Chapter 476: Chapter 335: Immortal Transformation Pond

The Peach Tree once again presented the cruelest aspect of this world in front of Lin Fang.

Once a beautiful myth, it now turned ghastly before his eyes.

"It truly is a cruel form of immortality," Lin Fang sighed.

Spirit Roots seized the vitality of all living beings to bear the fruit of longevity, prolonging the lifespans of these immortals, allowing them to continue enjoying their lives, while the Jade Emperor also controlled the multitude of gods in the Heavenly Court through this means.

Lin Fang looked up, seeing countless lush Peach Trees that seemed beautiful, but this lovely scene had become the cruelest hell in his eyes.

An impulse suddenly arose in his heart to overturn the Peach Garden, but in the end, he restrained himself.

Impatience disrupts grand strategy; there would still be a chance here for him in the future; for now, the most important task was to rescue the mysterious Mr. Mo.

With that thought, he flashed back into the Demon Realm, looking at the Peaches laid out before him, his appetite vanished entirely.

However, he did not speak of these matters. After all, the Peaches had already grown; it would be too wasteful not to make use of them, but he certainly wouldn’t eat them, feeling disgusted.

Thus, the tiny butterfly once again flew out of the Peach Garden, continuing towards the Immortal Transformation Pond.

In the Immortal Transformation Pond grew Golden Lotuses, radiating golden light, making the white jade pond even more dazzling.

A tiny butterfly landed on a Golden Lotus, all seeming so ordinary.

Today, it was Master Zhang who was guarding the Immortal Transformation Pond. He gently opened his eyes and smirked upon seeing the butterfly on the Golden Lotus.

This butterfly seemed rather charming, he thought to himself.

"Fellow Taoist, you really have a good taste for elegance!" a clear voice rang out.

An old Daoist in a black Daoist Robe, holding a silver horsetail whisk, was slowly walking over, an air of carefree detachment about him, with a clear gaze and a fluttering beard, clearly a man of Daoist practice.

"Oh you, Elder Daoist Ge, you’re a bit late for your shift today and still find leisure to laugh at me," Master Zhang said with a smile.

The Immortal Transformation Pond was a critical site in the Heavenly Court; thus, four Heavenly Masters took turns guarding it, fearing someone might deliberately cause damage.

Today was the day of shift change.

"Haha, the Daoist way is natural, how do you not know my tardiness is fate," Celestial Master Ge chuckled.

"The workings of heaven are steadfast, it favors not the virtuous Yao, nor does it bring ruin to the despotic Jie. You’re just sophistry," Master Zhang pointed out his fault.

Celestial Master Ge didn’t mind and continued to laugh heartily, "Truly unworthy compared to Brother Zhang."

Seeing Celestial Master Ge concede, Master Zhang also laughed heartily, then redirected his gaze from the butterfly on the Golden Lotus and stood up, ready to leave.

Celestial Master Ge took his place and suddenly let out a sigh.

"Brother Dao, why do you sigh?" queried Master Zhang in confusion.

Celestial Master Ge pointed toward the Immortal Transformation Pond and said, "I lament the souls within this pond; they erode away, desires cloud their beings, and in the future, it will be difficult for them to find transcendence. Should this go on, their natures will drastically change, and their souls, incapable of enduring, can only become puppets."

Celestial Master Zhang’s expression subtly changed upon hearing these words. He spoke with some gravity, "Brother Dao, this Immortal Transformation Pond is a critical location in the Heavenly Court, and it is vital to the Heavenly Court’s ability to stand steadfast in the Three Realms. We must not allow a moment of compassion to ruin the grand affairs of the Heavenly Court."

He knew his Brother Dao to be charitable by nature, always upholding a merciful heart, and feared that he might do something detrimental to the Heavenly Court because of his sympathy.

Celestial Master Ge looked at him deeply, then whispered, "Rest assured, Brother Dao, I can discern the difference."

Seeing that his words did not seem deceitful, Celestial Master Zhang finally relaxed, and after pondering for a long while, said, "Those who enter the Immortal Transformation Pond seek the path to eternal life. You and I are both practitioners of cultivation, and even at our level, we dare not claim to be immortal, yet these people are able to achieve it so easily. Such are the ways of the world, every drink and morsel is predestined."

Having said this, he slowly left the Immortal Transformation Pond.

Celestial Master Ge watched his departing figure and murmured with his head lowered, "Can the great affairs of the Heavenly Court truly outweigh the path of righteousness?"

Moreover, the words from Celestial Master Zhang’s mouth were not entirely true; indeed, many individuals in the Immortal Transformation Pond had entered voluntarily in their pursuit of eternal life.

However, many were unaware of the drawbacks of entering the Immortal Transformation Pond, and a portion of them had entered under coercion from the Heavenly Court.

Initially, in order to better suppress dissenting voices, the Heavenly Court had forced numerous people into the Immortal Transformation Pond. Although this had always been suppressed and kept from discussion, the memory of it remained vivid for many immortals.

Celestial Master Zhang did not speak of these matters not because he was unaware, but because as a staunch supporter of the Jade Emperor within the Heavenly Court, he would not make the mistake of digging his own grave. Even with knowledge of the wrongs, he continued to conceal them.

Celestial Master Ge, thinking of this, shook his head slightly and muttered to himself, "Brother Zhang’s heart is becoming increasingly pragmatic."

Compared to the other three Celestial Masters, Celestial Master Zhang seemed to care a little more about power.

Furthermore, with progeny in the Mortal World, he would approach some matters with less impartiality; all these things were not lost on Celestial Master Ge, though he ordinarily did not speak of them.

Rather than serve in the Heavenly Court, he would prefer to build a hut in the mountains, devoted solely to seeking the Dao; hence, the Heavenly Court was a shackle to him, not a support.

Celestial Master Zhang, on the other hand, needed the prestige of the Heavenly Court to look after his progeny in the Mortal World, and enjoyed the novel sensation that such power brought.

Moreover, the Zhang Family was too deeply entangled with the Jade Emperor—bound by karma and unable to separate—hence Celestial Master Zhang had no choice but to stay.

For some reason, Celestial Master Ge felt an increasing repugnance for the Heavenly Court, and if an opportunity arose, he reckoned he would leave without hesitation.

Engrossed in these thoughts, Celestial Master Ge did not notice someone was using an ordinary-looking butterfly to witness all the secrets of the Immortal Transformation Pond.

Lin Fang, through the eyes of the Illusory Butterfly, clearly saw every corner of the Immortal Transformation Pond.

He had learned the Art of Artifact Refining from the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord and had also received gifts from the Tushita Palace. Consequently, his Path of Artifact Refining had advanced by leaps and bounds, nearly allowing him to be called a top Artifact Refining master of the Three Realms.

Still, he was astonished by the Immortal Transformation Pond. He could distinctly feel that the core part of the pond bore the obvious handiwork of the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord.

However, the surrounding runes and restrictions seemed to be added by others, with a clear difference in skill.

Yet these intricate runes and formations were so ingeniously integrated with the surrounding restrictions that they ultimately stimulated the core to produce the effect of the Immortal Transformation Pond.

Such means were indeed grand, and only a major power like the Heavenly Court would have such depth and capability.