Hm? Wu Yuan’s gaze shifted abruptly. The black pagoda was shaking?
Since he was first aware of the black pagoda’s existence decades ago, Wu Yuan’s strength had improved by leaps and bounds, now nearly matching the combat power of an Amethyst Cradle cultivator. But until now, he only knew two of its functions: unleashing a blood-red mist whenever he slayed foes and fortifying his soul when he Visualized it.
As for the black pagoda itself? Wu Yuan’s soul was unable to get close to the black pagoda at all, let alone find clues to its origins.
Yet today, the black pagoda was trembling for the first time.
This? Wu Yuan acutely sensed that the ethereal black pagoda within his upper dantian lobe was quivering slightly, as if exulting and leaping for joy.
Nearly simultaneously in the distant Middle Land, within the Yanqing Hall in the western reaches of Zhong Continental City, a white-robed Wu Yuan meditating in a lotus position suddenly opened his eyes.
The black pagoda within my body refiner self’s upper dantian lobe is also trembling? Surprise flickered in his eyes.
His two true selves did not cross paths nor interact at all save for the connection of their souls. Even the blood mist from past killings could not be shared between the black pagodas. Thus, Wu Yuan had assumed the black pagodas in his two selves to be entirely independent.
But now it seems the black pagodas of the two true selves are mysteriously linked. The white-robed Wu Yuan pondered. Could it be because of the Star Origin Soil?
His body-refiner self immediately grew alert.
…
The source lies there. Wu Yuan emerged from the teleportation array into a space filled with numerous jade platforms.
Scores of immortal cultivators sat on the various floating jade platforms, each with strong vital auras.
Wu Yuan’s gaze did not linger on these cultivators but honed in on the central object surrounded by the platforms.
There sat an irregular rock, roughly ten li in length, resembling a meteorite with a metallic sheen on its surface. A potent oppressive aura emanated from it in all directions, causing the fluctuations of Earth Dao to pulse ceaselessly!
Any relatively strong cultivator could sense that this was a treasure of the Earth Dao.
This Star Origin Soil caused the black pagoda to tremble. Among the nine treasure lands in the sect, it is one of the lower-ranked ones. Wu Yuan landed on a jade platform and observed it silently.
What was the reason? Wu Yuan confirmed that the source of the black pagoda’s tremors was none other than the Star Origin Soil. The two seemed to be connected in some inexplicable way.
No other anomalies occurred, but this alone compelled Wu Yuan to take it seriously.
The black pagoda is an unimaginable enigma, closely linked to the Blue Planet and my transmigration to the Middle Land. Wu Yuan’s memories of his past life remained clear in his mind. He had never once given up on returning.
The black pagoda has been the greatest key to my ascension. The origins of the Star Origin Soil are very likely connected to the black pagoda. Speculations ran wild in Wu Yuan’s mind as he pondered.
However, Wu Yuan knew better than to disclose the existence of the pagoda.
Moreover, the Star Origin Soil was surrounded by an imperceptible barrier, preventing Wu Yuan from getting up close. He had no choice but to observe it from a distance and try to comprehend its profundities.
As he immersed himself in the study of the ordinary-looking Star Origin Soil, Wu Yuan’s soul perception underwent a transformative shift.
He beheld an endless, towering star, suspended in the endless void. This star exerted immense gravitational force, drawing in meteor after meteor from the cosmos, each one hurtling towards it with increasing speed and ferocity, churning up dust over billions of li upon impact.
Boom! Boom! The meteors descended in succession, each one containing unfathomable profoundness. With every collision, the towering star quivered, yet it also expanded, growing more magnificent with each impact.
It felt like both a fleeting moment and an eternity had passed simultaneously. Wu Yuan found himself immersed in the cascade of celestial bodies, unraveling the infinite profundities contained within the orbit of stars and falling of meteors.
The star’s surface stretches endlessly, attracting countless meteors with an unseen force… My perception has never been clearer. Wu Yuan was amazed.
He was able to ‘see’ it with unparalleled clarity. Compared to the phenomena he had perceived in the other treasure lands, it was tenfold, even a hundredfold clearer.
The endless stars, the rotation of celestial bodies, all hold within them the boundless profundities of the Dao… The profundities of the Land I have grasped thus far merely make up a fraction of this. Wu Yuan was completely engrossed, unable to tear himself away.
It wasn’t just his qi refiner self. The souls of his two true selves were connected. In a distant land, his body refiner self began to contemplate the Dao as well, his speed of comprehension outpacing that of his qi refiner self by at least tenfold.
Countless profundities of the Land flooded his mind. With an innate Terranean Body, his body refiner self possessed an extremely high affinity for the Earth Dao, granting him exceptional comprehension aptitude.
The phenomena of the Star Origin Soil perceived by his soul played out in a continuous loop, again and again…
…
In the space above the Star Origin Soil was a hidden spatial layer undetected by the countless Golden Core and Amethyst Cradle disciples below. Three jade platforms floated here, on which three figures with powerful auras sat in the lotus position. Their gazes pierced through the spatial barrier, observing the scene unfolding around the Star Origin Soil below.
The vital aura of these figures rivaled that of Earth Immortal Xiang Sheng. In particular, the white-robed youth at the center exuded a sense of dominance surpassing even that of Earth Immortal Qing Feng.
“Oh? That’s Li Xia, a disciple regarded quite highly by the High Immortals,” remarked a purple-robed elderly man as his gaze fell on Wu Yuan.
“Mm, I’ve heard of his exceptional talent,” agreed a black-robed elder. “He’s newly inducted into the sect, so he should be attempting to contemplate the various treasure lands to find one that suits him. The only question is whether the Star Origin Soil will be his choice.”
“The sect’s reports indicate his high comprehension aptitude for the profundity of the Land, making it likely that he will select the Star Origin Soil,” chuckled the purple-robed elderly man.
“It’s not as simple as that,” interjected the white-robed youth in the center, his voice cold and commanding. “Although the Star Origin Soil ranks near the bottom among the nine treasure lands, it is far from weak. Its low ranking is due to the immense difficulty in comprehending its mysteries.”
“It can be considered the most challenging of the nine to comprehend,” he continued. “Li Xia is just a Golden Core youngster. Even if he has shown promise in the Earth Dao, perceiving any phenomena will be no easy feat. The effectiveness of contemplating the Star Origin Soil could very well pale in comparison to other treasure lands.”
The elderly man in purple robes nodded in agreement. “Indeed, he may only be able to grasp the Star Origin Soil’s mysteries when he advances to the Amethyst Cradle or Void Refiner phase.”
“I, on the other hand, believe he has the potential,” chuckled the black-robed elderly man.
“Talent is but one factor. Rumor has it he dares not even enter the True Dragon Arena. With such a personality, how will he withstand the pressure posed by the Star Origin Soil?” questioned the white-robed youth, his skepticism evident. It was clear that he didn’t see Wu Yuan in a favorable light.
The black-robed elder fell silent, acknowledging the truth in the youth’s words. Despite his hopes for Wu Yuan, he understood the monumental challenge that lay ahead more than most as the guardian of the Star Origin Soil and an Earth Immortal who had cultivated it himself.
“There’s no need to debate on this. Whether he succeeds or fails, it has little to do with us,” the purple-robed elder chuckled. “Let us simply observe and await the outcome, the truth will be revealed in due time.”