Chapter 1285: The Way of Proving Immortality's Shadow

"The Way of Contention..." The Sacred Emperor meditated, sensing the surging energy on Tianyang's remains.

After a long while, he exhaled deeply.

"The Way can lead to immortality, but it is not suited for me."

The Sacred Emperor's tone held little regret as he emerged from his Tianyang armor state.

Returning the remains, Li Ping advised Tianyang, "Since the Way of Contention is vacant, these resonant remains are an incredibly rare treasure for you. Meditate on them often. Even though the path to immortality is not apparent now, the existing resonance indicates that the Way still exists."

"Given time, you might truly achieve the realm of a True Immortal with this!"

The One-Eyed Daoist of the Due Sect watched wistfully as Tianyang put away the remains, then slowly retracted his long eyeball back into the passage.

"What a pity, what a pity..." the One-Eyed Daoist sighed.

"What profound insights does the Sect Master of Due Sect have now?" Tianyang's dissatisfaction was piqued by the One-Eyed Daoist's behavior.

The One-Eyed Daoist shook his head and chuckled, "It's just a shame that the Due Sect missed a great opportunity. As the saying goes, 'when one person achieves enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend.' If the great Sacred Emperor had comprehended these remnants, perhaps one day he truly could have attained the Grand Dao. We too could have benefited."

"As for you..."

"Perhaps there will be such a day. But our Due Sect likely won't be around to see it."

His words revealed an undisguised pessimism about Tianyang's potential to achieve immortality.

This time, Tianyang was not provoked by the Due Sect's taunts. He merely sensed the faint traces of an unyielding spirit on his remains, as if transported back to when he was still human.

But perhaps because he was now a puppet, after a long attempt, Tianyang still couldn't ignite the fervor in his heart.

The eight characters, "Tianyang's life, second to none," didn't resonate the same way when spoken aloud anymore.

The Grand Hall of the Sacred Emperor's Throne fell silent for a moment.

However, it wasn't long before unusual activity from the Myriad Immortals Alliance below caught their attention.

Lights flashed, and a group of stern, black-clad cultivators appeared at the Moonlight Border of Tianquan State.

They first bowed slightly to the Mirror Master high in the sky, then, with solemn expressions, began preparing their spells and techniques against the unbroken Moonlight Starlight Grand Formation.

It seemed as if they were about to launch a full-scale assault on the formation at any moment.

Indeed, various spells were cast, but their corresponding effects appeared frozen in mid-air, as if time had been paused.

Purple spears like heavenly thunder, twisted spatial rifts, continuous yellow talismans...

All were activated and then gathered into one place.

They awaited the moment the Moonlight Starlight Grand Formation was breached, ready to unleash their combined might.

The black-clad cultivators of the Immortal Alliance took turns converting their inner strength into concentrated techniques.

Several hours later, waves of black-clad cultivators rotated in and out.

The accumulated techniques at the formation's boundary reached an astonishing level.

A trace of solemnity flickered across the Sacred Emperor's face.

Undoubtedly, if this suspended, converging orb of light were to explode on the surface of the Xuanhuang Realm, it could easily turn several states into ruins.

"I'll go." Tianyang was about to step forward to address this hidden danger, but Li Ping stopped him.

"Wait a moment longer. I have my own way to handle it," Li Ping said gravely.

Tianyang nodded slightly, not insisting.

Another half-day passed, with a total of over a thousand full-force attacks infused into the accumulation.

The small orb of light that had formed was now strikingly brighter than the moon in the sky.

Even the Mirror Master seemed to feel a hint of apprehension.

The mark on his forehead released a small bronze mirror, enveloping himself, the nine Disintegration Discs, and other secondary phantom bodies.

Within the Disintegration Discs, the rapidly changing light and shadows from the analysis of the formation finally yielded a response.

From time to time, a strand of colorful fine thread flew out, drifting towards Lu Xichan, who was not far away.

And when Lu Xichan began to comprehend the contents of these fine threads, she immediately trembled slightly, revealing an enraptured expression.

When she then conveyed her insights to the array masters present, waves of exclamations also followed.

At this moment, as they looked at the Moonlight Starlight Grand Formation before them, the despair they had previously felt was gone from their eyes.

Under Lu Xichan's guidance, the array masters began to decipher the grand formation.

The moonlight, originally appearing substantial like a silver ribbon, began to grow hazy under the influence of external forces.

The Sacred Emperor perceived that these Immortal Alliance array masters were like tiny insects, continuously gnawing away at the foundation of the Moonlight Starlight Grand Formation.

Indeed, Li Ping could make further fine-tuning to the grand formation.

And he was confident that the combined deciphering speed of the twenty-eight formation-breaking discs could not possibly match his speed in changing the formation. If the Immortal Alliance didn't resort to any special means, he could trap them indefinitely with just the formation.

But...

His goal was never simply to trap them.

The arrangements outside the Xuanhuang Realm informed him that the Star Sea was stirring.

The struggle between the reviving power of the Star Sea and the remaining immortal power was about to formally begin.

The Sacred Emperor, who had remained seated, slowly rose.

In an instant, his mighty figure was projected onto the celestial screen of Xuanhuang.

As if in coordination, the Great Kai Sacred Dynasty, like the bright moon, suddenly dimmed its light slightly, yielding the stage to the Great Kai Sacred Emperor.

The moment Li Ping's image appeared, the soldiers fighting in various states of the Immortal Alliance instantly felt their blood boil and their fighting spirit soar.

They shouted in unison: "Greetings, Sacred Emperor!"

The thunderous shouts, like mountains roaring and seas raging, echoed ceaselessly across the Xuanhuang land.

The captured and besieged cultivators of the Myriad Immortals Alliance looked fearfully at the majestic figure towering in the sky, while legends of the Dharma Transmission Heavenly Venerate of the Immortal Alliance involuntarily surfaced in their minds.

"At this very moment, where is the Heavenly Venerate, that venerable elder?"

And those Myriad Immortals Alliance cultivators still fighting like trapped beasts were also stunned and lost in thought upon witnessing the figure that filled their entire vision.

"In ancient times, the Dharma Transmission gained the Dao, spreading it throughout all beings, creating a glorious millennium of cultivation."

"However, the method of Dharma Transmission goes against the heavens. Heaven and Earth nurture cultivators. To devour Heaven and Earth is like patricide and matricide."

"It is not the righteous path."

The Sacred Emperor's voice resonated throughout the Xuanhuang Realm.

Blessed by the Heavenly Dao of Xuanhuang, it clearly reached the ears of every living sentient being.

At first, the cultivators of the Myriad Immortals Alliance didn't realize what this Great Kai Sacred Emperor intended to do.

But when they heard the phrase "not the righteous path," their expressions drastically changed.

The Mirror Master, who was overseeing the Disintegration Discs, had a grim expression.

Lights continuously flickered in the Central Four States; it was the Immortal Alliance high-level figures, stationed at headquarters, finally being enraged.

To slander the Dharma Transmission Heavenly Venerate was to slander the entire Myriad Immortals Alliance.

It was to shake the legitimacy and foundation of the Myriad Immortals Alliance's rule.

For the high-level figures of the Immortal Alliance, the consequences of this matter were even more severe than the loss of all other state territories.

After all, if territory was lost, it could be fought back for.

But once people's hearts changed...

"Break the formation! Break the formation immediately!"

The furious roar of the Dharma Transmitters reached Lu Xichan's ears.

The Immortal Alliance array masters became silent as cicadas in cold, and began to fight desperately.

However, while breaking the formation, they involuntarily and secretly listened to the voice from the heavens above.

Accompanied by various divine phenomena continuously appearing in the sky, drifting towards every corner of the Xuanhuang Realm.

"I also possess a method that, without relying on the power of heaven and earth, can still lead to the path of immortality."

"Namely, Foundation Establishment through Self, Primordial Golden Core, Physical Nascent Soul, Divine Transformation through Mind Intent..."

"Star Sea Dao Unification..."

"Resounding Dao Longevity!"

The Sacred Emperor's words, like a bolt from the clear sky, reverberated throughout the Xuanhuang Realm, capturing the attention of all cultivators.

After all, just by its name, the Sacred Emperor's method sounded significantly superior to the Dharma Transmission method.

Furthermore, the continuous appearance of auspicious clouds and shimmering golden lights across heaven and earth made the cultivators feel entranced.

The last time a supreme expert lectured on the Dao in the Xuanhuang Realm was the Dharma Transmission Immortal Venerate thousands of years ago.

After the Dharma Transmission method was validated by the world, the Dharma Transmission Immortal Venerate, who was then in the Dao Unification realm, transformed into the Dharma Transmission Heavenly Venerate in the Longevity realm.

If this new method was viable, wouldn't it mean that the Xuanhuang Realm would once again see a peerless expert capable of rivaling the Dharma Transmission?

Surrendering to bandits of unknown origin might lead to reckoning by the Myriad Immortals Alliance in the future.

But if they pledged allegiance to this Sacred Emperor...

A strange atmosphere began to circulate among the Immortal Alliance cultivators.

The Sacred Emperor's sermon continued.

"The first step on the path to immortality is Foundation Establishment through Self."

"One can establish a foundation by borrowing wonders of heaven and earth. Why? Because the world's wonders are manifestations of laws."

"However, the most wondrous thing in the world is not a material object, but spirit itself."

"Foundation Establishment through Self should lay the foundation for the myriad principles of the world!"

The profoundly abstruse method of Foundation Establishment through Self, when expounded by the Sacred Emperor, became simple and easy to understand.

At this moment, even mortals in the Xuanhuang Realm who had not yet embarked on the path of cultivation could faintly grasp its general meaning.

Not to mention the Myriad Immortals Alliance cultivators who had already successfully practiced the Dharma Transmission method!

The Sacred Emperor's new method, in reality, built upon the foundation of the Dharma Transmission method, then broke through its limitations, transforming completely.

Immortal Alliance cultivators practicing the Dharma Transmission method naturally felt an immense sense of familiarity.

Even just by listening, thoughts of "so that's how it is," "it's indeed viable," and "how wonderful" surged within them.

Some Immortal Alliance cultivators, who had just reached the pinnacle of Qi Refining and were attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm but struggled to find a wonder for foundation establishment, suddenly had an epiphany.

It was like a sudden enlightenment, and they were ecstatic: "Why bother searching for some wonder? The Sacred Emperor is right, I myself am the wonder!"

"Foundation Establishment! Foundation Establishment!"

They immediately went into seclusion on the spot to comprehend.

While the method of Foundation Establishment through Self was not easy to practice, the number of Qi Refining cultivators in the vast Xuanhuang Realm was the largest.

With such a massive base, even the smallest probabilities multiplied would result in tens of thousands!

The Sacred Emperor had only lectured up to the middle section of the Primordial Golden Core, yet new cultivators practicing Foundation Establishment through Self were already continuously appearing throughout the Xuanhuang land!

This was completely different from the treatment received by cultivators breaking through using the Dharma Transmission method.

After cultivators practicing the new method broke through, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged wildly and spontaneously into their bodies, as if they were truly the fabled protagonists favored by the Heavenly Dao.

A few even experienced rays of celestial light descending around them as they broke through.

Within the celestial light were various heavenly materials and earthly treasures, like gifts from heaven and earth.

The vastly different attitudes of heaven and earth inevitably made other cultivators envious.

Cultivators at the Golden Core stage and above might still have some reservations.

However, for cultivators at the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, dispersing their cultivation and restarting had no burden whatsoever.

After all, even if this new Sacred Emperor method couldn't be cultivated, as long as the foundation-establishing wonder remained, they could always start over.

After dispersing their cultivation, they temporarily stored away the wonder.

And then devoted themselves to cultivating the Foundation Establishment through Self method.

The number of Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm far exceeded the total number of cultivators in all other realms combined.

Even if only one out of ten among this group chose the Sacred Emperor's new method, it would be an enormous blow to both the Dharma Transmission Heavenly Venerate and the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

Besides Dharma Transmitter Ren, the other Dharma Transmitters finally couldn't sit still either.

Because within the Immortal Alliance headquarters, experiments had already proven the true viability of this Foundation Establishment through Self method.

If this Sacred Emperor were allowed to continue lecturing...

All the high-level cultivators of the Myriad Immortals Alliance couldn't help but shiver.

Immortal Alliance Abyss Prison.

In the deepest part of the space that imprisoned thousands of heinous criminals.

A figure, seemingly reduced to mere bones, was nailed in the void, limbs spread wide like a large character.

Upon closer inspection, every bone of the figure seemed to be constantly scorched by fierce flames, struck by thunderbolts, and gnawed by strange insects...

Enduring indescribable agony, the figure's face remained calm, as if accustomed to it.

Or rather, on his almost skeletal face, it was already impossible to discern any expression.

At this moment, amidst his countless physical torments, he slowly raised his head.

His dark eye sockets pierced through the layers of the Abyss Prison, looking towards the sky of the Xuanhuang Realm.

"Foundation Establishment through Self..."

"Foundation Establishment through Self..."

A black flame, like a long serpent, emerged from the void.

It flew directly towards him, piercing his chest in an instant.

The black flame passed through his heart, yet some remained on the wound, burning the figure's remaining flesh, bones, and even his remnant soul.

Even with the figure's endurance, he couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.

"Foundation Establishment through Self, Foundation Establishment through Self..."

But he kept muttering, and a faint starlight seemed to twinkle in his dark eye sockets.

For a long time, no sensation other than pain had surfaced in his mind.

But now, he faintly saw a glimmer of hope.

A sliver of hope to escape.

How long had he been imprisoned?

The sunless Abyss Prison had made him almost forget the concept of time.

But judging by the injuries to his body, it should have been a full five hundred years.

After being unfortunately captured and imprisoned here, he had abandoned all thoughts of escape.

After all, all his abilities had been drained by the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

Even if he managed to escape from here by chance, it would be difficult to find his way back under the pursuit of the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

But now, through this voice reaching the depths of the Abyss Prison, he might truly be able to escape.

"Every bit of pain is built upon my body."

"It is all felt by me."

"The source of pain is me."

"I establish my foundation..."

Specks of golden light began to flicker with the figure's words.

These golden lights seemed to emanate from the figure's remaining withered bones.

They had been hidden, only to be activated now, in this desperate struggle.

With creaking sounds, the golden light, like flames, baked the withered bones.

The withered bones melted like wax, but after condensing, they reformed into a slightly smaller, yet restored and normal-looking body.

The surrounding restrictions detected the figure's unusual activity.

Punishments were continuously activated, bombarding the figure.

But the figure had long been accustomed to it, even absorbing these punitive measures and transforming them into energy to solidify his new body.

Under the golden light, the figure grew smaller and smaller.

Eventually, it was only the size of an adult's palm.

Emerging from the original withered bones, he thought, "Foundation Establishment through Self actually reverted me to my appearance when I first began cultivating."

"Truly a supreme and profound method!"

"Even if I've been delayed within these high walls for over five hundred years, it wouldn't be a loss if I could bring this method back."

The miniature figure transformed into a streak of golden light and flew directly out from the deepest part of the Abyss Prison.

Ignoring all restrictions along the way.

Even the jailers of the Myriad Immortals Alliance's Abyss Prison seemed not to have seen this escaping golden light at all.

The small golden figure emerged onto the ground, gazing at the Sacred Emperor's image in the sky. "A place of desperation truly breeds talent. In over five hundred years, such a figure has appeared again in this world..."

"Primordial Golden Core."

The small golden figure listened intently for a long time, his brow remaining deeply furrowed.

"A bit strange. Could it be that I've been imprisoned for too long and become foolish?"

"Never mind. I'll just write it down for now. There will be plenty of people to study it once I'm out."

The Great Kai Sacred Emperor naturally had no idea that, unbeknownst to him, he had gained a listener from beyond the high walls.

At this moment, his sermon had reached its final part: Resounding Dao Longevity.

"Beyond Xuanhuang, above the Star Sea, lies the Grand Dao leading to Immortality."

"True Immortals fall, the Grand Dao is empty."

"Reversing Dao shadows, resonating with the true essence of the Dao, one can glimpse the realm of longevity..."

The Sacred Emperor lectured solemnly.

These abstruse words even brought insights to the Heavenly Dao of Xuanhuang itself.

All the winds in the world ceased.

In the vast Xuanhuang Realm, there was no other sound except for the Sacred Dynasty's sermon.

This included the Myriad Immortals Alliance cultivators who were previously eager to breach the Moonlight Starlight Grand Formation.

At this moment, they were all stunned, listening to the Sacred Emperor's words in a daze.

The higher their realm and strength, the greater the shock they felt in their hearts.

Immortal Alliance Headquarters, Museum of Divine Treasures.

Xu Ke and Elder Yin, who were waiting for the decisive battle between the Immortal Alliance and the Sacred Dynasty to begin so they could seize the opportunity to detonate the Golden Tree and take Mr. Bai's skull, suddenly felt the ground beneath their feet begin to shake.

From a slight tremor, it gradually turned into violent shaking.

"This is..." Xu Ke was slightly startled.

Because he felt that it wasn't just the Museum of Divine Treasures where they were. The source of the tremor was the very space where the museum was located!

The shaking grew more intense, and the Immortal Alliance headquarters, originally dim like the starry sky, slowly began to glow with specks of starlight.

"The Myriad Immortals Alliance headquarters is within the Heavenly Profound Mirror. Is this situation the Heavenly Profound Mirror breaking through?" A trace of surprise flickered across Elder Yin's face; he didn't know whether this anomaly was a blessing or a curse for them.

Within the Yanfajue space.

Li Fan's true body also sensed the slight tremor outside.

The three Dao Unification guardians instantly became somewhat nervous.

After all, this kind of phenomenon hadn't occurred even once in several hundred years.

Zhang Xu and Hua Yueye guarded in front of Yanfajue, while Li Fan stood at the entrance of the space.

Fortunately, Elder Xu of the Dharma Protection Hall soon sent a message, indicating that everything was fine, which allowed them to breathe a sigh of relief.

"If I'm not mistaken, it should be the Sacred Emperor's clone attacking," Li Fan mused inwardly.

Just then, he felt that the Yanfajue loli had woken up from her deep sleep and was trying to contact him through her simulated personality.

With a thought, he took over control of her simulated personality.

"Wow, something big happened outside!" The loli made an exaggerated expression.

"It's such a pity you're trapped here and couldn't see it!" Yanfajue looked at Li Fan with regretful eyes.

"You can see outside?" Li Fan stared at the loli, asking with some suspicion.

Yanfajue snorted, putting her hands on her hips. "Me... of course not."

"But someone told me! What, are you not convinced?"

"How about it, as long as you beg your granny me, I'll tell you what big things happened outside!" The loli said proudly.

Seeing that Li Fan was unmoved and still pondering something, she coaxed him, "Aren't you in the Dao Unification realm now? If you knew what happened outside, it would definitely help you a lot! Even I, after hearing it, my deduction speed increased significantly..." Yanfajue said earnestly.

"The one who secretly told you about the outside... was the Heavenly Profound Mirror?" Li Fan suddenly asked.

Yanfajue's expression suddenly froze, then she waved her hand, "Hahaha, how could that be!"

Li Fan, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes: "The tremor just now outside..."

"The Heavenly Profound Mirror upgrading? How is that possible? In this life, the Myriad Immortals Alliance hasn't measured heaven and earth..."

"Even Yanfajue has gained something."

"Could it really have been caused by the Sacred Emperor's sermon?"

Li Fan felt a mixture of surprise and uncertainty in his heart.

His two clones outside had indeed witnessed the Sacred Emperor's sermon.

But he had long known that this was compiled by the Sacred Emperor to undermine the foundation of the Dharma Transmission.

Except for the chapter on Foundation Establishment through Self, the rest was fabricated nonsense, a castle in the air, impossible to cultivate.

So he hadn't paid too much attention to it.

But now, judging by the reactions of Yanfajue and the Heavenly Profound Mirror, this method preached by the Sacred Emperor truly seemed to have some profound intricacies.

Li Fan looked at Yanfajue, who was still showing off and trying to make him beg, and with a cold snort in his heart, he directly recited the content of the Sacred Emperor's sermon.

Yanfajue instantly looked as if she had seen a ghost: "Brother Heavenly Profound Mirror told you too?"

Li Fan scoffed, not replying.

The loli, like an eggplant hit by frost, became dejected.

"How boring!"

"I'm going to sleep!"

"Wait!" Li Fan called out to her.

Yanfajue couldn't help but eye Li Fan with a wary gaze.

"This new Sacred Emperor method is useful for us cultivators, and that's understandable."

"But it even provides enlightenment for you, Yanfajue?" Li Fan's face showed suspicion.

Yanfajue rolled her eyes at Li Fan: "Didn't you hear? Beyond Xuanhuang, above the Star Sea, lies the Grand Dao leading to Immortality!"

"True Immortals fall, the Grand Dao is empty!"

"Reversing Dao shadows, resonating with the true essence of the Dao..."

Yanfajue's eyes widened: "Take me for example. Yanfajue is inherently a manifestation of the Xuanhuang Realm's laws."

"And the law of Yanfa in the Xuanhuang Realm is a projection of the Dao that can lead to immortality, from above the Star Sea..."

"In other words, when it comes to resonating with the Grand Dao, we have a natural advantage."

Yanfajue couldn't help but feel a little smug: "This is something you cultivators can't even dream of achieving!"

"If you want to resonate with the Grand Dao, you at least need to find traces of it, right? The Dao of Immortality is ethereal and fleeting. Even if you accidentally glimpse it, maintaining that connection indefinitely is incredibly difficult!"

Seeing Li Fan's somewhat grave expression, the loli became even more smug.

Then she suddenly remembered something, and a wary look appeared on her face: "Don't even think about stealing mine, okay? To be honest, even if you could force me to help you comprehend this Dao of Yanfa, it would be useless."

"Why?" Li Fan asked.

"Do you still remember that character I showed you before? Thinking about it now, that was actually like a painting, depicting the Dao of Immortality for others to observe."

"It's not the physical Dao of Immortality, just a painting, which is why even ordinary cultivators could perceive it."

"But we are projections of the Dao of Immortality. Since you are not me, how can you ascend and see the Dao itself?"

Yanfajue spoke slowly, word by word.

It seemed that expressing this meaning was quite difficult for her.

"The Grand Dao is empty..."

"True Immortal Seal Script, Engraving Dao Immortal..."

Li Fan pondered.

All past visions related to the power of immortals surfaced in his mind, rapidly revolving.

Finally, four words subtly emerged.

"Eternal Remnants?"

Li Fan felt a slight uncertainty in his heart.

"Not a projection of the Dao of Immortality, but a resonance of the Dao."

"Resounding Dao Longevity, so that's what it is."

"The Sacred Emperor actually discovered the existence of Eternal Remnants?"

Tianyang's figure flashed through Li Fan's mind.

"Hmm, perhaps that's how it is."

After all, it was his own clone; even though the connection was severed, Li Fan quickly deduced the likely truth of the matter based on scattered clues.

"Interesting. It seems this Great Kai Sacred Emperor, after integrating Sun Erlang's and Wang Xuanba's blood essence, has even higher comprehension than I imagined?"

"After all, my own comprehension is already extraordinary..."

Li Fan once again carefully perused the previously undervalued incomplete new method.

"If Eternal Remnants are a resonance of the Dao, then the hunger every time I sense them... does that mean what I truly need is the Dao of Immortality?"

"Something that can replenish his true ability..."

Li Fan's mind raced with thoughts.

Outside the Xuanhuang Realm, the Sacred Dynasty's sermon was nearing its end.

Regardless of whether they belonged to the Sacred Dynasty or not, all beings who listened to the sermon bowed their heads slightly, showing their astonishment at the Sacred Emperor.

After all, such a wondrous method was something they would have never had the chance to hear in their lifetime.

Yet now, the Sacred Emperor was selflessly sharing it with them.

Many cultivators even wept tears of gratitude, repeatedly kneeling and bowing, becoming the Sacred Emperor's most loyal followers.

Immortal Alliance Four States, Moonlight Border.

The group of array masters woke from the shock of the Sacred Emperor's sermon.

They privately looked towards Lu Xichan.

"Continue breaking the formation!" Although she had received a favor from the other side, on such a matter of principle, Lu Xichan, as the Chief of the Strategy Formation Hall, would never make a mistake.

She commanded coldly.

"No need." The voice of the Dharma Transmitter from behind her made her freeze on the spot.

"Lord Heavenly Venerate has returned." Dharma Transmitter Ren looked at the sky, his eyes filled with fanaticism.