"Master," Sun Tianci asked, still reeling from the revelation, "does this… this Eternal Wall truly exist? It sounds too horrific to be true."
"The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has committed far more monstrous acts than you can imagine," Li Fan said, a chilling smile playing on his lips.
Li Fan had first learned of the Eternal Wall in his 114th life, when the Heavenly Profound Net had ensnared the Xuanhuang World. He had assumed it was a creation of that era's Alliance.
But in his 119th life, posing as Sun Xingwang, he had used the Three Disasters and Hundred Tribulations Divine Spirit Technique to create countless spirit demons within tens of thousands of cultivators. The Alliance's method of dealing with those afflicted cultivators was strikingly similar to the Eternal Wall. And from the information gleaned from Mo Rubin after he possessed Legacy Transmission, Li Fan knew that the Alliance had indeed imprisoned countless cultivators, using their power to maintain the stability of the Xuanhuang World.
And there wasn't just one Wall. There were many, scattered throughout the realm.
He transmitted a series of fragmented images to Sun Tianci, and the young prodigy gasped, his face paling at the horrifying scenes.
"Master… what should we do?" he asked, his voice trembling, his earlier doubts replaced by a steely resolve.
"Your execution of the Netherworld Technique is still too slow," Li Fan said, his tone brisk and businesslike. "Even if we successfully infiltrate the Wall, we won't have much time."
"You need to be… faster."
The Netherworld Technique, of course, was the technique Li Fan had imparted to Sun Tianci, allowing him to dissolve a cultivator's power and return it to the Xuanhuang World.
Li Fan's consciousness emerged from Sun Tianci's mind, taking on a hazy, indistinct form.
He looked towards the sky, his voice low, almost a whisper. "Twisting the threads of Heaven and Earth..."
As he chanted these words, something unsettling happened. A swirling vortex of energy materialized above him, a phenomenon that made Sun Tianci's skin crawl.
The familiar aura of a Heavenly Soul pulsed within the vortex.
As a hazy, humanoid figure began to emerge, Sun Tianci's suspicions were confirmed.
"He can summon a Heavenly Soul with a mere word?" he thought, his mind reeling. "Master… who are you, really…?"
His musings were interrupted by Li Fan's sharp voice. "What are you waiting for? Do you intend to just stand there and watch it fully manifest?"
Sun Tianci snapped out of his daze. He focused his will, directing the Netherworld Technique towards the nascent Heavenly Soul within the vortex.
The summoning process faltered, the partially formed figure dissolving back into the swirling energy as if caught in a sudden gust of wind.
Sun Tianci didn't feel his connection to the Xuanhuang World's Heavenly Dao deepen. The Heavenly Soul, after all, still belonged to the world itself. It hadn't been claimed by a cultivator.
And since the summoning had been interrupted before completion, the Heavenly Dao's reaction was minimal, almost nonexistent.
Li Fan, his eyes narrowed, repeated the chant, summoning another Heavenly Soul.
Sun Tianci reacted instantly, dispelling the nascent figure before it could fully manifest.
They repeated this process over a hundred times, pushing the boundaries of what the Heavenly Dao would tolerate, testing its limits.
Sun Tianci, his face pale, wiped the sweat from his brow. Dissolving even partially formed Heavenly Souls, over and over again, was taking its toll.
"Let's move to another location," Li Fan said, his voice cold and impersonal.
Since his victory against the Martial Child, a display of power that had silenced even his most critical clan members, Sun Tianci had been granted more freedom, despite his young age.
Sun Luyuan, however, had stressed the importance of caution, showering him with protective talismans and artifacts.
Their training continued for fifteen days, their journey taking them to all corners of the Alliance's territory. They spent almost every moment honing Sun Tianci's mastery of the Netherworld Technique, dissolving nascent Heavenly Souls, pushing his limits, pushing the boundaries of what was possible.
Sun Tianci's progress was remarkable.
He could now dissolve multiple partially formed Heavenly Souls simultaneously, his movements fluid, his technique flawless.
"That's enough," Li Fan said, finally satisfied with his disciple's progress.
He noticed Sun Tianci's gaze drifting towards the surrounding landscape, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.
"Master… ten days ago, when we were here… the concentration of spiritual energy… it was lower, wasn't it?" Sun Tianci asked, his voice laced with uncertainty.
Li Fan chuckled. "The flow of spiritual energy ebbs and flows, like the tides. It's perfectly normal. Did you expect the world outside your sheltered cultivation chamber to remain static?"
Sun Tianci nodded, accepting his master's explanation. But the doubt in his eyes lingered.
"Sharp," Li Fan mused. "Very sharp."
He, too, had sensed the change, the subtle shift in the surrounding spiritual energy. He even detected a familiar aura within it.
"Dao One. The Sacred Emperor's handiwork. The Five Elements Great Grotto-Heavens… he's returned them to the Xuanhuang World. Creating a battlefield advantageous to his troops, I presume. Perhaps he intends to use that tainted spiritual energy as a weapon…"
The Sacred Emperor's methods were, after all, based on Li Fan's own experiences in previous lives. It didn't take much to deduce his intentions.
But he didn't reveal his knowledge. He remained silent, observing.
He returned to Sun Tianci's mind, their journey continuing. Their destination – one of the hidden entrances to the Eternal Wall.
…
Within the Tongyan Region, nestled amidst a ring of mountains, hidden within a seemingly ordinary cave, Sun Tianci paused, his gaze fixed on the entrance.
"This place…" he murmured, a sense of unease settling over him. "Had you not guided me, Master, I would have overlooked it. I wouldn't have even considered entering…"
"This is what they call a 'hidden blessed land,' accessible only to those with the proper karmic connection," Li Fan explained. "A unique phenomenon of the Xuanhuang World, requiring no formations to conceal its presence, its existence hidden from those without the proper… resonance. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has many such hidden realms, most of which have been claimed by Legacy Transmission's followers as their personal cultivation caves."
Li Fan recalled the hidden realm he had encountered in his 119th life, the one where he had met Mo Rubin after infiltrating the Alliance headquarters.
It had been almost identical to this one.
"Due to the unique nature of these places, the guards are usually lax, complacent. But we must still proceed with caution." Li Fan enveloped Sun Tianci in a series of protective formations, and together, they entered the cave.
They navigated a narrow, descending passage, finally arriving at a small opening, barely wide enough for a single person to pass through.
It was pitch black, a seemingly bottomless pit leading into the depths of the earth.
"Don't use your divine sense," Li Fan warned. "It will trigger an alarm."
He had already identified the hidden mechanism, the subtle flow of energy that protected this entrance.
They jumped into the pit, plummeting downwards at breakneck speed.
After what felt like an eternity, as if they had traveled to the very core of the Xuanhuang World, the narrow passage opened up.
They navigated a series of twisting tunnels, finally arriving at a vast, cavernous chamber, shaped like an inverted cone.
The walls of the chamber were covered in square alcoves, each one containing an amber-colored crystal.
And within each crystal, a cultivator lay sleeping.
Alliance guards patrolled the area, their movements slow, their expressions bored. Sun Tianci, unable to use his divine sense without risking detection, estimated that there were at least one hundred thousand cultivators imprisoned within this chamber.
Their faces were serene, almost… peaceful. They seemed oblivious to their fate, trapped in an eternal slumber.
"And this is only one part of the Eternal Wall…" Sun Tianci thought, his blood running cold, his fists clenching.
"Go," Li Fan said, sensing his disciple's growing anger. "It's your turn."
He transmitted the method to unlock the formations imprisoning the cultivators.
"Master," Sun Tianci asked, his voice low and urgent, "what would happen if… if we woke them all?"
"I advise against it," Li Fan said coldly. "The Alliance wouldn't have done this without taking precautions. You wouldn't be able to wake them fast enough. They have methods… ways to extract and preserve a cultivator's Dao Foundation."
Sun Tianci's eyes flickered, and he reluctantly abandoned the idea.
He moved swiftly, silently, his form a blur as he navigated through the chamber, avoiding the patrolling guards, stopping briefly at each crystal. He unleashed the Netherworld Technique, a gentle breeze stirring around him, dissolving the Dao Foundations of the slumbering cultivators, freeing them from their eternal prison.
"Without their cultivation base… they won't last long, even in their sleep. I… I'm essentially killing them…" Sun Tianci's hand trembled as he continued his grim task.
"Killing them? Or freeing them?" Li Fan's voice was gentle, reassuring. "Look at them, Sun Tianci. Trapped in an eternal nightmare. If they were aware, if they could feel their imprisonment… they would beg you to end their suffering."
His words, his gentle guidance, steadied Sun Tianci's resolve.
For over five years, Li Fan had been molding Sun Tianci, shaping him into the ideal Grand Celestial Venerable - compassionate, but not naive. Decisive. Ruthless when necessary.
He gathered the power he had extracted, the essence of the Xuanhuang World's Heavenly Dao, condensing it into a single, brilliant pearl of light.
When they had freed approximately one-fifth of the imprisoned cultivators, Li Fan spoke again. "That's enough. Any more, and I won't be able to conceal the energy fluctuations."
Sun Tianci glanced at the remaining crystals, a flicker of regret in his eyes.
But he obeyed his master, making his way towards the exit, his movements swift and silent.
"Master," he asked as they neared the top of the chamber, sensing Li Fan's lingering gaze, "is something amiss?"
"It's nothing," Li Fan said after a moment of silence. "Just go."
Sun Tianci didn't press the matter, hurrying towards the exit. Once they were out of the chamber, out of that horrific prison, he crushed the pearl of light in his hand.
A kaleidoscope of images exploded outwards – visions of Grotto-Heavens, of shifting landscapes, of the raw, untamed power of the Xuanhuang World.
The sky above churned, dark clouds gathering, a grinding sound, like massive millstones colliding, echoing from the heavens.
A tremor, subtle yet undeniable, shook the Xuanhuang World.
"They'll be here soon. Let's go."
Sun Tianci didn't need to be told twice. The moment he released the pearl's power, he had already turned and fled.
He was reveling in the sudden surge of the Xuanhuang World's favor, his connection to the Heavenly Dao deepening.
Li Fan, having ensured they weren't being followed, allowed his mind to drift back to the chamber, to the faces he had seen within those crystals.
He didn't know their names, but he recognized them.
Not from the Alliance… but from…
The Council of Five Elders' territory.
Within the Law Derivation Jade's chamber, within his true body's mindscape, the light within the Dao Transformation Stone flickered as he accessed his memories.
In his 119th life, after using the Chosen to unleash the power trapped within the Legacy Transmission statues and thus weakening the Five Eternal Celestial Venerables, the Alliance had launched a full-scale assault against the Council of Five Elders.
Driven to the brink of defeat, the Council had unveiled their hidden weapon.
Ancient sects, long thought extinct, had reappeared. And cultivators from a place called the Land of Blissful Ignorance had emerged, wielding strange and powerful artifacts, fighting with a ferocity that had surprised even the Alliance's most seasoned warriors.
Li Fan compared the faces from that battle to the ones he had seen within the crystals.
They were a perfect match.
"Interesting…" he mused, his gaze turning towards the location of the Land of Blissful Ignorance.
"It seems that realm isn't solely occupied by the Council of Five Elders. I wonder… were those imprisoned cultivators placed there as part of an agreement between the Alliance and the Council? Or did the Blissful Ignorance Celestial Venerable capture them himself?"
"If it's the latter… then he's far more powerful than I anticipated."
The image of the Blissful Ignorance Celestial Venerable, his childlike form, surfaced in Li Fan's mind.
He recalled his 119th life, the encounter with Legacy Transmission's follower, Zhou, during his trial.
The illusion Zhou had created, a modern cityscape bathed in the neon glow of a rainy night… he had claimed it was a memory from a visit to the Land of Blissful Ignorance. A perfect replica.
"Perhaps there is a collaboration between the Alliance and the Land of Blissful Ignorance."
"The Land of Blissful Ignorance might not be entirely aligned with the Council of Five Elders. They only intervene when the Council is facing imminent destruction."
"A world of dreams…" A sudden thought struck him. "I wonder… if those cultivators perish in the real world… do they also cease to exist within that dream realm? And if the Xuanhuang World were to be destroyed… would the Land of Blissful Ignorance still exist?"
…
While Li Fan pondered these questions, Sun Tianci, having absorbed the power he had gathered, returned to the Sun Clan's estate.
With Li Fan's guidance, he had accumulated the favor of the Xuanhuang World's Heavenly Dao faster than anyone in history.
Even faster than the Sacred Emperor.
But perhaps because there was already a Sacred Emperor, a being chosen by fate, directly connected to the Heavenly Dao's consciousness, Sun Tianci, despite the world's favor, couldn't communicate with it directly.
He could, however, feel its presence, its support.
He tested his newfound power, unleashing a simple technique. Amplified by the world's favor, its power was significantly greater than before.
But a sense of frustration lingered.
"It is enough," Li Fan's voice echoed in his mind. "More than enough."
Then, to Sun Tianci's surprise, his master, whose true appearance had always been hidden, materialized before him.
Sun Tianci stared, momentarily stunned.
He hadn't expected his master to be… so beautiful.
Dressed in flowing white robes, his features perfect, ethereal, his eyes radiating compassion…
Sun Tianci was captivated.
"Come with me."
They descended into the depths of the Sun Clan's estate, to a hidden chamber Sun Tianci had prepared in advance.
Li Fan instructed his disciple to retrieve four objects.
A simple linen robe.
A stalk of ripe grain.
A miniature model of a house.
And a small, intricately carved donkey cart.
He placed these objects at the four corners of the chamber, then turned to Sun Tianci, his expression gentle, almost… fatherly.
"Begin. Remember the stories I told you. From the day you were born."
Understanding dawned in Sun Tianci's eyes. "Yes, Master. I won't disappoint you."
Li Fan smiled, his form shifting back into its hazy, indistinct state as he retreated beyond the confines of the chamber.
Sun Tianci took a deep breath and began the ritual.
He took his first step, facing the donkey cart, and whispered, "Blessings upon the Profound Yellow Immortal Venerable."
He turned towards the model house, his voice filled with reverence. "Blessings upon the Profound Yellow Celestial Lord."
Facing the stalk of grain, he held his breath and murmured, "Blessings upon the Profound Yellow Celestial Emperor."
Finally, his gaze fixed on the linen robe, he whispered, "Blessings upon the Profound Yellow Celestial Venerable."
This was the reverse of the ritual used to enter the Fallen Immortal Realm, a hidden path, a secret known only to a select few. It was the path to inheriting the mantle of the Grand Celestial Venerable.
The moment the ritual was complete, a powerful consciousness descended from the heavens, locking onto Sun Tianci.
He closed his eyes, his body still, his mind seemingly adrift as he sat at the center of the four objects.
The objects – representations of food, clothing, shelter, and transportation – flickered, their forms blurring the line between reality and illusion.
…
"The remnants of a True Immortal's consciousness…" Li Fan mused, observing the ritual from afar. "No matter how many times I witness this, it never ceases to amaze me."
During the brief time he had assumed Master Bai's appearance to deceive Sun Tianci, even through the layers of protective formations, he had felt the subtle stirring of the Xuanhuang World's Heavenly Dao, its attention drawn to him.
Fortunately, he had reverted back to his usual form before it could pinpoint his location. Otherwise, he might have found himself facing another "unwilling ascension."
"Such a strong connection… even the Sacred Emperor doesn't possess such a close bond."
"The power of the Grand Celestial Venerable…"
"Let's see if this boy is worthy."
He observed Sun Tianci, his eyes narrowed, his mind racing.
Within the Fallen Immortal Realm, time flowed differently. Or perhaps… it didn't flow at all.
Even knowing the correct path, even taking every shortcut, it had taken him nearly six months to complete the trials in his previous life.
He hadn't given Sun Tianci the answers.
He couldn't risk triggering any "anti-cheating" measures that might be in place.
Instead, he had woven the solutions into the stories he had told Sun Tianci since his birth, planting the seeds of knowledge deep within his subconscious.
With Sun Tianci's talent, even without direct guidance, he should be able to overcome the trials. It might take him longer, but he would succeed.
"Just in time for the war between the Sacred Dynasty and the Alliance," he mused.
As for the possibility of Sun Tianci losing control…
Li Fan's gaze turned towards the faint, almost imperceptible flicker of energy within his own core, a fragment of a soul, carefully nurtured, meticulously reshaped.
The remnants of Sun Tianci's mother.
After years of careful manipulation, her resentment had been suppressed, replaced by a manufactured maternal affection.
"Born into Dao Integration… by sacrificing his own mother's life. That… is his greatest weakness."
"Soon… I'll see for myself what kind of Grand Celestial Venerable he will become."
As the light from the ritual pulsed and flickered, Li Fan's form shimmered, a phantom lurking in the shadows, watching, waiting.
…
The Great Qi Sacred Dynasty. Ling Region. Duyang County. Xixi Village.
The impending war cast a long shadow, even over this quiet, peaceful village.
Most of the able-bodied men had joined the Sacred Army, preparing for the upcoming campaign.
Those who remained – the elderly, the women, the children – tended to the fields, their days filled with worry and prayer. They visited the Palace of Hearts daily, offering their prayers for the safety of their loved ones, and for the Sacred Emperor.
A woman in her forties, her face etched with worry lines, returned from the Palace of Hearts, only to find a young man standing before her house.
A strange sense of familiarity washed over her, but it was quickly replaced by a prickle of unease. She hesitated, unsure how to address him.
"Excuse me…"
"Madam," the young man spoke, his voice gentle, his tone polite, "have we… met before?"
His question was odd, and the woman frowned, her confusion growing.
But his kind eyes and gentle smile put her at ease.
"Young man," she said slowly, "are you… looking for someone?"
"You… you remind me of my younger brother-in-law. He left home years ago, and we haven't seen him since." A tear glistened in her eye as she spoke.
The young man nodded.
"Are there any other… relatives?" he asked.
"My husband passed away many years ago. It was just me and him," she said, a wry smile touching her lips. "I was more of a mother to him than an aunt, really."
"But I've come to terms with it. As they say, 'Let the past be past.' I've adopted two orphans, a boy and a girl. They are good children. The Li family line will continue."
"But… with this war looming… they both insisted on joining the army. I… I worry about them. Why must there be war?" Her voice trailed off, her worry evident.
She realized she had spoken out of turn, her words tinged with criticism of the Sacred Dynasty. She quickly fell silent, fearing she had offended this stranger.
Seeing that the young man's expression remained unchanged, she relaxed slightly.
"Don't worry," he reassured her, his voice kind. "They'll come home safe."
The woman smiled. "I hope you're right, young man. Have you eaten? Why don't you join me for a meal?"
"You're not in uniform. You're not a cultivator, are you? You must still need to eat."
"Forgive me," she added quickly. "Seeing you… it reminded me of my brother-in-law…"
The young man nodded, accepting her offer.
He shared a quiet meal with her, then excused himself.
The woman, though she hadn't eaten anything herself, felt strangely full, a comforting warmth spreading through her body.
She glanced at her reflection in a nearby mirror and gasped. The wrinkles on her face… they were gone.
She finally understood. She had encountered… someone special. A being beyond her comprehension.
But she couldn't place him. He was a stranger, yet… familiar.
Had their appearances not been so different, she would have sworn it was her brother-in-law, returned after all these years.
"Fan'er… are you truly gone?" she whispered, lost in thought.
…
The young man continued his journey, visiting several other locations within the Great Qi Sacred Dynasty, including the foot of Mount Jielidie.
He finally ascended the mountain, stopping at a small, humble hut near its peak.
The young man, of course, was the Sacred Emperor.
Ever since his enlightenment in the Star Sea, ever since his face had materialized, a nagging question had lingered in his mind.
But for reasons he couldn't quite explain, he had avoided seeking the answer.
Until now. With the war looming, he had decided to face the truth.
The faces of his people were an open book to him. It wasn't difficult to trace his lineage, to find those who shared his blood.
But the connections were… tangled. Complex. Not a single, clear line.
It made him wonder if he had made a mistake.
But the feeling… the resonance he felt when he encountered those who shared his blood… it couldn't be denied.
His journey to the peak of Mount Jielidie confirmed his suspicions.
But the truth remained elusive, shrouded in mystery.
"An ancestor? Or… that missing person?"
"He disappeared… the very day I gained consciousness."
"Possession? Or… an awakening?"
…
His thoughts, usually so clear, so focused, were a chaotic jumble.
He was startled by a sudden movement on his shoulder.
Mao Bao, his feline companion, had woken up, nuzzling against his cheek.
He stepped out of the hut, his gaze sweeping over the sea of clouds below.
The clouds shifted and swirled, their forms ever-changing, yet fleeting, ephemeral.
A sense of calm settled over him.
"Regardless of my origins… I am who I am."
"An avatar of the Heavenly Dao. The Sacred Emperor of Great Qi."
"When the real is made to appear fake…"
"…The fake becomes real."
His eyes were clear, his gaze steady.
The aura surrounding him pulsed, resonating with the Heavenly Dao of the Great Qi World.
"Meow." Mao Bao purred contentedly, curling up and falling back asleep.
"My purpose does not change. Regardless of my origins."
His simple white robes transformed into a magnificent robe of starlight, its surface shimmering with celestial energy.
His form expanded, growing to a towering ten feet.
He stepped off the mountain peak, his foot landing on empty air.
Then he vanished.
…
He reappeared on his throne, his brief moment of uncertainty gone. He was the Sacred Emperor of Great Qi.
His duty was to his people. To the future of the Xuanhuang World.
As he pondered his next move, a sudden surge of energy, a flicker of thought, reached him.
The will of the Xuanhuang World's Heavenly Dao.
It was… urgent. And… confused.
(End of Chapter)