Chapter 1269: Unified Path Ant Death (7k, Please Subscribe, Please Vote)

Regardless of the character of Mo Rubing and the Xuan Tian Sect members, they are, after all, native cultivators of the Xuanhuang Realm.

Currently, the main conflict in the Xuanhuang Realm is the struggle for sovereignty between foreign cultivators, who were absorbed into the realm for various reasons since the Tribulation of the Immortal World, and the native cultivators of the Xuanhuang Realm.

The key to resolving this conflict lies with Chuan Fa and Tian Yi.

"As for Mo Rubing, he might even step in to help at a critical moment. And King Xuantian..."

Based on the current clues, King Xuantian, Xuanyuan Hong, shares the same primary goal as Li Ping: to save the Xuanhuang Realm from its current crisis. If he is truly still alive, Li Ping would not mind returning the position of Xuanhuang Heavenly Venerate to him.

This journey with Mo Rubing was incredibly fruitful for Li Ping. Besides unexpectedly mastering an immortal-grade formation, the Spirit Gathering Ascendance Formation, more importantly, it thwarted the Myriad Immortals Alliance's subtle attempt to extract power from the Dark Ocean.

Without the formation-controlling artifact, the Myriad Immortals Alliance, with its currently revealed strength, would be absolutely unable to manipulate the Dark Ocean again. Although the Alliance's purpose for stealing the dark power remains unclear, there is no doubt that this action, by disrupting their plan, effectively eliminated one of the Myriad Immortals Alliance's trump cards.

As for further deepening his connection with the Heavenly Dao of Xuanhuang, it now seems like a negligible improvement for Li Ping.

Returning to the Great Unveiling of the Holy Dynasty, Li Ping first went to the treasure vault. He used Cat Treasure to duplicate items using the Spatial Confinement Ring's main body, ensuring that three copies of each treasure were secured.

Only then did the Holy Emperor return to his throne, sitting in contemplation.

"Although I knew before that many of the Xuan Tian Sect's Dharma Kings were still dormant across the Xuanhuang Realm, I lacked precise, quantitative knowledge of their strength. Mo Rubing claimed he was the weakest of the twelve..."

"Even with some exaggeration, the Dharma Kings' strength is indeed terrifying, especially with their immortal heritage as a foundation."

"The Xuan Tian Sect inherited the legacy of the Immortal World; the Ten Immortal Dao Sects, inheriting from Grand Master Tiandu, must have plundered many treasures when they annihilated the Xuan Tian Sect. As for Chuan Fa..."

"Even the Supreme Sect's ultimate cultivation technique, the 'Supreme Primordial True Scripture,' was forcibly borrowed by him. Many of the Ten Sects' treasures must have fallen into Chuan Fa's possession. Not to mention that he controls powerful artifacts like the Heaven-Profound Mirror, which none of the Ten Sects could find. Chuan Fa's strength surpasses even that of the Xuan Tian Sect's Dharma Kings."

A question naturally presented itself before the Holy Emperor.

If Chuan Fa is forced out, a battle between the two sides is inevitable.

Although the Xuanhuang Realm is vast, it cannot withstand their turmoil. Furthermore, there are far too many strange things hidden within the Xuanhuang Realm, such as the true immortal's will to survive deep within the Dark Ocean.

If their conflict disturbs these entities...

Then there would be no point in disputing the Xuanhuang orthodoxy. Whether the Xuanhuang Realm itself can survive would become the question.

"The future battleground must be in the void outside Xuanhuang," Li Ping secretly mused.

Li Ping believed that Chuan Fa would agree with him on this point. After all, having spent thousands of years mending and preserving, Chuan Fa surely wouldn't wish to see the Xuanhuang Realm utterly destroyed.

Li Ping harbored little ill will towards Chuan Fa.

It was purely a matter of differing stances between the two parties.

"It seems I must personally visit the void outside the realm to familiarize myself with the battle environment," Li Ping thought.

Before that, however, Li Ping focused his attention on the Spirit Gathering Ascendance Formation.

This formation shared a remarkable similarity with the Myriad Beings Refinement Formation. After King Xuantian's improvements, its bloodthirsty aura had been significantly reduced, which Li Ping did not reject.

The Spirit Gathering Ascendance could extract matter and transform it into transcendent immortal power.

The Myriad Beings Refinement, on the other hand, could fuse consciousness to condense energy capable of resisting true immortals.

If the two were combined...

"Perhaps it could solve the problem of insufficient source energy essence."

"Although limited by a lack of materials, the Ascendance Formation's effectiveness would be greatly reduced. However, it shouldn't be difficult to ultimately condense power equivalent in energy level to source energy essence."

The Holy Emperor's decisiveness was self-evident; as soon as the idea arose, he began deducing it on the spot.

One by one, formation patterns decomposed and merged in his mind.

A brand new formation was slowly taking shape.

In reality, someone in the world had already taken the lead in deducing the envisioned formation.

Beneath the Dark Ocean, a constant threat of death and dissolution loomed.

The connection between the Holy Emperor's clone and Li Fan's main body became close once more.

Especially after Mo Rubing placed the demonic mask on the Holy Emperor, the images sensed by Li Fan's main body became unprecedentedly clear.

Consequently, Li Fan had complete knowledge of their entire operation.

In the Derivation Jade space, Li Fan observed the deduction results reported by the Simulacrum Personality of the Final Disintegration Disk, a peculiar gleam flashing in his eyes.

"The Spirit Gathering Ascendance is powerful, but its energy extraction efficiency is too low. Even thoroughly refining a realm into nothingness would only add a small amount of immortal power. But if it's integrated with the Myriad Beings Refinement Formation..."

"It could truly be called making the best use of everything! Matter transforms into energy, spiritual sense merges and sublimates. Wonderful!"

Li Fan rapidly deduced in his mind, "If I had used this formation before to sacrifice the beings of a small world..."

"The time I could delay the Faceless True Immortal would be tripled!"

"Not only that, with this grand formation, I would no longer have to rely too heavily on the Nether Race."

Regardless of his feelings towards Mo Rubing, Li Fan paid close attention to the advice he offered.

Li Fan had truly taken to heart the phrases "mortal world immortal power is harmful, not beneficial" and "do not become a true immortal unless absolutely necessary."

As for his entanglement of grievances with Mo Rubing...

He would deal with it in the next life.

"Hmph," Li Fan's eyes flickered as he forcibly suppressed the vague thoughts emerging, refocusing his attention on the newly formed array.

The Simulacrum Personality of the Disintegration Disk was still waiting for him to name this grand formation.

"All things in the world, be they living beings or spiritual energy, originate from chaotic nothingness."

"Under this formation, all things return to their primordial state..."

"The formation shall be named 'Primal Void Without Beginning'!"

As Li Fan's thought arose, the interior of the Final Disintegration Disk began to be enveloped in a chaotic yellow light.

The name Li Fan gave, "Primal Void Without Beginning," naturally drew inspiration from the immortal-grade grand formation, "Mysterious Primordial Spirit of Origin," of which he had only glimpsed a small part.

Although the aura of the names was not too dissimilar, their actual performances were incomparable.

However, Li Fan was confident that with his continuous reincarnations and constant strengthening of the "Primal Void Without Beginning" formation, its power would one day certainly not be inferior to the "Mysterious Primordial Spirit of Origin."

"This formation is simply too extreme. I doubt the Holy Emperor's clone would think along the same lines as me," Li Fan mused inwardly.

This journey of the Holy Emperor was also a huge gain for Li Fan's main body.

The immortal-grade formation personally set up by King Xuantian provided the Disintegration Disk with a substantial amount of data, not to mention other benefits.

Li Fan eyed with envy both the true immortal's will to survive, which Mo Rubing and the Holy Emperor desperately avoided, and the dark power accumulated in the Dark Ocean over ten millennia.

Compared to those who can only live one lifetime, Li Fan would have ample time and sufficient trial-and-error allowance in the future to turn all these secret treasures to his own use.

The prerequisite was...

To survive smoothly.

"Mo Rubing, though somewhat detestable, speaks with great reason."

Secluding himself in the Derivation Jade space in this lifetime, he had ample time to digest these gains.

Those capable of determining the Xuanhuang Realm's destiny had already experienced world-shattering events within a mere few days. Yet, the myriad beings within the Xuanhuang Realm remained completely unaware.

The same held true within the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

The Dark Ocean's secrecy level was too high; only a handful of transmitters knew about it. They were currently gathered, discussing countermeasures.

Currently, the most discussed topic among Myriad Immortals Alliance cultivators was the Rainbow Light messages from outside the realm.

More than three months had passed since the Rainbow Light, carrying dozens of Myriad Immortals Alliance Dao Integration cultivators, departed the Xuanhuang Realm.

Originally, cultivators throughout the world would have thought that this group of Dao Integration cultivators would disappear without a trace.

Unexpectedly, the Myriad Immortals Alliance had mastered a method for long-distance communication and periodically released messages transmitted by that departing Rainbow Light!

Originally, the Myriad Immortals Alliance could not achieve this.

This was thanks to a sword-light message from the depths of the star sea.

After analysis, the Immortal Alliance successfully replicated this communication technology and applied it to the departing Rainbow Light.

As a result, the Immortal Alliance members were fortunate enough to witness scenes from outside the Xuanhuang Realm.

"What is all this? Why is it completely black?"

"The Myriad Immortals Alliance isn't trying to fool us, are they? This looks no different from an ordinary spatial rift."

"What about the Xianshang Immortal Boat, promised to be at the other end of the star sea?"

"Good thing I didn't choose to go then; otherwise, watching this every day would bore me to death."

"Without reaching Dao Integration, one isn't even qualified to board that departing Rainbow Light. May I ask what your cultivation level is, brother?"

"I've only cultivated for a hundred years and have already attained the Golden Core Dao. I imagine Dao Integration will be an easy feat!"

Most cultivators viewed the images released by the Myriad Immortals Alliance—for unknown reasons—with a spectator's mentality, offering their judgments.

However, some were able to discern clues from this fleeting glimpse.

Outside the Roaring Abyss, at Severed Palm Immortal City.

Shang Shaojun had repeatedly watched these extraterrestrial void scenes dozens of times.

Besides those released publicly by the Myriad Immortals Alliance, he had also obtained some top-secret versions through special channels.

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

"How do you feel, Young Lord?"

The speaker was First Jinglun.

He lightly coughed, looking at Shang Shaojun with an expression as if watching a play unfold.

"The external void is unexpectedly perilous. I pride myself on my considerable strength, but facing these calamities, I fear I would also be unable to escape death," Shang Shaojun said with lingering fear.

"It's nothing, I feel the same," First Jinglun chuckled. "That's why I'm growing increasingly curious about the white-robed sword immortal you mentioned."

First Jinglun's smile faded. "Not only can he safely traverse the void, but he can also transmit such crucial information from the other side of the star sea... How could I have never heard of such an unparalleled prodigy before?"

Shang Shaojun also sighed, "Indeed, it was from that day that I truly realized how many capable and extraordinary individuals there are in the world. I no longer dare to underestimate other heroes."

"No, no, you don't understand my meaning," First Jinglun shook his head. "I mean, the appearance of such a person completely defies conventional reasoning."

Shang Shaojun was stunned.

First Jinglun abruptly stood up, gently fanning his feather fan, and slowly said, "In this era where cultivation techniques cannot be jointly practiced, not only are cultivation methods strictly controlled, but even the resources required for advancement are constantly monitored by us."

"For rogue cultivators, even with heaven-defying fortune, cultivating to the Nascent Soul stage is their limit. To advance further, they would inevitably fall within the Myriad Immortals Alliance's scrutiny. However, this white-robed sword immortal you speak of..."

"He truly seems to have sprung from a rock; no matter how thoroughly we investigate, there's no record of such a person."

Hearing First Jinglun's serious tone, Shang Shaojun was somewhat unconvinced. "How many hidden forces are there in the Xuanhuang Realm? How could the Myriad Immortals Alliance know them all?"

First Jinglun gently fanned again, and before them, light and shadows appeared.

It was the scene of Holy Embryo Li Fan displaying his divine power and breaking demonic sounds with his sword outside the Roaring Abyss.

"Young Lord, what do you think of this sword technique?" First Jinglun asked.

"Exquisite and peerless, as if born of nature," Shang Shaojun answered without hesitation.

"This sword is the Sword of Xuanhuang." First Jinglun's white jade fan mimicked the actions of Holy Embryo Li Fan in the image, and then a sword light truly flew out from the tip of the feather fan.

"Sword of Xuanhuang..." Shang Shaojun savored these four words carefully.

"In the Xuanhuang Realm, there are quite a few who cultivate the Sword Dao, and among them are many prodigies. So it's natural that they can discern the intricacies of the sword art displayed by this white-robed sword immortal."

Every time Holy Embryo Li Fan unleashed a sword strike in the image, First Jinglun also wielded his feather fan accordingly.

Identical miniature sword lights echoed those in the image.

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

"Young Lord, are you aware of the Heavenly Oversight Bureau?" First Jinglun avoided answering, asking instead.

"I am certainly aware that the Immortal Alliance, through the Heavenly Oversight Bureau, constantly monitors the principles of heaven and earth. Besides being able to observe the spirits of heaven and earth, most importantly, it can detect traces of defiance to those principles in advance," Shang Shaojun answered quickly.

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

"This sword is a marvel of the heavens. It points directly to the principles of heaven and earth," First Jinglun said gravely.

At these words, Shang Shaojun seemed to understand something, a glint flashing in his eyes.

"The Heavenly Oversight Bureau had also previously observed an anomaly in the Sword Dao. However, it was very brief, lasting less than half a month before returning to normal. It didn't involve any Heavenly Venerate-level defiance anomalies, so the Heavenly Oversight Bureau merely reported it as usual, documenting and archiving it. I also saw that record at the time but didn't pay it much mind until you mentioned this white-robed sword immortal; only then did I connect them," First Jinglun said slowly.

"Half a month?" Shang Shaojun said with some disbelief.

At this point, if Shang Shaojun still didn't understand the other's meaning, then he wouldn't be worthy of guarding the Roaring Abyss any longer.

The Sword Dao had not been completely reversed, indicating that the previous anomaly was a manifestation of Dao Integration.

And the anomaly only lasted half a month from its onset, which meant the white-robed sword immortal he had met...

Was not a long-integrated Dao Integration powerhouse at all, but rather a fortunate individual who had just entered this realm.

But was that possible?

While a realm could be temporarily broken through by chance, the comprehension of the Sword Dao and the graceful ease in wielding a sword required accumulation over time.

Scenes of Holy Embryo Li Fan's companionship reappeared before Shang Shaojun's eyes.

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

First Jinglun neither confirmed nor denied, saying, "Perhaps that's possible. But I am more inclined to believe that an outsider infiltrated our Xuanhuang Realm, used the Heavenly Marvel Sword Dao to break through to the Dao Integration realm, and then lured us into the depths of the star sea..."

Shang Shaojun raised a hand to interrupt First Jinglun's discourse.

"Brother Jinglun, isn't that a bit too outlandish?"

First Jinglun smiled. "It's simply the most reasonable explanation after eliminating many impossibilities."

"This person appeared abruptly, with no background whatsoever."

"After Dao Integration, he could completely master... one of the most complex paths among the principles of heaven and earth: the Sword Dao."

"If this person truly accomplished all of this entirely on their own, without any foundation, I would call them the most talented individual throughout history, second only to Chuan Fa."

"Furthermore, from your description of him, this person's words effortlessly swayed the morale of Severed Palm Immortal City's forces, from top to bottom..."

First Jinglun let out another cold laugh.

Shang Shaojun, however, thought of more.

There were ill-intentioned individuals within the Immortal Alliance, seeking to restore order from chaos.

This was the recurring demand of that person.

After being influenced, he had indeed developed such suspicions. He had even planned to unite with several friends to investigate the truth.

But what if that person harbored ill intentions from the start?

If he were to cause internal strife within the Immortal Alliance and allow others to take advantage, wouldn't he become a traitor to the Xuanhuang Realm?

Thinking this, cold sweat broke out on Shang Shaojun's back.

At that moment, First Jinglun aptly added, "When you first approached me, I was indeed somewhat swayed."

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

"Young Lord, you are an important minister of the Immortal Alliance. Every word and action must be carefully considered."

Shang Shaojun nodded slightly, falling into deep thought.

"Do not act rashly before understanding the truth. If that person contacts you again, report it immediately. I will handle it."

After giving his instructions, First Jinglun gracefully departed the Roaring Abyss shrouded in white mist.

It was a long while later that Shang Shaojun finally realized.

He had initially intended to win over First Jinglun, but instead, he had been effortlessly swayed by the other party.

Truly worthy of the name "First."

"What kind of person are you?" Shang Shaojun gazed at the starry sky, and before his eyes, the figure in white, like a celestial immortal, seemed to reappear.

Leaving aside the Xuanxian Boat at the other end of the star sea for now.

Let us speak instead of the departing Rainbow Light, currently making its way through the star sea towards the Xuanxian Boat.

After transmitting the images recorded by the Rainbow Light to the Myriad Immortals Alliance, Lan Yu focused his attention forward.

The surroundings were pitch black, seemingly serene.

Yet, in his perception, danger lurked everywhere, a land fraught with peril.

"Brother Lan Yu, we've been out here for so long. Have you gained anything?"

Jin Ri's voice came from behind him.

Lan Yu had never had a good impression of this Dao Integration cultivator, who loved to meddle everywhere.

At this moment, he merely replied indifferently, "I suppose you could say we've made some small gains."

Jin Ri gave a sinister chuckle and secretly transmitted a message: "Brother Lan Yu, now that we are in this star sea, we are no longer bound by the Heavenly Venerate's power. Does that mean breakthroughs are easier?"

"I heard your cultivation technique is a direct lineage from the former Grand Master, perhaps even from the Immortal World. And you seem to have grown much younger in a short time..."

"Jin Ri, you've crossed the line," Lan Yu said in a deep voice, cutting him off.

Jin Ri showed no embarrassment, cupped his hands, and left with a smile.

Lan Yu turned back to continue monitoring the dark void in the direction the Rainbow Light was heading.

Inwardly, he sighed deeply.

On this flying boat, internally named "Towards Venerate," the atmosphere was somewhat delicate.

The protective rainbow light had been largely depleted during the escape from the Immortal Ruins, yet the flying boat maintained its speed, hurtling towards the other side of the star sea.

But in just a few months, three Dao Integration cultivators on board had suddenly died.

If they had died from strange calamities outside the star sea, it would have been one thing, but the crucial point was that all three Dao Integration cultivators had died inexplicably.

Everyone had personally inspected them, but no one could figure out the truth behind their sudden deaths.

The three bodies still lay quietly on the flying boat, their faces ruddy, as if merely sleeping.

However, their inner selves, their entire divine souls, had been hollowed out unknowingly.

"These are Dao Integration cultivators," Lan Yu felt a heavy heart.

Among the three who had perished, one named Qing Yan was also a veteran Dao Integration cultivator like him. His strength was not much inferior to Lan Yu's.

Yet he still died suddenly and inexplicably.

Lan Yu even found himself missing the phenomena of death that occurred in the Xuanhuang Realm. At least then, even if someone died, the cause of death could be ascertained.

"However, I heard that those phenomena also showed anomalies just before we departed? What a turbulent time."

Lan Yu, who had survived since the great tribulation, instinctively sensed something unusual.

Just as his thoughts drifted, another piercing scream suddenly startled him awake.

Lan Yu's expression changed. Realizing something was wrong, he immediately rushed towards the source of the sound.

Upon arrival, four Dao Integration cultivators had already gathered around.

The focus of everyone's horrified gaze was another body lying on the ground.

Lan Yu's pupils sharply contracted, for this time, the one who died was none other than Venerable Jin Ri, who had just been trying to get close to him!

Looking at Jin Ri's ruddy face and lifeless body, Lan Yu felt a chill run through him.

Soon after, all the survivors on the flying boat had gathered.

"Old Guan, you take charge."

From the crowd, Guan Xingxiu slowly stepped forward, his expression solemn.

After carefully examining Venerable Jin Ri's body, he made his judgment: "The same way of death."

A commotion broke out among the crowd.

"Who the hell is it?"

"This is outrageous, truly outrageous! Which of us isn't a renowned Dao Integration Grand Cultivator, yet we're being inexplicably slaughtered on this small boat!"

"Should we... just go back? It's not that I, Old Xu, am afraid of death. If we were to see the legendary Xuanxian Boat and then die after comprehending the Dao, that would be one thing. But what is this now? If news gets back, we'll lose all our old face."

"Quiet!" Guan Xingxiu impatiently interrupted their discussions.

"From now on, we act together. No separating."

"It's not a calamity from the void; rather, someone has gained enlightenment and is committing murders."

Guan Xingxiu's words caused a huge stir.

"What did you say?"

"Old Guan, are you mad? Although you're the head of the Garrison Institute, specifically in charge of this area, isn't this just too absurd?"

Guan Xingxiu waved his hand, quieting the crowd.

"I have my reasons for saying this."

Behind Guan Xingxiu, a small golden sword soared into the air.

After circling once in the air, it instantly flew towards Jin Ri's body lying on the ground.

A faint black thread was severed from the corpse by the golden sword.

Guan Xingxiu clutched the thread, and it struggled wildly as if it had a life of its own.

After observing, Lan Yu also spoke with some disbelief, "Xingxiu, are you saying the killer used this thread to easily kill those people?"

Guan Xingxiu, who held Lan Yu in high regard, nodded and said, "Currently, that appears to be the case."

"If any of you don't believe it, you can try the power of this black thread yourselves."

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

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

This was even with the black thread suppressed by the Golden Falling Star Divine Sword.

"How is this possible? A mere thread, yet so powerful?" Sun Luchang was somewhat crestfallen.

The other Dao Integration cultivators also looked incredulous.

Guan Xingxiu's gaze swept over everyone, and he declared loudly, "Everyone, I know that in the Immortal Alliance, you all hold important positions and are highly respected. But don't forget, we are currently in the star sea!"

"I believe you've all felt that the upper limit of laws in this star sea is far above that of the Xuanhuang Realm. Furthermore, without the Heavenly Venerate's restraints, it's not impossible for someone who has been suppressed for a long time to suddenly achieve enlightenment and experience rapid breakthroughs in their cultivation!"

Sun Luchang said somewhat reluctantly, "Even so, could the difference be this vast? It's one thing to be outmatched, but not even being able to make a sound of struggle... If he truly possesses such power, why doesn't he just kill all of us?"

Sun Luchang's words resonated with the others.

Lan Yu, however, spoke up at this moment: "Perhaps it's due to the unique nature of this person's cultivation technique. It's not an overwhelming suppression of strength, but rather the battle takes place within the spiritual consciousness sea, causing no energy fluctuations."

"As for this black thread, it's merely the medium for launching attacks."

Lan Yu was the most senior among them; with his input, the others gradually became convinced.

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

At everyone's suggestion, Guan Xingxiu brought the black thread into contact with each surviving Dao Integration cultivator.

No one was found to have any connection to it.

"This killer is cautious and cunning; they certainly wouldn't leave such an obvious flaw. In my opinion, this seems like a deliberate misdirection for us," said a Dao Integration cultivator named Zimu.

"Not necessarily. He surely didn't anticipate that Brother Guan, with his rapid progress, would actually be able to discover the traces he left behind." Immediately, differing opinions arose among the crowd.

"Brother Guan, how exactly did you achieve enlightenment? In this vast, dark star sky, I've had no insights whatsoever!"

"Yes, Old Guan, please tell us. With this hidden killer lurking, only by each of us achieving enlightenment and increasing our strength can we avoid being defeated one by one."

As everyone chattered, Guan Xingxiu, left with no choice, simply recounted how he had suddenly gained enlightenment.