Chapter 664: The Chasm Between Immortal And Mortal

"Such a thing actually happened?

"Any one of the Ten Immortal Dao Sects is an unquestionably colossal entity. What could possibly be inside that city in the sky that’s capable of giving rise to such powerful immortal sects?" Li Fan's voice rose in disbelief, his face a perfect mask of shock.

Fang Zaiji nodded slightly. "When I first learned of this, I too found it hard to believe. But after making further inquiries, I was essentially able to confirm its truth. The reason the Ten Immortal Dao Sects were able to rise so abruptly was precisely due to the fortunes they obtained within the Heavenly Capital!"

Without waiting for Li Fan to ask another question, he continued his tale. "According to legend, although the interior of the Heavenly Capital was empty, devoid of any living person, in the central pavilion sat a single figure. Beside this figure stood a child attendant, waiting dutifully.

"The figure's face was impossible to see clearly, yet they seemed to be expounding the Dao into the void before them. Countless profound and subtle discourses on the Dao resonated in the ears of all present like striking bells and booming drums. Even more miraculous, the content each person heard was completely different.

"Everyone was entranced, utterly lost in the experience. When they finally awoke from their contemplation, they wished to keep listening. But they found they could no longer hear anything from the figure. Instead, the child attendant simply waved his hand and expelled them from the pavilion.

"After they had left, those cultivators compared their newly gained insights. Each revelation, they found, had originated from the foundation of their own knowledge. Yet it was far more profound, seemingly thousands of times more exquisite than what their own sects had passed down!

"Afterwards, no matter how they tried, they were never again able to enter that pavilion."

Fang Zaiji sighed softly. "Knowing just how precious this opportunity was, these cultivators secretly notified their disciples once they had quietly left the Heavenly Capital. But perhaps it was this very action that alerted the Xuantian Sect. They began to pursue the cultivators who had left the Heavenly Capital, and at the same time dispatched their underlings to seal off the city in the sky completely.

"This rude action seemed to incur the displeasure of the figure within the Heavenly Capital, who then sent the child attendant into battle. The details of that battle are unknown. But the result was that, although the Xuantian Sect retreated in disgrace, the other cultivators were never able to enter the Heavenly Capital either.

"Yet every year, a purple mist would drift down, scattering across the lands of the Xuanhuang World. It wasn't the same as hearing the figure's discourse firsthand, but those fortunate enough to obtain a wisp were said to come close!"

Li Fan pondered for a moment, then frowned. "Where did the Heavenly Capital go afterwards? Why did so few people speak of it during our era?"

"The Heavenly Capital hung in the sky for ten full years. After a decade, just as it had descended from the heavens without warning, it vanished without a sound, noticed by no one.

"And soon after, the conflict between the Xuantian Sect and the Immortal Dao sects became irreconcilable. In the great war that engulfed the entire Xuanhuang World, no one had the time or concern to spare for the already-vanished Heavenly Capital."

Fang Zaiji lamented, "By our time, the Heavenly Capital had become nothing more than a legend, spoken of only in idle chatter."

Realization suddenly dawned on Li Fan's face. "It’s coming back to me now. I once learned form the Tianxuan Mirror that in Yuandao Province ahead, there is a Dao Unity cultivator named Lan Yu. He claims to be from the lineage of the Heavenly Capital Great Master. However..."

A hint of doubt crossed Li Fan's face. "I have heard that, in ancient times, the Heavenly Capital fell for reasons unknown. You can even see its ruins on the earth to this day..."

"What? The Heavenly Capital fell?" This time, it was Fang Zaiji's turn to be stunned.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" After a moment of silence, Fang Zaiji denied it with firm conviction. "If the Heavenly Capital truly collided with the Xuanhuang World, no one could say which would have come out worse!"

"What do you mean by that?" Li Fan narrowed his eyes.

"That's right, the Heavenly Capital very likely came from the legendary Immortal Realm! And that figure within it might well have been a legendary True Immortal! The reason those cultivators from the Ten Immortal Dao Sects couldn't see the figure clearly back then was precisely because, after ascending and becoming an Immortal, one undergoes a transformation in the order of life, far beyond what ordinary cultivators can comprehend!" Fang Zaiji spoke with an air of conviction.

Another Immortal. So they didn't fall... Li Fan remained noncommittal, though his thoughts turned to the unknown entity coiled above Yuandao Province, devouring time itself. Perhaps some calamity had indeed occurred, leading to this strange phenomenon.

Seeing Li Fan's disbelief, Fang Zaiji snorted coldly. "Without seeing it for yourself, of course you can't understand the might of a True Immortal. If you'd been as fortunate as I was to obtain a strand of the Purple Aura of the Heavenly Capital, you'd know I speak the truth. As for that Lan Yu claiming to be from the lineage of the Heavenly Capital Great Master, that might not be a lie. There is much of the Great Master's legacy within the Purple Aura."

Li Fan was slightly surprised. "You received a strand of the Heavenly Capital's Purple Aura?"

Fang Zaiji said with some pride, "Of course! Back then I was still an ignorant child. I only stumbled onto the fortune without understanding its significance! How else could a commoner unaffiliated with any sect or school have cultivated to the Dao Unity realm? And why would those proud disciples of the Ten Immortal Dao Sects willingly tell me these secrets of the past? It was only because they sensed the resonance of the Purple Aura within me."

After a moment of silence, Li Fan asked another question. "Is the Heavenly Capital Great Master that figure within the Heavenly Capital?"

Fang Zaiji shot him a look. "What are you thinking? As I said, that figure is most likely a True Immortal. And if an Immortal doesn't reveal themself willingly, how could the mortal world ever know Their identity? Besides, those cultivators merely had the fortune of hearing the teachings. I doubt even the few leaders of the Ten Immortal Dao Sects back then would have dared call themselves true disciples of that Immortal.

"The one we call the Heavenly Capital Great Master is the child who stood beside that figure. After listening to the Immortal for just a short time, he was able to found the Ten Immortal Dao Sects. He'd attended at the Immortal's side for who knows how long—how unfathomably profound must his mastery be?

"The Purple Aura of the Heavenly Capital mostly contains the Great Master's interpretations of the Immortal's teachings, covering a vast array of knowledge. A sliver of it is enough to benefit a mortal for a lifetime.

"What I obtained back then were some of the Great Master's insights on artifact crafting." Fang Zaiji glanced toward Yuandao Province as he spoke.

Li Fan understood now.

Back then, the Ten Immortal Dao Sects had received personal guidance from the Immortal.

The Purple Aura of the Heavenly Capital, however, contained only the insights of the Heavenly Capital Great Master, who had listened to the Immortal's lectures for years. Passed down through countless turns, it was far inferior to the True Immortal's doctrine. Yet even so, it could effortlessly mold a Dao Unity realm cultivator.

This is the true divide between immortals and mortals. Li Fan's mind churned with the bitter realization. The gap is so vast it surpasses even the chasm that separates mortals from cultivators.

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