"Not only you and I, but everyone in the ancient Xuanhuang World who knew about Brother Xuanyuan's return from the Immortal Realm was incredibly curious," Mo Rubing said with a sigh. "However, no matter how they inquired, Brother Xuanyuan never revealed any details, only vaguely mentioning a terrifying calamity in the Immortal Realm."
"He didn't even tell us, his sworn brothers, or Ji Yuzhen, whom he trusted most. It wasn't until he achieved a breakthrough and decided to enact his plan to lure out the traitors that he briefly mentioned the calamity, calling it 'Dao Obliteration.' He didn't describe it, but those two words alone sent chills down our spines. We all saw the flicker of fear in his eyes…"
"Dao Obliteration." Li Fan savored the words, a chilling dread slowly creeping into his heart. He recalled the fragmented memories he had glimpsed within the True Immortal's flesh.
The broken words echoing from the towering figure above the True Immortal: "Qiong Lang Star Region… Obliteration… Guardian…"
Li Fan pondered. "This 'Obliteration' must refer to the Dao Obliteration Calamity. Was the Qiong Lang Star Region facing this calamity, requiring a True Immortal to guard it? Or was he guarding other regions, preventing its spread?"
Li Fan speculated, "The calamity that destroyed the Immortal Realm clearly had precursors. The Immortal Realm must have attempted various methods to save itself, but they ultimately failed to stop the Dao Obliteration's spread."
New questions arose in his mind. Did this Dao Obliteration Calamity only occur in the Immortal Realm? Did it vanish after the Immortal Realm's destruction? Or would it one day reappear in the lower realms, in the Star Sea? And what was the connection between the Dao Obliteration Calamity and the Grinding Wind Calamity he had seen in the Boundless Mirror and the First Beginning Sect's ruins?
The True Immortal Script's power had run rampant, devastating a vast region of the Star Sea, dimming its light and transforming it into the Dark Star Sea.
But… life wasn't completely extinguished. Not only was the Xuanhuang World still vibrant, but even the seemingly desolate Star Sea retained a sliver of consciousness. Its eventual revival was only a matter of time.
"The calamity that struck the Dark Star Sea was likely on a completely different level from the Dao Obliteration Calamity." The word "Obliteration" painted a terrifying picture of complete annihilation.
"Perhaps not even fragments of worlds would remain." Li Fan shuddered.
Just as he was pondering this, Mo Rubing spoke. "Brother Xuanyuan warned us that knowing more about this Immortal Realm calamity would only bring us harm. He even told us to avoid thinking about it, as it might exploit our fear and manifest as nightmares and Heart Devils, invading our minds even without us knowing its true form. He only told us its name, 'Dao Obliteration,' to give us a basic understanding, so we could recognize it if we ever encountered it. If we didn't know its name, even if we saw it, we wouldn't recognize it. But knowing its name, even the slightest hint of it would trigger a sense of foreboding."
Mo Rubing's expression was serious. "In fact, Brother Xuanyuan encountered this world-ending calamity shortly after arriving in the Immortal Realm. He learned about the Dao Obliteration Calamity later, through his interactions with the Faceless Immortal. Alright, let's not talk about this anymore."
As they spoke, the formation around the white jade flagpole was ready. With a serious expression, Mo Rubing made a hand seal. The flagpole rose, emitting a circle of light that enveloped them.
"Let's go!"
Similar to Li Fan's wooden sword, the white jade flagpole pointed towards the sky, adjusting its direction. Then, it emitted specks of white light, accumulating power for a few breaths before shooting upwards, carrying Li Fan and Mo Rubing with it.
While slower than Li Fan's sword technique, it possessed a sharp, piercing intent that Li Fan's technique lacked. The beam of light created by the flagpole was incredibly thin and contained, not attracting the attention of cultivators in the Xuanhuang World.
Within the flagpole's light, Li Fan watched the Xuanhuang World recede rapidly below. Even the Immortal Ruins' pull only slightly slowed their ascent. Mo Rubing focused on controlling the flagpole, skillfully avoiding areas of concentrated residual True Immortal power.
Having calculated that the white jade flagpole wouldn't collide with the lowland filled with residual power, Li Fan patiently waited.
After traveling through the starry sky for the time it took an incense stick to burn, the white jade flagpole abruptly stopped. The light dispersed, forming a bubble around them, which then collided with an invisible barrier in the void.
The white bubble acted as a perfect cushion, absorbing the impact.
Li Fan and Mo Rubing had arrived within the Eye of the Celestial Beast.
"Ah!"
A scream echoed through the relatively small space. It wasn't from Li Fan or Mo Rubing but from Han Zhong, the cultivator Li Fan had met before, the one who had accidentally stumbled into the Eye of the Celestial Beast while using a teleportation formation in the Nine Mountains Region.
Trapped for so long, Han Zhong had given up hope of escape, only his survival instinct keeping him alive. Now, seeing other living beings, he cried out in excitement. Before he could say anything more…
Mo Rubing's expression changed. He unleashed a beam of black light that struck Han Zhong directly!
Han Zhong's eyes widened in disbelief as he was annihilated.
"Fellow Daoist…" Li Fan feigned shock.
Mo Rubing carefully checked the area, ensuring no trace of Han Zhong remained, then explained, "I don't know how that cultivator ended up here, but he was contaminated. Contacting him would have risked infection. It's better to be safe than sorry."
Li Fan's expression softened, but he still looked puzzled. "Contaminated?"
Mo Rubing looked around as he spoke. "It's a troublesome affliction. Even Brother Xuanyuan had difficulty dealing with it. It should be related to the calamity in the Immortal Realm… It's extremely rare to encounter in the Star Sea, but the Eye of the Celestial Beast is more susceptible to contamination. The concentration of this affliction in the lower realms is incredibly low. It was like this ten thousand years ago, and it hasn't changed. I checked while traveling through the Star Sea. However, the Eye of the Celestial Beast observes vast regions of the starry sky. When the scale of observation reaches a certain limit, even the faintest trace becomes apparent." As he spoke, he set up several restrictions around them, seemingly specifically targeting this affliction.
Li Fan pondered his words. "So, the probability of infection increases with the scope of observation… Does this mean mere observation can transmit it?" He was startled.
Mo Rubing nodded. "Precisely. That's why I eliminated him without hesitation. Fortunately, it's rarely transmitted through ordinary means. I've checked. It hasn't spread. We're safe here for now."
"Such a bizarre method of transmission, and related to an Immortal Realm calamity…" Li Fan feigned concern. "What happens after being infected? That cultivator seemed normal."
Mo Rubing set up more restrictions. The transparent bubble surrounding them, initially small, began to expand.
"He seemed normal because the affliction was still dormant. If you had contacted him, you would have experienced its effects. It reduces one's soul capacity and life essence, the severity increasing with the level of infection. In the end, while not dead, the victim becomes as fragile as paper, a mere gust of wind capable of scattering their soul. Of course, before that, they would endure the agony of their diminishing life essence."
Mo Rubing's voice was filled with pity. "Imagine this: a whisper sounds like a thunderclap, causing your soul to tremble and tear. A gentle touch feels like a violent impact, tearing your flesh… The world around you becomes a constant nightmare of unending calamities. Death would be a mercy. But because of the affliction, before being completely consumed, it preserves the host's life to facilitate its spread. A fate worse than death…" He shook his head slightly.
"Indeed, a troublesome affliction." As Li Fan said this, the image of the Healer collecting the black gas emanating from Han Zhong's corpse in a jade bottle flashed through his mind. "It would be disastrous if it spread in the Xuanhuang World."
"It has barely spread in ten thousand years. Even if it's spreading in the lower realms, it will take an incredibly long time," Mo Rubing said dismissively. His attention was focused on the Eye of the Celestial Beast.
"Is this transparent space the Eye of the Celestial Beast? It seems the Xuanhuang King isn't here," Li Fan said with feigned disappointment.
Mo Rubing shook his head. "This is just one of its observation points. Do you know how insects have compound eyes, composed of countless smaller eyes? The Celestial Beast is similar."
Li Fan nodded in understanding. As Mo Rubing continued to cast spells, the transparent bubble around them trembled and shrunk, as if trying to expel them.
Pop!
The bubble burst, and Li Fan's vision blurred. In the next instant, they were in a strange space, like one of countless bubbles floating on the surface of a vast ocean. Images of other identical bubbles flickered on the curved boundary. Li Fan even saw himself and Mo Rubing within those other bubbles. However, their appearances, clothes, expressions, and movements were all slightly different, yet still strangely familiar.
Countless versions of himself, their gazes meeting, created a peculiar sensation within Li Fan.
"It's just a distortion caused by the countless Eyes of the Celestial Beast observing simultaneously. As long as you remain true to yourself, you won't be affected." Mo Rubing seemed accustomed to this strange phenomenon. He looked around, as if searching for something within the countless bubbles.
"Brother Xuanyuan didn't teach me how to control the formation of the Eye of the Celestial Beast. I've been here a few times before. I can only search blindly like this." He sounded frustrated.
The number of Eyes of the Celestial Beast in this space seemed infinite, both incredibly close and infinitely far, impossible to lock onto with divine consciousness, observable only with the naked eye. Moreover, the bubbles weren't stationary. Like waves crashing on the shore, they constantly shifted and rearranged themselves in unpredictable patterns, rendering previous observations useless.
Despite the difficulty, Mo Rubing remained focused, diligently observing. He also reminded Li Fan, "The Eye of the Celestial Beast practically has its own laws. You don't have to worry about your lifespan here. Even if you stay for ten thousand years, you won't age or die. If you don't want to die when your time comes, you can hide here. While it might not grant true immortality, surviving for a few more millennia shouldn't be a problem."
Li Fan nodded.
"This Celestial Beast is truly unique. It's said its size is comparable to an entire region of the Xuanhuang World. Did the Xuanhuang King bring it back from the Immortal Realm?"
Mo Rubing nodded. "Yes and no. Brother Xuanyuan initially thought it was just a dead object, an ordinary jade pendant. But when it came into contact with water, it showed signs of life. After careful nurturing, it grew larger and stronger. To be honest, if we fought seriously, I might not be its match."
A hint of nostalgia flickered in Mo Rubing's eyes. Then, perhaps remembering that the Celestial Beast was dead, its remains now mountains and rivers, a surge of killing intent replaced it.
Li Fan remained silent. Silence fell upon the space.
He, too, began searching for clues within the countless bubbles. Although they were as numerous as the stars in the sky, constantly shifting, Li Fan, empowered by the Dao Transformation Stone, could differentiate them. Each bubble was unique. After observing and memorizing each one, he mentally marked them. No matter how they moved, he could still distinguish them clearly.
Time passed, and the number of marked bubbles increased. As he eliminated possibilities, Li Fan's gaze sharpened. He noticed something peculiar. Compared to his original body, the distorted figures of himself within those bubbles all seemed to be missing a small part. The missing parts varied between bubbles. But if he combined them…
(End of Chapter)