Capítulo 1040: Chapter 74: The Initial Immortal Fate

As for himself, as a player, it seems he cannot impart skills. Even if he could break through the system limit, as a newly initiated Immortal, his understanding of Immortal Laws was just learned from the initial explanations in the Scripture Pavilion this morning. Having him teach others? He wasn’t confident about that.

“Heavenly secrets cannot be divulged.” Xiao Jie had to pretend to be profound and waved his hand, “In any case, remember my words: save your attribute points, stay at Level 9! When the time comes, whatever attribute you need, add it all at once, and it should meet the requirements. Alright, this matter is of great importance, and I must handle it immediately without any further delay.”

Having said this, without waiting for further questions, he once again rode the tunneling light, soared into the sky, transformed into a cyan rainbow, and disappeared into the horizon in an instant.

This time, Xiao Jie did not delay any further, speeding relentlessly towards the distant Gu Yun State in the Void overseas.

Without a word along the way, over an hour later, Xiao Jie had traversed the Void and arrived above Gu Yun State.

With a single breath, he flew back to the top of Fangzhang Mountain, above Yunmiao Immortal Palace, heading straight for the small hut beside the waterfall.

Xiao Jie descended gracefully onto the cloud, stepping into the hut. The interior was empty, save for a wall opposite the door, where an ancient, ink-soaked painting hung, depicting majestic mountains and rivers, the sun, moon, and stars.

Gently raising a hand towards the ancient painting, Xiao Jie infused it with a trace of Immortal Spirit Qi. The painting seemed to come alive instantly; the clouds in the scene began to move, the river stirred, stars twinkled and dimmed. The entire painting transformed into a portal to another world, exuding intense spatial fluctuations.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Xiao Jie stepped forward, his figure disappearing into the painting. The surrounding scene rippled like water, and in the next moment, he found himself in an extraordinary land filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, where the level of spiritual energy far surpassed that of the outside world.

It was the Mountain and Sea Painting Realm.

He did not linger but headed straight for the center of the painting realm, where the imposing palace complex awaited. From afar, the sound of lively music and the revelry of drinking echoed from within the largest palace, interspersed with the unrestrained laughter and songs of the Immortals.

“Ah, these guys are still partying here…” Xiao Jie shook his head helplessly.

Entering the main hall, the scene before him was nearly unchanged from when he left: a group of Immortals still in their free and easy, lost in pleasure and dreams. Some lay sprawled with wine jars, snoring thunderously; others had just awoken from drunken stupor, groggily searching for more to drink; yet others danced awkwardly to the music in the hall, their Immortal robes in disarray, lacking elegance.

Seeing Xiao Jie enter, a chubby Immortal with a flushed face and wine still on his beard lit up, raised his cup, and shouted, “Ah! Look who’s back! Isn’t it our newly initiated Daoist Hidden Moon Following Wind! Have you settled all those entanglements and causes & effects among mortals? If you’re free, come drink with us! I’ve just brewed a batch of ‘Thousand-year Morning and Evening Drunk,’ a wine matured over a millennium with Immortal Laws, rich and thick!”

Saying this, he tossed a purple-gold wine gourd from afar. Xiao Jie caught it, uncorked it, and an indescribable exotic wine fragrance assaulted his senses, as if it had amassed a millennium of Sun and Moon Essence, intoxicating the spirit with just one whiff, making one feel ethereal.

He tilted his head and drank a mouthful; the liquid entered cold as spring water, then turned into a warm stream rolling into his gut, followed by an indescribable sensation of comfort reaching every limb and bone, as if every pore opened up, the soul feeling light as if it might leave the body and soar among the nine heavens, yet was firmly anchored by the Immortal Body. An extreme relaxation and euphoria surged in, while his mind remained abnormally clear, with all sorts of mystical sensations flooding in.

“Great wine!” Xiao Jie couldn’t help but praise, indeed this Immortal Brew was extraordinary.

“Haha! Naturally, it’s great wine! How could the wine I brew not be good?” The chubby Immortal said proudly, waving his hand grandly, “Come, as you’ve just entered the Immortal Gate, you should drink three jars to show respect to us seniors!”

Three jars… Xiao Jie’s mouth twitched, as the drinking standard of Immortals was indeed extraordinary. But that’s not surprising, as the constitution of an Immortal is extraordinary; drinking mundane wine is like water to them. However, this Immortal Brew, containing the Spiritual Mechanism Dao Rhythm, was another matter. If one wanted to savor it properly, one could realize endless marvel within; if one merely wished to get drunk, even drinking a river’s worth of wine might be futile.

Unfortunately, he simply didn’t have the leisure to indulge in drinking here and now.

“I appreciate Daoist’s kindness and fine brew, and I am truly grateful.” Xiao Jie threw back the wine gourd, cupping his hands in acknowledgment, “But unfortunately, I have an important task at hand, crucial in nature, and cannot stay long. I can only ask to drink to our heart’s content another day!”

“Tsk~ more worldly affairs!” The chubby Immortal grumbled, curling his lip dissatisfied, “Let me give you a piece of advice, worldly matters are like a bottomless pit; the more you deal with them, the more they arise! Those mortals are no different than ants or mayflies to us; living short lives, constantly reincarnating. You help them today, and a hundred years later, they turn back to dust, what’s the point? As for cause and effect, just ignore it, and it won’t entangle you. The more attention you pay to it, the deeper you fall in! Why not pretend it doesn’t exist, get utterly drunk with us a few times, let them naturally perish, wouldn’t that be straightforward and free you from worry?”

Xiao Jie secretly grumbled in his heart: “You’re truly utterly carefree and heartless!” Unfortunately, he couldn’t be so nonchalant, nor could he agree with this view.

“These trivial matters, I can initially settle them in three to five days at most. I’ll certainly drink to oblivion with Daoist next time!” Xiao Jie cupped his hands again, then changed the subject, “By the way, does Daoist know where Daoist Lin Xuance might be at the moment?”

The Immortal reclining lazily on a jade pillar nearby sneered, answering languidly, “Where else? Off to find those friends of his from the Heaven Repair Alliance, discussing some nebulous ‘salvation grand plan’! Such futile endeavors are ridiculous yet lamentable!” Finished speaking, he picked up a wine jar and drank deeply once again.

Having confirmed where Lin Xuance and his fellows usually gathered, Xiao Jie didn’t linger further and turned to leave the bustling main hall.

Through the third-level majestic yet cold palace corridors, the scene ahead suddenly opened up. A meticulously maintained garden unfolded in front, with exotic flowers blooming and unique grass emitting fragrance. There were phoenix flowers red as flames, dream butterfly orchids blue as the night sky, glaze trees with crystal-clear branches and leaves, and colorful Lingzhi emitting misty glow. Bubbling spiritual springs flowed around the rockery, producing crisp tinkling sounds, and the air was filled with an enchanting compound fragrance, making one feel refreshed with a single breath, as if all mundane worries vanished.

In the center of the garden stood a white jade pavilion, where three Immortals of distinct demeanor sat, namely Lin Xuance, the Martial Arts Immortal, and Miao Fa Yuanjun.

At this moment, Lin Xuance was frowning, speaking in a heavy tone, “…alas, I’ve thought it over countless times and inferred constantly, yet I cannot figure out where to begin with this salvation strategy. Even with the repeated calculations using the Heavenly Mechanism Inference Skill, exhausting my mind, all I see is the collapse of the Nine States and the extinction of all things. Is it possible that all our passionate efforts are ultimately in vain?”

The Martial Arts Immortal beside him, hearing this, bristled and said in a booming voice, “That’s not the way to think! Doing may not guarantee success, but not doing ensures failure! We can’t just sit and wait for death, watching the world perish? We might as well go down fighting, trying our best is better than fretting here!”

Miao Fa Yuanjun lightly shook her head, her voice ethereal and calm, “I don’t believe Daoist Shen Jizi is someone who easily resigns to fate. He may appear lost in pleasure, but from what I know of him, he surely has some plan unknown to us.”

“A plan? If there’s truly a miraculous plan for salvation, then why doesn’t he share it with us?” Lin Xuance retorted.

“What I speak of might not be a ‘salvation’ plan,” Miao Fa Yuanjun’s eyes were profound, “but rather a ‘survival’ strategy. When the world decays, perhaps it will be the time for him to seek transcendence. Or perhaps… to find another world as a retreat path for us Immortals?”

“You mean—” Lin Xuance and the Martial Arts Immortal’s expressions both changed.