The Modern Martial Immortal

Chapter 258: Arrival

"The Star Gate?!"

"Perfected Master, what's going on?"

Within the Void Psychic World, Li Qingshan and Yaoguang appeared almost instantly, questioning the only one who understood the truth of the past, Li Hanqiu.

However, Li Hanqiu shook his head. "I don’t know either. On one hand, the timing doesn’t match. There should be at least another ten or twenty years before the agreed hundred-year mark. Even accounting for discrepancies, the gap is far too large. On the other hand, even if the experts from the North Sea Star had returned, they would have simply distorted space and come back directly. Why would they need to use a Star Gate?"

"So... it’s not the experts from the North Sea Star? Is it the Lunar Fiend Empire?" Yaoguang’s expression turned grave.

"That’s unlikely as well. Back then, the Lunar Fiend Empire was immensely powerful. Their production technology far surpassed anything we could imagine. All kinds of battle armor and warships emerged endlessly. Their top-tier starships, like Void-Piercing Realm experts, possessed the ability to distort space. They wouldn’t need to rely on Star Gates."

As Li Hanqiu spoke, his gaze seemed to pierce through space, looking toward the lands of the Great Cangwu World. "For now, we can only wait for these Star Gates to fully open."

His expression grew serious. "The good news is that no Void-Piercing Realm expert is descending from behind the Star Gates. No matter how strong they are, they won’t be overwhelmingly so. The bad news is that their Star Gate technology is far more advanced than ours. Unless we choose to destroy the Star Gates, we cannot forcibly sever their connection. So we wait."

After hearing this, Yaoguang did not say anything further. Even Li Hanqiu himself did not know what was happening. Under such circumstances, waiting had become the only option.

Yet Yaoguang found this feeling deeply uncomfortable and unfamiliar.

He withdrew his psychic mind from the Void Psychic World and turned his gaze toward the ancient tree within his mental world. More precisely, his attention settled on the Refiner branch.

After his artifact refinement skills had advanced beyond the artifact paragon tier to a realm with an unknown name, a new divine ability had emerged. It was a divine ability that, compared to the somewhat useless awakening talent of Thousand-Spirit Master: Spirit Treasure Chapter, finally possessed some real utility.

"Dao Entry," Yaoguang said softly.

Dao Entry. Any spirit treasure forged from top-tier materials, or used by top-tier experts, would contain Dao resonance. Through this divine ability, one could guide a spirit treasure to awaken that resonance and attempt to enter the Dao.

If successful, a top-tier spirit treasure would undergo a complete transformation and ascend into a Dao Artifact. If it failed, its spirituality would be lost. At best, it would degrade in level. At worst, it would be completely destroyed.

It’s essentially like enhancement... a gamble. Succeed, and it upgrades into a Dao Artifact. Fail, and it downgrades or breaks outright. Yaoguang thought.

But a Dao Artifact was equipment on par with Void-Piercing Realm experts. Moreover, even within that level, it was exceedingly rare. It was nothing like spirit treasures at the Golden Core Realm, which were often underwhelming.

If he could successfully refine a Dao Artifact, he would face whatever crisis might come with far greater confidence.

His gaze fell upon the Void-Splitting Disk. With his current mastery, which had already touched upon the Dao Artifact domain, he could clearly perceive the intensity of Dao resonance emanating from this top-tier spirit treasure. It was just as strong as some genuine Dao Artifacts within his understanding.

After all, the materials used in its construction were exceptionally solid. The Chaotic Heaven Ruler was slightly inferior, but not by much.

As for other spirit treasures like the Primordial Unity Bell, their Dao resonance was significantly weaker. Some even lacked Dao resonance entirely.

After a brief moment of thought, Yaoguang took out one of the spirit treasures. The mysteries of Dao Entry flowed through his mind. In the next moment, he pressed a hand onto the treasure. Guided by his divine ability, the spirit treasure seemed to awaken. Its latent potential surged, ripples spreading outward as though it sought to resonate with the surrounding cosmos.

With a psychic mind nearing the level of a true spirit, Yaoguang quickly sensed something from this resonance.

The truth of the world! A profound, unprecedented mystery. It was the very foundation upon which all existence and transformation of the world was built. Birth, aging, sickness, death. The rising and setting of the sun and moon. The evolution of all things. All of it was encompassed within this force. Or rather, it was because this force existed that all phenomena came into being.

"The Dao!" Yaoguang understood at once. "These are the Great Dao Laws!"

The resonance lasted only a brief moment before a faint sound snapped him out of his realization.

He looked down. It had shattered. The spirit treasure in his hand had cracked as if struck by an invisible force, splitting apart. It was as though its most essential component had been stripped away, leaving the once-perfect treasure completely ruined.

Even though he had been mentally prepared, Yaoguang could not help but twitch at the corner of his mouth. A certain unpleasant memory surfaced in his mind.

Enhancement failed. Equipment destroyed. He thought.

After a while, he shifted his gaze toward the remaining spirit treasures. "Dao resonance, huh?"

Among all of them, only the Void-Splitting Disk and the Chaotic Heaven Ruler possessed relatively strong Dao resonance. The others would truly be nothing more than a gamble.

At best, the success rate would be around one percent. It was far too low.

For a moment, Yaoguang had no choice but to turn his attention to the Chaotic Heaven Ruler. "I wonder what the success rate is for enhancing a top-tier spirit treasure with Dao resonance this strong, almost at the level of a Dao Artifact."

Even though destroying a treasure that could be refined into a Dao Artifact if dismantled would be a great pity, Yaoguang still decided to try.

Having made up his mind, he once again activated the Dao Entry divine ability.

The Chaotic Heaven Ruler was fully awakened. Ripples far clearer than before spread outward, and that resonance, which seemed to touch the fundamental truths behind all existence, emerged again. Yaoguang sensed it directly at close range.

Compared to before, when he had only brushed against the concept of Great Dao Laws, everything became much clearer this time.

Immersed in that resonance, Yaoguang faintly perceived five circulating Great Dao Laws. Life, death, illusion, mind, and soul.

It was precisely this sensation, combined with his near-perfect refining mastery, that made him instantly realize why this spirit treasure, despite being constructed from so many top-tier materials, had failed to become a Dao Artifact.

The problem was compatibility! The materials were far too chaotic and completely incompatible!

Because of this, the unique properties within those materials could not even achieve a simple additive effect, let alone produce something greater. In the end, the refinement had failed.

Just like now. After attempting to enter the Dao, this treasure manifested five different Great Dao Laws. What kind of chaotic mixture was this? In the end, the result was exactly what he expected.

With that familiar crack, that top-tier spirit treasure, constructed from countless premium materials and possessing Dao resonance comparable to a Dao Artifact, fractured and collapsed.

The moment it shattered, Yaoguang instantly snapped out of that state of resonance with the Great Dao.

Looking at the Chaotic Heaven Ruler, now completely stripped of all its extraordinary properties, he could not help but cry out in pain. "What a sin..."

Even "wasting a treasure" was too mild a description. The refiner who created this spirit treasure deserved to be dragged out and shot.

He glanced at the Void-Splitting Disk. He did not dare waste it.

The refiners of the Great Cangwu World were simply too lacking. The only reason they could produce such spirit treasures at all was because of the superior materials they used.

To them, it was like a chef given top-tier ingredients. Being able to preserve the original flavor was already considered competent. As for elevating those ingredients into something greater, that was out of the question.

If the refiners from a hundred years ago had been given ordinary materials to forge spirit treasures, the entire Great Cangwu World likely would not have produced a single one.

Forget it. When I have time, I will reforge the Void-Splitting Disk. I will split it into two or even three parts, then use the Dao Entry to enhance them separately. If it goes well, I might end up with two or three Dao Artifacts at once. Yaoguang thought, deciding to keep this new plan in mind.

***

While Yaoguang was researching ways to upgrade spirit treasures into Dao Artifacts, the Infinite Star Palace actively cooperated in calibrating the Star Gate’s coordinates, firmly believing that those arriving would be experts from the North Sea Star.

After a full month, the Star Gate’s activation finally reached its final stage. As spatial ripples spread outward layer by layer, the Star Gate completed its startup.

Everyone’s hearts rose to their throats. Whoever emerged next would determine whether the Great Cangwu World faced opportunity or disaster.

They did not have to wait long. Less than half a minute after the Star Gate fully opened, figures began to appear one after another.

Everyone stared intently. Some had already begun circulating the power of their Golden Cores, preparing for the worst. However, as the first figures revealed their appearance and aura, the tense atmosphere instantly dissipated.

Johan was the first to cry out in uncontrollable excitement. "Elder Hera!? It’s you!?"

Other Golden Core cultivators also broke into smiles. "That’s Elder Susan!? I recognize her. Back when we fought against the Lunar Fiend Empire’s invasion, I stood beside her in battle!"

"And Elder Yang Han. They are seniors of our Infinite Star Palace, all of them are our seniors!"

"Wonderful, this is truly wonderful. Our Infinite Star Palace will rise again."

Amid the waves of cheers, Golden Core cultivators used various methods to rush toward the Star Gate.

Meanwhile, the cultivators of the Infinite Star Palace emerging from the gate looked around with nostalgia.

"The Great Cangwu World. It has been nearly a hundred years. We have finally returned. It still feels so familiar and so peaceful."

"Peaceful, yes, but compared to the North Sea Star, the cultivation environment here is far inferior. The immense stellar power there can directly draw out spiritual energy from the void. If it were up to me, I would still return to the North Sea Star."

"It is better for cultivation, but in terms of comfort, it cannot compare to the Great Cangwu World."

"If comfort mattered, the countless beings of nearby worlds would not all gather at the North Sea Star."

Susan, Hera, and Yang Han exchanged words, filled with emotion.

After reminiscing briefly, Hera brought the conversation back to the point. "Enough. Do not forget our mission in the Great Cangwu World."

"We know. Rebuilding the Artifact Sect in Cangwu," Yang Han said, unable to hide the envy in his eyes. "The Artifact Sect is truly about to soar. If things go well, from now on, everyone of the Cangwu lineage may have to take the Artifact Sect as their leader."