The Undying Immortal System

Chapter 261: Life 73, Age 50, Martial Master Peak

To construct the primary control node of the illusory sky formation, I used a combination of marble, kyanrolite, and rhyolite. The inscriptions for creating and controlling illusions were carved into marble, and I used kyanrolite for the inscriptions related to regulating and controlling the grand formation’s ancillary nodes. Finally, I used rhyolite as an insulator to prevent energy from bleeding from one inscription to another. With so many large, complex inscriptions crammed together, this was the only way that I could ensure they wouldn’t interact with each other in unexpected ways.

If all I had needed to do was carve inscriptions into stone, I would have been able to do that with wood qi or a spirit fire. However, because I was using a mix of stones in a complex lattice, I needed to use earth qi to bind everything together seamlessly so that the torrent of energy involved in this formation could flow smoothly from one inscription to the next.

The primary control node alone took me over a month to complete. While I could have used some of that time to advance to Grandmaster instead, making the process of melding stones together both easier and faster, the dantian created by the third Rank of the Wood-Burned Earth technique was rather unique, and I would need time to fully understand it. So, while crafting this formation as a Martial Master might have been a bit inefficient, I pushed forward and did it anyway. My time was limited, and by taking this path, I could guarantee that I would be able to finish before the world collapsed around me.

After completing the primary control node, I spent the next two months crafting eight ancillary nodes. These nodes were mostly marble and only contained small pockets of kyanrolite, so crafting them was much easier than crafting the control node had been. The main time sink here was ensuring that all eight nodes were identical and balanced.

Once everything was finished, I placed the control node in the bubble at the center of my storage space’s ceiling. Then, the ancillary nodes were placed in a square-shaped pattern around it.

Each of these nodes would need a copious amount of both light and dark qi to function properly, and my storage space didn’t have either. So, I placed a horde of spirit stones in each bubble and then added copies of the Gloomy Shadow Fire and the Halcyon Illumination Fire to convert these stones into dark and light qi, respectively.

Relying on spirit stones indefinitely wasn’t exactly economical, but it was good enough for the moment. I could look at other ways to fuel the formation in the future.

When it was all done, I took a deep breath and manipulated a thread of light qi to kickstart the inscriptions in each of the nodes.

Puddles of blue spread from nine locations in the sky of my storage space, casting an azure hue over everything below. Then, slowly, nine small suns appeared.

This was the solution that the illusionists and I had come up with, blue light for most of the sky, and small white suns at regular intervals to produce wide-spectrum light and give the space the appearance of a somewhat normal sunny day. At ‘night,’ the blue sky would vanish, dark qi would take its place, and the suns would dim and turn into small stars.

To try and make things feel more natural, we added illusory clouds to the mix, but in truth, nothing about this sky looked ‘real.’ It was good enough, though. People would hopefully be able to live and work in the space without feeling like they were trapped in a small, confined cave.

There were things to improve, but it was good enough. Even if it wasn’t, it didn’t matter anymore. I was out of time.

Roughly three months after the start of the new year, YuanFei’s Grandmasters returned from the Su Clan’s annual training camp with dozens of new recruits.

Upon seeing this, the corners of my mouth dropped, and my expression hardened.

Our time in the Wastes had come to an end.

I immediately sent a message to the leadership council and summoned them for an emergency meeting. Less than ten minutes later I stood in the middle of the council chamber, and five of the six inner elders sat in front of me, waiting to hear what I had to say.

ShouLi had looked like she wanted to start the meeting as soon as I had arrived, but I held up a hand to stop her. We would wait until our new Master of Residential Affairs joined us.

While I stood there, silent and motionless, I cycled my qi, connected to my root network, and used it to check in on what was happening elsewhere in the clan. On the surface, everything looked normal, but one old man understood the situation well enough to at least suspect the danger we were in.

Elder TaiZu burst into the YuanFei’s audience chamber, interrupting a report on how the trip to the Su Clan’s training camp had gone.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this!? Why wasn’t I informed that you were sending people to that damned training compound!?”

For an instant, YuanFei’s face froze. Then, his cheeks turned red, and a murderous glint appeared in his eyes.

“How dare you speak to your Patriarch in such a manner! Why did I not tell you? You!? Who are you? I am the Patriarch. I do not need to report my decisions to anyone.”

“Child, do you think—”

“Enough!” YuanFei's roar was enough to shake the entire building. “I hereby strip you of your position as Grand Elder. You are demoted to the position of outer clan disciple. Leave. Now.”

TaiZu gritted his teeth. “You cannot do this. The leadership council—”

YuanFei snorted. “I’m done with letting those kids play their silly games. Next week, ShouLi will be sent to the Rising Sun Empire, and the rest of those commoners will learn their proper place in my clan.”

YuanFei gestured at the Grandmasters around him. “From now on, the only council is the elder council, and they have already agreed to strip you of your position.”

TaiZu glared at YuanFei. Then, he narrowed his eyes and looked around at the assembled Grandmasters.

When his eyes landed on one of the figures, he froze.

“Heng, what are you doing here?”

Su Heng, TaiZu’s only son, stepped up and stood next to YuanFei.

“I am serving the Patriarch. What are you doing, old man? You have constantly questioned the Patriarch’s authority, and you have actively worked to undermine him. Begone. Do not try to involve me in your crimes any longer.”

TaiZu’s expression fell, and his shoulders slumped.

Letting my connection to the audience hall fade, I had to wonder what the Rising Sun Empire had promised YuanFei to make him act this recklessly. He had been arrogant before, sure, but thinking that he could sit on my mountain and dictate terms to everyone around him? That stunk of him believing that he had a powerful backer capable of protecting him from anyone who might stand against him.

However, I had to wonder if YuanFei had informed this backer about his plan to send people to the training camp. The delay in sending ShouLi to the empire was likely an indication of his backer’s timeline for assaulting us. However, with travel to and from the training complex having exposed our position, people would likely start showing up in mere hours. YuanFei’s arrogance had completely ruined his backer’s plans.

This thought made me smile, but this smile faded as the doors of the council chamber opened, and the clan’s final inner elder strutted inside.

The pompous look he gave me made me want to smack him, but I held myself back. The scorn that had been directed toward me over the past couple of months had worn away at me, but I just had to persist for a few more days. The time for restraint was almost over.

After sitting in his chair, this council member flicked his fingers at me dismissively.

“Prince Fang, you do not have the standing required to summon a meeting of the council. Elder Liang, I demand you arrest him at once.”

I smirked at the man and then turned to Mo. “Is that true?”

Ever since I had entered the chamber, Mo had been staring at the token on my waist, lost in thought. Roused by my question, he quickly nodded.

“Yes, Yes... I mean no. It is not true. You are allowed to summon the council.”

GuiMing’s replacement narrowed his eyes at Mo. “Do you know what you are saying? How dare—”

ShouLi slammed a fist on the table to interrupt him. “We will listen to what Ancestor Fang has to say.”

The newest elder tried to speak up in outrage, but smiling, GuiAi sent out a thread of qi to silence him. Then she looked at me with an apologetic expression.

“Sorry for the interruption, Ancestor.”

Nodding, I looked around at the group, including the rude man wrapped up in GuiAi’s qi.

The first ones to appear were in a state of near frenzy. The moment they saw me, they started screaming for me to do something to help them, but I just calmly stood on a platform in the center of the room and waited.

The last to arrive were Liang and NiangBa, who were leading a large group of mortals up from the lower levels. When I saw this, I couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction.

Using my root network, I verified that no one else was on the way, so I activated a defensive formation to block out everything in the surroundings. Then, I walked to the edge of my platform and looked down to address everyone.

“Does anyone know why we were attacked?”

Everyone looked like they wanted to say something, but most of them were afraid of speaking. One of NiangBa’s warriors, however, wasn’t so reticent.

“Because you and that bitch RuLan—”

Before he could say anything else, NiangBa struck him hard enough to send him flying.

Then, with an exertion of qi, I moved his limp form outside the defensive barrier.

NiangBa gave a deep bow. “Apologies, Ancestor. I should not have allowed BieWang to join us.”

With the trash removed, I returned my attention to the crowd.

“Does anyone know why we were actually attacked?”

Everyone glanced around at each other worriedly, but no one else was willing to speak, so I explained.

“It is because of the pill that Elder RuLan made in the alchemy competition last year. All of these people, people from powerful forces from around the entire continent, they are all here to steal the knowledge of how to make that pill. Seeing that one single pill was enough to create this firestorm. Leaking the knowledge that we are capable of crafting such a pill was enough to sentence everyone here to imprisonment or death. That is the danger of the knowledge that I have given you. I hope you all now appreciate the dangers involved in letting others know the true extent of everything I have taught you.”

Everyone fell silent as they processed my words, and I took the moment to hold up a large glass orb inscribed with countless golden lines.

“This is another secret that I will share with you. This is a world orb. It is a storage device that contains an entire world. This is how we will escape our pursuers. I will place all of you inside and take you... elsewhere. Once there, you will all have the chance to ascend to Grandmaster, Lord, King, and even Emperor. However, the place we are going is far more dangerous than here. If any one of you tells anyone even one of the clan’s secrets, it could mean the death of everyone. The events of today should be burned into your memory. If you leak information about the knowledge and items our clan possesses, then this will all happen again.”

I closed my eyes and stood there silently, allowing the moment to linger. Then, I looked around the room and picked out a few familiar faces.

“Elders Bao, ShouLi, Liang, Mo, GuiAi, GuiMing, and NiangBa. You are the seven people who I will put my faith in. I have told you of the dangers ahead of us. Our clan has grown, and I do not know where everyone’s loyalties lie. I ask the seven of you to decide who will be allowed to join us in the world orb. The actions of those you accept will be your responsibility to bear. If someone you choose betrays us, then it will be the same as you betraying us.”

Over the next three hours, my seven elders went through everyone in the cavern one by one. This slow process made some people anxious, but we were in no real danger. The barrier around the mountain still held, and as long as it did, we had as much time as we needed.

Finally, there were only a handful of people left in the cave. Everyone else had either been sent into my storage space or expelled from the formation.

Those that remained were GuiMing, GuiAi, their parents, and the handful of mortals they had come to the mountain with.

When I saw this group, I couldn’t help but close my eyes in sorrow.

I looked at the sibling’s parents. “There is an issue with the world orb. You all... You’re too old. I will take you all somewhere safe, but where we are going next... you cannot follow. I can promise you that you will be able to meet each other again in the future, but I do not know when that will be. Time is... complicated. GuiAi and GuiMing will be safe, and they will have a chance to grow powerful, but it will be a long time before you can see them again.”

Hearing this, Su LianFu and Ma XinYi burst into tears and ran to hug their children. I gave them what time I could, but eventually, I had to separate them and send GuiMing and GuiAi into my storage space.

When the children were gone, Su LianFu looked at me.

“We aren’t going to see them again, are we.”

I dropped my head in shame. “That is... complicated. I honestly do not know how to answer your question, but... no. The you who stands before me will never see them again.”

Reaching into my storage space, I pulled out two memory orbs and handed one to each of them.

“These will allow you to store your memories. This way, a... different you will be able to meet them once more.”

After their memories were safely packed away, I gave the mortals in front of me a sleeping pill and stashed them in an underground bunker in my storage space. Then, I deactivated the formation around me.

With everyone I planned to take with me safely locked away in my storage space, I was nearly ready to leave Mount Jiang. However, there were still two items of business I needed to take care of.

The first was standing on the roof of the Soul Cultivation Library, staring around at Bao’s garden in a haze of confusion.

“Hello, Elder TaiZu.”

The man didn’t even look at me. He just continued stumbling around, lost.

“Did you know this would happen?”

“Yes. The moment news of RuLan’s pill was leaked, this fate became unavoidable. Body cultivation pills, pills made from the energy of demon beasts, these are not things that exist in this world. The true powers on this continent would do anything to control such knowledge.”

TaiZu closed his eyes and began muttering things to himself incoherently.

I pulled out a memory orb and tossed it to him.

“I still have a use for you. With what you have learned, with what you have seen, it is possible that you might be of assistance to me in the future. You are concerned about the fate of the Su Clan. You are honestly concerned about the children in my care. I see potential value in this, and I see potential value in you, but potential is all it is. Store your memories in the orb, and that potential may one day be fulfilled.”

Closing his eyes, TaiZu did as I directed. I wouldn’t be restoring his memories anytime soon, but having them opened certain possibilities for the future.

After storing TaiZu’s orb safely away, I walked through Bao’s garden and pulled everything into a jade-lined cell deep within my storage space. I doubted that any of these plants would be able to survive, but we would at least retain their seeds so that we could replant them in the future.

Then, I moved around the top plateau and collected the nodes of the sect-protecting formation. There were additional nodes at the base of the mountain, but going down to collect them in the middle of this siege wasn’t worth the trouble. I had already studied them enough to know how to recreate them, so the only reason for gathering the ones I did was because it was convenient.

Finally, I entered my house.

YuanFei was sitting on his throne in the middle of my audience hall, shouting at the other Grandmasters in the room.

“What the hell does that damn prince think he is doing? How dare he betray me! I will have his head!”

Behind him, Heng was slumped against a wall, nearly catatonic.

I bypassed the scene and slipped into the back room where the main node of the sect-protecting formation was stored. I placed a hand on it to disable it. Then, I shoved it into my storage space.

The moment I did so, the barrier protecting the mountain vanished, and a horde of angry cultivators charged forward. I immediately popped a Shadowed Soul Pill in my mouth and disappeared.