The End of the Immortal Path

"To think Zhuo Bufan is already in the top three."

Jiang Man remarked with a sigh, trailing behind Ji Hao in the Treasure Pavilion.

Ji Hao had just told him about the upcoming exchange.

The visitors for the exchange were from the Celestial Water Sect, one of the Three Major Sects under the Immortal Sect’s jurisdiction.

Their primary purpose was to put the Wuyun Sect down a peg through this exchange.

This was, of course, all about the discussions and rivalries of the higher-ups.

It wasn’t a major issue. At worst, they might lose a spot or two in certain Secret Realms.

It wouldn’t affect anything significant.

The Outer Sect would lose a bit of face at most, that’s all.

There was no benefit to winning, either. After all, their opponents were from the Sixth Courtyard.

It wouldn’t be an honorable victory.

However, they weren’t just visiting the Outer Sect; they were here for the Inner Sect as well.

A victory in the Inner Sect competition, however, would come with benefits.

But since Jiang Man was in the Outer Sect, his questions were about the Outer Sect.

The answer he received was that the visitors would be targeting the Outer Sect’s top three.

If the top three are defeated, the Outer Sect’s Third Courtyard is considered defeated as well.

And Ji Hao had also taken the time to look into the Outer Sect’s top three rankings.

Zhuo Bufan was third.

This was what had prompted Jiang Man’s earlier sigh.

After a pause, Jiang Man spoke up, sounding surprised. "Wait, that’s not right. First place is Meng Xiaoxiao and second is Ji River. They were both considered extraordinary geniuses back in the day."

"But I remember there was also Wei Ran. He didn’t make it into the top three?"

Ji Hao led Jiang Man to a Pill Furnace. "He didn’t participate in this year’s grand competition," he said. "He obtained the Third Skill last year."

"From what I know, he should have successfully achieved Core Formation."

"It’s only natural that he’s not on the list."

Jiang Man was stunned. "Wei Ran achieved Core Formation? So quickly?"

Ji Hao gave Jiang Man a surprised look. Instead of elaborating, he pointed to the Pill Furnace. "Take a look at this. It’s an ancient Pill Furnace. It’s unusable now, but the Array Patterns inside are quite profound. Pill Masters sometimes use it to gain insights into the Alchemy Dao."

"Furthermore, you’re free to examine any of the treasures on display here."

"But there are only three that are considered the most ancient."

"You can look at them first, or you can save them for last."

Hearing this, Jiang Man asked curiously, "Does the cauldron in the Qi Refining Secret Realm count?"

"It does," Ji Hao said with a smile. "And I’ve already submitted the application. You can go observe it for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Do you want to?"

Jiang Man shook his head.

’He’d already observed it, so there was no need to go again.’

"Then there are only two left," Ji Hao said, sounding a bit regretful.

Jiang Man felt a bit of regret as well. By now, his hand was already resting on the Pill Furnace.

[Pill Furnace containing the legacy of the Alchemy Dao. Circulating the Nine-Nine Pill Skill can activate the legacy, allowing for comprehension. The resulting Alchemy Dao attainments are noteworthy.]

’Jiang Man mused on this. The Pill Furnace itself wasn’t noteworthy, but its potential Alchemy Dao attainments were. This showed that the Alchemy Dao legacy was indeed quite good.’

’What is the Nine-Nine Pill Skill?’

Jiang Man had no way of knowing.

’But I should make a note of it. It might be useful later.’

"Let’s go see the other two sites first," Jiang Man said.

’Even a Pill Furnace this good was only considered "noteworthy." It was unlikely the other items would yield anything.’

’I’d better see the most ancient ones first.’

Touching these objects was mentally taxing, and his ability had a daily limit. He wanted to avoid hitting that limit today.

"Alright." Ji Hao nodded and led Jiang Man to a Teleportation Array deeper inside.

When they reappeared, they were on a mountain peak high among the clouds.

It was a floating mountain.

"What is this place?" Jiang Man asked, looking down in shock.

"A Secret Realm," Ji Hao explained as he walked ahead. "You’ll have a chance to see it after you enter the Inner Sect, but getting up here isn’t easy."

「A short while later.」

Jiang Man reached the summit of the mountain.

A giant Compass was floating there.

It was impossible to tell what it was made of, but it radiated an ancient aura.

"This one’s ancient enough for you, right?" Ji Hao said.

Jiang Man nodded. He could tell at a glance that this object was extraordinary. "Can I touch it?"

"You can. You have the time it takes to drink a cup of tea," Ji Hao replied.

Without hesitating, Jiang Man immediately walked over.

He reached out and touched it.

Then, he activated the Celestial Mirror Hundred Books.

The book’s pages stopped turning at page thirty-five.

[Celestial Observation Compass: A Compass Forged from a special material that coalesced at the end of the Immortal Dao. It can monitor anomalies in heaven and earth, and is especially sensitive to the auras of unique life forms. Its internal power can be used to create a phantom of the Compass, which can be used to track related auras and divine worldly changes.]

[By recording the Celestial Observation Compass, you can obtain a wisp of Magic Purple Qi (Acquirable)]

He recorded it, and Jiang Man reflected that finding the right person truly did help him unlock his Talent much faster.

’This time, it’s Magic Purple Qi. My Cultivation speed for Magic Skills is going to increase.’

’But it will probably still be slow, relatively speaking.’

’After all, I only have two wisps of Magic Purple Qi.’

’Cultivating at the Top-grade Golden Core level would likely be a huge effort.’

’While Top-grade Foundation Establishment was a breeze.’

With that, Jiang Man withdrew his hand, his observation complete.

"Finished already?" Ji Hao asked.

Although Jiang Man’s actions were somewhat baffling, he didn’t pry for details.

Jiang Man nodded. "I’m done. Let’s go see the next item."

Ji Hao nodded.

Next, Jiang Man found himself in the main hall of the Wuyun Sect, having arrived once again via a Teleportation Array.

The hall was deserted, and Jiang Man didn’t understand what Ji Hao had brought him here to see.

Inside the hall, Ji Hao pointed to the throne-like seat at the very head of the room. "That seat is extremely ancient," he explained. "It was moved here by later generations. Perhaps you can gain some insight from it."

Jiang Man was skeptical. He looked up at the simple yet majestic seat and asked, "I can really go up there?"

After receiving Ji Hao’s confirmation, Jiang Man went straight to the side of the seat without any hesitation.

He wasn’t planning on sitting on it, so he had few reservations.

He simply reached out his hand and touched it.

The Celestial Mirror Hundred Books was instantly triggered.

The pages flipped open, quickly stopping at page eighteen.

’Another item worth recording.’

Then, text manifested.

[The Last Throne: It seizes the good fortune of heaven and earth, draws forth the vitality of all creation, and forges a boundless future. It bears the hope of the ancient Human Race, communicates with the earth, resonates with mountains and rivers, restores vitality to barren lands, and generates Spiritual Qi. The greater the number of people, the stronger its resonance. It coexists with humanity, vies with the heavens for splendor, and carries the final hope of the Human Race. Sitting upon it can dispel Heart Demons and stabilize any unique turmoil within the body. While seated, if one senses Spiritual Qi and circulates a Cultivation Skill, their Cultivation will yield twice the results with half the effort. One will be imbued with the faith of the ancient Human Race and shoulder their hope. If one earns its acknowledgment, a thousand rivers will flow as one, the mountains and seas will lend their might, one’s accomplishments will rival creation itself, and one’s brilliance will contend with the sun and moon.]