Chapter 55

On the central holy mountain of Dragon Island.

Beneath an ancient tree that seemed like a mountain peak, an extremely aged ancestral dragon lay prone here, as if it could breathe its last at any moment.

But just then, he seemed to sense something, suddenly opened his eyes, revealing a pair of imposing dragon pupils, and looked toward the distance.

"Ancestral Dragon's qi. Not right."

"It seems even more sacred than the Ancestral Dragon's qi."

A faint, mosquito-like whisper rose from the old ancestral dragon's mouth, and in his mind surfaced the vague heavenly-earth changes he had sensed not long ago, giving rise to a hint of speculation.

"Could it be the legendary primal dragon?"

"But that's impossible."

But before the old ancestral dragon's thought could fully settle, he seemed to see something unbelievable, his dragon eyes widened instantly, and he instinctively said: "Fuxi progenitor god, this most mysterious progenitor god has not fallen."

But before his words faded, a hint of confusion appeared in his dragon eyes, and he softly said: "No, not quite like that most mysterious progenitor god. Could it be his reincarnation? Or perhaps—"

The aged voice kept sounding, and the ancestral dragon's dragon face showed visible doubt and turmoil.

Above Dragon Island.

Feng Yi picked up the Fuxi Qin before him, looked at the white-clad woman before him who embodied the spirit and wisdom of heaven and earth, her ethereal and distant aura, and chuckled: "Daoist Lan Nuo, it seems you're unharmed!"

On the other side, seeing the mysterious azure-robed youth take back the wondrous Fuxi Qin, Lan Nuo also instantly came to her senses.

Hearing the youth's words, a faint smile blossomed on her face, as if brightening heaven and earth for an instant, and she said: "I must also thank Daoist for your help; if not for your timely reminder and aid with the qin's sound, I would likely have been sealed to death in this barbaric ancient island, becoming the first cultivator to perish right after breaking the void."

Speaking of this, a hint of emotion appeared in her eyes as she unconsciously gazed toward the distant barbaric scenery, and she softly said, "I never imagined that upon first entering the Longevity Realm, I would end up on a barbaric ancient island wielding such unfathomable sealing power, and nearly perished outright."

Fellow Daoist Lan Nuo, you're being courteous!

Lightly waving his hand, Feng Yi spoke casually: "It was nothing, just a casual effort. Moreover, if not for borrowing your power to shatter the void, I would have needed extra trouble to reach this Longevity Realm; now it's merely repaying your kindness—nothing worth mentioning."

Lan Nuo withdrew her gaze, looked at the youth before her, and smiled: "Fellow Daoist, you're too modest; even without my aid, with your abilities, reaching the Longevity Realm would not be too difficult."

Although the youth's cultivation appeared not particularly strong—merely at the Awareness Storage realm—his prior experiences let Lan Nuo vaguely realize he was not as simple as he seemed.

Hearing Lan Nuo's words, Feng Yi smiled but did not respond.

To enter the Longevity Realm, the most direct method is actually to rely on the heirloom purple jade bracelet of Xiao Chen; it is a part of the Kyushu Seal, essentially one of the keys, capable of opening the gate between Kyushu and the Longevity Realm.

However, the gate of the Kyushu Seal is guarded by a power comparable to a Half-Ancestor; Feng Yi is unsure whether his initial containment of the Fuxi status can deceive that guardian, so he prefers not to provoke him for now, and instead hitch a ride on this fellow Daoist's void-shattering moment to save effort.

His thoughts turning, Feng Yi changed the subject: "Actually, even without my reminder, with your wisdom, Fellow Daoist, you would soon comprehend this island's rules, actively seal your own cultivation to bypass the heavenly and earthly seals."

Fellow Daoist, you overestimate me!

Lan Nuo gently shook her head, a bitter smile appearing on her face, and said: "Fellow Daoist, you probably notice as well—I am currently in the Nirvana state; my strength fluctuates wildly, entirely beyond my control, essentially being tightly restrained by the rules of this barbaric ancient island. If not for your timely assistance, even if I wouldn't perish outright, my cultivation would likely not be preserved."

"That's also possible."

Feng Yi secretly nodded in his heart, also feeling some regret for this goddess's ill fortune.

The Nirvana state is an exceptionally special realm within the cultivation system of the Longevity Realm.

As the name suggests, the Nirvana state is a profound realm where a cultivator breaks free from the cocoon and transforms like a butterfly, both the greatest opportunity and fortune on the path of cultivation and a terrifying life-and-death tribulation.

A cultivator dwelling in this state is constantly in a condition of neither life nor death, comprehending the true meaning of extinction between life and death, breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats, turning everything into nourishment for transformation.

Once the mystery of life and death is solved and this realm is surpassed, the cultivator will completely break free from the cocoon, transform into a butterfly, and soar straight to the heavens.

At that point, whether it be innate talent, foundation, or affinity with heavenly and earthly qi and rules, all will undergo complete sublimation and metamorphosis, becoming entirely different from before.

Put simply, any cultivator who manages to pass the Nirvana state, regardless of how poor their prior foundation, will directly become a genius of the cultivation path.

Even cultivators with deep accumulation, upon completing the Nirvana transformation, can rely on that accumulation to achieve ultimate sublimation, directly surpassing the Longevity state and attaining the rank of a great cultivator in the Fish-Leap realm.

However, such tremendous opportunity and transformation naturally also entail great risk.

Once one enters the Nirvana state, if they fail for a long time to comprehend the true meaning of extinction between life and death, upon passing this realm they will be utterly annihilated—body and spirit destroyed—with no chance of survival.

One could say this realm is a cruel state where one either does not produce life or faces death.

Moreover, cultivators in the Nirvana state, like Lan Nuo before, have their strength uncontrolled, fluctuating between high and low; at its peak it can rival the Longevity state, while at its weakest it may fall below even the Awareness Storage cultivator.

Lan Nuo herself is in the Nirvana state, and after shattering the void she happened to arrive at this special place, Dragon Island.

More importantly, this is precisely the juncture when the seal on Dragon Island is undergoing an anomaly, coincidentally targeted by the Heavenly Stele Seal; one can only say it's extraordinarily unlucky.

If not for Feng Yi's timely warning and intervention, even if she resisted the Heavenly Stele Seal a bit longer by force, she would likely suffer severe injury, damage to her foundation, or even have her cultivation completely ruined, even if she weren't outright sealed to death.

As Feng Yi's thoughts turned, Lan Nuo gazed at the youth before her, as if recalling something, and softly said: "By the way, after all that, I still don't know how to address you, Fellow Daoist—where did you cultivate before? Why have I never heard of such a figure existing in Kyushu?"

"Oh."

Hearing Lan Nuo's words, Feng Yi came to, speaking casually: "My name is Feng Yi; I come from a small village by the Yellow River, merely an unknown nobody—it's no surprise you haven't heard of me, Fellow Daoist Lan Nuo."

'"An unknown nobody."'

Lan Nuo secretly shook her head, thinking that if this mysterious youth before her were truly an unknown nobody, then Kyushu would have no notable figures at all.

'"However, the surname Feng, given name Yi."'

In her mind arose the oldest surname of Kyushu; contemplating this profoundly meaningful name, Lan Nuo involuntarily envisioned the mysterious ancient qin known as the Fuxi Qin, and the unfathomable principles contained within it.

As a person of Kyushu, she naturally knows well the legend of Fuxi, the Human Ancestor.

'"Surname Feng, given name Yi, and also wielding the Fuxi Qin."'

'"More importantly, although his cultivation is merely at the Awareness Storage realm, I cannot see through him; moreover, as a person of Kyushu, having just entered the Longevity Realm, he understands this island's rules so clearly."'

Her thoughts continually turning, Lan Nuo's heart involuntarily conjured the image of that ancient, simple-looking book that had once appeared in his hand—seeming to record future fate, like an ever-evolving illusory world—making her feel ever more that this mysterious youth before her was shrouded in layers of mist, impossible to see through, giving her a vague suspicion about his identity.

"(End of chapter)"