NOVPUBThe Alliance of Thousands of Immortals wailed in despair.
So did the Misthaven Ocean.
Fortunately, on Haixuan Island, because a few members of the cooperative union had stayed to study in seclusion,
no outsiders had visited during this time.
That’s how they narrowly escaped catastrophe.
However, as things stood, they no longer had the heart to study.
Ji Shaoli, a duplicate, shut down the Teleportation Array and activated the island’s Protective Array, completely severing contact with the outside world.
He only monitored the external situation through the Small Tianxuan Mirror.
"It’s all a matter of timing and destiny. Luckily, I chose to study in seclusion here. Fellow cultivators Zhang Mu and Sun Ying couldn’t hold on and have perished."
"The other brothers from the cooperative union are also showing serious symptoms…" He Zhenghao said with lingering fear.
Zhang Mu and Sun Ying were members of the Misthaven Cooperative Union.
Of the cooperative union’s cultivators outside, there were a total of thirteen, and already two had perished.
This attested to the horrifying lethality of the Mutated Immortal Epidemic.
And to the dire straits the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals was in under the rampage of the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma.
"The other fellow cultivators are also in danger; they can hardly speak clearly anymore."
"Though they are brothers from the cooperative union, and it pains me to see them like this, it’s absolutely impossible to let them in," Ji Shaoli said sternly.
"This Immortal-Ordinary Miasma is tricky and dangerous, and we have yet to find an appropriate countermeasure. We are powerless."
Ji Shaoli paused for a moment before looking beyond Haixuan Island with an indescribable expression.
"It’s said that the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma can spread through Spiritual Energy. I’ve completely sealed the energy channels connecting the island to the outside world. Luckily, we have some Spirit Stones stored on the island, so there shouldn’t be any issues for a short while."
"However, it’s impossible for you all to practice cultivation. We can barely maintain survival," Ji Shaoli turned back, looking at the crowd with a grave expression.
"To have found a safe haven is already great fortune. We just need to hold out until the Immortal Alliance comes up with specific countermeasures," all the cultivators sighed in relief.
"What exactly is this Immortal-Ordinary Miasma? It’s said to exist in the bodies of mortals, yet is intangible, tasteless, and formless. How can it evade the Immortal Alliance’s notice and spread so quickly throughout the world?" He Zhenghao asked again, full of confusion after a moment of silence.
A flicker of worry crossed his eyes.
Nobody present, including Ji Shaoli, could answer.
They remained silent.
What exactly was the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma?
Li Fan also wanted to know the answer to this question at this moment.
"Cough cough… Are you two alright?" he asked with squinted eyes, looking left and right at Tianyang and Lin Ling, who both appeared spirited, his tone somewhat reluctant.
"Senior brother, perhaps you should speak less. Rest well," Tianyang advised with worry.
"I’m fine… cough cough…"
Before he could finish his sentence, Li Fan broke into a violent cough.
It felt like his internal organs were shattering and spilling out.
Despite appearing gravely ill, Li Fan harbored not a trace of worry in his heart.
Instead, he calmly contemplated the changes occurring within his body.
This earned him Tianyang’s deep admiration.
"Shang Tianci seems to be suffering slightly less than I am. But he’s still not comfortable."
His consciousness searched his body, but he couldn’t find any trace of the culprit, the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma.
Li Fan decisively gave up the search, and began to ponder.
"There is no physical form. Mortals, cultivators, spiritual energy, all are its carriers."
"To think that it can still mutate after a thousand years of remaining."
"Is this Immortal-Ordinary Miasma truly a product contrary to the Principle of Heaven and Earth?" Li Fan wondered with a trace of doubt in his mind.
After contemplating for a moment, he took out the Communication Talisman he had left for Yin Shangren and made contact.
A short while later, Yin Shangren’s voice sounded.
"Li Fan, my fellow Daoist, are you seeking me out because of the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma?"
"Cough cough... Yin Daoist, you’re actually fine?" Li Fan said with surprise upon seeing the other’s robust appearance.
"Hehe, I’m not like you. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been in prolonged contact with the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma, I just felt unwell for a day or two and quickly bounced back to life!" Yin Shangren explained with a laugh.
Hearing this, Li Fan’s gaze flickered, "My fellow Daoist really has good luck. I’m no good, getting weaker and weaker, I’m afraid I won’t escape this calamity..."
"Don’t scare yourself, Daoist. Just rest well and you will recover," Yin Shangren said somewhat dismissively.
"You’ve already been infected for such a long time, and since you can still speak normally, that indicates the problem isn’t severe. Those who are truly in grave danger will be hanging by a thread within three to five days," Yin Shangren explained with his professional knowledge.
"Then I’ll take your auspicious words," Li Fan replied, nodding.
After another bout of coughing and taking a moment to recover, Li Fan asked again, "Yin Daoist, in terms of research on the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma, I fear there are few in the world who can surpass you. What exactly is this Immortal-Ordinary Miasma? How can it remain for thousands of years and still be so terrifying?"
Yin Shangren fell silent for a moment before replying softly, "The Immortal-Ordinary Miasma is likely a product of cultivators going against reason."
"Even mortals can kill immortals."
"It disregards strength and weakness."
Li Fan was still puzzled, "If that’s the case, what about this mutated Immortal-Ordinary Miasma? After defying reason, how could it change again?"
Yin Shangren shook his head, "What has changed is merely the external form. The principle it defies, when has that ever changed?"
"However, perhaps because the ratio of cultivators to mortals nowadays might even exceed that of ancient times, the lethality of the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma has become much more pronounced than before."
Li Fan pondered the meaning behind Yin Shangren’s words.
But an idea suddenly emerged in his heart.
"Yin Daoist, by your reasoning, was the birth of the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma meant to protect mortals and suppress cultivators?"
"Now that the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma has reappeared and mutated, does that not mean that the Immortal Sovereign who defied this principle is still in the world?"
"Why have we never heard of this Heavenly Sovereign’s name?"
After a brief silence, Yin Shangren hesitantly replied, "Regarding this, I already have some theories."
"But I cannot yet confirm them."
"However, I’m certain that if we could identify this Heavenly Sovereign, then we would not be far from completely unraveling the secret of the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma."
Yin Shangren’s voice sounded somewhat elusive.
Li Fan narrowed his eyes slightly.
He, however, did not press any further.
A moment later, he shifted the conversation to ask Yin Shangren about his views on the specific developments of the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma epidemic.
"You need not worry, Daoist friend. The Alliance of Thousands of Immortals has some experience in dealing with the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma,"
"Right now we seem a bit passive simply because we haven’t found a way to restrain the mutated Immortal-Ordinary Miasma."
"But an answer should be forthcoming."
"As long as the method is right, the end of the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma will undoubtedly be the same as it was thousands of years ago, disappearing once more."
"It will only exist within mortals as a kind of deterrence," Yin Shangren said in a mournful voice.
His words seemed to hide some special emotions.
Li Fan, however, appeared to be deep in thought.
