Only then did Jiang Wang finally grasp the true meaning behind the Wan Xian Palace’s claim: “One person is Ten Thousand Immortals.”

When one cultivates every part of their being – liver, gallbladder, spleen, lungs, kidneys, hair, blood, bones, indeed, the entirety of their physical form – into “Immortals,” then each and every component of the body becomes an “Immortal.” To declare that one person is Ten Thousand Immortals is, in fact, no exaggeration.

The Five Immortals Gate, with their concept of five immortals rooted in form, sound, hearing, taste, and touch, had once struck Jiang Wang as remarkably unique. Yet, in retrospect, it now seemed merely a derivation of this profound cultivation principle.

The opening passage of text, occupying a sixth of the entire scroll’s surface, was significant. Beyond the words, the core of this picture was a single figure.

A person, bald and naked, devoid of distinguishing female characteristics on the upper body and male characteristics below. Their gender was utterly ambiguous, blurred into an indistinct form.

This figure was depicted with astonishing detail, every hair, every nuance meticulously rendered. Skin, flesh, and every physical element were strikingly clear.

With eyes, a nose, and a mouth that were remarkably ordinary, save for the gender ambiguity, this was a person no more, no less, than any other.

They resembled both a man and a woman.

Yet, despite the clarity of the depiction, the moment one closed their eyes, the image of this person’s face would vanish from memory.

Because they were too “normal.”

Like anyone one might encounter in the course of their life.

They could stand in for anyone, and anyone could stand in for them.

The “Ten Thousand Immortals” cultivated by the Wan Xian Palace were precisely such an image.

Surrounding this central figure, extending outwards in countless fine threads, were innumerable small circles of light.

Focusing intensely, and reaching out with one’s divine soul power, one would discover within each light circle the vague outlines of immortal figures. And each and every one of them… faced this gender-blurred person in reverence, in worship.

Ten Thousand Immortals Paying Court!

The sheer magnitude of it was overwhelming.

Jiang Wang sighed inwardly, a continuous stream of emotion.

This scene of Ten Thousand Immortals Paying Court, captured within the picture scroll, was already so heart-stirring. But if it could become a reality… what terrifying power would that entail?

Every part of one’s body, transformed into an Immortal. And these “Ten Thousand Immortals,” belonging solely to you, all contributing their power to your will.

Jiang Wang was absolutely certain that the “Ten Thousand Immortals Paying Court” scroll in his hand was a replica. Due to the limitations of the replicator’s skill, much of the imagery, and even the very essence of the words, could not be accurately conveyed.

Firstly, the opening texts, akin to Daoist scriptures. It was only under the illumination of his divine ability light and through the vastly superior divine soul power he possessed compared to cultivators of the same realm, that Jiang Wang could barely sense their meaning. Even then, he could not definitively confirm that his understanding encompassed the entire true intent.

That replicator clearly lacked the ability to truly write such texts; they had merely copied the strokes, utterly missing the most crucial element of Daoist texts: their true intent.

True Daoist texts were such that regardless of whether one recognized the characters, whether they were wise or foolish, upon seeing the script, its meaning would be instantly clear.

The opening texts were acceptable enough. In Jiang Wang’s view, their greatest value lay in expanding the boundaries of one’s imagination, allowing a glimpse into the magnificent cultivation landscape of Ten Thousand Immortals Paying Court.

The essence of this volume should be that concept of “Ten Thousand Immortals.”

If Jiang Wang’s conjecture was correct, each immortal shadow depicted on the scroll represented a method of cultivation—a way to cultivate a specific part of the body into an “immortal.”

However, no matter how Jiang Wang probed, those immortal shadows offered only faint traces of essence, providing no genuine feedback.

The divine charm was only relatively strong in the immortal shadows corresponding to the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.

It was likely that the initial replicator had only cultivated the secret techniques related to these four parts. From this perspective, that replicator was perhaps a successor of the Wan Xian Palace. One could imagine that, during the destruction of the Wan Xian Palace, that person hastily replicated the sect’s inherited treasures before fleeing. There were likely not just one replicator, and not just one copy of the pictures. Over a long period, one of these copies had fallen into Jiang Wang’s hands.

These were plausible imaginings. What was truly difficult to conceive was who could have destroyed the Wan Xian Palace, an entity capable of creating the cultivation marvel of Ten Thousand Immortals Paying Court!

Jiang Wang subconsciously thought of the two blood characters carved into the prisoner chain, the words that had worn away: Dao Thief!

Dismissing these scattered thoughts, he returned to the scroll itself. The divine charm of those four immortal shadows was indeed relatively strong, but it was still impossible to precisely grasp the information that the replicator had intended to leave behind all those years ago.

Perhaps the replicator’s cultivation was far from proficient, incapable of achieving a true re-creation of the inheritance, or perhaps, over time, it had gradually dissipated…

In any case, while experiencing these four immortal shadows offered fragments of inspiration, it failed to provide specific cultivation methods.

It was no wonder the Five Immortals Gate had inherited this picture for so long yet had only managed to devise a somewhat disjointed set of Five Immortals Gate Dao techniques.

The so-called “touch” among the five immortals of form, sound, hearing, taste, and touch was likely fabricated by the ancestors of the Five Immortals Gate, both to align with the five senses system and to distance themselves from the Wan Xian Palace, thus avoiding disaster.

Jiang Wang held this volume of the “Ten Thousand Immortals Paying Court” picture, momentarily speechless.

Was it a treasure? Undoubtedly. Merely for the expansion of one’s cultivation perspective it offered, calling it priceless was not an exaggeration.

The four immortal shadows with strong divine charm were also exceptionally valuable. If one could thoroughly comprehend them, perhaps they could re-create those four cultivation methods. But the problem lay in how to achieve such thorough comprehension. When could it be done?

The inspirations were too fragmented. The Five Immortals Gate had inherited this for so many years, passed down through generations, yet they still hadn’t understood it!

While Jiang Wang held great confidence in himself, he did not believe he could surpass the efforts of several generations of cultivators on his own.

To put it bluntly, this volume of the “Ten Thousand Immortals Paying Court” picture in his hand merely served to broaden his horizons! It contained no truly usable cultivation methods. Any potential methods were like a drawing of a cake, hanging in some unknown, distant place. One could see it, but not obtain it.

And it was still a replica!

To confront the Hell No Door for such a volume of the “Ten Thousand Immortals Paying Court” picture was definitely not worth it.

But Jiang Wang had no intention of regretting his decision.

Firstly, if handled well, a confrontation with the Hell No Door might be avoided. Secondly, not everything in this world could be measured by worth.

On the Tianya Platform, the Five Immortals Gate sect master and elders had stepped forward to support him. He simply remembered this kindness.

His promise of protection with Chong Xuan Sheng at that time, while referring to protecting the Five Immortals Gate under the pressure of the Fishing Sea Tower, was unrelated to the Five Immortals Gate’s other grudges.

But the Five Immortals Gate’s descent into destruction was already a reality.

Jiang Wang lightly sighed, slowly rolling up the picture scroll.

Fan Qingqing, who had been observing his words and expressions by his side for a long time, suddenly asked, “Master, can you understand this picture scroll?”

Like everyone in the inner mansion, she had been unable to remove her divine ability, and her divine soul power was also very ordinary. Looking at this volume of the picture had always left her in a state of confusion. Though in a treasure mountain, she could not grasp its true nature.

“The ‘Ten Thousand Immortals Paying Court’ picture.”

Jiang Wang said casually, “Although it is a replica, it is still extremely valuable.”

Fan Qingqing once again felt a deep sense of awe, simply looking up at him as one would a towering mountain.

Indeed, he was worthy of being a great nation’s prodigy! Her own Five Immortals Gate, after several generations of relay research, had only speculated that this volume might not be the original, and even then, they could not confirm it.

Now, Jiang Wang had confirmed it after only a few glances!

How broad was the knowledge of these top-tier prodigies?

With a heart full of reverence, Fan Qingqing took out a beautiful jade slip from her storage box and handed it to Jiang Wang. “These are some of our ancestors’ insights and realizations. Successive sect masters and elders have all summarized them. Perhaps they can offer you some inspiration.”

For a seasoned inner mansion cultivator like her, tempered by wind and frost, it was almost impossible to completely trust someone without reservation. Perhaps there had been one or two such people, but they had vanished along with the Five Immortals Gate.

If Jiang Wang had not understood the “Ten Thousand Immortals Paying Court” picture, then these so-called insights and realizations might never have been revealed.

Her sincerity was gradually revealed through the value Jiang Wang demonstrated.

Jiang Wang did not feel offended; he fully understood this caution. Fan Qingqing was now a lone bird in the harsh winter; without caution, she could not survive for long.

He took the jade slip, saying sincerely, “Thank you!”