237: Chapter 237 Primordial Immortal Venerable

Jiang Changge walked forward and stopped in front of the stone statue.

His gaze slowly swept over the statue's face and landed on the stone tablet half-buried in dust beneath the statue's feet.

The stone tablet was carved with a few ancient Seal characters from the Primordial Era; their strokes were vigorous and identical to the handwriting on the stone wall at the entrance of the Nine-Orifice Stone Forest.

He identified them for a moment and recognized the content of those characters— "Immortal Venerable Yuanchu suppressed the Mirage here."

"Immortal Venerable Yuanchu." Jiang Changge murmured these four words.

According to the System's previous hint, this ancient mighty figure was the Mirage's master and the person who had sealed it here back then.

To Seal a Primordial Vicious Beast, which was comparable to an Immortal King in its prime, with his lifelong cultivation—this level of cultivation and courage was truly worthy of the title "Immortal Venerable."

Jiang Changge stood before the stone statue and looked around the entire stone hall.

Just as he was about to carefully examine whether any clues were hidden in those murals, the Void Realm three feet in front of the stone statue suddenly rippled slightly.

The ripples were extremely light and fine, like the surface of a lake wrinkled by the wind, spreading outward in circles.

Immediately, an extremely illusory figure slowly emerged from the ripples.

The figure's outline was identical to the stone statue; both were of a lean, middle-aged man, only much clearer and more realistic than the statue.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his moon-white robe fluttering slightly in the Void Realm, and his expression was calm and indifferent, with an air between his brows that was completely different from that of Venerable Hantian.

It was a kind of true, transcendental aura belonging to an Immortal; even standing on the soil of the mortal world, it felt as if he could ride the wind and leave at any moment.

Jiang Changge's gaze narrowed slightly. This Void Shadow was different from the Mirage's remnant soul; it had no aggression and no sense of oppression.

It just stood there quietly, emitting a soft and warm light, making one involuntarily feel peace and awe.

"Immortal Venerable Yuanchu?" Jiang Changge spoke, his tone carrying a hint of probing, as well as a rare solemnity.

The Void Shadow did not answer immediately, but tilted its head slightly, its illusory eyes falling on Jiang Changge, as if examining something.

The Void Shadow's gaze lingered on Jiang Changge for a long time, and a complex emotion surged in those illusory eyes—there was reminiscence, there was emotion, and there was also a hint of unspeakable gratification.

A moment later, he spoke slowly, his voice gentle and distant, carrying a power that made people involuntarily quiet down.

"Immortal Venerable Yuanchu."

He repeated this title in a low voice, a faint smile appearing on the corner of his mouth, though the smile carried a hint of self-deprecation.

"It has been a long, long time since anyone called me that. Young man, since you were able to come here and eliminate that wicked beast, you must already have an understanding of what happened between it and me."

Jiang Changge nodded slightly: "I know a thing or two."

"That saves me a lot of breath." The Void Shadow of Immortal Venerable Yuanchu sighed softly, his gaze crossing Jiang Changge and landing on the huge skeleton that stretched across most of the canyon outside the hall, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

"The Mirage was a mount I subdued back then, and it was also the wicked beast I sealed with my own hands. It followed me through many years of battle, and I had originally thought it could let go of its nature as a Vicious Beast and walk the Righteous Path."

"Unfortunately, when my time was approaching, it finally revealed its true nature. Taking advantage of my declining Immortal Qi, it secretly devoured my Immortal Qi, attempting to break through its shackles in one go and rebel against me."

He was silent for a moment before continuing, his tone becoming a bit heavier: "I was no longer strong enough to kill it completely at that time, so I could only use my lifelong cultivation to Seal it, along with this Nine-Orifice Stone Forest, here. I set up a Restriction, using its Chaos Origin as the Foundation to convert it into the power that operates the stone forest."

"I had intended to suppress it here for eternity to atone for its crimes, but I did not expect that this would span endless years."

Jiang Changge listened quietly without interrupting.

Immortal Venerable Yuanchu withdrew his gaze and let it fall back on Jiang Changge. The complex look in those illusory eyes gradually faded, replaced by a solemn scrutiny: "Young man, that you could defeat the remnant soul of the Mirage shows that your strength and Heart-Nature are both top-notch."

"That you can stand here unscathed shows that you were not deceived by its sweet words, nor did you lose yourself in its final illusion counterattack. This Heart-Nature and concentration are enough to be considered outstanding, even in the Immortal Realm of the Primordial Era."

There was a hint of expectation in his tone: "That you and I meet here is fate."

"What I have left here, besides this stone hall and those few Magical Artifacts that suppressed the Mirage, is a Legacy. The Cultivation Technique and insights I practiced throughout my life are all sealed within this stone statue. I originally intended to leave this Legacy to someone fated, but there is one condition."

Jiang Changge did not rush to ask what the condition was, but just looked at the Void Shadow of Immortal Venerable Yuanchu calmly, waiting for him to continue.

Seeing his calm and composed demeanor, the look of approval in Immortal Venerable Yuanchu's eyes grew stronger, though his tone became a bit more solemn: "Although I am just a remnant thought about to dissipate and cannot pass on the complete Cultivation Technique, I hope that the person who receives my Legacy can go to the Immortal Realm on my behalf."

"I was originally from the Immortal Realm. I came to the Xuanhuang World to hunt down the Mirage and ultimately perished here. I have an unfulfilled wish left in the Immortal Realm that needs someone to complete for me."

Immortal Venerable Yuanchu looked at Jiang Changge with burning eyes: "In exchange, I will bestow upon you a portion of my Legacy and the true Treasure Trove in this stone hall."

"Are you willing?"

Jiang Changge was silent. The condition of Immortal Venerable Yuanchu was not harsh; one could even say it was very lenient.

He did not ask him to swear a Heavenly Dao oath, did not set a specific deadline, and did not stipulate any punishment for failing to complete it.

He only asked him to fulfill an unfulfilled wish after his Ascension to the Immortal Realm.

Either Immortal Venerable Yuanchu was naturally like this, or this remnant thought was already so weak that it had no room to bargain.

However, Jiang Changge did not agree immediately. He never made promises lightly, especially when facing an ancient mighty figure who had lived for who knows how many tens of thousands of years.

Even if the other party appeared sincere and without desire, he was habitually vigilant.

The lesson of the Mirage was still fresh in his mind; hadn't that Vicious Beast also put on a sincere and frank appearance at the beginning?

If not for the System by his side, allowing him to see through the other party's background the moment he stepped into the canyon, he might have been deceived by that rhetoric as well.

"What exactly is the wish that the Senior speaks of?" Jiang Changge asked, his tone remaining flat, revealing no inclination.

"Since you want this Junior to complete it for you, you should at least let this Junior know how much risk this matter entails and what kind of price needs to be paid."