Chapter 372: The Concept of the Immortal Net

Perhaps that news overwhelmed Chi Jiuyu; she remained silent for a long while, walking behind Xu Xing for several minutes with a troubled expression.

Only when a gentle figure appeared not far ahead did she slowly raise her head, looking dazed.

Oh, it's Sister Ning.

As before, it was Ning Wan Zhu who came to greet them.

"Senior Ancestor of the Sword," she bowed, "my master awaits you at the same place where you met last time—you may go directly there."

"Mm." Xu Xing nodded slightly, turning to look at Chi Jiuyu. "Jiuyu, I leave her in your care."

"Rest assured."

Then, as before, Xu Xing took out a storage ring.

"Take it. Go and stroll with your Ye Shijie Ning. I'll join you once I've finished my business."

"Oh…"

After she took the storage ring, Xu Xing said nothing more—his figure vanished instantly.

Ning Wan Zhu turned to Chi Jiuyu and noticed she seemed deeply troubled, as if lost in thought…

Hm?

What's going on?

Could it be that someone as composed as Sister Jiuyu would wear such an expression?

"Sister Jiuyu, are you alright?"

"… " Chi Jiuyu paused. "Ye Shijie, if your best friend's parents died, and you found out first—how would you tell her, and how would you comfort her?"

Ning Wan Zhu: "… "

No wonder she's Sister Jiuyu—this "what if" is truly explosive.

But… so she's wrestling with something like this?

"So, has someone close to you experienced something like this?"

"Actually, the person is my junior sister. My uncle told me to break the news to her…" Chi Jiuyu scratched her head. "But I have no idea how to comfort anyone."

Insulting people, though—that I'm good at.

"Tell me the details. Maybe I can offer some advice."

Ning Wan Zhu sighed inwardly.

You don't need to say "what if"—just say it outright.

"Oh!"

Chi Jiuyu put on the storage ring Xu Xing gave her and followed Ning Wan Zhu.

Hmm…

In the biography of the Holy Emperor Abyss, Ye Shijie Ning went through so much with him—listening to her is definitely right!

…

…

Ling Yin Fang, Inner Sect.

Xuan Zhu Fruit Cave Heaven, Mountain Laboratory.

Ning Ruo sat as usual behind the silver-gray desk, still wearing her white lab coat.

She leaned back lightly against the chair, as if dozing, yet her ample chest could hardly be concealed even by the loose coat.

Suddenly, she seemed to sense something.

She slowly opened her eyes, rose, picked up the pen on the desk, tied back her hair, and gazed calmly ahead.

A figure appeared without warning before her, meeting her gaze.

Ning Ruo's face lit up with a bright smile: "Xu Dage."

She rose from her chair, circled the desk, and came to stand before him.

"This time, I owe you greatly," Xu Xing smiled.

Had Ning Ruo not established a communication channel via the Ascension Platform, they would have known nothing of the affairs in the Tai Xuan Realm.

They could not have prepared any countermeasures or plans in advance.

"Every fellow cultivator has tried—mine simply progressed faster."

The Ascension Platform Xu Xing carried happened to possess the "guidance" trait—it was a fortuitous match. As they spoke, they walked together to a nearby sofa and sat down.

"I saw the matter of 'Dao Wang' in the group chat," Ning Ruo said directly.

Though she found group chatting meaningless, she still read important messages.

"Xu Dage, may I see it?"

See it?

Sure enough, the same reaction as Ye Shijie.

"Sister Ning saw it too, but there's nothing we can do," Xu Xing opened his palm.

"The Sword Sovereign is naturally more skilled in combat…"

A rather diplomatic way of putting it.

Ning Ruo extended her hand, her fingertip lightly touching Xu Xing's palm.

Hum~!

As Xu Xing fully lowered his restrictions, she perceived the heavy, dark shadow clinging to his mind.

One glance stirred boundless doubts and anxieties, compelling irrational thoughts to surge forth.

Even a True Insight glimpse of even a corner of it would be drowned by this endless tide of doubt and worry.

Of course, a True Immortal would be unharmed.

How could the worries of others affect a true immortal who governs a Dao?

If she wished, she could sever it in an instant, but Ning Ruo did not.

After quieting her mind and contemplating for a while, her spirit remained as clear as a bright mirror, untainted by the slightest dust.

After a brief thought, Ning Ruo attempted to draw forth a wisp, preparing to attach it to her own Heart Dao.

Hum~!

A crimson sword light flashed, instantly drowning and severing all her perceptions.

She felt a moment of dizziness, then looked up to find Xu Xing gazing at her helplessly.

"Don't drag yourself into it."

Ning Ruo paused, then smiled: "Xu Dage need not worry—'Dao Wang' is, as you said, born from within oneself, so there is no avoiding it."

"But to others, it is exceedingly 'weak'."

"So it cannot affect me."

Of course, this applies only to the level of true immortals.

"It's not the ten thousand you fear, but the one in ten thousand." Xu Xing paused. "Speaking of 'Dao Wang,' it is peculiar: before I perceived it, 'Dao Wang' existed but was imperceptible; yet after I perceived it, I could sense it at any moment."

Unperceived, one knows not its presence; perceived, one realizes it has always been there.

"Is that so…" Ning Ruo murmured, lost in thought. "By the way, Xu Dage, you came here this time for the Ascension Network, didn't you?"

"Yes, correct."

Xu Xing opened his palm, and within it appeared a strange sphere resembling a magnificent nebula.

A Divine Path information container, containing all divine positions, authorities, and interrelations among those positions within that Tongxuan-level world.

Colors of light flowed and intertwined, flashing, reflected in Ning Ruo's sharply divided black-and-white eyes.

She smiled: "It's quite beautiful."

Xu Xing had just been discussing 'Dao Wang' with Ning Ruo, and now suddenly heard these words.

For some reason, his thoughts veered off, and he blurted out: "Your smile is more beautiful."

Silence—!

Instantly, the entire space fell utterly still, leaving only the shifting glow of the Divine Path information container.

A strange atmosphere hung in the air.

A flicker of astonishment appeared on Ning Ruo's expression, but she quickly understood everything.

"Is this because of the influence of 'Dao Wang'?"

The 'idle thoughts' Xu Dage spoke of—so they can manifest like this.

Then, when he was affected by 'Dao Wang' before, what had he been thinking about?

In that instant, many thoughts raced through her mind.

Xu Xing: "..." This damned 'Dao Wang'!

"... Yes."

That was all he could say now.

"It seems indeed serious."

Ning Ruo smiled and took the Divine Path information container from Xu Xing's hand.

Xu Dage himself seemed caught off guard—something like this had never happened before, not even during the Sword Sovereign's observation of 'Dao Wang.'

"Dao gives rise to calamity, born from within oneself. Master Mei Zu may indeed offer some insight into resolving Xu Dage's 'Dao Wang.'"

The Dao Master Mei Zu governs is extremely unique; in a certain sense, it is precisely suited to Xu Dage's current condition.

"Mm, after returning from the starry sky, I planned to visit the Hehuan Sect."

Xu Xing had now regained his composure; after all, it was nothing significant—only the suddenness of his words had been slightly awkward.

He had lived for so many years; what great storms had he not seen?

But 'Dao Wang' still needed to be resolved as soon as possible—even if it could not be eliminated, at least some restraint must be imposed. This state, which even affected his own self, filled him with deep dissatisfaction.

No error! One word! One emission! One content! One look!

Ning Ruo did not continue on this topic; she rose, holding the Divine Path information container in one hand.

"Let's first try building a framework—let's go to the lab."

Though influenced by 'Dao Wang,' Xu Dage's words just now were probably his true thoughts, weren't they?

Indeed—he truly understands everything.

"Alright."

Xu Xing also rose from the sofa, temporarily ceasing thought on matters related to 'Dao Wang.'

…

…

Outside the Ling Yin Fang, the park.

Because of the peculiar Xue Sang tree species, the Ling Yin Fang park ranks among the top attractions across the Central Continent.

Especially on sunny days, sunlight falling upon the Xue Sang leaves refracts into a rainbow curtain, which, after being adjusted by specially arranged arrays, is fine-tuned until the light's brightness reaches the optimal level.

On the benches, besides Ling Yin Fang's outer-disciple students, there were tourists from all over.

Yet due to the park's vast expanse, it did not feel crowded.

At this moment, on one bench!

Two figures sat side by side, each holding an ice cream.

It was Wan Zhu and Chi Jiuyu.

"In truth, others' comfort has little effect; what matters most is the person herself—or time to heal."

"But individuals differ, so this statement isn't necessarily correct."

"More importantly, it depends on what kind of personality your junior sister is."

What kind of person is Xiao Yunlu?

Crack!

Chi Jiuyu leaned back, swinging her legs, and took a bite of the ice cream cone.

Then Ning Wan Zhu sighed, as if with deep reflection: "Time is truly a cold measure; many moments etched deeply in your memory grow hazy under the long erosion of years."

This remark seemed meant for Chi Jiuyu, yet also for herself.

Chi Jiuyu sat up: "Has Ye Shijie Ning ever experienced this before?"

"In a way, yes," Ning Wan Zhu smiled faintly.

"But that doesn't make sense! I read in the Scripture Hall that after merging with the Dao, one can 'observe one's past self and correct one's true heart'—even memories from childhood, before subjective awareness formed, become crystal clear."

She had learned all this from the Scripture Hall.

Even the most distant memories are perfectly clear!

Merging with the Dao is awesome!

"The 'haziness' I mean isn't just about memory," Ning Wan Zhu still smiled gently. "It's that after experiencing many things, when you look back on what once happened, your emotions no longer match what they were back then."

Chi Jiuyu nodded, half-understanding.

"Like the things Ye Shijie Ning once experienced with Shenghuang Yuan?"

"In a way," Ning Wan Zhu replied evasively. "Now, looking back, I have entirely different insights."

"Enough. You'll understand many things later. Let's get back to your junior sister."

How did the topic drift so far off?

"Mm-hmm," Chi Jiuyu shoved the rest of the ice cream cone into her mouth.

Her small face was serious, yet a strange thought surfaced in her mind.

Shenghuang Yuan shouldn't be over two thousand years old, right?

Ye Shijie Ning seems much older than him!

Meanwhile, in the mountain laboratory.

Humming~

As the metal door opened, Xu Xing and Ning Ruo appeared on the circular teleportation platform.

Before them stretched a vast, pure-white space; at its center stood a strange device resembling an ancient qin, its strings glowing with flickering light.

"This is the former ascension platform's central hub, used to assist in adjusting the connection channel," Ning Ruo explained.

She stepped forward and waved her hand casually.

The massive device instantly disassembled into individual components, vanishing in all directions.

A pure-white desktop, matching the color of the surrounding walls, rose up, stopping at waist height.

Ning Ruo gently released the "Divine Path Information Container" in her hand; a sphere resembling a magnificent nebula floated toward the desktop, hovering above it and slowly rotating.

"The Divine Path system of that world is already highly refined," Xu Xing said.

This was a Divine Path system forged over countless eons in a Tongxuan-level world—its level of refinement goes without saying.

Even he could see little room for optimization.

But this applies only to the Divine Path system.

The "Ascension Guidance Immortal Network" he envisioned differs greatly from the Divine Path network.

"But to use it, many adjustments are still needed."

"No problem," Ning Ruo shook her head slightly. "With this item Xu Dage brought back, establishing the first version of the 'Immortal Network' won't be difficult."

"Any deficiencies can be adjusted later as circumstances require."

With that, she pointed at the floating "Divine Path Information Container" above the white desktop.

Shh!

A streak of light shot forth and vanished into it.

Instantly, the entire sphere decomposed!

The various-colored "stars" representing the Emperor's position detached from the central golden-line sphere and drifted aside.

"The first version of the 'Immortal Network' can be built upon our Immortal energy," Ning Ruo gazed at the golden dot at the center, representing the Heavenly Sovereign's position.

Only True Immortal energy can guarantee the 'Immortal Network' operates without error.

"My current state is unsuitable—use your Immortal energy as the base."

The other Dao companions can withstand the influence of the Dao Confusion, but those below True Immortal cannot—avoid accidents.

"Understood."

Ning Ruo understood this well; she nodded slightly, then turned her gaze to the crimson and deep-blue dots orbiting the golden point:

"Then divide into secondary Immortal energy, to serve as protective power for the 'Ascension Envoys' when establishing ascension platforms in Dongzhen-level worlds."

"If faced with danger beyond resistance, one may request the descent of secondary Immortal energy to forcibly depart the world."

"Below that, further subdivisions—but the lowest tier must be set at the Merging with the Dao level."

Once this "Immortal Network" is truly established,

True Immortals will serve as its core, under the guise of "training," allowing disciples, followers, and even all eligible humans of the Tai Xuan Realm to participate.

This will not only greatly accelerate the progress of the "Ascension Plan," but also use the myriad worlds as training grounds to refine humanity, thereby elevating the overall level of the Tai Xuan Realm's human population.

It is also preparation for the eventual full-scale war against the Cang Clan. (End of Chapter)