"I never lie!" Li Fan declared, his expression a mask of disdain and arrogance. "Besides… there's no need for exaggeration."
The simmering agitation among the Ark's elders instantly dissipated as they debated the credibility of his words.
Nangong Lie scoffed. "A single True Immortal Script character worth more than all the others combined? I don't believe such nonsense."
Gan Jingda cautioned, "Better to be safe than sorry. This person's civilization's understanding of the True Immortal Script is no less than ours… If they've truly stumbled upon something remarkable, acting rashly might cause us to miss out entirely."
Lu Yuzhi added, "Indeed, capturing someone wielding the True Immortal Script is incredibly difficult. We can only strike swiftly and kill him. Therefore, we should extract as much knowledge as possible from him beforehand."
"Regardless, this individual knows too many of the Ark's secrets. We cannot allow him to leave." This was a consensus among the elders. No one objected when Zhong Daogong voiced it.
Then, Ai Tianjue transmitted a message, "How about this…"
After a brief discussion, they reached an agreement. Jian Daosheng spoke, "Since you're so confident, fellow Daoist, you've piqued our interest. A character worth more than a dozen others combined… If it's truly as you say, we're willing to pay any price to see it."
The other elders nodded in agreement.
"I wonder what you can offer. Ordinary True Immortal Script characters aren't enough," Li Fan pressed, his tone audacious.
Jian Daosheng smiled faintly. "Rest assured, fellow Daoist. Our world possesses the ancient 'Records of a Hundred Hearsay Immortals.' It contains records of special products and treasures from shattered cultivation worlds across this region of the Star Sea. If your claim is true, besides showing you the original True Immortal Script character, we will also allow you to choose three treasures from the Records."
Li Fan seemed unimpressed, muttering, "Records of a Hundred Hearsay Immortals… Records of a Hundred Hearsay Immortals… I've heard that name somewhere before."
The elders were taken aback.
Suddenly, Li Fan exclaimed, "The Profound Merchant Ark?!"
His words were like a thunderclap to the elders. Their auras shifted, and they became wary.
Sensing the change in atmosphere, Zhong Daogong subtly signaled the others to prepare for action. Maintaining a forced smile, he asked, "What do you mean by that, fellow Daoist?"
Li Fan bowed. "In ancient times, the Profound Merchant Ark traversed myriad worlds. Who hasn't heard of its fame? I thought it had vanished along with the Star Sea, but unexpectedly, it still exists after ten thousand years! If my teachers knew, they would be ecstatic. I must inform them immediately…"
Li Fan's words made Zhong Daogong's eyelid twitch. He quickly interrupted, changing the subject. "You flatter us, fellow Daoist. Since you've recognized us, we won't hide our identity any longer. We are indeed descendants of the Profound Merchant Ark. However, much has happened in the past ten thousand years. Although we survived the calamity, the Profound Merchant Ark split into two. We are one of them."
Looking at the slightly surprised Li Fan, Zhong Daogong raised an eyebrow. "However, there's something I don't understand. Even within our Ark, the Records of a Hundred Hearsay Immortals is a highly classified secret. How did you, an outsider, learn of its existence?"
Having learned the Ark's identity, Li Fan's attitude became more amicable. He explained, "To be honest, my homeland, Great Qi, has a deep connection with the Profound Merchant Ark. It was thanks to an immortal artifact we traded from the Ark that we survived the Great Calamity. Even now, that artifact continues to protect us. Therefore, Great Qi holds a deep gratitude towards the Ark…"
The elders were dumbfounded.
Gan Jingda asked, "Old Zhong, is this true?"
Zhong Daogong frowned, searching his memories of the Ark's records.
"In ancient times, the Ark did conduct several trades involving immortal artifacts. However, following protocol and customer requests, all related records were destroyed after the transactions. There should be backups in the central core of the Profound Merchant Ark, but after the internal conflict… that information should be with the Merchant Ark now," Jian Daosheng, the head of the Celestial Axis Institute, said.
"Only a handful of factions knew about the Profound Merchant Ark selling immortal artifacts. Since he mentioned it, it must be true…" Nangong Lie said slowly.
"Proficient in the True Immortal Script, and protected by an immortal artifact…"
The image of a powerful, ancient cultivation civilization, Great Qi, surfaced in the elders' minds.
Then, Li Fan gave them another surprise.
"Since you're from the Ark, things are much simpler. The Ark has always been known for its honesty in business. I trust you! I was initially hesitant to reveal my treasure, as this True Immortal Script character is incredibly valuable, obtained from the memories preserved within a relic…"
Every word from Li Fan captivated the elders.
"Now, look closely!" Li Fan's voice suddenly rose.
The illusion of pavilions, bridges, and flowing streams vanished, replaced by a boundless grassland. A lone rock stood in the middle. Suddenly, the ground trembled.
The grass, as if stimulated, began to grow wildly, reaching over a man's height in moments, even lifting the lone rock from the ground.
A rainbow arc of light appeared in the sky, flashing with lightning and swirling storms. Invisible figures gathered around the arc, as if waiting for something.
A bolt of black lightning struck the ground from the arc.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The world split in two, leaving a deep, unhealing fissure in space. The grass on the grassland ignited, and a raging fire spread rapidly. The grassland trembled, and something seemed to be awakening beneath the flames.
High above, the invisible figures around the arc of light drew closer, even clashing with each other for position. Booming sounds and the clang of collisions echoed.
The brewing storm reached its peak, then abruptly stilled. The dark clouds vanished instantly.
Within the rainbow arc of light, under a clear blue sky, a profoundly mysterious character appeared!
…
The scene abruptly ended.
The elders, who had been completely engrossed, snapped back to reality, their eyes wide as they turned to Li Fan.
"What happened next?!" Jian Daosheng shouted impatiently, forgetting his decorum. The head of the Celestial Axis Institute had glimpsed a fraction of the True Immortal Script character within the arc of light. Even though the scene was cut short, he was certain that the power of that character far surpassed any he had ever seen!
This cultivator from Great Qi wasn't lying!
"How much did you see?!" Jian Daosheng asked, his voice almost a roar.
"Too fast! He cut it off too quickly! How can one possibly grasp such a powerful True Immortal Script character in an instant?!"
"There's no mistaking it. This feeling… this trembling of the soul… it's even stronger than the first time I saw the True Immortal Script. Its power far exceeds any single character!"
"That scene… were those True Immortals of the Immortal Realm fighting over the character within the light? Even immortals are vying for it… Unimaginable!"
"We must obtain it, at any cost!"
While maintaining calm exteriors, the elders were in an uproar. Having witnessed the mysterious character within the light, they no longer doubted Li Fan's words. They instantly reached a consensus: they must acquire this True Immortal Script character!
While the elders were consumed by impatience, Li Fan seemed oblivious. He said solemnly, "There's something I must clarify beforehand. The scene I just showed you comes from the memories of an ancient relic, originally hidden deep within its imprints, undetectable until recently. After ten thousand years of research and development, Great Qi finally unearthed it. However, the relic was newly formed at that time, its power weak, unable to perfectly record the True Immortal Script character. Therefore, what we've recovered is merely a flawed copy…"
The elders, all experts in the True Immortal Script, understood his meaning. Instead of being disappointed, they found Li Fan's "honesty" reassuring.
"Fellow Daoist, since we've come this far, why not visit the Ark? Original True Immortal Script characters and treasures from the Records of a Hundred Hearsay Immortals, all yours to choose from!" Zhong Daogong said, suppressing his excitement.
Under their expectant gazes, Li Fan pondered for a moment, then readily agreed. "I've long heard of the Ark's fame. It would be an honor to visit. I'll have quite a story to tell my teachers and fellow students…"
The elders breathed a sigh of relief.
They escorted Li Fan out of the illusion formation in the void, heading towards the Sea of Relics. After traversing the Sea of Relics and reaching its outer edge, Zhong Daogong made a hand seal, revealing the hidden Ark.
A flicker of disappointment flashed in Li Fan's eyes, quickly masked. Upon entering the Ark, he feigned surprise at the sight of the Divine Tree floating in the void.
The elders introduced it. "This is the Transforming Divinewood. Legend says its true form is a colossal tree rooted beneath the endless Star Sea, its branches spanning countless cultivation worlds. Its branches penetrate these worlds, absorbing their life force, its roots merging with them. Hence the name 'Transforming.' It was through this method that the Divinewood spread throughout the Star Sea. However, these are just legends. No one has ever seen its true form. Now, with the Star Sea shattered, who knows if it still exists…"
The elders quickly changed the subject, pointing out other sights within the Ark. "This three-eyed golden skull comes from the ancient cultivation world 'Dust Abyss.' It's said that world inherited the bloodline of a True Immortal from the Immortal Realm, hence most of its cultivators had three eyes. They possessed extraordinary talent and incredible divine abilities. However, when the Great Calamity arrived, Dust Abyss was among the first worlds to fall."
Continuing their tour, they soon reached the top of the Divine Tree. With a subtle exchange of glances, the elders, not minding Li Fan's presence, joined forces to cast a spell. Invisible ripples spread from the top of the tree. A pink flower materialized from the void, slowly blooming. It was merely an image, not a physical object, yet a faint fragrance filled the air. A path appeared within the flower.
"Fellow Daoist, please," Zhong Daogong gestured to Li Fan.
Li Fan smiled, seemingly without a trace of suspicion, and stepped onto the path. The scene before him instantly changed.
Rows upon rows of wooden shelves stretched as far as the eye could see. A long, slender arm was rearranging them. Sensing Li Fan's presence, the arm abruptly stopped and reached out towards him with its five fingers. Fortunately, the Ark's elders arrived just in time to prevent it.
Li Fan observed the arm with interest. "It doesn't seem to be alive?"
Zhong Daogong nodded. "You have a keen eye, fellow Daoist. Strictly speaking, this arm is also a True Immortal Script, but a composite of countless fragmented True Immortal Script structures."
"Years ago, due to a moment of carelessness, the Ark was infiltrated by thieves. Several treasures were stolen from the Records of a Hundred Hearsay Immortals. Learning from that painful lesson, we developed this Severing Immortal Arm."
A hint of pride flashed across Zhong Daogong's face. "Without the unanimous consent of the Ark's elders, regardless of one's strength, taking any treasure past this Severing Immortal Arm… is absolutely impossible."
Jian Daosheng added, "Can you discern the secrets of the Severing Immortal Arm, fellow Daoist?"
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, observing the arm. "You've directly inscribed the fragmented structures of the True Immortal Script onto this space? Are we currently inside the Severing Immortal Arm?"
Zhong Daogong smiled. "Not only that! Even the treasures within the Records of a Hundred Hearsay Immortals are now part of the Severing Immortal Arm. To take one, you'd need to use our secret technique to separate it. Otherwise, you'd have to take the entire arm with you… which is, shall we say, beyond human capability."
Nangong Lie added, "Not to mention us old fogies standing in your way. Just this arm alone, infused with the power of numerous True Immortal Script characters… I doubt there's anyone in the entire Star Sea capable of forcibly taking it."
…
Li Fan simply nodded and praised the elders' words. He then began to stroll through the treasury of the Records of a Hundred Hearsay Immortals, patiently browsing the collection.
(End of Chapter)