Memory

Memory . . .

The celestial theater above was a tapestry of astonishment and wonder. Among the illustrious gathering in the royal palace, where kings and marquises reigned supreme, a palpable sense of disbelief and awe permeated the atmosphere. Their immortal senses reached out, like eager tendrils of curiosity, unfurling towards the epicenter of this phenomenon—the cherished realm of Princess Changping.

There, with bated breath, Princess Changping herself and the enigmatic Scarlet Eye Marquis stood in silent vigil. Their eyes, now and then, drifted toward the very spot where Qin Wentian had embarked on his quest for immortality.

"Could it be that this ethereal display is the handiwork of Qin Wentian, as he forges his immortal foundation?" the Scarlet Eye Marquis ventured to speak, his voice touched with a measure of awe.

Princess Changping, too, was unable to tear her gaze from the celestial spectacle overhead. "It seems highly likely," she replied, her words bearing the weight of consideration. "He and his loyal demonic companions are the sole denizens of that sacred cultivation platform. The genesis of such a phenomenon is unmistakably connected to his endeavors. Yet, we must exercise patience, for the truth shall reveal itself when he emerges from his seclusion."

The Scarlet Eye Marquis mulled over the implications of this celestial marvel, his musings casting a wry smile upon his lips. "To think that he might summon forth a heavenly phenomenon while establishing his immortal foundation! Could it be that the immortal foundation he now possesses is nothing short of a fabled saint-grade immortal foundation?"

Princess Changping regarded the marquis with an enigmatic glint in her eyes. "The creation of a phenomenon by a saint-grade immortal foundation—is that even possible?"

"In truth, my lady, the annals of our ancient records hold no such account," the marquis admitted, shaking his head. "But let us not deny the extraordinary nature of this occurrence. It seems clear that this young man possesses a talent beyond the ordinary, and if the heavens themselves have sanctioned his ascent with this phenomenon, then he is undoubtedly an innate immortal king."

Even as they spoke, the mesmerizing phenomenon began to wane, dissipating like a dream. Yet, the collective attention of all remained steadfastly fixed upon Princess Changping's estate, where destiny continued to unfurl.

Amidst the celestial stillness, atop the venerable cultivation platform, Qin Wentian emerged as a being transformed. Immortal radiance enveloped him entirely, a living testament to his newfound status. With a mere thought, he dispersed the luminous aura, his eyes flickering with an air of profound enlightenment.

"Immortal," he declared, the single word reverberating with a resonance that belied the profound transformation he had undergone. Qin Wentian had ascended to the immortal foundation realm in its entirety, his stature radiating the unassailable might of an immortal. His immortal foundation, of a saint-grade caliber, was as perfect as it was rare, and his very physique mirrored this celestial perfection.

For most stellar martial cultivators, their initial foray into immortality typically yielded low-tiered mortal-grade immortal foundations, confining them to a limited path. Such foundations rarely held the promise of entering the immortal king realm. Nevertheless, this did not spell the end of their journey. Through persistent cultivation and the infusion of newfound insights, there existed a possibility for their immortal foundations to ascend in tiers and grades over time.

Yet, Qin Wentian stood apart from the norm. His immortal foundation, upon completion, had already attained the pinnacle—a saint-grade of pristine perfection. This singular achievement bespoke of an unparalleled trajectory, a path paved with unparalleled opportunity and promise.

In the realm of combat prowess, there existed an immutable truth: the ascendancy of a saint-grade immortal foundation over its lower-graded counterparts was beyond question. For those operating within the same stratum of cultivation, even if they were hailed as chosen ones, Qin Wentian found no need to regard them with undue concern.

His discerning gaze swept across his surroundings, only to unveil a disconcerting revelation. The vast mountains of resources he had meticulously gathered and prepared had all vanished into the maw of his cultivation. He had, in his foresight, gathered several times the required resources, anticipating the formidable challenge of attaining a saint-grade immortal foundation. Yet, he had scarcely fathomed the staggering magnitude of their consumption—a disquieting reality that defied all expectations.

For stellar martial cultivators bereft of influential backgrounds, the path to even the most modest of foundations was riddled with peril. It demanded audacious risks, perilous adventures, and life-and-death struggles for coveted treasures or, alternatively, the option of pledging allegiance to a major power.

Moreover, the immortal foundation constituted but the fledgling step in the ascent toward true strength. Comprising nine formidable levels, the cultivation resources demanded to traverse this perilous journey exceeded the comprehension of Celestial Phenomenon Ascendants. This explained why countless immortal-foundation experts found themselves indentured to those of greater influence. In a world devoid of significant affiliations, perseverance and relentless diligence remained the sole lifelines guiding these indomitable souls onward.

A century was the timeframe allotted for immortal foundation establishment, a span of 10,000 years needed to ascend to the exalted mantle of an immortal king. Those who accomplished these feats were hailed as paragons of genius, yet the path of cultivation promised only increasingly formidable obstacles with each subsequent advance.

Fortunately, the present moment found Qin Wentian, poised at the threshold of immortal status, in a state of sublime perfection.

With a composed serenity, Qin Wentian kept his eyes tightly shut, abstaining from immediately emerging from his protracted seclusion. Instead, he chose to continue his cultivation, clasping the enigmatic Sky Demon Oracle Bone in his hand. His pursuit of the fiendgod body refinement art remained relentless, his ambitions unquenched. This inaugural step represented but a monumental stride along his chosen path, a preamble to an odyssey defined by unrivaled perfection. His aspiration was for every subsequent advance to mirror this seamless journey, bereft of the oppressive chokehold of bottlenecks, a path as smooth as it was illustrious.

While others were celebrated as geniuses for accomplishing the staggering feat of immortal king ascension within 10,000 years, Qin Wentian harbored no intention of treading the same lengthy course. His unwavering determination propelled him toward swifter, unparalleled glory.

In the royal palace, where whispers and curiosity had now reached a crescendo, an enigma lingered like an unspoken riddle. Had Qin Wentian truly emerged from his seclusion? Speculation swirled, pondering whether he had managed to establish his immortal foundation or still toiled in obscurity.

Meanwhile, amid the reverent hush of the palace, the eminent figures Yang An and Mu Feng, who had likewise embarked on their own odyssey of immortal foundation cultivation, finally emerged from their protracted seclusions. With their foundations perfected, they now stood resolute in the realm of immortal foundation mastery. Their emergence stirred ripples of amazement throughout the royal precincts, as the rarity of their swift ascent was an exceptional feat that had captured the collective imagination.

In the realm of immortal foundations, both Yang An and Mu Feng had achieved the coveted mortal-grade status. However, a subtle distinction separated their accomplishments. Yang An's immortal foundation stood as a testament to his prowess, having attained the distinguished third tier. Meanwhile, Mu Feng's foundation, though commendable, dwelled at a slightly lower echelon—merely the second tier.

Amidst the grand tapestry of destinies yet to be woven, Qing'er, Little Rascal, and Purgatory remained ensconced within the cocoon of seclusion. They clung to their sacred quests, resolute in their commitment to emerge only once their immortal foundations were cast in the crucible of perfection.

On this day, the rhythmic cadence of Qin Wentian's cultivation finally came to a halt. His corporeal form shimmered with an incandescent brilliance, evoking the image of an impervious suit of celestial armor.

As his discerning gaze swept across the cultivation platform, he observed Little Rascal and Purgatory, who still remained engrossed in the intricate dance of absorbing law energy from their innate constellations. Their cultivation had reached a critical juncture, an epochal moment poised on the brink of realization. Qin Wentian chose not to disrupt their sacred communion with the cosmos, instead sealing his eyes in contemplation. His perception turned inward, delving deep into the labyrinthine expanse of his sea of consciousness.

Within this ethereal realm, a diminutive astral being danced, its form oscillating in and out of existence—a specter of enigmatic memories.

"Now that I've ascended to immortality, the wellspring of energy coursing through my veins dwarfs anything I possessed as an ascendant. It should be more than sufficient to unlock additional astral fragments harboring the memories my father left behind," mused Qin Wentian. His immortal sense surged forth, directed toward the minuscule astral entity, and in the blink of an eye, he traversed into the shimmering expanse of the starry abyss.

"The surface memories may yield scant insights. What I truly seek are the core memories—only then will I unearth the profound tapestry of my father's experiences," Qin Wentian affirmed. His immortal sense burrowed deeper into the depths of the astral being. He carried with him recollections of encountering his parents within a locked memory enshrined by an astral fragment—a memory that portrayed a man of indomitable spirit and a woman radiating an enduring legacy, both willing to sacrifice everything for the infant he had been.

The question lingered—why had his parents chosen this enigmatic path? What had driven Uncle Black and others to veil their movements in secrecy? Why, even in his infancy, had they steered him to a remote particle world, meticulously monitoring his growth, safeguarding each step of his journey?

As Qin Wentian's immortal sense delved deeper, the immortal might within him surged, flooding the luminous fragments. A resounding cacophony of shattering followed by a deafening boom echoed through his psyche. In the next instant, a cascade of memories unfurled before him.

"Shatter, shatter, shatter, shatter, SHATTER!" Qin Wentian's immortal sense whipped into a frenzied maelstrom, while his immortal foundation emanated a coruscating brilliance, channeling unbridled immortal might. He relentlessly assailed the astral fragments, one by one. The tiny astral entity resembled a voracious black hole, voraciously absorbing the torrent of energy, its luminosity intensifying with each passing moment. Hours stretched into oblivion, yet Qin Wentian's unwavering determination held steady. He was determined to unlock the entirety of the story concealed within these celestial fragments, even if it meant exhausting astronomical reservoirs of immortal energy. A mere smattering of fragments would not suffice; he yearned for the full narrative, undiluted and unblemished.

Though Uncle Black had once promised to reveal the enigmatic secrets of his lineage, Qin Wentian presently found himself bereft of any knowledge regarding his guardian's whereabouts. In this baffling void of information, a more direct route to the truth seemed to lie in the memories concealed within the minuscule astral entity.

After a protracted engagement with these celestial fragments, Qin Wentian's immortal sense gradually withdrew, and a cascade of memories unveiled themselves before him. He sealed his thoughts, permitting each memory to unfurl in a synchronized dance of revelation.

The tapestry of these memories coalesced into the life story of a solitary young man, a luminary in a world of grandeur. His existence unfolded within a resplendent palace, a haven of architectural marvels unparalleled by the grandeur of gods' domains. The majestic spectacle painted in Qin Wentian's mind eclipsed any earthly splendor he had previously encountered, dwarfing the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect and the Evergreen Immortal Empire's royal palace by comparison.

Yet, in spite of his opulent surroundings, the young man exuded an aura of loneliness—an isolation borne not from his environment but from his absence of companionship. Within the sprawling confines of his personal palace, he reigned supreme as the king of a rising generation. Servants and slaves, unwavering in their fealty and formidable in their prowess, pledged their allegiance to him, treating him as their sovereign.

But the pang of solitude gnawed at his soul, for he had no parents to share his throne.

These memories remained fragmented, leaving voids of speculation for Qin Wentian to fill. The young man appeared to be a scion of an ancient and illustrious clan, albeit one among many descendants. His status was exalted, and he occupied an immortal palace grander than even the royal abode of the Evergreen Immortal Emperor. Yet, his solitude was inescapable.

The memories unveiled an elder, a figure on par with grandparents, who spirited the young man away. Placed in the company of heaven-chosen scions from various factions within the clan, each possessing noble and esteemed lineages, the young man underwent rigorous trials and unrelenting trials. These extraordinary peers, their talents incandescent, cast shadows upon him, rendering him seemingly ordinary and inauspicious. Consequently, he bore the brunt of exclusion, becoming the pariah of his circle.

Only two individuals defied this isolating tide—a boy and a girl. They stood out as elite prodigies, crowned as young monarchs and revered by the clan's elders. The nurturing, guidance, and adulation of the clan converged upon them. Their predestined destinies were intertwined, their love a celestial symphony.

The disjointed memories wove a tapestry of the young man's journey to adulthood. Familiar handsome features began to crystallize, and Qin Wentian recognized the figure as his father, Qin Yuanfeng. The young man's unyielding spirit weathered countless tribulations as he matured into an illustrious and dignified figure. His character evolved, growing resolute and indefatigable. He embarked on a journey to test his mettle, exploring the world and confronting trials and calamities that forged him into an unyielding man.

Love blossomed between the young man and the girl he had cherished in his youth. However, fate orchestrated an intricate dance that intertwined their destinies. Another young man, regarded as a brother, harbored his own feelings for the same girl. The two star-crossed lovers ultimately found their way to each other, becoming the epitome of celestial monarchs among their generation, a union envied by countless souls. Though his heart ached with unrequited love, he blessed their union, offering a cherished treasure as a testament to his goodwill. He chose solitude and embarked on a solitary odyssey, wandering the world once more.

Years passed by, and destiny unveiled the most pivotal woman in his life—the woman who would become Qin Wentian's mother. As Qin Wentian gazed upon this profound memory, his heart quivered. Here, within these unlocked fragments of time, unfolded the momentous encounter of his parents, a poignant story of love and destiny. His mother, a celestial vision, exuded a timeless grace. At first, she regarded him with disdain, an initial indifference that could not deter his relentless pursuit of her heart. It was a love at first sight, an unwavering admiration, and an ardent pursuit that would define their destiny.