Chapter 1297: If One Is Not Anqi Sheng in Life, Get Drunk and Ride the Long Whale into the Eastern Sea
Chapter 1297: Chapter 1297: If One Is Not Anqi Sheng in Life, Get Drunk and Ride the Long Whale into the Eastern Sea
Ning Fan could understand the songs of the Ancient Celestial Whale and could also comprehend its warnings.
He did not intend to follow others in chasing the distant figure of the Ancient Celestial Whale.
The Ant Lord knew of the legend of the Ancient Celestial Whale, so Ning Fan also knew.
The legend states that the Ancient Celestial Whale is a messenger of the Endless Sea, long sleeping in ancient dreams.
The legend states that once the whale awakens, it roams unpredictably in the mortal realm, only to lead those destined to the front of the Endless Sea.
The legend states that when the whale appears, if a destined person can catch up to it, ride on the whale’s back, and travel together, they will find the Origin Sea of the Endless Sea and comprehend the Perfect Immortal Spirit Law there.
But can the legend really be trusted?
The truth is, the whale continuously warns the world not to seek the sea.
Yet people misunderstand the warnings, believing that the whale is the guide to lead destined ones to seek the sea.
Thus, when Daoists encounter the whale, they believe they have stumbled upon a destined opportunity, pursuing tirelessly; finally riding on the whale’s back only to be "granted death" and transformed into stone statues, displayed solemnly on the whale’s back, silent for eternity...
But even when some become stone statues, successors merely think those individuals failed the whale’s trials, never suspecting the whale was punishing those who sought the sea.
The legend of the whale as a guide might be just a misunderstanding... or perhaps it isn’t a misunderstanding, but rather rumors deliberately spread by certain entities with ulterior motives...
Ant Lord: You truly don’t intend to chase the whale? This is the Consciousness Realm, even dying in the whale’s trial won’t cause any losses.
Ning Fan: No, I won’t.
Ant Lord: And with Jiuli assisting you, you shouldn’t fear the whale’s trials... My third senior brother once told me, as long as one holds a Five Grades of Extreme Yang item, they can avoid the whale’s petrification. Encountering the whale now, don’t miss the opportunity...
Ning Fan: Your third senior brother? Leader of Tongtian Sect, hmm...
Ant Lord: Yes! My third senior brother never lies to me! He even abandoned a cycle of reincarnation of Taoist cultivation, gathering several Shangqing Lotus Leaves to gift me, simply because he foresaw I would one day have a fated encounter with the whale... Never would I have guessed, I failed to seek the whale while alive, yet as a wisp of residual soul I met it after death... Now the chance to reunite with senior brother is lost, and the Shangqing Lotus Leaves have long been misplaced...
Indeed, I still want to see the whale’s back, even if I don’t search for the Endless Sea.
And if I mount the whale, both Ning Fan and all his women might gain benefits, not to mention I could also savor a taste...
Ning Fan: Your third senior brother is quite kind to you.
What a caring brother he is, abandoning a cycle of reincarnation’s cultivation just to fulfill his little sister’s fleeting immortal fate...
There are some similarities...
The leader of Tongtian Sect loves his little sister Ant Lord, while overseeing the Ancient Kingdom Trade Array that connects different cycle spaces...
Similarly, Nanke loves his little sister and oversees the Enlightenment Consciousness Realm connecting different cycle spaces...
Indeed, these are all confirmations.
Ning Fan contemplated the possibility of mounting the whale.
If this journey assuredly ends in death, he would naturally avoid it; but if there are ways to protect themselves, it is not impossible to go explore.
After all, now that the whale has unleashed an unbeatable force, no one can kill him or snatch treasures; if even the whale’s "grant you death" could be evaded, there’s nothing else to worry about.
The issue is that to avoid the whale’s petrification, one must hold one of the Five Grades of Extreme Yang items.
There exist five extreme Yang items in the world: first is the Shangqing Lotus Leaf, second the Ancient Dao Immortal Apricot, third the Primeval Fusang, fourth the Jiuli Soul Blood, fifth the Breath of the Reverse Saint.
Ant Lord suggests Ning Fan borrow a drop of Jiuli Soul Blood from the Black Evil Sect to counter the whale’s petrification, and she could compensate them afterward. After all, the loss of soul blood can be restored, but losing the whale might mean never again encountering it...
Despite this, Ning Fan couldn’t bear to once more sacrifice the Black Evil Sect and harm its soul blood.
He’d once harmed Black Evil Sect’s soul blood to save the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor, and felt remorseful, having no alternative then; now, however, he has other options.
Black Evil Sect: Master is so gentle! Master actually cares about Black Evil Sect! Black Evil Sect is very happy!
Black Evil Sect: But Master is unaware! Black Evil Sect absorbed fifty thousand Yin-Yang Qi, not only advancing greatly in cultivation but also restored a new drop of soul blood, which should naturally be offered for Master to use! Please, Master, do not hold back! Please use Black Evil Sect thoroughly!
Ning Fan: Your ability to restore new soul blood is commendable, no need to extract it. Rest assured, I have other things to use—I have the seed of the Ancient Dao Immortal Apricot!
The Ancient Dao Immortal Apricot is extremely precious, the previous one was given by Chi Biaonu to Chi Yi, and Chi Yi consumed it already... but the seed was kept intact and carefully refined by Chi Yi into a protective talisman.
The apricot seed is not for consumption or healing, but once refined into a talisman, it can temporarily release extreme Yang power for protection in certain situations. The current situation is perfect to counter the whale’s petrification.
Ant Lord: That little Crimson Panther really treats you well, sending you magical treasures at any cost. By the way, why didn’t little Crimson Panther come here to absorb some Yin-Yang Qi...
Chi Yi: So busy! Chi Yi needs to refine an unparalleled Reverse Star Armor for Master, making him even more majestic in battle, so cannot be distracted with other tasks...
Ant Lord: As expected of you... Good luck, hope your refining goes smoothly.
Ant Lord was numb.
Sister! How many treasures have you given this guy, even repairing Heaven-Opening Artifacts for him. You’re still gifting, even refining more for him! Aren’t you tired? Even Shanhai Arbiter’s donkey isn’t as busy as you!
Ant Lord doesn’t want to admit it, she’s envious! She’s jealous! She’s sour!
Who would’ve thought, that even at her peak, she didn’t have as many magical treasures as Ning Fan!
Enjoying the soft meals of the Divine Artisan State, so delightful! Handsome, rich, big and skillful yet still kind and gentle, can truly do whatever he pleases!
Wait, even I’ve helped refine his Merit Umbrella... Oh no! Unintentionally, I’ve become Chi Yi too!
Beware of gentle traps, starting with you, me, him, her, it!
Why should even "it," such non-human creatures, be cautious? Because Ning Fan leaves nothing out, not even a page of toilet paper!
Ning Fan: With this talisman present, it’s enough to mount the whale’s back and give you all a taste of the whale’s voyage.
This sentence was said by Ning Fan to all the women in his mind.
But the Ant Lord felt that this sentence was intentionally directed at her, making her spirit sense unstable, and she inexplicably felt moved, then became alert, shivering... Beware of emotional deception!
Ant Lord: Shut up! I forbid you from being so gentle! I absolutely won’t become Chi Yi! And don’t even think about turning me into your shape!
Ning Fan: ?
Ning Fan: You’re tied to me every day, you already are my shape... Oh, I didn’t get it for a moment, you meant that kind of thing... Woman, you really kill the mood.
Ant Lord: !!!
A man who doesn’t even spare toilet paper, yet says I kill the mood?
Is he crazy or what!
In the chatroom, those women who spammed "The master is right," "Ant Lord kills the mood," "Master, I love you," "Forget that woman, I’ll support you," you all are crazy, aren’t you!
Who exactly kills the mood, you really have no clue!
Ning Fan: Scold me any more, and I won’t take you to see the Immortal Whale. We’re connected through spirit, even if you curse secretly, I can hear it.
The Ant Lord wanted to reply, "Clearly you’re the one who first said I kill the mood," "You even have ten thousand women cyberbullying me," "I, a dignified Saint, can’t even out-scold a bunch of ants, I’m truly the shame of the Hongjun Holy Sect."
But she really wanted to take a look atop the Immortal Whale.
In need of his help, she could only grit her teeth and submit...
...
When Ning Fan caught up with the Immortal Whale and climbed onto its back, Zi Wei and other fish had already landed.
With the restriction of unbeatable power, everyone couldn’t fight, couldn’t even get too close to one another or make malicious contact.
Furthermore, ancient immortal power continuously washed over them, even Saints struggled to resist such immense power, and petrification signs began appearing more or less on the fish bodies.
The petrification of Zi Wei fish was the least, with only small patches of stone spots on its tail, seemingly possessing methods related to the Five Grades of Extreme Yang Items.
Following were the two Big Dipper Saint Fish, these showed more stone spots than Zi Wei fish, but still within suppressible range, evidently, the two Saints also had their own ways to resist the ancient immortal power.
But the Fishfu Sage and the Taiku Saint looked quite pitiful, at this moment, a third of their body had turned into stone, eroded severely by the immortal power.
These two Saints were utterly unprepared for the ancient Immortal Whale’s appearance, stepping onto the whale’s back with a chance encounter mentality, and regretted it the moment they did.
The legend never mentioned the unavoidable ancient immortal power attack after stepping onto the whale’s back!
Moreover, once the body petrifies beyond a certain extent, they would be fixed on the whale’s back by immortal power, akin to being caught in Fixed Reincarnation, unable to leave, watching their body turn to stone bit by bit...
"I can’t move! This petrification, could it be the legendary Immortal Whale trial? Without preparation, this trial alone could easily finish off an Initial Saint!" Fishfu Sage lamented inwardly, filled with regret.
Luckily, death in the Consciousness Realm caused little damage to the body, although petrified in this realm, his body would awaken in reality, with minimal loss.
Fortunate it was to encounter the Immortal Whale in the Consciousness Realm, if in the outside world, he would truly perish...
The ancient Immortal Whale does not only appear in the Consciousness Realm; anywhere in the world could be the whale’s prowling grounds, with some encountering the whale in reality.
At this moment, Fishfu Sage’s eyes showed signs of petrification, yet he still managed to move his gaze, scanning the numerous statues around, pausing on some Saint statues.
Apart from the Yin-Yang Fish-shaped statues, there were many humanoid statues on the whale’s back, clearly people who perished in reality...
Those who died in reality never had the chance to inform others of the terror of the ancient Immortal Whale.
Those who died in the Consciousness Realm, however, had the opportunity to convey the whale’s real information to others. But having experienced the rain, one might not hand an umbrella to others, some would even wish for others to be drenched too...
"In the future, should I encounter the Immortal Whale, I absolutely won’t approach even a little!" Fishfu Sage reminded himself.
The Taiku Saint also found herself filled with regrets.
But she wasn’t entirely in despair.
Her old gaze swept over the Fishfu Sage, then scanned the two Big Dipper Saint Fish.
Though unspeakable, her eyes clearly conveyed a plea for help.
In her pleading, she forcibly conjured a semblance of allure, blinking her left eye thrice and her right eye thrice at the two Big Dipper Fish.
This was the Fire Fish Clan’s love signal, meaning a contract of staying together for three lifetimes.
"These two Saints both have ways to counter petrification, if they’d save me, I wouldn’t have to ’die.’ If you two save me, I’d have no qualms about being your Dao partner for three kalpas..." Taiku Saint pondered.
Although death in the Consciousness Realm doesn’t cause much loss, who wants to die for nothing if they can avoid it?
And if she could avoid death, she’d have a chance to seek the Origin Sea of the Endless, which in comparison, being the two Saints’ Dao partner for three lifetimes didn’t seem too much.
Seeing the Taiku Saint’s expressive eyes, the two Big Dipper Saints both lowered their gaze, sneering within.
Begging for help?
Not a chance!
We are already exerting all our effort to resist the ancient immortal power ourselves, how could we have the spare energy to save you? And why should we save you?
Guarding the Immortal Whale’s patrol is our duty, saving you would mean allowing others to spy on the Whale’s secrets, once exposed, we couldn’t justify it to the Immortal Emperor. Just by standpoint alone, it is entirely impossible!
As for the love signal from the Taiku Saint for three lifetimes... the two Saints noticed her roots in the Fire Fish Clan, understanding the meaning of such eye communication.
But that’s even more of a no-go!
They are orthodox cultivators of the Profound Sect, avoiding women; and even if they’re inclined to women, they wouldn’t choose a Fire Fish Daoist who has practiced the Fire Quail Secret Art.
Remember, once you have mastered the Fire Fish Clan’s supreme secret technique, your appearance will become extremely ugly... although looks are only external, if they leave a psychological shadow during actions, it might influence your spirit sense.
Moreover, this is the consciousness realm! Even if everyone knows you are from the Fire Fish Clan, they don’t know which time and space you belong to.
What is your surname and given name? In which sanctuary do you reside?
How do I find you afterwards to fulfill today’s pledge of affection?
What if when I finally find you, we have a bloody feud and many causes and consequences in reality, what do we do then...
Or perhaps, in my lifetime, you were actually a dead person, and I’ve worked in vain.
The Two Saints of the Big Dipper moved their gaze away, not meeting the eyes of the Saint of Suffering, making their refusal unmistakably clear.
Helplessly, the Saint of Suffering turned his gaze towards the Ziwei Demon Monarch.
Yet, upon mounting the whale’s back, the Ziwei Demon Monarch closed his eyes and began to meditate, the purpose of which was unknown...
Fortunately, Ning Fan finally boarded the whale’s back, and after doing so, not a single stone mark appeared on him!
This was incredibly impressive!
"This Nine-Tailed Fox, what remarkable ability he possesses..." The Saint of Suffering was speechless, feeling more and more that Ning Fan was unfathomable.
The same shock was felt by Fishfu and the Two Saints of the Big Dipper... there’s no need to elaborate here.
Regarding the Saint of Suffering, he was truly in a dilemma.
"With his composure before the ancient immortal power, surely he can save me, but... I was just engaged in a battle of life and death with him, to request his help now is unreasonable and unlikely for him to aid me..."
Yet even with a one in ten thousand chance, the Saint of Suffering wished to gamble.
Just like before, he quietly sent a hopeful signal across, but this time the target was Ning Fan.
"Is she considering asking me for salvation..."
If Ning Fan was in a normal spirit sense state, he wouldn’t pay any attention to an enemy’s plea for help.
However, at this moment, he felt a heavy stone in his heart: terribly frightened that he may have inadvertently killed the Sword Ancestor’s reincarnation shadow...
Intuition told him, the Female Saint before his eyes had nothing to do with the Sword Ancestor.
But what if the intuition was wrong, what if fate reincarnation had been tampered with, deliberately causing him and her to slaughter each other...
The voice of the Heart Demon kept echoing within his mind.
Ning Fan had never felt so insecure, in front of those he truly valued, he couldn’t help but be emotionally troubled. The more he cared, the more he wavered, and the more the Heart Demon grew...
Indeed, he had never cut off the Heart Demon; she had always been his Heart Demon.
And after witnessing many causes and effects, the Heart Demon swelled to unprecedented levels.
As the breakthrough to Immortal Emperor approached, the Heart Demon escalated to heights unseen.
He could be cold as a rock to all matters of the world, indifferent and selfish between life and death, but he would never allow himself to harm her in the slightest...
Yet the traces she left were too numerous to distinguish, fearful of mistaken recognition... once misjudged in the slightest, even if one reaches the Reverse Saint in cultivation, what’s the point?
Ant Lord: Have you lost your senses? Are you really planning to save her? Are you truly the Ning Fan I know or have you been possessed?
Ning Fan: I don’t know...
Ant Lord: Don’t save! Only someone with brain damage would save! I know you have a craving for women, but do you realize, any Fire Fish mastering the Fire Quail Secret Art becomes an exceedingly rare ugly old woman...
Ning Fan spirit sense -1, Heart Demon +1.
Ant Lord: Really? She’s that ugly and you’re willing? Moreover, Fire Quail women easily shift their affections, often having up to seventeen or eighteen former Dao partners, can you tolerate that?
Ning Fan spirit sense -100, Heart Demon +100.
Ant Lord: Are you attracted to her cultivation, wishing to experience the feeling of Dual Cultivation with a Saint...
Ning Fan spirit sense -500, Heart Demon +500.
Ant Lord: I am a Saint too! At the worst...
Ning Fan spirit sense +100, Heart Demon -100.
Ant Lord: No, it’s not possible! You can’t target me, nor can you save that Fire Quail woman!
Ning Fan spirit sense -500, Heart Demon +500.
Ant Lord: I’ve said it’s impossible no matter what, don’t even think of being with me...
Ning Fan: You’re noisy, quiet for a moment, I’m just disoriented by the Heart Demon. Recently, my power has increased too fast, breaking through to Immortal Emperor is almost here, hence the Heart Demon began to rampage, your noise makes my Heart Demon chaotic...
Ant Lord: Only... only the Heart Demon, that’s fine then...
Yet Ning Fan mentioned that the Heart Demon ran rampant due to the imminent breakthrough to Immortal Emperor...
At this moment Ning Fan’s Heart Demon was acting up, seemingly not the time to ride the Immortal Whale touring...
Missing the Immortal Whale tour might become a lifelong regret.
But if failing to suppress the Heart Demon in time affected his breakthrough to Immortal Emperor, it could ruin Ning Fan’s lifelong Taoist practice, this life stalled at this point...
Ant Lord: No need to watch the Immortal Whale tour, swiftly disconnect, leave the consciousness realm, seek a suitable place, and I’ll help you cut off the Heart Demon!
Ning Fan: No need...
Ning Fan means that there’s no need to sever the Heart Demon. He deeply loves his Heart Demon, that adorable little paper crane, how could he just sever it like that?
But as the Heart Demon grows, the inconceivable also floods Ning Fan’s heart, and the Ant Lord does not perceive this deeper meaning in Ning Fan.
He just thinks Ning Fan is trying to tough it out, and would rather have his Heart Demon lose control than not take him on a quest with the Immortal Whale...
Do you! have! a! problem!
At such a critical juncture, you’re still thinking about how to strategize against this palace. Truly, you would die beneath the peony blossom to be a debonair ghost? Is that really so tempting?
The Ant Lord laughed in exasperation, but she was only possessing Ning Fan, and Ning Fan was the main body. She couldn’t control Ning Fan’s will to sever the Consciousness Realm connection...
Just when she was fuming about how to wake up Ning Fan’s stubborn mind, a flash of inspiration came...
Right here and now, on the Ancient Celestial Whale, there seems to be a way to solve Ning Fan’s Heart Demon... what was it exactly, she couldn’t quite recall...
Regarding the legend of the Ancient Celestial Whale, the Third Senior Brother seemed to have told me another version, what was it...
The Ant Lord’s memory was too fragmented, and even though she had consumed a hundred thousand Yin-Yang Qi, only a small amount of memory was restored, allowing her to faintly remember the general idea but not the specifics.
If only she could remember the details, perhaps...
Ant Lord: Give me another hundred thousand Yin-Yang Qi!
Ning Fan: ?
Ant Lord: If you don’t want to give it, just say so! You are stingy with me all the time! Just because that ugly woman gave you a flirtatious look, you almost handed over your Immortal Apricot Talisman!
The Ant Lord was fuming!
Here she was worrying about how to help Ning Fan, yet Ning Fan was being stingy with her, really thinking she cares for such a small amount of Yin-Yang Qi...
Ding ding! Your account received a hundred thousand Yin-Yang Qi.
Uh?
The Ant Lord was momentarily stunned and didn’t react.
I was just asking casually, you really gave it...
It seems that the Heart Demon has reached its late stage, even the mind isn’t clear anymore... uncurable.
But then some indescribable emotion welled up inside her, making her extremely irritable.
Heartfelt thought that this young man’s Heart Demon truly is strong! Just by the connection of Heart Spirit, it’s already infected me... if I don’t help him sever it today, it will surely implicate me in the future!
Hmph, what a hassle!
Even when my disciples’ Heart Demons were growing, I didn’t bother to care, and now you’ve conveniently benefited first, truly lucky!
Ning Fan: Don’t worry. Although this Heart Demon is strong, I have a plan to deal with it, just need time...
Ant Lord: Shut up! Don’t disturb my refining of the Yin-Yang Qi! And don’t try to save that old Fire Quail woman! Otherwise, I absolutely won’t help you!
Instead of carefully balancing and harmonizing the Yin-Yang Qi as before, it was absorbed in a whale-swallowing manner, ignoring balance.
But the Ant Lord’s residual soul was already broken, and such a devouring naturally caused a feeling of swelling and tearing in the residual soul, but there was no other option.
Who knows when Ning Fan will be done in by his Heart Demon, so naturally, she must seize every second.
Just, no wonder this kid has been so fragile lately, randomly tender; turns out it’s all the Heart Demon’s doing... hmph!
As the Yin-Yang Qi continued being devoured, the Ant Lord remembered more things, recalled another Ancient Celestial Whale legend told by the Leader of Tongtian Sect.
In that legend, the Ancient Celestial Whale was not the guide to the Endless Sea, but a singer, sage, exile.
The Immortal Whale would prevent others from seeking the Endless Sea, yet it would also sing to quell the anger and sadness in people’s hearts.
The Immortal Whale can never return to the Endless Sea unless its sins are pardoned.
The blood of the Immortal Whale can heal a master’s Heart Demon, making one’s spirit sense indestructible.
Those who can converse with the Immortal Whale have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ask it a question, and the Immortal Whale will answer all it knows by observing the Fate Reincarnation.
"I remember now, the blood of the Immortal Whale can heal the Heart Demon, but this information is useless for the current situation..." The Ant Lord paused, then felt disappointed.
Not to mention the influence of the Unbeatable, she couldn’t attack the Immortal Whale; even if she could, she wouldn’t be able to harm the Immortal Whale in the slightest, unable to obtain its blood...
She shamelessly asked Ning Fan for a hundred thousand Yin-Yang Qi, yet the resulting memory was useless to Ning Fan...
Ant Lord: I’m sorry...
Ning Fan: No need to apologize, what you recalled is quite interesting...
Ant Lord: What’s interesting about it? It’s just some misleading legend, none of the legends are believable...
Ning Fan: No, the legend you recalled this time does hold some credibility. In the whale song I heard, it indeed mentioned this whale committed a great mistake and was exiled... so this is the true legend of the Immortal Whale?
Ant Lord: Even if the legend is true, I have no ability to help you obtain the Immortal Whale’s blood...
Ning Fan: No, I’m not after the Immortal Whale’s blood. I just want to ask it one question, and I hope it truly can answer my doubts...
Among the people I’ve killed, is there... is there her shadow...
This is Ning Fan’s greatest Heart Demon at this moment... He will do his best to make up for things that haven’t happened yet, but he fears the mistakes he’s already made...
It’s ridiculous, utterly ridiculous, but he just wants an answer... Once a Holder Cultivator gets stuck in a narrow mind, it’s indeed a headache.
Ant Lord: You want to talk to the Immortal Whale in this Unspeakable world?
Ning Fan: Yes.
Ant Lord: It seems to be male, can you even handle a male one... no, I didn’t mean to discriminate against you, I meant, do you really have a way to knock out such a powerful celestial whale?
Ning Fan: ?
Ant Lord misunderstood!
He misunderstood Ning Fan’s intention to replicate the old trick: first knock out the celestial whale, then connect with the mind, and finally cleverly bypass unspeakable constraints.
Ning Fan: Woman, you’re really tough. Do you think it’s easier to deal with the celestial whale or easier to deal with the consciousness realm?
Ant Lord: Neither is easy... wait, who are you calling tough!
Ning Fan: Even if this celestial whale is not in the Fourth Step, it is likely very close to it. Saying there’s a slim chance of knocking out this whale is an understatement; it is utterly impossible. Without being unbeatable, I cannot act against the celestial whale. But if the target is the consciousness realm, the situation is different. I don’t need to launch any attacks, I just need to rewrite the rules of this realm...
Ant Lord: Can you do that?
Ning Fan: Not really, so I’m not sure what changes would occur from randomly altering the program... but I can take a gamble and try.
So Ning Fan extended his hands, started to write and draw in the void.
At first, the others didn’t realize the dangerous act Ning Fan was attempting.
But when billions of Divine King Rock Spears appeared from thin air in the path of the celestial whale’s patrol, everyone was stunned speechless.
Even Ziwei Demon Monarch opened his eyes at this moment, frowning, "This person can actually control the rules of the consciousness realm, who is he really, just an ordinary Jiuli..."
Ning Fan was speechless as well.
If you often walk by the river, how can you not get your shoes wet? This time, randomly altering a program related to the unspeakable, unexpectedly caused a colossal malfunction!
However, when the endless Divine King Rock Spears struck, the power was comparable to the combined attack of several Desolate Saints. Everywhere they passed, the flow of Yin-Yang Qi stopped as if petrified.
But those rock spears didn’t fall directly, instead, they transformed into an unprecedentedly large teleportation portal, transmitting countless virtual images of rock mountains and rock seas from distant time-spaces, causing severe turbulence in the Realm Gates.
Guarded amidst the rock mountains and seas is an ancient kingdom forgotten by the world, where everything has weathered into rock, frozen in the long river of time.
The virtual shadows of the ancient kingdom continually solidified, becoming more and more specific, as if all of this was not merely transmitted via teleportation but that the kingdom was truly going to be transported entirely into this Realm Gates!
Thus, the reincarnation coordinates anchoring the ancient kingdom clashed with those anchoring this place’s Realm Gates, causing an overlap—which means, the cyclical time-space where the ancient kingdom resided collided violently with the one in front of the Realm Gates!
Neither side would stop unless it shattered!
"Is this the other tactic the Immortal Emperor left behind? To even summon the reincarnation time-space of the Immortal Ancestor Kingdom, aiming to directly smash this Realm Gates! But this realm is Hongjun’s territory, is the Immortal Emperor declaring war directly against Ancestor Hongjun!" The Two Saints of the Big Dipper were shocked, wishing to prevent the collision of the two reincarnation time-spaces, but just one shockwave from the collision blasted them away.
How to stop it? They couldn’t even slightly interfere!
Forget it, if all this is part of the Immortal Emperor’s layout, there must be a profound reason behind it... The two saints comforted themselves this way, truly feeling helpless in facing such a situation.
"Still hard to escape death, but if I can drag everyone to die together, it doesn’t seem that bad, just that this scene is somewhat grand..." Fishfu and Taiku thought.
Once the Realm Gates are shattered, everyone in this realm would sever their connection with the consciousness realm. Rather than being isolatedly wiped out by primordial immortal power, everyone leaving equally seemed not bad.
However, Ziwei Demon Monarch found it hard to accept this outcome!
The celestial whale adventure he painstakingly planned, is it really going to end like this...
"Who on earth is this person! Even as a Reverse Saint, it’s impossible to make the Immortal Ancestor Kingdom obey the summons, since the Immortal Ancestor Kingdom hates all the beings of the world... what on earth is this..."
Seeing the reincarnation time-space of the Immortal Ancestor Kingdom collide, the ancient celestial whale finally stopped singing and stopped advancing forward.
It remained in place, looking dull-eyed at every grass and tree of the Immortal Ancestor Kingdom, familiarity mixed with strangeness; the originally blank gaze suddenly carried pain and madness.
Then... the celestial whale really went mad!
And charged forward towards the collision point of the two reincarnation time-spaces, generating the impact force of a third party!
Thus, after a billion explosive sounds...
The reincarnation time-space of the Immortal Ancestor Kingdom vanished from sight, seemingly knocked back to its original reincarnation coordinates.
This Realm Gates, however, was battered with countless scars, seemingly on the verge of collapse, requiring countless years to repair.
The ancient celestial whale was bloodied from the collision, seemingly hitting its head too hard, causing it to fall into a temporary coma.
As for Fishfu Sage, Taiku Sage, and the Two Saints of the Big Dipper... under the sweep of primordial immortal force from the three-way collision, they all weathered into stone.
The powerlessness of facing Saints in a duel in the Second Step was just as powerless as facing the three-way collision now.
The only consolation is that even if they die in the consciousness realm, they won’t truly die.
"Phew, luckily I left a backdoor in the things I rewrote, allowing me to narrowly escape the impact of the three-way collision... hmm? I can speak now..."
Ning Fan wondered.
Then nodded in satisfaction.
Though the collision with the Immortal Ancestor Kingdom was not his intention, nullifying the unspeakable was his target.
On a rounded-off basis, you couldn’t say his code was truly wrong—it merely successfully executed in another form!
You could say the unspeakable constraint was not lifted!
Now without the interference of the unspeakable, I can communicate with the celestial whale... hmm? Why is the celestial whale bloodied and unconscious? I’ll talk with it once it wakes, and as for this blood, it seems to be a treasure for suppressing inner demons...
Ning Fan was just about to swim to the celestial whale’s head to collect some of its blood.
But at that moment, myriad starlight descended from the sky, and amid the endless starlight, a giant blood-red sword suddenly fell.
This sword shattered the already unstable Realm Gates all the way, with countless stars and traces being born and extinguished within the sword light.
"This is... the Ziwei Supreme Emperor Blade!"
Before Ning Fan’s eyes appeared the scene of the Northern Barbarian Kingdom being split in two, precisely the same sword that cleaved the kingdom in half!
Realizing something, the Heart Demon within Ning Fan transformed into madness at that moment!
The powers of Duowen, Guangmu, Zengzhang, and Chi Guo were unleashed entirely at that instant!
Endless bloodlight surged from Ning Fan’s body, condensing into a devil spirit flower that devours the starry sky, its six petals representing the Chiwei Six Paths.
The blood-red Chiwei Flower gradually bloomed, its opening process exceedingly slow, but before it fully blossomed, all time stood still in eternal stillness!
Even as powerful as the Ziwei Supreme Emperor Blade, it couldn’t withstand the strike of the Chiwei Flower!
A frenzied blood shadow suddenly flew out of the Chiwei Flower, accompanied by an overwhelming, exotic fragrance at that moment.
That blood shadow was Ning Fan in the form of a Yin-Yang Fish, resembling a blood-red meteor crashing head-on into the Supreme Emperor Blade, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
In his fish-hand, he wielded a bizarrely shaped magic spirit spear, forged from bloodlight, over which various traces of light converged, representing all the paths Ning Fan had cultivated in his lifetime.
Now, he infused everything into the spear to pierce through it all!
This was a crossing of time and space, as the Chiwei Spear collided with the Ziwei Sword, and the realm instantly erupted with countless purple and red cracks from the clash.
The result was decided in an instant, with the Ziwei Sword shattering upon contact, the Chiwei Spear breaking through and continuing its path forward, the bloody trail stretching ever onward.
However, this wasn’t because the Purple Tinge Taoist Method was weaker than Chiwei, but because, in this realm, Ning Fan’s Jiuli consciousness exerted too great a restraint.
The Ziwei Supreme Emperor Blade shattered into countless fragments, gradually fading away.
Yet the Chiwei Spear continued its advance, threatening the Ziwei Demon Monarch hidden behind the Supreme Emperor Blade!
Seeing Ning Fan advancing with his spear, the originally expressionless Ziwei Demon Monarch’s fish eyes showed a reaction.
Unlike Ning Fan, who cleverly avoided the triple impact, the Ziwei Demon Monarch relied on the protection of the myriad stars, enduring the triple attack of the ancient powers; the Yin-Yang Fish’s body had long been battered and could barely hold on.
Yet he maintained a fragile grip on his remaining power, refusing to sever the connection to the Consciousness Realm; with what little strength remained, he launched a blood-red sword strike at the incoming Ning Fan.
Faced with the Jiuli’s suppression, the Ziwei Demon Monarch did not expect this sword to inflict much harm on Ning Fan, but he had not anticipated that his sword would be almost effortlessly shattered!
Even more unexpected to him was the presence of a deeply familiar Taoist aura within Ning Fan’s magic spirit spear.
"So it was you who hindered me..."
Chiwei... do you still hate me?
Tsss! Tsss! Tsss! Tsss! Tsss!
At the very moment Ning Fan arrived with his spear, twelve Ziwei Supreme Emperor Blades suddenly appeared, arranged in the formation of the twelve constellations, easily penetrating Ning Fan’s body from twelve directions.
The earlier blood sword strike was just a decoy; after the initial attack, twelve more strikes were hidden, revealing the true lethal move of this technique.
But it struck only empty space!
Though twelve blood swords pierced Ning Fan’s body, not one inflicted substantial harm on him.
At this time, Ning Fan seemed to be in another realm, untouched by any attack.
Simultaneously struck by the twelve blood swords, Ning Fan’s extreme overlord spear also fell!
On the Ziwei Demon Monarch’s body were originally 108 Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend protective arrays, along with the protection of countless stars.
Yet this spear seemed to reverse the Heavenly Gang and manipulate the Earthly Fiend, as if specifically countering the Ziwei Star Method, effortlessly piercing through the Ziwei Star’s myriad star defense.
Thud!
It was the sound of the Ziwei Demon Monarch’s body being impaled by the spear!
With a single hit, countless blood flowers bloomed at the wound, and infinite Chiwei vines burst forth from the Ziwei Demon Monarch’s body.
Then, Ning Fan threw the spear, with the impaled Ziwei Fish on it, being dragged along as if sealed, incapable of resistance; more Chiwei vines sprouted from his body, with red Chiwei flowers flourishing upon them, drawing sustenance from the Ziwei Demon Monarch’s own blood.
When the vines bore a thousand blooms, the spear’s power reached its peak, and on both sides of the spear, two massive blood tumors grew.
How to describe this shape — two balls and a stick. Those who know, know.
Subsequently, the blood tumors, spear, and a thousand Chiwei flowers exploded, the blinding bloodlight and heat waves once more flooding the already unstable Realm.
Amid the Chiwei explosion, the Ziwei Fish could no longer hold together and finally dissolved, yet before dispersing, it uttered an incantation, using its last ounce of strength.
Instantly, Ning Fan, who was supposed to be the Unbeatable Defender, suddenly found himself surrounded by endless thunder, the attack of the Ziwei Thunder Method, crossing from the world of the unattainable to descend upon Ning Fan, causing immense damage.
However, at that moment, Ning Fan possessed a hundredfold vitality, and though gravely wounded, it was not fatal.
"The time was still too short; I couldn’t perfectly calculate the unapproachable realm of its body... Chiwei, this round, you have won..."
"But I am different from you, you will forever remain in the past, whereas I, shall walk into the future..."
"Farewell, Chiwei..."
...
A long time later.
Ning Fan gradually came back to his senses.
"The one I just killed, could it be..."
Chiwei privately messaged you: "That’s right, you indeed met him and pierced him harshly with this old man’s extreme overlord spear! Hahaha! Ziwei, oh Ziwei, you truly become more pathetic; you can’t even defeat the half-disciple I casually picked up! What’s the point of living? Your existence is no match for even one of this old man’s extreme overlord spears! Hahaha!"
Oh?
Didn’t Senior Chiwei forbid calling each other teacher and disciple earlier? How come he now says I’m half a disciple...
Did I agree?
Ning Fan was speechless, and then fell silent.
Even with a complete advantage, he was still seriously injured by Ziwei’s final thunder skill. Is the gap really that big...
Chiwei: He can enter the Saint Realm anytime, but he demands perfection, so he has been delaying. You are far from the Saint Realm, it’s normal to have a gap. What’s important is not the process, but the result. You were able to kill him once, so you can kill him a second time. I have great confidence in you, you wouldn’t lose it, right? Hmm? The Ancient Celestial Whale seems to be about to awaken, but its state seems a bit strange now, be careful...
...
Due to the violent collision impacting its head, the Ancient Celestial Whale fell into a coma.
But it was only a moment before the "Ancient Celestial Whale" awakened, letting out a lazy whale roar, like it was yawning.
Just woke up, the "Ancient Celestial Whale" habitually wanted to scratch its feet, and suddenly realized... What the heck, where are my feet? How did my feet disappear!
Then, it felt an excruciating pain in its head, letting out a furious roar.
Roar roar roar roar roar!
[Damn it! The Niyue Wine given by Nanke, was it fake again? How come I’m so headache after drinking it... Wait, who is Nanke, what is Niyue Wine, who am I, and why did I just say again...]
"Ancient Celestial Whale" appeared confused again, as if it had forgotten many things.
Even forgot that at this moment, he was not really the Ancient Celestial Whale, but a pitiful creature who drank Niyue Wine and had his consciousness plunged into the body of the Ancient Celestial Whale.
[Yes, I remembered! I said I want to stroll around Immortal Ancestor Kingdom to see if there are any treasures like cranes, crows, or sparrows that I can collect. Since they’re all dead people’s stuff, if others don’t want them, they should belong to me, quite reasonable right? But I haven’t collected many treasures yet, suddenly billions of loud noises came, I seemed to get hit by something... Uh, what is Immortal Ancestor Kingdom, still can’t remember who I am...]
[Oh crap! How did my body turn into a giant whale! Could it be the collision just now that bounced my consciousness into this consciousness realm, and assimilated me into a fish... But because at this place there happened to be a big whale in a coma, my consciousness simply went inside, skipping the step of fish assimilation... Hahaha! How could there be such coincidental things! What kind of coincidence could throw me from Immortal Ancestor Kingdom all the way into the Enlightenment Consciousness Realm and then into the body of the Ancient Celestial Whale, I’m not a ball that can be tossed around... Wait, what is Ancient Celestial Whale, can’t remember...]
Due to the violent collision forgetting too much, the "Ancient Celestial Whale" just felt extremely annoyed, especially at this time, it noticed there was a reckless little fish secretly collecting its whale blood on its head.
Roar roar roar roar roar!
The "Ancient Celestial Whale" was livid!
Always it was the one robbing others, since when could others dare rob it!
[Little brat! Who are you! Why did you break my head bloodily, and also steal my blood!]
Hmm?
The tone of this Ancient Celestial Whale’s roar seems different from just now?
Ning Fan, who was collecting whale blood, naturally stopped collecting upon seeing the Ancient Celestial Whale angry. This whale had lost too much blood, and with some casual collection, he had gathered hundreds or thousands of bottles, all sealed... As for the whale blood not collected in time, as the whale’s wound healed, it flowed back into the body. Even the splashed blood seemed to have intelligence, flying back one by one.
Only the blood taken by Ning Fan couldn’t fly back. But... this "Ancient Celestial Whale" seemed to have a clouded mind, forgetting the fact that Ning Fan collected its whale blood in a blink.
Even forgot it was just bloody-headed, and only blamed its wound healed too quickly, the clash between the two reincarnation space wounds, was self-healed within a very short time.
Head doesn’t hurt anymore!
Could it be...
Was it this little fish that cured my hangover headache?
What a good fellow!
The Ancient Celestial Whale immediately showed a smile, grinning like a brilliant chrysanthemum, causing Ning Fan to recall a certain old acquaintance.
Turns out that such obscene smile isn’t only possessed by Old Monster Han...
[Little fish, you cured my headache, tell me your request, as long as it doesn’t involve borrowing money, I will consider it.]
[Legend says, those who converse with Senior can ask a question, and Senior will answer truthfully. I have something to ask.]
[What? Just because you can chat with me, I have to answer your question? Why would I do that? You don’t pay...]
Could it be the Ancient Celestial Whale is greedy for money?
Ning Fan was surprised, he had heard the Ancient Celestial Whale sing before, had a certain understanding of this whale spirit awareness as well. The Ancient Celestial Whale had spirit awareness, but not much, right. Of course, even so, Ning Fan still held it in awe, given its life existence far surpassing his own.
The Ancient Celestial Whale loves money, then give it some, though he didn’t know what a whale would do with money...
So Ning Fan took out a thousand Heavenly Dao Gold as a gift, considering it settling the karma for taking whale blood.
The "Ancient Celestial Whale" instantly brightened its eyes, looking at Ning Fan closely like a beloved close disciple.
[You kid, good! You have the makings of a cultivator of the Yin Yang Transformation! How about it, want to take me as your master! With just a small tuition fee, I can teach you... teach you what again? Can’t remember...]
Cultivator of the Yin Yang Transformation?
Aren’t you the Immortal Whale? With a full orthodox immortal spirit power, no mixed thoughts of magic, yet you say you want to teach me cultivation of the Yin Yang Transformation...
[Forget it, today’s brain isn’t clear, we’ll discuss taking you as a disciple another day. By the way, you said you wanted to ask a question right? Ah, strange strange, why for today’s me, turning a thought can see numerous causes... Damn! Is that destiny? Turns out to be in such posture, but, what is destiny, can’t remember...]
The "Ancient Celestial Whale" appeared confused again.
It wasn’t until Ning Fan’s several calls that it came to its senses.
[What is your question, ask quickly! I’ve got a torrent of thoughts today; no matter what you ask, I can observe the answer from the cycle of fate reincarnation!]
[I want to know, within the endless reincarnations, was there ever a cycle where I killed... was there ever a shadow of a certain woman I killed?]
[Did I ever fail the many smiles she left me.]
Have you ever...
With words on the tip of his tongue, Ning Fan found himself unable to continue, as if he feared the final answer.
He realized that his many worries were not something that could be addressed with a single question, and for a moment, he was left speechless.
This made the Ancient Celestial Whale very anxious.
This little fish, at first glance, seemed to be a brilliant material for a cultivator of the Yin Yang Transformation; yet when it came to matters involving women, he suddenly became so cautious, overly worried, as if he had a serious problem.
[Oh, it’s due to the Heart Demon, no wonder he is in such a state. But what exactly is a Heart Demon...]
[Hm, interesting, very interesting...]
Suddenly, numerous fragments of cause and effect emerged from reincarnation, flooding into the mind of the Ancient Celestial Whale.
And then, all of Ning Fan’s worries received an answer in the mind of the Celestial Whale.
[Young man, you are truly the greatest fool in the world!]
"Senior, what do you mean by this?"
[You’re actually worried that in some reincarnated life, you might have killed the woman you love deeply! Hahaha! Would you really be able to bear killing her? You could kill yourself, but not her! However, I understand your concern; aren’t you just worried that in the cycles of reincarnation, someone might maliciously arrange some kind of lovers’ revenge scenario for you. But do you know what I just saw? In endless reincarnation, I have never seen you kill your beloved, even though some supreme existences may push things maliciously. Yet, with your infatuated and sharp perception, you can always detect it in time, and then, redirect the sword meant for her...]
This is such a strange metaphor...
But...
Out of nowhere, Ning Fan’s anxiety calmed down, and the Heart Demon also settled.
He didn’t need the whale’s blood to suppress the Heart Demon; he just needed an answer, and the Celestial Whale provided it.
As for whether he believes it or not... For some reason, Ning Fan felt a strange trust towards the Celestial Whale at this moment.
[A person least likely to kill their Dao companion, yet constantly worries about the least likely things happening. Your question is the second most ridiculous I’ve encountered since becoming an Immortal Whale. Want to hear the first ridiculous one? Once, a woman met the Celestial Whale and asked if she had ever, in any lifetime, failed her little butterfly. Hahaha! Isn’t it funny? A once-in-a-lifetime question wasted on such nonsensical concerns, truly amusing.]
Ah, I remember now! This isn’t the first time I’ve become a whale; last time, when I drank Niyue Wine, I too entered the body of a whale due to various wonderful, interconnected causes... No, not deliberate connections, this was the result of my calculations... If what I need to do is beyond the ability of Purple Dou, then all causes must be hidden in coincidences to deceive the heavens...
Thought the Ancient Celestial Whale.
Ning Fan was equally astonished.
Could the questioner be the sword ancestor from another lifetime...
"How did you respond to that woman’s question, Senior?"
[A person can only ask the Celestial Whale one question, so I won’t answer your second one. Everything that follows is merely my musings; you can choose whether to listen.]
[I told that young girl: Hey! Rest assured, young girl, each time your little butterfly broke, it was yours alone. In endless reincarnation, never has it belonged to a second man. Hahaha! Guess what happened! She was so infuriated, she struck me with a sword, claiming I dodged her question, tarnishing the reputation of the Dao Soul’s First Clan. I am nothing of the Dao Soul’s First Clan, hahaha...]
Ning Fan: ...
The way this Celestial Whale behaves irresponsibly reminded Ning Fan of an old acquaintance... Could it really be... But is such an outrageous thing likely to happen amidst so many coincidences?
[Foolish children, you are all foolish children, there will never be two such fools, so perfectly crafted by heaven and earth. I truly hope to see a happy ending for you both. But unfortunately, too many mountains and seas separate you from her, and there’s no fate of growing old together...]
[You’ve gone silent; do you think the old man spoke unreasonably? Oh, it’s that you don’t believe her every butterfly was yours... That’s understandable; humans often fall into reasonable logic and thus ignore the fact that the world might have been unreasonable from the start. Time and space are the metrics with which ordinary people measure the world, but even if you strip away the concept of time and space, the world remains. The thread of reincarnation twists and turns, like countless threads tangled together. You can’t see reincarnation clearly because you focus on all the threads. The truth is, you only need to observe the thread beneath your feet and move forward...]
[One plus one can equal two, or three, and even both two and three, or neither. Everything can have concepts, or no concepts, can exist, or not exist. You can’t prove the existence of everything, nor can you prove that everything doesn’t exist. So, what in this world has any inherent true or false, eternally unchanged rules? That is the Taiji and the cycle of birth and extinction...]
Taiji, birth and extinction?
Is the Ancient Celestial Whale really... my mentor at this moment?
[In a fundamentally unreasonable world, scholars study the reasonable; in a world where there is no true or false, masters seek the truth; materialists are constrained by the material, idealists by the mind. Fish in the sea can’t imagine the height of the sky, and birds in the sky can’t experience the sea’s depth... Thus, beyond the unknown, some have learned to believe. In the long cycle of reincarnation and the vast cosmos, a single person’s strength is as insignificant as a microorganism. Some are born from fire and believe fire is the world; others are born from water and believe water is the truth. However, the essence of the world cannot be understood by human strength alone; yet if belief is fundamental, possibilities can be found.]
[Don’t understand? Let me test you with a question.]
[You encounter the reincarnation shadow of your Dao companion in dislocated time and find you arrived too late: your companion has been married, widowed, and has upheld widowhood for many years, having four daughters. You push your Dao companion’s reincarnation shadow aside, and also push back her four daughters, but later you realize something is wrong; you can’t tell whether you’ve betrayed someone or others have betrayed you, and you cannot ascertain if you have violated ethics... What is the true answer to this question?]
[The answer is, your Dao companion, aside from you, has never belonged to another man; and even if you collected both mother and daughters, you have not violated ethics, because they might not be real mother and daughters. This is very unconventional, further unreasonable... Yet in a fundamentally unreasonable world, you need to find its constants, deducing the causes from the effects, rather than becoming confused within the cycles of cause and effect.]
[If your Dao companion recognized you while already being married and widowed for years, but I tell you she never belonged to another man, that might be because that unfortunate former husband, just dead, was also you! Or there could be other reasons, where so-called marriage and widowhood are facades deceiving the world! Your Dao companion has children, yet both you and she are fated to be without; so where did they come from? They might have been created from clay, or adopted and raised, the hidden reasons need you to find the answer yourself, without explanation from others, but with your own contemplation...]
[I can only give you four words as the answer to all reincarnation: take all, receive all.]
[What, you find it unreasonable? Then go find the answer within reincarnation yourself! You were the one who tangled and interwove reincarnation, after all!]
[Let me give you one more piece of information: her flawlessness is an unchangeable constant, granted by the blessing of Divine King Niyue... She is the daughter of gods, a flawless person acclaimed for it, which is Divine King’s eternal blessing...]
[And as for you, alas, no one showers grace upon you, which means all the filth you’ve encountered, unfortunately, is a reality. Someone set the Hehuan Tribulation upon you; someone set the Black Fortune Tribulation; and someone set the Dao Relationship Tribulation upon you... Damn it, truly infuriating! Being your teacher, I even get implicated, with a severed Dao Relationship, none meet good endings; isn’t it infuriating? Woe to me if I find out which scoundrel did this!]
[Enough! This Realm Gates is about to disintegrate completely! No time to dawdle, go do what you need to do. Whether its Unattainable or Unconceivable, it’s up to you! But don’t forget, spending time under the sun helps prevent the growth of Heart Demons! You wouldn’t have such heavy Heart Demons, trapping yourself in your own mind if you listened to me. Even though you know a tiny bit more than me, never forget: I have definitely eaten more grains than you’ve eaten salt; I have most certainly expelled more dung than you’ve eaten dung! Trust your master’s judgment without fail! No matter how strong an enemy is, go ahead and act, both Black Evil Sect and white ice flame are good evils! But if reincarnation binds you with something unattainable, your master will retrieve everything for you...]
Boom!
The precariously held Realm Gates ultimately exploded!
Ning Fan felt his consciousness lighten, ready to return to the external world, yet before he did, a large bundle of Yin and Yang Qi was stuffed into his body, a casual gift from the strange Ancient Celestial Whale...
"Master..."
A strange mix of emotion swirled in Ning Fan’s heart, both touching and melancholic.
But in the end, all emotions transformed into a plea and call.
"Master, wait! You’ve forgotten to return the thousand Heavenly Dao Gold I gave you..."