Return to Shrouding the Heavens

"Ascension Talisman?"

"The higher realm that immortals of this world went to after attaining the Dao actually truly existed."

Lin Xian stroked the golden Ascension Talisman thoughtfully. He could feel a force of guidance descending upon him, seeking to lead him to a vast and boundless greater world.

How could he casually travel to an unknown and unfamiliar world? Who knew what the higher realm was like? What if it was even more dangerous than the Shrouding the Heavens Universe? Wouldn't he be completely screwed?

Lin Xian suppressed the reckless urge stirring within him and put away the Ascension Talisman. His figure gradually faded away as he casually dispersed the phenomena in the sky bit by bit.

The traces of the Southern Heavenly Gate were gradually erased, yet the frenzied mutants still refused to leave. It was as though remaining there would let them smell some immortal aura and ascend alongside it.

"Without the bones of an immortal, do not rashly seek a True Immortal even if you encounter one."

The old Celestial Master sighed softly and persuaded the frenzied mutants to disperse.

Even those few who had become overly excited immediately calmed down when they recalled the old Celestial Master's peerless bearing as he exchanged moves with an immortal!

Why was Zhang Zhiwei invincible in the mortal world? In the past, it was because he could fight, defeating all challengers beneath heaven.

Now, it was because he could withstand several moves from an immortal!

Anyone with eyes could tell that aside from the lightning arts summoned by the final Celestial Master Dharma Form, Lin Xian had not fought seriously at all. It had not been a true contest, merely a calm demonstration of techniques.

Even so, the old Celestial Master could still be called the number one man beneath immortals.

Quite a few mutants familiar with the renowned righteous sects had an idea. They sought out leaders of major sects whose ancestors had also produced immortals, like Tianshi Mansion on Mount Longhu, and quietly sounded them out.

"Say, Old Yang, does your sect have that... that sort of thing..."

"Old Sun, Old Sun, could it be that your family..."

Some mutants had burning gazes, yet they asked with great caution.

The leaders of several major righteous sects suddenly exchanged glances. Then, as though of one mind, they smiled together. "Unspeakable, unspeakable."

Whether our sects have something tucked away at the bottom of our chests, you can guess for yourselves.

The leader of the Shangqing Sect was even more of a riddler. Standing with his hands behind his back, he sighed. "Red flowers, white lotus roots, green lotus leaves; the three teachings were originally one family."

This immediately drew countless contemptuous looks. You were part of the Daoist tradition, so why were you pretending to be underworld gangsters?

Red flowers, white lotus roots, and green lotus leaves referred to Hongmen, the White Lotus Sect, and the Green Gang—three groups of mutants who roamed the underworld. What the hell did that have to do with you Daoist mystics?

Facing the mocking gazes, the leader of the Shangqing Sect merely smiled without speaking. At times like this, all he needed to do was smile.

It was like asking certain countries whether they had nuclear weapons.

Weapons were instruments of misfortune; sages used them only when they had no choice.

Possessing them without using them was the greatest deterrence.

While everyone was still immersed in the joy of ascension, the old Celestial Master, whose acting was first-rate, had already spotted certain details. He waved a hand and summoned Zhang Chulan to ask about Lin Xian's whereabouts.

"You mean Immortal Lin didn't ascend?" Zhang Chulan was first stunned, then quickly reacted. Thoughtfully, he said, "If Immortal Lin didn't leave, then he must have gone to find Sister Bao'er."

"Feng Baobao." The old Celestial Master pondered for a moment, then patted Zhang Chulan on the shoulder and smiled faintly. "Good boy, go with your Martial Uncle Tian later."

"All right, Grandmaster!" Zhang Chulan immediately latched on, grinning shamelessly. After this battle, the old Celestial Master's golden thigh had become even thicker. Invincible in the mortal world was no empty claim.

"Just like Huaiyi." Zhang Zhiwei shook his head with a smile. Then, with a step, he transformed into a streak of lightning and flew toward the guest courtyard on Mount Longhu.

All the mutants had gone to the front mountain to watch the great battle and ascension. The courtyard was now empty, with only two people sitting beneath the shade of a tree.

One was Feng Baobao, looking dazed and adorable. The other was Lin Xian, who had supposedly ascended.

"Celestial Master, you've come." Lin Xian smiled as though he had noticed long ago. A third meditation cushion had been prepared beneath the tree.

"Has the true person's divine sense already become this powerful?" Zhang Zhiwei was astonished, finding Lin Xian increasingly unfathomable.

Lin Xian smiled without answering. Of course not. Mount Longhu stretched for hundreds of miles; his divine sense was nowhere near that powerful. He had simply set things up in advance to show off. If Zhang Zhiwei did not come, then so be it. If he did, Lin Xian got to show off.

"Celestial Master, please sit." Lin Xian invited Zhang Zhiwei to take a seat, and they began discussing the Dao and cultivation.

Zhang Zhiwei was unwilling to miss this rare opportunity. Taking the chance, he introduced Lin Xian to the cultivation system of mutant qi practice, a similar yet different path of cultivation.

Whether in cultivation methods, realms, or the divine abilities derived from them, it differed from the Shrouding Method.

Cultivators first had to undergo Hundred-Day Foundation Building and Qi Accumulation and Body Tempering, filling the three hundred and sixty-five major acupoints of the human body with true qi. Once their qi channels were fully opened and their physical bodies had undergone initial tempering, they would switch to cultivating the acupoints of the internal organs.

After completing Qi Accumulation, one exhaled a breath of turbid qi and returned to the state of an infant, cultivating the Inner Landscape heaven and earth and opening the innate divine acupoints. There were nine steps in all.

They were the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, front yin, and rear yin—the nine apertures. Once all nine apertures were opened, one's inner heaven and earth was complete. The next stage was the convergence of inner and outer, the Outer Landscape stage where one manifested sanctity before others.

It could be said that opening apertures and the Outer Landscape were entirely different stages.

The early stages were merely ordinary martial arts and supernatural abilities. Once one entered the Outer Landscape and underwent a qualitative leap, one could wield the power of heaven and earth. That was genuine immortal cultivation.

"Hundred-Day Foundation Building, nine innate apertures, the Outer Landscape realm..." The more Lin Xian listened, the more something felt wrong. His expression stiffened as he cautiously asked, "After the Outer Landscape comes the Dharma Body, right?"

"The true person also knows the Three Dharma-Body Realms?" Zhang Zhiwei was slightly surprised. Only the leaders of major sects knew such secrets. Most mutants remained confused and ignorant. Could Lin Xian have inherited the legacy of some ancient immortal?

"Hahaha..." Lin Xian laughed loudly, concealing his guilty conscience.

Damn it, The Sage Who Transcended Samsara—you called it The Outcast? System, you damned scammer!

This world was an affiliated universe of the True World from The Sage Who Transcended Samsara, one of the myriad heavens and worlds. It did not exist independently.

System 10086's faint voice rang out. "The number one beneath the Dao Fruit—wasn't that also one beneath all others?"

Go to hell! Lin Xian cursed inwardly, then took a deep breath. He felt even more strongly that he could not remain in this world.

No matter how dangerous the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone was, it was nowhere near as terrifying as The Sage Who Transcended Samsara.

Thus, Lin Xian hastily ended his conversation with the old Celestial Master. With a long sigh, he said, "They're urging me from above, Celestial Master. I don't have much time left. We'll meet again in the Immortal Realm."

Before his words had faded, Lin Xian activated the Time-Space Travel Ticket (round-trip ticket). A heavenly pillar instantly appeared above his head. He ascended along it, transforming into white light and vanishing.

Zhang Zhiwei: ???

No, brother, you were really ascending?!

At the end of the heavenly pillar, Lin Xian was about to return to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths when he suddenly felt another force of guidance pulling at him.

Looking down, he saw that it was the golden Ascension Talisman in his arms.

Lin Xian immediately panicked. Looking toward the force guiding him to the Shrouding the Heavens Universe, he displayed his Sea of Bitterness and said righteously, "Big brother, help me out. We're on the same side!"

"Don't look at me like I'm a transmigrator. I've actually long been one of Shrouding the Heavens' people. I've even registered in the Primordial Ancient Realm."

"Look, this is the Sea of Bitterness the Desolate Heaven Emperor helped me activate. It's top-notch—a Dao Seed unique to our Nine Heavens and Ten Earths."