Chapter 1270: Blue Feather Heavenly Capital Secret

Guan Xingxiu spoke eloquently within the flying boat. Initially, he was a little hesitant, but the more he spoke, the more confident he became, as if what he had realized was a natural law of the starry sea.

"The laws of the starry sea can almost be considered a superior replacement for the laws of Xuanhuang. Therefore, the key to our breakthrough is to find the starry sea path corresponding to our cultivation in this desolate starry sea. Since all of you have achieved the Hedao realm, I believe your innate talents are certainly not weak. As long as you dispel the fear of the starry sea in your hearts and instead maintain a normal mindset, meditating and perceiving as you would in the Xuanhuang Realm, I believe achieving this will not be too difficult."

Guan Xingxiu elaborated on how he sensed his own starry sea path. Just as he was getting animated, a voice filled with extreme dread suddenly interrupted him.

It was Zimu, one of the survivors: "Old Guan, what if... I mean, what if the path I cultivate no longer exists in the starry sea?"

Zimu stared intently at Guan Xingxiu: "Does that mean our path forward is cut off, and we can't progress any further?"

Guan Xingxiu fell silent.

The other Hedao cultivators present also showed various expressions after hearing this.

Some turned pale, while others felt immense relief.

This was because they had also discovered that, perhaps due to the various calamities that had destroyed the immortal realm back then, the laws of the starry sea were fragmented and incomplete.

It wasn't that their innate talents were insufficient to perceive their respective starry sea paths.

Rather, that path had vanished within the starry sea.

"Perhaps, we can try to sense other laws. After all, all paths under heaven lead to the same destination." Seeing a sense of despair begin to spread, Guan Xingxiu quickly offered a suggestion after a moment of contemplation.

However, he was mercilessly countered: "If one is below the Hedao realm, or a cultivator from another world, perhaps they could do that. But we, the Xuanhuang Hedao cultivators, have all already absorbed the essence of heaven and earth, our bodies unified with the laws. Hmph, how easy do you think it is to change to another path?"

"In that case, the one among us with the highest potential for achievement is probably Old Brother Lanyu," a Hedao named Qingshuang suddenly said, seemingly out of nowhere.

The flying boat instantly fell silent, and everyone's gaze converged on Lanyu.

Lanyu himself did not refute this point.

There was no other reason; among all the Hedao cultivators present, or rather, in the entire Xuanhuang Realm, only he was the most special.

He was the only one who had achieved Hedao through ancient methods.

Not being bound by the principles of Xuanhuang heaven and earth meant that Lanyu could use any law in this desolate starry sea for enlightenment and breakthrough.

"I said, Old Brother Lanyu, you haven't shown any signs of a breakthrough yet. Could it be because you have too many choices and are spoiled for them?"

"Congratulations in advance, Fellow Daoist Lan!"

"Ah! New methods! Ah! Heavenly Venerate!"

For a moment, everyone reacted differently.

Lanyu's expression was serious, and he merely gave perfunctory replies to everyone. In his heart, however, he was truly puzzled.

Because he hadn't sensed any starry sea path in the void.

"Could it be that my innate talent is truly this poor? Or perhaps, I'm simply too old and have lost all spiritual vitality?"

For a moment, Lanyu felt a little dazed.

"Oh, I think I remember now."

"I, Wu Fuqiu, do seem to have rather poor innate talent."

Lanyu paused for a moment, his thoughts seemingly drifting back to his youth.

At that time, the Immortal Dao flourished, and the Ten Sects stood tall. He was merely one of countless ordinary cultivators under the rule of the Ten Sects, with mediocre talent and no significant fortuitous encounters. Originally, the Golden Core realm should have been his limit.

But that day, a moment of curiosity completely altered his destiny.

"Fellow Daoist, what's with this grand display ahead?" Wu Fuqiu asked out of curiosity, observing the blocked sky-road and the flying boats, each of a different design and the size of a city, passing overhead one after another.

"Hush, keep your voice down. If you disturb the Ten Sects' Grand Ceremony of Reverence for the Master, you might not even know how you died."

The others, silent as cicadas in winter and filled with awe, made Wu Fuqiu even more curious.

It was a full half-day later that the Ten Sects' massive procession of airships finally passed, and the sky-road reopened for travel.

Wu Fuqiu, however, watched the direction the Ten Sects had departed from, unwilling to leave for a long time.

After some inquiry, he learned that this so-called Grand Ceremony of Reverence for the Master was a grand event held every hundred years by the Ten Immortal Dao Sects to express gratitude to the Grand Master of Tiandu for bestowing laws and grace. All important figures from the Ten Sects would attend.

Wu Fuqiu didn't know who the Grand Master of Tiandu was.

But the illustrious reputation of the Ten Immortal Dao Sects, which governed the cultivation world, was something even he, Wu Fuqiu, an unattached cultivator from the wilderness, had heard of extensively.

"If the Ten Sects are already so remarkable, just how powerful must that Grand Master who bestowed laws upon them be?"

"If I were fortunate enough to gain his appreciation..."

Wu Fuqiu's heart was stirred. At the same time, an unprecedented ambition suddenly arose within him.

After much deliberation, he ultimately couldn't shake off this obsessive thought that clung to his heart.

He set off towards the legendary Tiandu.

After countless hardships, he arrived outside Tiandu, but his hopes instantly turned to dust.

Tiandu was nowhere to be seen; only a Source Dao Palace stood in the mountains, vaguely visible amidst the clouds.

And at the foot of the mountain, it was crowded with young cultivators just like him, holding a sliver of fantasy, who had traveled through mountains and rivers to seek fortuitous encounters here.

Wu Fuqiu was immediately confused.

He knew Tiandu was the Grand Master's residence. But what was this Source Dao Palace?

"You don't even know about the Source Dao Palace? Where did this bumpkin come from! It's the source of all laws, the chief of all paths. Even direct disciples of the Ten Immortal Dao Sects have to queue up obediently here!"

"Think about it properly! Who is the Grand Master? Is he someone mere mortals like you can easily meet? To behold the Grand Master's heavenly visage, you must first enter the Source Dao Palace, pray devoutly, and if you can catch the Grand Master's eye, you will naturally be guided to Tiandu."

"What, you want to go in too? Easy, just pay a thousand high-grade spirit stones, and you can go queue there!"

Wu Fuqiu, crestfallen, was pushed out by the swarming newcomers.

A thousand high-grade spirit stones were enough to buy a decent Nascent Soul cultivation technique. If he had that many spirit stones, would he need to travel thousands of miles to come here begging for an opportunity?

Although he was short on money, Wu Fuqiu didn't intend to leave just like that.

Because he discovered that there were many others like him who couldn't afford the fee and thus couldn't go up the mountain.

Wu Fuqiu spent half a month getting acquainted with them, after which he obtained a crucial piece of information.

That so-called Source Dao Palace was merely built later by the Ten Sects. It had no actual connection to the true Tiandu.

The true Source Dao location referred to the large area beneath Tiandu. It was just that the Ten Sects had cordoned off a large portion of it and built the Source Dao Palace.

However, they hadn't been entirely absolute, leaving a small area at the foot of the mountain.

"The Grand Master hasn't appeared for who knows how many years. They say it's easier to catch the Grand Master's eye on the mountain, but it's really just for comfort."

"Indeed, the Grand Master is high above the Nine Heavens; in his eyes, what difference is there between the mountain and its foot?"

Among the words of the people huddled on the ground, Wu Fuqiu also made his home at the foot of the Source Dao Palace mountain.

He stayed there for a full twenty years.

Some arrived, others left. Some died regretting, while others, filled with resentment, cursed the Grand Master and were beaten to death.

Wu Fuqiu also transitioned from a young man to a middle-aged one.

He didn't know what it was that enabled him to persist in staying there.

Perhaps for a mediocre person like him, anywhere would be the same.

During these years, while he remained there, he didn't neglect his cultivation. However, without a source of spirit stones, he could only deplete his existing resources. Although the Source Dao location had abundant spiritual energy, it couldn't withstand so many people absorbing it simultaneously.

Not only did he make no progress, but there were also faint signs of regression.

With things reaching this point, Wu Fuqiu resigned himself to his fate, no longer harboring any unrealistic fantasies.

Anyway, he had been an orphan since childhood, drifting aimlessly and without support. Having stayed at the foot of the Source Dao Palace mountain for over twenty years, he had long grown accustomed to the scenery there. In his heart, he vaguely regarded it as his hometown.

Whenever young people arrived there full of hope, begging for the Grand Master's grace, he would smile but say nothing.

As if seeing his past self.

However, he also didn't burst these young people's bubbles.

Because anyone who did so was cleared out by the Ten Sects.

Yet, the marvel of worldly affairs lay precisely in this.

Just when Wu Fuqiu had completely cast the Grand Master's grace from his mind...

On this day, a magnificent seven-colored radiance suddenly bloomed in the sky.

Below the Source Dao Palace, thousands of cultivators were stunned on the spot.

No one knew who first shouted, "The Grand Master has manifested!"

Then, amidst feelings of extreme excitement and dread, a vast multitude of cultivators knelt to the ground.

Only Wu Fuqiu, his mind a complete blank, stood rooted to the spot.

"How dare you! How dare you show disrespect to the Grand Master!"

A sword light, accompanied by an angry roar, flew from afar.

Just as Wu Fuqiu was about to be decapitated, a blue feather slowly drifted down from the sky.

The white sword light struck first, moving incredibly fast.

The blue feather fell later, swaying gently and moving unusually slowly.

However, a strange scene unfolded. Before everyone's eyes, the blue feather actually landed on Wu Fuqiu first, preceding the white sword light by a step.

The sword light arrived late, but it didn't sever Wu Fuqiu's head. It merely passed through his body, instantly slaying the three kneeling cultivators behind him.

As for Wu Fuqiu himself...

Enveloped in the blue feather's light, he slowly ascended, beyond his control.

Amidst everyone's exclamations, he continued to rise.

He ascended past the Source Dao Palace at the mountain peak, flew through the clouds, and in an instant arrived before the entrance of a purplish-golden dojo.

Wu Fuqiu felt as if in a dream, standing for a long time before finally regaining his senses.

His body trembled uncontrollably from excitement, so much so that Wu Fuqiu forgot his manners and simply pushed the door open and entered.

Unlike the sacred Tiandu he had imagined, it was empty.

Quiet and deathly silent.

Only faint chanting could be heard from within.

Wu Fuqiu cautiously followed the direction of the sound to the deepest part of the dojo.

An ancient-looking purplish-golden wooden building emanated wafts of fragrance.

Wu Fuqiu knelt and bowed, and after a long wait with no response, he bravely pushed the door open and entered.

The scene inside the wooden building came into view.

A blurry figure sat cross-legged, muttering something.

Behind him, a boy in a blue and white Daoist robe stood with his eyes closed.

The boy had rosy lips and white teeth, with delicate features, making it hard to discern his gender.

However, Lanyu noticed that the boy seemed to have been in a fight; his Daoist robe was somewhat damaged, with faint bloodstains clinging to it.

Wu Fuqiu dared not act presumptuously and bowed his head again in respect.

But neither the figure nor the boy showed any reaction.

"This figure must be the Grand Master of Tiandu."

After a long time, Wu Fuqiu bravely stood up and, mimicking the shadowy figure, sat down cross-legged.

He listened carefully to the continuous chanting of the figure.

Gradually, he seemed to understand something.

The blue feather that had vanished upon landing on him suddenly reappeared in his dantian.

"The Feather Transformation Technique..."

"Through endless epochs of heaven and earth, countless worlds are born and perish, like feathers drifting in the void."

"To transform oneself into a feather, synchronize with the world, one can drift with the flow of epochs, defy life and death, transcend calamities, and achieve eternal transcendence..."

Wu Fuqiu listened raptly, sometimes frowning, sometimes filled with joy.

This Myriad Tribulations Feather Transformation Technique was simply too profound for a humble Foundation Establishment cultivator like him.

But even catching a glimpse of a small part of it enlightened him thoroughly, and his cultivation realm within his body continuously ascended.

Wu Fuqiu was immersed in it, unaware of how much time had passed.

Suddenly, he felt light and shadows shifting before his eyes, startling him awake.

He saw the boy who had been standing with his eyes closed waving at him.

Although the boy didn't speak, Wu Fuqiu understood that he was being dismissed.

Even with a myriad of reluctance, Wu Fuqiu could only quietly withdraw.

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

Just before the door closed, a stream of light flew out from within.

Wu Fuqiu subconsciously took it and discovered it was a ring-shaped miniature structure.

"A magical artifact, a training ground."

"It also has storage capabilities."

After a brief inspection, Wu Fuqiu's face showed joy.

He then knelt and kowtowed towards the interior three times before finally departing from Tiandu.

It was only then that he realized that after he had left the purplish-golden wooden building, he could no longer hear the voice of the cross-legged shadowy figure.

A faint sense of loss welled up in his heart, and Wu Fuqiu even felt a sudden urge to return.

But after all, that was the Grand Master, the teacher of the Ten Immortal Dao Sects; he ultimately dared not act rashly and left the vicinity of the heavenly capital.

When he returned to the mortal world, he was astonished to find that the Source Dao Palace at the foot of the mountain had vanished for some unknown reason.

Even the surrounding terrain had undergone tremendous changes, as if a great battle had once erupted there.

Wu Fuqiu searched for a long time before finding living cultivators in the vicinity.

From their respectful demeanor, Wu Fuqiu was shocked to realize that he had, unknowingly, become a top-tier powerhouse in the Xuanhuang Realm, a cultivator in the Hedao realm!

And centuries had already passed.

The rule of the Ten Immortal Dao Sects was no longer impregnable, and an organization called the Myriad Immortal Alliance had risen unexpectedly...

"Fellow Daoist Lanyu?"

Guan Xingxiu's voice startled Lanyu from his reminiscence.

"Indeed, I am merely a mediocre talent who achieved Hedao through sheer luck."

"For so many years, the compliments from my disciples and subordinates almost made me forget this fact."

Lanyu instantly felt a sense of relief in his heart.

"If my innate talent weren't truly so poor, even the esteemed Myriad Tribulations Feather Transformation Technique wouldn't have been cultivated by me only to the Hedao realm."

"Without the Grand Master's teachings, I've made no further progress for thousands of years."

Lanyu secretly shook his head, his thoughts returning to the present, and looked at Guan Xingxiu: "I trust your judgment. Since the killer is hidden among us, we just need to gather together and wait for them to reveal a flaw."

Lanyu paused, then added: "This person was so eager to commit murder right after breaking through. If it's not a psychological reason, it's because their cultivation technique requires them to sacrifice other cultivators after a breakthrough. They definitely won't stop now."

Hearing this, everyone nodded, affirming Lanyu's judgment.

For self-preservation, this group of Myriad Immortal Alliance Hedao cultivators thereafter remained continuously in the main hall of the Revered Voyager Flying Boat, supervising each other.

However, the killer's cunning far exceeded their imagination.

Nine days later, after everyone had piloted the flying boat and successfully passed through a remaining tribulation in the void,

Another corpse appeared on the flying boat.

Lanyu and Guan Xingxiu exchanged glances, confirming Zimu's demise.

The pressure in their hearts instantly increased by several folds.

"Old Guan? We were all together this time, right? You're the strongest among us, did you notice which son of a bitch did it?!"

Facing everyone's expectant gazes, Guan Xingxiu shook his head helplessly.

The main hall erupted in an uproar.

"Everyone calm down. We were all focused on dealing with the void calamity just now, so we were momentarily careless and were ambushed by the killer again."

"What do we do now? If we don't avoid this calamity, we die, but if we do, we get assassinated..."

"Hmph, in my opinion, we don't need to bother avoiding any more calamities. At worst, we'll all die together!"

"Brother Xu, don't speak in anger. We still have so many people!"

"No, I'm leaving this ship!"

As everyone was discussing animatedly, a sudden sharp cry silenced all other sounds.

Lanyu and the others looked, only to see that Qingshuang Hedao, who had previously been relatively calm, suddenly seemed to have a mental breakdown.

His expression was deranged, and a hint of madness flickered in his eyes.

He muttered to himself while attempting to rush out of the main hall and leave the flying boat.

"Stop him!" Guan Xingxiu roared.

Only Lanyu and a few others moved.

Being inside the flying boat, and fearing causing damage to it, everyone was restrained in their actions.

For a moment, they were helpless against the seemingly maddened Qingshuang.

Just as they were at a stalemate, Qingshuang's movements suddenly ceased.

The expression on his face also froze, and he stood motionless.

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

"He's dead."

A moment later, he turned back, his face extremely grim, and said.

A chilling sensation instantly enveloped everyone.

Compared to the initial murders, the killer's methods seemed to be becoming increasingly skilled.

Dealing with the void calamity earlier could have been an excuse, but now everyone was indeed watching with concentrated attention.

Yet, the killer still committed murder with impunity...

How could they defend against this?

Inside the flying boat, a deathly silence descended.

"I actually think that Qingshuang's words before his death weren't entirely unreasonable," Sun Luchang said, breaking the silence.

"From the current situation, the killer's strength is growing too rapidly. Perhaps it won't be long before, after slaughtering a few more, they won't need to act secretly anymore. Instead, they'll simply appear openly and kill us one by one. Staying on this ship is definitely a dead end. It would be better if we each abandon the ship in the void and seek survival."

Sun Luchang's words also garnered agreement from other Hedao cultivators: "Indeed, this Revered Voyager Flying Boat is extremely fast. As long as we leave separately at intervals, our relative distances in the starry sea will be vast. The starry sea is boundless; even if the killer possessed extraordinary abilities, they absolutely wouldn't be able to catch us all in one sweep!"

"Moreover, this area is still within the range of the Immortal Ruins' gravitational pull. As long as we follow the direction of the pull, we can return to the Xuanhuang Realm. Furthermore, each of us has the Void-Clear Flow Crystal artifact distributed by the Immortal Alliance, so a safe return shouldn't be an issue."

They spoke back and forth, slowly reaching a consensus.

Ultimately, more than half of them chose to give up and disembark midway.

Guan Xingxiu looked at Lanyu, seeking the opinion of this most senior Hedao cultivator.

Lanyu sighed faintly: "The world is vast, but life is paramount. Their choice is understandable."

"To avoid further casualties, let's decide this way."

"Elder Lan, aren't you leaving?"

Lanyu shook his head: "My time is already nigh; returning would merely be waiting for death. It's better to seek a glimmer of hope in the void."

Hearing this, everyone was greatly astonished. After offering their blessings, they successively left the flying boat and returned to the Xuanhuang Realm.

The journey to explore the starry sea had collapsed midway, which was somewhat humiliating.

But it was better than losing their lives.

After much turmoil, only five individuals remained on the flying boat:

Lanyu, Guan Xingxiu, Sun Luchang, Xu Guanhai, and Zimei.

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

Xu Guanhai chuckled: "I actually think that with a large group gone, the flying boat is now a bit safer."

"Besides, no matter what, I still want to see that Xuanshang Immortal Ship with my own eyes."

Xu Guanhai looked at Sun Luchang: "Brother Sun, you're a bit strange, aren't you? Weren't you the loudest when everyone was clamoring to leave earlier? Why did you stay behind instead?"

Sun Luchang looked a little awkward: "My strength is too weak. I'm afraid that if I leave the flying boat, it would be difficult for me to return to the Xuanhuang Realm on my own. Staying here is actually safer."

Everyone was speechless upon hearing this.

They could see that what Sun Luchang said was indeed true.

Unlike them, who had volunteered, Sun Luchang had been forcibly assigned to the flying boat by the Immortal Alliance, and his strength was the lowest among the group.

Sun Luchang moved closer to Guan Xingxiu and Lanyu: "Sirs, do you think there's a killer among us, the few of us left?"

The other four exchanged glances, their expressions subtly complex.

Until the killer's identity was revealed, no one dared to guarantee anything.

"Since all of you have decided to stay, our original route remains unchanged." After a moment of silence, Guan Xingxiu announced clearly, "We can reduce the space of the Revered Voyager Flying Boat to speed up our travel."

"By the way, Xingxiu. Why is this flying boat called 'Revered Voyager'? I always feel that the name is a bit ominous."

Hearing Guan Xingxiu's words, Lanyu, perhaps recalling something, frowned and asked.

Guan Xingxiu paused slightly, then replied: "I don't know either; it was an order personally issued by the Law Bearers. I guess it means 'Journeying to See the Heavenly Venerate.'"

Upon hearing this, Lanyu's brows furrowed even deeper.

He looked up, examining the flying boat, and posed a question that sent shivers down the spines of the other four present: "Are there others on this Revered Voyager Flying Boat besides us?"

"There should... not be," Guan Xingxiu said with some hesitation.

At this moment, Zimei, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke: "Perhaps? This ship... is alive?"

Sun Luchang was startled and quickly asked: "Fellow Daoist Zi, why do you say that?"

Zimei said softly: "I perceived the path of the starry sea, and also observed the Hedao lives within the flying boat perishing like ants. Thus, I had a breakthrough."

"In my perception, this flying boat..."

"...is like it has a life of its own."

Zimei's words sent chills down everyone's spines.

Guan Xingxiu said with some hesitation: "If that's true, then the Immortal Alliance would surely have... before we departed..."

He stopped abruptly there.

The golden Falling Star Divine Sword above his head radiated golden light. Guan Xingxiu gathered all the black threads he had extracted from the bodies of the assassinated Hedao cultivators.

Like living worms, the threads merged into one, becoming slightly thicker.

Previously, he had already touched this weapon of murder to every cultivator present, and no one had reacted to it.

But he had, uniquely, missed the ship itself.

The last five people on the flying boat exchanged glances, instantly reaching a consensus.

They formed a formation, enclosing the black thread in the center.

"Old Guan, go to the flying boat's control core," Xu Guanhai said solemnly.

These words seemed to enrage the black thread, which violently slammed against the seal containing it.

The five Hedao cultivators exerted their combined strength, locking it firmly in place.

They journeyed all the way to the center of the Revered Voyager Flying Boat.

Guan Xingxiu took a deep breath and opened the flying boat's main control array.

In the center of the array, the phantom of the Revered Voyager Flying Boat floated.

As if guided by some unseen force, the black thread, surrounded by everyone, uncontrollably drifted towards the phantom in the main control array!

The faces of all five simultaneously turned pale.

At this very moment, the flying boat suddenly began to shake violently.

The thick black thread suddenly erupted with several times its previous force, instantly breaking free from their restraints.

It returned to within the phantom of the flying boat.

At this point, the truth was laid bare!

The culprit behind the deaths of several Hedao cultivators was none other than the very flying boat they were traveling on!

This was an utterly inconceivable conclusion.

Even with the facts laid bare before him, Guan Xingxiu still found it difficult to believe.

"Why..." he said through gritted teeth.

As the nominal commander of this operation, appointed by the Immortal Alliance and given control over the Revered Voyager Flying Boat,

This creation, originally under his control, had actually killed his colleagues right under his nose!

It was a blatant humiliation!

The Falling Star Divine Sword was unsheathed, pointing directly at the flying boat's phantom.

The next moment, Guan Xingxiu was about to cleave the flying boat in two with a single sword stroke.

Just then, a cold voice suddenly echoed through the space.

"Ultimate mission objective for this journey: Meet the Heavenly Venerate."

"Calculated probability of mission success: Low."

"Searching for solutions..."

"Calculated solution: Convert one Hedao cultivator on the flying boat into flying boat energy. Mission success probability increases by one..."

The continuous, flickering voice of the flying boat plunged everyone into an ice-cold abyss.

And then, dozens of corpses continuously floated out into view, making their eyes burn with rage.

These were precisely the Hedao cultivators who had "disembarked" earlier!