Chapter 891: The Secret Of Immortal Dao (4)

Lu Jiansheng pulled the two fair-skinned, pretty girls aside and spoke to them in a hushed, urgent tone, instructing them to leave quickly.

“Senior Brother, I... I want to stay with you,” said Jianling, tears welling in her eyes. It was clear she had long harbored feelings for Lu Jiansheng and couldn’t bear to part from him.

Lu Jiansheng looked both frustrated and anxious. He leaned in and whispered more words into her ear.

Only then did Jianling nod, though her eyes brimmed with tears. “I’ll do as you say, but if anything happens to you... I won’t live on either.”

Then she turned to glare fiercely at Li Xiaofei, her voice trembling with rage. “If you dare harm Senior Brother Lu or the others, our Myriad Saints Immortal Sect will hunt you to the ends of the earth. Demon, you will not die peacefully!”

Li Xiaofei couldn't help but laugh in exasperation. She made it sound like he was some perverted villain from a cheap story. Still, he had to admit, while these Immortal Sect disciples looked down on ordinary mortals as if they were ants, their bonds with each other were genuine. This wasn’t some shallow, hollow brotherhood.

Snap.

Li Xiaofei responded with another snap of his fingers.

The five swords flew back into the hands of their rightful owners. Jianling and Jianxuan leaped into the air, turning into streaks of radiant light as they shot off into the sky. Lu Jiansheng and the other two remained behind.

Meanwhile, Xue Qing, who was half-dead and crumpled in a corner, watched the scene unfold, completely stunned.

Oh, come on. Really? So this is how it’s going to be?

They were all here for the same tribute collection. So why was he the only one to be crippled, with half his bones shattered, while these three clowns fought like madmen and walked away without a scratch?

Lu Jiansheng walked over to Xue Qing, pulling out a healing ointment and carefully applying it to his injuries. Immortal Sect medicines were nothing short of miraculous. Xue Qing’s fractured bones began to mend swiftly before his eyes.

“Junior Brother... you...” Lu Jiansheng sighed. “Perhaps this is a tribulation we were fated to face. Maybe when Master hears of this, he can help you restore your cultivation.”

Another disciple, Jianzhen, stepped forward to offer comfort. “Don’t worry. This isn’t the end. We’ll find a way.”

Just then—

Crack, crack.

The sound of shattering eggshells echoed through the courtyard. The three who had undergone the final stage of marrow cleansing were now slowly emerging from their meditative state. When they moved slightly, the tar-like black coating that had formed over their skin began to crack and crumble.

“I feel... like I’ve been reborn.”

As always, the first to speak was the ever-spirited Li Yiyun. He jumped to his feet, shattering the dark shell in one motion, and exclaimed joyfully, “Master, can I now... Huh? Disciples of the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect?!”

His expression immediately turned cautious. Kou Zhengyang and Yang Zhao, who had also awakened, reacted at once, stepping protectively in front of Li Xiaofei.

“No need,” Li Xiaofei said calmly. “Go wash up and change your clothes first. Then you may return and attempt to absorb the energy from the jade leaves.”

Only then did the trio notice the presence of Lu Jiansheng and the others, who were now standing quietly to the side, expressions filled with awe and fear. It was clear they had been thoroughly subdued by their teacher.

Without hesitation, the three left to follow his instructions. Li Xiaofei gestured and the filthy shells of black residue on the ground instantly disintegrated into dust and dispersed into the air.

Moments later, Kou Zhengyang, Yang Zhao, and Li Yiyun returned eagerly, dressed in clean robes and radiating newfound vitality.

Li Xiaofei began to instruct them in the method of absorbing the energy within the jade leaves. When paired with the breathing technique he had previously taught them, the results were astonishing. They made remarkable progress in just fifteen minutes.

Li Yiyun and the other two had successfully absorbed the energy from their first jade leaf, completely and without error, marking the first time they had ever obtained starforce. Though faint, the energy was real. It brought a tangible enhancement to their bodies. All three could clearly feel the might of this new force. It was a fundamental elevation; it was a shift in the quality of energy they could now command.

The jade leaf, once drained of its energy, faded from vibrant green to a pale white, turning into an ordinary piece of jade. The luster it once held was gone as its spiritual essence was completely depleted.

Off to the side, Lu Jiansheng and his fellow disciples stared, utterly dumbfounded. It was their first time witnessing anyone absorb the energy of a jade leaf with such speed and efficiency.

As disciples of an Immortal Sect, they were no strangers to cultivating with jade leaves. Under normal conditions, it took them two to three days to fully extract a single leaf’s energy, and even then, there was always a degree of wastage. Some energy was inevitably lost in the process, and never fully absorbed into the body.

But just moments ago, they had watched Kou Zhengyang and the others do it in the time it took to drink a cup of tea. Unbelievably, they had also absorbed every last trace with a hundred percent efficiency.

It was beyond astonishing. It shattered all conventional understanding. It defied the limits of their sect’s theoretical frameworks. The way they now looked at Li Xiaofei was as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight. Their gazes brimmed with awe, disbelief, and a growing fear of the unknown.

Only Xue Qing remained relatively calm. He had already overheard much while pretending to be unconscious in the courtyard. When Li Xiaofei had explained powerful techniques like the Six Meridian Divine Sword, he hadn’t blocked Xue Qing’s ears. So Xue Qing was well aware of Li Xiaofei’s terrifying strength and unmatched knowledge, and none of this came as a surprise to him anymore.

Under Li Xiaofei’s guidance, Kou Zhengyang and the others continued to draw energy from more jade leaves. A new door of cultivation had opened before them. They were in high spirits, fully immersed in their training as they raced against time to strengthen themselves.

Li Xiaofei lay back on his lounge chair, then beckoned Lu Jiansheng. Reluctantly, Lu Jiansheng stepped forward and asked, “What do you want?”

Li Xiaofei glanced at him and said, “Tell me, does your Myriad Saints Immortal Sect know anything about the world beyond the heavens?”

Lu Jiansheng replied, “I do not know.”

Li Xiaofei narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, “Is it that your Myriad Saints Immortal Sect does not know, or that you do not know?”

Lu Jiansheng hesitated briefly before answering, “I am the chief disciple of the Discipline Hall in the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect, and I am indeed privy to many of the sect’s affairs. I’ve listened to many lectures from elders over the years. But when it comes to matters beyond the heavens, no one has ever mentioned such things. Perhaps the sect’s elders or the sect master might know something... but that lies far beyond my reach.”

Li Xiaofei nodded, seemingly unsurprised. Then he asked again, “Even if you know nothing of the world beyond, have you ever heard of anything from outside descending into this world? For example, a meteorite?”

“This I have heard of,” Lu Jiansheng answered truthfully. “Meteorite landings are not uncommon. Some large ones strike the earth with such force that they cause the skies to shake and the land to collapse, killing all life within dozens of miles. There are also rumors that meteorites contain mysterious energy. They all have heaven-sent divine patterns on it that can aid one’s cultivation. For that reason, all the major immortal sects keep a tight grip on meteorite resources. They are strictly forbidden from falling into the hands of mortals.”

Oh?

Hearing this, a flicker of realization sparked in Li Xiaofei’s mind,

Mysterious energy within meteorites... divine patterns descending from the heavens? What utter nonsense.

It was becoming increasingly clear that these so-called meteorites were far from ordinary. Most likely, they were vessels, ships, perhaps, or some kind of technological constructs.

If the Reapers were truly observing this world, it stood to reason that they would use certain methods to covertly influence its development and shape its trajectory to align with their own ends.

“Then let me ask you this,” Li Xiaofei continued. “Have you ever heard of visitors from beyond the heavens? Has any creature, being, or intelligence from beyond ever descended upon this world?”

Lu Jiansheng fell into deep thought, then shook his head. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. Many scholars of history believe that only chaos and a void devoid of life lies beyond the sky.”

Li Xiaofei pressed further, “But your sect’s history must include accounts of ascension, yes? Cultivators who have supposedly ‘ascended.’ Have none of you ever wondered, if those people truly ascended and are still alive, then it means that there must be life beyond the heavens?”

“This...” Lu Jiansheng hesitated for a moment before answering, “I once asked a similar question. My master said that those who ascended went to another plane of existence, not the chaotic world beyond the heavens.”

“Then how does the Immortal Sect describe this so-called chaotic world beyond?” Li Xiaofei pressed further.

Lu Jiansheng replied, “It is said that the chaotic world is an expanse of void, accompanied only by death and decay. Anyone who enters it is fated to turn to dust, with no chance of survival. Not even a Great Luo Golden Immortal can escape death there. In fact, throughout history, every great figure who attempted to forcibly fly beyond the heavens has ended up triggering a heavenly tribulation. They were struck down and utterly annihilated without exception.”

Li Xiaofei curled his lips slightly in disdain as he thought,

Heavenly tribulation? More likely, they were blown to pieces by a Reaper star-energy cannon.

“Alright then, next question.” His tone turned more serious as he asked, “Your so-called Immortal Sects... why is it that when you collect annual tributes from mortals, you demand not only resources, but young boys and girls, maidens in their prime, and even pregnant women?”