Chapter 395: Legacy of the Rejuvenated Immortal

"Huh?!"

After a wave of dizziness, Xiao Heng looked around and was greatly surprised by the scene before him.

The Bone Forerunner Realm was a mess, with traces of battle everywhere. The originally magnificent and grand scenery was now somewhat dilapidated.

"Senior Skull..."

Xiao Heng's heart tightened, and he quickly rushed to where Senior Skull had been dormant. However, the closer he got, the more prominent the signs of battle became. The previously smooth and clean white bones were now riddled with pits and dents.

The ominous premonition grew stronger, and by the time Xiao Heng arrived, he was utterly stunned. It seemed a violent explosion had occurred, and Senior Skull was nowhere to be found. Only a dark, deep pit remained, hinting at the fierce struggle that had apparently taken place there recently.

"What exactly happened?" Xiao Heng's expression turned grim. "Could it be that the Myriad Immortal Alliance has caught up?" Recalling Senior Skull's instructions before his dormancy, Xiao Heng instinctively wondered.

Having spent over a decade in Shilinzhou, Xiao Heng was no longer the naive youth who knew nothing about the world of cultivation. It was precisely because of this that his heart grew colder. When he was at the Qi Refinement stage, he dared to declare the grand ambition of "destroying the Myriad Immortal Alliance and restoring the glory of the Immortal Restoration Sect, a duty we cannot shirk." But now, at the Golden Core stage, he no longer dared to utter such grandiose words.

"Senior instructed that if he couldn't be contacted, it meant this place had been exposed. For safety, the hand bone should be destroyed as quickly as possible to sever all ties with this location." Although reluctant, Xiao Heng was not indecisive.

Before leaving, he conducted one last search of the Forerunner Realm. Xiao Heng unexpectedly discovered that the bone altar within the secret realm seemed not to have been completely destroyed. Faint, familiar fluctuations still emanated from it. Xiao Heng's heart stirred, and he began to call out in the same way he had previously prayed.

"Senior Skull!"

A moment later, Senior Skull's figure indeed appeared above the ruins of the altar. Xiao Heng was incredibly excited, but in an instant, he calmed down, because what stood before him was merely an illusion.

"Little Xiao, there's no time for a final farewell," Senior Skull's voice resonated. "I didn't expect that even after hiding here for so long, they still wouldn't let me go. If you can see this image, it means I've met with misfortune."

Even with mental preparation, hearing Senior Skull say it himself made Xiao Heng's eyes redden.

"...Although I lured them away, preventing your exposure, this place is no longer safe. Once you return, sever all ties with this place and never come back. I've left four Small Medicine King Cauldrons for you in the altar. They are the keys to entering the True Medicine King Cauldron.

Thousands of years ago, Sect Master Liu Ruchen of the Medicine King Sect led all members of the sect to break through the realm and depart. But a little over a decade ago, I sensed their return to the Xuanhuang Realm. It was that fiery meteor that illuminated the sky and ultimately fell into the Abyss of Cangwu. If I'm not mistaken, something must have happened to the Medicine King Sect.

However, I have a vague feeling that there is a great fortuitous encounter within the True Medicine King Cauldron. If you have the chance, you can go and investigate. Remember, there should be other Small Medicine King Cauldrons scattered outside. Perhaps others can use secret methods to sense each other's locations through them. You must be extremely careful for your own safety. If it truly becomes unfeasible, selling the Small Medicine King Cauldrons for a good price is also a viable option.

Oh, and the Small Medicine King Cauldrons also contain some resources I collected back then. Remember to take them out. Consider it my final gift. Remember: endure, lie low... Preserve the legacy!"

After Senior Skull's earnest words concluded, the illusion completely vanished. Four antique-looking small cauldrons appeared before Xiao Heng. Xiao Heng suppressed his inner grief and put away the Small Medicine King Cauldrons. Then, with a resolute expression, he left the Forerunner Realm.

"Xiao Heng, what's wrong?" Su Xiaomei and the others saw Xiao Heng's reddened eyes and couldn't help but change their expressions.

In front of everyone, he destroyed the small hand bone that served as the token for entry. He then led the members of the Immortal Restoration Sect to a secret room in their stronghold and asked them to do the same. Only after the connection with the Bone Forerunner Realm was completely severed did Xiao Heng explain everything.

"Senior Skull has fallen?!"

Although the others were surprised, they weren't as grief-stricken as Xiao Heng. After all, Xiao Heng was the only one who had direct contact with Senior Skull. However, their successful path in cultivation was inseparable from Senior Skull's care. The members of the Boundary-Departing faction were not ungrateful. So at this moment, they all felt a bit sad, but that was all.

"What do we do next?" After a moment of silence, a question lay before everyone. Should they continue to maintain their identity as the Immortal Restoration Sect and resist the Myriad Immortal Alliance? Or...

After all, a weak force cannot contend with a strong one. With their highest cultivation at the Nascent Soul stage, trying to overthrow the Myriad Immortal Alliance, which had the presence of an Immortal Venerable and had dominated half of the Xuanhuang Realm for thousands of years, was frankly a bit ridiculous.

"The Myriad Immortal Alliance is no good," Su Xiaomei was the first to voice her opinion.

"Once you join the Immortal Alliance, you're a beast of burden for life. This Myriad Immortal Alliance, you definitely can't join," Zhang Haobo echoed.

Su Changyu closed his eyes and calmly said, "I support Xiaomei."

Xiao Heng looked at the decision his companions made, and he couldn't help but feel touched. He knew deeply how vastly unequal the Immortal Restoration Sect's strength was compared to the Myriad Immortal Alliance. Originally, he had only planned to shoulder the mission of restoration by himself. But fortunately, his companions did not disappoint him.

Just as he was about to speak, he heard a timid voice say, "The Myriad Immortal Alliance is no good!" Xiao Heng was momentarily speechless. Following the voice, he saw a green young boy rubbing the back of his head, his face flushed.

Xiao Heng smiled and praised, "Wuyou, what spirit!" The boy's face grew even hotter. This boy was Han Wuyou, a descendant of the two mortals from the Boundary-Departing faction who had fled the Cloudy Sea with Xiao Heng. His parents had both died of illness years ago, and he himself had been raised personally by Xiao Heng, Su Changyu, and others. Han Wuyou had good cultivation aptitude and had embarked on the path of cultivation under Xiao Heng's guidance. At just over ten years old, he was already at the late Qi Refinement stage.

After praising Han Wuyou, Xiao Heng turned his head. "I understand everyone's sentiment. However, one thing is undeniable: the Myriad Immortal Alliance is simply too powerful. With our current strength, trying to confront it head-on would be like hitting a rock with an egg. What Senior said before his fall was absolutely right: our main task is to endure and preserve our legacy."

Xiao Heng's expression was firm, and his gaze was resolute. "What has been long divided must unite, what has been long united must divide – this is the grand trend of heaven and earth. Mortal dynasties often reach their limit in about five hundred years. Although the Myriad Immortal Alliance is powerful, it has also been passed down for thousands of years. As long as we pass down the ideals of the Immortal Restoration Sect from generation to generation and wait for the opportune moment, there will always be a time when the Myriad Immortal Alliance faces a great change and crumbles apart. That will be our opportunity." Xiao Heng said slowly.

Su Xiaomei chuckled, unfazed. The others merely nodded symbolically. Only Han Wuyou's eyes were wide, filled with the light of hope.

"Xiao Heng, didn't you say Senior Skull left you four small cauldrons?" Su Xiaomei asked, breaking the silence. "Hurry and show them to me, what kind of treasures are they?"

Hearing this, Xiao Heng exhaled deeply and, at the same time, took out the four Small Medicine King Cauldrons, placing them before everyone. Su Xiaomei grabbed one and examined it carefully. "That's it? It's so dilapidated, doesn't look like anything good at all. Oh, it seems there's something else inside."

A moment later, Su Xiaomei exclaimed loudly. "Wow! So many spirit stones! We're rich! And so many herbs! Haha, this is good stuff!" Su Xiaomei tossed the Small Medicine King Cauldron aside and gleefully put on a silver necklace. Then she showed several identical ones she held to the others. "Come, come, everyone gets one."

Seeing this, Zhang Haobo's eyes lit up. "Is this a necklace inscribed with a teleportation array?"

Su Xiaomei nodded repeatedly: "That's it. At Chaoyuan Sect, I escaped death several times thanks to it."

The moment Su Xiaomei and the others put on the silver necklaces, far away in Lanlinzhou, a subtle glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes, imperceptible to others.

*Thanks to the revised array, I can finally sense the scene again,* he thought to himself.

Under the monitoring of the Formless Killing Intent, the scene of the Boundary-Departing faction's meeting and discussion instantly appeared before Li Fan's eyes.

"Xiao Heng, what do you think about the fortuitous encounter of the True Medicine King Cauldron that Senior Skull mentioned?" Su Changyu picked up the small cauldron Su Xiaomei had tossed aside, rearranged it neatly, and asked in a deep voice.

Hearing this, Xiao Heng hesitated for a moment. Su Xiaomei, however, loved to stir up excitement. "Why even think about it? Who abandons a fortuitous encounter right in front of them? If it weren't for the lucky encounters at Chaoyuan Sect, Haobo and I would still be at the Golden Core stage now!"

Zhang Haobo narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded in agreement.

Xiao Heng pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Senior Skull accurately predicted the great upheaval in the Cloudy Sea during his lifetime. So I believe the fortuitous encounter of the Medicine King Cauldron in the Abyss of Cangwu is certainly real. However..." Thinking of something unknown, Xiao Heng became hesitant again.

Seeing this, Su Xiaomei immediately became annoyed: "Xiao Heng, don't tell me you're getting cold feet again. Last time when Haobo and I wanted to go to Chaoyuan Sect, you disagreed. If you do that again this time, I'll really be angry!"

"Xiaomei, I..." Xiao Heng gave a wry smile, about to explain.

But then he heard Su Changyu say calmly, "If Senior's words are correct, these Small Medicine King Cauldrons are the keys to entering the True Medicine King Cauldron. It would be best for all four of us to go together." Su Xiaomei nodded repeatedly.

But Su Changyu changed his tone: "However... it's impossible for all of us to go. Wuyou is still young and needs someone to look after him. Zhao Erbao and the Yin family sisters are out searching for treasures, and they send back useful items from time to time. All of this requires someone to manage."