Chapter 783 - 731 - : Purpose! (3)
If the idea of an Independent Immortal appearing on Earth was as unbelievable as a fairy tale for Qin Fan, then the sight of a formidable Independent Immortal going mad over his Prison Suppressing Body was enough to plunge him into endless astonishment.
An Independent Immortal... what kind of existence was that? With a wave of their hand, they could turn rivers and seas upside down. With a flick of their finger, they could level mountains. And such a master of Divine Skills had lost his composure over my Prison Suppressing Body?
Back on the Cangqiong Continent, Qin Fan had formed the rudiments of the Prison Suppressing Body when he was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage. During those years, countless people had feared his Prison Suppressing Body, yet none had ever reacted like this middle-aged man. Most importantly, the other party was an Independent Immortal.
In those years, Qin Fan had encountered Independent Immortals, but he had never fought them. This was because, at an Independent Immortal’s level of power, one had to be extremely cautious about taking action. After all, although they were not true Immortals, they were already bound by the Heavenly Decrees. If they were to be tainted by the karma of killing, it would undoubtedly seal off their path to Ascension. Furthermore, if the killing karma provoked heavenly wrath, they could be smitten and annihilated.
Therefore, no Independent Immortal existed who did not wish to ascend. Even though they all understood the chances were less than ten percent, they still relentlessly pursued the Heavenly Mechanism Path. No matter how faint the possibility, nothing could stop their unwavering Dao Heart. Moreover, there was not a single Independent Immortal who did not fear annihilation.
It was precisely because of these scruples that Qin Fan, back on the Cangqiong Continent, had managed to carve out his name as the Shura Venerable, rising above the countless masses.
In those years, had no one ever hired an Independent Immortal to punish Qin Fan? They had. But human nature is selfish. Why would these Independent Immortals meddle in such affairs? Unless absolutely necessary, why would they risk taking on the karma of killing?
For these reasons, the Qin Fan of the past, relying on his Prison Suppressing Body, his Eyes of Golden Flame, and his Mahayana Cultivation, came to dominate the entire Cangqiong Continent.
During those years, no Independent Immortal ever paid him any mind. They did not concern themselves with the affairs of the Martial World; their hearts were set solely on wandering in search of the elusive Heavenly Mechanism Path. They were like zealots with only this one faith remaining—on Earth, they would be like members of a brainwashed pyramid scheme.
They were singularly focused on becoming Immortal. Their sole intention was to shatter the Xu Kong, leap out of the Human World, and take their place among the ranks of the Heavenly Court.
Against this backdrop, and since he had never fought an Independent Immortal, Qin Fan’s Prison Suppressing Body had remained unknown to them. Otherwise, he would have definitely understood the middle-aged man’s reaction. It was not just this middle-aged man; any Independent Immortal would have reacted the same way to the Prison Suppressing Body. This was because only upon reaching the stage of an Independent Immortal could they truly understand what the Prison Suppressing Body represented.
Filled with overwhelming astonishment, Qin Fan stared at the middle-aged man, who had yet to regain his composure. However, he chose not to immediately ask about the Prison Suppressing Body, instead repeating his earlier question, "What is your purpose in seeking me out?"
"Which Sect on Cangqiong are you a disciple of? And who is your master?" the middle-aged man asked urgently, ignoring Qin Fan’s repeated question as he began to bring his emotions under control. His face was tense once more.
There was a legend on the Cangqiong Continent, one that only those at the level of an Independent Immortal could know. The Heavenly Mechanism Path was traceless and elusive, obtainable only through fortune. However, aside from fortune, there was also a shortcut: the guidance of the Lord of Prison Suppression.
No one knew if this legend was true or false, but it had never spread through the Martial World of the Cangqiong Continent. After all, for those Independent Immortals, even fortune was hard to come by. The so-called shortcut and the Lord of Prison Suppression seemed even more nonsensical, so not many took this legend to heart.
Now, however, the Prison Suppressing Body had appeared right before his eyes. How could it not drive him mad?
According to legend, the Lord of Prison Suppression possessed the Prison Suppressing Body. The Prison Suppressing Body consists of five layers. The First Layer is Green Light; the Second, Red Light; the Third, White Light; the Fourth, Purple Light; and the Fifth, Golden Light! The green light radiating from Qin Fan’s body is clearly the glow produced when his constitution flares up. Besides the legendary Prison Suppressing Body, what other constitution could emit a green light?
At this thought, a fervent look ignited in the middle-aged man’s eyes. Originally, his purpose for finding Qin Fan had been extremely simple, but now, that had changed.
"I asked what your purpose in seeking me out is!" Qin Fan bellowed, seeing that the middle-aged man was not answering his question. Now that he knew the other party was an Independent Immortal, he was no longer afraid.
So what if your power is formidable? Kill me? Would you dare? he thought. He also understood why the middle-aged man had said he had not truly made a move in the past few hundred years. Perhaps one reason was that no one had been worthy of him taking action. But the most important reason was that he did not dare to kill. Even on Earth, the Heavenly Decrees still applied. He was afraid of violating them. Independent Immortals are all a bunch of cowards! A saying from the Cangqiong Continent was once again proven true by this man.
"I sought you out because you and I once belonged to the same place!" the middle-aged man finally said, choosing not to reveal the connection between Independent Immortals and the Lord of Prison Suppression. He knew that the current Qin Fan was surely unaware of this. Otherwise, his attitude would be completely different. Since Qin Fan did not know, he certainly was not going to tell him. If he did, the nature of their encounter would change. "For these five hundred years, I have been lonely, ageless, and undying, completely unable to feel the meaning of life. Every day, I’m just clinging to a thread of life, a life that is worse than death. An Independent Immortal’s goal is the elusive opportunity for Ascension, but in this damned place, forget Ascension—even the True Qi is pitifully weak! So, can you understand the state I’ve been forced to exist in?"
"Five hundred years? You said you’ve been here for five hundred years? Are you sure? Exactly five hundred years?" Qin Fan, who was extremely sensitive to the words "five hundred years," was left completely stunned. He stared wide-eyed as the man finished speaking, his breathing growing erratic.
He had spent five hundred years on the Cangqiong Continent. The man before him had spent five hundred years on Earth. Was this a coincidence? If not... the implications were terrifying!
Seemingly unaware of Qin Fan’s agitation, the middle-aged man drifted into reminiscence and began to speak slowly.
"Yes, five hundred years. Exactly five hundred years. After this year, it will be five hundred and one. I remember it was during the Ming Dynasty. Starting from Emperor Wuzong, Zhu Houzhao, I lived through one generation of monarchs after another. I witnessed the fall of the Ming and the rise of the Qing, I saw the grand scale of the Qing armies entering the pass, and I watched the Great Qing dynasty flourish and then decline. I saw the selfishness of Cixi, witnessed the tragedy of Pu Yi, observed the turmoil of the Republic, witnessed the madness of Yuan Shikai, and saw the conflicts brought about by modern weaponry. I watched a new era be born. During this process, many people worshiped me as an Immortal, and many erected statues of me, but I destroyed them all. Being ageless and undying while living in this damned world... it is a torment, a true torment.
"I had the power to rule this world, but I had no interest whatsoever. I searched painstakingly, walked the Five Mountains, trekked every inch of these over nine million square kilometers, and traversed every corner of the globe, yet I never found a trace of what I was looking for.
"Finally, I grew tired. I accepted my fate. I came to believe in the arrangements of the damned Heavenly Dao. I returned here, established this Imperial Kitchen, and have remained for over sixty years. In all that time, I have not taken a single step outside, because for me, the world outside holds no attraction whatsoever.
"I waited in peace, awaiting the arrangements of the Heavenly Dao’s destiny, living in a quiet where the only sound each day was my own breathing. It was an experience worse than death. That is, until six months ago, when I sensed the Heavenly Tribulation for the Foundation Establishment Stage. I thought that someone like me had appeared. Then, three months ago, I sensed the tribulation for the Golden Core Stage. Afterward, I had Ru Yi investigate your background, but the results threw my thoughts into chaos. I confirmed you were a Cultivator, but I couldn’t be certain you were from the same world as me. I didn’t seek you out, because I knew that if fate allowed it, you would appear here. I never expected you to actually come. So, I sent up that dish, the ’Lotus Rendezvous,’ precisely to confirm if you were from the same world as me!"
"Your purpose in finding me was just to confirm this?" Qin Fan asked, his brows furrowed and the corner of his eye twitching, having listened to every word.
This answer seemed rather far-fetched.
After a pause, the middle-aged man stared intently into Qin Fan’s eyes, as if unwilling to miss the slightest flicker of emotion. "I want to return to the Cangqiong Continent!" he uttered in a deep voice.