Chapter 807: Immortal Descendant Level 3
As Zhang Yu saw the conversation between the Heavenly Demon Prince and Ying Xintian, an idea surfaced in his mind.
“Could that be considered Soul Cultivator technology? Ancient Soul Cultivator technology? The precursor to modern Soul Cultivator technology?”
In Zhang Yu’s view, the Heavenly Demon Prince’s method of integrating people’s souls into the Heavenly Demon Banner to continue cultivating and working was similar to the Soul Cultivators now ubiquitous throughout Kunxu.
He had to admit that if the dead could persist, even work, earn money, and pursue the Immortal Dao… countless deceased individuals would willingly choose such a path.
Just like the Soul Cultivators around him, who among them wouldn’t want to live another life as a Soul Cultivator?
By now… Soul Cultivator technology had become deeply integrated into the lives of the Kunxu people, and everyone had grown accustomed to it.
Fu Ji remarked, “If what the Heavenly Demon Prince claims is true, assuming he’s telling the truth, that he only converted willing friends and family, then it’s not entirely incomprehensible.”
“But whether the Heavenly Demon Prince is telling the truth or not, Kunxu… already has a complete system for this. Plenty of people willingly sell themselves. As technology and times change, so do society’s moral standards. The very definition of the Demonic Path… is also evolving.”
Meanwhile, the text on the screen continued to appear as the conversation between the Heavenly Demon Prince and Ying Xintian unfolded.
Ying Xintian said calmly, “Heavenly Demon Prince, do you truly believe it would be a good thing if everyone in the world could pursue the Immortal Dao?”
The Heavenly Demon Prince chuckled. “Everyone becoming an Immortal, why wouldn’t that be a good thing?”
Ying Xintian looked at him and said, “Do you think the great predecessors of the past never considered what you’re proposing?”
“Back in ancient times, a Great Power sought to enable all living beings to walk the immortal path, to push Immortal Dao Technology to unprecedented heights… He established a Dao Lineage, aspiring for everyone in the world to embrace the Immortal Dao.”
Hearing this, the Heavenly Demon Prince was momentarily stunned, seemingly unaware of such a history.
Ying Xintian continued, “If you want a world where everyone pursues Immortal Cultivation, you must face a world of universal competition, universal strife, and universal warfare…”
“When everyone’s heart is set on the Immortal Dao, endless great wars will erupt. To climb to the Apex of the Immortal Dao, each person will resort to any means necessary. Under such unprecedented competition, the heavens will collapse, the earth will shatter, and billions of lives will face annihilation.”
“It was several Immortal Ancestors of our Righteous Path who successively established Dao Lineages like spirit roots, spiritual energy, and magic power. They divided people by aptitude, thereby controlling the number who could walk the immortal path and keeping it below a certain threshold.”
Ying Xintian stared at the Heavenly Demon Prince. “I must suppress you, partly because you devour humans and refine souls, violating all human decency. But more importantly, allowing you to continue spreading the Demonic Path will only trigger unprecedented, unending wars that could destroy the entire world.”
Reading their conversation, Zhang Yu’s heart jolted. “Spirit roots… magic power… spiritual energy… these are also Dao Lineages?”
“These are all Dao Lineages?”
Spirit roots, spiritual energy, magic power — since arriving in Kunxu, Zhang Yu had gradually grown accustomed to these things, taking them for granted as natural parts of the world.
He had never imagined… that such things were artificially established.
“Then what was the Kunxu World like before spirit roots, spiritual energy, magic power, and all these Dao Lineages?”
As Zhang Yu’s thoughts churned, the usually silent Desolate Ox suddenly spoke: “Dao Lineages have existed since ancient times.”
As one of Zhang Yu’s avatars, the Desolate Ox had fused with a portion of the Desolate Ox Great Sage’s memories as well as Zhang Yu’s own. Thus, he now began to explain in a way Zhang Yu could better understand: “You once took planets and the universe for granted, believing that was how the world should be.”
“In Kunxu, for the Kunxu people born now, the world has always been this 36-layered structure.”
“The same holds true for even more distant pasts. For every generation of living beings, the world has always been as it was when they were born.”
“But what if all things in this world… have long since been tampered with by Dao Lineages, again and again?”
The Desolate Ox spoke calmly, “The Kunxu World of today is the result of continuous reshaping by generation after generation of great mystic power users, molded according to their will.”
“As for the original world, what its most primal, natural state was like… perhaps no one knows anymore.”
Hearing this, a sudden, inexplicable chill ran through Zhang Yu. “This world… how much of it has been artificially altered? And how much of its natural state remains?”
Zhang Yu couldn’t help but ask, “Then what about the people who reshaped the world and created all these Dao Lineages? Where did they go? Are they the Ten Immortal Emperors of today?”
The Desolate Ox replied, “I don’t know… I… don’t know.”
Meanwhile, the characters in the air continued to appear as the conversation between Ying Xintian and the Heavenly Demon Prince went on.
After hearing Ying Xintian’s words, the Heavenly Demon Prince laughed. He looked at Ying Xintian and sneered, “Ying Xintian, you’re afraid.”
“You’re afraid of losing the advantage of innate talent. You’re afraid that everyone will be able to cultivate immortality. You’re afraid that once everyone competes, you’ll no longer be able to lord over them.”
“Saving the world? You’re clearly trying to block the immortal path for future generations, to remain forever high and mighty, to monopolize the authority of the Immortal Dao.”
“Sealing off the immortal path for all living beings! You are the ones following the Demonic Path!”
Ying Xintian shook his head. “If you want everyone to cultivate immortality… fine. But not now. At the very least, we must find more ways to minimize the influence of the ‘Aspiration for the Immortal Dao’ Dao Lineage, or even find a way to completely remove its effects from people.”
Watching their exchange, Zhang Yu thought to himself, Remove the influence of the ‘Aspiration for the Immortal Dao’? I wonder if the current Kunxu is capable of such a feat?
Zhang Yu’s gaze shifted. He suddenly recalled the memories Immortal Slayer had injected into him.
“Reincarnation… seems to be able to do just that.”
“So it was possible all along? And it even succeeded for a time? But perhaps it was free to modify at first, and later they started charging? Or maybe it was free for some and charged for others?”
Meanwhile, Immortal Slayer said, “While I also detest Kunxu’s current methods, they’re right about one thing: the number of cultivators must be controlled. Both the total number and the number of cultivators at each realm need to be kept within a reasonable range. Otherwise, it will lead to the collapse of society.”
Fu Ji added, “Of course. Forget about cultivation realms; just look at the Ten Greats. If every student in the Lower Realm could get into the Ten Greats, if even vocational college students were attending them, and everyone was a student of the Ten Greats, with resources so limited, the competition would be world-shattering.”
Immortal Slayer continued, “Controlling the numbers isn’t the problem. The problem is allocation. With a limited number of spots, who gets into the Ten Greats? Who sets the laws? And who becomes an Immortal Emperor?”
The dialogue continued. Ying Xintian shook his head. “Universal immortal cultivation… Our world hasn’t developed to that stage yet. Forcing it will only lead to irreversible consequences.”
“That’s why you’re the Demonic Path! Your methods will only destroy this world.”
“Demonic Path?” The Heavenly Demon Prince sneered. “You lot who usurp the Immortal Dao and obstruct its progress, you demons who snatch away the sliver of immortal opportunity from the common people, you are the true Demonic Path!”
As the characters slowly materialized, Zhang Yu’s understanding of the Great Righteous-Demonic War deepened.
“The Righteous-Demonic Conflict isn’t just about personal grudges or a clash of moral principles,” Zhang Yu sighed inwardly. “The Great Righteous-Demonic War is a conflict between the strongest figures of the Righteous and Demonic Paths over how to govern the world and allocate resources.”
“The tensions between the two sides have been brewing for a long time. The battle between Ling Feng, Qi Meng, the Heavenly Demon Prince, and Ying Xintian was likely just the spark that ignited the long-accumulated conflict.”
Meanwhile, as the dialogue between the two figures concluded, the final lines of Ying Xintian’s message appeared.
“Is the Righteous Path, which divides immortals and mortals based on talent and aptitude, truly righteous? Is the Demonic Path, which seeks to enable universal immortal cultivation, truly demonic? As the Great Righteous-Demonic War unfolded, more and more cultivators sought to merge the Righteous and Demonic Paths, aiming to control demonic arts with righteous principles — the Righteous Use of Demonic Arts.”
“But in the end, the Righteous and Demonic Paths cannot coexist. Remember, the Righteous and Demonic Paths cannot coexist.”
With the final words fading away, the Heavenly Demon Prince’s corpse within the Immortal Space vanished.
At the same time, a surge of Grotto-Heaven power was released, rapidly integrating into Zhang Yu’s Immortal Space.
Zhang Yu felt his Immortal Space rapidly expand, swelling in an instant to 300 meters long, 300 meters wide, and 300 meters high.
Beyond the explosive growth in volume, Zhang Yu sensed a vibrant life force surging from the integrated Grotto-Heaven power.
At that moment, he felt his Immortal Space was no longer as cold as before; it now possessed a unique warmth.
Simultaneously, on the Dao Seed Register of the Feather Book, Zhang Yu’s Immortal Descendant Dao Seed was upgraded to level 3.
After a period of contemplation, Zhang Yu finally understood what that vibrant life force represented.
“Living beings… Can my Immortal Space now store living beings?”
A jolt of shock ran through Zhang Yu, followed by a wave of joy. The ability to store living beings opened up countless possibilities, and just thinking about them filled him with excitement.
With a thought, an entrance to his Immortal Space materialized in his palm.
Immediately, a figure emerged from his body — one of Zhang Yu’s clones.
As Zhang Yu activated Kunlun in the Palm, the clone abruptly shrank and slipped through the entrance into the Immortal Space.
Being a part of Zhang Yu, everything the clone felt and saw within the space was directly perceived by Zhang Yu himself.
Upon entering, he was immediately hit by a stifling, suffocating sensation.
“The air is thin, and there’s barely any spiritual energy.”
“Although it can now hold living beings, this Immortal Space is still far from a suitable place for survival, let alone cultivation.”
“Perhaps… I can develop it? Make this place more habitable for living things.”
At that moment, Zhang Yu realized that with the introduction of a living being, his Immortal Space was no longer just a simple storage dimension but a small world in its own right.
“I won’t call it the Immortal Space anymore. ‘Grotto-Heaven’… that feels more fitting.”
Just then, an ethereal figure materialized within the Grotto-Heaven.
Zhang Yu’s gaze sharpened. “Is that… the True Spirit of the Heavenly Demon Prince?” he thought to himself.
He remembered how Ling Feng’s True Spirit had also appeared after his corpse vanished.
The True Spirit snorted coldly and said, “Are you the successor Ying Xintian found? Never mind that. Who won the Great Righteous-Demonic War? Tell me!”
Zhang Yu retorted, “Why should I tell you?”
The Heavenly Demon Prince replied, “This was Ying Xintian’s promise to me.”
“I willingly sealed the Grotto-Heaven force for him with my True Spirit and corpse. In return, his descendants would tell me the outcome of the Great Righteous-Demonic War.”
“Of course, you don’t have to tell me,” the Heavenly Demon Prince added with a smirk. “Your refusal would be an answer in itself. It would show that your Righteous Path is ultimately nothing special. From this small glimpse, I could easily deduce the war’s final result.”
Zhang Yu frowned and briefly explained the current state of Kunxu to the Heavenly Demon Prince.
The Heavenly Demon Prince asked several more questions, particularly about the Heavenly Demon Sect.
After Zhang Yu answered each one, the Heavenly Demon Prince fell silent for a long time before finally sighing. “So the Heavenly Demon Sect didn’t win? But it seems the Myriad Laws Sect lost as well.”
“Ying Xintian, in the end, you’re just like me — nothing more than a failure!”
With that final cry, the True Spirit before him shattered, vanishing without a trace.
As the Heavenly Demon Prince’s corpse and True Spirit vanished one after the other, the entire labyrinth trembled slightly in an almost imperceptible way.
Aside from Zhang Yu, hardly anyone in the Former Days Graveyard noticed this faint tremor.
Sensing the vibration, Zhang Yu raised an eyebrow and thought, “This feeling… It seems the spatial structure has changed somehow.”
Gazing at the labyrinth before him, he mused, “Does collecting the Heavenly Demon Prince’s corpse and liberating his True Spirit cause the labyrinth’s spatial structure to shift?”
He continued his internal monologue, “If so, this must have been part of Ying Xintian’s plan.”
“But… what kind of change is it?”
Zhang Yu didn’t know, but through his [Immortal Descendant] trait, he could sense that deep within the labyrinth, there was still Grotto-Heaven power left behind by Ying Xintian, enough to upgrade his [Immortal Descendant] again.
“It seems that as I continuously upgrade [Immortal Descendant], the entire labyrinth will also transform.”
“What will it ultimately become?”
Zhang Yu wasn’t the only one. A few other cultivators in the Former Days Graveyard had also observed the subtle changes in the labyrinth.
Inside the Heavenly Demon Sect’s observation station.
A Soul Cultivator suddenly exclaimed excitedly, “The labyrinth is showing changes!”
“Spatial Folding Rate has decreased by 1.2%! Spatial Disruption Index has dropped by 2.6%! The overall structure has shifted, and a previously unknown hidden Grotto-Heaven is suspected to have appeared!”
When the report landed on Ling Chiye’s desk, a flicker of excitement appeared in his eyes. He knew this might be his chance to earn merit.
As the supervisor of the observation station, Ling Chiye had always paid close attention to the labyrinth’s changes. This wasn’t just due to his personal reverence for an Immortal’s handiwork; it was also a direct order from the Heavenly Demon Sect’s higher-ups.
As far as he knew, at least five members of the Heavenly Demon Immortal Clan were constantly monitoring the ruins Ying Xintian had left behind in various Minor Realms. The labyrinth in the Former Days Graveyard was one of them.
Ling Chiye privately speculated that Ying Xintian — once a High Immortal, now a Wild Immortal — had likely left something of immense importance in these ruins.
“Could it be something he stole from our sect?
Ling Chiye wasn’t sure. He immediately reported the situation and awaited further instructions from the Heavenly Demon Sect’s leadership.
“Is this my chance to distinguish myself?”
Ling Chiye’s mind suddenly flashed back to the great battle between Ying Xintian and the other Immortals, the catastrophe that had destroyed half the Former Days Graveyard.
He immediately shook his head. “Ying Xintian has already been defeated, devoured completely by the Immortals. Only scraps remain… and even those have vanished without a trace.”
Ling Chiye knew that unlike sects like the Myriad Laws Sect and the Immortal Armaments Bureau, the Heavenly Demon Sect, Netherworld Palace, and White Bone Cult had always placed greater importance on the Former Days Graveyard, treating it as a vital source of raw materials.
Consequently, these three sects had stationed stronger forces in the Former Days Graveyard, allowing them to mobilize more cultivators, command more resources, and wield greater influence.
Among the three, the Heavenly Demon Sect’s presence was the strongest, making them the dominant power in the Former Days Graveyard.
“This must be my chance to earn merit.”
A moment later, Ling Chiye received a message from his superiors. His eyes widened in surprise. “In half a month, a member of the Heavenly Demon Immortal Clan will personally come to investigate the labyrinth’s changes?”
Inside the labyrinth.
After upgrading [Immortal Descendant] to the level 3, Zhang Yu frequently opened the Grotto-Heaven’s entrance during his explorations. He continuously channeled air and spiritual energy into it, hoping to make the entire Grotto-Heaven more habitable.
“But the Former Days Graveyard’s environment is inherently hostile to life. I’ll need to purify the Grotto-Heaven’s environment in the future — at the very least, by extracting the large amount of Yin Qi that has seeped in.”
Meanwhile, Zhang Yu collected an increasing variety of miscellaneous items, tossing them all into his Grotto-Heaven to be sold after he left the labyrinth.
The gale that was Zhang Yu swept through the labyrinth, scouring building after building.
Relying on the transformation technique from the Blood Tide Essence Qi Sacred Contemplation, Zhang Yu, in his gale form, was largely unaffected by the harsh environment. This was one of the key reasons he could explore the labyrinth for extended periods.
While his main body explored, back in his dormitory, Zhang Yu’s Primordial Spirit remained submerged in the Spirit Transformation Pool, accumulating the time needed for the Divine Light State transformation.
Zhang Yu’s clone stayed nearby, diligently practicing martial arts and refining Immortal Dao Technology to accumulate more [Myriad Laws Immortal Clan] draws.
Suddenly, a message appeared.
Bu Yingshu: “Zhang Yu? Why is your bill zero again this month? Haven’t you already reached Spirit Transformation? Are you still not using the Immortal Shuttle I gave you?”
Zhang Yu sensed a hint of annoyance in her message.
“Maybe it’s time to take the Immortal Shuttle for a spin,” he thought.
As days passed, Zhang Yu’s strength grew steadily while he explored the labyrinth. Half a month flew by in the blink of an eye.
Qin Chuan, the Minister of the Ethereal Communications Department, observed Zhang Yu silently. “Looks like… he’s completely feigning weakness and has given up resisting,” he mused.
Just then, a Soul Cultivator subordinate sent him a message.
Qin Chuan frowned as he read the contents. “The Heavenly Demon Sect? What do their people want here?”
Due to the Heavenly Demon Sect’s dominance in the Former Days Graveyard, Qin Chuan had always deliberately avoided them, never initiating conflict.
For years, at least within the Former Days Graveyard, the disciples of the Myriad Laws Sect had been somewhat subservient to the Heavenly Demon Sect.
“Troublesome.”
Qin Chuan genuinely didn’t want to receive the Heavenly Demon Sect cultivators. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he sent a message to Zhang Yu.
“Deputy Minister Zhang, some cultivators from the Heavenly Demon Sect are coming to discuss matters with us. You’ll be in charge of receiving them.”