Perfect World: Dream of the Immortal Era

In a matter of breaths, the celestial glow barrier completely dissipated as if it had never appeared.

"Shh!"

A vine, like an arm, lifted a giant axe and shattered the void, heading towards the place where Gu Wudi used the celestial talisman to break through.

Soon after, a figure appeared, the same Supreme who had been repelled by the celestial treasure bottle.

The weakened celestial glow barrier was noticed by him immediately, and he rushed in, only to find a commonplace pool of water and a heap of stones, with nothing else in the pit.

The original celestial light had departed, taking all the sanctity with it; otherwise, he might have at least gotten a taste.

His hope of acquiring celestial relics shattered, the Supreme was furious. He followed the traces in the void to this spot, but Gu Wudi was long gone, having already crossed worlds.

If it had been an ordinary boundary-breaking talisman, a Supreme of the Boundary Harmonization stage might have traced him.

However, he used a celestial boundary-breaking talisman; for mere human beings to find him was pure fantasy.

The fragile void indicated that the being who sailed away had just used the breakthrough treasure, but no trace could be found. The Supreme's face darkened, on the brink of fury.

Watching the celestial opportunity slip from his grasp was something none could endure.

Just as he wanted to howl in frustration, a cold voice reached him, leaving him startled and chilled down to his core.

"You, come here, and recount what happened here. Get a single word wrong, and you lose your head."

The Supreme turned his head to see a humanoid figure wrapped in celestial light had somehow appeared behind him.

……

At this moment, Gu Wudi was cautiously observing the unfamiliar surroundings, feeling a bit uneasy at heart. His intuition told him this was no good place.

Dense fog enveloped the area, severely limiting visibility. A heavy humidity pervaded the air, characteristic of a place near the sea. Some inexplicable energy in the void disrupted his senses.

Fortunately, Gu Wudi's unique physique shielded him from this erosion, ensuring he did not lose his way.

"Swoosh!"

The sound of sea waves crashing against the shore echoed, continuous and close by, not far from him.

'"The sea? Could this be one of the most dangerous regions in the Heavenly Path—the Lost Sea?" he murmured to himself, finding a high vantage point amidst the mist to gaze around.

Though visibility was low, Gu Wudi could faintly see some scenes by focusing on the bits of celestial aura entering his vision.

Beneath the dim fog, he observed the turbulent waves rolling, tides surging and crashing rhythmically against the island beneath his feet.

"Is it really the Lost Sea?"

Gu Wudi remained silent. Despite the powerful capabilities of the Celestial Path Breaking Talisman, which could transport farther than those crafted in the human domain, the direction was uncontrollable, and the destination depended entirely on luck.

This time was unlucky for him, as he landed directly in the infamous perilous land known as the Lost Sea.

It's a renowned relic in the Heavenly Path, vast and boundless, containing remnants of celestial lands, ancient medicinal fields rooted with celestial herbs, and scripture libraries storing celestial texts...

Every year, countless beings risk the dangers of perishing as they set sail on ancient ships to seek treasures.

Due to the Lost Sea's unique environment, those who enter often lose direction and become unable to return, with a large number of voyagers disappearing without a trace annually.

However, despite these risks, some people still venture out because opportunities and dangers coexist; some return with rich celestial treasures, thereby defying destiny.

Yet, most cultivators are unwilling to take such risks; considering the disappearance rate of the Lost Sea, it’s nearly indistinguishable from a forbidden zone of life. Without the guidance of experienced and powerful cultivators, even true immortals could become lost in the vast ocean.

Finding himself stranded here, Gu Wudi felt somewhat helpless because a certain restriction in the Lost Sea prevents cultivators from breaking through space. True immortals are no exception, meaning the stack of Celestial Path Breaking Talismans he possessed was useless for escaping.

Gazing at the endless ocean, Gu Wudi sighed deeply. The pressing matter was not thinking about how to leave but rather to seize the great opportunity at hand. Strengthening oneself was always the correct path.

With this in mind, he circled the island a few times, carefully probing it and finding no dangers. Alone on the island, he felt relieved and chose a cave as a temporary retreat.

After setting up defensive measures around the cave, he ventured deep inside, took out a cushion, and sat cross-legged, retrieving a one-time celestial artifact, the Grand Dao Bottle.

Peering inside the bottle, he could see a radiant celestial light quietly suspended at the bottom, extremely serene.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Wudi employed a familiar technique, using his perfected celestial energy to draw the origin celestial light from the bottle, making it hover before his chest.

He then activated all his ancient primordial seeds, refining and devouring this strand of celestial light.

Born before the opening of heaven and earth, the light carried an origin Dao flow and a primal and initial aura, which were what the ancient primordial seeds craved most.

When cultivating the first strand of celestial energy, all ancient primordial seeds collectively grew roots, which fell off and converged to form a celestial energy. The emergence of the second celestial energy was already showing signs, relying on the sprouting primordial seeds to transform into celestial energy.'

In the cultivation path, this realm is called the 'Beginning of the Dao,' where the character 'Beginning' signifies that the road to the Great Dao for a cultivator starts from here, perfectly aligned with the primordial aura of 'Initial' and 'Origin' emanating from the celestial light.

Precisely because of this, every particle of ancient seed within Gu Wudi's body expressed an insatiable desire, yearning to refine this strand of celestial light and advance further.

"Buzz!" The primordial celestial light did not resist, as the aura radiating from the ancient seeds made it feel as though it had found its origin, returning to an era before heaven and earth were created.

Following this, a wondrous scene unfolded—an illustrious strand of primordial celestial light hovered quietly in the void, with delicate threads flowing into various parts of Gu Wudi's body.

It was as if a river of time was flowing backward, restoring and returning to the place of origin.

At this moment, Gu Wudi felt utterly comfortable, with all the particles of ancient seeds sprouting and making countless cracking sounds as if sacred and radiant buds were emerging.

Simultaneously, his cultivation level soared rapidly, and his combat power surged.

Eventually, the primordial celestial light was completely devoured, leaving not a trace behind. It was fully absorbed into the ancient seed particles, each glowing brilliantly, sprouting with the aura of 'Initial' and 'Origin,' giving Gu Wudi an illusion of returning to the primordial chaos.

In the next moment, these buds fell, transforming into strands of light within Gu Wudi's body, eventually condensing into a stream of celestial energy.

Yet, the ancient seeds, now devoid of buds, remained exceptionally smooth, without a single crack on their surface.

Gu Wudi slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the two streams of celestial energy swirling around him, a smile tugging at his lips.

Successfully cultivating another stream of celestial energy meant he had reached the third level of Qi Refining. The 'Starting Qi into Seed' was his first level, each subsequent stream of celestial energy marking another level. If he cultivated a third stream of celestial energy, he could stand at the pinnacle of essence refinement and Qi transformation—Qi Refining Level Four.

Achieving Qi Refining Level Four, then moving beyond it, led to the next domain, transforming Qi into the spirit.

The transition from essence refinement and Qi transformation to transforming Qi into spirit constituted a fundamental change, an unimaginable leap, and Gu Wudi was eager to experience it.

However, for now, it seemed too distant. Between these stages lay the fourth level of Qi Refining. He shook his head, dismissing these idle thoughts and began to solidify the newly cultivated celestial energy.

Perhaps this system had not yet been recognized by the world and the Dao of Heaven, for while Gu Wudi underwent minor breakthroughs from Qi Refining Level Two to Level Three, no heavenly tribulation arrived, as was the case earlier in the Yin-Yang Restriction Zone.

He speculated that the heavenly tribulations corresponding to the four stages of essence refinement and Qi transformation might have been crossed when the ancient seeds formed. The next heavenly tribulation should occur upon entering the transformation of Qi into spirit.

However, Gu Wudi was unaware that although his breakthroughs did not summon divine punishment, they did exude sacred and dazzling celestial light.

In the dim and tumultuous Lost Sea, such celestial light was extremely conspicuous, like a beacon in the dark, visible from a distance.

“Boom!”

Amidst the Lost Sea, gigantic waves surged as an enormous treasure ship cut through the water, speeding towards the island where Gu Wudi was seated.

“Just now, I saw celestial light from that direction. Could it be the opening of an immortal's abode?”

“I’m not sure. However, in the Lost Sea, the more resplendent a place seems, the more likely it harbors great danger.”

The sound of conversation was drowned out by the wind and waves, disappearing into the vast sea fog.

At this moment, Gu Wudi was unaware of the massive object rapidly approaching the island where he stood.

By the time he realized, it was already too late. He opened his eyes, letting the celestial energy around him surge, withdrawing his external arrangements on the island, and shot out like a lightning bolt.

What appeared before him was a colossal shadow, standing like an ancient divine mountain amidst the thick fog.

Seeing this, Gu Wudi's first reaction was to sail away. In the unpredictable Lost Sea, a ship of such magnitude must be guided by a true immortal.

Just as he was about to head to the other side of the island to release his treasure ship and escape, a light “hmm” was heard. The next moment, murmuring scriptures echoed in his ear. Gu Wudi had heard this sound before—it was the Buddhist scriptures of the Ancient Monk Lineage. At a renowned gathering in the Southern Sea's Bamboo Grove, a young monk named Kongjue from this lineage recited the famous Sutra of Salvation. Gu Wudi almost lost himself until he awoke at the last moment.

“Buzz!”

A flower of the Great Dao bloomed above his head, suffused with auspicious light and Buddha's radiance, appearing incomparably sacred and transcendent in the dim environment.

This was not a flower grown from celestial energy but a Lotus of the Buddhist Tao.

After hearing the Salvation Sutra, Kongjue once mentioned that a Lotus had sprouted atop Gu Wudi's head, indicating a connection with the Ancient Monk Lineage, predicting a significant fate in the future.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing the Buddhist scriptures again, this so-called Lotus of the Buddhist Tao bloomed once more.

“The Lotus of the Buddhist Tao, the benefactor has ties with our Ancient Monk Lineage. Please come aboard for a discussion,” a calm voice invited Gu Wudi onto the ship.

He hesitated briefly, his eyes radiating celestial energy that pierced through the thick fog to discern the massive object's appearance.

It was indeed the treasure ship of the Ancient Monk Lineage, adorned with a large "Buddha" character. The ship's hull was inscribed with dense lines of Buddhist scriptures, exuding rich Buddhist essence.

On the treasure ship stood many ancient monks, both old and young, hands clasped together, thumb adorned with prayer beads. Some were intently striking wooden fish, producing rhythmic “da-da” sounds.

Suddenly, Gu Wudi spotted a familiar face—an ancient young monk with red lips and white teeth, charming and handsome. It was Kongjue, whom he had befriended in the Purple Bamboo Forest of the Southern Sea.

This convinced him entirely that this was indeed a ship of the Ancient Monk Lineage.

If he hadn't seen a familiar face, Gu Wudi might not have easily agreed to board. This is the Lost Sea, where not only ships of the living drift, but also ghost ships. If the treasure ship turned into a ghost ship and the monks into demon monks once he was aboard, he wouldn't be surprised.

Sensing Gu Wudi's apprehension and hesitation, the celestial monk at the helm of the treasure ship pointed his finger, extending a path filled with Buddhist light from the ship to Gu Wudi's feet.

"Young benefactor, have no fear. The light of the Buddhist path shines at the back of your head. You are an esteemed guest of our Ancient Monk Lineage and will not be harmed.

This place is the Lost Sea, fraught with dangers. Your cultivation is shallow; better follow us back to the shore to avoid unforeseeable misfortunes," spoke the celestial monk, his words radiating kindness.

Hearing this, Gu Wudi hesitated no more and stepped onto the radiant path.

Soon, he boarded the treasure ship.

"This humble monk is Wuzhen, greetings to the young benefactor," the celestial monk at the helm said with a smile, hands clasped together.

Gu Wudi felt honored, knowing that this was a celestial monk, a being on par with true immortals, whereas he was merely a mortal being.

"Junior Gu Wudi pays respects to Master Wuzhen," he responded promptly.

Thereafter, all monks aboard greeted Gu Wudi one by one—they included young novices, teenage monks, middle-aged ancient monks, and even elderly monks, all as expected. Some emanated a faint golden glow, indicating their bodies were extraordinarily powerful.

He'd long heard of the supreme body refining technique, the Sixteen Fathoms Gold Body, of the Ancient Monk Lineage. Those who mastered it were renowned celestial ancient monks, like the celestial monk king who once helped him sort out his chaotic primordial spirit.

Gu Wudi responded to each greeting and began conversing with these ancient monks.

It turned out their voyage was to locate a previous ship of the Ancient Monk Lineage lost in the sea—a ship carrying many virtuous monks and a celestial monk at the helm. Unfortunately, that ship never returned, vanishing into the endless ocean.

"Following the guidance of the Buddhist scriptures, we nearly reached it once. Alas, we lost track. Even with a celestial monk at the helm, one cannot linger in the Lost Sea for too long. Perhaps we must return another time to uncover what truly occurred," informed one ancient monk.

Subsequently, these monks asked Gu Wudi why he was alone on a small island.

He truthfully explained that he had been fleeing for his life, pursued by assailants, which led him to this foreboding place.

The monks were astonished upon hearing this, marveling at the young benefactor's daring, to have escaped to such a perilous abyss.