Chapter 336 Receiving the Mandate of Heaven
Zhao Xin's ship was nearly shattered, with a broken mast, tattered sails, a flooded cabin, and a tilting hull, threatening to sink at any moment.
He stood at the ruined bow, soaked through, with fresh blood staining the deck. Just as the ship was about to rush into the calm waters ahead, he felt it in that instant—the sea wind had stopped.
He turned his head to see Lin Qi and Fang Yuan slumped on the deck, pale-faced and evidently still recovering from their previous life-and-death struggle.
Yet the terrified expressions on their faces froze in place, as if the entire world had suddenly pressed the pause button.
What is happening!?
Zhao Xin stared intently at the calm waters ahead, which were eerily still.
At the same time, his heart was filled with unwillingness—
"Could it be... that this really is the end?"
Just as he was on the verge of despair, a ripple suddenly spread across the sea surface.
A figure silently appeared before the bow of the ship.
Clad in white robes, the figure was enveloped in a layer of hazy immortal light. His face was indistinct, as if obscured by a thin mist, with only his silhouette faintly visible.
His aura was ethereal and vast; merely standing there gave Zhao Xin a sense of invisible oppression, as though he were facing not a person, but a world unto itself.
"This place... is not where mortals should come. The region ahead... explore it another time."
The person's voice was warm as jade, yet it carried an unquestionable authority.
Zhao Xin trembled and subconsciously took half a step back, his heart pounding wildly. He had never encountered such an existence—just standing there, it made him feel an insignificant sense of powerlessness.
"This senior..." Zhao Xin began with difficulty, his voice dry. "We..."
The person did not speak further but merely raised a hand gently, with a spot of spiritual light flashing at the fingertip.
In an instant, the entire ship seemed to flow backward in time. The broken mast rejoined, the damaged planks were restored to their original state, and even the deck, soaked in seawater, became dry in a moment.
Zhao Xin stood dumbfounded, hardly daring to believe his eyes.
"This... this..."
This was simply not something a martial artist could achieve.
Countless ancient legends suddenly surfaced in his mind, and he had a sudden realization—
"This... is an immortal technique?!"
...
Zhao Xin was profoundly shocked in his heart and hurriedly cupped his fists in salute.
"Thank you, Senior, for saving my life! May I ask for your honorable title? Are you the legendary... Saint Emperor?"
The person shook his head slightly.
"The title of Saint Emperor has nothing to do with me."
His voice was calm, yet it made Zhao Xin's heart tremble.
Not the Saint Emperor? Then who could it be?
Before Zhao Xin could think further, the person waved a hand, and an ancient book appeared out of thin air, slowly drifting down into Zhao Xin's hand.
On the cover, three large gilded characters shone brightly—
"Longevity Formula"
Zhao Xin's hands trembled slightly as he carefully opened the first page. He saw that it detailed the five major realms of cultivation:
Object Controlling Realm: Controlling objects with qi, retrieving objects from a distance, and initially mastering the use of spiritual power.
Mystic Realm: Spiritual power becoming minute, allowing one to glimpse the flow of heaven and earth's spiritual energy and to wield minor divine abilities.
Returning to One Realm: Spiritual power transforming into essence, the physical body undergoing metamorphosis, and a significant increase in lifespan.
Longevity Realm: Lifespan reaching a thousand years, an incorruptible physical body, and an indestructible soul.
Heavenly Human Realm: Resonating with heaven and earth, able to draw upon the power of the world with every move.
And after the Heavenly Human Realm, there was a line of small text annotated:
"With Heavenly Human Realm perfected, one may cross the tribulation and ascend to become a True Immortal."
Zhao Xin's heart felt as though it would leap out of his chest. He abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with ardor.
"Senior! This... this is an immortal cultivation method?!"
The person nodded slightly.
"This is bestowed by the mandate of heaven. Since you have obtained it, it is your destiny."
Overjoyed, Zhao Xin knelt without hesitation and kowtowed heavily.
"Disciple Zhao Xin is willing to bow to you as a master! I beg you to accept me!"
However, before his knees could touch the ground, he felt an invisible force holding his body up, preventing him from kneeling no matter how hard he tried.
The person said indifferently, "There is no bond of master and disciple between us. This book is gifted to you simply in accordance with the mandate of heaven."
Zhao Xin felt disappointed in his heart, but he would not give up.
"Senior, since you have taught me the immortal way, you are my benefactor! This disciple is willing to follow by your side and serve you for life!"
The person shook his head.
"Heaven's mandate has chosen you, not I. If one day you truly have the destiny to cross the tribulation and ascend, you will understand naturally."
As his voice fell, his figure gradually blurred, and amidst the flowing immortal light, he seemed to dissipate into the heaven and earth.
Zhao Xin grew anxious and reached out to stop him.
"Senior! At least tell this disciple your name!"
A final light sigh came from the wind.
"A name... is but an illusion."
In the next moment, the immortal light completely dissipated, and there was no trace of the person on the sea, as if he had never appeared at all.
...
Zhao Xin stood there for a long time. Finally, he kowtowed heavily three times in the direction where the person had disappeared.
"Although Senior is unwilling to accept me as a disciple, I, Zhao Xin, will never forget the grace of being taught the Dao!"
He stood up and looked at the "Longevity Formula" in his hand, his eyes burning with an unprecedented intensity.
"Since I met Senior in the northern seas, I shall respect you as—the North Pole Immortal!"
...
After returning to the continent, Zhao Xin built a massive temple on a barren mountain in the north to enshrine a statue of the "North Pole Immortal."
He burned incense and worshiped every day with extreme piety, regarding the "Longevity Formula" as a supreme treasure and cultivating diligently day and night.
Gradually, legends about the "North Pole Immortal" began to spread among the people.
Some said he was an ancient True Immortal, others said he was a hidden expert, and still others claimed he was the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao.
And Zhao Xin became the first mortal in the Spirit World to touch the threshold of the immortal path.
...
A towering statue rose from the plains, its rough stone-carved face gazing into the distance.
Chen Chang'an, hidden within the void, looked at the devout kneeling mortals and sighed softly.
He could have waved his hand to erase the statue, but in the end, he did not intervene.
"Forget it, let them be."
His gaze pierced through the clouds to a wooden hut not far from the statue. The martial artist named Zhao Xin was sitting cross-legged there, surrounded by a faint spiritual energy—this was the sign of having just entered the Object Controlling Realm.
The corner of Chen Chang'an's mouth twitched slightly.
The immortal Zhao Xin encountered was naturally Chen Chang'an's... avatar.
At that time, he had just entered. He did not know if it was some form of destiny, but he actually discovered that this ship had inexplicably broken through the misty border; a few more meters forward, and it would have touched the boundary wall of the Spirit World.
In his haste, he directly froze the flow of time for the entire Spirit World.
"Mere mortals—could they truly break through the Mist Array I set up?"
He calculated with his fingers; after a thousand years of evolution, the Spirit World's territory had more than doubled compared to the beginning.
But to ascend to a Small Thousand World, it was still far from enough.
And what surprised him most was that this deduction revealed the opportunity for the Spirit World's transformation surprisingly hinged on this martial artist named Zhao Xin.
"The Son of Destiny of the Spirit World version?"
Chen Chang'an looked at the group thoughtfully.
Two young disciples and a few surviving boatmen were following Zhao Xin, and at this moment, they were all immersed in cultivation.
The young man named Lin Qi was already able to mobilize a trace of spiritual energy, while Fang Yuan was still sensing for qi.
He grabbed at the void, and a book emitting a faint golden light appeared in his palm.
The three ancient characters "Longevity Formula" flowed with Dao rhyme on the cover.
This was a basic cultivation method he had refined casually, writing everything clearly from guiding qi into the body to ascending from the Heavenly Human Realm.
"Since the will of heaven is thus..."
Chen Chang'an took one last look at the martial artist who was currently breaking through.
Zhao Xin's brows were tightly locked, and fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, but his aura was steadily rising.
"I hope you can bring some surprises."
With this low murmur, Chen Chang'an's consciousness receded like the tide.
The figure of that "North Pole Immortal" naturally also dissipated into the vast sea and sky.
...
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