Chapter 683: Immortal Restriction

Fang Chen stood before an endless path, where a slightly weathered stone staircase wound through the mountains like a stone dragon. The surroundings were eerily silent, so quiet that he could clearly hear his own heartbeat.

Not long ago, he and Langya Wenqiu had encountered a thick fog that quickly engulfed them. Now, he found himself here, with Langya Wenqiu having vanished without a trace.

"The Ancient Immortal Road..." Fang Chen murmured.

Fang Chen tried to use his Primordial Immortal Eyes, but the golden veins flickered momentarily before eventually fading away. It seemed like some mysterious force was interfering with his Primordial Immortal Eyes. Despite several attempts, he couldn't use it.

He tried to activate the Radiant Divine Eyes, but that also failed. When he attempted to summon the black and white paper figures, there was no response, as if they had completely disappeared.

Frowning, he took out Mirror of the Universe. "Little Mirror, are you there?"

"Little Brother, this place's immortal restrictions are quite formidable. I'm about to fall into slumber. Remember, if things get out of hand, don't force it. Preserve your strength; there's no fear of lacking resources if you have life left. Don't die here...."

Mirror of the Universe flickered in his hand like a point of light before fading away, leaving no further response despite Fang Chen's repeated calls.

A sense of gravity settled in Fang Chen's heart as he finally understood why so many sought to venture into the Ancient Immortal Road. The moment he entered, he encountered such strange phenomena. Gaining even a bit of fortune within would be considered an immense immortal fate in the eyes of many cultivators.

Staying cautious, Fang Chen didn't venture ahead immediately. He tried to use various techniques first. He needed to understand what he could use and what he couldn't first. This way, he'd be able to respond correctly when faced with danger.

"The Five Elements Controlling Technique... it's usable, but there's no elemental energy around; I'm using my internal spiritual energy."

"There is a force preventing me from projecting my soul...."

"I can still use the various pill fires, but they consume my internal spiritual energy."

"Talismans... don't work."

After an hour, Fang Chen gained some understanding of his current situation. The Immortal Restriction didn't affect his internal spiritual energy. Any techniques centered around it could still be employed.

Furthermore, because he practiced the Three Thousand Dao Art, his internal spiritual energy was different from that of ordinary cultivators. Not only could he still activate techniques that fell into the domain of the Five Elements, but the Heavenly Abhorrence Technique could still be used. Techniques like the Azure Lightning Technique and the Skin Peeling Technique were usable, but the Radiant Divine Eye couldn't be opened, preventing him from amplifying his power.

He could also use the Eight Desolation Supreme Sword Scripture.

His combat power had not taken that big of a hit.

Despite having lost many of his trump cards, he was confident he could deal with a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. Fang Chen would have to act more cautiously when faced with a Enlightenment Realm cultivator, however.

"Since I am affected, then others must be as well. Their combat power could have suffered more than mine too. The only thing to be cautious of is the inherent dangers within the Ancient Immortal Road...."

Fang Chen glanced at the seemingly endless stone staircase and slowly walked forward.

There was no distinction between night and day here, as if the concept of time had been lost. However, a day was made up of 86400 seconds, so Fang Chen kept track of the time himself.

After walking for more than ten days, Fang Chen suddenly stopped, quietly sensing everything around him.

Having lost the ability to use the Primordial Immortal Eye and his divine soul, he could only perceive his surroundings using the most primal methods.

"I hear footsteps...."

These footsteps were strange, however. They did not come from the stone staircase he was on, as if branches were appearing in this place. At this moment, he stood at the intersection of the stone staircase, where several branches would pass through, and nearby was a dilapidated building that resembled a tea house.

Through the broken windows, he could faintly see inside, where there were scattered, rusty teapots and broken bowls.

Fang Chen suddenly spoke up. "How can I address you?"

The footsteps paused slightly, and then a tense female voice responded, "Are you from the Ancient Immortal Road or...?"

"I'm like you, a cultivator who wants to become an Immortal Seedling," Fang Chen replied, noticing a hint of suspicion in the other person's words.

People from the Ancient Immortal Road? Are there natives here?

The cultivator seemed to ease up hearing that. "Then I can relax; the people here are incredibly vicious, and I almost got killed by them.

She quickly grew confused. "Why are your eyes grayish-white? Are you blind? How did you know I was a girl...?"

Fang Chen chuckled. "You have the scent of makeup."

Just then, he suddenly turned to look in another direction. There was another set of steps coming from that direction.

"Someone else is coming. Could this be the first test that the Ancient Immortal Road has for us?" the girl said.

"Have you seen anyone from the Ancient Immortal Road before?" Fang Chen asked with a faint smile.

"I did. It was a strange little village. As soon as they saw me, they wanted me to stay and eat. If I refused, they were going to attack me. I was afraid there was poison in the food, so I ran away."

"Oh right, my surname is Fang; I am Fang Yunmeng. May I ask how can I address you?"

"Ji Liang," Fang Chen answered.

Ji Liang?

Fang Yunmeng seemed to remember something. Before she could think further, another figure had already arrived before the two.

The newcomer was tall and sturdy, with broad shoulders and a robust build, resembling a square door.

"You two must also be here to walk the Ancient Immortal Road, right? I am Gu Shuai. It's a pleasure to meet you both," he said with a broad smile, though there was a hint of caution in his eyes.

In the Ancient Immortal Road, one could never be too careful when encountering anyone.

"Fang Yunmeng."

"Ji Liang."

"Miss Fang, Fellow Daoist Ji, have you entered this tea house? It seems unusual to appear here in the Ancient Immortal Road. Could there be some tea left over that was once enjoyed by the immortals inside?" Gu Shuai asked, glancing at the tea house while also observing Fang Chen and Fang Yunmeng's facial expressions, seemingly doubting whether they had already entered.

"We haven't been inside," Fang Chen replied with a faint smile. "I'm blind, and I didn't even know there was a tea house here until you mentioned it. I wonder what the inside looks like?"

Gu Shuai was quite shocked. "You're blind? A blind person has come to walk the Ancient Immortal Road?"

After observing for a while, he believed Fang Chen's words. He relaxed his guard a little.

A blind person couldn't possibly have abilities stronger than his.

At that moment, footsteps echoed again, but this time, it sounded like three people.

From the sound of their footsteps, images began to form in Fang Chen's mind. He could deduce about six or seven parts of their physical build, weight, and demeanor just from their footsteps.

They're together.

Gu Shuai's expression grew serious, and he instinctively moved closer to Fang Yunmeng and Fang Chen.

The newcomers—two men and one woman—were of varying ages. One of the men appeared to be around eighty or ninety years old, with white hair and a white beard. The younger man and woman had somewhat similar features, suggesting they might be siblings.

Upon seeing Fang Chen and the others, the trio immediately stopped in their tracks. Before any greetings could be exchanged, the dilapidated tea house, which should have been silent, suddenly erupted with lively voices.

Suddenly, everything around them changed. The six of them found themselves standing at a bustling intersection filled with the sounds of vendors shouting and calling out their wares, while people scolded them for blocking the road.

Except for Fang Chen, the other five wore expressions of shock as they cautiously moved to the side of the road, taking in their surroundings.

Seeing that Fang Chen remained unresponsive, Fang Yunmeng tugged at his sleeve. "Young Master Ji, let's go over there."

"Lady Fang, in times like this, it's best to stay put," Fang Chen advised quietly, remaining perfectly still.

Fang Yunmeng seemed to realize something, her eyes widening as she nodded repeatedly.

That's right; everything before them was undoubtedly an illusion, and there might be dangers lurking within it. Moving carelessly could lead them into some kind of trap!

The other four noticed this as well and quickly returned to their previous positions.

"Standing here all the time won't do. Why don't we check out that tea house? I feel it might hold the key," Gu Shuai suggested.

The proposal garnered agreement from the others.

After considering for a few moments, Fang Chen gently nodded.

Thus, despite barely having met, the six made their way toward the tea house on the Ancient Immortal Road.