Su Yuan felt layer upon layer of mysterious seals appear on his body, completely suppressing his power.
He remained calm, watching his surroundings with interest.
This was a bottle world. Three thousand laws were complete; the Water Law here surpassed the Water Law level Su Yuan knew, reaching a deeper Mixed-Origin level—true water rules.
Pure Water Law could govern the three thousand laws, forming a perfect network of world laws, a complete microcosm.
Su Yuan’s Daoist Techniques Naturally had automatically activated; he clearly perceived the underlying law variations of the world.
“This is the world’s shadow effect!”
Su Yuan immediately realized why he could see these law changes.
The alteration of World Traveler was precisely the world’s shadow.
In this bottle-world, the world’s shadow equals the operational rules of the world. With Daoist Techniques Naturally providing clear perception of heaven-and-earth laws, he could, without using any magical power, see the world’s operational principles.
“Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!”Su Yuan watched with rapture, not the least worried about being seized by a Great Being.
There was no need to worry. This clone had been forged while he cultivated; it possessed early Great Luo Golden Immortal cultivation, comparable to his main body—sufficient to pass as real.
Time passed a few breaths.
Su Yuan looked around and the scene shifted again.
He now stood at the center of a massive hall.
Looking up, he saw Zhuyuan Great Emperor, twelve Great Beings, and many Mixed-Origin Golden Immortals seated on raised platforms around.
Su Yuan stood composedly as if in his own home, utterly unruffled.
Zhuyuan Great Emperor scrutinized him and asked, “You are the Seven Stars Dao Sovereign?”
“You are correct,” Su Yuan replied with a faint smile. “And you are Zhuyuan Great Emperor, I presume?”
Zhuyuan Great Emperor said, “I have cultivated for twenty billion cosmic cycles, leading the Celestial Court through three quantity calamities. I am now at the pinnacle of Mixed-Origin Great Luo Golden Immortal. I’ve heard you are a reincarnation of a Great Being. I am willing to invite you to join the Celestial Court with the rank of Heavenly Venerable. Will you accept?”
Su Yuan’s expression shifted.
Quantity calamities are enormous time units and also calamities—every 64 billion cycles the realm undergoes one. Many perish; they are like the gods’ Ragnarök in the God Realm Sea—an ordeal for immortals.
That Zhuyuan Great Emperor led the Court through three of these explained why many Great Beings joined the Court—Even Great Beings can fall in such calamities.
Su Yuan shook his head: “I am not interested.”
Zhuyuan Great Emperor frowned.
Yuan Shui Heavenly Venerable said, “Seven Stars, you are already a prisoner. Rebirth and return are rare—are you really going to sink again?”
Su Yuan said lightly, “My calculation shows I will not die on this trip to the Celestial Court and can leave safely afterward.”
Zhuyuan Great Emperor laughed, “It seems Seven Stars Dao Sovereign’s methods are more than meets the eye. Can your Enlightenment Great Technique affect me?”
Su Yuan replied calmly, “Not now. Perhaps when I return to Mixed-Origin Great Luo I can. Whether I will perform it then depends on my mood.”
Zhuyuan Great Emperor glanced at the twelve Great Beings.
Their eyes exchanged subtle signals as they quietly discussed.
He transmitted his voice: “What do you all think we should do with him?”
Yuan Shui Heavenly Venerable transmitted: “This man’s methods are strange. I still don’t understand how he resisted the bottle’s devouring or the Mixed-Origin domain. He’s not simple!”
“Observe him. See if we can gain greater benefit from him!” another Heavenly Venerable suggested.
Zhuyuan Great Emperor considered then said, “In that case, Golden Star, you shall take the Seven Stars Dao Sovereign to the Jade Cold Palace to rest.”
Golden Star Immortal Emperor hesitated then promptly answered: “By order!”
Golden Star led Su Yuan out of Lingxiao Palace.
Su Yuan’s power was sealed; Golden Star produced a gourd-shaped spirit treasure and took them through several heavens’ veils to an icy mountain peak where a palace of ice jade stood. Outside the palace was a single frigid jade tree.
Golden Star was silent the whole way; upon arrival he turned to Su Yuan: “This will be your place. From now on this is where you shall live.”
Su Yuan inspected his new place with a smile and nodded approvingly. The place was pleasant and beautiful, though somewhat desolate.
After a moment of appreciation he looked over at Golden Star in curiosity: “Aren’t you leaving?”
Golden Star cleared his throat awkwardly. “Seven Stars Dao Sovereign, may I… receive one enlightenment Great Technique from you?”
Su Yuan understood and replied, “Normally one must become a member of my Seven Stars Sect to receive an enlightenment opportunity. But since I’ve just arrived and will need Golden Star’s help in the future, I’ll make an exception and perform the Great Technique once for you. After this, if you want more, your only path will be to join the Seven Stars Sect.”
Golden Star asked in surprise, “You can perform it now?”
Su Yuan glanced down at his sealed body. Aside from the body some residual power remained; his mana and divine sense were tightly restricted.
Yet Su Yuan remained composed: “Of course I can.”
Golden Star was astonished and said, “Then please perform it, Seven Stars Dao Sovereign!”
Su Yuan looked into Golden Star’s body and saw a vast mass of Rest Time energy occupying it—the amount was orders of magnitude greater than Zi Xing’s.
How had this fellow accumulated such tremendous Rest Time? Lived long enough or cultivated slothfully?
Su Yuan was astonished.
Without a ripple of expression he activated the Balanced Work and Rest tag and sliced Golden Star’s Rest Time into one hundred thousand portions. Each portion represented a hundred million years of Rest Time.
He glanced at the eager Golden Star and asked, “Are you ready?”
“I am ready!” Golden Star replied.
Su Yuan thought a moment, activated one portion of Golden Star’s Rest Time, and casually intercepted ten portions.
Golden Star felt his soul become many times clearer;
many law problems that had troubled his cultivation were instantly solved!
In a single breath he felt his cultivation advance significantly.
He didn’t dawdle—he activated some divine technique and instantly teleported away from Jade Cold Palace!
In the blink of an eye, the palace was quiet.
Su Yuan walked to the frigid jade tree and tapped once. A sliver of created power surged into the tree.
Countless “spirits” accumulated in the jade tree were purified by the created power and underwent a profound transformation.
The gathered “spirits” converged into a spiritual core and a nascent intelligence awakened in the jade tree.
Just a moment later, a little girl formed from the jade tree. She obediently knelt before Su Yuan: “Little one Yu Han thanks Master for enlightening me!”
“Hmm, you’ll serve me for now. When I leave, if you wish to go, I can take you with me,” Su Yuan said.
“Yuhan wishes to stay by Master’s side!” the girl hurriedly replied.
Su Yuan did not confirm one way or another. She was merely a casually enlightened child; her root was fine and her transformation had reached Heavenly Immortal—she had a real chance to reach Golden Immortal in her lifetime.
Yu Han immediately tidied up Jade Cold Palace. She somehow produced a box of iced jade cold tea and brewed it for Su Yuan.
Su Yuan drank the tea calmly and said leisurely, “Since you’re here, why not reveal yourself?”
At his words, a figure appeared.
Su Yuan glanced and recognized one of the Mixed-Origin Golden Immortals he’d seen earlier in Lingxiao Hall.
Barefoot, bare-chested, bald, round-faced, reeking of alcohol, carrying a jug of wine.
“What is your name?” Su Yuan asked casually.
“Haha, Seven Stars Dao Sovereign, call me the Barefoot Immortal!” the man laughed heartily, thumping his chest, a strong smell of liquor wafting from him.
Yu Han caught a whiff; her cheeks flushed and her eyes glazed over in a drunken daze, tuning out everything else.
“So it’s the Barefoot Immortal—honored to meet you. Do you have business here?” Su Yuan asked with a smile.
The Barefoot Immortal patted his bald head and handed over the jug. “This is Dusktime Wine. I got it from the Wine God himself—rare stock. Since Seven Stars is newly arrived, consider it a greeting gift!”
Su Yuan replied immediately, “In light of such a generous gift, I can perform the Seven Stars Enlightenment once for you. But only this once—unless you join the Seven Stars Sect, this will be your last chance!”
The Barefoot Immortal’s eyes lit up. “That would be a favor indeed!”
Su Yuan looked into the man and found he had far less Rest Time than Golden Star, but more than Zi Xing—five hundred billion years’ worth.
Su Yuan split it into one-hundred-million-year portions, activated one portion for him, and casually pocketed one billion years.
The Barefoot Immortal suddenly felt unprecedented spiritual light in his mind; his eyes brightened, and he strode out of Jade Cold Palace, vanishing in an instant.
Truly, he came and left in a flash.
Yu Han blinked open her eyes in confusion. “How did I fall asleep?”
She cried out, “My realm advanced! I’ve reached mid-stage Heavenly Immortal!”
She looked at Su Yuan joyfully: “Thank you, Master!”
“This wasn’t given by me,” Su Yuan said with a smile.
Yu Han said, “That Immortal gave me the benefit for Master’s sake. Yuhan feels it is still a favor from Master!”
Su Yuan waved his hand, “Forget that fellow. Remember he means you no good.”
“Oh!” Yu Han immediately shook her head