Chapter 481: Chapter 452: The Benefits Brought by the Severance of the Immortal Path

"A severed finger!"

Gu Qingyang’s expression changed slightly.

The eerie aura contained on the severed finger before him was the source of everything.

He had always thought that, as Demon Venerable Xuan Yin said, it was a fallen immortal sleeping here.

But now it seemed he was mistaken.

It was not a fallen immortal sleeping here, but rather a severed finger.

"This severed finger should belong to an immortal!"

Gu Qingyang said slowly.

Although it was a severed finger before him, it had existed for countless ages, and the power contained within it was astonishing to him.

Even his Dharma Body, which now rivaled a Quasi-Immortal, felt an illusion of being unable to resist it.

Just one severed finger was already so powerful.

It’s hard to imagine.

How terrifying the owner of this severed finger was when alive.

Demon Venerable Xuan Yin’s gaze also fell on the severed finger, his voice full of solemnity: "If I’m not mistaken, this severed finger comes from at least a thirteenth-level Emperor, or even a fourteenth-level Venerable realm strong individual.

Back when the starry sky below and the Upper Realm waged war, countless strong individuals fell, and this severed finger should be a product of that period.

To have withstood the erosion of countless ages and still possess such might, its true strength is beyond imagination."

Thirteenth-level Emperor!

Fourteenth-level Venerable!

Gu Qingyang’s eyes flickered.

This indicated that the strong individual who left the severed finger was a top-level strong individual who focused on Body Refining.

"Ninth-level Great Emperor, tenth-level Longevity Immortal, throughout the ages in the Immortal Extinction State, strong individuals have aimed to surpass the tenth-level Longevity and attain Ascension to Immortality.

No one would have thought that at the depths of this Spiritual Forbidden Area lay the remains of a strong individual at an even higher level than a Longevity Immortal!"

Gu Qingyang had never truly encountered the strength of thirteenth and fourteenth-level strong individuals, but he had indeed fought against Demon Venerable Xuan Yin at the twelfth-level.

Even with his current strength on par with Immortals, he was still inferior before a twelfth-level True Immortal.

Moreover.

The existence of the Emperor and Venerable realm could rival the thirteenth-level Golden Immortal and the fourteenth-level Taiyi Golden Immortal of the Immortal Dao.

With their full strength.

Would only be more terrifying.

Thinking of this.

Gu Qingyang looked at Demon Venerable Xuan Yin beside him and couldn’t help but shake his head: "A severed finger suspected to belong to a thirteenth-level strong individual can retain such power after endless ages.

Why are you, as a twelfth-level True Immortal, and not a mere remnant, this weak now?"

This sentence caused Demon Venerable Xuan Yin’s expression to turn slightly red.

He wanted to say he wasn’t weak.

Having been sealed for so many years, simply returning with even ninth-level strength was already quite good.

But —

Upon seeing that piece of severed finger, Demon Venerable Xuan Yin sighed again.

"Lord Divine Emperor, you might not be aware, but True Martial had no martial ethics. Not only did he seal me in that tower, but he also used sealing power to extract my strength every day to maintain the tower’s seal.

Compared to my peak state, my current strength is naturally far behind.

Without that Ancient Tower extracting power, even if sealed for countless ages, my strength would never be far from this severed finger!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyang’s expression was suddenly enlightened.

So that was the reason.

When seeing the severed finger, he was puzzled why Demon Venerable Xuan Yin, also a strong individual from the Upper Realm, differed so much.

Even if the strong individual who left the severed finger was on a far higher level than Demon Venerable Xuan Yin, the severed finger alone should not be comparable to a complete True Immortal.

Now, Demon Venerable Xuan Yin’s explanation solved Gu Qingyang’s confusion.

His weak state was due to the True Martial Emperor.

Subsequently.

Gu Qingyang’s gaze returned to the severed finger.

Just one severed finger was enough to form an ancient Spiritual Forbidden Area, becoming a long-standing threat to the Immortal Extinction State. If the living Emperor or even Venerable visited, just a thought might destroy the Immortal Extinction State.

More importantly.

The Spiritual Forbidden Area in the Ancient Wilderness before them harbors remnants of an immortal, meaning other ancient Spiritual Forbidden Areas in the Immortal Extinction State likely also contain similar immortal remnants or even true Fallen Immortals.

It should be noted.

Numerous Spiritual Forbidden Areas have appeared throughout the Immortal Extinction Realm’s history.

Many Spiritual Forbidden Areas, though powerful, have been vanquished by Great Emperors over the ages, or didn’t even require a Great Emperor to vanquish them.

Just like how when a new Spiritual Forbidden Area appeared in the Ancient Wilderness in the past, it was directly eliminated.

This shows.

Typical Spiritual Forbidden Areas can be directly eliminated.

However, those like this, which cannot be eliminated, surely contain some irresistible factors.

Just like the immortal remnants before us.

The remains of strong individuals from the Upper Realm that fell here, through the passage of time, eventually gave rise to demonic thoughts, transforming the immortal remnants into Fallen Immortal remnants, thus corrupting the land.

"In that war long ago, countless strong individuals fell. According to your statement, if immortals fall, there’s a possibility for their remnants to become Fallen Immortals.

Then the starry sky should have long erupted into a Fallen Immortal catastrophe, but as of now, I haven’t heard of any Fallen Immortal catastrophe appearing,"

Gu Qingyang asked in a deep voice.

Since that war long ago could sever the Path to Immortality, it’s clear that countless strong individuals fell.

Even if the chance of a Fallen Immortal appearing is low, with so many strong individuals having fallen, a powerful Fallen Immortal would surely emerge.

However, with Cyan Yang Divine Court’s intelligence network extensively spread throughout the starry sky, and many of its cultivators venturing into various worlds, none have heard of a Fallen Immortal catastrophe.

Gu Qingyang was naturally puzzled by this.

Demon Venerable Xuan Yin said, "A Fallen Immortal is still an immortal, and as such requires Immortal Qi as a power source. The Path to Immortality in the lower realm is severed, and Immortal Qi has dissipated; even if an immortal’s remnants transform into a Fallen Immortal, there’s no corresponding power source to support it.

In my opinion, there should be many sleeping Fallen Immortals in the starry sky, but without immortal power as support, they can’t awaken from their slumber.

Should the Path to Immortality in the lower realm be restored one day, I’m afraid a calamity from the Fallen Immortals will be unleashed!"

"In that case, the severing of the Path to Immortality has indeed brought many benefits to the lower realm!"

Gu Qingyang’s expression was somewhat amused.

The severing of the Path to Immortality.

Though it cut off the lower realm’s path forward, it also averted many risks for the lower realm.

However.

Everything has two sides.

For ordinary cultivators, the severing of the Path to Immortality has little impact, but for some top-level strong individuals, the severed path means severed hope.

After years of arduous cultivation, just as they’ve reached the brink of Ascension to Immortality, they find the Path to Immortality severed, making the despair within imaginable.

Shaking his head.

Gu Qingyang looked at the immortal remnants before him.

Since this thing was the source of the Spiritual Forbidden Area, he naturally couldn’t allow it to remain here.

Just as Gu Qingyang was about to take action, Demon Venerable Xuan Yin stopped him. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Lord Divine Emperor, please wait..."