Chapter 1178: Immortal Boat Splits into Two

"Zhao Xian!" Zhao Wuji snorted upon seeing the situation.

Zhao Xian immediately came back to his senses.

"Tell me, what does the dispute between the Immortal Disruption Pavilion and the Immortal Nexus Institute have to do with me sending you on this mission?" Zhao Wuji asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Master, this is both a declaration of your stance and a gesture of goodwill," Zhao Xian said weakly. "This is the first time the Immortal Disruption Pavilion has collected relics since taking over Sinner's Valley. Everyone is watching to see how the Immortal Disruption Pavilion's new methods compare to the Immortal Nexus Institute's long-standing traditions. Disposing of useless relics for recycling... that's a simple task, yet you insisted on sending us personally. This not only shows your attitude to the Immortal Disruption Pavilion but also clarifies it to the observing factions outside..."

Zhao Wuji nodded repeatedly, very satisfied with Zhao Xian's analysis. However, upon seeing the nonchalant expression on his disciple's face, he couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.

Just as he was about to speak, Zhao Xian interrupted, "Master, I genuinely don't understand. Given the current state of the Immortal Ark, why can't we unite? Why must we fight to the death first?"

Zhao Wuji's expression changed. He waved his hand to prevent his disciple's voice from leaking out. "You unfilial disciple..."

"Am I wrong?" Zhao Xian asked, his neck held high, completely unafraid.

Zhao Wuji suddenly produced a disciplinary ruler, raised it high, and was about to bring it down on Zhao Xian's head. But in the end, he didn't strike hard.

"Xian'er, you don't understand," Zhao Wuji sighed deeply. "This Profound Immortal Ark must have, and can only have, one helmsman. The tragedy from many years ago already demonstrated the terrible consequences of a divided supreme leadership."

Hearing this, Zhao Xian also looked dejected. He no longer argued.

"You may leave," Zhao Wuji suddenly said, his interest waning. "Don't go out recently; just cultivate diligently in the academy. Since your master has taken a side, we just need to wait for them to determine a winner. Even if the Immortal Disruption Pavilion truly loses, the Immortal Nexus Institute wouldn't dare do anything drastic to our Daoist Academy. At most, they'd just reduce our resource allocation."

The three disciples obeyed and returned to their respective residences.

The Daoist Academy, despite its imposing name, had rather modest accommodations for Zhao Xian. His dwelling hardly looked like a place for cultivators to rest, merely a single room barely large enough to live in. The only noteworthy aspect was that the spiritual energy concentration in the room was significantly higher than in other areas of the Immortal Ark, making it perfectly suitable for cultivation below the Golden Core stage.

Closing the door, Zhao Xian skillfully sealed it with an enchantment. A flicker of excitement appeared in his eyes as he pulled out a book-like artifact from under his bed. Just as he was about to use it, he suddenly fell unconscious.

Li Fan's spiritual avatar slowly materialized. He took the book-like artifact. "Hmm... it's similar to the Heavenly Profound Mirror, connecting to the Immortal Ark's information network. One can also use academy contributions to exchange for resources. However, it's limited to the Daoist Academy's internal network and cannot connect to other areas of the Immortal Ark." Li Fan shook his head and tossed aside the so-called Myriad Lore Record.

Then, transforming into a wisp of green smoke, he infiltrated Zhao Xian's consciousness. However, how could a Qi Cultivation stage youth resist Li Fan's scrutiny? Before long, all of Zhao Xian's secrets, from childhood to the present, were laid bare to Li Fan.

Although Zhao Xian shared the same surname as Zhao Wuji, they were not related by blood. Zhao Wuji's exceptional favoritism towards Zhao Xian was solely due to Zhao Xian's "good cultivation talent."

He had reached the late Qi Cultivation stage after only a year at the Daoist Academy. While this cultivation speed was negligible in the Xuanhuang Realm, it was considered outstanding within the Immortal Ark.

Cultivation resources on the Immortal Ark were limited. Even the Daoist Academy operated on a tight budget and could only prioritize supplying its most talented disciples. Every three academic years, a system of bottom-tier elimination was enforced. Those who fell behind in their progress had to leave the academy, either returning home to become rogue cultivators or accepting appointments from the Immortal Nexus Institute to serve in various locations across the Immortal Ark.

This harsh elimination system was precisely what allowed the Daoist Academy to maintain its advantage and vitality. It wasn't just disciples who faced elimination; cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage, like Zhao Wuji, also experienced immense pressure. If their disciples performed poorly, it implied a lack of teaching aptitude. Without strong backing, they would have to leave their teaching positions and take on other, somewhat dangerous, roles.

For this reason, the atmosphere throughout the Daoist Academy was extremely oppressive. Everyone lived with the uncertainty of when they might be forced to leave.

However, Zhao Xian was an exception. Perhaps it was his nature, but he didn't have a strong desire to remain in the Daoist Academy. He even lacked much enthusiasm for cultivation itself.

Outsiders believed that reaching the late Qi Cultivation stage in a year was the result of his arduous training. Only he knew that it was merely a consequence of his casual, on-again, off-again approach, with very little effort invested.

Zhao Xian's greatest interest was searching the Myriad Lore Record for anecdotes and oddities. He was utterly fascinated by the origins of the Immortal Ark, everything about the ancient cultivation world, and the boundless Star Sea beyond the Ark.

Li Fan carefully read through Zhao Xian's observations from the past year. These weren't just from the Myriad Lore Record; some were also gathered by consulting the academy's elders.

"In ancient times, the Immortal Ark was still intact. However, due to a sudden catastrophe that destroyed a realm in the Star Sea and internal strife, the Immortal Ark fractured into two halves. One was named Xuan (Profound), and the other Shang (Trade). This one is the Profound Immortal Ark."

Pausing, Li Fan continued to read. "For a long period after the Immortal Ark fractured, it drifted aimlessly in the Star Sea during an era of complete chaos and loss of control. The population also plummeted during that time, with nearly nine-tenths perishing. Eventually, the Immortal Ark finally stabilized and appeared in this Sea of Relics. It has never left since... Although it can move within a small range, it is powerless to escape the strong gravitational force at the periphery of the Relics."

Observing how the Ark's inhabitants named that pulling force, Li Fan instantly fell into contemplation. "Echoing Star Power? What does 'echoing' mean in this context?"

Zhao Xian, being only a Qi Cultivation stage cultivator, was able to learn this much only by persistently pestering the academy's elders. Indeed, the origin of the Echoing Star Power was beyond his knowledge.

Li Fan had no choice but to temporarily put aside his questions. He began to consider his next plan.

His spiritual avatar's strength was too weak; only by bringing in the Saint Embryo could he have enough room to maneuver. The only remaining issue to resolve was the residual power of the True Immortal Seal Script. Li Fan immediately thought of the talisman previously used by the Immortal Disruption Pavilion.