Chapter 502: The Disappeared Immortal Immortal

Seeing the cult leader's completely bewildered expression, Lu Yang was even more perplexed.

"The Immortal Infallible, the very object of your Infallible Cult's devotion, goes by the name of Bu Yaolian."

The cult leader knit his brows. "The Immortal Infallible is indeed our faith, but by your tone, you imply he is here among us?"

"Naturally. After being resurrected by your cult, the Immortal possessed only a soul without a vessel, requiring a suitable physical form. You then gathered all the Foundation Establishment disciples of the Infallible Cult for a grand tournament. I emerged victorious, and under your guidance, I beheld the Immortal Infallible."

"Subsequently, the Immortal was thoroughly thrashed within my spiritual domain, while Eldest Senior Sister coordinated with the imperial court to wipe out your cult in a single sweep, refining several of you into spectral thralls."

As Lu Yang spoke, the cult leader's brow furrowed deeper and deeper. Lu Yang would certainly not concoct such matters to deceive him; either his own memory was flawed, or Lu Yang's was.

The cult leader summoned Master Liu, Master Gao, and the others, seeking confirmation on whether the Immortal Infallible had ever manifested in this world.

From the two barbecue masters down to the three alluring phantoms, everyone denied ever laying eyes upon the Immortal.

"In my recollection, when I gathered all the Foundation Establishment disciples for that contest, it was to select young talents as candidates for the cult's cadre reserve. You did indeed triumph in that match, and just as I was about to bestow your reward, the imperial court raided the premises, apprehending our entire cult. Afterward, we were refined into spectral thralls by Lord Yun Zhi to atone for our sins here."

"Throughout the entire affair, from beginning to end, there was no Immortal Infallible."

"Then what about your constant urging for me to expand the barbecue business, to establish chains in the outside world and spread them across the entire continent? Was that objective not set for you by the Immortal Infallible?"

The cult leader denied it once more. "Not at all. I simply felt that rather than idling away our lives here in a stupor, it was better to seek a purpose. Thus, I requested your assistance, Fellow Daoist Lu Yang, to expand the shop. It was you who approached the Nine Nether Cult to help us establish the franchises."

Lu Yang sought another piece of evidence to prove the Immortal's existence. "Then what of your statue of the Immortal Infallible? Previously, it was so indistinct that one could not even discern its gender. After his descent, you replaced all the effigies with his true likeness, holding a volume of the Penal Code in his hands."

"That is not how it happened. One day during my secluded meditation, I dimly perceived the Immortal walking toward me in a trance. Holding a volume of the Penal Code, he looked upon me with a benevolent countenance and said that I had done well, that we had all done well, and that within a few days, he would truly be born. Upon waking, I realized it was a divine dream, a celestial encounter, which prompted me to replace the statues."

"Yet, before that day could arrive, your Daoist Sect and the imperial court raided and seized our Infallible Cult."

The Immortal Infallible had frequently frequented the barbecue shop, and everyone on the commercial street recognized him, though they knew nothing of his true identity. Lu Yang inquired at the neighboring shops, but they, too, held no recollection of him.

He also sought out several passing senior brothers and sisters who were regulars at the shop, yet all claimed they had never seen the Immortal Infallible.

"Is there truly no Immortal Infallible?" After a round of inquiries, Lu Yang began to doubt his own memory, wondering if a non-existent sequence of events had been implanted in his mind.

"Fairy, wake up, something has gone wrong." Lu Yang nudged the sleeping Immortal Fairy awake.

Following the conclusion of the celebration, the Immortal Fairy had claimed physical and mental exhaustion from overexerting her mind, retreating to a deep slumber within his spiritual domain.

In truth, Lu Yang could not fathom what could possibly exhaust her, considering she had sat in the spectator stands the entire time, save for performing a brief sparring act with him.

"What is it..." hearing the call, the Immortal Fairy muttered, her voice trailing off into a long whine.

With immense effort, she forced her eyes open to a narrow slit, cast a glance at Lu Yang, and turned back to sleep.

"Let this Sect Master sleep a little longer..." she murmured, closing her eyes once more.

"The Immortal Infallible has vanished."

"What? The Third Chief is missing?"

The Immortal Fairy bolted upright. Their Infallible lineage comprised three individuals: she was the First Chief, Lu Yang was the Second, and the Immortal Infallible was the Third. The average cultivation level of the three was that of a Half-Immortal, a force of unparalleled might. Now, with one missing...

It seemed the average cultivation remained that of a Half-Immortal?

Evidently, the Third Chief was not entirely indispensable.

"Wait, how could he just vanish into thin air?"

The Immortal Fairy's reaction brought a sigh of relief to Lu Yang. It appeared his own memory was intact; rather, the memory of the Immortal Infallible had been excised from everyone else's minds, replaced by alternative recollections.

Lu Yang detailed his discovery and the results of his investigation thus far.

"Hmm, quite intriguing. It sounds like the work of a karmic spell. However, such parlor tricks mean nothing to this Immortal. Under my protection, you remain unaffected."

"A karmic spell?" Karma was an obscure and profound concept, far beyond what Lu Yang needed to comprehend at his current realm.

"From the moment a person is born—no, rather, from the moment a soul quickens within the womb—they establish a connection with the world."

To better illustrate, the Immortal Fairy manifested a sheet of white paper and drew a circle upon it.

"This circle represents you at birth."

She drew another circle a short distance away.

"This represents someone else."

A line connected the two circles.

"After your birth, when another person perceives you, a karmic bond is formed between you. By the same token, when you perceive them, a mutual karma arises."

"If you are strangers, the karma is shallow. They glance at you, forget you soon after, and the karma dissolves."

"But suppose at birth, endowed with divine strength, you fracture their leg. They certainly will not forget you, and thus your karmic bond deepens."

As she spoke, the line connecting the two circles grew thicker and darker, becoming highly prominent.

"As you grow and encounter more people, the karmic bonds you forge with the world multiply."

"Your childhood companions, the sect mates and elders you meet upon entering the Daoist Sect—all these possess intimate karmic ties with you."

"Why do certain cultivators choose to seclude themselves from the world? It is because the accumulation of too much worldly karma hinders one's cultivation."

"When everyone forgets your existence, the karmic bonds between them and you cease to be, which is precisely the predicament the Third Chief now faces."

Lu Yang had not noticed it previously, but upon reflection, he realized that since the Immortal's descent, his interactions with the world had been limited to a specific circle.

Upon his birth, he met the high officials of the Infallible Cult, followed by Lu Yang, the Immortal Fairy, and the Eldest Senior Sister. Afterward, he arrived at the Daoist Sect, interacting only with the people of the commercial street and the sect's disciples.

If one were to sever all traces of these encounters, severing the karma so that everyone forgot or held substituted memories, that individual would lose all connection to the entire world.

"Of course, considering the Third Chief's cultivation and how cleanly they have forgotten him, no karmic spell within my knowledge should be capable of this extent. Either your era has devised a far more potent karmic spell, or someone has condensed a Dao Fruit pertaining to Karma."