With Li Fan's help, the clone's grotto-heaven, which had been teetering on the verge of collapse at every moment, finally stabilized.
After completely consuming the massive amount of accumulated cultivation that had piled up because no one had claimed it, the cultivation that flowed in next was no longer so surging and overwhelming.
Having received the aid of this vast deluge of cultivation, the clone Li Qing's realm was now infinitely close to that of the true body.
Yet there was not the slightest joy on his face; instead, it was solemn beyond measure. "Too much, too fast.
"At this continuous rate of accumulation, even if I can use the calamity body method to store cultivation, I fear I won't last long.
"If I cannot break through to expand my cultivation reservoir, I'm afraid I'll still be burst open."
Li Fan, however, fell into thought. "Logically speaking, the scale and quality of cultivators practicing the Common People Lingyuan Technique under us right now shouldn't come close to matching the former Lingyuan Sect.
"And that Cult Master of the Lingyuan Sect couldn't have been breaking through continuously without pause either."
Li Qing followed up on Li Fan's words: "The way I see it, this technique is likely a machine for siphoning and purifying cultivators' cultivation. Even when cultivators die, it can keep running autonomously...
"It's truly sinister."
Li Fan remained silent, pondering inwardly, 'Needing such an immense amount of cultivation is clearly not for personal cultivation. It seems the Lingyuan Sect harbored no small ambitions.
'A pity that before their momentum could even form, they were reduced completely to dust.'
After a moment, Li Fan instructed, "No need to worry about this. I will handle the excess cultivation."
With the help of the Faceless True Immortal stone statue, Li Fan could transfer his cultivation to the believers of the Compassionate Immortal of the Red Dust without loss. There was indeed no need to fear bursting to death.
'Without realizing it, I have already reached peak Nascent Soul realm. Between the Immortal-Sitting Art and the network link of the faceless stone statue, cultivation comes entirely too fast.
'However, progress in these minor realms has little effect on my actual combat strength now.
'In fact, even ascending to Soul Formation would have a negligible impact.
'Unless I can find an about-to-be-born change comparable to the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven.'
In truth, Mr. Bai of the Heavenly Dao had already tested the answer to this question for Li Fan.
And that was the about-to-be-born changes of the Xuanhuang Realm.
To draw all the numerous changes about to occur in the Xuanhuang Realm into one's own grotto-heaven.
To "recreate Xuanhuang" within oneself.
If successful, one could almost possess the power of "transformation" over the entire Xuanhuang Realm for a period of time.
A power capable of driving the workings of a world—especially a behemoth like Xuanhuang, which had merged with the corpses of countless cultivation worlds.
One could readily imagine what an overwhelmingly mighty force that would be.
When that time came, Li Fan could capture Dao Integration cultivators at a whim.
Against ordinary Longevity experts, Li Fan would also stand undefeated.
The prospects were boundless and magnificent, but the problem was...
Drawing upon the about-to-be-born changes of the Xuanhuang Realm on such a massive scale would likely plunge the Xuanhuang Realm into a state of stagnation for a considerable period.
With such severe adverse effects, in the 115th cycle, Mr. Bai had been the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao, which was why the Xuanhuang Realm allowed him to do as he pleased.
How could Li Fan possibly receive such treatment?
Drawing off one or two strands might be fine, but if he siphoned too much, heaven and earth would unleash their killing intent all at once, and it might even attract the attention of the Longevity Heavenly Venerables of the Xuanhuang Realm.
After all, attaining Longevity was equivalent to becoming part of the Xuanhuang prison.
What Li Fan would be doing was like dismantling its walls.
If the commotion grew too large, it would be a wonder if it didn't draw their gaze.
'Unless there is an even greater commotion to conceal everything.
'A commotion capable of destroying the entire Xuanhuang Realm...'
Li Fan's eyes flickered.
'The moment I sever the True Immortal's net and break free to activate True Reversion might also be the very opportunity for me to break through to Soul Formation.
'Even if I can't accomplish it all in a single stroke, it can vastly diminish the difficulty of attaining Soul Formation later on.'
Li Fan nodded slightly, quietly fine-tuning his plans once more.
As for other methods of Soul Formation...
They were too weak and utterly meaningless to Li Fan.
Li Fan had never even considered them.
Just as he was deep in thought, Li Qing spoke up, interrupting his train of thought.
"I seem to... faintly sense the place where the Lingyuan Sect stored cultivation," Li Qing said with some uncertainty.
"Oh?" Li Fan's eyes flashed, and in an instant, he too sensed that location within his sea of consciousness.
Jiushan Province, deep beneath the earth.
"It seems we might even find some remnants left by the Lingyuan Sect," Li Fan said, narrowing his eyes.
Not long after, Li Fan arrived at the target location.
Upon the ground, a continuous stretch of immortal abodes had already been built.
Yet they seemed freshly constructed; the interiors were completely empty, and no one was living there yet.
One had to know that this was considered a relatively remote area of Jiushan Province, yet it was still packed with buildings large and small.
Li Fan gazed into the distance; these abodes stretched all the way to the center of Jiushan Province.
Like dog-skin plasters plastered across the earth, they possessed no aesthetic sense whatsoever, striving only to maximize the number of buildings.
"It seems the reputation of a trade province is truly alluring.
"Even building so many, they don't have to worry about finding buyers!"
Li Fan shook his head without another word.
He quietly slipped underground.
Following the sensation, he descended all the way.
Before the large-scale construction of abodes here, the underground had actually been surveyed.
Yet the Lingyuan Sect's secret reservoir had still not been discovered, showing just how deeply it was hidden.
Li Fan estimated that as he plunged more than thirty thousand zhang underground, the pressure surrounding him grew heavier and heavier.
Even with his current strength, moving became increasingly difficult.
Fortunately, he finally reached his target.
Not far away, a glowing cube lay buried deep underground.
Ten zhang on each side, it was strikingly conspicuous in the pitch-black depths.
Yet Li Fan could not detect it with divine sense.
If the clone had not attained the highest realm of the Lingyuan Technique in the present world and sensed its location from within, trying to find this place beneath Jiushan Province would have been like searching for a needle in the ocean.
Li Fan approached the glowing cube and reached out to touch it.
Like a solid wall, it blocked Li Fan's entry.
"This is..."
Yet in an instant, Li Fan realized what the glowing wall before him truly was.
"Cultivation?"
A strange look appeared on Li Fan's face.
Pondering for a moment, Li Fan absorbed the solidified cultivation his hands touched into his body.
The amount of cultivation condensed into this glowing wall was truly astonishing.
Li Fan absorbed it for a good while, yet he still could not hollow out an entrance hole large enough to enter.
Only after fully filling nine stored calamity bodies did he finally carve out an entrance.
Li Fan raised his defenses and slipped inside.
The opening was quickly mended by the cultivation overflowing from the surrounding glowing cube.
Inside, it was not solid cultivation, but a cramped space five zhang on each side.
Various miscellaneous items were stored within.
Yet the most conspicuous among them were three gleaming, golden bodies.
They simply stood there, devoid of any aura of living beings.
Yet Li Fan felt a prickle of danger.
Chapter 1009