Chapter 1278

Immortal Artifacts Connect Two Realms (7K)

The atmosphere of the meeting reached its peak with the announcement of Gan Jingda's resolution.

A cultivation world that was still intact and resource-rich—a place that had only existed in the fantasies of the Xuanxianzhou inhabitants—now seemed within reach. How could this not electrify everyone's spirits?

Before the meeting, most cultivators on the Xuanxianzhou knew about the Xuanhuang Realm only through the captured flying boat that had originated from there. After the meeting, they began frantically catching up on all available information related to the Xuanhuang Realm.

The Xuanxianzhou's legacy was ancient; although it had suffered the tragedy of splitting into two, it had never been completely severed.

On the tenth day after the council concluded, a detailed report on the Xuanhuang Realm was issued, compiled jointly by the Duanxian Pavilion, the Xian Shu Yuan, the Zhengdao Academy, and the major families of the Xianzhou.

The vast majority of the report's content was provided by the Duanxian Pavilion, sourced from the confession of the captured Hedao cultivator, Lan Yu.

Content from the Xian Shu Yuan and other organizations came from remaining records of the Xuanshang Xianzhou's visits to the Xuanhuang Realm before the Star Sea Cataclysm.

At a small-scale meeting among the Xuanxianzhou's high-ranking officials, this Xuanhuang report was distributed to everyone present.

Although Li Fan's status wasn't high enough, he attended as Ai Tianjue's disciple.

"Currently, we cannot ascertain the full extent of the Star Sea anomaly three years from now. Therefore, whether we can launch an expedition to Xuanhuang still requires further observation. However, this does not prevent us from preparing in advance."

"Please take a look, everyone..."

Lu Yuzhi, a quiet man and one of the five Dao-entering cultivators from the Duanxian Pavilion, presented the summary to everyone.

"Our Xuanshang Xianzhou visited the Xuanhuang Realm three times in ancient times. One visit was official and met with a warm reception from the Xuanhuang Realm. The other two were clandestine visits for resource gathering. At that time, the Xuanhuang Realm had two special products that were incredibly valuable even throughout the entire Star Sea: one was the Ruomu fruit, and the other was an artifact gifted by the Immortal Realm."

"This Ruomu fruit contains the most primordial life laws of the Xuanhuang Realm. Cultivators who consume it can significantly extend their lifespan."

"As for the artifacts gifted by the Immortal Realm..."

Lu Yuzhi paused, and Li Fan could detect a slight waver in his voice.

"According to records, the Xuanhuang Realm was one of the few cultivation realms in ancient times that had the most frequent contact with the Immortal Realm. Consequently, a considerable number of immortal artifacts were bestowed upon it and remained there. Some of these artifacts, as time passed, gradually became ownerless. There were specialized cultivators in the Star Sea who traveled to the Xuanhuang Realm to secretly gather information about these lost artifacts, hoping to reap massive profits."

"Although the chances of success were slim, there indeed were a few successful attempts. Our two clandestine visits from the Xuanxianzhou were actually to rendezvous with those who succeeded."

Lu Yuzhi's words immediately caused a stir in the room.

Even as high-ranking officials of the Xianzhou, some of them had never heard of such a secret.

"Of the two immortal artifacts we collected from the Xuanhuang Realm, one was resold before the Star Sea Cataclysm. The other fell into the hands of the Shangxianzhou during the Xianzhou split incident that year," Lu Yuzhi said with deep regret.

Everyone's breath hitched, and expressions of intense indignation appeared on their faces.

Gan Jingda, the Second Elder of Duanxian Pavilion, lightly coughed, quieting the murmurs in the room, and gestured for Lu Yuzhi to continue.

"Although the immortal artifacts that originated from the Xuanhuang Realm are no longer in our possession, our Xianzhou still retains a Ruomu fruit."

Lu Yuzhi made a request, and the representative from the Xian Shu Yuan present cast several magic spells.

Under the radiating light, a translucent, white jade-like round fruit appeared before everyone's eyes.

Even sealed by layers of restrictions, the cultivators present could still feel the surging life force emanating from the Ruomu fruit.

For the Xianzhou cultivators, who were severely short on resources, this was undoubtedly a tremendous temptation. Even though those present were high-ranking officials of the Xianzhou, no one had ever partaken of such a treasure.

Most stared intently at the Ruomu fruit, swallowing hard.

Li Fan also observed carefully.

"A familiar aura."

"It is indeed from the Ruomu tree. However, the vibrant life force permeating the fruit is not something the current Ruomu can produce. It seems the Ruomu suffered a very severe injury back then."

"Moreover..."

Li Fan's heart stirred. He noticed faint traces of life force emanating from the Ruomu fruit, disappearing into thin air. Or rather, flowing into the void.

Lu Yuzhi stated gravely, "Everyone should understand that the life force of this Ruomu fruit has been continuously dissipating for ten thousand years. Even though our Xianzhou has used various secret methods over generations to significantly slow down the rate of dissipation, we ultimately cannot stop this process."

Someone in the room exclaimed, "Ten thousand years of dissipating life force, and the life energy it contains is still so powerful. It's hard to imagine what the original Ruomu fruit must have been like."

"No wonder it's said to be a priceless treasure across the entire Star Sea."

"Hmm, strange. How could those old fellows from the Xian Shu Yuan manage to hold onto such a treasure without simply consuming it?"

Amidst the clamor, someone grasped the key point of Lu Yuzhi's introduction of the Ruomu fruit.

"Brother Lu, do you mean that the life force dissipating from this Ruomu fruit is returning to the Xuanhuang Realm?"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately fell silent. Their gazes, fixed on the Ruomu fruit, now held a different meaning beyond greed and longing.

Lu Yuzhi nodded: "Precisely!"

"The Star Sea is vast and boundless. Even Xuanhuang's Lan Yu, whom we captured, couldn't recall the way back. But through this Ruomu fruit, we can precisely pinpoint the location of the Xuanhuang Realm within the boundless Star Sea!"

After a moment of silence, intense discussion erupted once more.

"Does the Xuanhuang Realm still have Ruomu fruits? If each of us could have one, the experience would be unimaginable..."

"No wonder those guys from the Xian Shu Yuan didn't consume it. While the treasure is good, it's intertwined with the primordial power of another cultivation realm. For other cultivators, it might be fine, but as rulers of the Xianzhou, it's absolutely out of the question. Unless they are willing to give up their positions."

"Wait, is there really such a coincidence in the world? Moreover, the way the fruit's life force drifts towards its original world seems a bit too deliberate. Could this fruit actually be a bait, luring beings from the Star Sea to be hunted?"

The crowd debated endlessly, and Lu Yuzhi, the moderator, did not stop them.

Instead, he closed his eyes and fell into contemplation.

Only when the room quieted down again did Lu Yuzhi continue his summary: "From Xuanhuang Lan Yu's memory, we have ruled out the possibility of this being a trap. Even if a conspiracy involving the Ruomu fruit existed in ancient times, there's no need to worry about it in the current Xuanhuang Realm. Although the Xuanhuang Realm survived the Great Star Sea Cataclysm, it also underwent unimaginable upheavals."

"The current Xuanhuang Realm is under the joint rule of the Myriad Immortals Alliance and the Council of Five Elders..."

Lu Yuzhi then provided a detailed introduction to the Xuanhuang Realm's relevant information.

"That's not right, how is this Xuanhuang Realm much larger in scale than what's recorded in our Xuanxianzhou's texts?"

"Our preliminary judgment is that it must be a joint effort by Star Sea survivors to resist the pull of the Immortal Ruins. What is called the Xuanhuang Realm, in my opinion, would be more appropriately named the 'Land of Surviving Realms'."

"Then, there must be hidden masters in the Xuanhuang Realm. Definitely more than just the openly known Dharma Transmitters and the five Longevity Celestials."

"Defying the principles of heaven and earth to achieve longevity... that is indeed interesting. Binding oneself to a world can indeed grant a lifespan unattainable by ordinary cultivators. One can even synchronize and enhance their power as the world flourishes. It's just a pity that once outside the world, their strength is greatly diminished. And when the world is destroyed, they can only perish along with it."

Everyone gravely examined the Xuanhuang Realm data.

"Let's not forget that the Xuanhuang Realm contains numerous immortal artifacts gifted by the Immortal Realm. The Heavenly Profound Mirror of the Myriad Immortals Alliance is clearly one of them. Are there other immortal artifacts within the Myriad Immortals Alliance? If we launch an expedition, we must factor this in. I'm sure everyone understands how powerful True Immortals are. Can we truly win so easily?"

"In my opinion, there's no need for conflict. From Lan Yu's memory, we know that the Xuanhuang Realm currently has quite abundant resources. Our Xianzhou, at most, is equivalent to less than half a state of the Myriad Immortals Alliance. We could very well use trade to acquire what we need."

"Indeed, even if we can't occupy the Xuanhuang Realm, exploring those so-called Immortal Ruins would greatly benefit us. Such powerful True Immortal energy... perhaps there might be complete True Immortal Seal Script within!"

"Alas, I advise everyone to be more cautious. While we covet the Xuanhuang Realm's various resources, isn't the Xuanhuang Realm also eager to break free from the shackles of the Immortal Ruins? And aren't we, the Xuanxianzhou, a tempting prize for them?"

Whether to venture to Xuanhuang was an event that could profoundly alter the Xianzhou's destiny. It was truly difficult to decide in the short term. And due to historical reasons, no one present unanimously proposed separating a portion of their forces for a probing attempt.

The Xuanxianzhou, from top to bottom, had to advance and retreat together, no matter what. It could not withstand a second division.

The council decided to convene again in thirty days to make a final decision.

After everyone else dispersed, only nine cultivators remained.

Four from Duanxian Pavilion, three from Xian Shu Yuan, one from Zhengdao Academy, and one from the Xianzhou Forging Star Workshop.

Li Fan, as a direct disciple, was not qualified to be among them and waited outside.

Gan Jingda lightly pointed his finger, and an image immediately appeared before everyone's eyes.

A streak of sword light pierced the sky.

Sixteen characters shone brightly across the sky.

"At the other end of the Star Sea, beneath towering walls, the Xuanshang Xianzhou floats through tribulation."

Gan Jingda slowly said, "What do you all make of this?"

"This method of communication... is it boundless?" Nanggong Lie of Zhengdao Academy looked solemn.

"Is there a traitor within the Xianzhou?"

"Not necessarily. It could also be those who defected back then. Do they want to divert disaster elsewhere? And then reap the benefits?"

"Regardless, in the face of absolute power, all schemes and tricks are but illusions. The only thing to consider is whether it's worth it."

The few of them discussed the future of the Xuanxianzhou, each offering their opinions.

Outside the council chambers, Li Fan did not leave early, waiting for his master.

He looked at the buildings scattered around the Xianzhou's divine tree below, but his thoughts were focused on the Ruomu fruit that had appeared in the meeting.

"The life force of the Ruomu fruit indeed dissipates and drifts towards the Xuanhuang Realm. But it's not through ordinary means; it involves the very fabric of the Star Sea itself."

"Trying to pinpoint the Xuanhuang Realm's location based on its life force... is simply impossible."

"They are lying. They must be relying on another method."

Several possibilities flashed through Li Fan's mind, but currently, he had not yet accessed the true core of the Xianzhou's upper echelons.

He couldn't pinpoint the correct answer.

Just as he was pondering, a message interrupted his thoughts.

"Brother Zhao, come quickly!"

It was a voice transmission from Wang Hai, also a disciple of Ai Tianjue.

Ordinarily, Wang Hai would rarely actively seek out Li Fan. This urgency suggested something genuinely important.

So Li Fan no longer waited for Ai Tianjue, returning directly to Wang Hai's residence.

"Brother Zhao, take a look at this."

"The Xianzhou's report actually has such a huge flaw."

Wang Hai had not attended the meeting, but he had already obtained the Xuanhuang report jointly issued by several Xianzhou factions.

Li Fan squinted, seeing that Wang Hai held a jade slip emanating an ancient aura.

The content recorded in the jade slip quite surprised Li Fan.

"...At this point, the Xuanxianzhou had reached its most critical moment of life or death. To solve the survival problem of the Xianzhou cultivators at that time, they finally activated the only remaining immortal artifact on the Xianzhou."

"The Seed of Creation."

"As a black, seemingly unremarkable seed was planted, a divine tree subsequently took root and sprouted on the broken body of the Xianzhou."

"It was precisely with the reinforcement of the divine tree that the half-broken Xianzhou gradually maintained its stability."

"As the saying goes, 'every peck and every sip is predetermined.' Who could have imagined that this immortal artifact from the Xuanhuang Realm, once deemed to have no transactional value, would ultimately become the Xianzhou's lifesaver..."

Li Fan finished reading the jade slip's content, which was a historical record and reflective essay on the period after the Xianzhou's split.

"Where did this come from?" Li Fan paused slightly.

"Where did it come from? Of course, it's a family heirloom!" Wang Hai replied, sounding somewhat bewildered and indignant.

"When I was little, I read through all the archived jade slips in my home. That's why I had an impression of this passage. It clearly states that the Xianzhou's divine tree originated from the Xuanhuang Realm, yet this report claims the Xianzhou has no immortal artifacts remaining..."

Seeing Li Fan's slightly odd expression, Wang Hai quickly explained, "I knew there must be something fishy about this, so I haven't spread the word yet. That's why I invited you here, isn't it?"

"I just wanted to see if pointing out this error would count as a 'correction merit.' If not, then just pretend I never mentioned it."

"Correction merit" was one of the most significant achievements Xuanxianzhou cultivators could accumulate. During their cultivation and study, if they discovered and pointed out errors in the Xianzhou's inherited texts, or proposed improvements, they would receive incredibly generous rewards.

For countless years, the Xianzhou had not stagnated. It was only by relying on the wisdom of generations of cultivators that it had survived in the Star Sea to this day.

Li Fan returned the jade slip and answered straightforwardly, "In my opinion, this isn't an error, but rather the Xianzhou intentionally concealing the connection between its divine tree and the Xuanhuang Realm."

"Why would they do that? There's absolutely no need..." Wang Hai was stunned.

Li Fan then showed him the sixteen characters from Lan Yu's memory.

"Ah, I remember now."

"The reason the Myriad Immortals Alliance sent flying boats to the other end of the Star Sea," Wang Hai said thoughtfully.

Li Fan whispered, "This is the Boundless Communication Method, a secret transmission of the Xianzhou."

Wang Hai was startled and about to say something more, but Li Fan stopped him.

"The Xianzhou's divine tree came from Xuanhuang; do Xuanhuang cultivators still possess methods to control it?"

"The divine tree saved the Xianzhou, yet we are now planning to conquer the very cultivation realm that sent it. Isn't that repaying kindness with enmity?"

"If the truth were revealed, it would inevitably cause many concerns among the Xianzhou's ranks. It's better to conceal this matter. Anyway, many years have passed, and not many people know what happened back then," Li Fan explained.

"Furthermore, there might be spies from the Xuanhuang Realm within the Xianzhou. If they knew this secret, it would be extremely detrimental to our Xianzhou," Wang Hai added, recovering himself and transmitting his voice.

Li Fan nodded in agreement.

"Alas, what a pity. I thought I had finally found another error," Wang Hai said somewhat dejectedly.

"You don't need to worry. The Star Sea anomaly is imminent. As the remaining True Immortal power in the Star Sea slowly reactivates, our comprehension of True Immortal Seal Script will also become easier," Li Fan consoled him, his expression inscrutable.

"Seed of Creation?"

In the Xuanhuang Realm, Li Fan's divine consciousness, attached to Sun Tianci of the Sun family, attempted to search for clues related to these four words in his mind.

"The name doesn't match. However, its appearance is remarkably similar to the relic mentioned in records after the destruction of the Divine Wood Sect."

Li Fan was thoughtful.

The Divine Wood Sect, one of the ancient immortal sects in the Xuanhuang Realm.

It existed in the same era as the Desolate God Sect and the Samsara Sect, during the flourishing age of cultivation before the Immortal Dao was severed.

The Mountain-Sitting Art, which Li Fan was familiar with, originated from this very sect.

Within the Divine Wood Sect, there was an exotic divine wood from outside this realm, which, due to its continuous growth, threatened the existence of the Ruomu tree.

A conflict arose between the two.

Ultimately, the Divine Wood Sect was annihilated, vanishing from the river of history.

The Divine Wood Sect's defeat was due to several factors: the Ruomu tree being at its peak vitality and extremely powerful at the time, and assistance from many other cultivators.

The more crucial reason, just like with the Desolate God Sect, was that the Divine Wood Sect's connection with the Immortal Realm was inexplicably severed, preventing many of its techniques from being used.

After the Divine Wood Sect's defeat, that exotic divine wood was also completely destroyed.

Only a few relics remained, which were then divided among the various sects of cultivators at the time.

Among them, a tree-seed shaped treasure was almost identical to the Seed of Creation recorded by the Xuanxianzhou.

"No wonder there were no more records of it in the Xuanhuang Realm after that."

"So it had long been sold to the Xuanshang Xianzhou."

"According to the cultivators' deductions at the time, this tree seed, once planted, would give birth to another exotic divine tree. However, at that time, the Ruomu tree had just achieved a great victory. Even if planted, it would inevitably face Ruomu's retribution. It was meaningless. Moreover, the Xuanhuang Realm could no longer accommodate a second divine tree."

"It was truly of little value, so cultivators gradually overlooked it."

"If my prediction is correct, the Xianzhou's divine tree, grown from the Seed of Creation taking root and sprouting, should have a mysterious connection to the exotic divine wood of the Divine Wood Sect from back then. That exotic divine wood was defeated in battle, its body destroyed, and its essence absorbed by the Ruomu tree..."

"The Xuanxianzhou must be using this method to remotely pinpoint the Xuanhuang Realm's location in the void."

"Though the Star Sea is vast, all matters within it are subtly interconnected."

"Given this, the Xuanxianzhou will almost certainly come to the Xuanhuang Realm. When that happens, they might encounter the Holy Emperor and the Immortal Alliance at war, interjecting themselves. Interesting!"

A hint of a smile appeared in his heart: "If that's the case, then I'll add more fuel to the fire!"

In an endlessly dark space.

Hundreds of terrifying, illusory specters floated and wailed incessantly across the sky.

Beneath these ghostly figures, a disheveled woman sat with her eyes closed.

Although her face was calm, one could faintly perceive the extreme resentment and hatred deep within the woman's heart.

She was precisely Wu Ninglu, the wife of Sun Ang, whose body Li Fan's true self occupied.

Wu Ninglu!

During the Hedao process, she was used as a sacrifice by the Sun family to achieve Sun Tianci's innate Hedao unparalleled talent.

As her spirit lingered on the verge of dissipation, only a sliver of her residual consciousness was saved by Li Fan.

He bestowed upon her the "Three Calamities, Hundred Tribulations, Bright God Art."

"Cultivating too slowly!"

"So much time has passed, yet you've only cultivated three hundred and sixty-four figures of the 'Three Calamities, Hundred Tribulations, Bright God Art'..."

"What a waste!"

"Look at what your precious son has achieved now!"

Li Fan mocked her while waving a hand to display an image of Sun Tianci.

In the image, Sun Tianci appeared to be only five or six years old.

Yet, three adult Hedao cultivators stood before him, ready for battle.

"Please enlighten us!"

Without further ado, these three Hedao cultivators jointly launched an assault on Sun Tianci.

The three were not weak; one of them had devoured a Soul of Heaven and Earth that manifested as an elusive and treacherous black mist.

However, their techniques were all subtly blocked and rendered invisible as they approached Sun Tianci.

Li Fan explained with a sneer, "Do you know what this means?"

"Your precious son's comprehension of the laws of heaven and earth has reached an astonishing level. All attacks by Hedao cultivators using their Souls of Heaven and Earth are effortlessly transformed by him into primordial elemental force, returning to the Xuanhuang world! If they keep fighting like this, these three Hedao cultivators risk falling from their cultivation realms..."

True to Li Fan's words, it wasn't long before the three Hedao cultivators in the image looked extremely displeased and ceased their assault. They cupped their hands, admitting defeat to Sun Tianci.

Sun Tianci also responded politely.

The image abruptly ended.

The always-calm Wu Ninglu suddenly became frenzied.

"It's mine! All of this should have been mine!"

"Hatred! I hate them so much! The Sun family, they all deserve to die!"

She cursed incessantly.

Li Fan merely said coldly, "Even if you curse yourself into oblivion, it won't affect them in the slightest."

"It seems I truly made a mistake, cultivating such a waste!"

Wu Ninglu slowly recovered from her frenzy.

Although she couldn't see Li Fan's hidden divine consciousness, it didn't stop her from kowtowing and pleading.

"Senior, help me! I'll give anything! As long as the Sun family and that little bastard pay the price..." Wu Ninglu said through gritted teeth.

"Pay? With just you?" Li Fan said disdainfully.

Faced with Li Fan's blatant mockery, the hundreds of demonic gods Wu Ninglu had condensed trembled slightly, as if ready to rampage at any moment.

However, Wu Ninglu forcibly suppressed them.

Wu Ninglu continued to plead heartbreakingly.

Li Fan, looking at the demonic gods that, despite being suppressed, still glared fiercely at him, smiled faintly: "Still has some spirit."

"Besides, I personally enjoy a good show. Helping you isn't out of the question!"

Wu Ninglu's face lit up with wild joy.

"However, you must first change this detestable appearance of yours."

Li Fan's avatar suddenly appeared as a blurry figure from the shadows, placing a hand on Wu Ninglu's head.

Wu Ninglu's body, originally composed of shadows, instantly emitted countless wisps of white smoke.

She immediately let out a piteous wail, collapsing to the ground.

She changed her pleas to the senior, Li Fan, into various venomous curses.

"Hehehe..."

Li Fan ignored her, never loosening his grip.

The hundreds of demonic gods Wu Ninglu had condensed attempted to charge.

But the moment they approached Li Fan's avatar, they were suddenly sucked into his body and vanished without a trace.

Without exception.

The hundreds of demonic gods Wu Ninglu had painstakingly refined were instantly reduced to mere handfuls for attacking Li Fan.

Trembling, they no longer dared to advance.

Her painstaking effort destroyed, her spirit ravaged, Wu Ninglu wailed, yet she still didn't give up struggling.

"Truly a residual pure hatred..."

Li Fan secretly marveled in his heart, but sped up the transformation process.

After an unknown period, Wu Ninglu's piteous cries slowly faded away.

Her formerly sinister and terrifying body now looked no different from that of a normal person.

"Your former ghostly appearance would have been casually purified before you even got close to your son."

"If you want to deal with him, you need to find his weakness."

"No matter how peerless a genius, he's ultimately a pitiful child who grew up without parents."

"He longs for the family affection he's always lacked. So, you should first learn how to be a qualified mother."

Li Fan sneered, pouring countless images into Wu Ninglu's mind.

Slowly, Wu Ninglu's face softened.

She truly looked like a benevolent mother.

But only Li Fan could see the fiery, inextinguishable hatred still burning deep within her eyes.

Meanwhile, outside this dark space.

In a place Wu Ninglu couldn't perceive.

"Master, how was my performance just now?" Sun Tianci asked Li Fan, who was deep within his Sea of Consciousness.

"Originally, you could have done better. Did you hesitate?" Li Fan gently admonished him.

Sun Tianci admitted frankly, "It was merely a sparring match. If it had been a life-or-death battle, those three would have had three layers of their cultivation base stripped away by my techniques."

"Have you felt the emotions of heaven and earth yet?" Li Fan asked again.

A hint of guilt flashed across Sun Tianci's face: "Not yet."

"No matter, the hostility of heaven and earth towards cultivators of new methods cannot be reversed in a moment. Continue to seek out Hedao cultivators across various regions for sparring matches under the guise of practice. With your talent, you will soon change heaven and earth's attitude towards you," Li Fan said calmly.