I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

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Chapter 339: Harvest and Agreement

A few days later.

In the Qi Kingdom of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance, within an underground cave a thousand li away from the "Forbidden Abyss."

Lan Chang'an sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, his consciousness immersed in the fifth frame imprint of the Nine Seal Stele.

The fifth imprint of the Nine Seal Stele had now been illuminated by one-fifth.

The area illuminated this time was also one-tenth, identical to the previous instance, which somewhat surprised him.

After all, Heavenly Net Ancestor had undergone three attempts at Nascent Soul possession, which had caused him to lose a portion of the foundational essence of his Nascent Soul spirit body.

Not long ago, in order to evade Blood Bat King’s tracking and pursuit, he had performed a Nascent Soul forbidden technique, which resulted in an overall depletion of his Nascent Soul spirit body by one-tenth.

In terms of the integrity of his Nascent Soul, he was inferior to True Monarch Shazhai back then.

From this, Lan Chang'an deduced that the progress of illumination was tied to cultivation realms rather than the strength of one’s Nascent Soul spirit.

Besides realm, it might also involve traits related to reincarnation.

Regardless of whether they were in the early, middle, or late stages of the Nascent Soul Realm, cultivators shared the same lifespan and fundamental life essence, despite vast differences in magical abilities.

Perhaps, even if he devoured a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, the illumination progress would still only be one-tenth.

After a long while.

Lan Chang'an opened his eyes, sorting out some useful information from Heavenly Net Ancestor’s chaotic sea of memories.

Heavenly Net Ancestor did not excel in a wide range of immortal cultivation arts, but he had lived long enough to master a few third-rank skills, though overall, he was slightly inferior to Master Lihuo.

Without the ability to convert him into a past life, even if Heavenly Net Ancestor had fourth-rank techniques, they would be of little use to Lan Chang'an—he simply didn’t have the time or energy to learn them.

In terms of combat ability, Heavenly Net Ancestor was fairly mediocre among Nascent Soul cultivators of the same rank. However, he specialized in some unorthodox techniques, making him relatively adept at self-preservation.

His greatest strength lay in the Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Method, which had anti-aging effects and could even restore youth, while also enhancing cultivation and accelerating the recovery of vital essence.

Because of this, Heavenly Net Ancestor had abundant energy, countless offspring, and had developed Heavenly Net Sect into a family-style sect.

During battles, he frequently consumed vital blood, but his recovery rate afterward was fairly quick.

However, in the cultivation world, female cultivators at or above the Core Formation Late Stage were extremely rare, let alone female Nascent Soul True Monarchs, who almost always belonged to top-tier factions in the surrounding regions.

The Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Method that Heavenly Net Ancestor had mastered was called "Dragon Phoenix Dual Cauldron Technique", obtained from an ancient cave dwelling.

However, after reaching the Nascent Soul Realm, he encountered a bottleneck, and the technique provided minimal benefits to his cultivation.

Lan Chang'an mused:

"The Eastern Region of the Great Qing is resource-poor, and high-level female cultivators are too few. This limited Heavenly Net Ancestor’s growth along his chosen path."

"Otherwise, with his profound mastery of dual cultivation, if he were in a region with a more advanced cultivation civilization, the benefits would be far greater. He might even have had a chance to reach the mid stage of Nascent Soul."

"The ‘Dragon Phoenix Dual Cauldron Technique’… I’ll organize this secret technique’s memory later. Even if I don’t use it in this life, it might assist my cultivation in my next life."

Time was pressing, so Lan Chang'an prioritized sorting out the most crucial memories.

Especially the opportunity to advance to the Nascent Soul Realm.

His luck was good—he managed to extract key information regarding the Tianying Fruit.

Heavenly Net Sect did indeed secretly cultivate a Tianying Fruit, though it was still over a hundred years short of maturity.

The Tianying Fruit required fourth-rank a spiritual vein in its soil to grow stably.

However, when Heavenly Net Sect lost control of Chen Kingdom too quickly, their fourth-rank spiritual vein sect base was destroyed, delaying the growth of this crucial Nascent Soul-forming ingredient.

According to the extracted memories:

That Tianying Fruit was not in Heavenly Net Ancestor’s possession, nor was it brought to the Seven Kingdoms Alliance.

Instead, it was hidden at a secret location along the way, along with other precious resources.

This hidden treasure trove required the direct bloodline of Heavenly Net Ancestor and a special token key to unlock. Otherwise, a self-destruct restriction would be triggered.

The token key was held by the patriarch of the Xie Family, the only other late-stage Core Formation cultivator of the Xie bloodline.

The Xie Family Patriarch, while being pursued by the Blood Spirit Sect, was severely wounded but managed to escape separately from Sect Master Wei using a Nascent Soul life-saving trump card.

At the same time, Sect Master Wei and two other mid-stage True Dan descendants each carried a different Nascent Soul auxiliary herb, all fourth-rank spiritual herbs.

Lan Chang'an had to admit—Heavenly Net Ancestor was good at spreading out the risk.

...

"The Tianying Fruit isn't in the Seven Kingdoms Alliance. I'll still need to locate the Xie Family Patriarch and make another trip back."

"But the impending calamity is drawing closer… I fear there won’t be enough time to plot this out."

After analyzing the situation, Lan Chang'an sighed and shook his head regretfully.

In the human world, perfection was rare. There was always gain and loss—one couldn't have everything.

If he grew too greedy, the risks would be too great.

Lan Chang'an decided to give up on the Tianying Fruit and the other Nascent Soul materials.

His decision from back then remained unchanged.

If the Central Region Evergreen Practitioner dared to come after him—he would flee immediately.

Over the past year, he had already obtained Taiyin Jade Essence and Ziwu Clear Wind, both rare opportunities for an ordinary late-stage Core Formation cultivator.

Fortunately, Heavenly Net Ancestor’s spoils of war had brought Lan Chang'an some unexpected surprises.

Inside the spatial ring, there were several fourth-rank materials.

Besides herbs, there were several fourth-rank metal ores, which could be used to refine magical treasures or enhance and upgrade his quasi-fourth-rank puppet.

With these materials, his green-armored puppet was now just about ready to be fully upgraded into a true fourth-rank puppet.

These fourth-rank materials had saved Lan Chang'an at least sixty to a hundred years of effort.

Among the loot were also two Nascent Soul-level magical treasures—one top-grade and one superior-grade.

Heavenly Net Sect, as a Nascent Soul-level faction with several thousand years of heritage, had an ancestral magical treasure, the "Wind Cloud Fan", which had been passed down through generations and was deeply intertwined with their cultivation techniques.

However, Nascent Soul early-stage cultivators found top-grade magical treasures too draining to wield, making them unsuitable for prolonged or frequent use.

Such magical treasures were better suited for mid-to-late Nascent Soul cultivators.

It was said that in Heaven Honoured Continent, the top Nascent Soul Great Cultivators wielded pseudo-spiritual treasures, capable of effortlessly slaughtering ordinary Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

As for loot below the Nascent Soul level, they had little appeal to Lan Chang'an, who was already at the pinnacle of the Core Formation stage.

Even Crystal Condensation Pills, Core Formation spirit items, and breakthrough pills for Core Formation cultivators, while considered strategic resources, were of no real use to him.

Unless it was a third-rank Life Extension Pill or a third-rank longevity fruit.

Surprisingly, among Heavenly Net Ancestor’s loot, while there were no Life Extension Pills, there was a Longevity Fruit that had grown to the top of the third-rank!

As an old Nascent Soul monster, Heavenly Net Ancestor had long since consumed a third-rank Life Extension Pill and had been attempting to cultivate a fourth-rank Longevity Fruit.

If successfully refined into a fourth-rank Life Extension Pill, it could extend an ordinary cultivator's lifespan by at least sixty years.

Lan Chang'an carefully stored the third-rank Longevity Fruit, considering two possible future uses:

One, use the Evergreen secret spell to accelerate its growth, transforming it into a fourth-rank Longevity Fruit.

Two, refine it into a superior quality third-rank Life Extension Pill to get the refreshed drug resistance.

Inside the cave, Lan Chang'an finished sorting through the memories and treasures.

Without lingering for even a moment, he immediately set off for the Forbidden Abyss, a thousand li away.

The cave where he had sorted through Heavenly Net Ancestor’s memories was relatively close to the spatial node connected to Tinghai Pavilion.

If an unexpected danger were to suddenly descend upon him, Lan Chang'an could quickly escape from Great Qing through the spatial node.

…

The Forbidden Abyss was among the most infamous and perilous forbidden zones in the Seven Kingdoms Alliance.

At its heart lay a bottomless abyss, shrouded in strange mist. Within the depths lurked irrational beasts and malevolent spirits, along with occasional spatial disturbances.

The deeper one ventured, the thicker the strange mist became, making it easy to lose one’s sense of direction.

For human cultivators, this place was treacherous—spiritual sense and mana would be continuously suppressed.

Over the past tens of thousands of years, countless Core Formation cultivators had lost their way in the Forbidden Abyss, never to return.

Even Nascent Soul cultivators experienced severe suppression in its depths. Moreover, with no valuable spiritual treasures known to exist there, Nascent Soul True Monarchs were reluctant to explore too deeply into this unknown and dangerous land.

Two hours later.

A blue-robed youth had already entered the Forbidden Abyss, cautiously exploring and descending into the great chasm.

The entrance to the Forbidden Abyss spanned only a few hundred li, but the deeper one ventured, the vaster the space became.

The endless lead-gray mist gave off a sense of disorientation and fear, akin to floating helplessly in the abyss of space.

Fortunately, Lan Chang'an possessed True Monarch Shazhai’s memories, which included a mapped-out path.

True Monarch Shazhai had once studied ancient records left by his sect’s ancestors, but even with that knowledge, he had struggled to navigate the Forbidden Abyss and barely made it out alive.

Had it not been for the superior spiritual perception of Nascent Soul cultivators, the three of them might have been permanently lost back then.

Thankfully, the spatial node he sought was not located at the very bottom of the abyss.

Throughout his journey, Lan Chang'an noticed that his spiritual sense was heavily suppressed by the strange mist. Occasionally, he spotted a few scattered cultivators lingering on the outskirts.

They seemed to be fugitives escaping bounty hunters or cultivators hiding from the demonic war, using the Forbidden Abyss as a temporary refuge.

However, once he descended deeper, aside from the occasional ferocious beast or evil spirit, he encountered no other cultivators.

To avoid exposing the location of the spatial node, Lan Chang'an carefully evaded the beasts and spirits hidden within the mist.

If avoiding was impossible, he let his puppet clones and Earth Burrowing Rat take action to kill them with swift and decisive attacks, erasing all traces of battle.

Lan Chang'an did not use any mana at all.

Ever since he sensed the presence of the one from the Central Region, he had locked down his mana, relying primarily on third-rank body refinement techniques and talismans for movement.

He was wary that if a battle broke out and his Evergreen Golden Dan aura flared, that individual would be able to pinpoint his location with greater accuracy.

The Seven Kingdoms Alliance was vast, even larger than the Righteous Dao Alliance, and had many cultivators who practiced longevity-focused techniques.

Lan Chang'an hoped that the pursuer would waste more time searching within the Seven Kingdoms Alliance.

"It's here!"

Half a day later, Lan Chang'an finally reached the vicinity of the spatial node, as described in True Monarch Shazhai’s memories.

Before him stood a dark brown mountain wall, covered in moss, with a jagged crevice running through it.

From the crack, a pale gray stream trickled out, carrying a corrosive aura and emitting a foul Earth Fiend miasma.

For most living beings or cultivators, stepping into this stream would be like falling into a pool of rotting corpses—it was impossible to survive.

Lan Chang'an examined the scene, then retrieved a third-rank Sea Pearl, which enveloped him in a layer of hazy blue light, isolating him from the corrosive stream.

Following the flow of the toxic water, he slipped into the mountain crevice.

The crack was too narrow for an adult to pass through. Lan Chang'an activated a body refinement secret technique, compressing his muscles, bones, and tendons to squeeze inside.

After a brief stretch of claustrophobic, suffocating passage, the tunnel gradually opened up into a spacious cavern.

Before he realized it, a subterranean corrosive river came into view.

Countless interwoven underground tunnels branched out from the river, creating a labyrinthine network that could easily cause even seasoned explorers to lose their way.

Lan Chang'an faintly sensed a lurking danger.

There were no traces of life in the surrounding area.

With the fusion of two lifetimes, his spiritual sense had reached an extreme, surpassing even that of most early stage Nascent Soul cultivators.

"There’s minor spatial turbulence here."

Lan Chang'an’s expression grew solemn as he stepped into a stalactite-filled cavern.

He formed a hand seal and softly chanted an incantation, activating a Tinghai Pavilion restriction technique.

Hum!

A layer of black-blue water ripples swept outward.

Instantly, the cramped stalactite cavern expanded tenfold, and the scenery transformed drastically.

The once rough, natural rock formations—the stalactites and cave walls—had become eerily smooth, as if sculpted by an unnatural force, leaving behind bizarre, almost liquid-like folds and creases.

Lan Chang'an recognized these signs—they were the result of spatial turbulence and minor spatial distortions.

This place was completely devoid of life—no creatures, no plants, nothing.

At the center of the stalactite cavern, there was nothing but a faint, almost imperceptible ripple of spatial instability.

It originated from a twisting, deep blue vortex, which quivered slightly, sealed behind a fourth-rank formation barrier.

At the core of this formation were four compressed black-blue water pearls, as deep and boundless as the sea.

They anchored the fourth-rank formation, continuously absorbing the surrounding water vapor and Earth Fiend miasma.

However, two of the four pearls had already dimmed and developed cracks, indicating deterioration.

"Good, nothing’s changed in the past decade or so. True Monarch Shazhai, being a fourth-rank formation master, had reinforced this place during his last visit."

Lan Chang'an stepped toward the twisting deep blue vortex.

Though it resembled a whirlpool, it was actually the spatial node itself, a gateway formed by a water-based spatial formation, connecting to another spatial node in a different location.

At its peak, this formation was at least a top-level fourth-rank array.

Lan Chang'an retrieved a formation flag and, following True Monarch Shazhai’s method, began unlocking the formation’s seal.

Immediately, the deep blue vortex twisted more violently, sending ripples of spatial turbulence outward.

Lan Chang'an, being both a body refiner and a qi cultivator, had a late-stage third-rank tempered physique, making him resistant to mild spatial distortions.

As long as there were no outright spatial rifts, he wouldn’t be in mortal danger.

For an ordinary Core Formation cultivator, however, even with protective spells and artifacts, the risk would still be significant.

Lan Chang'an wasn’t worried about whether he could pass through the spatial formation.

Had it been truly impassable, then True Monarch Shazhai and his two companions would have perished here long ago.

What he did worry about was whether the other end of the spatial node was still safe.

According to True Monarch Shazhai’s memories, the spatial node on the other side was also hidden within a forbidden zone.

After escaping the Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects, he had confirmed that no one else knew about it.

Lan Chang'an had come only to ensure its stability—he wouldn’t enter immediately.

He observed for a while, waiting for the spatial fluctuations to settle down.

Next came the real test.

Lan Chang'an first sent several second- and third-rank puppets into the deep blue vortex, where the spatial node was located.

As expected, the moment the puppets entered the spatial passage, all connections to them were immediately severed.

He had anticipated this outcome and had already programmed them with simple instructions—to reach the spatial node on the other side and then return along the same route.

Finally, he sent in the superior-grade third-rank assassin puppet clone.

To increase its chances of survival, he equipped it with several superior-grade third-rank talismans.

This puppet clone carried the attached spirit of his peak Core Formation second life, which allowed it to maintain a vague connection with Lan Chang'an even inside the passage. He couldn’t control it precisely, but he could at least determine whether it was alive and its general condition.

Thanks to the core inheritance from the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, Lan Chang'an had learned to cultivate puppet spirits, his puppet clone's powerful spiritual sense now had a prototype puppet spirit, granting it a basic level of autonomy.

After a while, the puppet clone returned, its body dented and damaged, its spiritual light dim.

Trailing behind it was a nearly destroyed low-grade third-rank puppet, barely held together.

Lan Chang'an received the delayed transmission of the puppet clone’s sensory information and couldn’t help but reveal a pleased expression.

"True Monarch Shazhai did a thorough job securing the spatial node."

The puppet clone’s report confirmed:

The spatial node on the other side remained undiscovered. The entrance on that side was similar to this one and relatively stable for now. However, the spatial formation passage had deteriorated due to a lack of maintenance.

The pathway was fragile—traveling through it caused spatial turbulence and slight distortions. If a being with excessive energy levels tried to pass, it could trigger a stronger backlash, potentially leading to spatial fissures or even a collapse of the passage.

With the spatial node’s reliability confirmed, Lan Chang'an retraced his steps and left the Forbidden Abyss.

...

Before departing the Great Qing Dynasty, Lan Chang'an focused on two matters.

First, it would be best if he could know the identity of the one from the Central Region of Great Qing.

The strange sensation he had previously felt suggested that this powerful figure encountered an obstacle while passing through the demonic sect territories on their way to the Seven Kingdoms Alliance.

A Nascent Soul expert from the Great Qing’s Central Region wouldn’t be a nobody.

If they had clashed with demonic Nascent Soul cultivators, there was a chance that information about them would leak.

Another thing was the whereabouts of the Tianying Fruit.

Lan Chang'an didn’t have time to personally claim the Tianying Fruit and the other Nascent Soul resources.

However, he couldn't allow the Xie Family, his enemies, to obtain it either—especially since it could potentially nurture a future Nascent Soul cultivator.

Instead of competing for it himself, Lan Chang'an decided to collaborate with the Flame Departing Palace.

The Tianying Fruit still needed over a hundred years to mature fully.

If he played his cards right, he could convince Flame Departing Palace to “safeguard” it for him for many years.

Then, when the time was right, he could return and retrieve it himself.

After all, only he knew about the spatial node between the two human realms, the Great Qing and the Great Yuan.

In theory, if he repaired and stabilized the spatial passage, he could even establish a trade route between the two regions.

However, with the threat from the Nascent Soul Evergreen Technique expert, each traversal would damage the spatial formation, accelerating its collapse.

For now, this idea was impractical.

...

Three days later.

Within the Seven Kingdoms Alliance, the Flame Departing Palace had relocated its sect and established a new mountain gate.

Upon receiving an urgent transmission, the current Grand Elder, Wang Feng, rushed back.

At the core of the quasi-fourth-rank spiritual vein, a towering main peak rose into the clouds, with an environment rich in spiritual energy, nearly reaching true fourth-rank levels.

"Ruyan! The new news from Senior Brother Nie, is it true?"

Wang Feng, standing atop a replica of the Lihuo Gourd, had a handsome face, short beard, and appeared to be in his early thirties. His demeanor carried the steadiness of age and the aura of a true leader.

His Dao companion, Chen Ruyan, wore a flowing blue dress, exuding an elegant and classical air.

"Husband, I found this jade box in my personal storage. The restriction on it is beyond what a Core Formation cultivator can break."

Wang Feng accepted the jade box, immediately noticing an inscription on it.

The words "For Junior Brother Wang’s Eyes Only" stood out clearly, meticulously written with no personal stylistic flourishes.

In the lower right corner, a single character was signed: "Nie."

The phrase "Junior Brother Wang" felt unfamiliar—he hadn’t been addressed that way in years.

Most of the older generation in Flame Departing Palace had passed away. As a late-stage Immortal Golden Dan cultivator, Wang Feng was now the strongest, wielding absolute authority.

Even the few senior Core Formation cultivators left addressed him as "Grand Elder."

Back then, Nie Yuan had referred to himself as Senior Brother, even though they were both Immortal Golden Dan cultivators—his power had been overwhelming.

At the time, Nie Yuan had made three key contributions to Flame Departing Palace, helping them rebuild their mountain gate and lay the foundation for their revival.

Now, Flame Departing Palace had regained most of its former strength, lacking only a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

Wang Feng scrutinized the restriction on the jade box—it was highly intricate, incorporating elements of Flame Departing Palace’s core inheritance.

Even he couldn’t break it quickly.

If he forced it open, the jade box would self-destruct.

"Could it be… has Senior Brother Nie reached that level? Or perhaps…"

Wang Feng had long speculated that Nie Yuan might have merged with the remnant soul consciousness of Master Lihuo, inheriting part of his legacy as repayment for the past favors.

Hum!

The moment Wang Feng channeled his Immortal Golden Dan mana into the jade box, the restriction automatically unraveled.

The restriction on the jade box had recognized Wang Feng’s cultivation aura.

Among those who cultivated Flame Departing Palace’s core techniques, he was the only one at the peak of Immortal Golden Dan.

Inside the jade box lay two items:

A jade slip and a sealed blood bead.

When Wang Feng scanned the jade slip with his spiritual sense, his expression immediately turned solemn.

The jade slip contained confidential intelligence on the Xie Family of Heavenly Net Sect, detailing the true condition of the injured Heavenly Net Sect Master and the Xie Family Patriarch’s background.

Most crucially, it revealed the exact location of the Tianying Fruit.

With Flame Departing Palace’s strength, using the blood bead to track the Xie Family Patriarch and launching a surprise attack would not be difficult.

Seizing the key token and unlocking the secret treasury containing the Tianying Fruit was entirely feasible.

Nie Yuan’s message was clear—

The past debts between him and Flame Departing Palace had been settled.

This time, he was sharing critical intelligence in exchange for a deal with Wang Feng.

Flame Departing Palace could plunder as much as they wanted, but Nie Yuan only wanted the Tianying Fruit.

Since the fruit still needed another hundred years to mature, he wanted Wang Feng to safeguard it until the right time.

Everything else, including Nascent Soul rare resources, would be Flame Departing Palace’s to keep.

If Flame Departing Palace upheld their end of the bargain, Nie Yuan promised a future favor in return.

Of course, he also acknowledged the possibility that Flame Departing Palace might be tempted by greed and decide to use the Tianying Fruit for themselves.

If that happened, then in the future, Wang Feng or Flame Departing Palace would owe him a favor instead.

Unless Flame Departing Palace completely abandons this opportunity and refuses to leverage the intelligence, Nie Yuan will come to "collect the debt" in the future.

Wang Feng took a deep breath, his expression shifting.

"The Tianying Fruit…"

It was the most critical main ingredient for the Infant Transformation Pill.

Even consuming it directly could provide nearly half the effects of the pill.

He had already reached the peak of Core Formation, standing at the threshold of the Nascent Soul Realm.

Flame Departing Palace had poured all their remaining heritage and resources into him, raising his chances of forming a Nascent Soul to about seventy to eighty percent.

...

Two days later.

A man in a bamboo hat, at Fake Dan cultivation, hurriedly left a prosperous high-tier immortal city within the Seven Kingdoms Alliance.

He had just purchased the latest intelligence from the Seven Kingdoms Alliance’s largest information network about the warfront of the Six Demonic Sects.

The report included a shocking revelation—

True Monarch Fulong of Illusion Demon Palace has fallen. His death appears to be linked to a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Central Region of Great Qing—True Monarch Cyanwood.

At the demonic battlefield’s border, the Vice Leader of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance personally escorted the “wounded and pursued” True Monarch Cyanwood, treating him as an honored guest.

"True Monarch Cyanwood… injured?"

A thousand li away, Lan Chang'an’s heart tensed.

Deep inside, he felt a growing sense of crisis.

His Evergreen Dao Fruit was sealed, and his mana was completely restrained, yet an ominous premonition surged within him.

He quickly performed a divination for fortune and misfortune.

The result was chilling—

The original minor misfortune had escalated into moderate misfortune.

The Seven Kingdoms Alliance was vast, far larger than the Righteous Dao Alliance.

And yet, the mere arrival of this “injured” Nascent Soul cultivator at the border had already pushed his calamity to this level.

"So-called injuries… this must be a deception."

This True Monarch wanted others to believe he had fought a life-or-death battle with a demonic Nascent Soul expert, suffering severe injuries and exhausting his vital essence.

But in reality, it was likely a deliberate facade.

Lan Chang'an could no longer afford to hesitate.

He had no time to concern himself with the Tianying Fruit or other Nascent Soul resources.

Retrieving his puppet clones, he rushed back to the Forbidden Abyss at full speed.

Within a single breath, he arrived at the stalactite cavern where the spatial node was located.

He swiftly restored the sealing formation.

Activating his late-stage third-rank body refinement technique, he pasted several protective talismans onto himself.

His body, streamlined like a flowing fish, dove headfirst into the distorted deep blue vortex.

Splash!

With a ripple-like waves on water, he vanished into the spatial node.