Before the blood-robed man finished speaking, a swirling force pulled the newly appointed Immortal Hunters into a vortex.
As he plunged downwards, Li Fan glanced at the black stone pillar on the man's shoulder. He had sensed a faint tremor within the Dao Net when the man patted it.
"A pillar of the Great Dao? Or perhaps, a Dao itself?"
"To casually carry a Dao… his power…"
"Perhaps even beyond the Nameless Realm!" Li Fan was inwardly shaken.
The invisible vortex swallowed the twenty-eight Immortal Hunters.
They found themselves in an unfamiliar region of the starry sky.
Information about their mission appeared within the Dao Net.
"The True Immortal is expected to arrive in half an hour."
"Use the remaining time to formulate a plan."
As they processed the information, they turned to a flickering object in the void—the so-called "Immortal Bait."
A bronze coffin, adorned with nine dragons and nine phoenixes, floated silently. Disturbingly, a corner of the lid was ajar, emitting a faint, intermittent whisper.
Though emanating from the coffin, the whisper seemed to be coming from right behind them.
This captivating sound, though seemingly harmless for now, had lured a True Immortal across the Star Sea. The coffin must possess unique properties.
After a moment of silence, Dao Yuan, the top-ranked candidate, spoke. "I happen to know a little about this Immortal Bait. Allow me to offer a brief explanation. Please forgive any inaccuracies."
His humble demeanor earned nods of approval.
"As everyone knows, the remaining True Immortals in the Star Sea seek two things: comprehension of the Dao to reach the Nameless Realm, and…"
"Methods of escaping the calamity. With the Immortal Realm's sudden destruction and countless True Immortals perishing like ants, those who survived became obsessed with self-preservation. It's said that after the Immortal Realm's collapse, the Nameless True Immortals gathered and devised three profound methods of refuge."
Though Dao Yuan claimed it was common knowledge, the expressions on the new Immortal Hunters' faces suggested otherwise. Most were captivated, listening intently.
A few, however, sneered at his display of knowledge.
"It's said these three methods can protect one from any calamity, even the destruction of the Immortal Realm."
"The bronze coffin before us is the [World Crossing Profound Coffin], one of the three methods. It's said to connect to other worlds. Once inside, one vanishes completely…"
Someone interrupted him. "Completely vanishes? How can one be certain whether they perished or truly escaped?"
This was clearly a shared concern.
Dao Yuan smiled, pointing at the dragon and phoenix carvings on the coffin. "Do you see these patterns? After someone enters the coffin and vanishes, the dragons and phoenixes resonate, revealing images of the destination world. It's said these images always show the individual safe and sound, expressing their gratitude. Perhaps they can communicate with the other world while being transported."
"As for the authenticity of these images… the countless True Immortals, even Nameless True Immortals, who sought the World Crossing Profound Coffin speak for themselves."
Gasps of astonishment rippled through the group.
"Then the one before us…"
Dao Yuan smiled. "Is a replica, of course."
Though expected, the answer still elicited sighs of disappointment.
"The World Crossing Profound Coffin was created to help immortals escape calamities. Powerful beings joined forces, informing all surviving immortals of its existence and how to activate it."
"Those with the necessary affinity could enter the coffin and escape," Dao Yuan explained.
At this point, one of the new Immortal Hunters realized the implication. "So, the creators of the World Crossing Profound Coffin must have used it themselves to escape to another world?"
Dao Yuan nodded. "Exactly!"
"The coffin is their legacy. It's said the true coffin drifts through the Star Sea, emitting a signal. Though we haven't encountered it in the Shuo Star Sea, we've replicated its signal…"
A cold sneer interrupted him. "How can you be certain we haven't encountered the true coffin? Such an artifact couldn't be replicated so perfectly without firsthand observation."
Dao Yuan and the other Immortal Hunters' expressions changed.
But the sneering voice fell silent, its source untraceable.
They exchanged uneasy glances but couldn't identify the speaker.
As the atmosphere grew tense, someone intervened. "Brother Dao, tell us about the other two methods. We're incredibly curious about such secrets!"
The others echoed his request. Dao Yuan, regaining his composure, continued. "As for the other two methods, I only know of one."
"The [Upstream Ark]."
"Upstream Ark?" They pondered the name.
Dao Yuan's expression turned serious. "The river of time flows endlessly forward. It's said the Upstream Ark can carry one upstream, returning to a time before the calamity…"
Gasps of astonishment filled the air. The Upstream Ark's implications were far more shocking than the World Crossing Profound Coffin. After all, reversing time was the ultimate dream.
A lively discussion erupted.
"Brother Dao, was the Upstream Ark truly created?"
"I doubt it. If they truly returned to the past, why hasn't the Immortal Realm's destruction been reversed?"
"Ah, that's where you're mistaken. Returning to the past and altering events is like diverting a river. A new river forms downstream, but we remain in the original one, unable to perceive the change."
"Nonsense! If that's true, our own timeline should have vanished. Why do we still exist?"
"That…"
"The principles of time are beyond our comprehension. There's no need to argue."
"However, since Brother Dao speaks with such conviction, perhaps the Upstream Ark truly exists."
…
Finally, Dao Yuan smiled. "Whether it's real or not, I can't say for certain. Even the seniors within the Shuo Star Sea might not know. It's merely a legend."
Someone else asked, "If the second method can reverse time, what about the third? What could be even more…"
The discussion about the Upstream Ark ceased abruptly. All eyes turned to Dao Yuan.
He smiled wryly. "Even among the immortals, few knew the details of the third method. But those who did believed it to be the ultimate escape, rendering all calamities meaningless, the true path to freedom, liberation, and enlightenment!"
A look of longing appeared in Dao Yuan's eyes. The others shared his sentiment.
But one among them was even more deeply affected.
Li Fan.
Knowing about the calamity that would engulf the entire mortal realm through True Return's countdown, he had initially dismissed the three methods as nonsense.
But this dismissal vanished after hearing about the World Crossing Profound Coffin.
Entering the coffin and traveling to another world… this world couldn't be just another lower Star Sea. He immediately thought of the [Primordial Essence of Time]. If the demonic beast race could use it to traverse possibilities, the surviving True Immortals likely could as well.
"But randomly jumping between possibilities wouldn't be worthy of the name 'World Crossing.'"
"If what Dao Yuan said is true, and all those who used the coffin were overjoyed…"
"Could it be that the coffin can somehow select its destination possibility?"
Li Fan's mind raced.
The mortal realm still had 7,360,000 years left.
This meant other possibilities existed where survival extended for millions of years.
Though seemingly short, compared to Li Fan's current [Primordial Possibility], which was on the verge of destruction, it was an eternity.
Finding such a paradise after escaping the Immortal Realm's destruction would indeed be cause for celebration.
…
If the World Crossing Profound Coffin surprised him, the Upstream Ark shocked him.
He believed in its existence even more than the others.
Not just because of True Return, but also because of the [Kun Qian Bone Hand] he encountered in the Xuanhuang World, proving that ancient immortals possessed some understanding of time manipulation.
"However, though time can be reversed, the Dao Obliteration Calamity is inevitable. Just like a river flowing downhill towards the sea, even if one returns to its source countless times, the final destination remains unchanged."
"Unless the true cause of the Dao Obliteration Calamity is found, reversing time is futile. Moreover, going against the river of time must come at a terrible cost. Perhaps it can only be done once, maybe twice, but not thrice."
This led Li Fan to understand the difference between True Return and time reversal artifacts.
"When the real is made to appear fake, the fake becomes real."
"Creating something from nothing within the void."
"Even the concept of time exists because of existence itself."
"Continuing the river analogy, my [True Return] can reshape the landscape and even the sky."
"Not only can it reverse the flow of rivers, but it can even make them flow upwards, defying gravity…"
"Isn't this the true path to freedom, liberation, and enlightenment?"
Though aware of the mortal realm's impending doom, Li Fan wasn't afraid. He believed True Return granted him the power to change anything.
Witnessing the countdown jump by millions of years further solidified his conviction.
If true freedom and enlightenment existed, it was through True Return.
However, Dao Yuan's words awakened a hidden concern within him.
The image of the True Immortal waiting within the Dark Star Sea…
It suggested that the immortals of the past were aware of True Return's existence.
Like the Immortal Hunters today, they had set a trap within the Xuanhuang World.
But for some reason, True Return had been delayed, allowing Li Fan to escape.
Though merely a theory, hearing about the [Upstream Ark] and the third method of refuge made Li Fan consider a terrifying possibility.
"The mortal realm might be a giant Xuanhuang World."
"Just like what happened within the Xuanhuang World, when calamity strikes, some flee, some seek solutions, and some simply give up."
"Nothing new under the sun. The secrets I thought I held might not be secrets at all."
"It's just that those who knew are gone."
Li Fan never underestimated the power of Immortals, especially those capable of traversing possibilities.
"If I ever leave the [Primordial Possibility], I must be even more cautious."
Dao Yuan's words triggered a torrent of thoughts, which he barely managed to suppress. Fortunately, the others were equally affected, preventing him from standing out.
"Now, let's return to the task at hand. We just received information that our target, the True Immortal, embodies the Dao of [Barbarian]."
"What is [Barbarian]?"
"That which cannot be seen. We must be careful."
Dao Yuan's gaze swept towards the distance.
(End of chapter)