Chapter 801: Immortal Descendant Level 2, My Successor
As Zhang Yu crossed the boundaries between Kunxu’s layers, he could feel the concentration of immortal aura in the air steadily increasing.
When he reached the 13th Layer of Kunxu, the immortal aura concentration here reached 2% to 3%. In such an environment, even if he did nothing, his physical strength would naturally improve.
And when Zhang Yu arrived at the 14th Layer of Kunxu, the immortal aura concentration rose even further, reaching 3% to 4%.
Zhang Yu could feel the various powers within his body becoming increasingly active in this environment. It seemed that no matter which martial art or daoist art he used, its effects would be amplified layer by layer.
“In this 14th Layer environment, just circulating my cultivation art daily yields far greater results than in the lower layers,” Zhang Yu marveled inwardly. “Compared to the First Layer of Kunxu, simply lying here every day would probably lead to faster progress than a student toiling away in cultivation there.”
At the same time, Zhang Yu felt his thought speed accelerate again under the 14th Layer’s sunlight. Thoughts raced through his mind like lightning, making any problem or line of reasoning seem easier and more effortless.
“I’ve gained about a threefold increase in thought speed,” Zhang Yu thought to himself. “If I keep climbing layer by layer like this, even without using any functions of the Dharma Realm or Spirit Realm, my thought speed will be many times faster than in the Lower Realm.”
“It’s hard to imagine what kind of acceleration the Immortals experience in even higher layers where they reside.”
“This must be the origin of the saying, ‘A day in heaven is a year on earth.’”
“A single day spent contemplating a cultivation art up here would be equivalent to a year of thought down below.”
Zhang Yu could feel that this immense disparity in thought efficiency alone was enough to create an insurmountable chasm, making it extremely difficult for cultivators in the lower layers to catch up to those above, not to mention all the other advantages.
Fu Ji remarked, “The sunlight and moonlight in these higher layers are incredibly potent, and they’re even free.”
She then added with a touch of bewildered admiration, “How can this be provided for free? Why don’t they charge for it? Think of all the money they’re losing!”
Immortal Slayer explained, “Because this sunlight and moonlight… come from the gods of old.”
Fu Ji: “Huh?”
Immortal Slayer continued, “The ancient gods once illuminated the world with their divine light, earning the worship and reverence of humanity. They gathered countless people’s faith and were once a crucial force in managing this world.”
“But later, when the gods demanded their believers donate their family fortunes to aid the poor…”
Hearing this, Fu Ji couldn’t help but exclaim, “Were these gods insane?”
Immortal Slayer said, “Indeed. At that time, the cultivators deemed the gods to have fallen into the Demonic Path, descended into madness, and brought chaos to the world.”
“So, the cultivators united to vanquish the ‘Mad Gods’ and vowed to sever their divine light, suspending it high above the Nine Heavens for all to use freely.”
“They succeeded. From then on, the divine light has hung high in the Nine Heavens, allowing everyone to bask in its glow.”
“But those below only bathe in the tiny slivers that leak through the cracks. Only those at the very top can enjoy the greatest benefits of the divine light.”
As Immortal Slayer spoke, Zhang Yu stepped through the void and arrived high in the sky of the 14th Layer.
He glanced at the magnificent palace in the distance, recognizing it as the Central Apex Heaven region of Kunxu’s 14th Layer.
The so-called Central Apex Heaven was the central region of the Sect Layers.
The Central Apex Heavens from the 11th to the 20th Layers were like a skyscraper formed by stacking cities on top of one another, resembling a Sky Pillar that “grew” from Kunxu’s 11th Layer all the way to the 20th.
Within each Central Apex Heaven, the Ten Great Sects had their own territories, sprawling like vast national lands with interlocking borders.
Zhang Yu knew that the rows of magnificent palaces he could see were one of the Myriad Laws Sect’s regions in the 14th Layer’s Central Apex Heaven.
Even from a distance in mid-air, he could sense layers of defenses in both the Spirit Realm and the Dharma Realm. He knew that if he got any closer, he would face intense scrutiny.
However, Zhang Yu hadn’t come to the 14th Layer with any intention of approaching the Myriad Laws Sect’s administrative area.
His gaze swept across the sky, focusing on a patch far from the administrative zone.
The next moment, Zhang Yu’s figure blurred as he accelerated toward the distant clouds.
“Fu Xiantian’s legacy should be somewhere around here…”
As Zhang Yu searched according to Immortal Slayer’s guidance, a flash of light appeared before him. He felt the world shift, as if he had been transported to another space.
It was a small, cave-like space shimmering with a faint fluorescent glow.
Sensing the unique nature of this space, Zhang Yu’s heart stirred. “Is this an independent Minor Space?”
Meanwhile, in the sky outside, a silent figure of Zhang Yu remained, concealing the fact that the real Zhang Yu had entered the Minor Space.
“That is…”
Just as Zhang Yu entered the Minor Space, he saw a figure sitting not far ahead.
Instantly, Zhang Yu’s magic power surged through his body, his muscles tensed, and the space in his palm distorted. He was ready to fight at a moment’s notice.
But the next moment, he was stunned to find that the seated figure… had no aura whatsoever. It was a complete and utter corpse.
“A corpse?” Zhang Yu wondered silently. “Is this corpse what Fu Xiantian left behind?”
Immortal Slayer knew Zhang Yu was asking him and replied, “I don’t know what Master left behind either. As for this corpse… I don’t recognize this person.”
At the same time, Zhang Yu had already walked forward to examine the corpse seated on the ground.
The corpse’s eyes were sunken, its eyeballs seemingly gouged out. Its sleeves were empty, and its hands and feet appeared to have been severed.
There were also horrifying holes in its head and lower abdomen, as if someone had tried to dig something out from within.
The corpse was covered in countless other wounds, its original features completely unrecognizable. It had clearly suffered inhuman torture before death.
As Zhang Yu examined the body, he felt the power of his Immortal Descendant Dao Seed stirring restlessly within him.
The entrance to his Immortal Space opened on its own in his palm, like a ravenous maw eager to drag his hand toward the corpse and devour it.
“Brother Dao’s Dao Seed… the Immortal Descendant is being triggered?”
Zhang Yu quickly opened the Dao Seed Register in his Feather Book and was shocked to see that the upgrade prompt for Immortal Descendant had changed.
“Liberate the ancestor’s corpse, fuse with the Inheritance Space?”
Zhang Yu looked at the corpse before him and cautiously reached out his hand.
The next moment, the corpse was completely absorbed into the Immortal Space. Immediately, a powerful will erupted from within the body, as if the long-dead corpse was about to come back to life.
At the same time, Zhang Yu felt his consciousness being pulled away by the other party.
After a flash of light and shadow, Zhang Yu was surprised to find the world before him completely transformed, as if he had arrived in another world.
Looking at the surrounding bamboo forest, the small stream, and the continuous mountain peaks in the distance, Zhang Yu was startled. “Where is this now?”
“Immortal Slayer?”
“Fu Ji?”
Immortal Slayer: “I’m here.”
Fu Ji: “I’m here too.”
Zhang Yu gradually understood the situation. “This feeling… it’s a bit like when I watched the Desolate Ox Great Sage’s memories. But this time, Immortal Slayer and Fu Ji are watching with me.”
“And I’m no longer experiencing it from the Desolate Ox Great Sage’s first-person perspective, but as an observer watching this memory?”
Just as Zhang Yu was thinking this, a light chuckle came from nearby.
With a thought, Zhang Yu’s entire being flickered like an invisible specter toward the source of the laughter.
On a high platform, a group of people in Daoist robes were gathered, listening to a lecture from the Daoist at the head of the group.
The Daoist giving the lecture was tall and handsome, with a dashing and charismatic air. Radiating heroic vigor, a single glance revealed he was no ordinary person. Just standing there, he seemed to naturally draw everyone’s gaze.
As Zhang Yu listened to the content of the lecture, he felt it was an ancient Daoist scripture. Its contents were obscure and difficult to understand, far less accessible than modern materials.
Immortal Slayer said, “It’s the Ancient Dao Book of Myriad Laws. This must be a scene of disciples from the ancient Myriad Laws Sect attending a lecture.”
Zhang Yu’s heart stirred. “Could this be the memory of a Myriad Laws Sect disciple?”
Just then, the lecturing Daoist spoke, “Ying Xintian, you answer this question.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu whipped his head around to look at the Daoist who stood up to answer.
A short, plain-faced young Daoist, looking like an ordinary passerby, rose to his feet.
Zhang Yu exclaimed in surprise, “He’s Ying Xintian? He looks…”
Although Zhang Yu didn’t finish his sentence, both Fu Ji and Immortal Slayer understood his meaning.
The Ying Xintian before them appeared utterly unremarkable, making it impossible to connect him with the future Immortal who would forcibly seize the Sixth Layer of Kunxu.
In contrast, the Daoist giving the lecture looked more like a Heavenly Chosen of the Myriad Laws Sect.
And their subsequent actions… seemed to increasingly confirm Zhang Yu’s impression.
In the classroom, Ying Xintian always appeared obscure, unremarkable, and utterly ordinary.
On the other hand, the lecturing Daoist, named Ling Feng, consistently shone with dazzling brilliance, displaying extraordinary talent.
From the conversations among the disciples, Zhang Yu gradually understood that this Ling Feng was the Senior Brother of this generation in the Myriad Laws Sect. He often taught in place of their master, serving as half a teacher to his junior brothers, and held considerable prestige within the sect.
There was also a Junior Sister in the sect named Qi Mengyun. With her exquisite beauty and refreshingly refined demeanor, she had been cultivating under Ling Feng’s guidance since joining the sect, and the two had gradually developed feelings for each other.
One day, the sect’s Ancestor bestowed a great opportunity, selecting a group of disciples to enter the Back Mountain Minor Realm for twenty years of secluded cultivation to comprehend the sect’s profound Daoist arts.
As the Senior Brother, Ling Feng was naturally chosen and held in high hopes.
But faced with the eager expectations of the elders, Ling Feng chose to refuse.
Hearing Ling Feng’s refusal, Qi Mengyun found him and asked sternly, “Why did you refuse?”
Qi Mengyun spoke earnestly, “Senior Brother, I respect and love you because of your noble character and your ambition to reach the Apex of the Immortal Dao. Now, a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity lies before you, yet you would abandon it for a moment of pleasure. How can you still hope to ascend to the pinnacle of the Immortal Dao?”
Under the moonlight, the two made a pact. Twenty years later… after Ling Feng emerged from seclusion, they would become Dao Companions and comprehend the Great Dao together.
Watching the two embrace under the moon, Zhang Yu sighed inwardly, “Are there still people like this in Kunxu? I’m almost finding it hard to adjust.”
In the blink of an eye, twenty years had passed with Ling Feng in secluded cultivation within the Minor Realm.
But due to a loss of control over his Daoist arts, the Minor Realm was sealed, trapping Ling Feng and his fellow disciples inside.
It wasn’t until a hundred years later, when Ling Feng finally gained complete control over the Minor Realm, that they were able to escape.
He eagerly rushed into the sect, searching for the figure who had waited for him for a century.
But when he arrived at Qi Mengyun’s Immortal Abode, filled with joy, he found that someone else now lived there.
After making inquiries, he learned that Qi Mengyun had left the mountain to travel thirty years ago and had since disappeared without a trace.
The news struck Ling Feng like a bolt of heavenly lightning. He frantically scoured the world, searching everywhere for news of Qi Mengyun, until five years later, he finally found a clue.
It turned out that thirty years ago, when Qi Mengyun left the mountain to travel, she had been coveted by the Heavenly Demon Prince of the Heavenly Demon Sect and abducted.
And so, Ling Feng embarked on a thousands-li pursuit, relentlessly tracking the Heavenly Demon Prince, determined to force him to reveal Qi Mengyun’s whereabouts.
Fu Ji remarked, “What a crazy old era, filled with lovesick fools and idiots everywhere.”
The two were both young prodigies of the Righteous and Demonic Paths. After a continuous, fierce battle that spanned a thousand li, Ling Feng finally gained the upper hand and was about to suppress the Heavenly Demon Prince.
Just then, Qi Mengyun appeared, used by the Heavenly Demon Prince as a shield against Ling Feng’s attack.
Ling Feng forcefully halted his Daoist arts, suffering severe internal injuries. He was then captured by the combined efforts of Qi Mengyun and the Heavenly Demon Prince.
Only then did Ling Feng realize that Qi Mengyun hadn’t been abducted by the Heavenly Demon Prince at all, she had willingly defected to the Heavenly Demon Sect.
Ling Feng looked at her, bewildered, and asked, “Junior Sister, why?”
Qi Mengyun spoke slowly, “Senior Brother, do you know how I spent the hundred years after you went into seclusion?”
“For the first twenty years, I cultivated diligently every day, hoping to be closer to you when you emerged.”
“But for the next fifty years, my progress was limited. Even some disciples who joined after me gradually surpassed me.”
“My heart grew anxious, and my cultivation speed slowed day by day. All I could do was watch my hair turn gray, wrinkles form on my face, and see myself grow older day by day…”
Qi Mengyun looked at Ling Feng and said, “Senior Brother, I can’t accept this. Why is it that after you went into seclusion, I cultivated bitterly for seventy years and still couldn’t achieve a breakthrough? In terms of ambition, diligence, and perseverance, I know I’m second to none. Why can some people surpass me by far in just ten or twenty years?”
“Is it just because of talent?”
“Then why is it that we Righteous Path cultivators, who train diligently every day, struggle to advance even with high talent, while Demonic Path cultivators indulge in pleasure yet progress by leaps and bounds?”
“Because… the Demonic Path devours people!” Ling Feng glared at her and said, “So you mean thirty years ago, you joined the Demonic Path?”
Qi Mengyun caressed his face and said, “Senior Brother, I want to live. I don’t want to be a white-haired old woman the next time I see you…”
Ling Feng stared into Qi Mengyun’s eyes, as if he could see countless vengeful souls wailing within them, countless devoured mortals crying out in agony.
Qi Mengyun continued, “Senior Brother, join me. Let’s join the Heavenly Demon Sect together, alright?”
Silence… Qi Mengyun was met only by Ling Feng’s endless silence.
Just as the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive, Ling Feng finally asked, “How many… people have you eaten?”
Qi Mengyun’s expression darkened. “Mortals are as insignificant as weeds,” she said. “Rather than waste away uselessly in this world, it’s better they help us ascend the Immortal Dao…”
Ling Feng sighed faintly. “The Righteous and Demonic Paths cannot coexist.”
“I told you this the day we joined the sect.”
“If a friend falls to the Demonic Path, cut them down. If family falls, exterminate them. If the sect falls, sever all ties.”
Seeing Ling Feng’s resolute expression, Qi Mengyun sighed and retreated, embracing the Heavenly Demon Prince beside her. “Your Highness, I can’t persuade him. You’ll have to handle it yourself.”
The Heavenly Demon Prince sneered. “Ling Feng, running into you two disciples is truly my misfortune.”
“Thirty years ago, your Junior Sister knelt before me like a dog, begging me to take her into the sect and sacrifice countless mortals to extend her lifespan.”
“Thirty years later, you’re chasing me like a mad dog. Don’t any of you from the Myriad Laws Sect have any sense of risk management when you cultivate the Immortal Dao? Are you all this reckless?”
Facing the Heavenly Demon Prince, Ling Feng fought back fiercely but was still brutally suppressed by the two and imprisoned.
The world only knew that Ling Feng had disappeared, unaware that after being captured by the Heavenly Demon Prince, he was tortured daily, his skin torn and flesh mangled, his bones broken and shattered again and again.
Furthermore, the Heavenly Demon Prince used various Demonic Path methods to entice Ling Feng, attempting to lure him into the Demonic Path.
Eventually, the Heavenly Demon Prince seemed to gradually lose interest in Ling Feng and hadn’t come to see him for a long time.
The next time Ling Feng saw the light of day was when Ying Xintian broke into the prison and rescued him.
As the memories faded, Zhang Yu thought to himself, “So that’s how it was. Is this Ling Feng’s memory? The once-brilliant Senior Brother fell, creating an opportunity for Ying Xintian to rise?”
Fu Ji commented, “This Heavenly Demon Prince claims to be of the Demonic Path, but his torture skills are terrible. He just beats him up once and calls it a day?”
Just then, lines of text materialized before Zhang Yu’s eyes. An overwhelmingly powerful will emanated from the characters, imprinting itself directly into his mind. Merely seeing these lines allowed him to feel the writer’s immense dominating intent and supreme strength.
“Senior brother Ling Feng, though his aptitude was dull and he remained obscure, was wholeheartedly devoted to the Dao and possessed a righteous heart. He is a senior brother I have always deeply admired.”
“To persuade senior sister Qi Mengyun back from the Heavenly Demon Prince’s grasp, he was pursued for a thousand li by the Prince, yet he fought to the death without giving up, earning my profound respect. I leave this dream to commemorate senior brother Ling Feng.”
Zhang Yu stared at the two sentences, momentarily stunned. He asked in confusion, “Dull aptitude? Obscure? Pursued for a thousand li by the Heavenly Demon Prince? This is completely different from what we just saw, isn’t it?”
Fu Ji said, “Who wrote these lines? They must have gotten it wrong, right?”
Just then, Immortal Slayer spoke up. “It probably isn’t wrong.”
“Actually, I found it strange just now. As far as I know… Grandmaster Ying was by no means an obscure disciple in ancient times. Ever since he began cultivating the Immortal Dao, his name spread throughout the world. He was universally acknowledged as a Myriad Laws Heavenly Chosen.”
Fu Ji asked, “Then what about the memories we just saw?”
Immortal Slayer replied, “Do a person’s memories truly represent reality?”
Zhang Yu froze, astonished. “Are you saying… Ling Feng beautified himself in his memories?”
Immortal Slayer nodded. “Correct. And look at the last part… This probably isn’t just a simple memory, but a dream constructed from memories. It’s perfectly normal for someone to embellish themselves within a dream built from their own recollections.”
Zhang Yu sighed. “So the dazzling figure back then… was Ying Xintian. And Ling Feng was the obscure one.”
“And it wasn’t him who pursued the Heavenly Demon Prince for a thousand li; he was the one pursued for a thousand li.”
At the same time, lines of text continued to materialize before Zhang Yu’s eyes.
“When I found senior brother Ling Feng, his eyes had already been gouged out, his limbs severed, his Immortal Root stolen, his Dao Foundation extracted, and his Primordial Spirit ripped out.”
“But I knew that even as his life faded, he never succumbed to the Demonic Path.”
Seeing this line, Zhang Yu froze again. “That corpse… was that Ling Feng? But in the memories, he clearly didn’t suffer such extreme torture…”
The next moment, Zhang Yu understood. Immortal Slayer sighed softly. “This is a dream constructed from Ling Feng’s memories.”
“The fact that the torture wasn’t shown in detail means only one thing… he didn’t care about it.”
“Whether his physical body was destroyed or his Immortal foundation severed, none of it shook his will. He didn’t even dwell on it, which is why the so-called torture became insignificant in his dream.”
“Instead, it was the so-called temptations of the Demonic Path, the slaughter and evil deeds of the demonic cultivators, the people Qi Mengyun devoured… those were the things he remembered vividly, reflected clearly in his dream.”
Zhang Yu remained silent, continuing to read the text appearing before him.
“Qi Mengyun, that woman, has a heart as venomous as a snake and a Demonic Root deeply entrenched. After transplanting senior brother Ling Feng’s Immortal Root and Dao Foundation, her cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.”
“The moment I saved senior brother Ling Feng, I made a decision: Qi Mengyun and the Heavenly Demon Prince… I must slay them both.”
“But no one could have predicted that my initial goal of merely slaying those two demons would escalate, step by step, into the Great Righteous-Demonic War, bringing endless calamity upon the world.”
Reading this, Zhang Yu, Immortal Slayer, and Fu Ji had already guessed that the message was clearly left by Ying Xintian.
But Zhang Yu hadn’t expected that the series of conflicts he had just witnessed… would turn out to be the fuse that ignited the Great Righteous-Demonic War.
Before Zhang Yu could ponder further, more text appeared before him.
“To the one reading these words: I have left you the Inheritance Secret Realm of my sect. Whoever inherits this realm shall be the successor of our Righteous Path.”
“Regardless of the final outcome of the conflict between the Righteous and Demonic Paths, I only hope you remember… Righteous and Demonic cannot coexist.”
Reading this sentence, Zhang Yu thought to himself, Final outcome? Could it be that when Ying Xintian wrote this, the Great Righteous-Demonic War hadn’t ended yet? Or… did he believe the true conclusion of the conflict had yet to emerge, that it was far from over?
As the last lines of text materialized, Zhang Yu felt Ling Feng’s corpse completely dissipate within his Immortal Space. At the same time… an intangible space emerged from the spot where the body had vanished and merged with Zhang Yu’s Immortal Space.
In the blink of an eye, Zhang Yu’s Immortal Space rapidly expanded, transforming into a vast expanse one hundred meters high, one hundred meters wide, and one hundred meters long.
At the same time, he saw on the Feather Book’s Dao Seed Register that [Immortal Descendant] had been upgraded to Level 2.
After a brief moment of comprehension, Zhang Yu understood that the Level 2 Immortal Descendant not only granted him a larger space but also allowed him to store consciousness within it.
“Consciousness?” Zhang Yu thought to himself. “The original Immortal Space could only store inanimate objects, but now it can hold consciousness? Does this mean that with further upgrades, it will be able to contain living beings?”
“So, the method for further upgrades is…”
Zhang Yu looked at the Dao Seed Register, sensing the information related to [Immortal Descendant]. He mused, “To continue liberating the ancestors’ bodies and merging their Inheritance Spaces?”
Connecting this with what Ying Xintian had just said, a theory began to form in Zhang Yu’s mind.
“The so-called Inheritance Space must be the Inheritance Secret Realm of Ying Xintian’s lineage, an independent dimension.”
“Ying Xintian hid this independent space along with the corpse.”
“As long as I find them and absorb them into my Immortal Space, I can gradually expand the space and raise the level of my Immortal Descendant ability.”