" to the central control of the formation, he took out a pile of materials.

Li Ping examined them; they were all required for reinforcing the formation.

"Don't look at me like that. Your face is still borrowed from me."

"As the Law King of Xuantian Sect, even if I'm hastily escaping, it's normal to carry materials that can help me make a comeback, right?"

"Speaking of which, why are you faceless too? Could it be related to the true immortal who saved Brother Xuanyuan in the past? I'm a bit timid, don't scare me..."

Li Ping ignored Mo Ruxin's nonsense and began to concentrate on setting up the formation.

With the example of Xuanyuan Hong as a reference, it was not difficult for Li Ping to replicate it. For him, it was not a difficult task.

As the formation gradually took shape, the "observatory" they were in seemed to rise even higher.

Mo Ruxin nodded very satisfied, and when Li Ping finished his work, he took out another pile of materials.

"Strengthen it a bit more. Completely suppress the 'Intent of Survival' of the true immortals in the deep of the dark sea."

Li Ping agreed with this. Without complaining, he continued working.

After the materials were consumed, the view of the dark sea in their sight was only half the size of the original.

"In this way, it should be safe enough, unless someone maliciously disturbs." Mo Ruxin stood beside Li Ping, looking down at the dark sea below, softly saying.

"For the sake of the safety of Xuanhuang, it's better to be more cautious. I'll set up another protective formation here." Without seeking Mo Ruxin's opinion, it was already a decided notification.

Mo Ruxin shrugged, "Do as you please. Many years have passed, and no one has come to this ghost place except us. Who are you guarding against with this formation? If that 'Intent of Survival' truly breaks free, your formation won't be enough to deal with it."

Li Ping paid no attention to Mo Ruxin's sarcastic remarks but continued to seriously add the most powerful blockade formation he could currently deploy.

"Okay, next is to sever the hands extended by the Wanxian Alliance." After finishing his work, Mo Ruxin urged.

"The dark power being extracted is limited now. If the dark sea shrinks to a certain extent, the 'Intent of Survival' might sense the vibrant Xuanhuang Realm from the outside. The scene at that time is truly unimaginable."

While strengthening the formations here, Li Ping had noticed two lines extending from the central control of the formation, like intermittent threads.

He didn't know where they led.

"Cut off the connection of both control formation instruments with the central control?" Li Ping looked at Mo Ruxin.

"As for the other one, he's probably already dead. Just cut it off." Mo Ruxin remained silent for a moment and nodded.

Li Ping then proceeded to modify the central control of the formation.

The progress was very smooth, and the Gathering Spirit Ascension Array emitted a soft hum, as if it had been rebooted.

First, it dimmed a bit, then became bright again.

Li Ping stood at the center of the formation, sensing the opening in the dark sea created by the Wanxian Alliance.

Boom! Boom!

Clouds rolled, stirring invisible waves. Gathering the "clouds" drifting in the dark sea, it grew larger and larger. By the time it reached the rift, it had turned into a tremendous wave.

Violently crashing onto the Wanxian Alliance's apparatus.

Dozens of diligent cultivators from the alliance, who were supervising the extraction of dark power, were silently engulfed.

Evaporated from existence.

In the intense shock, the rift closed.

Faced with the sudden change, the Wanxian Alliance did not want to give up. In the almost-sealed crack, the eye-like control formation instrument appeared again.

The golden abacus rapidly moved, attempting to control the situation.

However, this time, it had no effect. They could only watch as the crack in the dark sea healed.

Dust settled.

Li Ping and Mo Ruxin looked at each other in silence.

Although it went through some twists and turns, the goal of severing the Wanxian Alliance's extraction of dark power was achieved. Moreover, they also learned many secrets of the ancient Xuantian Sect.

Li Ping felt a sense of tranquility in his heart, sensing that his connection with the Xuanhuang Dao had become even more profound.

However, he was well aware that his ability to easily manipulate the power of the Gathering Spirit Ascension Array was not only due to his excellent formation skills but also heavily relied on Mo Ruxin's assistance.

Without the array diagram he transmitted, breaking the restrictions left by the King of Xuantian would not be achievable in a short time.

Moreover, the key factor was Mo Ruxin's differentiation and attachment to the demonic face on Li Ping.

Because of the presence of this face, they could smoothly traverse the depths of the dark sea. Even when altering the critical structure of the formation, they did not face attacks or backlash from the grand array.

In a sense, Mo Ruxin's face held higher authority than the two eye-like control formation instruments.

"Among the Twelve Law Kings of the Xuantian Sect back then, where would you rank in terms of strength?" Li Ping suddenly asked.

Mo Ruxin was taken aback.

Then he sneered, "I won't hide it from you. Among the twelve, I had the weakest strength. Although you can barely surpass me, you wouldn't beat the others."

Li Ping naturally didn't believe it.

Mo Ruxin coldly snorted, "In our era, talents were abundant. Peerless geniuses were like carp crossing the river, countless in number. It was undoubtedly a great era for cultivating immortals!"

"If it weren't for the sudden cut-off of the Immortal Dao, and a large number of ascenders appearing in a short time, it wouldn't have been impossible."

Li Ping fell silent.

In the records of the Creation Stone Tablet, all information related to those who ascended to immortality was erased, so he couldn't judge the truth of Mo Ruxin's words.

However, judging from the performances before the Twelve Law Kings joined the Xuantian Sect, Mo Ruxin's words might be somewhat exaggerated but still aligned with certain facts.

"You all were so strong. How did the Immortal Dao Ten Sects defeat you back then?"

"Even without the King of Xuantian, with all twelve of you working together, the Immortal Dao Ten Sects would have a hard time winning, right?" Li Ping asked a question that had been pressing on his mind.

"Hmph." Mo Ruxin directly snorted.

After a long silence, he vaguely said, "In short, we lost. I won't deny it. Those people from the Immortal Dao Ten Sects weren't pushovers either."

"And..."

Mo Ruxin's tone suddenly became extremely cold.

"Some played along for real, suddenly turned against us. Without identifying who the mole was, none of us dared to trust each other. Coupled with Brother Xuanyuan's inexplicable disappearance..."

"One by one, self-proclaimed geniuses, claiming their talents were no less than Xuanyuan Hong, only to find out when a real crisis approached that without Brother Xuanyuan leading, they were just a bunch of disorganized mob."

"On the other hand, the Immortal Dao Ten Sects fought desperately because they knew, if they failed, death awaited them."

Mo Ruxin suddenly laughed, "But now, I'm at ease. The Heavenly Dao is fair. The Immortal Dao Ten Sects were wiped out by this so-called Wanxian Alliance! Haha! Well done!"

"You did a great job, Xuanhuang Realm!"

Mo Ruxin patted Li Ping on the shoulder, praising him.

"In fact, the core figures of the Immortal Dao Ten Sects are probably still alive." Li Ping suddenly said.

"Simply avoiding the world, not revealing oneself to the mortal realm."

Mo Ruxin grabbed Li Ping's shoulder and exerted force suddenly.

"Hmph, hehehe..." After learning this news abruptly, Mo Ruxin not only didn't erupt in anger but started laughing recklessly.

"So, he's not dead? Even better."

"Now, I can personally seek revenge. After so many years, they shouldn't be as united as they were back then."

Mo Ruxin left Li Ping's side, and his figure suddenly became much darker.

"It's time to go."

"I was originally planning to find Brother Xuanyuan, but by accident, I ended up here first. But it's also good; in any case, I've ruled out one wrong answer."

Li Ping felt that the demonic face on his blank visage was about to detach.

The surrounding darkness aggressively invaded.

Whispers from the depths of the soul echoed, corroding Li Ping's consciousness.

Knowing it was not a place to stay for long, Li Ping followed Mo Ruxin, returning from the deepest part of the dark sea.

"By the way, where were you originally heading? Why did you need to use that Immortal Device Command Flag?" Li Ping asked.

Mo Ruxin remained silent.

Passing by the empty shell of the Grand Dao Sect's sect master Fang Dingge, he suddenly said to Li Ping, "Scavenge him; you might find some treasures."

Li Ping stared at Mo Ruxin.

Mo Ruxin gave Li Ping a disdainful look, "This person resisted the engulfing of the Survival Intention and managed to escape all the way here before dying. It shows his strength. Experts always have good things on them. Brother Xuanyuan taught me this."

"Moreover, if he does have any relics that survived the onslaught of the true immortal Survival Intention, they must be extraordinary treasures. Why not give it a try? You really won't?" Mo Ruxin enticed.

After looking for a while, Li Ping shook his head slightly.

"The departed have already left; let him rest here. There are plenty of treasures in the world; must we scavenge them all? Greed leads to self-destruction, and a muddled heart invites calamity."

"Calling you foolish is an understatement; you truly are foolish," Mo Ruxin sneered.

However, he also didn't scavenge Fang Dingge's corpse but let him lie quietly on the ground.

After a brisk journey, the two returned to the original location.

The white jade flagpole was still in place.

However, due to the erosion of the dark power, the area covered by the radiant glow had reduced by a full circle compared to before.

"It truly is a re-forged second-hand item, indeed a waste," Mo Ruxin criticized unreservedly.

"Now that you've stirred up trouble, I need to go find the other arrangements left by me back then. I don't know if they are still there after so many years. If not, I'll come looking for you!" Mo Ruxin looked at Li Ping, speaking coldly.

Li Ping summoned the people from the Shadow Clan and reopened the gateway to the outside world.

"I can help you in the search for King Xuantian."

"I need his assistance," Li Ping said earnestly.

Mo Ruxin flew into the passage first, laughing heartily, "Do you think that by traversing the dark sea with me, I would completely trust you? In our time, each of the other eleven brothers and sisters had gone through life and death together."

"The truth has taught me that no one can be trusted!"

Mo Ruxin's icy voice slowly faded.

When Li Ping returned to the Nine Mountains Province, there was no trace of Mo Ruxin.

However, the Saint Emperor didn't pursue him.

This King of Xuantian, the Law King of Xuantian Sect, was not his enemy.

(End of this chapter)