Feixian Ancient Star was vast and boundless.
This star was one of the oldest sources of life in the entire universe. Since the earliest days of the Mythological Era, its renown had spread throughout the cosmos. It had produced multiple Supremes and shone with incomparable splendor.
In nearly every era's struggle for the imperial throne, prodigies from Feixian Ancient Star were always present. Their legacies stretched too far back into antiquity; they could often overwhelm all their rivals and achieve feats that defied the heavens.
"Feixian Ancient Star's history may be even longer than Ziwei's. This source star is ruled by the Kunlun Lineage. According to our church's records, that clan once occupied Kunlun Immortal Mountain and even wielded an immortal artifact. Unfortunately, disaster struck them at the end of the Mythological Era. The immortal artifact was lost, and even Kunlun Mountain was moved away."
Yuangeng led the two Quasi-Emperors across the void and soon arrived in the space outside Feixian Ancient Star. Yet they did not descend onto the star immediately. Instead, they sat cross-legged where they were and listened to Si Qi recount its ancient history.
The Lunar Essence Human Emperor had cultivated in the early days of this era, when the Mythological Era was not yet far in the past and much of that information had not yet become distorted.
"Having lost their homeland, they were effectively exiles. To spur themselves onward, they called themselves the Kunlun Remnant Clan, hoping that one day they could reclaim their homeland, recover their clan's immortal artifact, and ascend to immortality."
Si Qi thought Yuangeng was interested in the Kunlun Remnant Clan, so he went on to recount many ancient histories buried in dust. But when he saw that Yuangeng remained lost in thought, seemingly calculating something, he quickly fell silent.
Yuangeng sat cross-legged in the void, gazing at the star below. Only after a long while did he return to his senses, an involuntary, wistful sigh escaping him.
"As expected of a place where the Desolate Heaven Emperor laid his plans. The correct location-its aura truly stirs the heavens."
His words were rather baffling, one remark seemingly unconnected to the next, and had nothing to do with the Kunlun Remnant Clan. For a moment, Si Qi could not make heads or tails of them.
But the elderly Solar Essence Quasi-Emperor beside him seemed to have guessed something. Though she was the leader of an Extreme Dao tradition, her heart began pounding wildly, and even her voice grew dry.
"When you say the correct location, do you mean... the Road to Immortality?"
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Yuangeng's mouth. He made no attempt to conceal it and nodded.
"Yes."
The elderly woman immediately realized that she had just heard an earth-shaking secret. She hurriedly composed herself and bowed to Yuangeng.
"Thank you for your guidance, Supreme."
The Road to Immortality-it was not only the Heavenly Venerables and Ancient Emperors of old who were obsessed with those words. This was a secret spanning all ages. Other cultivators, too, yearned to set foot on that road and ascend to immortality in a single leap.
"Don't celebrate too soon. The Road to Immortality isn't something you can simply step onto. It requires the correct time and the correct location, and sometimes even the correct person. You only know one of those." Yuangeng, however, took it lightly and gave a soft sigh.
"I've never entertained any hopes of everlasting life or becoming an immortal. Learning this secret of the ages is already enough for me."
The elderly Solar Essence Quasi-Emperor took Yuangeng's words with equanimity. The Road to Immortality was not something a first-heaven Quasi-Emperor like her could take part in. Learning a little about it was enough. Passing this information on to future generations would also enrich the Sun God Sect's accumulated heritage.
"The road to everlasting life is perilous. At the very least, the first two conditions must be met; otherwise, it will be unimaginably difficult. That was the Human Emperor's plight. Had he been born at the correct time, he should have been able to cross that road."
Once the conversation turned to the Road to Immortality, Yuangeng unconsciously said a little more. Then he thought of the Lunar Essence Human Emperor, and a note of sorrow entered his voice.
He was a transmigrator, so of course he knew what the Road to Immortality was. It was the hope the Desolate Heaven Emperor had left for later generations, a road that could lead to everlasting life. Yet the conditions for opening it were far too demanding. Throughout the ages, countless people had fallen while searching for it or attempting to force their way through.
"May I ask, Senior, can you sense how our imperial ancestor is faring now?"
Hearing Yuangeng mention the Human Emperor, Si Qi immediately perked up. All he knew was that in his twilight years, the Human Emperor had left behind his imperial seal and departed alone, never to appear again. Many said that, unable to attain everlasting life, the Human Emperor had gone to force his way onto the Road to Immortality.
"He forced his way in, but alas, the time was wrong. The Human Emperor still failed and perished." Yuangeng did not conceal what he knew.
As far as Yuangeng knew, when the Road to Immortality opened on Big Dipper Ancient Star in the future, an emperor's broken body would fall from it. That was the Human Emperor. He was said to have come close to succeeding, yet in the end, he still could not defy the heavens.
"..."
Si Qi had no words. Though he had long since accepted that the Human Emperor was no longer alive, hearing that his imperial ancestor had met such an end still pained him.
"Let some more years pass. When that moment in time arrives, we'll smash open that Road to Immortality and bring my fellow Daoist's body back." Yuangeng's gaze grew deep as he suddenly spoke.
Yuangeng believed that both the Lunar Essence Human Emperor and the Solar Essence Saint Emperor had a chance of returning. First, remnants of their bodies still existed; second, both had deity thoughts. With his own coffin and the Burial Domain Method as well, it might yet be possible to bring those two back in the future.
"Thank you, Supreme!" Si Qi bowed deeply.
"The Road to Immortality... Though we should understand the Desolate Heaven Emperor's helplessness, he really was too harsh on later generations."
Yuangeng sighed. The Road to Immortality had already become an obsession that countless people could never erase from their hearts. It was not only the Human Emperor; another friend of his also cared deeply about it.
During his year on Qilin Ancestral Star, Yuangeng had discussed the Road to Immortality with the Qilin Emperor more than once. The old emperor had lived for over ten thousand years. Before Yuangeng emerged, he had already spent more than three thousand years calculating the Road to Immortality.
There was more than one Road to Immortality.
The Qilin Emperor believed that, at present, two roads to everlasting life could be calculated. Their opening dates lay far in the future, and one was on Big Dipper Ancient Star while the other was on Feixian Ancient Star.
Moreover, the interval between their openings was not particularly long. Measured in units of ten thousand years, the two Roads to Immortality on Big Dipper and Flying Immortal would open almost simultaneously.
This posed an awkward dilemma. The Qilin Emperor believed that one of these two Roads to Immortality was likely genuine and the other false, one illusory and one real-a test left behind by the Desolate Heaven Emperor. Yet despite calculating them many times, he still could not distinguish the true from the false.
Even now, the old emperor continued calculating the Road to Immortality between his cultivation sessions, and he had invited Yuangeng to work through it with him. He understood that if he severed his own cultivation and sealed himself away, he would have only one chance to fight with all his strength in the future. He had to choose. One wrong step, and his wait across the ages would vanish like a bubble.
But Yuangeng knew that both roads were genuine. There were simply too many restrictions. No matter how long one prepared, all that effort could still collapse in a single day.
He could sense it very clearly: deep within Feixian Ancient Star below, there were wisps of an inexplicable aura. Though sealed by some kind of power, Yuangeng could still perceive them. It seemed to be a nexus of this universe, linked to a distant great realm beyond another expanse of infinite space and time.
Yuangeng could thump his chest and guarantee that the place connected to that nexus was the Immortal Domain.
The reason was clear. It was not merely because Yuangeng was a transmigrator, but because he had truly visited the Immortal Domain and was very familiar with that realm's Dao laws.
"Unfortunately, by the time the correct moment arrives in the future, I'll already
have become an immortal."
At last, Yuangeng withdrew his gaze from the deepest reaches of Feixian Ancient Star. He exhaled and turned his attention back to the star below.
At present, there were still at least a million-odd years before the Road to Immortality opened. It was far too early to begin preparing. Yuangeng's objective on this journey was clear: to find the Kunlun Remnant Clan and help the Lunar Essence Divine Church recover the Human Emperor Seal.
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