160: Heaven? No, this is the cage called eternal life.

In less than half a breath, that person had already appeared before Li Yan.

The unfamiliar man was clad in a luxurious purple robe, his silver hair fluttering in the wind, and his entire being exuded the aura of stars.

Li Yan focused his gaze and concluded that he must be Purple Star Master, one of the Four Emperors of the Old Heavenly Court.

The other party seemed to have anticipated his arrival, and before Li Yan could speak, he explained his purpose.

"I observe the celestial phenomena, the star tracks revolve, and Ziwei's image descends; Your Excellency has arrived."

Li Yan was secretly startled, not expecting that the other party had already predicted his arrival.

As expected of one of the Four Emperors, from his imperial title, he should be the master of the stars in the heavens.

He could deduce Li Yan's arrival at this place by interpreting celestial phenomena.

However, since the other party had predicted his arrival, could he also deduce Li Yan's purpose?

Facing Purple Star Master, one of the Four Emperors, Li Yan cupped his hands, neither humble nor arrogant, and said,

"Your Excellency, Purple Star Master, can you deduce the purpose of my visit?"

Purple Star Master did not put on any haughty airs; his tone was calm, like that of a friend.

"Ha, my young friend has hit upon the crux of the matter."

"This Lord has deduced that an outsider would enter this Gui Xu Realm Abyss, but I cannot deduce your identity, young friend."

"Presumably, young friend, you..."

Purple Star Master was silent for a moment, not speaking further.

He did a quick calculation with his fingers: "No matter how this Lord calculates, I cannot deduce your identity, young friend, nor the purpose of your visit."

The Heavenly Soldiers nearby, and Ancient Dragon Ao Jiao, all showed expressions of astonishment.

It was said that in the Old Heavenly Court, Purple Star Master could deduce one's destiny through the stars; if he wished, he could even deduce a person's past and present lives.

Yet, only with Li Yan, no matter how Purple Star Master mobilized the power of the stars and calculated, he could not ascertain Li Yan's fortune.

"Hmm, young friend, you are very special."

"In this world, only those of the Ancient God caliber can interfere with my deductions."

"And you do not possess a Divine Spark, yet this Lord cannot observe you through the stars."

Evidently, Purple Star Master was curious about Li Yan's arrival.

But he was not afraid, because this place was the Gui Xu Realm Abyss.

No one would die; people could not harm each other; there was only endless temporal stagnation.

Compared to Purple Star Master's curiosity about Li Yan, Li Yan was more eager to get things done.

His Physical Body was targeted by the Immortals of the White Jade Capital, and finding the Old Heavenly Court was to make this group return to the Immortal Cultivation World and contend with the White Jade Capital.

He did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

"The Seal on the periphery of the Gui Xu Realm Abyss has been lifted by me."

"Everyone in the Old Heavenly Court can return to the Immortal Cultivation World at any time."

After Li Yan finished speaking, Purple Star Master was first stunned, then he covered his face and chuckled softly.

"Young friend."

"Since you've made the trip, this Lord can show you around the Heavenly Court."

"Follow me."

Seeing that this Great Emperor seemed to be avoiding something, Li Yan directly retorted: "The entrance to the outside world has been opened by me."

"What if the people of the White Jade Capital discover it and block it up again for you?"

"What? Don't you want to leave this place?"

Hearing Li Yan's words, Purple Star Master and several Heavenly Soldiers exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

"Young friend, if we wanted to go out, we would have gone out long ago."

"All living beings in this Gui Xu Realm Abyss are Immortal and indestructible, transcending Reincarnation, truly achieving eternity!"

"Immortal, Divine Being, what do you and I pursue?"

"Isn't it transcendence over life and death?"

Purple Star Master flicked his long sleeve, clasped his hands behind his back, and raised his head to look directly at Li Yan.

What he said made a lot of sense.

What was Cultivation for?

Was it not to transcend time and Reincarnation?

All living beings within the Gui Xu Realm Abyss, regardless of age, gender, or cultivation level, had already become Immortal and indestructible existences.

As long as they remained in this Gui Xu Realm Abyss, they would not have to worry about their Lifespan running out.

Purple Star Master, with his head held high and chest puffed out, began to discuss the Dao with Li Yan, imbuing Li Yan with his Dao.

His voice was loud and impassioned.

"All things in the Universe will one day exhaust their Lifespan; the Golden Crow in the sky, burning for hundreds of millions of years, will eventually collapse and dissipate."

"In the Major Thousand Worlds, every moment, a world dissipates into the eternal darkness."

"Even if you have a Lifespan of hundreds of millions of years, you ultimately cannot escape the fate of death."

"But within this Gui Xu Realm Abyss, regardless of status or cultivation, every living being, even as humble as an ant, has obtained the equal right to eternal life."

With that, Purple Star Master raised his index finger, and several glowing blue firefly-like butterflies landed on his finger.

The blue butterflies glowed beautifully all over, and Purple Star Master gently caressed a butterfly: "Look, in this place, all beings are equal."

Listening to Purple Star Master's words, Li Yan fell into a momentary trance.

This place...

Here, everyone was eternal, and all things were equal.

Even the ants crawling on the ground enjoyed the right to eternal life.

What did Cultivators pursue? Wasn't it this kind of paradise?

After a brief daze, Li Yan shook his head vigorously.

"No."

"This place... is not a paradise."

Li Yan's words surprised Purple Star Master; his long, white eyebrows raised.

"Oh? This Lord would like to hear your esteemed opinion, young friend?"

Li Yan looked around, observing this Small World of the Gui Xu Realm Abyss.

"This place is a cage named eternal life."

"Everyone in the Gui Xu Realm Abyss is forever imprisoned here."

"Stars are brilliant because they move, and flowers and trees are graceful because they wither and flourish. You have locked the rising and setting of the sun, turning breath into a repeating pendulum—this eternal stillness is merely a tombstone embellished with 'eternal life,' where even decay becomes a luxury."

"Like a frog at the bottom of a well, you can only ever see this Small World."

"If this is eternal life, then I would rather rot than stay in this prison."

When Li Yan said these words, not to mention the Heavenly Soldiers, even Purple Star Master's pupils trembled a few times.

This young Daoist before him had spoken a cruel truth.

In the Gui Xu Realm Abyss, even death was a luxury.

Trapped in a cage called eternal life, their will gradually withered.

"The dignified Old Heavenly Court has fallen to the level of sewer rats."

"Claiming to have attained eternal Dao, yet trapped within this Small World."

"Lord? Heavenly Emperor? I think it's a joke; how can a firefly in a well contend with the bright moon of the stars?"

Li Yan's series of blunt remarks made Purple Star Master feel utterly ashamed.

Ancient Dragon Ao Jiao, behind him, looked at Li Yan with increasing fervor.

"I didn't expect my Ancient Dragon Clan to have such an eloquent talent?"

"What he said makes so much sense; he made those Human Race Immortals speechless, ha."

The massive Ancient Dragon swayed its tail; Li Yan's string of words greatly pleased Ao Jiao.

However, facing reality, Purple Star Master, after a moment of silence, said coldly,

"You speak lightly, young friend."