The Records of a Hundred Hearsay Immortals, the Profound Merchant Ark's ancient treasury, truly held a wealth of treasures. As the sole surviving haven in the Dark Star Sea, the Xuanhuang World contained the essence of the entire shattered Star Sea. Having lived through a hundred reincarnations and explored every corner of the Xuanhuang World, Li Fan rarely found ordinary treasures noteworthy. However, even here, he discovered several items of interest.
For instance, a seemingly bronze crane. According to the Records, it was forged from fragments of numerous immortal artifacts. Though lacking the special abilities of a true immortal artifact, due to its unique composition, it possessed unparalleled durability. No technique or spell could damage it in the slightest. While not indestructible, it had withstood even the calamity that devastated the Dark Star Sea.
"Limited by mundane materials, the Tian Yang Immortal Puppets I refined in my previous lives, even enhanced with Source Power Essence, couldn't surpass the limitations of the mortal realm. Their ability to stall the Legacy Transmission Celestial Venerable was solely due to Tian Yang's indomitable fighting spirit. However, if I incorporate this material in the refining process…" A thought flashed through Li Fan's mind.
Another item was a stream of seven-colored light, remarkably similar to the Seven-Colored Jade Void Radiance Zhong Shengtong had fished out of the Fishing Pond. However, the Seven-Colored Jade Void Radiance was refined by a Grand Divine Ability cultivator from the seven radiances of the Illuminating World of the Chongyan Cultivation World. Born from the Heavenly Dao, it contained the world's essence. This stream of light in the Records, on the other hand, was the remnant of an unknown cultivation world after its natural demise, essentially the world's corpse.
Li Fan had once refined the Seven-Colored Jade Void Radiance. He sensed a subtle connection between the two, despite their different origins.
"Perhaps it relates to the transformation from death to life in a world…" Having claimed the Fishing Pond in this life, Li Fan naturally wanted to collect both seven-colored lights for a detailed comparison.
Then there was a figurine of a hand, standing upright with its fingers extended, its eyes closed. It was an accidental acquisition by the Profound Merchant Ark, its purpose unknown despite extensive research. Left in the treasury, it was gradually forgotten. As Li Fan passed by, he sensed a subtle reaction from True Return. While not as intense as when encountering an Eternal Remnant, it was enough to pique his interest.
"It must also be related to a Dao projection." Li Fan remained expressionless, not lingering on the figurine.
…
As Li Fan browsed the treasury, three elders of the Ark followed him closely, silently observing his every move.
"It seems the thieves truly inflicted heavy losses on the Ark. Even with the Severing Immortal Arm as a safeguard, you're still wary," Li Fan remarked, pausing in his steps.
Gan Jingda, Nangong Lie, and Lu Yuzhi avoided his gaze, pretending not to hear.
"I wonder what was stolen from the Ark back then," Li Fan continued, casually inquiring as he examined the treasures.
"Hmph…" The elders' faces contorted with resentment.
Zhong Daogong's voice echoed from afar. "It's a painful memory. But since so much time has passed, I don't mind telling you if you're interested. Among the treasures stolen, the most valuable was the Immortal Ice Crystal Amber." His voice was tinged with nostalgia.
Jian Daosheng, the head of the Severing Immortality Pavilion, seemed to have witnessed the incident firsthand. He sighed, "Even now, I still recall the mesmerizing beauty of the Immortal Ice Crystal Amber. I regret not intervening more forcefully back then, which led to this tragedy."
The other elders echoed his sentiment.
Li Fan's curiosity was piqued. "Immortal Ice Crystal Amber? The name sounds beautiful. But what is it exactly?"
Zhong Daogong explained, "The Immortal Ice Crystal Amber is actually a frozen cultivation world. Its origin is related to an extremely rare celestial phenomenon in the ancient Star Sea."
Li Fan's curiosity deepened. "Please tell me more."
"The Star Sea back then wasn't as desolate as it is now. Besides countless vibrant cultivation worlds, various celestial phenomena would occasionally manifest. The Leaping Celestial Whale, the Flowing Star Horses, the Yin-Yang Vortex… These phenomena often enveloped entire star regions, affecting dozens of cultivation worlds. Some merely manifested as celestial spectacles in the sky, while others brought devastating calamities!"
"The Diamond Dust Wind was one such calamity. A freezing wind of unknown origin would suddenly descend, sweeping from the starry sky to the earth. Wherever it passed, Gods of Transformation, Dao Integration experts, Eternal Life beings… none had time to react. They were instantly frozen. All living beings, even the world itself, would be turned into ice sculptures under the Diamond Dust Wind's touch." Zhong Daogong tapped his finger, and a terrifying image of a frozen world appeared above the treasury.
"The frozen cultivation world would then remain isolated in the Star Sea, never to thaw. Any creature that approached would be affected by the absolute cold, either severely injured and fleeing or sharing the same fate, frozen for eternity."
Li Fan frowned slightly as he observed the image. "I understand the 'Ice Crystal' part. But what does 'Immortal Amber' signify?"
Jian Daosheng answered his question. "If it were merely a frozen world, the Profound Merchant Ark wouldn't consider it a treasure. While the Diamond Dust Wind was rare, given the vastness of the Star Sea and the accumulation of time over millions of years… frozen worlds weren't particularly uncommon."
"The reason why the one collected by the Ark was so valuable was because of a unique existence within that frozen cultivation world." Jian Daosheng's voice was distant, as if reliving the past.
"The Diamond Dust Wind descends from the starry sky. The world should have been instantly frozen. However, an illusory figure appeared in that world, attempting to block the freezing wind… But how could a mere mortal cultivator resist a celestial phenomenon? It's said that during the peak of the Star Sea's calamities, even True Immortals had to retreat, let alone us mortals."
"The result was obvious. The attempt to save the world was futile, a self-destructive act. However, it did buy a fraction of a moment… The world wasn't frozen instantly, giving its inhabitants a brief moment to react."
Jian Daosheng's voice was filled with emotion. "It was this fleeting moment that created a unique ice sculpture. Faced with the world-ending disaster, the expressions of the living beings were captured in various states: fear, despair, hope upon seeing the figure, disbelief… a true portrayal of all sentient beings. If it were just that, it would have been merely a rare frozen world, not worthy of the name 'Immortal Amber.'"
Jian Daosheng continued, "The reason we call it 'Immortal' is because of that illusory figure who tried to stop the Diamond Dust Wind."
Li Fan couldn't help but guess, "Could it be that a True Immortal was sealed within that frozen world?"
Jian Daosheng shook his head. "No. If a True Immortal were sealed within, our Ark wouldn't dare keep it on board. However, in terms of value, that figure might be even more precious than a True Immortal. After all, before the severing of the path to immortality, there were those who ascended from various worlds. But a materialized Heart Devil… that's truly unprecedented, an anomaly throughout the ages!"
Li Fan's eyes narrowed. "A Heart Devil? Materialized?"
While possessing Zhao Xian in his past life, Li Fan had experienced the torment of Heart Devils in the Star Sea. As long as cultivation continued, Heart Devils would be a constant companion. Even if suppressed by external forces, they would inevitably return, stronger than before. In his past life, Zhao Xian couldn't escape the interference of his Heart Devil, hindering his cultivation progress. Impatient, Li Fan had ultimately seized his body using the Dao Pill Technique.
And that was a Heart Devil weakened by the fragmented laws of the Star Sea. Even in its diminished state, it significantly impacted a cultivator's progress. It was easy to imagine the terror of Heart Devils when the laws of the ancient Star Sea were still intact. No wonder ancient cultivators dreaded them.
However, Li Fan, through Zhao Xian's body, had only experienced the illusions conjured by the Heart Devil, not its true form.
"A Heart Devil should be a manifestation of some law. How can it have a physical form?" Li Fan feigned astonishment.
"That's what makes the Immortal Ice Crystal Amber so precious. No one would believe such a wonder exists without seeing it firsthand. After acquiring it, the Ark's inhabitants debated for decades before finally confirming the illusory figure within the frozen world as a Heart Devil. We speculated that it was a manifestation of the Heart Devil law from another cultivation world. We just don't know why it left its world and met such an unfortunate fate."
Zhong Daogong added, "We have a plausible theory about that. Heart Devils are formless and intangible, unbound by space, able to freely traverse the Star Sea. Unconstrained by physical form, they can even appear directly within a cultivator's mind. Many cultivators have been influenced by Heart Devils, their minds clouded, their personalities altered. A Heart Devil's invasion can be considered the most potent form of possession. This materialized Heart Devil, though unique, still possesses the characteristics of a Heart Devil. Traversing the Star Sea, seeking a suitable host is its instinct. Perhaps that's why it appeared in that frozen world."
"Moreover, judging by the power it displayed when the world was frozen, this materialized Heart Devil is capable of influencing not only cultivators but even the world's Heavenly Dao consciousness. Corrupting and replacing the Heavenly Dao of other worlds. Perhaps 'Celestial Devil' is a more fitting name."
…
As Zhong Daogong spoke, his words were laced with regret over the lost treasure. Li Fan's heart stirred. He recalled the scene from his past life, during the world-destroying storm of the immortal formation, of the Legacy Transmission Celestial Venerable's body dissolving, revealing the transparent figure within. Upon seeing it, a faint sense of familiarity washed over him. It wasn't that he had met the figure before, but that he had encountered the aura of its "kind."
The familiarity came from Tian Jue, Tian Yu, Tian Yin, the Healer… in other words, from the Heavenly Law World.
"Celestial Devil…"
Li Fan thought he might finally understand why the Legacy Transmission Celestial Venerable had come to this place. "Was the Celestial Devil also a member of the Heavenly Law World's Venerables? The Venerables of the Heavenly Law World enforced the Heavenly Dao, and the Celestial Devil was the manifestation of the Dao of Heart Devils. However, due to its nature, it roamed the Star Sea, rarely staying in the Heavenly Law World. Perhaps, through misfortune, it encountered that extremely rare celestial phenomenon and was frozen for eternity."
"If the Legacy Transmission hadn't rescued it, it would have remained frozen forever, a mere collectible of the Ark. But why did the Legacy Transmission save the Celestial Devil, only to be corrupted by it later?"
The image of the Healer appeared before Li Fan. Judging by their interactions in his past life, the Legacy Transmission was clearly under the Healer's control. He had previously speculated that the Legacy Transmission was the Healer's avatar. But now, he realized their relationship might be more complicated.
"The Legacy Transmission, Xuanyuan Goudan… perhaps a reincarnation of the Xuanhuang King…"
"He lived as an ordinary mortal for the first half of his life, then suddenly awakened, as if another consciousness had possessed him." Li Fan narrowed his eyes.
…
"Regardless, I finally understand why the Legacy Transmission is controlled by the Healer: the Celestial Devil lurking within his soul."
Li Fan then recalled that Heart Devils didn't exist in the current Xuanhuang World. Perhaps it wasn't solely due to the Legacy Transmission's New New Law. With the materialized Celestial Devil present, there was no need for lesser Heart Devils to manifest and interfere.
Lost in thought, after listening to the elders' story, Li Fan sighed sincerely, "Indeed, a remarkable treasure. It's truly a shame it was stolen."
"What did the thief look like? Is he still alive?" Li Fan asked. "If you have enough information, Great Qi might be able to help track him down."
Zhong Daogong raised an eyebrow. "With the True Immortal Script?"
Li Fan shook his head. "No. It's through the power of our world-protecting immortal artifact and a comprehensive formation. It's rather esoteric, difficult to explain."
Despite his vague answer, the previously demonstrated power of "Creation" was enough to prove Great Qi's strength. Therefore, his words didn't arouse suspicion. After all, he hadn't made any promises, merely suggesting a possibility.
After some discussion, to avoid arousing Li Fan's suspicion, the elders revealed the thief's appearance.
It was indeed the Legacy Transmission Celestial Venerable. However, the image recorded by the Ark was subtly different from the Legacy Transmission Li Fan knew in his past life. His expression was more animated, almost like a different person.
(End of Chapter)