Chapter 604 - 374: The Heavenly Jade Emperor, Discussing True Immortals at the Peak of Cangming

An interested expression appeared on Yi Beidou's face.

Why is an Earth Immortal called an Earth Immortal?

It was a question most people would easily overlook, yet it concealed a tremendous secret.

"I once spent a great deal of time carefully researching this very question. Generally, when a Root Source who has mastered Immortal Power tries to fly using only their Immortal Power and Divine Powers, they find it difficult to maintain them once they exceed an altitude of thirty-three thousand meters. The Earth Immortal Flesh and Blood within their bodies will also begin to show a certain degree of unrest."

"This is the origin of the legends about the Thirty-Three Heavens. At first, I didn't pay it much mind. I simply thought it was a limitation that applied to beings like us, the so-called Fake Immortals. But later, as the ages progressed and research into the universe and the cosmos advanced, the geocentric model was shattered. It was only then that I truly understood how small both Earth and I were. It was also then that I began to ponder the problem of the thirty-three-thousand-meter limit."

"Later, I secretly conducted an experiment. I had a rocket built by mortals send me into outer space, and that's when I made an astonishing discovery."

"In outer space, at the threshold of zero gravity, the Earth Immortal Flesh and Blood fused within my body actually began to rapidly 'depower.' It quickly entered a dormant state, reverting to a jade-like substance. I nearly died that time. Fortunately, I reacted quickly enough to smash through the rocket and leap back down from space."

"The amazing thing was, as I got closer and closer to the planet's surface, the dormant Earth Immortal Flesh and Blood rapidly regained its activity. The moment my altitude dropped below thirty-three thousand meters, the activity and power of the Earth Immortal Flesh and Blood were completely restored."

"Therefore, I reached a conclusion: Earth Immortals cannot leave Earth. It is precisely because they cannot stray far from the ground that they are called 'Earth Immortals.' That name was most certainly not chosen at random."

"They are fundamentally bound to the earth!"

The Jade Emperor spoke in a low voice, revealing a world-shaking secret.

Earth Immortals might be unable to leave Earth. Once they enter outer space, their Earth Immortal Flesh and Blood rapidly depowers!

Yi Beidou's expression shifted slightly as he made a few connections.

A lifeform like an Earth Immortal was nearly perfect. They possessed an almost infinite lifespan and could replenish their Physical Ability endlessly without needing food. In a way, their very existence transcended the planetary scale, qualifying them for interstellar travel.

And yet, they didn't seem to do so. At least, there was very little mention of it in any existing records.

But when viewed in light of the Jade Emperor's research, many things started to make sense. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

It wasn't that they were unwilling to travel through space or conduct related research—it was that they were fundamentally incapable of it.

Earth Immortals were shackled to Earth!

It was a fatal flaw.

"I once used my perception to invade the instinctual memories within the flesh and blood of a Penglai Earth Immortal. I witnessed him and several other Earth Immortals discussing the nature of a True Immortal. This is very likely the reason for their discussion."

Yi Beidou said.

"Have you ever heard the term 'Immortal Acupoints'?"

The Jade Emperor asked.

"Not long ago, Hongfa Immortal Monarch mentioned it as he was dying. He wanted to trade that information for his life, but I refused his offer. Still, I can roughly guess what it means."

"The powerful essence of an Earth Immortal lies in their near-infinite energy. If we interpret Immortal Acupoints as their core power source, then it's quite easy to understand."

Yi Beidou said.

"That's right. You probably haven't witnessed a member of the Sealing God Lineage summoning a Celestial Monarch. When that happens, the Fruit Position inside their body completely transforms into a 'hole,' or perhaps a kind of 'conduit,' as if connecting to some endless, unknown world. A boundless, terrifying energy then surges forth from it, manifesting as Divine Powers that overwhelm everything in their path."

"We old-timers believe this 'hole' is the key to what makes an Earth Immortal. If one could open this conduit, they could become an Earth Immortal. That is why we call them 'Immortal Acupoints.'"

"Many of us old-timers believe the method to open these Immortal Acupoints is not found in the mortal world, but within the Earth Immortal Realm. They think that as long as they can find the Earth Immortal Realm, they'll have the chance to open their Immortal Acupoints and become true Earth Immortals."

"My own theory is similar. Furthermore, based on the results of my experiment in outer space, the ancient Earth Immortals must have relied on some kind of external object to open their Immortal Acupoints. If this object is truly related to the Earth Immortal Realm, then the Earth Immortal Realm and Earth itself must be intrinsically linked. That's the only way to explain why Earth Immortals depower after moving a certain distance away from the planet's surface."

"It's because their Immortal Acupoints rely on this external object. Once they get too far from that foundational object, the Immortal Acupoints close and become dormant, leading to the situation I described."

"If the Earth Immortal Realm were underground, no matter how deep, people like us would have found traces of it long ago. With our power and long lives, even if the passage connecting to it had collapsed, we would have reopened it by now."

"Therefore, there is only one other possibility for the Earth Immortal Realm's existence: it's not in normal space. Instead, it is like a Grotto Heaven. In fact, it's highly likely that the so-called Earth Immortal Realm is simply the largest 'Grotto Heaven' that Earth ever produced!"

The Jade Emperor stated his theory once again.

"A Grotto Heaven? That is certainly a possibility."

Yi Beidou nodded slightly, recalling a research report on Grotto Heavens he had received from Tao Zihong and the others during his recent seclusion.

They theorized that these so-called Grotto Heavens were actually special points of folded space, likely formed by terrifying meteorite impacts that occurred over the course of Earth's history.

The force of such an impact would have surpassed the combined yield of all of humanity's current nuclear weapons by tens of thousands of times.

In such an explosion and collision, it was highly probable that certain unique points of spatial turbulence would be created. Under the influence of some unknown coincidence, some of these points of turbulence would then form stable points of folded space.

In other words, a "Grotto Heaven."

If the impact energy were terrifying enough—for instance, an impact from the dawn of Earth's creation, powerful enough to shift the planet's magnetic field—it didn't seem impossible for it to form a vast Earth Immortal Realm.

"So, if my theory is correct, the formation of Earth Immortals also likely depended on some external object. In essence, they are not so different from us. They are all merely Fake Immortals."

"In ancient times, perhaps a problem arose within the Earth Immortal Realm, or perhaps a schism occurred among the Earth Immortals themselves, leading to a devastating catastrophe. This resulted in the 'Severed Communication,' and the connection between the Earth Immortal Realm and normal space was cut."

"Driven by some purpose, the Earth Immortals erased past history and even created the Sealing God Lineage, entrusting them with a special mission. I have personally peered into the Ancestor Realm and faced the descent of a Celestial Monarch from the Sealing God Lineage. Therefore, I am quite certain that at least eighty percent of their power originates from the ancient Earth Immortals."

"The specific plans of these ancient Earth Immortals and the details of that lost history are unknown. However, one can make a bold conjecture: their ultimate goal in doing all this was likely to cultivate a 'True Immortal' in order to somehow break free from their own shackles!"

"This plan failed in their era. Thus, they completely erased all traces of that time, including their own existence. They intended to wait, throughout their nearly endless lifespans, for a new civilization and a new age to emerge on Earth—one that could finally find the path to becoming a True Immortal."

The Jade Emperor had watched over the mortal world for six thousand years. He knew many secrets and had conducted countless experiments. His understanding of and conjectures about that ancient era far surpassed those of ordinary people.

Even though that era left behind no historical records, he could still deduce a portion of the truth from the faintest of clues.

In reality, given the age and power of the Root Sources, they operated on an extremely high level. Each of them had, to some extent, their own theories about that lost period of history.

"The Ancient Ones either reincarnate or lie in slumber, waiting for the Earth Immortal Realm to reappear so they can become Earth Immortals. Meanwhile, the ancient Earth Immortals themselves yearn for the emergence of a True Immortal to achieve their own unknown goals."

"If that's truly the case, then their paths are ultimately trivial."

Yi Beidou stated calmly.

"In your mind, then, what is the great path? What is a True Immortal?"

The Jade Emperor inquired.

"There is no such thing as a True Immortal. There are only those who are more powerful than others. Only those who see becoming a True Immortal as their ultimate goal would call themselves Immortals, merely to set themselves apart from everyone else."

"My goal, however, is infinity."

Yi Beidou replied.