Chapter 184: Immortal Immortal

The Sect Master had never expected that the Immortal Immortal would truly manifest.

He had indeed sensed the immortal’s revival earlier, but he never anticipated that the entity could manifest in the world so swiftly; it was an entirely unexpected blessing.

Flushed with excitement, the Sect Master introduced himself: "Congratulations on awakening from the long river of history, Immortal! I am Xie Bingzhi, the Sect Master of the Immortal Sect. The current era is separated from the one you knew by three hundred thousand years. Oh, perhaps you are unfamiliar with the Immortal Sect; we are one of the Four Great Demonic Sects, and our sole purpose has been to awaken you from your slumber..."

The Immortal Immortal listened quietly to the Sect Master's torrent of words, and only after the man fell silent did he offer two soft, chuckling laughs, speaking in a leisurely cadence: "Child, do not be agitated. All that you have just spoken is already known to me."

Calming himself, the Sect Master realized he had overstepped his bounds and lost his composure: "The Immortal is omniscient."

The Immortal Immortal shook his head: "That is an exaggeration. Who would dare claim total omniscience? Even the likes of Ying Tian and Qilin could not claim to know all, let alone this Immortal, who has been departed from the world for three hundred thousand years. Seas have turned to mulberry fields, stars have shifted, and the affairs of the world have altered. Back then, who could have foreseen the events of today?"

Out of thin air, a golden droplet materialized in the Immortal Immortal’s hand, and with a casual flick, he sent it flying into the Sect Master’s grasp.

The Sect Master could feel the terrifying, boundless vitality contained within it.

"You were wounded by a formidable enemy, an injury that would normally take a century of time to mend. This single drop of Immortal Liquid can help accelerate the recovery of your wounds."

"Th-this... is this the legendary 'Immortal' Dao Fruit?" The Sect Master’s hands trembled; this was his first time truly feeling the grand might of an immortal.

The Immortal Immortal smiled benevolently: "An immortal's Dao Fruit does not easily enter the world. This is merely a drop of dew upon the 'Immortal' Dao Fruit."

The Sect Master swallowed it at once. The moment the golden liquid entered his mouth, it dissolved into a strange, wondrous energy, flooding into his limbs, his bones, and every minute crevice of his physical form.

He could distinctly feel the speed of his injury’s healing accelerating.

He had heard that an immortal's Dao Fruit was the very foundation of their being, never easily shown to others. The Immortal Immortal truly lived up to his reputation as the savior of the human race, utterly selfless, granting him the fortune to glimpse a fraction of the Dao Fruit's majesty.

"This Immortal knows why you have awakened me. The struggles of supreme geniuses and the path to immortality are eternal topics across the ages..."

The Immortal Immortal placed his hands behind his back, his eyes narrowing slightly and appearing somewhat clouded, as if he were reminiscing about ancient times. Ultimately, it culminated in a long sigh as he shook his head, offering no further commentary on the past.

He murmured: "Does the human race require this Immortal’s salvation once more...?"

The Sect Master spoke up hurriedly: "Immortal, the ancient grand era is returning, and cultivators are reviving all across the lands. When war inevitably breaks out, only your intervention can save humanity!"

"Very well. Perhaps saving mankind is simply this Immortal's destiny. What harm is there in saving them once more?"

Just as the Sect Master was about to speak, the Immortal Immortal raised a hand to cut him off: "However, this Immortal currently possesses only a soul form, and my Dao Fruit is not yet complete. I can only reside temporarily within this statue, unable to shelter you all as I did at the end of the ancient era. If I am to return to my peak state, I still require a physical body to inhabit."

"Could it be me?" The Sect Master volunteered himself eagerly.

The Immortal Immortal shook his head: "Your body is already set in its ways, and you have taken many wrong paths during your cultivation. The accumulated flaws are too deeply ingrained; your chances of condensing a Dao Fruit are incredibly bleak."

"I have heard that Yun Zhi of the Daoist Sect is hailed as the strongest cultivator among the Five Great Immortal Sects. Would her body suffice?" the Sect Master suggested once more.

The Immortal Immortal shook his head: "Heh, the strongest of the Five Great Immortal Sects? From what this Immortal knows, the Five Great Immortal Sects are merely five sects with a bit of heritage on the Central Continent. To say nothing of the four domains of East, West, South, and North, the collective strength of the Five Great Immortal Sects is likely still inferior to the Great Xia Dynasty that rules the Central Continent."

"Under such circumstances, how powerful could the strongest of those Five Great Immortal Sects possibly be? Could she truly allow this Immortal to attain immortality once more?"

The Sect Master hurriedly lowered his head and admitted his mistake.

"There is still some time before the conflicts of the grand era truly erupt, which is sufficient for this Immortal to cultivate back to the peak. This Immortal requires a body that has only just begun to cultivate. Inhabiting his form, I can return to the Immortal Realm. With a bit of luck, I might even suppress Ying Tian, Qilin, and the others, becoming the leader of the Five Ancient Immortals."

"By then, even if this Immortal steps forth to protect mankind, the risk of falling will be drastically reduced."

"The Immortal's wisdom is absolute."

"Go and gather all believers of the Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation stages. This Immortal shall personally select one to see who is worthy of being possessed by me."

"Yes."

"Immortal, I would like to ask you a question."

"Child, speak."

"In the beginning, who was it that refined the star-filled skies into the continents?"

According to legend, the Immortal Immortal had personally witnessed that cataclysmic event which brought an end to the ancient era.

The Immortal Immortal closed his eyes and shook his head: "Your cultivation is too low. This is not something you ought to know."

The Sect Master felt a pang of dejection, yet he had to admit that compared to an immortal, the gap between them was simply too vast.

Before departing, the Sect Master hesitated for a moment and asked: "Your name seems... not to be an ordinary name?"

What the Sect Master actually wanted to say was that because he truly couldn't think of what name to invent back then, he had randomly cobbled together the name "Bu Yaolian". Why would an immortal take such a bizarre name?

The Immortal Immortal’s face darkened, and he remained silent.

Realizing he had asked an inappropriate question, the Sect Master excused himself and withdrew.

Leaving the secret chamber, the Sect Master hastily summoned the three Vice Sect Masters and the elders. However, the only Vice Sect Master to show up was Vice Sect Master Jin. Upon inquiring, he learned that Vice Sect Masters Liu and Gao had taken immortal treasures and gone off to the Daoist Sect to throw away their lives.

"For the sake of vying for power and authority, they don't even want their lives?!" The Sect Master gnashed his teeth, easily guessing the thoughts of those two fools. It was nothing more than wanting to make a name for themselves at the Daoist Sect so they could contest the position of Sect Master.

But of all the places you could go, why did it have to be the Daoist Sect?

You have the life to walk in, but do you have the life to walk out?

"How much time has passed since the Five Elements Sect concluded their visit to the Daoist Sect?"

"Just half a day. No word has come back yet."

The Sect Master took a deep breath: "No need to wait for news. They have certainly been captured by the Daoist Sect, and it's highly possible the Daoist Sect already knows the location of our headquarters!"

"There is only one strategy left for us now."

"Surrender?"

The Sect Master flew into a rage: "Surrender my foot! Have you ever seen a demonic sect surrender to the righteous path?!"

"Then does this mean we are making history?"

Suppressing the urge to strangle this particular elder, the Sect Master said: "Hurry up and move our operations. We are going to Backup Stronghold Number Five!"

"Oh."

To prevent the higher-ups from being captured and revealing both the headquarters and the backup locations, the Sect Master had ensured that each Vice Sect Master only knew the location of a single stronghold.

For instance, Vice Sect Master Liu knew of Backup Stronghold Number Three, while Vice Sect Master Gao knew of Backup Stronghold Number Four.

In the span of a mere two months, they were forced to move from their second stronghold to a third one, and it was entirely because of the Daoist Sect.

The Immortal Sect moved nimbly, quickly packing up their belongings to head toward Backup Stronghold Number Five.

The Sect Master poked his head back into the secret chamber: "Immortal, shall I carry you as we move, or will you walk on your own?"

The Immortal Immortal: "..."

What was with this constant, precarious feeling of living from hand to mouth?

(End of Chapter)