The world and immortals are one

"As far as I know, apart from our sect's foundational scripture, the World Saving Everlasting Life Scripture, a few of our senior and junior fellow apprentices practiced other Cultivation Techniques back then."

"If we wake them up in advance, it shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"Once I gather enough Cultivation Techniques…"

Linghu Chang spoke to himself, only to see Xiao Heng and the others sizing him up with strange expressions.

He paused and couldn't help asking: "What is it, Fellow Daoist Xiao? Is there something wrong with my plan?"

Xiao Heng gave a wry smile: "Fellow Daoist Linghu, I'm afraid the current situation of the Cultivation World is not as simple as you imagine."

Right then, Xiao Heng explained the general situation of the Myriad Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Association, two colossal entities that monopolized almost all Cultivation Techniques in the world.

Linghu Chang's expression instantly turned extremely pale.

"How could this be?"

If these people were not lying, then the Myriad Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Association were undoubtedly terrifying existences that far surpassed the Ten Immortal Sects of the past.

Su Xiaomei also quickly said: "The Myriad Immortals Alliance is no good guy. If they find out about the current situation of your Medicine King Sect, for the sake of so many treasures and Cultivation Techniques, they definitely won't let you off."

Zhang Haobo also nodded: "The Myriad Immortals Alliance's control over Cultivation Techniques is truly terrifying. Especially the ancient techniques practiced by you, Fellow Daoist Linghu, which are undoubtedly extraordinary. Reaching Dao Integration is certainly not a problem. With such true Cultivation Techniques, given the style of the Myriad Immortals Alliance, they will definitely not let them leak out. Once they get the news, they will certainly dispatch Cultivators from the Law Enforcement Hall to recover them."

The three of them embellished the terror of the Myriad Immortals Alliance to Linghu Chang based on their own perceptions of it.

Although Linghu Chang didn't completely believe it, he still understood the reasoning that an innocent person harboring jade becomes a target of suspicion.

Asking him to join the Myriad Immortals Alliance and hand over the lives of hundreds of sleeping fellow apprentices to others to control—

Linghu Chang, entrusted by Liu Ruchen with his dying breath, could not do it.

After thinking for a moment, he solemnly bowed toward Xiao Heng and the others.

"I have left the Xuanhuang World for thousands of years. The worldly affairs have changed since then, and many matters are completely unfamiliar to me."

"For the sake of the Medicine King Sect's future survival, I must still trouble everyone for your assistance."

Xiao Heng repeatedly said he wouldn't dare.

After dealing with the matters inside the cauldron, Linghu Chang and the three of Xiao Heng flew out from the Medicine King Cauldron.

Linghu Chang put away the Medicine King Cauldron.

Afterwards, following their original route, they planned to return to Shi Lin Province.

Along the way, everyone flew in a low-key manner.

After seeing the towering heavenly cities along the way and the numerous Myriad Immortals Alliance Cultivators in the cities,

Linghu Chang became even more convinced of his judgment, growing increasingly cautious.

…

Myriad Immortals Alliance Headquarters.

Museum of Divine Treasures.

Guided by the lead, Li Fan had already arrived inside this incomparably magnificent building at this moment.

At this time, his steps while touring paused slightly.

The guide ahead looked at him with some surprise.

"Is there a place to rest here?"

Li Fan said apologetically.

The guide, dressed in black, looked at Li Fan, who was white-haired and showing signs of old age, and revealed an understanding expression.

He then led him into a sealed space.

It was simply decorated, yet equipped with tables and chairs.

"You may rest here."

"Whenever you want to tour again, just contact me through this jade token."

Handing a jade token engraved with the characters [Bingyin] to Li Fan, the guide quietly left.

Li Fan took a deep breath, digesting the information transmitted back from Xiao Heng and the others.

"Immortal Ruins?"

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Extremely strong gravitational pull, devouring everything."

"Even space and time can be distorted. Once approaching, a split second feels like a millennium."

"This is…"

"A black hole?"

"Or rather, a power extremely similar to a black hole."

"Is that inexplicable presence above Daoyuan Province related to the Immortal Ruins?"

Li Fan, who was sorting through the information, suddenly paused slightly.

"Wait, the Immortal Ruins, the Xuanhuang World below that could be attracted and devoured at any time."

"And the abnormal movements of the Xuanhuang World after a Cultivator's death."

…

In an instant, combining what he had seen and heard in Tianling Province,

all the clues strung together into a single line.

A logically self-consistent conclusion appeared in Li Fan's mind.

It was enough to reasonably and completely resolve Li Fan's previous doubts in his heart.

"To avoid the fate of the Xuanhuang World being swallowed as a whole by the Immortal Ruins above, it is necessary to maintain a certain [weight] of its own."

"And Cultivators are also an extremely important link in this [weight]…"

"When Cultivators die in large numbers, the Xuanhuang World becomes slightly lighter."

"Thus, it is slightly pulled by the [Immortal Ruins], moving a fraction closer."

"…"

"If the number of Cultivators in the Xuanhuang World drops to a certain level, the entire Xuanhuang World will irreversibly…"

"plunge completely into the [Immortal Ruins]."

"At that time, even the Celestial Venerable of Longevity will probably find it hard to escape the end of destruction."

"This is the reason why Ji Hongdao's deterrence works."

"[Perishing together]."

"This is also why [the number of Cultivators cannot be too few]."

Li Fan's thoughts raced. Associating this with the words and actions of Senior Sister Zhao, he faintly felt in his heart that this judgment was extremely close to the truth.

But the problem followed immediately after.

Why would Cultivators have [weight]?

It is still understandable that heaven and earth have weight.

But how could a Cultivator's Physical Body…

In an instant, as if a flash of lightning split the fog,

Li Fan understood in a flash.

"If they were ancient Cultivators, naturally they couldn't be said to have weight."

"However, New Law Cultivators plunder heaven and earth."

"Absorbing the spirits of heaven and earth, borrowing the wonders of heaven and earth, prying into the laws of heaven and earth, seizing the essences of heaven and earth, extracting the marrows of heaven and earth…"

"Absorbing a part of the world and transforming it into oneself."

"Thus, they naturally acquire the attribute of the world's [weight]."

For Golden Core Cultivators and below, it is not yet obvious.

Once reaching the Nascent Soul stage, swallowing the [Cave Heaven] that originally belonged to heaven and earth and transforming it into one's own Domain—

This couldn't be easier to understand.

"[Cave Heaven]…"

"The world's [weight]…"

Li Fan then thought of even more.

According to the experiences of Linghu Chang of the Medicine King Sect,

the [Immortal Ruins] above the Xuanhuang World should have already existed long before the New Law spread.

At that time, the Ten Immortal Sects joined forces to avert the fate of the Xuanhuang World being devoured.

What on earth did the powerful figures standing at the pinnacle of the Cultivation World back then do?

Thinking of the current state of the Xuanhuang World, a bold guess couldn't help but arise in Li Fan's mind.

"When I first learned about the New Law cultivation path from the Five Spirits Qi Sensing Method, I had doubts in my heart."

"It's truly a bit incredible that Cultivators could plunder heaven and earth like this, and yet this world has managed to endure for so long."

"After deeply understanding the various secrets of the Xuanhuang World, I had also harbored suspicions."

"The various Cave Heavens and Small Worlds contained within the Xuanhuang World…"

"are simply a bit too numerous."

"Great Xuan, Li Realm, as well as countless subordinate worlds, and one Cave Heaven after another of various shapes."

"Now it seems that these places may not have originally belonged to the Xuanhuang World."

"Instead, they were [captured] from the Void Realm by the Immortal Cultivators of the Ten Immortal Sects back then to avoid the fate of being devoured by the Immortal Ruins."