Immortal of the Nine Realms

Lin Dong’s Immortal Boat, though not a Black Dragon, clearly belonged to the high-end tier among the auxiliary-class ships assigned to non-core cultivators.

During this period, Fang Chen had interacted frequently with Yu Tiange and others. Through their conversations, he had learned a great deal of useful information.

For example, within the Enlightenment God Palace, Immortal Boats were divided into two major series. One was the Earth Dragon series, with the Essence Long ship as the entry-level model. The other was the Heaven Dragon series, beginning with the Black Dragon as its base tier.

The distinction was simple. The former was for non-core personnel, and the latter was for core disciples only. And the former existed almost entirely to serve the latter.

Take Fang Chen’s ship, for instance. By right, it should have been a low-grade Heavenly Artifact, something even a Dao Union Realm or Tribulation Realm cultivator would struggle to refine. Yet, due to some unknown quirk, he had managed to refine it with relative ease and gain partial control over it.

He had never truly refined the Essence Long itself, and the key lay in its buried core, deep within the ship. There was an orb-like nucleus that did not respond to spiritual energy at all. It was rather unique.

Now, Fang Chen finally understood why it was so unusual. Whether it was his Essence Long or the Battle Dragon used by the Mysterious King Expedition Team, all of these ships ultimately served the Black Dragon.

They were fragments of it, substructures of the greater whole. Only in the absence of a Black Dragon would cultivators like Fang Chen be permitted to use them.

Fang Chen was secretly amazed as he stood before Lin Dong. He wondered, ”Master, what grade is your Immortal Boat?”

Lin Dong’s vessel was far superior to the Essence Long, and every member of his expedition team was at least a first-transformation Immortal.

”You came all this way just to ask that?” Lin Dong chuckled. ”This ship of mine is called the Soaring Dragon. It’s one tier above the Battle Dragon, the third rank of the Earth Dragon series. There are still two higher levels above it.”

Fang Chen nodded thoughtfully, his gaze drifting toward the distant formations of Immortal Boats traveling alongside them. ”Master, I’ve noticed something. Out here in Qingming, individual cultivation seems to have become almost irrelevant.”

”I know why you came, and that confusion is normal,” Lin Dong said with a smile. ”When I first saw the power of an Immortal Boat formation, I was just as stunned as you are now. Since we’re still on the way, I can tell you more about it. Though, truthfully, it’s not something you can make use of anytime soon.”

He gestured toward the distant Black Dragons. ”See those? Our Earth Dragon ships form around them as cores to create a full Immortal Boat Formation. In Qingming, the strength of a formation far surpasses that of any individual. For example, when core disciple Li requisitioned our Earth Dragons to form his battle formation, the resulting formation had power equivalent to a half-step Ancient Immortal.”

Fang Chen was shocked. ”Equal to a half-step Ancient Immortal? But there aren’t even that many fifth-transformation immortals in our ranks!”

”Indeed.” Lin Dong nodded. ”Ordinarily, even fifth or sixth transformation immortals joining hands might not stand before a half-step Ancient Immortal. But with the Immortal Boat Formation, once we, the auxiliary cultivators, join together, even third-transformation immortals like myself, and Tribulation Realm cultivators like you, can combine into a force equal to that level...”

He smiled faintly. ”And that... is merely the initial stage of the power of an Immortal Boat Formation. Now that several more core disciples have joined our ranks, the combined force of the formation will become even more terrifying.”

Lin Dong’s eyes glinted with restrained pride. ”At this very moment, even if our fleet were to face a true Ancient Immortal, we wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.”

”Then... if hundreds of core disciples worked together, wouldn’t that mean even a ninth-transformation immortal would—”

”You’re thinking far too simply,” Lin Dong interrupted with a chuckle. ”Formations of that scale can’t rely on sheer numbers to operate. There are more complicated principles involved. Even I don’t fully understand them.”

He sighed with emotion and shared, ”But I once witnessed four core disciples combining their formations. Those four were brothers, connected by blood and spirit since birth. Their synchronized formation easily slew a seventh-transformation Ancient Immortal... and still had power to spare. Do you know what their true cultivation was?”

He didn’t wait for Fang Chen to answer.

”The same as mine, third-transformation Immortals, all of them.”

”That,” Lin Dong said softly, ”is the heritage of our Enlightenment God Palace. It’s why so many yearn to join us, to become core disciples. Only core disciples can truly master the Arts of the Immortal Boat Formation.”

”Just the merging of formations alone can unleash such terrifying power? It’s hard to imagine,” Fang Chen murmured.

”It’s not as simple as formations,” Lin Dong explained. ”You haven’t seen a true Formation Immortal Art yet. In the entire palace, there are barely more than a dozen individuals capable of not only commanding Immortal Boat Formations but also wielding the art of formations.”

”Relying solely on formations, the battle formation is already powerful, but compared to the true art of formations, it’s still far inferior.”

He continued, ”Only when one achieves complete unity with the Formation Heart, reaching the state of Man and Heaven as one, can one truly become the formation. In that instant, you are the formation, and the formation is you.

“At that moment, you become something indescribable. Everything you’ve ever learned in your lifetime can be manifested, just like fighting normally, but with power far beyond your imagination.”

Fang Chen finally began to grasp what Lin Dong meant. Another doubt in his heart quietly unraveled.

”Master... so that’s why the Immortal Boat Formation is only activated when the core disciples need to requisition us? Because the power it unleashes is simply too dangerous?”

Lin Dong nodded. ”Precisely. It’s a mechanism of balance. Some core disciples are only first-transformation Immortals, easily swayed by emotion. If they could command such devastating power at will, it would endanger the entire Upper Three Realms.

”Only during exceptional circumstances, like an Ancient Forbidden Zone War, does the Enlightenment God Palace permit them to requisition us. Under normal conditions, they wouldn’t dare. Doing so would invite punishment from the Elders.

”The other great powers follow the same principle. The Immortal Boat Formations weren’t created for infighting, they were made to face... possible external enemies.”

Fang Chen’s eyes flickered with curiosity. ”Possible external enemies? You mean Taiyi Immortal Sect, or the Ten Thousand Star Palace?”

”No.” Lin Dong’s gaze turned distant. ”You’ve seen how vast Qingming is. Can you really believe the Nine Mortal Realms are the only civilization within it? Perhaps somewhere out there, in the endless void, something watches us, waiting, hungering to devour the Nine Mortal Realms.”

”The formations... were created to face them,” said Lin Dong solemnly.

His eyes grew deep as he stared into the void. After a long moment, he smiled faintly and looked back.

”Of course, that’s just speculation. It’s not for people like us to worry about. For now, just focus on yourself. Aim to become an immortal first.”

Fang Chen nodded quietly. He would seize the chance to obtain a Formation Heart, to master the power of the Immortal Boat Formation, and if possible, build a fleet of his own in the future!