A clear and melodious bamboo flute sound rang out, and the lingering resonance of the immortal path rapidly spread across the sky.
The sky—or rather, the very fabric of this realm itself—began to crack apart along with the sound of the bamboo flute.
First, countless dense, transparent fissures emerged in the sky, and then these cracks began to widen further, revealing the pitch-black void behind them.
Spatial rifts!
The clear and melodious flute sound emanating from the entirely verdant bamboo flute in Chen Yan's hand was shaking the laws of heaven and earth!
Wrapped in the lingering resonance of the immortal path, the clear and melodious bamboo flute sound pierced through the four cultivators of the upper three realms who were hiding their identities, clad in gray daoist robes in the sky.
The two from Wind Ravine Valley and Star Heaven Sect, both in the Unity realm, began to have pitch-black cracks rapidly spread across their bodies.
This scene, Chen Yan had witnessed before when he saw the Great Chaos of the Immortals eight thousand years later.
These were the pitch-black cracks, like those left behind when a world is torn apart, that appeared on the bodies of cultivators in the Immortal Ascension realm when they damaged their Dao Basis and used their primordial power.
They naturally could not withstand such a degree of law collapse and karmic backlash.
Almost the instant the pitch-black cracks burst open on their bodies, both of them had already perished.
As for that one from Lingxiao Temple, who was in the mid-Divine Ability realm...
"No!!!"
Compared to those two Unity realm cultivators who died without even having time to react, he clearly had a clearer understanding of his current situation.
But all he could accomplish was to shout out one more "No" than those two Unity realm cultivators.
The three figures in gray daoist robes began to fall straight toward the ground, disintegrating in midair. Within a few breaths, they had completely vanished.
Only the Grand Elder of the Kongshan Sect, at the peak of the Unity realm, remained hovering in midair.
But his expression was terrible—pale, even deathly white.
Everything that had just happened had surpassed this cultivator of the upper three realms' understanding.
Although this Grand Elder of the Kongshan Sect was now over two thousand years old and had lived through the era when Kong Yang once ruled the sect, that did not mean he had witnessed the means of an Ascending Immortal.
Yes, he had no doubt at all that the means displayed by the young man before him, dressed in a plain white daoist robe, were the means of an Ascending Immortal.
"Still not leaving?"
Chen Yan did not lift his gaze, simply fixing his eyes on the slightly dimmed bamboo flute in his hand as he spoke calmly to that Grand Elder of the Kongshan Sect still standing in the sky.
That sole surviving cultivator first shuddered, then hurriedly bowed with respect:
"Thank you, Senior, for sparing my life!"
After his words, the man's figure flickered and he fled extremely quickly toward the northwest.
That he had managed to keep his life was indeed something he should thank Chen Yan for.
But Chen Yan also had to leave one survivor alive, because the purpose of his journey was to establish his authority.
To ensure that no one in the cultivation world of the Chenping Continent, including the Five Great Sects, would dare to harbor any thoughts of harming Little Su again.
Clearly, Chen Yan's current plan was going quite smoothly.
He looked at the several lines of inscriptions carved on the bamboo flute in his hand, which was a little over a foot long.
It was the content of the Emptiness Annihilation Art.
Using the various techniques he possessed to derive an immortal artifact—the effects were completely different each time.
The immortal artifact derived from the Emptiness Annihilation Art could touch upon the great power of cause and effect, and even shake the laws of heaven and earth.
Just like what had just happened.
The countless cracks that had burst open in the sky were slowly being repaired by the laws of this world.
Within a dozen or so breaths, those countless cracks had fully healed, as if nothing had ever happened.
The collapse of the laws of heaven and earth that Chen Yan had just caused was negligible to this realm, entirely within its tolerable range.
Even holding an immortal artifact, Chen Yan was still just a Unity realm cultivator.
Chen Yan stood in the void, his five fingers slowly closing together. The moment he gripped the verdant bamboo flute tightly, it shattered inch by inch in his palm, turning into spiritual energy of heaven and earth and dispersing into the world.
Then, his figure flickered in the air, and the handsome young man in the plain white daoist robe appeared on the deck of the ferry below.
"Gre—greetings, Senior!"
The crew members on the ferry bowed respectfully toward Chen Yan, their faces filled with fear.
This was normal, because among these crew members from a ferry dock near Heavenly Summit Mountain, the highest cultivation was merely a cultivator at the early Martial Spring Realm.
The rest of the crew were split roughly six to four between the Body Forging and Qi Circulation realms.
These people had hardly even seen cultivators of the Spirit Connection realm, let alone those of the upper three realms, or even the means of an Ascending Immortal that Chen Yan had displayed.
Chen Yan paid no attention to these crew members, simply walking straight toward the blue-robed swordsman holding the Xun-Li Sword on the deck.
"Big brother."
Su Hongzhen called out toward Chen Yan.
"After today, no one will come to cause you trouble anymore."
Chen Yan said.
The world knew what Chen Yan's actions today represented.
Little Su nodded. His heart was not stirred by what had just happened.
In the five years since he had been by Chen Yan's side, this young man, who had just turned eighteen this year, had already experienced too much.
"So, do I still need to go to Liaolong?"
Su Hongzhen asked.
Hearing this, Chen Yan glanced toward Su Hongzhen twice, then fell silent for two breaths before speaking:
"Do you want to go back and take a look?"
"The first thirteen years of my life were spent there, and..."
Su Hongzhen paused slightly:
"My aunt and uncle are also in Liaolong."
"Then go back and take a look."
Chen Yan said:
"The vastness of heaven and earth is yours to walk, but you must remember: do not hold too many unrealistic expectations. Immortals and mortals are separate—do not let mortal attachments bind you."
"Yes."
Su Hongzhen nodded.
"That's good. You still have a long way ahead of you. I hope that after this Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry ends, you will understand how to rely on yourself to continue walking through this world."
Chen Yan said.
Hearing this, Su Hongzhen was slightly stunned:
"You're leaving?"
"Master has some trivial matters that need my help."
Chen Yan said.
"Alright, I understand."
No reluctance toward parting was seen on this blue-robed swordsman's face; the expression in his brows and eyes was still free and easy.
Every encounter in the world will end in parting.
This principle, Chen Yan understood.
And Su Hongzhen, who had always been by his side, naturally understood it well.
"Set sail!"
The crew member's resonant voice rang out, and this ferry, over ninety zhang in length, continued on its way southwest.
Su Hongzhen stood on the deck, gazing at the sea of clouds before him.
"Big brother, if one day I ascend to immortality, will I be able to get closer to the height where you and Master stand..."
The young man's gaze searched for his side.
But that handsome young man in the plain white daoist robe had long since disappeared, no one knew when.