Perfect World: Dream of the Immortal Era

The vast and empty Wang family celestial mansion lay silent, with Wang Heng’s astral presence seated alone in the chaotic secret soil.

At this moment, his eyes were gently closed, deeply immersed in an advanced state of enlightenment. Crystalline symbols whirled around him, akin to twinkling stars, ancient and mysterious.

These were not ancient celestial scripts, their inability to invoke this realm’s grand laws was the best evidence of this. They resembled fragments of time-forgotten ancient history, rich with the aura of ages, hovering there as if narrating the once magnificence and eventual sorrowful fate of a great civilization.

Only when Wang Geng bestowed these symbols upon him did Wang Heng realize that the civilization where the extraordinary prodigy divided himself into three parts had long become history, vanishing into obscurity.

The entire ancient realm was engulfed by chaos, disappearing without a trace.

Perhaps, in today’s age after several epochs, only these ancient symbols in Wang Geng’s possession could prove that a radiant civilization of gods and demons once existed along the endless flow of time, brilliant and resplendent.

Originally, Wang Geng could have directly interpreted these ancient symbols into celestial scripts for Wang Heng to comprehend. However, he chose not to, instead, teaching Wang Heng these ancient characters to allow him to grasp their essence on his own.

From Wang Geng’s perspective, each being perceives this method differently, and whatever one understands, that is most suited for them.

In earlier times, he would have prepared everything for his son, yet now his views had changed, believing it was crucial not to stifle the creativity of his child.

Indeed, as he had foreseen, Wang Heng’s mind was deeply absorbed in this uncharted supreme path, unable to extricate himself. Through symbols long removed from history’s stage, he gleaned insights into the various ingenious notions of its pioneers. At times, he even incorporated his interpretations.

Having mastered over a million foundational celestial ancient scripts, his comprehension of the grand law was profound.

Starting from an impossibly high vantage, unmatched by any cultivator without a significant lineage.

Upon delving into this method, Wang Heng finally comprehended its defiance of natural order, resolving at least the drawbacks of the technique for splitting oneself.

In the perfect world, there was a method of divine rebirth known as the technique of primary and secondary bodies, with three beings practicing this doctrine: Yuechan, Emperor Chong, and Pengzi.

Among them, Yuechan suffered backlash from this method, her secondary form breaking free and turning into Qingyi, entangled with the primary body for ages before finally achieving unity.

Emperor Chong similarly faced the peril of his secondary form nurturing discordant thoughts.

The only one without contradiction between primary and secondary was Pengzi, hailed as the creator of the divine rebirth method.

However, now it seemed this technique might have been a legacy from his mother, as it emerged during the radiant ancient celestial epoch, attracting numerous cultivators in pursuit.

In Wang Heng’s view, the reason Pengzi had no conflict between his primary and secondary forms was not due to his mastery of a complete technique, but because his circumstances differed from Yuechan and Emperor Chong's. Whether primary or secondary, both aimed for survival under siege from powers like the celestial hall. Their interests aligned, necessitating the presence of one to ensure the other’s survival.

Furthermore, under the backdrop of fleeing and being hunted, the worldview of the primary and secondary forms did not deviate, naturally preventing any backlash.

However, if placed in another environment, it would not be as assured. Once the primary and secondary forms’ intentions diverged, conflicts over survival would be inevitable, an inherent flaw in the technique of division.

The method given by Wang Geng for dividing into three was entirely different. Essentially, the three manifestations were the transformation of one being’s essence, spirit, and energy, belonging to a cohesive whole, indispensable to each other.

It could be said that each form was a primary body, making it impossible for betrayal to occur.

Upon realizing this trait, Wang Heng breathed a slight sigh of relief, fearing that dividing into three would result in a situation akin to Yuechan’s.

Now, he saw his worries were unfounded.

“Each of the three bodies residing in different worlds, individually becoming leaders in their respective realms, this challenge isn’t as simple as it appears,” Wang Heng remarked.

It should be understood, the celestial domain is vast, filled with numerous celestial king families, and the alien realm was even more so, with an astounding number of immortal kings. One immortal king signified a royal lineage, an imperial race.

The enemies were too numerous, dividing oneself into three bodies would naturally weaken individual potential.

To break through swathes of formidable beings was no easy feat.

Nonetheless, Wang Heng held this conviction, possessing the daring courage to traverse all three realms.

Now, he only needed to refine this method thoroughly and await news from Wang Geng’s end.

Meanwhile, Wang Geng had already packaged all the rare treasures, grand medicinal herbs, celestial materials collected by the Wang family over these epochs.

Since the decision was made for the present Wang family to become history and himself to fade into obscurity, these resources should be entrusted to Wang Heng.

Due to the previous chaos, some treasures in the Wang family's public vault were plundered. Shrewd True Immortals knew when to stop, taking only a portion before fleeing, while the greedy were caught by the Golden Daoist and locked away, eventually dying at Wang Geng's hands.

This was but a minor incident for a powerful Immortal King family. Within the family, there was yet another secret treasure vault, one that only an Immortal King could unlock.

With the accumulation of several eras, the abundance within this vault was astonishing. Even items like Immortal Gold the size of a millstone were no rarity here.

Such a vast array of resources would tempt even an Immortal King-level being.

Having tidied the Wang family's treasury, Wang Geng did not return to the chaotic secret land but instead stood silently before the Immortal Mansion, as if waiting for something.

After a long while, the horizon was swept by the terrifying aura of an Immortal King.

Several streams of light, transcending the void and the world, seemed to travel along the river of time, crossing a dozen days' distance in an instant, arriving before the Wang family's Immortal Mansion.

"Daoist Wang, how is your injury?"

An elder, carrying the wings of a divine firebird and holding a golden bone, asked loudly. Bathed in flames, possessing great speed and a fiery temper, he was none other than the progenitor of the Zhuque, the Vermilion Bird King from the border tribes.

Two other imposing beings were present.

One was bare-chested, wrapped in primitive animal hides, with a white bone cudgel hanging from his waist, resembling a figure from a primordial tribe. He was the progenitor of the Stone Clan.

The last individual was shrouded in chaos, surrounded by wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, as if he were the master of these four catastrophes.

Before Wang Geng could respond, the progenitor of the Stone Clan spoke again, apologetically, "Daoist Brother Wang, apologies. The others have to guard the passageways between realms, preventing a surprise attack from the outsiders, so only the three of us could come. Nonetheless, their goodwill is with us, and we carry various longevity medicines and ancient elixirs. Whatever might help you, they would spare no expense."

His words were sincere, without any pretense, and Wang Geng could naturally hear it.

However, the dark curse was not something that longevity medicines could resolve; it was an unrealistic fantasy.

"This curse is incurable. You fellows, having long contended with the alien domain experts, have an understanding of them beyond mine. Surely you must know more about the curse's origins." Wang Geng said calmly.

The three landed, stood shoulder to shoulder, glanced at each other, and then withheld nothing, revealing the origin of the ancient curse.

"On that day, in your haste to return, we had no time to tell you. This is the origin blood curse from the alien realm, related to that mysterious ancient artifact. Based on past history, for this curse to be cast, it requires the full blood essence of an immortal king as a medium. Furthermore, it can be cast only once per era. Once this curse is planted, throughout history, none have survived. Among the old realms previously conquered and slaughtered by the alien domain, invincible beings of the highest order met their end due to this origin blood curse."

"So that's why, after killing that immortal king, his blood inexplicably vanished, turning into a blood curse," Wang Geng realized, recalling the scene when he used the Peace Chaos Art to slay the immortal king.

"What's done is done. All we can do now is strive to save Daoist Wang," the being in the chaos commented.

Unexpectedly, Wang Geng shook his head.

"You three should know wells that the origin blood curse is unsolvable. Let us not waste any more effort. In this realm, all my blood relatives have turned to dust; only one young son remains, who narrowly escaped this calamity. I have no other wishes, only the hope that you will watch over him in the years to come."

Upon hearing Wang Geng's words, the progenitor of the Zhuque, the progenitor of the Stone Clan, and the master of the catastrophes in chaos could not help but lament. They knew Wang Geng spoke the truth: the blood curse was incurable. Once it erodes the essence, it is as if a canker has devoured the bone, with no remedy to cure it.

"Very well, Daoist Wang, we will remember your request. He shall not be wronged," the progenitor of the Zhuque vowed.

The other two also pledged their support.

Wang Geng was pleased upon seeing this. Nodding with satisfaction, he then quietly said, "There's one more thing, fellow Daoists, I must ask for your assistance..."

"Daoist Wang, please, name it."

…

After a long absence, Wang Geng finally returned to the Secret Land of Chaos.

By this time, Wang Heng had fully grasped the technique of splitting into three taught by Wang Geng. He was intimately familiar with each detail and had even developed his own understanding, not merely following it by rote.

Upon briefly examining Wang Heng's progress, Wang Geng expressed his approval.

He then informed Wang Heng that it was time to begin in earnest. Leaving the soul detached from the body for too long would pose problems.

Wang Heng nodded solemnly, taking a deep breath. Not feeling nervous was impossible. After all, this method originated from an ancient realm destroyed across several eras. It was an untraveled path. Whether the three bodies could truly merge as theorized was still unknown. Once embarked on this journey, there was no turning back.

This method was passed to him by his Immortal King father. His father would not harm his own child, meaning that the split into three had passed the scrutiny of the Immortal King's perspective and had a very high chance of success.

In his thoughts, Wang Geng had already summoned Wang Heng's physical body, placing it into a ritual array prepared beforehand.

It was an ancient array inscribed with the power of an Immortal King, designed specifically for Wang Heng.

With a flick of his hand, Wang Geng produced a black line in his palm, securely sealed, with no aura escaping even the slightest bit.

Yet, just a glance filled Wang Heng with discomfort, a kind of unease as if seeing a venomous snake.

"This is... dark matter!"

"The ancestors of the border tribes often battled alien beings, invariably coming across dark matter frequently. I obtained a strand from them. Do not underestimate this single strand; if it erupts, it could contaminate a vast territory, transforming it into a dark hell."

As he explained, Wang Geng unsealed it, allowing the strand of dark matter to enter Wang Heng's body.

At the same time, the dark matter began its work. Every particle of Wang Heng's flesh and blood began to evolve at a visible speed, with the price being the evaporation of dark matter, consumed during this process.

In the absence of the soul residing in the body, the stimulation of intense dark matter sparked signs of spawning a new soul in the Zifu place.

Wang Heng felt his soul grow cold, as if losing contact with his physical form. Without a body, his soul would be like a rootless duckweed, leaving him feeling cold.

Before long, a glowing orb indeed appeared within the darkened skull, dim but possessing independent will.

By this time, the dark matter had almost entirely dissipated, vanishing within Wang Heng's body without leaving any trace of the recent dark invasion.

Seeing this, Wang Geng hesitated no more, immediately activating the ancient array.

"Devour the will of this newborn soul," he commanded.

Upon hearing this, Wang Heng, disregarding his surprise, promptly complied with Wang Geng's instruction.

With the cooperation of the ancient array and Wang Heng's formidable soul will, the dark soul crumbled instantly, becoming part of Wang Heng's soul.

Although it was brought forth by dark matter, it bore no traces of the dark matter and posed no threat of contaminating Wang Heng's soul.

"Alright, this body, once stimulated by dark matter and having birthed a soul, as long as the will you leave within remains, there will be no issues.

Now, it is time to truly practice this method."

After Wang Geng finished speaking, he took out an indistinct furnace, which was indeed something extraordinary. It was enveloped in chaos, floating subtly with the aura of the Great Dao.

"This is the ultimate treasure of the Ku clan—the Yin-Yang Furnace. It harbors the two energies of Yin and Yang, possessing boundless mystique, ranking among the best in the ancient world.

This time, I have borrowed it to secure a lifeline for you."

Wang Heng’s heart trembled at the mention of the Ku clan’s Yin-Yang Furnace, a true treasure indeed. Due to the presence of the Yin and Yang energies, this furnace could overturn the heavens and earth, bringing forth great transformations, offering a creature the chance to defy fate and change their destiny.

Yin and Yang are the closest original laws to chaos, and everything can be explained through them.

For instance, Wang Heng's separation into three bodies is Yin, while the unification of the three into one is Yang. The alternation of Yin and Yang signifies the beginning of all things, attaining the Dao.

This was precisely Wang Geng’s consideration. Since this method was a new path and the unification of three bodies was only a theory, he needed to infuse strong causality into it to ensure its success in the distant future.

"Into the Yin Furnace," he simply instructed.

Wang Heng’s primordial spirit nodded and strode in, and shortly after, his physical body was also thrown into the Yin Furnace.

Following that, Wang Geng tossed numerous supreme medicines and treasures into the Yin Furnace, all remarkable items. Even an Immortal King witnessing this would silently shed tears of blood.

It couldn't be helped; the three original essences of essence, qi, and spirit were separated and couldn't exist alone. Each original essence required the other two substances to form a human body, and these supreme medicines were for this purpose.

It wasn't long before Wang Geng stopped. In that short span, he didn't know how many supreme medicines and substances related to the human essence, qi, and spirit he had thrown into the Yin Furnace. These items could nurture a true immortal without issue, surely they should suffice.

His gaze then fell onto the Yang Furnace. Without hesitation, he cast even more miraculous items, all related to time, years, and causality, into the Yang Furnace.

Wang Geng spared no effort to ignite that single thread of chance in the unseen realm, planting the seed for Wang Heng's future success.

Once everything was ready, he closed the Yin-Yang Furnace and began the incineration and refinement process.

Wang Heng, inside the Yin Furnace, sensed the power emanating from it, which began to decompose the various supreme medicines around him, turning them into eons particles. Moreover, it started to deconstruct his primordial spirit and physical body.

"Clang!"

Suddenly, the Yin-Yang Furnace was seemingly struck by a tremendous force, emitting a grand resonance akin to the sound of a large bell, awakening those nearby.

Then, the melody of the Dao spread, expanding with the grand resonance, drawing Wang Heng into a wondrous state of enlightenment within the furnace.

He dared not delay, immediately employing the supreme method that had been lost for several eras.

Ancient characters, exuding the aura of time and years, encircled Wang Heng's primordial spirit, body, and the deconstructed origin particles from the medicines, and they began their performance.

At this moment, an intrinsic Yin energy coiled around, enveloping everything within the Yin Furnace, turning it into a mass of chaos, utterly obscured from sight. This marked a mysterious transformation.

Simultaneously, in the Yang Furnace, the elements related to time, years, and causality were also decomposed and enveloped by an intrinsic Yang energy.

The aura of the Dao involuntarily emanated from the treasure furnace, even surprising Wang Geng outside, who sensed something extraordinary.

"Boom!"

The Yin and Yang energies rotated, causing both internal furnaces to tremble in unison, forming an inexplicable connection.

This was the extraordinary aspect of the Yin-Yang Furnace, capable of linking the internal furnaces of Yin and Yang with the Yin-Yang energies as a bridge, producing an enigmatic linkage.

"Clang!"

The Yin-Yang Furnace trembled once more, its sound resonating deeply, reminiscent of a great bell tolling, emitting a rumble of Dao sounds that stirred the heart.

This furnace is exceedingly mysterious, possessing unfathomable power capable of altering and reversing all matters.

No one could discern what transpired within, not even Wang Geng.

However, he could ascertain from the mysterious sights outside the Yin-Yang Furnace that everything was progressing favorably.

Celestial purple energy descended, manifesting the Dao, transforming in the void, with some forming into lotus flowers, others becoming mysterious scripture sounds, echoing between heaven and earth...

These auspicious signs persisted for a prolonged period, throughout which the Yin-Yang Furnace continuously trembled, seemingly refining something against the natural order.

Eventually, the phenomenon expanded, affecting the entire Wang Family's Immortal Manor.

Gazing upon all of this, Wang Geng's worries were greatly alleviated. Indeed, when he acquired this grand method, that ancient realm had already declined, teetering on the brink of destruction, with too much unverifiable and untestable knowledge.

Were it not for Wang Heng's body being tainted, he would not have resorted to such a "remedy."

Fortunately, everything was proceeding smoothly, with a real possibility of this method reemerging.

Suddenly, the Yin-Yang Furnace shook violently, as if the refining process had reached its most critical moment.

At this juncture, the heaven-defying nature of the Yin and Yang energies manifested, turning impossibilities into possibilities, failures into successes.

When the final tremor echoed, the Yin-Yang Furnace returned to its usual silence, all the Dao energies retracted within; the entire furnace became hazy, as if intending to transcend this cosmos and exist beyond.

Wang Geng sensed something, gazing up at the sky where the aura of heavenly tribulation was gathering, terrifying enough to make one's hair stand on end.

Without hesitation, he retreated far away from the Yin-Yang Furnace.

When an ultimate grand method reveals itself, the heavenly Dao sends down the most horrific calamity; one must endure it to survive, otherwise, they become mere tribulation ash.

From Wang Heng's years of experience, the tribulation over the Yin-Yang Furnace was undeniably one of history's forbidden punishments, survival seemed impossible for Wang Heng.

Yet, with the treasure of the Yin-Yang Furnace, which could obscure the heavenly mechanism, there was hope.

“Boom!”

The entire Wang Family's Immortal Manor plunged into an endless sea of lightning, various forbidden lightning tribulations descended, some of which even made Wang Geng, as an Immortal King, tremble slightly.

He even saw a blood-red guillotine faintly appear within the clouds, dripping with the blood of unparalleled prodigies, exceedingly eerie.

It hovered uncertainly above the Yin-Yang Furnace, threatening to fall yet losing its target, only trembling static above.

"A guillotine of decapitation unseen in even a single epoch," Wang Geng's expression was grave. Powerful as he was, encountering such a blade in his youth would have been fatal.

No one knew how much time passed, but the tribulation aura gradually subsided, and the guillotine vanished. The sky overhead cleared, bright and free of clouds.

Meanwhile, the magnificent Wang Family's Immortal Manor had turned to ruin under the dreadful heavenly punishment.

For Wang Geng, these losses were insignificant, destined to be destroyed.

He stepped forward, approaching the Yin-Yang Furnace, which had shifted from its illusory state to its ordinary form—mysterious, ancient, and inscrutable.

All seemed normal. Wang Geng, slightly apprehensive, opened the furnace door of the Yin Furnace, feeling a twinge of nervousness even he, as an Immortal King, seldom experienced.

“Clang!”

The door of the Yin Furnace swung open, a gush of chaotic gas surged out, followed by a black shadow bending down, hand resting on the edge of the furnace door, emerging through the chaotic mist.

From the looks of it, it was indeed Wang Heng himself.

But that was not all. Once he stepped out, another figure emerged within the furnace door, following in the very same manner. Then came a third figure.