477: The origin of celestial phenomena

By the time Wang Long and the others received the warning message, it was already too late.

Pulling a Grotto-Heaven was not a simple spellcasting process.

Instead, thousands of array platforms had been prepared in advance to form a Pulling Grand Array, which was then activated using various spiritual resources, with Moon Abyss finally possessing Wang Long to provide the final guidance.

Once the Grand Array began to operate, there was effectively no turning back.

Furthermore, the descent of a Grotto-Heaven was not actually a fall; rather, it was being forcibly squeezed from the Void Gazer into the current world, equivalent to forcibly transforming an area into a Grotto-Heaven zone.

This had already been confirmed when the Green Emerald Grotto-Heaven and the Dark Water Grotto-Heaven descended.

Therefore, there was no way to intercept it during the descent—at least not for players who did not possess Dao Cultivation related to the Void Gazer.

So when the warning arrived, it was all too late.

The players could only feel a ripple of Void Gazer energy rising in the region west of the Green Emerald Mountains, roughly in the direction of the Great Jiang Dynasty.

Then, a vast area suddenly shifted, transforming into layers upon layers of mountain ranges shrouded in mist and clouds where Spiritual Qi gathered. It was truly an immortal land; clearly, a massive Grotto-Heaven had descended.

Before the players could even head over to investigate, they saw another phenomenon appear as well:

A surging Red Rain.

The Red Rain, which had been falling continuously for a month, was originally a steady downpour, but now it suddenly shifted horizontally across the sky, converging within ominous black clouds into a celestial river that roared as it surged.

The dramatic change in the phenomena left many players confused, but at that moment, a sudden change occurred in Wang Long.

He actually used his left hand to strike his right, and then began rolling on the ground alone, as if he were fighting himself.

“It's Moon Abyss!”

Someone cried out in alarm, realizing that Wang Long was fighting for control of his Physical Body against Moon Abyss within him.

For a moment, everyone was unsure who was better to help.

Wang Long was a player; if he died, he could simply restart, washing away Moon Abyss's influence in the process.

Moon Abyss was different. Although he had ulterior motives, he was ultimately a knowledgeable soul body Old Grandpa. If he were allowed to gain a Physical Body and live a second life, perhaps he could be integrated into the player faction?

At the critical moment, Ye Chun was the first to act, directly thrusting his spear toward Wang Long to help him suppress Moon Abyss within his body.

Then the other players also realized the truth. Moon Abyss must have helped with Star Fiend's scheme. If left unchecked, they wouldn't be facing a knowledge-providing Old Grandpa next, but an evil soul body with a Nascent Soul True Lord as a backer!

The players all joined in, using their various methods to help Wang Long expel Moon Abyss—though inevitably, some took the opportunity to play tricks, hoping to kill Wang Long off as well.

Meanwhile, the players over at Sacred Emperor Mountain heard True Lord Feng Chuan reveal a new secret:

“Where do you think the heavenly phenomena that occur during a Breakthrough come from?”

The players were lost once again; to be honest, they hadn't studied this question in detail.

Most players believed it was a product designed to heighten the atmosphere of a Breakthrough, similar to the special effects when leveling up in other games.

However, the top-tier Golden Core Playerss knew that these were not just audiovisual effects. The heavenly phenomena during a Breakthrough could truly affect the spiritual atmosphere and bring down spiritual resources.

“I think...”

A player who had researched the topic quite deeply spoke after a moment of contemplation:

“The Immortal Foundation Golden Core Dao Lineage is a Dao Lineage that incorporates the Five Elements spiritual power of heaven and earth into oneself. In this process, the Five Elements are nurtured within the Cultivator's body, transforming into an Immortal Foundation, then forming a core, and finally forming a Nascent Soul.

“In this Dao Lineage, the Five Elements are heaven and earth, they are all things. Therefore, the process of Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, and forming a Nascent Soul is essentially the process of transforming oneself into a Small World.

“Although this concept is very mysterious and we don't fully understand it yet—and the current methods even seem to be a compromise—it's not hard to see how brilliant the ancients who founded the Five Elements Dao Lineage were.

“When one breaks through in this Dao Lineage, their own Small World resonates with the Great World. The Great World offers a congratulatory gift for the birth of the Small World, which becomes a part of it.

“However, while it's called a Small World, it is actually still just the Cultivator's Physical Body and Divine Soul, with no real world to contain it. Thus, these gifts descend around the Cultivator, forming the heavenly phenomena we see.”

After this player finished speaking, many others nodded in agreement.

But True Lord Feng Chuan laughed:

“What you are describing is the theory of the Immortal Foundation Golden Core Path from extremely ancient times, ages ago. Even the Kongming Dao Lineage is likely no longer that ancient method.

“Adopting one's own Five Elements to construct a Small World was the most ancient Five Elements Dao Lineage, and it is the origin of that name.

“In reality, the Five Elements Dao Lineage has long since shifted to the Immortal Foundation Golden Core Dao Lineage. Adopting the Five Elements is merely for Foundation Establishment and Core Formation, turning the power of the Great World into one's own foundation to seek transcendence. We no longer scheme for an internal Small World or Small World.”

The players were puzzled: “Then, where do the phenomena come from?”

True Lord Feng Chuan laughed heartily:

“From the Dao! From inscription! From the resonance of heaven and earth!

“When we Cultivators of the Immortal Foundation Golden Core Path break through, our lifelong insights converge and are inscribed upon the world. The Five Elements of heaven and earth previously adopted then carry our Dao Cultivation and feed back into the world.”

One player was no fool and immediately thought of that final breath of Clarity Qi before a Golden Core died, which also fused a lifetime of insights to communicate with the world and bring down a phenomenon.

This analogy instantly made him uneasy:

“So you're saying the heavenly phenomena aren't directly resonated by the world, but are triggered by the Cultivator using their own insights and Five Elements spiritual power to feed back into the world? In other words, the phenomena are controllable?”

True Lord Feng Chuan nodded: “Correct. That is why there was no phenomenon when I broke through.”

The players were shocked:

“Then Star Fiend releasing a phenomenon was to lure out the Grotto-Heaven? But the Grotto-Heaven has already descended. To be safe, he should have stopped the phenomenon. Why would he let it suddenly change? What exactly is he trying to do?”

Feng Chuan smiled: “You must realize that wanting to inscribe one's insights and Dao Cultivation into the world, let alone pulling out a phenomenon, is no easy task.

“We Cultivators of the Immortal Foundation Golden Core Path rely on the uniqueness of the Breakthrough and the carrying capacity of the Five Elements spiritual power to trigger heavenly phenomena. It is incredibly precious; anything is possible.”

Having said that, Feng Chuan mentioned again: “That Old Ancestor of mine is mysterious and refuses to speak clearly, only thinking of stalling for time until the immortal path reopens.

“The followers of the state-stabilizing seal, the Yuyao Kingdom, and the Eastern Sea are not Cultivators of my Immortal Foundation Golden Core Path; they understand nothing at all.

“If you want to know more secrets, you'd better release me soon and let me, Feng Chuan, lead you all!”

Hearing this, the players all snorted coldly and did not reply, only growing more concerned about what Star Fiend was actually planning.

The clever ones had already realized that at this moment of Forming Nascent Soul, Star Fiend had the ability to communicate with the world, allowing his insights to resonate with it and inscribe his Dao Cultivation into the heavens and earth.

At the same time, the world would provide feedback, granting him the ability to call upon the Great Momentum of the world for a short period.

Simply put, in that extremely brief moment of Breakthrough, Star Fiend would possess immense power. Whatever he did would be a massive threat.