Although the Celestial Ark carried a civilization spanning millennia, its internal space wasn't particularly large. Otherwise, they wouldn't be constantly plagued by scarce resources.
As Li Fan expected, the Celestial Ark elders dragged the Tian Yang Immortal Puppet into the Ark's vault.
Past the first level, the second level…
Celestial Star Lotuses bloomed on the ceiling. Countless lights flickered, and spheres of light materialized, weaving themselves into a doorway. The elders channeled their power, and the doorway opened, revealing a passage emanating an eerie green glow. An ominous aura, accompanying the green light, threatened to spread and consume everything.
The Celestial Star Lotuses reacted, transforming into countless smaller lotuses, forming a barrier before the doorway. The sea of lotuses was boundless. Although the green light withered every lotus it touched, it couldn't break through the barrier.
"Quickly!" Zhong Daogong urged, seemingly afraid of the green light escaping.
The elders, understanding the danger, slowly moved the dormant Immortal Puppet into the third level of the vault. Only Jian Daosheng followed, clad in starlight armor, a seven-colored alms bowl hovering above his head, and his feet planted on a small, flat boat. Although his appearance was somewhat comical, it demonstrated how seriously he took this matter.
The doorway slowly closed, leaving only a stream of light extending from Jian Daosheng's armor, connecting him to the outside. It wasn't completely sealed.
Through Jian Daosheng's perspective, the interior of the third level of the vault, the Hundred Hearings Immortal Record, was revealed.
Within a spherical cavern, countless viscous green tissues pulsed and wriggled, emitting a chilling sound as they grew and spread across the walls.
A massive gray statue stood in the center of the cavern. The green tissues seemed to originate from it, covering most of its body.
Thousands of green tendrils extended from the statue's head, each originating from an empty eye socket. The statue depicted a bizarre creature, a humanoid figure whose head, devoid of any other features, was covered in eyes.
The moment the Tian Yang Immortal Puppet entered the third level, even without emitting any aura, it attracted the attention of the green tissues. Like tendrils, they reached out from all directions, attempting to ensnare it.
Jian Daosheng seized the opportunity, hiding within one of the empty eye sockets of the gray statue.
The green tendrils were stopped by the invisible force field surrounding the Immortal Puppet. But perhaps sensing the True Immortal flesh, they grew even more agitated, the entire cavern's green tissues surging towards Tian Yang. In an instant, the puppet was submerged in a sea of green, enveloped by a green glow, the sound of something gnawing echoing around it.
Li Fan's divine sense, observing through Tian Yang, was surprised.
"He can't see the green tissues?"
"It feels… like wind and rain…"
Li Fan pondered, shifting his perspective. Instead of observing from the outside, he focused solely on Tian Yang's senses.
The surroundings instantly became quiet, like a vast plain, a towering mountain, or a deep canyon. Flowing water, like a relentless blade, carved through stone and mountains. Howling wind and gentle rain, like axes, shaped the terrain.
And Tian Yang was like the mountain, the earth, the valley, slowly but relentlessly eroded by the invisible forces of time.
The Immortal Puppet instinctively activated its defenses. But judging by Tian Yang's relayed sensations, it could only withstand the green erosion for six months at most, assuming it didn't retaliate.
Li Fan remained motionless for now.
From Tian Yang's perspective, the wriggling green tissues were invisible, allowing him to clearly see the third level of the vault. The bizarre, multi-eyed gray statue startled Li Fan. And the faint, shimmering light within the empty eye sockets made him realize something.
"The aura of the last pawn."
"So these sockets are where the Celestial Ark stores its treasures."
"They aren't full. There are less than a handful."
"There must be some hidden protective measures. It can't be this unprotected."
"Where's Jian Daosheng? He's gone."
"And the gray statue looks different now."
Li Fan quickly assessed the situation. The third level of the vault was indeed extraordinary, even possessing the power to harm the Immortal Puppet. But now, besides the puppet's own strength, there was also the power of the immortal formation Li Fan had prepared. Even if they were outmatched, escape wouldn't be a problem.
Therefore, he decided to observe further.
After Jian Daosheng somehow merged with the gray statue, the rate of the green erosion accelerated. From Tian Yang's perspective, the wind howled, and the rain poured down, washing away and weakening the forces that constituted its being.
"Interesting." Although Li Fan had never encountered this green substance before, it felt vaguely familiar, especially since he and Tian Yang, with their different perspectives, were experiencing it completely differently. This reminded him of something.
As the wind and rain intensified, Li Fan, facing this strange and dangerous situation, remained calm, lost in thought.
After an unknown amount of time, like a flash of lightning illuminating the night sky, a realization struck him.
"The Grinding Obliteration Wind Calamity?" Not the calamity itself, but something with a similar origin. However, the Grinding Obliteration Wind Calamity he'd sensed within the Boundless Mirror was far more powerful than this green erosion, like an amplified version of the wind and rain he was currently experiencing.
Li Fan looked at the gray statue.
"This green erosion targets immortals."
"So, this statue…"
The Celestial Ark elders' words confirmed his suspicion. Through the stream of starlight connecting Jian Daosheng to the outside, the elders inside and outside the vault could communicate, although their voices were muffled, as if separated by a world.
"Elder Jian can't remain within the Desolate God for too long."
"Although the Desolate God is dead, its consciousness completely obliterated, it was still a being beyond mortal comprehension…"
This seemed like a routine reminder, repeated periodically by different elders, cautioning Jian Daosheng, who was merged with the Desolate God.
When all the elders had spoken, Jian Daosheng reappeared. In the short time he'd been gone, his appearance had subtly changed. Li Fan was certain it wasn't an illusion, but the influence of the Desolate God statue.
"Desolate God…" Li Fan's mind raced.
In the ancient Xuanhuang World, there was a powerful sect called the Desolate God Sect. Wielding the Desolate God Seal, they could summon twelve Desolate Gods from the Upper Realm to annihilate their enemies. To the Desolate Gods, cultivators were like ants. The Desolate God Sect was invincible, surpassing all others.
But then, for some unknown reason, the Desolate Gods stopped responding to the mortals' summons. Without their greatest asset, the Desolate God Sect fell.
"Are these Desolate Gods the same?"
"They aren't immortals. Otherwise, they wouldn't serve mortals, even through summoning rituals."
"But they possess power similar to immortals…"
"Servants of immortals?" A bold conjecture formed in Li Fan's mind, changing his perception of the statue.
After separating from the Desolate God statue, Jian Daosheng remained within an eye socket, responding to the elders outside. He first uttered a strange, coded phrase, then said, "This Immortal Puppet is of high quality. It has withstood the Desolate God's decaying power for so long without showing any signs of collapse."
"Should I increase the intensity?"
Zhong Daogong quickly stopped him. "No, take it slow. Otherwise, if the decay accumulates too quickly, the Celestial Star Lotuses might not be able to contain it."
"Besides, you might not be able to handle it either."
Jian Daosheng nodded, seemingly disappointed.
"Has the Immortal Puppet shown any signs of awakening?" Zhong Daogong asked.
"No. It seems to be a puppet without a core consciousness. Otherwise, facing such danger, it wouldn't be so quiet."
"Good. We just need to wait."
"Pull the puppet out when the erosion reaches the halfway point."
…
The Celestial Ark elders, discussing amongst themselves, seemed to have decided the dormant puppet's fate.
Tian Yang, eroded by the strange green substance, suddenly sent a message to Li Fan.
"I can retract the True Immortal flesh into the immortal bronze bones."
"The decay's effect on the immortal artifact fragments will be greatly reduced."
Li Fan pondered, temporarily preventing Tian Yang from acting. He even instructed it to lower its force field, allowing the green substance to directly contact the True Immortal flesh.
"Don't worry, the True Immortal flesh can regenerate. I can even forge you a new set of immortal bones. As long as the core isn't damaged, it's not a problem."
Only the Tian Yang Immortal Puppet, having lost most of its autonomy, would endure such danger and obey Li Fan's instructions.
With the force field deactivated, the green substance came into direct contact with the True Immortal flesh. The rate of decay was far faster than Li Fan had imagined, like dry grass catching fire, except it wasn't fire that consumed the flesh, but the decaying green substance.
The green light spread rapidly, leaving behind only ashes. The vibrant flesh turned into stone.
This rapid change startled even Li Fan.
Even more shocking was the sensation relayed by Tian Yang as the life force within the flesh was extinguished. It wasn't a normal aging process, a gradual fading of vitality. It was the instantaneous ignition and annihilation of the very essence of life.
Words couldn't accurately describe the sensation. Only by experiencing it firsthand could one understand the horror of having a fundamental component of life ripped away.
Like a rabbit grieving for a fox, empathy for a fellow being. The moment the life force was extinguished, the other components of life, gripped by fear, scattered and collapsed.
Li Fan saw the intricate lines of the Grand Dao that constituted the Tian Yang Immortal Puppet unravel as one of them was pulled away. In an instant, the powerful Immortal Puppet was reduced to ashes!
Reacting quickly, he instructed the Immortal Puppet to retract a small portion of its flesh into the immortal bones at the last moment. The decaying green substance, encountering the immortal bones forged from immortal artifact fragments, was stopped in its tracks, like hitting a wall.
Li Fan saw clearly that the key to the green substance's ineffectiveness was the absence of the Dao of Life Force within the immortal bones!
"If it were the Grinding Obliteration Wind Calamity of the Immortal Realm, the result would be different. These immortal bones would be instantly pulverized!"
"So, the different calamities of the Immortal Realm are derived from different principles of the Grand Dao, each targeting a specific Dao?"
"Dao Obliteration…" Li Fan pondered.
Within the cavern, Jian Daosheng, witnessing the Immortal Puppet's defenses collapse and its near-instantaneous disintegration, cried out, "How could it be so fast?"
Instinctively, he merged with the Desolate God statue again, attempting to slow the erosion.
Li Fan hadn't forgotten his purpose. With a thought, the dormant Tian Yang Immortal Puppet opened its eyes. The force field reappeared, repelling the green substance. True Immortal flesh surged from the immortal bones, restoring the puppet's form, although its size was now smaller. In a flash, it appeared near the head of the gray statue.
Jian Daosheng, as if anticipating this, reacted instantly. Dozens of the statue's eyes focused on the Immortal Puppet, firing beams of intense, scorching light. These beams weren't just incredibly destructive, shaking the puppet's force field, but also acted like ropes, binding it.
Lights flickered within the cavern as more Celestial Ark elders appeared.
Zhong Daogong's voice echoed, "We were prepared for this! Did you really think we were fools? Did you expect us to fall for such an obvious trap?"
"We, the Celestial Ark, have been secluded for millennia. The only thing that might attract outside attention is the gray pawns left by Sun Piaomiao. We've been waiting for you. We just didn't expect you to use such a foolish method!"
Mocking laughter echoed as the elders entered the eye sockets of the Desolate God statue. The previously dim eyes, now occupied by the elders, flared with a brilliant white light. As more beams of light appeared, the shackles binding the Immortal Puppet grew heavier, restricting its movements. The Desolate God's power was far greater than it had anticipated.
"So, this isn't the third level of the Hundred Hearings Immortal Record."
"It's a trap." Tian Yang's deep voice echoed as it looked at the Desolate God, seemingly revitalized by its fusion with the Celestial Ark elders. The gray faded from its body, the decaying green substance receding below its knees. The ancient Desolate God, its thousand eyes fixated on the Immortal Puppet.
Tian Yang, after all, was a construct created by Li Fan using near-immortal materials, not a true Immortal Puppet. Facing the reviving Desolate God, it was gradually being overpowered.
Seeing their advantage, the Celestial Ark elders taunted, "Indeed! With a dormant Immortal Puppet like this, how could we simply leave it within our most secure location without awakening it?"
"We thought it would take more effort to lure you out. We didn't expect you to be so impatient!"
"A single Immortal Puppet trying to raid the Celestial Ark? You underestimate us!"
…
Their mockery intensified, but the Desolate God's binding power didn't lessen. On the contrary, it grew stronger. Moreover, Li Fan sensed another aura emerging from the Desolate God as its vitality returned.
A creaking sound echoed. Besides the beams of light from its thousand eyes, an invisible pressure descended upon the Immortal Puppet. Li Fan felt as if he was truly facing an ancient Desolate God, its ferocious face and countless eyes staring at him.
"I was careless."
"I didn't expect you to use the pawn as bait. The aura of an Immortal Realm fragment can't be faked."
"Aren't you afraid of losing it?" Tian Yang's deep voice, acknowledging its mistake, then asked with surprise.
"We only have one left anyway. It's useless on its own!"
"Hmph, you have to risk something to gain something. We couldn't lure you out without it."
"Hehe, not just the pawn, but the other treasures are real too! If we're putting on a show, we have to make it convincing!"
"Enough talk! Capture it!"
Amidst the elders' clamor, the ancient Desolate God raised its right hand, about to seize the Immortal Puppet. The giant hand descended. Bound by countless beams of light, the Immortal Puppet seemed trapped.
Yet, it showed no despair.
"Your plan…"
"…is quite good."
"But unfortunately, it ends here." The Immortal Puppet looked at the Desolate God.
"Today, I'll teach you a lesson."
"In the cultivation world, strength reigns supreme. All schemes are meaningless against absolute power!"
A faint light flickered on the Immortal Puppet's forehead.
A sudden gust of wind swept through the cavern.
"No! Stop it!" The elders sensed the danger. The Desolate God's thousand eyes flared with unprecedented brilliance. Its vitality surged, its movements accelerating.
But it was too late.
Immortal Descent, All Things Return to Nothing!
A world-destroying storm erupted from the light on the Immortal Puppet's forehead, sweeping outwards. To Li Fan's surprise, the decaying green substance, previously suppressed by the Desolate God's vitality, wasn't affected by the formation's power. Instead, it thrived, using the formation's power to further erode the Desolate God's body.
The Return to Nothing Formation and the decaying green substance, their combined power overwhelming, consumed the Desolate God's lower body, leaving only its multi-eyed head.
"Ancient God of Desolation, wielding the Mandate of Immortals!"
"Ward off the calamity!"
"Condense!"
As the Celestial Ark elders roared in unison, the glowing eyes within the head rapidly converged, forming a single, gigantic eye in the center of the Desolate God's face! A divine power emanated from it, repelling the approaching destructive force.
The Tian Yang Immortal Puppet, instead of retreating, advanced, charging towards the single-eyed Desolate God, enveloped in the world-destroying power of the formation, followed closely by a surging tide of green.
The two immortal powers collided.
Facing the Desolate God's single eye, the Immortal Puppet's remaining True Immortal flesh melted away like ice. But its immortal bones remained, its momentum undiminished. Empowered by the remnants of the formation, it continued its advance under the Desolate God's gaze, reaching the side of its head, where the other eye sockets were located.
The Celestial Ark elders' frantic voices echoed.
The Immortal Puppet locked onto the last pawn, reaching into an eye socket to retrieve it. It felt a restraining force similar to the scorching beams of light the Desolate God had fired earlier, but even stronger, capable of blocking most cultivators.
But against the Immortal Puppet's power, it was insignificant.
With a slight effort, it retrieved the last gray pawn. Li Fan quickly targeted his next objective, taking another item before sensing the formation's power fading and the Desolate God about to react.
He didn't hesitate, instructing the Immortal Puppet to flee.
"Seal the entrance!" He faintly heard Nangong Lie's frantic voice.
"Are you crazy?! Do you want us to be buried with the Desolate God?!"
The more rational elders prevailed, keeping the Celestial Star Lotus exit open. Li Fan escaped, glancing at the treasures on the second level of the vault. He tried to take some, but they were enveloped by spheres of light. Without a specific method to open them, he could only destroy the spheres entirely. Since he wasn't physically present, the immortal formation's power he'd left behind was depleted.
The Immortal Puppet, no longer lingering, transformed into a streak of light and escaped, ignoring the Ark's defenses and restrictions.
Before leaving, through the closing doorway, Li Fan saw the surging green tide engulfing the Desolate God's head.
A moment later, the Tian Yang Immortal Puppet didn't immediately return to Great Xuan to deliver the pawn to Li Fan. It stood motionless in the void, observing the Celestial Ark. The Ark shuddered slightly, then stabilized.
"They're quite resilient."
"They even withstood the decaying green substance empowered by the world-destroying formation."
"Desolate God…" Li Fan's expression turned serious. Judging by their brief clash, the Desolate God hidden within the Celestial Ark, even without its full power, was a match for the Immortal Puppet. Its true strength was unimaginable.
"Just a servant of True Immortals."
"And the Celestial Ark can control it…"
"They've truly mastered the art of utilizing external forces." Li Fan was slightly impressed.
"I didn't see this Desolate God when I used the world-destroying formation in my last life."
"So, that cavern isn't within the Ark itself. It's a passage accessed through the Celestial Star Lotuses."
As Li Fan pondered, the seemingly calmed Celestial Ark moved again, not to pursue the Immortal Puppet, but to change its hiding place within the Star Sea.
"From their perspective, having lost the pawn, the enemy has lost the means to locate them."
"Hiding again should bring them peace."
"As for the other immortal treasure they lost…" Li Fan's divine sense examined the other item in the Immortal Puppet's hand besides the gray pawn. It was an ancient copper coin.
Its two sides had different patterns, but no matter what method he used, Li Fan couldn't discern the details.
He shifted his attention away from the coin, taking one last look at the Celestial Ark.
"These losses are manageable for them."
"Their real problem will likely be the Desolate God."
"After all, the power of True Immortals isn't so easily borrowed." Li Fan chuckled, directing the Immortal Puppet towards the Boundless Steps teleportation array.
Soon, they were back in the Great Xuan small world.
Li Fan, having already prepared new True Immortal flesh, rearmed the puppet. The Immortal Puppet handed him the two treasures and began adapting to its new body. Having gained some insights during its battle with the multi-eyed Desolate God, it entered a meditative state after a period of silence.
Li Fan didn't disturb it.
He first examined the copper coin. With his stronger soul, he could finally faintly discern its patterns. One side depicted a vast, sprawling palace. The other side displayed countless rapidly changing images.
"No wonder my divine sense couldn't see them clearly before."
"The speed of change…" Li Fan's expression changed slightly.
Gripping the coin tightly, he narrowed his eyes, trying to discern each fleeting image. The Dao Transformation Stone within his mind glowed faintly, recording every frame, then reconstructing them.
After sixteen days, he finally recorded all the images on the seemingly small copper coin.
"Is this a depiction of a star region in the Immortal Realm?"
A vast, reconstructed image unfolded before him.
"No True Immortals, just natural landscapes and scattered buildings."
Li Fan carefully examined the image. The moment he saw it clearly, a name surfaced in his mind.
"Northern Chill."
"That palace on the other side of the coin must be where the ruler of Northern Chill resides."
Recalling the memories he'd seen within the True Immortal flesh, Li Fan pondered.
"What kind of structure did the former Immortal Realm have?"
"Could there really be an Immortal Emperor?"
"If so, what was the status of the Nameless True Immortal?" Li Fan's expression was strange as his mind raced with possibilities.
(End of Chapter)