Chapter 121: Sudden Enlightenment
Death.
It is the final end that every living being in this world must face.
Whether mortal or cultivator.
Even as strong as Immortal Venerable Fusheng ultimately could not escape the fate of falling.
It is precisely because of this.
Immortality became the highest pursuit of cultivators.
But Chen Yan did not know what immortality ultimately meant for him, or what significance it held.
Because for him, the cycle of reincarnation itself was a peculiar kind of "immortality."
A hit would mean death.
Chen Yan quickly deduced that outcome.
In the space between life and death, a person may unleash potential beyond imagination.
Of course, it's only a possibility.
Chen Yan suddenly noticed his heartbeat and breathing slowing down, and the world around him growing quiet, as if sound could no longer be heard.
Ye Xiu's movements also slowed.
Hidden Immortal Art.
Chen Yan realized, without knowing when it began, that he had unconsciously started operating the Hidden Immortal Art.
Memories of every previous time he had used Kongshan Finger flooded into his mind, producing in his heart an extremely profound sensation that was difficult to express in words.
Yet, he felt everything had become transparent.
In that instant, a massive amount of true qi continuously poured out from his Martial Spring, as if it would drown the entire world.
Chen Yan's spirit sense was instantly drawn out of his body.
His spirit hovered in the skies, looking down at Heavenly Summit Mountain beneath his feet.
Chen Yan saw himself.
He stood motionless on the arena platform.
At the same time, a towering, dark-blue violent true qi, wrapped with a blood-colored vortex and sounds of sorrowful wails, surged toward Chen Yan's body.
The spirit suspended in the heavens could control his body.
But he also had the illusion that his body was moving on its own.
Chen Yan watched "himself" raise his right hand toward Ye Xiu.
A pinpoint of clear light emanated from his fingertip.
Only a speck of light, and nothing more.
The vast field of dark-blue violent true qi melted instantly, like snow meeting a scorching sun.
Then that speck of light continued forward, shattering Ye Xiu's protective true qi, and pressed on toward Ye Xiu's lower abdomen.
A faintly blue glow rippled from the ring on Ye Xiu's chest, forming a barrier in front of him.
The moment the clear light touched that barrier, a dazzling, blinding flash exploded between Chen Yan and Ye Xiu.
A piercing scream of noise rang out, and the entire arena platform built from bluestone bricks began to tremble violently.
Every brick showed cracks.
First one, then two.
Then dozens, hundreds, thousands.
Eventually, the whole platform disintegrated into powder, with dust billowing everywhere.
When the dust settled, only one figure remained standing in the field.
He wore a pure white Daoist robe, sleeves embroidered with gilded cloud-crane patterns.
About ten meters away on the ground lay a bedraggled figure, motionless.
The faint rise and fall at his chest meant Ye Xiu still had a breath left.
"Platform Seven, Group Four, the match is decided!"
In a daze, Chen Yan seemed to hear the shout of the order-maintaining steward disciples from the Five Great Sects in Daoyan Arena, announcing his victory.
Only at that moment did he react, his spirit sense returning to his body.
He stood amid the completely collapsed arena, receiving the cheers from around him and from the viewing stand.
...
Daoyan Arena, east-side viewing stand.
Star Heaven Sect disciples were gathered here.
Sitting at the highest place was an old man in a blue-gray Daoist robe, the upper half of the left sleeve embroidered with a half-moon emblem.
Star Heaven Sect's, Moon Void Sect's sect leader, Hu Tianyuan.
He was also the delegation envoy for Star Heaven Sect at this Dao Inquiry Assembly of Chenping Continent.
Sitting beside him was a dignified young woman in a light green gauze dress, her face veiled.
Qin Qingyu.
At this moment, both sat silently, staring at the upright youth standing in the field, wearing a pure white Daoist robe with gilded cloud-crane embroidery on the cuffs.
"Qingyu, what do you think?"
After a while, Hu Tianyuan asked in a deep voice.
"The disciple does not know."
Qin Qingyu answered.
As the most stunningly talented disciple of the current age on Chenping Continent, Qin Qingyu always spoke plainly and directly; she never used false pleasantries.
"Early Martial Spring Realm?"
Hu Tianyuan scoffed and shook his head.
He did not doubt Chen Yan's cultivation level; as a Myriad Transformations Realm cultivator, he could not be mistaken.
Chen Yan was simply an early Martial Spring Realm cultivator.
Hu Tianyuan also recognized the technique Chen Yan used: the Kongshan Sect’s basic technique, Kongshan Finger.
Even the later technique unleashed was recognizable as Kongshan Finger, though the mind method used seemed somewhat different, and the power had increased significantly.
It was likely the Purple Mansion Kongshan Art.
Kongshan Finger is a basic Kongshan Sect technique that, in same-realm sparring, usually only serves to restrain and cannot decide a fight outright.
But the amplification from Purple Mansion Kongshan Art improved that.
The power of Purple Mansion Kongshan Finger could certainly inflict some damage on cultivators of the same realm.
As for what came after.
Hu Tianyuan also recognized the technique finally used by the disciple named Ye Xiu.
Beiyuan Sect had considerable background.
Thousands of years ago, there was a rogue cultivator on Chenping Continent who achieved the eighth realm, Divine Ability Realm, calling himself Xuanbei the Rogue.
It was said Xuanbei the Rogue's cultivation had reached Divine Ability Realm completion, but he failed to progress further to Dao Union.
So he chose to venture to the isolated Fusheng City across the sea to seek out Immortal Venerable Fusheng, hoping for a sliver of opportunity.
Fusheng City denied this Divine Ability-complete powerhouse entry, yet also pointed him a path.
Legend had it that seven million miles beyond Fusheng Island in the boundless sea stood a lone island devoid of any life, neither animals nor plants.
Immortal Venerable Fusheng was said to have left an opportunity on that island for those destined to find it.
If one could obtain Immortal Venerable Fusheng's opportunity, perhaps it would break the bottleneck that plagued Xuanbei the Rogue and allow him to reach Dao Union.
It might even let him brush against the threshold of the Immortal Ascension Realm.
Thus Xuanbei the Rogue set out alone into the boundless sea to search for that elusive chance.
From then on, there was no further news.
Xuanbei the Rogue had three disciples.
The most accomplished of them became the later founder of Beiyuan Sect.
The Beiyuan Sect's founder, with a cultivation of Myriad Transformations Realm, brought his master's hand-copied manuscripts and established Beiyuan Sect in the northwest of Chenping Continent.
"Mysterious Yin Weeps Blood, All Phenomena Share the Sorrow" was Xuanbei the Rogue's signature technique, the seventh calamity among the nine calamities of Mysterious Sorrow.