Chapter 1304: Memory of Ji Yuzhen

Upon cultivating the "Immeasurable Heavenly Pivot Severing Soul Art," one distinguishes between myriad split souls and the primeval soul. The memories Li Fan previously discovered in the Ring Mountain of Dongyong Prefecture were solely from these myriad split souls. However, the truly important primeval soul had remained undiscovered.

It was only when the "White Circle Descends to the Mortal World" took action and utterly obliterated the Ring Mountain that the primeval soul, hidden within, finally revealed itself. Unlike the myriad spirit energy flowers scattered outside, the soul flowers hidden inside the Ring Mountain seemed to remain dormant. Even direct contact would not provoke an attack from them.

Once these soul flowers were exposed due to the loss of their hiding place, they spontaneously and regularly gathered, slowly converging to form a colossal, luminous white flower. Within the Ring Mountain area, countless spirit energy flowers floating between heaven and earth seemed to find their core, swirling around the glowing white flower. Amidst the rising storm, the primeval soul flower gradually began to resemble the spirit energy flowers, seemingly attempting to conceal itself through this method.

Unfortunately, the moment the Ring Mountain disintegrated and the soul flowers drifted outwards, Li Fan's immensely powerful divine sense had already locked onto all of them. How could such a clumsy illusion deceive Li Fan?

However, Li Fan soon realized he was mistaken. When his divine sense connected with one of the primeval soul flowers, the images transmitted from it felt somewhat familiar to Li Fan. They were precisely the images he had previously encountered within ordinary spirit energy flowers!

"Indeed, there's a trick to it. Even when locked on by me, it can silently complete a swap and transfer..."

Gazing at the trillions of flowers before him, Li Fan scoffed, "But now that I've discovered you, where can you possibly escape to? If you hide within an endless sea of flowers, then I shall boil the sea!"

"Profound Yellow World-Ending Transformation: Heaven's Punishment, Earth's Destruction, Soul Gathering for Creation!"

Overwhelming malevolent energy suddenly surged from Li Fan's body. Li Fan's eyes turned pitch black, and the malevolent energy solidified, forming thousands of tiny tentacles that swayed in the wind. Within this black malevolent energy, faint flashes of lightning could be seen, as if divine retribution had descended to purge all life from the world!

This was precisely one of the transformations within Li Fan's Profound Yellow World-Ending Transformation. When Profound Yellow encounters a destructive plight, to ensure its own survival, it must annihilate all living beings within its realm, absorbing their flesh, blood, and souls to increase its chances against the world-ending crisis. This transformation was even more extreme than the "Heaven and Earth Annihilation, Myriad Things Frozen" technique Li Fan had previously employed. It was a desperate, all-or-nothing survival transformation, where nothing else could exist besides oneself.

Above Dongyong Prefecture, boundless black clouds rolled in from the horizon. This was the stress reaction of the Profound Yellow Heavenly Dao, sensing the extreme changes occurring here. Li Fan even detected that, due to the birth of this 'Heaven and Earth Transformation,' the Profound Yellow Realm's attitude towards him was rapidly deteriorating. The favorability he had painstakingly accumulated previously almost instantly reset to zero.

However, Li Fan paid it no mind. The malevolent energy tentacles continuously branched out, engulfing and piercing into all accessible spirit energy flowers. Flower after flower of spirit energy withered away. Simultaneously, streams of incredibly pure yet subtly eerie energy were absorbed and concentrated, intermingled with numerous fragmented memories. Some belonged to Ji Yuzhen, while others were from cultivators who had perished here.

Li Fan categorized and organized those belonging to Ji Yuzhen, gradually piecing together a complete picture. At the same time, his mind was intensely focused, awaiting the discovery of the primeval souls.

Each of the Xuantian Sect's immortal arts possessed its own mysterious intricacies. To be safe, Li Fan did not greedily absorb the energy transformed from these spirit energy flowers directly. Instead, he gathered them in one place and sealed them with Origin Energy Essence.

The black tentacles gestured menacingly. The myriad flowers in the sky disappeared in large swaths at a visible rate. Soon, the first primeval soul could no longer hide and was found by Li Fan. He did not drain or destroy the soul, merely peering into the memories hidden within it.

Like a rapidly revolving lantern, images flashed by. They seemed veiled by a layer of white light, flickering on and off. Like flowers seen through mist, indistinct and fleeting.

"Zhen'er, have you memorized the method to activate the 'Golden Lock Transverse Array'?" Xuantian King's voice came, but his face was hidden beneath a white glow, indistinct.

"Brother Xuanyuan, do you really think I'm that foolish?" Ji Yuzhen said, teasingly.

Xuantian King hastily explained, "Zhen'er, don't misunderstand. I know your talent is by no means inferior to mine. However, this array is, after all, an improvement based on an immortal array. The difference between immortals and mortals makes it truly difficult to have a correct understanding without personal experience."

"Since Brother Xuanyuan is so worried, then please teach me again," Ji Yuzhen said softly.

"Ah... very well," Xuantian King hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

He said in a deep voice, "'Golden Lock Transverse' spans across all heavens. Even if the target is at the far end of a distant star sea, once locked onto, the chains can arrive instantly and capture it. I told you before, the reason this effect can be achieved is because it has the 'Horizon Within Reach Great Array' embedded within it. This array was originally engraved on the Immortal Ascension Platform in the Immortal Realm. When I escaped back then, I brought the entire immortal array down with me..."

Ji Yuzhen looked at Xuanyuan Hong, as if envisioning him collecting relics from the Immortal Realm while fleeing for his life, and couldn't help but let out another burst of soft laughter. "Even though it's not the first time I've heard you say it, I still find it hard to imagine that you, Brother Xuanyuan, are this kind of person."

Xuanyuan Hong awkwardly coughed lightly. "The Immortal Realm suffered a calamity, which would obviously affect the lower realms. Naturally, I had to make more preparations. Besides, they were already unowned items..."

Xuantian King earnestly defended himself for a bit, then continued explaining, "Due to spatial-temporal shifts in the star sea, the position of the cultivation world observed by the Tian Beast's Eye might have slight discrepancies from its actual location. Therefore, when using the Golden Lock for capture, corresponding adjustments must be made. Currently, there isn't a perfect solution to this deviation, so it entirely relies on the experience and intuition of the one in charge. The 'Horizon Within Reach Great Array' consumes an enormous amount of energy. After a period of use, the array needs to be repaired and replenished. However, there's no need to worry about damage. I've already replicated three copies of the crucial core components. At most, the capture efficiency might decrease slightly, but it won't affect the array's functionality..."

Xuantian King explained with great meticulousness, and Ji Yuzhen listened to every word. However, her gaze remained fixed on Xuanyuan Hong's face, never once straying.

Transitioning from memory back to reality, Li Fan carefully sealed away this primeval soul. He then turned his attention to the remainder of the sea of flowers. As more and more incorrect options were eliminated, the collection of primeval souls accelerated.

Ji Yuzhen's memories surfaced one after another. It was vaguely within a secret chamber, where Ji Yuzhen and Xuanyuan Hong stood facing each other.

"Brother Xuanyuan, have you finally come to your senses? Inviting me here alone," Ji Yuzhen said, ripples appearing in her beautiful eyes as she gazed at Xuantian King.

"Zhen'er, don't be silly. There's serious business today," Xuanyuan Hong said sternly. "The other eleven brothers have already chosen their immortal arts, only you remain indecisive..."

"I told you, I want you, Brother Xuanyuan, to help me choose," Ji Yuzhen interrupted Xuanyuan Hong.

Xuanyuan Hong's face showed helplessness. "I came to you precisely for this matter."

"So Brother Xuanyuan has chosen for me?"

"The Immeasurable Heavenly Pivot Severing Soul Art. Even among the many immortal arts I've collected, it's a top-tier one. It allows one to split myriad souls, ensuring endless and indestructible souls. More importantly, it can nourish one's own soul and differentiate primeval souls. Each primeval soul can embark on an independent immortal path..." Xuantian King spoke fluently.

"I trust you, Big Brother. I'll cultivate this one," Ji Yuzhen decided before Xuantian King had even finished speaking.

Xuanyuan Hong paused, then nodded slightly. He pointed a finger at his own brow, and then dark, ethereal characters flew out from it, one by one. Xuanyuan Hong closed his eyes, his expression calm. Only occasionally did his brows furrow, as if enduring immense pain.

"The soul is the flower of life. When wandering in the void, its splendor is like the fresh green of spring willows, abundant yet orderly, able to divide and re-converge..."

The moment she saw those swirling, dark characters, an exceedingly profound cultivation method appeared in her mind. Not only the content of the cultivation method but also countless memories of cultivating it and specific insights. Although she was merely a beginner, it felt as if she had reincarnated thousands of times and had cultivated it countless times before.

After an unknown period, the dark characters slowly returned to Xuantian King's Sea of Consciousness.

"Brother Xuanyuan, are you alright?" Ji Yuzhen stepped forward, highly concerned, to check on him. She saw myriad other ferocious faces flash across Xuantian King's face, attempting to take control. However, he eventually reverted to Xuanyuan Hong's original countenance.

"Brother Xuanyuan, you could have just transcribed the cultivation method directly. Why use this method of inheritance?" Ji Yuzhen's tone held a hint of reproach.

Xuanyuan Hong sighed slightly. "Zhen'er, the complexity of immortal arts far surpasses that of lower realm cultivation methods. Although your talent is extraordinary, without inherited guidance, it would likely take over a decade of arduous effort just to get started with this Severing Soul Art. We don't have that much time..."

Ji Yuzhen remained silent.

Xuanyuan Hong continued, "Moreover, judging from the cultivation progress of our other brothers, the difference is significant whether they received inherited instruction or not. It should be a restriction inherent to the cultivation methods within that Azure Nether Pearl."

"This Azure Nether Pearl may not be a good thing," Ji Yuzhen scoffed.

Xuanyuan Hong did not agree. "Cultivation methods have no inherent good or evil; it all depends on the cultivator using them. The same applies to this Azure Nether Pearl. Its ability to absorb the corpses of fallen cultivators and extract the cultivation methods they practiced in life is enough to demonstrate the extraordinary nature of this treasure pearl. It's just a pity I obtained it too late. I could only hastily scour the nearby corpses before fleeing in a hurry," Xuanyuan Hong said with a hint of regret.

Scene after scene flashed continuously in Li Fan's mind. All were moments from the life of Ji Yuzhen, the former Dharma King of the Xuantian Sect. Compared to the fragments preserved within the spirit energy flowers, the memories within the primeval soul were more complete. Moreover, they all involved numerous secrets concerning Xuantian King of the Xuantian Sect, such as the origin of the immortal arts practiced by the Xuantian Sect's Dharma Kings, and the mysterious immortal treasure, the Azure Nether Pearl. Also, the Great Floating Ferry Array, and the methods for activating and controlling the Golden Lock Transverse. And the little details of Ji Yuzhen's interactions with Xuanyuan Hong.

However, what puzzled Li Fan was that the memories in this primeval soul were still not complete. Certain important fragments were missing. Li Fan's gaze swept over the surroundings, ensuring there were no more stray spirit energy flowers.

"Did it escape while I wasn't paying attention? Or... were those primeval souls not preserved in the first place?"

From Ji Yuzhen's memories, Li Fan obtained the complete content of the Severing Soul Art. Although there was no so-called 'inheritance method' to initiate its cultivation, he gained a general understanding of the immortal art's content. Aside from being able to split myriad souls, rendering them undying and indestructible, the primeval soul had an even greater purpose: after achieving enlightenment, it could serve as a 'medicinal primer.' Whether consumed by oneself or others, it could facilitate the complete merger and integration of two distinct paths of cultivation.

True Immortals pursue a specific Great Dao. The Great Dao is singular. Not only would it repel other cultivators pursuing the same Dao, but it was also very difficult to cultivate two different Dao paths concurrently. However, the Severing Soul Art could cleverly resolve this limitation. The healing effect of consuming a primeval soul was quite insignificant compared to this heaven-defying Dao-merging function.

"From previous memories, it was known that when Xuantian King was injured, Ji Yuzhen had entertained the thought of feeding him her primeval soul. Now, with her most important primeval soul missing, could it be that she found Xuantian King at the last moment and sacrificed herself to him?" Li Fan couldn't help but speculate. Ji Yuzhen clearly deeply loved Xuantian King. However, for some unknown reason, Xuanyuan Hong had never accepted her affection, even deliberately maintaining a distance. To sacrifice herself to save Xuantian King was entirely something Ji Yuzhen would do.

"Xuantian King," Li Fan murmured, then looked up at the sky. The ominous clouds accumulated by the Profound Yellow Realm had reached their limit, as if they could collapse from the sky at any moment.

Ji Yuzhen's scattered souls had all been absorbed. Li Fan then withdrew the 'Heaven's Punishment, Earth's Destruction' transformation. His figure flickered, disappearing from his original spot. The celestial anomaly also dispersed.

The cultivators from the Myriad Immortals Alliance, previously blocked by an invisible barrier, arrived belatedly. Upon discovering the Ring Mountain and spirit energy flowers that had vanished into thin air, they were greatly alarmed and hastily reported to the Immortal Alliance Headquarters.

Li Fan did not immediately go to find Mo Rubin. Instead, he first went into seclusion to digest the memories within Ji Yuzhen's soul. Even with some of the most crucial parts missing, the Dharma King's life history was still immensely vast. Especially within the primeval souls, not only memories but also thoughts and emotions from that time were included. While peering, he was inevitably eroded by these emotions. To prevent himself from being affected, or Ji Yuzhen from attempting a counter-possession, Li Fan had to pause after experiencing each memory segment and eradicate the infiltrating emotions.

"The memories of Ji Yuzhen's first encounter with Xuantian King were also missing. It seems this was a significant reason she fell in love with Xuantian King, and thus one of her most precious memories. However, Ji Yuzhen's memories concerning the other eleven Dharma Kings were preserved."