419 Chapter 1281-1282 (8.5k+ words)

Chapter 1281 Reunion in the Starry Sea 

A large number of Dao Fusion corpses, like kites being tugged by strings, scattered in disarray. The expressions on their faces still reflected the joy of surviving the calamity.

"Curses..."

Watching these once lively faces now completely frozen, Guan Xingxiu could no longer endure it. The Falling Star Divine Sword transformed into a golden light and slashed forward.

A figure in green suddenly appeared, blocking the path of the sword.

Flower-like ice crystals bloomed at his fingertips, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze. As a result, the Falling Star Divine Sword was frozen in mid-air.

"This is... Qing Shuang?"

Observing this familiar yet unfamiliar figure, Xu Guanhai couldn't help but exclaim.

As it turned out, the one who magically stopped the Falling Star Divine Sword was none other than Qing Shuang, who had recently fallen and had been drained of her essence.

However...

Guan Xingxiu squinted his eyes, unable to hide his shock.

"Old Guan, be careful. This Qing Shuang isn't Jì Wàntāo himself but the soul of the heavens and earth!" Xu Guanhai quickly grasped the situation and shouted loudly.

The five surviving Dao Fusion experts suddenly tensed their nerves again.

After careful observation, they found that the appearance of this soul of the heavens and earth, Qing Shuang, was no longer the vague face it had before. It now bore a striking resemblance to the appearance of Dao Zun Jì Wàntāo before his demise.

What shocked them even more was that behind the new soul of the heavens and earth, Qing Shuang, a thin thread extended, spreading into the void.

The thin thread was identical to the weapons they had previously discovered on the ship for exterminating Dao Fusion experts.

As they confronted the ship, numerous threads extended from the void.

Familiar faces floated towards them from the shadows.

Surrounding the five survivors.

Sun Luchang turned pale, trembling uncontrollably, "How is this possible? After death, the soul of the heavens and earth can still be drawn out and refined? What kind of dark magic is this..."

However, Purple Mei seemed contemplative, "This place is far from the laws of the Heavenly Yellow Realm and, naturally, has lost its effectiveness. If certain special means are taken, it may not be impossible to disguise as the Heavenly Dao and accept these souls of the heavens and earth."

Xu Guanhai smiled bitterly, "Old Guan, it seems we are in a desperate situation this time. I might not fear one or two souls of the heavens and earth, but with so many... and this horrifying ship."

Guan Xingxiu's eyes flashed with determination, "Then, let's destroy this monster first!"

"Wait!" Just as the Falling Star Divine Sword was about to pierce through the ship's deck, Lan Yu suddenly shouted, stopping him abruptly.

Lan Yu strode forward, blocking among the various souls of the heavens and earth, and said in a deep voice, "Inquire about the current probability of completing the mission."

The floating souls of the heavens and earth all fell into stillness. After a moment, the cold voice of the Ascendant Venerable ship echoed, "The current feasibility of the mission is extremely high."

"Current energy reserve: sufficient."

"Energy replenishment plan terminated."

...

Endless voices continued to echo, and those floating, expressionless souls of the heavens and earth, dragged by those threads, returned to the void.

What seemed like an imminent crisis dissipated abruptly.

Sun Luchang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh. It was somewhat unbelievable, "Is it... resolved just like this?"

Lan Yu's expression did not ease a bit, "Only temporarily. It appears that as long as we don't escape when it has sufficient energy, it won't attack us."

Guan Xingxiu nodded, his tone cold, "But when its energy is insufficient, it will inevitably hunt and absorb us. Hmph, to think that we, high-ranking members of the Immortal Alliance, have now become food for an object in this icy void. Truly ironic..."

Purple Mei remained silent, her expression serious.

Only Xu Guanhai revealed a bitter smile and said, "Didn't expect to live a bit longer, consider it a gain. Relax, everyone. This fellow suddenly devoured so many Dao Fusions; perhaps it can persist and meet the Venerable Elder."

"Furthermore, they were previously ambushed. If we join forces and stay vigilant, maybe we can successfully escape this ghostly place." Xu Guanhai conveyed this message through mental transmission.

"I have the Heavenly Arena. If I deploy the martial arts field, it should delay a considerable amount of time," Lan Yu said.

"Staying here for a long time is not advisable. Let's take some time to recover first, then break through together, what do you think?"

"Not running is definitely death. Let's go all out!"

...

As the group communicated with each other, time slowly passed.

When they had all recovered to their best condition and took action, the operation went more smoothly than they had imagined.

Not only did no souls of the heavens and earth come to obstruct them, but even the Ascendant Venerable ship itself, like paper, was effortlessly torn into pieces.

"It... came out?" Sun Luchang was dumbfounded.

"No!" Guan Xingxiu's face turned stern as he looked around the void.

"It's still inside the ship! We've been imprisoned!" The Falling Star Divine Sword erupted with an incredibly dazzling light, attempting to illuminate the dark space.

But, just like the true void of the starry sea, this place seemed endless. The brilliance of the falling stars, like fireflies, disappeared in an instant.

"Go!" Guan Xingxiu was still unwilling, summoning the Falling Star Divine Sword and rushing towards the darkness.

Unexpectedly, he didn't return, completely swallowed by the darkness.

The remaining four also noticed something was amiss and used various methods. However, without exception, none of them could escape from this void prison.

"That damned thing never intended to let us go from the beginning. While we were planning to escape, it took the initiative to ambush us!" Sun Luchang cursed.

"It seems there's some kind of formation here, somewhat similar to the ancient[Taiji Micro Dust Formation]." After observing for a while, Xu Guanhai suddenly realized.

Then, with some regret, he added, "Unfortunately, I'm not proficient in formations; otherwise, I could try to break the formation."

"I don't understand either."

...

Everyone fell silent, and then all eyes turned to Lan Yu.

This veteran Dao Fusion expert, who had lived for thousands of years, should know a bit about formations, right?

In the eyes of the other four, full of anticipation, Lan Yu shook his head helplessly, "I do have some knowledge of formations, but this formation's level..."

"It far surpasses my understanding. I can't comprehend it." Lan Yu truthfully admitted.

For a moment, everyone felt somewhat desperate.

A deathly silence enveloped the group.

"The formation here is an absolute isolated space, and I can't perceive an exit. But if that Ascendant Venerable ship intends to annihilate us again, it will undoubtedly open a gap. At that time, it will be our opportunity."

After a while, Lan Yu suddenly said, rekindling hope in the hearts of the others.

"I will open the martial arts field. Everyone, enter to avoid it. In case the ship attacks again."

Saying this, a circular structure appeared in the dark void.

With no better option, everyone had to fly into it.

As the gap closed, the five looked at each other, and a surge of fighting spirit welled up in their hearts.

"Old Lan, can you control this magical treasure? Now is not the time to spar! If we waste our energy, what will we do when the ship attacks again?" Xu Guanhai complained.

"I say, Old Guan, how dare you sneak attack me?!" Xu Guanhai shouted.

Even if the five forcefully suppressed the restlessness in their hearts, they couldn't restrain themselves from engaging in mutual combat.

Lan Yu explained helplessly, "This treasure was personally passed down by the Great Magus. Once inside, you will be forced to engage in combat until you leave. It's the inherent nature of the artifact, beyond control. I didn't bring it out earlier because of this reason."

"However, I can adjust the intensity of the combat. I have set it to the minimum. Everyone, don't suppress your fighting spirit, just casually make moves, maintaining a state of combat. With the supplies we brought, we shouldn't be afraid of energy consumption."

After a chaotic exchange of moves, the group gradually adapted.

They engaged in light sparring while peacefully communicating.

"Warming up like this is good, at least it ensures that we are in the best condition at all times," Xu Guanhai joked amidst his bitterness.

Sun Luchang sighed, "It's been so long since I've fought with someone. Fellow Daoists, go easy..."

Guan Xingxiu returned to the main topic, "In this dire situation, we only have one chance. So, we must be well aware of each other's strongest techniques."

Guan Xingxiu's words received unanimous agreement from the group.

He then took the lead, saying, "My strongest attack, I recently comprehended in this starry sea. It's called the [Star River Sword Division]. Be careful!"

Guan Xingxiu lightly shouted, and the sword radiance slashed out, giving birth to seemingly endless starlight.

The Star River Sword did not hit the other four but fiercely struck the sky of the martial arts field.

The sky trembled, cracks appeared, and then quickly healed.

Guan Xingxiu praised, "Good treasure!"

The other four then demonstrated their own killer moves.

While engaging in martial arts, they also became more coordinated with each other.

They even jointly deduced a set of combined techniques.

In the trapped void array, time passed unnoticed.

The five Dao Fusion experts were like sharpening their swords, nurturing their spirit and energy.

They waited for the opportune moment to unleash their most powerful strikes.

After an unknown amount of time...

A tremendous shock disturbed them.

It was not the tremor of the martial arts field but a disturbance beyond the martial arts field, in the entire dark void.

Or, it originated from the Ascendant Venerable ship.

Through the long martial arts cooperation, the five had reached a certain level of mutual understanding.

In an instant, they reached a consensus, waiting for a flaw to appear.

Without any warning, darkness disappeared, and light reappeared.

They seemed to have returned to the cabin of the ship.

However, the five, who had suffered once before, didn't hesitate.

They unleashed the long-prepared, strongest combined attack.

"Sword Division Star River!"

"Observing the Stars at Dusk!"

"Feather Annihilation!"

...

Thunderous shouts echoed simultaneously as five streams of brilliance merged and fiercely struck the ship's wall.

However, a despairing scene unfolded.

A black hole inexplicably appeared on the wall, directly swallowing the massive destructive power brought by the five-person combined attack.

The hole slowly healed, and the wall returned to its original state.

The killing move they had practiced for so long turned out to be a complete joke, causing zero damage.

The five had pale faces.

Guan Xingxiu's spiritual foundation was damaged, and his figure staggered.

"How is this possible?" He looked completely unable to accept, muttering in a daze.

The most powerful attack had already failed, and the five felt as if their hearts were dead, almost unable to muster thoughts of resistance again.

However, soon, the Ascendant Venerable ship shook violently again, awakening them.

"Something's not right? Is the ship under attack from the outside?"

"A spatial calamity?"

The five suddenly realized, their faces showing wild joy.

"We still have a chance!"

At this point, they also noticed the abnormality of the ship.

The previously absorbed Heavenly Spirits did not appear.

The ship seemed to have gone through a fierce battle; faint cracks could be seen on the walls.

Just as the five were in shock and hesitation.

The cold voice of the Ascendant Venerable ship resounded again.

"Third battle with unknown civilization in the starry sea."

"Reserve energy has been depleted."

"After deduction, the likelihood of winning the next battle is zero."

"Executing backup plan..."

"Transmitting data..."

"Initiating self-destruct of the ship..."

The ship's announcement made the surviving five Dao Fusion experts turn pale.

"Not good!"

Lan Yu instinctively activated the martial arts field, enveloping the five inside again.

The other four also used their respective methods, assisting each other.

"Initiating... initiation..."

However, the astonishing thing happened again.

The voice of the Ascendant Venerable ship seemed to be disturbed, stuck in a loop, constantly repeating.

But there was no impending explosion.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Above the ship, a massive roar echoed once again.

In the rolling dust, a circular gap suddenly appeared. More than thirty unknown entities clad in peculiar armor rushed in through the gap.

They were well-trained; ten of them surrounded Lan Yu and the others.

The rest continued exploring inside the ship.

"Lan Yu, you have broad experience. Can you tell what's happening now?" Xu Guanhai asked through voice transmission.

Guan Xingxiu hesitated and said, "Unknown civilization in the starry sea?"

"Possibly. Let's not act impulsively; first, try to communicate."

After all, they were helpless against the Ascendant Venerable ship, which was easily conquered by this mysterious group. The strength of these people was evident.

It's better not to act if they can avoid it.

After a brief discussion, Lan Yu spoke out, "Fellow Daoists, we mean no harm..."

The response from the other side was swift, using the same language, "Cut the nonsense and stay quiet!"

"Liu Big Brother, I currently can't break through their protective magical treasure. Should we use the [Immortal Seal] again?"

"Not in a hurry, keeping them trapped is good enough. Let's drag this ship back first."

...

"Immortal Seal?"

Lan Yu and the others exchanged glances.

Time passed slowly in the eerie atmosphere.

The slight tremor of the Ascendant Venerable ship broke the deadlock.

"Phew... We can remove our protection now."

In a relieved tone, another group of people arrived at the Ascendant Venerable ship, taking charge of the situation.

The leader was a man with long hair, wearing a peculiar Daoist robe and a broken half-black jade hairpin on his head.

Although the man emitted an aura of Dao Fusion similar to Lan Yu and the others, there seemed to be another mysterious power mixed in.

This caused the five Dao Fusion experts from Xuan Huang Realm to involuntarily feel a faint sense of crisis, as if facing a terrifying calamity in the endless dark void.

"This fellow Daoist..."

Lan Yu and the others tried to communicate with the long-haired Dao Fusion expert.

However, the other party couldn't hear them at all, just muttering to himself, "As expected, Brother Zhao was right. We really captured a ship in that direction. It's something we haven't encountered in thousands of years."

"Keep an eye on them!"

Lan Yu and the others wanted to speak, but they saw the long-haired man glance at them casually.

In his pitch-black eyes, a character appeared mysteriously.

It appeared in the minds of Lan Yu and the others, turning into something like the universe, filled with everything they saw, felt, and heard.

They couldn't see, hear, or sense anything.

They were plunged into endless darkness.

However, from the outside, it seemed that the long-haired Dao Fusion expert only gave them a glance, and Lan Yu and the others seemed to be stunned.

Standing there, dazed.

The scene fell into silence, and after the long-haired Dao Fusion expert left, the people began to whisper.

"Elder Wang is getting stronger. Remember, these five are genuine Dao Fusion experts!"

"What nonsense Dao Fusion! If they don't understand the power of [Immortal Seal], what's the difference between them and us Golden Core or Nascent Soul cultivators? Just a bit stronger."

"True."

...

The long-haired Dao Fusion expert hurried back, and professionals naturally came to inspect the captured ship.

Although the crafting level of this ship was indeed remarkable, the crucial point was that they didn't sense any fluctuation of True Immortal Seal characters.

So, its true value was ordinary.

What the long-haired Dao Fusion expert cared about now was another matter.

The prediction from Elder Zhao of the Proof of Dao Academy, that this ship from the depths of the starry sea would arrive, turned out to be true...

How did he manage that?

Could it be that he secretly comprehended another power of True Immortal Seal characters?

Perplexed, the long-haired Dao Fusion expert subconsciously touched the broken black jade hairpin on his head.

"He, who has been silent for seven or eight years, is finally going to reveal himself?"

"First, within a day, advancing from Nascent Soul to Dao Fusion, completely breaking the understanding of the speed of cultivation on the Immortal Ship. Then, comprehending a brand new set of True Immortal Seal characters..."

The long-haired Dao Fusion expert mused as he hurriedly returned from the Immortal Ship docking port to the Disenchantment Tower.

In a secluded and dimly lit secret room, the long-haired Dao Fusion expert met Zhao Xian, who also had disheveled hair.

"Brother Zhao." The long-haired Dao Fusion expert's arrogance from before disappeared, speaking softly.

Zhao Xian paid no attention, closing his eyes, apparently contemplating something.

Occasionally, his fingers moved lightly in the air, chanting something.

Being ignored didn't make the long-haired Dao Fusion expert angry. Instead, he stared intently at Zhao Xian's fingers, silently pondering.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Xian finally spoke, "Has that ship been found?"

The long-haired Dao Fusion expert nodded.

"This Immortal Ship comes from the other end of the starry sea, from the former Xuan Huang Realm."

"The Xuan Huang Realm, like our Immortal Ship, has survived since the great calamity. However, they have retained quite a lot of resources..."

A hint of surprise flashed across the long-haired Dao Fusion expert's face.

Zhao Xian continued, "Unfortunately, the Xuan Huang Realm is too far from us, and it's too close to the Immortal Realm."

"Visiting the Immortal Ship is not cost-effective. Of course, how to proceed will be decided by the Elder Council."

Zhao Xian spoke, handing a light spot to the long-haired Dao Fusion expert.

After reviewing the information in the light spot, the long-haired Dao Fusion expert's breath involuntarily quickened.

"Brother Zhao, I wonder how you perceive all this?"

Before leaving, the long-haired Dao Fusion expert asked in a hushed voice.

Zhao Xian smiled slightly, "Although the starry sea is vast, in the eyes of true immortals, everything is visible at a glance. When you comprehended the True Immortal Seal characters, didn't various signs appear in your mind?"

Naturally, Wang Hai wouldn't deny it and nodded, "I see. Brother Zhao, your talent is truly extraordinary!"

Zhao Xian accepted this calmly and handed another light spot, saying, "This is my new insight. After you've seen it, submit it to the Elder Council."

Wang Hai, feeling like he had discovered a treasure, immediately cast aside the previous unpleasantness and eagerly began examining its contents.

"Wonderful, marvelous!"

Wang Hai became entranced, immersed and unable to extricate himself.

It wasn't until a long time passed that the half-black jade hairpin on his head trembled slightly, as if it would break free at any moment. That's when Wang Hai regained his senses.

"Brother Zhao, truly a great talent!" Wang Hai sincerely bowed this time and then left the place excitedly.

Zhao Xian, or Holy Embryo Li Fan, watched Wang Hai's departing figure, feeling the gradually uncontrollable distortion under the influence of the True Immortal Seal characters. A barely noticeable smile appeared on his face.

Due to the inconsistency in the flow of time, it had been nine years since Zhao Xian broke through the Nascent Soul stage and was accepted as a core disciple by the Proof of Dao Academy.

The real Zhao Xian, influenced by the illusion created by Holy Embryo Li Fan, always felt tense, worrying that the Immortal Ship might be destroyed in the future. Even with Li Fan's assistance, he was plagued by inner demons. Even the divine sense separated by Li Fan was about to be exhausted, and his situation hadn't improved.

Due to his frequent abnormalities, he was almost exposed by the three elders of the academy.

Li Fan faintly sensed that in the practice of the Dao, there was a difference between the Immortal Ship and the Xuan Huang Realm.

Cultivators on the Immortal Ship were easily influenced by inner demons, whether it was breaking through bottlenecks or cultivating on a daily basis.

These inner demons originated from the Dao of the starry sea and were directly imposed on the cultivators themselves.

Every time Li Fan intercepted one, the frequency of the appearance of inner demons increased.

As Zhao Xian's actual realm grew stronger, the power of these inner demons also increased.

So, Li Fan decided not to waste effort on him and directly used the [Dao Pill] technique learned on the Immortal Ship on Zhao Xian.

The fusion of divine senses took its place.

It cut off the possibility of inner demons appearing from the source.

Zhao Xian's innate talent could only be described as exceptional.

But what surprised Li Fan was that after swallowing the Dao Pill, he, inheriting Zhao Xian's body, also synchronously inherited the characteristics of the original inhabitants of the Immortal Ship.

Similarly, with cultivation, there would be disturbances from inner demons.

Compared to Zhao Xian, Li Fan, who had experienced many worldly affairs, had a strong and tenacious mind.

Ordinary inner demons couldn't shake him.

So, there were no obstacles to cultivation.

According to the plan, he lurked in the Proof of Dao Academy, greedily absorbing the technological accumulation of the Immortal Ship over thousands of years.

Later, he volunteered to represent the academy and came to this Disenchantment Tower.

Learning and probing, the methods of harmless use of True Immortal Seal characters mentioned by the Disenchantment Tower.

What the Disenchantment Tower said was not false.

They did possess marvelous methods of utilizing a portion of the True Immortal Seal character's power with the physical bodies of ordinary cultivators.

Like the Dao Fusion cultivator named Wang Hai, who subdued Lan Yu and the others with a single move.

The key lay in the half-black jade hairpin he wore.

This jade hairpin was a boundary-annihilating relic collected by the Immortal Ship in vast ruins. Over the years, it had been influenced by the True Immortal Seal characters, leaving traces of the corresponding [Dao].

Subjected to the continuous washing of stellar energy in the void, the black jade hairpin became a unique existence through the collision of two different True Immortal forces.

Over the years, the Proof of Dao Academy, controlled by the Immortal Ship Immortal Pivot Court, mastered the [Dao Entry] method. Although they also utilized these boundary-annihilating relics, capturing the residual power of True Immortal Seal characters, they selected artifacts influenced by only a single True Immortal force.

The deeper the Dao entry, the stronger the constraints of True Immortal Seal characters. Not only did the body undergo terrifying changes, but the mind also became affected, turning mad.

The Disenchantment Tower accidentally found relics with remnants of two different True Immortal Seal character forces. They chose one and used the reverberating stellar energy attached to it as an "anchor." When Dao entry became too deep, they could trace back the influence of stellar energy and break free from the Dao entry state.

Although their mastery of power was not as great as the Immortal Pivot Court's in the ultimate sense, the advantage was in safety, making it possible to be widely promoted among most cultivators.

Even cultivators in the Nascent Soul realm, with the assistance of special boundary-annihilating relics, could instantly trigger and release the power of True Immortal Seal characters after some training.

If they fought in the starry sea, with corresponding remnants of True Immortal Seal character forces in the environment, their power could only be described as terrifying. It far surpassed the limits of ordinary Dao Fusion cultivators on the Immortal Ship.

The introduction of this method allowed the Disenchantment Tower to surpass the Immortal Pivot Court and almost completely replace it as the nominal ruler of the Immortal Ship. However, considering extreme situations still required the use of the power of senior [Dao Entry] cultivators, the Immortal Pivot Court was retained.

Li Fan infiltrated the Disenchantment Tower and personally tried "Dao Entry" in the presence of an anchor point.

Having witnessed the full outbreak of True Immortal Seal characters, how could he be interested in such a clever method?

What concerned him here was the study of different True Immortal Seal characters. Immortal Ship cultivators could only reverse the power source of True Immortal Seal characters through boundary-annihilating relics, akin to blind men feeling an elephant, leading to diverse interpretations.

As an eyewitness, Li Fan could select the correct versions from a pile of speculations.

Characters like hunger, chaos, oblivion, etc., whether seen in the complete character appearance or not, were precious findings for Li Fan.

True Immortal Seal characters, despite different manifestations of power, all originated from the hand of the [Inscription Dao Immortal]. In a sense, they had commonalities.

After mastering four or five correct answers, Li Fan could more easily find versions closer to reality from the Disenchantment Tower's research.

This was also the fundamental reason why, after disguising himself as Zhao Xian, he could consistently submit so-called "insights."

In fact, True Immortal Seal characters, even in versions derived from power manifestations, could rival cultivators in terms of killing and divine abilities.

The destruction caused by Saint Embryo Li Fan's practice outside the Immortal Ship made him marvel.

Among the many documents in the Disenchantment Tower, what interested Li Fan the most was the speculative research on the classification of True Immortal Seal characters.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 1282: Secrets of the Hundred-Hearing Immortal 

In this life, Li Fan attempted to categorize the True Immortal Seal characters he had seen.

He approached it from the perspective of the specific abilities of various True Immortal Seal characters, such as destruction, command, enhancement, and so on.

However, within the Disenchantment Tower at the other end of the starry sea, they took a novel approach.

Namely: whether the "Dao" depicted by True Immortal Seal characters had already been occupied by a certain True Immortal, or, to put it differently, had been occupied by a True Immortal in the past.

According to descriptions in many documents within the Disenchantment Tower, the difficulty and danger of cultivating with these different True Immortal Seal characters were incomparable.

If a True Immortal had already claimed a certain Dao, anyone attempting to cultivate using those characters would vanish without a trace the moment they "attained the Dao," even if their strength and talent were exceptionally high.

If the Dao had no True Immortal, then even common people with some side effects could catch a glimpse of the grand scene depicted by the True Immortal Seal characters.

Li Fan carefully pondered, relying on his current "contributions," the scattered insights of predecessors he could read.

The method of using True Immortal Seal characters differed fundamentally from the imitation and attempt to depict them. The Disenchantment Tower and even the Immortal Ship did not so much call upon the power of True Immortal Seal characters as they used boundary-annihilating relics to trigger the residual force of Immortal energy.

The so-called Dao entry was not truly entering the path of True Immortality. It was more like the body, soul, and consciousness merging into the boundary-annihilating relics, gaining certain characteristics born from their tempering over time. This allowed them to better trigger the Immortal energy remaining in the starry sea.

Without a doubt, this was a method of taking advantage of opportunities. If the environment changed and there weren't so many remnants of Immortal energy in the starry sea, even if they could "enter the Dao," their power would be significantly weakened. However, Li Fan's use of the fundamental shape of True Immortal Seal characters, regardless of spatial constraints, depended solely on the practitioner's own strength and understanding of True Immortal Seal characters.

Of course, this was only Li Fan's current understanding after witnessing True Immortal Seal characters. Those on the Immortal Ship probably wouldn't agree. Unless Li Fan was willing to share the fundamental shape of True Immortal Seal characters. With the accumulated knowledge over thousands of years, if the true face of True Immortal Seal characters could be seen, the overall strength of the Immortal Ship would likely experience a qualitative leap in a short time.

However, Li Fan wouldn't be so foolish.

It was better to continue as he was now, occasionally submitting "insights" to exchange for easy and secure contributions. After all, it was about the true [True Immortal Seal characters], and even if the perspectives were strange, they were definitely correct.

"This is the essential difference that allows one to see true transmission. They use every means to reproduce the source from various aspects of True Immortal Seal characters. But I've had the privilege of seeing the true face of the source, and naturally, everything is smooth from top to bottom."

Although Li Fan firmly believed that the Immortal Ship's methods were just clever tricks, there was no denying that, for these ants beneath the True Immortals, if they could tap into the power originally belonging to True Immortals, it was completely worthwhile.

After all, survival was the top priority in the pitch-dark starry sea.

If there were no research results on True Immortal Seal characters, the Immortal Ship might have long become part of the endless ruins in the starry sea.

Li Fan's guidance for the Immortal Ship to capture the Wanxian Alliance flying ship was not only to accumulate some merits for his current body but also mainly to take advantage of the Wanxian Alliance, a group of Dao Fusion practitioners, to expose the existence of the Transmitter of Dao Scriptures.

After lurking in the Immortal Ship for such a long time, Li Fan finally figured out the identity of the mysterious cultivator he encountered when he first came to the Sea of Relics.

They were once members of the Immortal Ship, even some of the highest authorities on the Immortal Ship. However, a few hundred years ago, they were tempted by an outsider and secretly reached some cooperative agreement. They allowed this outsider to enter the highest secret of the Immortal Ship, the [Hundred-Hearing Immortal Record].

The outsider claimed to only borrow the ancient records preserved inside, but after entering, they never came out until the agreed-upon time. When the Immortal Ship people realized something was wrong and checked, they were horrified to find that many secret treasures in the [Hundred-Hearing Immortal Record] had disappeared without a trace.

Along with the outsider and the three Dao Fusion practitioners responsible for guarding, they all disappeared unnoticed.

The Immortal Ship shook, and those in power faced retribution, leading to a small-scale internal turmoil.

The final outcome was that a small number of people escaped from the Immortal Ship. However, these people were unwilling to give up on the Immortal Ship and, coupled with the vastness of the starry sea and no other places to go, they lurked in the Sea of Relics, hoping to counterattack and return to the Immortal Ship one day.

As for the Immortal Ship, although they never gave up on hunting down these people, it was not easy in the vast starry sea.

They could only let these people exist.

Up and down the Immortal Ship, they were always resentful of that mysterious outsider who caused this internal turmoil. Especially the lost treasures were a permanent pain in the hearts of the people on the Immortal Ship.

Unfortunately, the identity of this outsider was extremely mysterious, and perhaps only those Immortal Ship renegades might know.

Since that incident years ago, that person has not appeared again.

Although Li Fan is not sure if this outsider is really the Transmitter of Dao Scriptures, it doesn't prevent him from considering the "possibility" that they are the same person.

After all, in the current pitch-dark starry sea, with few living beings, who else near the high walls would be as mysterious and unpredictable as the Transmitter of Dao Scriptures and the Celestial Healer?

Li Fan believes that if the Immortal Ship learns about the distant part of the Sea of Relics, where the vast remnants of the Disenchantment Sea are hidden, and there is a powerful figure who is likely an ancient enemy, they will surely try to investigate the truth.

After all, it is an unchanging truth that one cannot sleep soundly when the enemy is by the bedside for thousands of years.

Li Fan can also use the opportunity to probe the truth about the Transmitter of Dao Scriptures and the Celestial Healer through the hands of the Immortal Ship.

He doesn't expect to make significant progress, but even obtaining a tiny bit of information would be beneficial. For Li Fan, it is just a casual push, with no cost at all.

"The ultimate victory might be built on these inconspicuous pieces of intelligence. The Immortal Ship and the Holy Emperor are pawns I use to test the waters."

Li Fan once again perused a document, thinking in this way.

As for the encounters of the Dao Fusion practitioners in the Immortal Alliance, it is not within his consideration. They are just expendable in the Xuanhuang Realm.

Unexpectedly, three days later, the long-haired Dao Fusion practitioner, Wang Hai, returned.

He also brought an interrogation record.

"Brother Zhao, take a look. The things that happened on this flying ship are quite exciting."

Li Fan scanned it and frowned slightly, "Is this flying ship so powerful? Dao Fusion cultivators are like food..."

Wang Hai nodded, "We also fought it three times before finally breaking through its defense. We also consumed quite a few relics."

"But it's finally not in vain. The resources carried by those Dao Fusion practitioners are all abundant. Not to mention the things stored in the flying ship called the **Soul of Heaven and Earth**..."

Li Fan raised his head slightly and pretended to be ignorant, "What exactly is this Soul of Heaven and Earth? The embodiment of the laws of the world?"

Wang Hai smiled, "If it were just that, I wouldn't be so excited and make a special trip to report it to you. Besides the power of the laws of the cultivation world, this so-called Soul of Heaven and Earth also contains a considerable part of the foundational power that constructs the world."

"If we compare the cultivation world to a house, then these Souls of Heaven and Earth can be seen as the main beams that build the house! And this is what our Xuanhuang Ship lacks! With the supplement of these 'fuels,' our Immortal Ship can run smoothly for another hundred years!"

From Wang Hai's tone, it was undoubtedly full of joy.

He continued to add, "Even the flying ship itself can be dismantled and used to enhance our Immortal Ship. The gains brought to our Immortal Ship by your foresight this time are absolutely comparable to dozens of relics!"

Li Fan continued to browse the documents with his head down, "I only care about specific rewards. By the way, what does the Elder Council in the Xuanhuang Realm say? Although the fat is a bit far away, it can still be a lifesaver."

Wang Hai shrugged, "You still don't understand the people of the Elder Council. Everything is justified with the 'overall situation' and 'future of the Immortal Ship.' Crossing the starry sea for such an expedition..."

"I think we will only do that on the day when our Immortal Ship is truly at the end of the road."

Li Fan nodded thoughtfully, "It's a pity that I foresaw that these Dao Fusion practitioners on the flying ship are already the top combat power in the Xuanhuang Realm. A bit stronger Longevity Realm is only a handful. If our Immortal Ship flies over, they will surely have no remaining power to resist..."

Wang Hai nodded in agreement, disdainfully saying, "They are just parasites attached to the surviving cultivation world. In my opinion, our Immortal Ship doesn't need the full strength; just three to five Dao Fusion cultivators can easily suppress the Xuanhuang Realm."

Wang Hai sighed again, somewhat regretful, "It's a pity that the Elder Council disagrees."

Li Fan did not respond, asking, "What are my rewards? Wouldn't it be a huge contribution, and the Elder Council remains silent?"

Only then did Wang Hai stop teasing and carefully took out a jade slip.

The moment the jade slip appeared, Li Fan's gaze focused.

He keenly noticed that the half-piece of jade hairpin on Wang Hai's head was trembling. The jade slip itself also emitted a fluctuation of True Immortal Seal characters.

"This is..."

Li Fan quickly reacted, "The jade slip itself is a boundary-annihilating relic?"

Wang Hai said proudly, "Yes, this is the third **Boundary-Annihilating Jade Slip** that our Immortal Ship has collected. Every time you observe it, the True Immortal power attached to it will be consumed, so it is exceptionally precious. The Elder Council has suffered a lot this time."

"What is recorded in this jade slip?"

"I also want to know, but unfortunately, I don't have the qualifications. You will know when you see it. Read it quickly. After you finish reading, I have to take it back." Wang Hai looked at the jade slip in Li Fan's hand with some

 envy and urged him. 

Li Fan then solemnly used his divine sense to enter it.

The Boundary-Annihilating Jade Slip is an extremely special type among the Boundary-Annihilating relics.

Different from ordinary treasures, although the Boundary-Annihilating Jade Slip itself does not touch the power of True Immortal Seal characters, the True Immortal power will penetrate into the content recorded on the jade slip over the years.

Inducing a certain "anomaly" to occur.

Or one could say, it's an elevation.

The content after elevation, like receiving guidance from a true immortal, undergoes a qualitative leap.

Even ordinary techniques become methods for transcending into immortality. Even simple articles, after being tainted by the power of true immortals, transform into entities capable of enlightenment.

In short, the Boundary-Annihilating Jade Slip is currently one of the rare ways to safely come into close contact with "True Immortals."

As divine consciousness enters the Boundary-Annihilating Jade Slip, the first thing that floods in is the original content of the jade slip.

It's an ordinary method of refining willpower. Judging by its rank, it doesn't go beyond Nascent Soul.

After quickly reading it, the perception of divine consciousness undergoes a sudden change.

The originally plain text, in an instant, comes to life, distorting, transforming into entirely new characters.

After a series of changes in position, an entirely new immortal technique suddenly appears on paper.

"Hmm?"

Li Fan's mind slightly shook, and he quickly read this new technique several times.

The familiar yet unfamiliar feeling gradually surged into his heart as his understanding deepened.

"Immortal Heart Mantra?"

"But it's not from the Xuanhuang Realm."

"And... there are subtle differences. After all, it's not directly deduced or personally transmitted by a true immortal but evolves autonomously from the jade slip. One could even say it's a weakened version of the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra." Li Fan sighed inwardly with regret.

Nevertheless, he still wore an excited and immersed expression on his face.

As the moving characters in his mind gradually faded and eventually disappeared completely, Li Fan reluctantly returned the Boundary-Annihilating Jade Slip. He also said, "Indeed, it's an immortal technique. With this method, I can safeguard myself from future disturbances by inner demons. Even the negative effects during comprehending the True Immortal Seal characters will be greatly reduced."

"Also, please convey my gratitude to the elders!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Hai subconsciously glanced at the Boundary-Annihilating Jade Slip in his hand. Then, he forcefully suppressed the urge to peek.

Not to mention the prohibition from the Elder Council, it's a taboo for the Immortal Ship to take without asking. Even for him, if he violated it, he would end up as a living specimen for studying immortal characters.

"I can achieve this harvest, thanks to Brother Wang's long-time assistance. This is my comprehension; please accept it." Seeing the expression of the other party, Li Fan closed his eyes slightly, focused, and suddenly engraved another jade slip. He handed it over.

Wang Hai, upon seeing this, was overjoyed. "Thank you, Brother Zhao! In the future, I won't hesitate to go through fire and water for you!"

After exchanging pleasantries, he directly took the jade slip and started reading.

Immersed in it, his brows danced with excitement.

After a while, when he snapped out of his comprehension, Wang Hai directly crushed the jade slip in front of Li Fan.

This is the rule of knowledge dissemination within the Immortal Ship.

Although there are no restrictions on dual cultivation, techniques, and various insights are still highly cherished resources.

Like this Boundary-Annihilating Jade Slip rewarded by the Elder Council, only Li Fan is qualified to observe it, and others cannot borrow it.

However, after Li Fan finished watching, there is no such restriction on imparting his insights to others.

But after all, it is secondhand, and its effectiveness is undoubtedly much weaker than experiencing it firsthand. Especially when it comes to the power of a true immortal, even if the text is faithfully transmitted, the profound changes in the force cannot be felt. Whether it's progress in cultivation or the subtlety of understanding, it is naturally much weaker.

Unless one is a talent favored by the heavens and can ignore this natural gap. Otherwise, those who inherit the technique second or third-hand will generally be weaker than the first inheritor.

Precisely because of adhering to this rule, after Wang Hai finished reading, he chose to destroy the jade slip right in front of Li Fan.

After leaving today, he would have the right to spread this technique again. However, since it passed through him, it would be considered the third transmission, further weakening its effect.

If someone interested in cultivating this technique wants to make further progress, they would have to follow the path of the technique's spread, go against the current, and pay a certain price to seek guidance from the previous inheritor. Whether they can obtain the true technique depends on how sincere they are.

Having been in the Xuan Immortal Ship for more than ten years, Li Fan is already well aware of its rules.

Seeing Wang Hai's gesture of leaving an additional jade slip as a gift, the two bid farewell reluctantly.

"Oh, by the way, among the five living Dao Fusion practitioners in the Xuanhuang Realm, one of them seems a bit peculiar. Therefore, the cautious Elder Council hasn't taken action against him yet. If you're interested, you might want to investigate." After leaving this ambiguous remark, Wang Hai left.

Li Fan couldn't help but contemplate.

According to the rules of the Immortal Ship, only when it involves the upper echelons of the Immortal Ship or the forces behind the other party will they be so tactful.

"Survivor..."

"Should be Lan Yu? After all, he is the ancient Dao Fusion, of no value to the Immortal Ship. But definitely not strange..."

"Tian Du, the Grand Magus?"

Li Fan had a train of thought, straightened his somewhat disheveled clothes, and headed towards the direction of the Elder Council of the Broken Immortal Tower.

The current Immortal Ship was established on a Void God Tree, and after gaining actual control of the Immortal Ship, the Broken Immortal Tower moved to the top of the Void God Tree.

Threads of green light, like branches and leaves, connected various buildings of the Broken Immortal Tower.

Walking in the void, without the need for self-flight, just a thought, one could manipulate the green light to travel to different locations.

Looking down, one could vaguely see the Proof Dao Academy, Star Forging Workshop, and the newly built Guilt Town beneath the giant divine tree.

It seemed as if each place was floating in the endless void, connected by the God Tree.

Previously, the giant person that Li Fan saw, pierced through the center of his body by the divine tree, had been completely drained. Now, in its place, was a giant rabbit.

This "Emperor Rabbit," with a white body and black ears, had a human face. Even though it was already dead, the expression on its face was one of compassion, as if it had witnessed an extremely heartbreaking scene before falling.

This "Emperor Rabbit," like the previous "Chase Dao" giant, was part of the Immortal Ship's "Hundred Heard Immortal Records" secret collection.

The secret collection gathered various materials, not only from the peak era of cultivation before the destruction of the starry seas but also many peculiar items collected by the Immortal Ship during its drifting in the dark starry seas for thousands of years.

Li Fan's gaze subtly drifted over the almost withered body of the Emperor Rabbit, but his thoughts drifted towards the Immortal Ship's secret collection.

If there was anything worth planning for on this Immortal Ship, it would probably be this "Hundred Heard Immortal Records."

"Perhaps, along with the other half, the trace of the Merchant Immortal Ship."

Li Fan suddenly thought like this.

As a part of the once Merchant Immortal Ship, even though the connection between the Xuan and Merchant factions had been lost for a long time, they could still occasionally sense each other's existence.

However, any information about the Merchant Immortal Ship is a top-level secret of the Xuan Immortal Ship. Even the Elder Council of the Broken Immortal Tower has only three members who have the qualifications to know.

Li Fan, lurking for more than ten years, has only accidentally overheard one or two sentences during a Elder Council meeting.

"I wonder how the situation with the Merchant Immortal Ship is. It's surprisingly classified at a higher level than the True Immortal Seal characters..."

While Li Fan was silently contemplating, he had already arrived at the top of the Void God Tree, where the Elder Council of the Broken Immortal Tower was located.

The first thing Li Fan did was naturally to visit his "teacher."

Within the Xuan Immortal Ship, there was a strong tradition of mentorship and factions.

Wang Hai had run errands for him several times, delivering messages, mainly because both Li Fan and Wang Hai were disciples under the third elder of the Broken Immortal Tower, Ai Tian Jue.

And Ai Tian Jue had an even closer relationship with Li Fan because Ai Tian Jue was also from the Proof Dao Academy.

However, to research new methods of Dao, Ai Tian Jue joined the Broken Immortal Tower after leaving the academy, keeping a low profile and rarely known.

It wasn't until they achieved results and the Broken Immortal Tower gained control of the Immortal Ship that Ai Tian Jue reappeared in public view.

"Greetings, teacher." Li Fan, with an expression as usual, paid his respects and then truthfully explained his insights into the recently obtained Boundary-Annihilating Jade Slip.

If a disciple has any gains, they must report and submit them to their teacher. This was naturally also a rule of the Immortal Ship.

After listening to Li Fan's narration, Ai Tian Jue nodded slightly, "I have also seen this jade slip. Your talent is indeed extraordinary; you've comprehended seven or eight points of its essence."

Li Fan respectfully saluted again and thanked his teacher for the praise.

"But don't overly rely on it," Ai Tian Jue's tone suddenly changed.

"You must know, the inner demon is a calamity, but also an opportunity. Even though you can use marvelous methods to cut down the inner demon, the inner demon is endless and will revive. Using the Immortal Heart Mantra to calm it down is ultimately falling into mediocrity."

"It's better to turn it into experience, which will be greatly beneficial to your cultivation..."

"Ai Tian Jue spoke slowly and unhurriedly.

While giving lessons to Li Fan, he continued to write something on a blank sheet of paper.

Being one of the top experts in the Broken Immortal Tower, his brief words carried insights that could inspire Li Fan.

Li Fan listened attentively, without attempting to pry into Ai Tian Jue's writing.

After Ai Tian Jue finished his teachings, he continued writing without pausing.

It wasn't until half a day later that he finally put down his brush.

"Take a look at these characters, how are they written?" Ai Tian Jue said to Li Fan.

Only then did Li Fan look up.

On the white paper was a "complete" True Immortal Seal character.

This was Li Fan's first reaction upon seeing it.

"Fall..."

Concentrating further, Li Fan's heart was filled with a somewhat lost feeling. "Unfortunately."

"It's not a complete True Immortal Seal character, just about eighty to ninety percent restored."

"But being able to comprehend this from a chaotic state is truly extraordinary..."

Li Fan thought to himself that he would certainly be unable to achieve this level on his own.

After contemplating for a moment, Li Fan expressed his insights into the character "Fall": "This 'fall' does not refer to the fall of the mind but the fundamental decline of all things. It is the descent from higher levels to lower levels."

"True immortals transform into cultivators, cultivators into ordinary people, and ordinary people into dust..."

Just one character, and Li Fan spent almost half a day explaining his insights, which were far from being comprehensive.

After Li Fan finished, Ai Tian Jue first pointed out several errors in Li Fan's words, then sighed lightly, "Understanding the characters of true immortality is like watching mountains and horses running."

"This 'fall' character was already restored to about sixty to seventy percent by the Immortal Ship a thousand years ago. After a thousand years, the progress has only increased slightly."

"The closer you get to the true essence of the Immortal Seal, the slower the progress. Even if it's just a slight difference from the true True Immortal Seal characters, the power is worlds apart."

"You can see the path ahead but cannot step on it. The Immortal Dao is truly difficult."

Hearing Ai Tian Jue's sigh, Li Fan felt somewhat strange.

This didn't sound like something his research-crazed teacher would say.

"Why would the teacher say this?" Li Fan asked immediately, not concealing his curiosity.

This led Ai Tian Jue to reveal the reason.

"That Xuanhuang Dao Fusion, Lan Yu, cultivates a genuine immortal technique."

"The 'Feather Transformation of Myriad Calamities'..."

"A longing for it!"

Ai Tian Jue sighed again.

Once these words were spoken, Li Fan was immediately shaken.

He knew how high his teacher's standards were. If he said it was a genuine immortal technique, then it must be an authentic immortal technique, comparable to the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra.

But...

"How is that possible?"

"Lan Yu?"

"Isn't he cultivating the 'Feather Transformation of Myriad Calamities'?"

In an instant, Li Fan's eyes narrowed slightly, and countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

His verbal response, however, was not slow, "If Lan Yu has fallen into our Immortal Ship's hands, does that mean this immortal technique is equivalent to belonging to our Immortal Ship?"

"Teacher, where is your regret in this?"

He pretended to be puzzled.

Ai Tian Jue smiled and shook his head, "In the Xuanhuang Realm, there is a rule prohibiting the simultaneous practice of certain techniques. Although the Immortal Ship is far from the Xuanhuang Realm and not subject to this restriction, Lan Yu's cultivated immortal technique still carries similar constraints."

"Practicing the 'Feather Transformation of Myriad Calamities' requires the 'Feather of Myriad Calamities' as a guide. Without this treasure, even if one's talent is astonishing, it's impossible to enter the path."

Li Fan was slightly stunned.

"The 'Feather of Myriad Calamities' has already fused with Lan Yu, and it's not something we can separate."

"So, even if the immortal technique is in front of us, we can only observe and not cultivate!"

Ai Tian Jue shook his head again, "This situation is similar to the only recorded immortal technique in our Xuan Immortal Ship's secret collection."

Li Fan also wore a pensive expression, "Not only techniques, but True Immortal Seals as well? Occupied by a True Immortal, others cannot cultivate..."

Ai Tian Jue waved his hand, collecting the writings on the table, his face expressing an inexplicable emotion, "So, when I suddenly felt a hint of something that day, maybe not comprehending these True Immortal Seals was a good thing."

"Otherwise, within the Immortal Ship, it would have been another round of bloodshed."

Li Fan fell into silence after hearing these words.

"But speaking of it, the rule in the Xuanhuang Realm that 'certain techniques cannot be practiced simultaneously' is quite interesting," Ai Tian Jue suddenly remarked.

Li Fan looked at his teacher.

He heard Ai Tian Jue mutter to himself, "This restriction should be unique to the Immortal Realm. It shouldn't be something that lower realm celestial laws can derive..."

(End of this chapter)