174: Fragments of the Immortal World

The members of the Ascension Palace ultimately left in a disheveled state. Fan Tianqiong's face turned livid at Yang Wuji's final words, yet he could not think of a single word to refute them.

Yang Wuji retracted the three-colored sun in the sky and then returned to the group.

The many Elders and Disciples of the Yang Sect were truly shocked to see that their Grand Elder possessed such formidable strength.

For many years, their Yang Sect had not created such a massive stir as they had today.

"Greetings, Supreme Grand Elder!"

The thunderous voices were resounding, echoing ceaselessly.

Yang Wuji nodded: "From this day forth, our Yang Sect will no longer remain in seclusion!"

"The territory of the Human Race should no longer be dominated solely by the Ascension Palace!"

"Our Yang Sect will once again display the glory of tens of thousands of years ago!"

Yang Wuji's words were impassioned, stirring the crowd into a frenzy of excitement.

He then waved his hand: "Everyone, return to Cultivate!"

"Yes!"

The Cultivators acknowledged the order and immediately departed.

He then came to Xu Qi'an's side.

Xu Qi'an bowed deeply and said with great gratitude: "Thank you, Revered Master!"

Yang Wuji chuckled: "There is no need for thanks; you are the Yang Sect Saint, and also my Disciple."

"Rest assured, after this incident, the Ascension Palace will not dare to act recklessly again."

"Mo Qianjie is a person who never does anything without certainty; the Ascension Palace does not yet dare to completely break ties with our Yang Sect."

"After all, if our Yang Sect and the Ascension Palace continue to fight, it would hold absolutely no benefit for his Ascension Palace!"

Xu Qi'an nodded, but his heart was filled with curiosity regarding the Forbidden artistic conception.

He always felt that these three major Concepts, being Forbidden artistic conceptions, were definitely not simple, and were not as the rumors in the Reverse Immortal Alliance suggested.

Because the Cultivators in the Immortal Remnant Land were all Sinful Immortals, cultivating these three major Concepts was forbidden.

Xu Qi'an intended to ask for clarity today.

"Revered Master, this Disciple has a question: why does the Ascension Palace view the Concepts of Time, Space, and Reincarnation as Forbidden artistic conception?"

"Is it truly because of the Immortals in the Immortal Remnant Land?"

Yang Wuji sighed, a heavy look appearing on his face.

"You must have heard the version from the Sinful Immortals of the Reverse Immortal Alliance!"

"That version is the most unreliable and the least tenable."

"It works fine to fool newcomers, but as time passes, one will naturally have many doubts."

"In reality, the core reason the Ascension Palace views the three major Concepts as Forbidden artistic conception lies in the fact that this world is missing something."

"And cultivating Forbidden artistic conception will cause this world to continue to decline, losing a portion of its Origin, thereby causing the various Star Domains to split apart."

Xu Qi'an was stunned upon hearing this.

He had thought of countless possibilities, but he had never imagined that the so-called Forbidden artistic conception would lead to such a result.

"Is what Revered Master says true?"

Yang Wuji nodded.

"I wonder if you have ever heard of the Barbaric Domain!"

"In reality, the Barbaric Domain was originally a part of the five great Star Domains."

"Tens of thousands of years ago, because the Seal of the Immortal Remnant Land was opened, there were too many Cultivators practicing Forbidden artistic conception in the five great Star Domains!"

"This led to a reduction in the Origin of this world, which could no longer support so many territories, causing a portion of the five great domains to fall into the endless Void Realm."

Xu Qi'an was shocked after hearing this.

"So that's how it is!"

"So that is how the Barbaric Domain came to be!"

Yang Wuji then said something that left Xu Qi'an feeling incredibly shocked.

"Actually, the five great domains were already in a state of division; originally, the five great domains were one massive territory—it was a fallen Immortal Realm fragment!"

"Immortal Realm fragment??"

"These five great domains are actually fallen Immortal Realm fragments?"

"Does that not mean that Immortal Ascension is impossible?" Xu Qi'an asked curiously.

Yang Wuji paused for a moment, then said: "Yes and no. As long as the world's Origin is replenished and the five great domains are reunited into one, perhaps it will be possible to communicate with the Immortal Realm once again!"

"The Ascension Palace is so persistent about Cultivators of Forbidden artistic conception partly because an excess of such Cultivators will deplete the world's Origin, and on the other hand, it is also to capture them and research what exactly that depleted Origin is."

"Using Cultivators of Forbidden artistic conception to restore that so-called Origin."

"What is the depleted Origin?" Upon hearing this, Xu Qi'an instantly associated it with the experiment in the Dark Shadow Sect dungeon that day.

As well as the embryonic form of the Chaos Conception that Xu Qi'an had obtained after gathering the treasures and the bead!

"Could that Origin substance be the power of Chaos!"

Xu Qi'an immediately thought of this possibility.

If it were not this, Xu Qi'an really could not think of what else could be depleted; the only possibility was this Chaos Conception, which stood above all other Concepts.

Hearing Xu Qi'an's doubtful question, Yang Wuji shook his head: "At present, there is no definitive conclusion as to what this substance is."

"You do not need to investigate this now; that is not something you should be looking into at this moment."

"Rest assured, this world will not collapse because there is one more Cultivator of Forbidden artistic conception like you, nor will it recover if there is one less."

"So, after hearing my words, do not take them to heart."

Xu Qi'an listened, bowed, and then nodded.

"This Disciple understands; thank you, Revered Master, for the explanation!"

Yang Wuji waved his hand.

"The Ascension Palace ostensibly uses the pretext of protecting the Human Race, but in secret, it has actually done many things to harm other Sects."

"There has long been resentment among the major Sects!"

"Our Yang Sect standing out today is actually a declaration to the other Sects that our Yang Sect will oppose the Ascension Palace and break the status quo that the Ascension Palace has established over these tens of thousands of years!"

...

In the center of the Weiyang Star Region, there was a Cultivation Planet named Ascension Star.

There was only one Cultivation Country on Ascension Star, which was the Ascension Country.

The actual ruling organization of the Ascension Country was called the Ascension Palace.

The gate of the Ascension Palace was located on the highest mountain range of Ascension Star, the Immortal Spirit Mountain Range.

Within a radius of a thousand miles of the Ascension Palace, Spiritual Qi permeated the air, white cranes chirped, and long white jade stairs extended from the base of the Immortal Spirit Mountain Range to the peak.

There were a total of nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine steps.

Every Cultivator who wished to enter the Ascension Palace had to walk up the stairs step by step and could not fly.

Because every layer of the white jade stairs was covered with the power of Law; it was rumored that these white jade stairs were a massive piece of White Dust Immortal Stone, naturally formed by heaven and earth, which had given birth to a mysterious power of Law after a million years.

Fan Tianqiong walked up the white jade stairs step by step, his heart filled with extreme trepidation.

"Will the Palace Revered Master blame me for failing to do my job properly!"

"But Yang Wuji's strength is so formidable, how could I possibly bring that person back!"

"I believe the Palace Revered Master will understand me!"

As Fan Tianqiong thought this, a scoffing remark suddenly descended from the palace above.

"Fan Tianqiong, you did not even bring the person back, and you still have the face to return to the Ascension Palace?"

Fan Tianqiong's heart skipped a beat. He looked up and saw a middle-aged male Cultivator standing on a white jade pillar.

This middle-aged male Cultivator was dressed in a white jade snow robe, looking imposing, with an air of arrogance on his face, and he looked down at Fan Tianqiong below with great contempt.

Hearing the provocative words of the man in the snow robe, Fan Tianqiong snorted: "I wondered who it was; so it is Elder Xue Kong!"

"Whether I brought the person back or not is not important; what is important is that I have news to bring to the Palace Revered Master!"

"Oh?" Xue Kong crossed his arms, revealing a look of curiosity.

Fan Tianqiong ignored Xue Kong and immediately strode forward, passing him by.

"Heh, Elder Fan, the Palace Revered Master is currently at the Wish-Cleansing Pool purging Cultivators of Forbidden artistic conception today. You had better not disturb him, or you will bear the consequences yourself!"

Fan Tianqiong was slightly stunned, then said: "Elder Xue, do not try to deceive me!"

"Why would I deceive you?"

"I, Xue Kong, have always acted in an upright and honorable manner!" Xue Kong said proudly.

Fan Tianqiong raised his eyebrows and cursed inwardly.

"You, upright and honorable? Then how were the five Level 8 Cultivation Countries in the Weiyang Star Region destroyed overnight?"

"I think you are even more of a beast in human clothing than I am...! No, you look like a human but act like a dog...!"

Fan Tianqiong immediately dismissed the urge to curse Xue Kong and intended to walk on.

Just at this moment, a somewhat low and hoarse voice emanated from the white jade palace.

"Little Fan, Little Xue, what are you doing here."

Hearing this familiar voice, Fan Tianqiong shuddered instantly and hurriedly knelt on one knee to pay his respects.

"Greetings, Palace Revered Master!"

As the voice faded, a mass of white mist dispersed in front of Fan Tianqiong, revealing a short and sturdy figure.

He stood on the spot, his entire body devoid of any fluctuation of Qi, yet both Fan Tianqiong and the other were trembling with fear.

"Little Fan, where is the person I wanted?"