Lingyuan Immortal

Chapter 988 The True Immortal Abandons His Fate Through the Pearl of the Outer Realm
Beyond the floating clouds lies a vast, empty sky.

Time is chaotic here, with light and shadow intertwining and distorting, as if time itself is being stretched and compressed.

As far as the eye can see, there are only a few wisps of colorless smoke drifting aimlessly, outlining an empty silhouette in this silence.

Suddenly, two powerful auras, completely out of place in this deathly silence and nothingness, appeared abruptly from the deepest depths of chaos, like two startled rainbows, tearing through the air at an unbelievable speed.

Its momentum was so swift that in an instant, it had already descended upon the boundary wall of the Floating Cloud Realm.

The light and shadow receded, revealing two figures.

The man on the left is short and stout, with a round, smiling face. He wears a lavish brocade robe and has a bulging pouch hanging from his waist, looking exactly like a worldly, wealthy landowner who is known for his amiable and prosperous lifestyle.

He was toying with a seemingly ordinary piece of deadwood root in his hand, yet it contained subtle, flowing patterns. He turned it over and over, admiring it, making clicking noises as if he had struck gold.

"Hey, that little world, though remote and impoverished with pitifully thin spiritual energy, has somehow nurtured such a 'world-nurturing spiritual root'!"

"What's even better is that those bumpkins are blind to the true value of things, and they actually handed over such a rare treasure containing the very essence of a world. It's only right that we brothers benefit from it..."

The person on the right, however, presents a stark contrast to him.

He was tall and thin, with a cold and stern face, a hooked nose, thin lips, and a pair of sharp eyes that flashed with a piercing light as if they could see through illusions.

He wore a faded gray-blue Taoist robe, his aura was deep and restrained, yet it subtly revealed a sharpness that made people's hearts tremble.

This man, known as "Liexuzi," was the elder brother mentioned by the short, stout cultivator "Jinchan Sanren."

Lie Xuzi ignored Jin Chan Sanren's smugness, his sharp eyes fixed on the thick boundary wall of the Floating Cloud Realm ahead, his fingertips twitching slightly as if he were silently sensing something.

Seeing his solemn expression, Jin Chan Sanren reluctantly put the "Spiritual Root of the Realm" into his sleeve, rubbed his hands together as usual, and then tried to forcefully break through the boundary wall by channeling his magic power, just as he had done when entering other small realms in the past.

However, just as he activated his magic, he was interrupted by a deep shout from Lie Xuzi:

"Wait a minute!"

Lie Xuzi slowly shook his head, his voice like the clash of metal, and said calmly, "Do you know the details of this realm? You just want to barge in like this?"

The Golden Toad Hermit paused, his smile fading slightly. He said dismissively, "Brother, you're overthinking it. It's just a lower realm with meager spiritual energy. What extraordinary origin could it possibly have? Could it be the birthplace of an Immortal Venerable?"

Even so, he knew that his elder brother was always cautious and shrewd, and never spoke without reason. So he couldn't help but have a doubt in his heart, and asked, "But if you say that, elder brother, is there really something wrong with this world?"

Lie Xuzi let out a cold snort and explained, "This realm is called the Floating Cloud Realm. It may seem ordinary, but it is actually extraordinary."

"Over the past tens of thousands of years, the number of true immortals who have ascended to the upper realms from this world far exceeds that of their peers. These ascendants have either founded their own sects, held important positions in the Heavenly Court, or served under powerful figures in the Immortal Realm. Many of them are from the same hometown."

"Given this relationship, we should at least show some consideration and not act like we did in the last minor realm..."

Having no background in the previous small world, they really managed to plunder him quite thoroughly.

He paused, then added, "Moreover, there are many different True Immortal lineages in this realm. Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. If we act recklessly and offend one or two of them, the outcome of a fight on their home turf is unpredictable. Even if we win, it will be a losing proposition, and we'll only end up with a bad reputation!"

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, instantly calming Jin Chan Sanren's feverish mind.

His years of experience in the upper echelons of society taught him that background and connections are sometimes more important than ability itself.

It would be utterly foolish to offend a lower realm with a large population of ascended beings and the potential power behind them for the sake of some possible small benefit.

Thinking of this, the Golden Toad Hermit's face lost all its frivolity. He nodded and said in a deep voice, "What you say is absolutely right, elder brother. I was too careless. So... in your opinion, elder brother, how should we proceed?"

Seeing that he had taken it to heart, Lie Xuzi's expression softened slightly. With a gentle flick of his sleeve, a strange spiritual pearl, crystal clear and seemingly containing swirling nebulae, appeared in his palm.

The bead radiates a warm and mysterious glow, subtly resonating with some ineffable rule.

"Since it is inconvenient to go in and disturb them, then there is no need to go in."

Lie Xuzi lifted the Spirit Pearl, causing it to slowly float about an inch in front of the boundary wall of the Floating Cloud Realm. "With this 'Tracing the Origin and Determining the Fate Pearl' in hand, if that person is indeed as the clues suggest, having wandered into this realm, even if a True Immortal intervenes to conceal the secrets of heaven and change their appearance, as long as their fundamental nature remains unchanged, this pearl will surely be able to sense it!"

"You and I only need to cast spells from outside the boundary to find out a thing or two, saving us countless troubles."

Jin Chan Sanren's eyes lit up: "Brilliant! Brother, you've thought things through perfectly!"

The two said no more and held their breath in concentration.

Lie Xuzi made complex and profound hand seals and chanted incantations, sending beams of immortal light containing the power of rules into the "Source Tracing and Mechanism Fixing Pearl".

Then the spirit pearl hummed and shone brightly. The nebula inside began to spin rapidly. Invisible ripples spread like mercury, ignoring the barrier of the boundary and silently penetrating the vast world of the Floating Cloud Realm, carefully searching for a specific source of energy in the darkness.

Time slipped away in the silent exploration.

The light and shadow shifted in the void, it was hard to tell whether it was a fleeting moment or a long time.

The light of the spirit pearl flickered steadily, and the nebula inside swirled endlessly, but no unusual phenomena were ever observed.

The Golden Toad Hermit's tense nerves gradually relaxed, and a look of relief, "Just as I thought," appeared on his face. He was about to speak when he said, "It seems that..."

Before he finished speaking, a sudden change occurred!
The "Tracing the Origin and Fixing the Machine Bead," which had been rotating steadily, suddenly emitted a short, sharp buzzing sound without warning, and the entire bead vibrated violently at a high frequency.

At the same time, a tiny watermark suddenly appeared inside the originally clear and transparent bead.

The mark was profound and mysterious, as if it contained the most primordial water-based principles, yet it also carried an indescribable sense of loneliness and heaviness.

However, this fleeting watermark vanished without a trace in an instant.

The buzzing stopped, the trembling subsided, the light of the spirit pearl faded, and the nebula within returned to normal, as if the earth-shattering scene had never happened...

"this……!"

The relief on Jin Chan Sanren's face froze instantly, replaced by extreme astonishment and solemnity. He looked sharply at Lie Xuzi, his voice trembling slightly:

"Brother! What was that just now...?! Could it be... that we two brothers really stumbled upon incredible luck?!"

Lie Xuzi was also filled with doubt and surprise, his eyes sharp as knives as he stared intently at the spirit pearl that had returned to calm.

The fleeting watermark, imbued with a Daoist aura, closely matches the core characteristics of the target character described in the mission description.

But the speed at which it disappeared was inexplicably inconsistent; after all, if that person were truly in this realm, they would never vanish so quickly…

Don't jump to conclusions!

Lie Xuzi took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. He waved his sleeves again, channeling even more abundant immortal energy into the spirit pearl. He changed his incantation once more, restarting the detection. This time, he pushed it to its limit. The spirit pearl shone as brightly as a small sun, and its ripples were several times stronger than before.

However, no matter how he tried to activate it, the spirit pearl only shone brighter and showed no other unusual behavior.

Once, twice, three times... I tried repeatedly, but the result remained the same.

That fleeting glimpse of watermarks seemed to be merely a hallucination caused by the two people's excessive tension, or perhaps a misjudgment...

After a long while, Lie Xuzi slowly withdrew his immortal energy, and the light of the spirit pearl dimmed as it fell back into his palm.

He remained silent, his gaze fixed on the deep boundary of the Floating Cloud Realm with a complex expression.

The surprise and doubt on Jin Chan Sanren's face were gradually replaced by an indescribable emotion, a mixture of immense loss and a trace of... barely perceptible relief.

He chuckled dryly, breaking the silence: "Heh, it seems... it seems that in the end, you and I, brothers, are just too unlucky to encounter such a tremendous 'opportunity'..."

"It may not be due to a lack of good fortune."

Lie Xuzi spoke slowly, his voice low and solemn: "Perhaps... disaster is yet to come."

His gaze was profound, as if piercing through the barriers and seeing into a deeper vortex: "Don't forget, what kind of person is the lord who assigned you and me to search for this matter?"

"Even a dignified Golden Immortal, when assigning this task, was still so secretive and vague, even strictly forbidding anyone from revealing the slightest bit of it!"

"For a Golden Immortal to be so cautious, afraid to make a sound, and even unwilling to take action personally, only able to rely on us True Immortals to investigate in secret... what earth-shattering secret must be involved behind this? What terrifying existence or force is at play?"

Lie Xuzi's words struck Jin Chan Sanren's heart like a cold chisel: "Yes, if we truly find our target, the promised reward is enough to advance our cultivation paths further, perhaps even allowing us to glimpse the threshold of the Golden Immortal realm! The temptation is immense! But..."

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone chilling, "This immense wealth and honor, one must be alive to enjoy it."

"If we really discover something, or even just get close to that core secret, do you think the big shot behind it, or... the being hostile to this secret, would let us, the two 'insiders,' leave alive and become potential threats?"

Upon hearing this, Jin Chan Sanren felt a chill run down his spine. The ease on his face vanished completely, replaced by deep apprehension and lingering fear.

He was silent for a moment, his voice a little dry: "So... what you mean, Big Brother, is that even if, I mean even if, we encounter a situation similar to the strange movement of that spirit orb just now, we should... pretend we didn't see it? Or... simply not report it?"

Lie Xuzi fell silent, his gaze shifting back and forth between the Spirit Pearl and the Floating Cloud Realm, a rare look of struggle and confusion appearing on his face.

After a long while, he finally exhaled a long breath and slowly shook his head: "To be honest... at this moment, I don't know what the best course of action is."

"Is it better to seek fortune in danger, gambling on that slim chance of success? Or is it better to protect yourself and stay away from this bottomless vortex? One wrong step and you're doomed..."

"Well, it's too late to think about it anymore. Let's just take it one step at a time. At least for now, the Spirit Pearl is not reacting. As for this Floating Cloud Realm... let's just pretend it's normal."

Upon hearing this, Jin Chan Sanren nodded heavily. The disappointment he felt for "missing the opportunity" was now replaced by a strong sense of vigilance and relief at surviving.

Without another word, he chose the direction of the next target realm, and he and Lie Xuzi once again transformed into two streaks of light, silently merging into the vast, boundless, and dazzling depths of the void, disappearing in the blink of an eye...

At this very moment, Chen Mu was also in the Void Heaven, but he had no idea that he had silently walked through the gates of hell...

The interplay of light and shadow creates a chaotic and unpredictable flow of time.

The enormous silver light curtain, like a sturdy spirit boat navigating the turbulent currents of time and space, enveloped nearly twenty top True Monarchs of Xuandu, sailing steadily and swiftly through the vast void.

Beyond the light curtain lies a constantly shifting, bizarre spectacle, sometimes fleeting, sometimes expansive, sometimes deathly still outline of an unfamiliar realm, or vast swathes of absolute darkness that devours all light…

The scenery is magnificent and bizarre, yet it also exudes a chilling sense of loneliness and vastness.

At first, everyone was shocked by the unprecedented scenery of the void, some gazing into the distance, others concentrating on sensing it, their eyes filled with wonder.

However, no matter how novel and magnificent the scenery, it will eventually become monotonous and boring in the day-to-day, seemingly endless voyage.

In the Void Heaven, there is no rotation of the sun and moon, no changing of the seasons, and even the sense of spatial distance becomes blurred. The passage of time becomes extremely strange, sometimes it seems like only a moment has passed, and sometimes it seems like a hundred years have passed.

This sense of "uncertainty" is more likely to erode one's will than simply being in a long period of time.

Fortunately, the light barrier formed by the "Crossing the Void Star Plate" protected them from most of the dangers from the outside world, allowing everyone to relax without having to be on edge all the time.

Gradually, the atmosphere inside the light screen relaxed.

Someone found a corner, sat cross-legged, closed their eyes and concentrated, trying to maintain a clear mind amidst the chaotic sense of time and space.

Some people gathered in twos and threes, talking in hushed tones. The conversation gradually shifted from their initial observations and feelings to discussions on Taoist practices, cultivation experiences, and even speculation and preparations for the upcoming "Corridor of Myriad Phenomena".

Leaders such as Suijin, Dongyi, and Sixuanshuang often gathered to discuss possible collaborations and countermeasures.

Chen Mu was also among the crowd, spending most of his time sitting quietly and regulating his breathing, nurturing the Xuanhuang Yin-Yang Flag in his sleeve, making its spirituality more and more harmonious.

Occasionally, he would exchange a few words with Murong Xi and Fu Danian who were nearby...

……

It is unknown how much time has passed, but after everyone verified and calculated, it was probably around the time of the cycle of day and night in the Floating Cloud Realm, which is more than 330 days.

Just when the long journey was about to exhaust everyone's patience, and even conversations were becoming rare, change finally arrived.

On this day, Chen Mu was discussing the subtle changes of a certain water-based Taoist technique with Murong Xi in low voices when his heart suddenly skipped a beat without warning.

Not only him, but all the True Lords inside the light screen sensed the same thing at almost the same moment and looked up in unison.

The enormous light curtain dome, which had been emitting a soft silver glow, suddenly lit up.

Countless stalactite runes that were originally moving slowly accelerated instantly, becoming dazzling and bright, as if they had been injected with a vast amount of energy.

"We've arrived!" True Monarch Shattered Gold suddenly stood up, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible excitement and solemnity.

Dong Yi, Si Xuanshuang, and the others also instantly focused their attention, their eyes fixed intently on the most intense center point at the top of the light screen.

Without any human intervention, the light screen formed by the "Transcending Void Star Disc" seemed to have finally locked onto the final destination coordinates. After accumulating enough energy, it suddenly contracted inward.
The next moment, the silver light screen that enveloped everyone transformed into an extremely dazzling meteor, crashing headlong into a seemingly empty void ahead.

boom--!
Everyone felt their vision completely filled with endless, pure, and extreme silver light, and their five senses and six consciousnesses were stripped away in an instant.

As the blinding silver light receded like the tide, an unimaginably magnificent scene, like an ancient scroll slowly unfolding, suddenly burst into everyone's view...

……

(End of this chapter)