883: Chapter 884 A Moment's Choice, Bearing the Burden of the Immortal Realm

Gu Changge withdrew his hand, his gaze falling upon Wang Zhan. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke slowly, "What binds you has never been the constraints of heaven and earth. The root cause lies in that imperial dao true seed of the Immortal Domain you refined previously."

Wang Zhan shuddered, his eyes filled with bewilderment as he looked up, "An imperial dao true seed? I have already completely refined it; how could it give rise to shackles today?"

"By refining the true seed to ascend to the Immortal Emperor Realm, the dao seed has already tightly bound your Luck to the Immortal Domain. Currently, the Immortal Domain is already broken, its Origin depleted, and the Foundation of heaven and earth is unstable; thus, it is very difficult for you to break through to the Tongtian Realm."

As his voice fell, Xiao Ruobai, Fang Hanyu, and the others who had just broken through gathered around upon hearing this, their expressions varied.

Xiao Ruobai frowned deeply, watching Wang Zhan, whose blood and Qi were surging but who remained unable to take a single step forward, filled with unbearable sympathy in his heart.

Having cultivated bitterly together for so long, everyone had stepped into the Tongtian Realm simultaneously, yet Wang Zhan alone was stuck at the starting point, bound by heaven and earth. Such a disparity would be agonizing for anyone.

Fang Hanyu, Ling Xi, and Wang Xiaopang also gathered around, and even Xiao Hei, Xiao Bai, Lao Huang, and Jimie in the distance pricked up their ears.

The atmosphere on the Enlightenment Platform, which had just been immersed in the joy of Breakthroughs, suddenly grew solemn.

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhan was stunned. "Immortal Domain Luck... linked to the Immortal Domain?"

He looked down at his own hands, as if trying to see those invisible shackles within his palms.

A moment later, he raised his head, his eyes filled with unwillingness and bitterness, "Revered Master, does that not mean this Disciple will never be able to break through? The Immortal Domain has long since been broken; must this Disciple be trapped in the Immortal Emperor Realm for the rest of his life?"

His voice trembled slightly, carrying a trace of unwillingness.

Xiao Ruobai frowned and asked, "Revered Master, is there a solution?"

Gu Changge did not answer directly but instead looked at Wang Zhan, asking in a calm tone, "I have two choices for you; how you choose lies with you."

Wang Zhan's spirit lifted, and he quickly bowed, "Please, Revered Master, enlighten me!"

"The first path is to directly sever all connection between you and the Xuanhuang Immortal Domain's Luck."

Gu Changge's voice was calm, yet every word was clear, "I can take action to completely strip this wisp of the Immortal Domain's Luck mark from your body. Once the bond is severed, the Dao Rhyme of the Heavenly Domain's Origin bound within you will completely dissipate, and you will need to re-Cultivate the Immortal Emperor Realm from the beginning."

"However, this place is the Yunmiao Heavenly Ruins of the Heavenly Realm; the Origin Spiritual Qi far exceeds that of the Lower Realm, and with the thousand-fold amplification of the Immortal Enlightenment, you will soon be able to return to your Peak and successfully step into the Tongtian Realm. Thereafter, your cultivation will no longer have the shackles of heaven and earth, and no one will be able to hinder your Dao path."

Wang Zhan's eyes lit up, but he immediately suppressed his excitement and asked, "And what of the second path?"

"The second path is not to sever it."

Gu Changge's gaze deepened slightly as he said slowly, "You continue to move forward while bearing this wisp of the Immortal Domain's Luck."

"This means that every future Breakthrough will require you to put in several times, or even dozens of times, more effort and accumulation than ordinary people. Each time you break through, you must divert more than half of your own Origin to nourish the Xuanhuang heaven and earth. The resources, mental effort, and pain you expend on your cultivation path will far exceed those of others."

He paused, then continued, "But everything has its pros and cons. Although this wisp of Luck is currently your shackle, it is also your future Foundation."

"You possess the Heavenly Azure Dao Body and are inherently a rare vessel of destiny in the heavens, naturally capable of bearing the great trend of heaven and earth and the Luck of an entire Realm. When the time comes, with the blessing of a Realm's Luck, you will be invincible among your peers, and your upper limit will far surpass that of ordinary Tongtian Cultivators. In the future, when you step into the Heavenly Venerate Realm or even higher Realms, your Foundation will be uniquely gifted, unmatched by anyone."

"More importantly—" Gu Changge's gaze was profound. "As long as you break through these shackles and ascend to the Tongtian Realm, this wisp of the Immortal Domain's Luck will provide feedback to the Immortal Domain due to your promotion."

"It will accelerate the recovery of the Immortal Domain's Origin and fill the cracks in the broken heaven and earth. For every layer you break through, the recovery speed of the Immortal Domain will increase by a fraction. If you can reach a sufficiently high Realm in the future, it is even possible that you, by your own strength, could lead the entire Immortal Domain back to its Peak."

As these words were spoken, the entire audience was shocked.

Xiao Ruobai frowned deeply and muttered, "To move forward while bearing the Immortal Domain... the price is simply too high."

The other Disciples held their breath, silently looking at Wang Zhan; the pros and cons of the two paths were clear at a glance.

Severing the bond meant short-term ease, freedom from restraint, and cultivation speed that advances by leaps and bounds.

Bearing the Immortal Domain meant a path full of hardships, where every step required shouldering the burden of an entire Realm, but once one persevered, it would be an unparalleled Foundation unique throughout the ages.

Wang Zhan was silent. He lowered his head, his fists clenched tight, his nails almost embedding into his palms.

Flashing through his mind were the scenes he had witnessed and experienced firsthand.

The Immortal Domain was broken, heaven and earth were collapsing, and the Dao laws were severed.

Purple Bamboo had guarded the frontier alone for millions of years, using a broken body to shoulder the survival of the entire Immortal Domain, sword-slashing the Black Abyss, staining Chaos with blood.

The Taichu Heavenly Emperor had led the Immortal Domain Coalition, generation after generation rushing forward, burying their bones at the frontier, never retreating until death.

The will of the immortal domain had exhausted its final Origin to protect the last Foundation of this broken heaven and earth, never giving up even when on the verge of dissipation.

And there were those ancient Immortal Emperors, those heroes whose names he could not recall but who had disregarded life and death on the battlefield. They all shared a common belief—to protect the Immortal Domain. Even if the Immortal Domain was already broken, even if the path ahead was already cut off, they had never retreated a single step.

Wang Zhan slowly raised his head. He had never felt that he was a person of the Immortal Domain; he was born in Xuanhuang and raised in Xuanhuang, and his sense of belonging to the Immortal Domain was not strong.

But at this moment, an indescribable emotion surged within his heart. The persistence of those people was not for any one person, not for any one Family, but for this heaven and earth, for all living beings.

And he, now bearing the Immortal Domain's Luck, was tightly connected to the fate of this world.

If he were to sever this connection, he could certainly move forward easily, but the Immortal Domain was now broken, and it had finally gained a chance to recover.

The Taichu Heavenly Emperor was still there, the will of the immortal domain was still there, and those predecessors who had fought for the Immortal Domain for millions of years had only just returned.

As long as there is a path ahead, I shall not fear.

Wang Zhan raised his head, the confusion and hesitation in his eyes gone, replaced by a calm and firm resolve. He bowed heavily to Gu Changge, "Revered Master, this Disciple chooses the second path."

His voice was not loud, but every word was resonant, "Although this Disciple is not a person of the Immortal Domain, I have witnessed with my own eyes the solitary courage of Senior Purple Bamboo in guarding the frontier."

"I have seen the determination of Senior Taichu in leading the army to fight to the death, and I have seen the persistence of countless Cultivators of the Immortal Domain who rushed forward and never retreated until death. They have given so much for the Immortal Domain; since this Disciple bears the Immortal Domain's Luck, I cannot fail this trust. Even if the path ahead is fraught with thousands of dangers, this Disciple is willing to bear the Immortal Domain and move forward together."

Upon hearing this, admiration appeared in Xiao Ruobai's eyes; he stepped forward and patted his shoulder, "Fifth Junior Brother, what a great spirit. If you lack resources in your future cultivation, we will help you."

Fang Hanyu, Ling Xi, and Wang Xiaopang also spoke up, willing to offer help at any time and accompany him in shouldering this burden of heaven and earth.

In the distance, Xiao Bai raised its head and howled, as if cheering for Wang Zhan. Lao Huang flicked its tail, squinting its eyes, and rarely showed a look of approval.

Gu Changge looked at Wang Zhan's firm appearance, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes. He raised his hand, and a wisp of gentle Grandmist Origin was transmitted into his body, gently wrapping around that layer of Luck shackles, "Since you have made this choice, I will harmonize the flow of Luck for you, so it no longer unilaterally binds you."

"It will be changed so that you and the Immortal Domain nourish each other, step by step. When you have accumulated enough Foundation, you will be able to break through the shackles in one go and ascend to the Tongtian Realm."

The soft Grandmist Dao Rhyme slowly coiled around Wang Zhan's body. The heavy chains that had originally tightly confined him no longer suppressed him rigidly, turning into long, flowing threads of light.

The Luck of a Realm slowly merged with his Physical Body and Divine Soul, no longer a burden, but transforming into an unparalleled Foundation lying in wait.

Wang Zhan felt the long-accumulated stuffiness in his chest vanish completely; although he still could not break through immediately, the knot in his heart was completely untied, and he no longer felt any impatience.

"From this day forward, you shall Cultivate with dedication on the Enlightenment Platform. Do not leave this platform until you enter the Tongtian Realm."

Wang Zhan kowtowed heavily, then stood up, walked back to the center of the Enlightenment Platform, sat cross-legged, and began to operate the Heavenly Azure Dao Body, cultivating with a calm heart.

Although his aura was still tightly suppressed by that layer of invisible barrier, that unyielding will made everyone present feel the determination in his heart.

Gu Changge watched his back, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned.

Heavenly Azure Dao Body, bearing the Immortal Domain. He was very much looking forward to seeing how far this young man could go in the future.