Chapter 372: The Nature of Immortals
“So, you need to ask me, an Immortal, again, don’t you?” Everlasting Fairy was more than happy to answer Lu Yang’s question.
“First, ask the other little ones from the sects and see how much they remember,” Everlasting Fairy suggested, guiding Lu Yang to seek the root of the issue himself.
“Lan Ting, do you remember the battle that just happened?”
Lan Ting shot Lu Yang a look, thinking it was a silly question. “Of course, I remember. It was Senior Sister Yun Zhi displaying her divine abilities, suppressing that Tribulation Crossing Stage cultivator.”
“And what about the events before that?”
“Are you talking about the fight between the State Governor and the ancient Unity cultivators? Didn’t the State Governor use…”
Lan Ting suddenly stopped, feeling like the answer was right on the tip of her tongue but couldn’t quite grasp it.
What had the State Governor used?
Lu Yang didn’t push further. The outcome was similar—Lan Ting had forgotten about the national fortune and the Supreme Sword Projection. He turned to ask Yan Tianzhi next, “Do you still remember Eldest Senior Sister?”
“Yun Zhi? Yes, Senior Sister, I remember her.”“What about the methods the State Governor used in the fight?”
Yan Tianzhi blinked and answered bluntly, “Forgot.”
“Old Meng, what about you? Is your mind still sharp?” Lu Yang asked, moving on to Meng Jingzhou.
“Don’t be ridiculous. My mind’s always sharp. The State Governor used the national fortune to form the Supreme Sword Projection and fought the ancient Unity cultivators. Then Eldest Senior Sister suppressed the ancient Tribulation Crossing Stage.”
Lu Yang began to ponder. The ordinary cultivators had forgotten about the national fortune and Eldest Senior Sister, while Lan Ting, Yan Tianzhi, and Bai Ming had only forgotten the national fortune. Only he and Meng Jingzhou remembered the entire battle.
“The key seems to be the national fortune. The national fortune erased everyone’s memories. Since Meng Jingzhou is from the Meng family, which once vied with the royal family for control of the empire and intermarried with the royal bloodline multiple times, it’s likely that his royal blood lets him remember the national fortune.”
“But why did Eldest Senior Sister leave some people’s memories intact? Did she not erase ours because she didn’t want to draw attention, and yet, she kept the memories of us five intact?” Lu Yang thought he had found the answer and sought confirmation from Everlasting Fairy.
“You’re close enough. The national fortune did erase everyone’s memories. However, it’s not that Little Yun deliberately left your memories intact—it’s that she intentionally preserved them. Do you understand the difference?” Everlasting Fairy asked.
Lu Yang lowered his head in thought, then suddenly realized with a shock, “Eldest Senior Sister and the national fortune’s memory-erasing effect happens automatically!”
“Exactly. It’s a trait of Immortals. Their actions naturally cause mortals to forget their abilities unless they specifically want people to remember.”
“Both the national fortune and Little Yun’s actions fall under the category of ‘Immortal abilities.’”
“The State Governor oversees this place, so he won’t forget the national fortune. That Xia Qun guy, with his royal blood, won’t forget either, and the same goes for the Meng kid.”
Lu Yang suddenly thought of another question. “Wait, you mentioned ‘Immortal abilities.’ Does the ariya-phala count as one of those?”
Everlasting Fairy was quite pleased with how quickly Lu Yang was connecting the dots. “You catch on fast! Yes, ariya-phala is one of the most essential traits of an Immortal, so it’s certainly considered an Immortal ability.”
“For example, Ying Tian Immortal’s ariya-phala that causes tribulations and Immemorial Immortal’s Time-based ariya-phala are classic examples of Immortal abilities. Even though Immemorial Immortal practically named himself after his power, people still can’t remember that his abilities are tied to time.”
The mystery of Immortals stems from this very reason.
“Then why can I remember all of this?”
Everlasting Fairy puffed up with pride. “Isn’t it obvious? With me watching over you, how could you possibly forget?”
“You’re under my protection as the second-in-command of the Everlasting Lineage, and you know nothing of other Immortals? If word of that got out, people would laugh at my Everlasting Lineage!”
Lu Yang finally realized how valuable the knowledge he had was.
“Of course, not all Immortals possess the ability to make people forget their abilities automatically. I, for one, am an exception! Otherwise, there wouldn’t be the Undying Sect, right?” said the Everlasting Fairy, raising two slender fingers.
“Based on this trait, Immortals can be divided into two categories. One group consists of those who have the automatic memory-erasing ability for their techniques.”
“The other group is Immortals like me, who don’t possess such traits!”
“These are actually two different paths, two distinct choices.”
Lu Yang remained silent for a long time before slowly raising his hands in a respectful gesture, sincerely saying, “You truly are remarkable, Immortal Fairy!”
His serious attitude left the Everlasting Fairy a bit flustered. Her cheeks turned slightly red, and she didn’t know where to place her hands or feet.
She crossed her arms, tilting her head upward, her lips pouting. “I’ve told you all along how amazing I am, but you didn’t believe me,” she said. After speaking, she peeked at Lu Yang through a small slit in her eyes, trying to gauge his reaction.
Seeing that Lu Yang still maintained a serious expression, she grew even more flustered.
“I’m going to sleep now. Go, go, go! Don’t bother me while I’m resting!” Everlasting Fairy shooed Lu Yang out of his mental space.
…
Though the Calamity Sovereign seemed to have been fleeing for a long time, the entire process was actually quite brief. After waiting only a short while, Lu Yang and the others saw Eldest Senior Sister return to the Qingzhou Gathering, dragging the Calamity Sovereign’s soul behind her.
“Eldest Senior Sister, you’re back already?” Lu Yang was surprised. Didn’t she plan to follow the Calamity Sovereign to his lair? This was way too fast.
Yun Zhi: “…”
“There was a change in plans.”
Yun Zhi didn’t want to explain further. How could she explain that the Calamity Sovereign had the worst luck, running into four Unity cultivators, and even helping her reduce the sentences of both her master and the Minister of Justice along the way?
” Senior… Senior Sister Yun Zhi,” Lan Ting greeted timidly, too nervous to meet Yun Zhi’s gaze directly.
Yun Zhi’s display of power in the sky had been truly intimidating. Anyone who had witnessed it would naturally feel a sense of fear.
Yun Zhi glanced at Lan Ting and nodded slightly. “I remember you. Your master brought you to propose to Lu Yang, but after I agreed, your master changed his mind and ran off with you.”
Lan Ting stood silent for a long time, struggling to connect Yun Zhi’s words to her past experience.
“Senior Sister Yun Zh.”
“Senior Sister.”
Both Bai Ming and Yan Tianzhi nervously greeted her, far more tense than when facing their own sect’s ancestors.
“The State Governor has informed me that the Qingzhou Gathering is over for this year. You’re free to make your own travel arrangements,” Yun Zhi said, kindly reminding them.
She tugged at the chain in her hand. “I still need to interrogate this person, so I’ll be heading back to the sect.”
Just as Yun Zhi was about to leave, she glanced at Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, suddenly remembering something. She turned to ask Lan Ting.
“By the way, how did my junior brother and Meng Jingzhou perform as judges in the Qingzhou Gathering? Did they provide accurate feedback on the competitors’ strengths and weaknesses?”
Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were both taken aback, cold sweat breaking out. It turned out Eldest Senior Sister had sent them to be judges, not participants!
Lan Ting thought for a moment and smiled sweetly. “Senior Brother Lu Yang and Senior Brother Meng Jingzhou are true role models for our younger generation. They are exceptionally talented and experienced in battle. Their feedback was sharp and insightful, hitting the mark with every word. All the competitors were thoroughly convinced and said they’d train hard after returning home.”
Eldest Senior Sister nodded approvingly. “That’s good to hear. I was worried they might have participated in the competition themselves. Glad to know they didn’t.”
Hearing Yun Zhi’s comment, Everlasting Fairy suddenly wasn’t sleepy anymore. She sprang up from her bed, eager to expose Lu Yang, but Lu Yang quickly covered her mouth, silencing her.