Only now did a figure with an obscured face appear before him.
"Interesting. Just who are you?"
Hearing this question, the Cult Master of the Lingyuan Sect nearly spat blood in frustration.
You ambushed me without warning, dragged me here, and now you have the nerve to ask who I am? I wanted to ask you that!
The Cult Master of the Lingyuan Sect scoffed coldly and refused to answer.
"Full of confidence. It seems you have no fear of soul searching?"
"A construct forged of cultivation base and physical matter is indeed distinct from ordinary living beings.
"However, have you ever seen this?"
The figure's voice turned chilling as a cluster of seven-colored light suddenly manifested in his hand.
Within that sphere of light, the Cult Master of the Lingyuan Sect abruptly sensed something buried at the very bottom of his memory—something unforgettable, something that made his skin crawl!
"Are you insane?!" Terror saturated the Cult Master's voice.
Yet the figure remained unmoved, even bringing the seven-colored orb closer.
"Wait, let's talk this out! We can talk!" The Cult Master caved instantly.
"It seems you are no stranger to this 'Mo' character formula," Li Fan said indifferently.
"Could Fellow Daoist also have fled here as a refugee from another cultivation world?" the Cult Master asked tentatively.
Li Fan did not answer, merely offering an enigmatic smile.
In the Cult Master's mind, however, the matter was already certain.
After all, as perhaps the sole sanctuary in this sea of stars, the Xuanhuang Realm was still relatively safe for now. There was no sign that it had been infected by the "Mo" character formula.
"This thing is dangerous in the extreme. Fellow Daoist, it would be best if you put it away first. Although the cultivators of this realm seem remarkably adept at dealing with all sorts of calamities, if it were to break out unnoticed, I fear even they would struggle to withstand it.
"Not that I share common cause with the cultivators of this Xuanhuang Realm, but other than here, there is simply nowhere else to go," the Cult Master hurriedly explained, seemingly afraid of Li Fan's misunderstanding.
Hearing his words, Li Fan seemed to give it serious consideration.
Only then did he finally stow away the seven-colored light cluster. As the deadly, perilous aura dissipated, the Cult Master's hanging heart was finally put at ease for the moment.
To dare carry this thing on him—what a ruthless character, the Cult Master thought to himself in secret awe.
He immediately took the hint and showed his cooperation: "Since we are both wanderers fallen upon hard times, Fellow Daoist, feel free to ask whatever you wish! I shall hold nothing back and answer everything I know!"
There was no helping it; whose fault was it that his life was in the other's hands?
Bitterness welled within the Cult Master's heart.
"Which cultivation world do you hail from?" Li Fan cut straight to the chase.
"This humble one is Layman Qiaogong, from the Tianji Realm," the Cult Master introduced himself.
"How did you come back from the dead?" Li Fan asked the pivotal question.
Layman Qiaogong explained readily: "Strictly speaking, it is not a true resurrection from death. In reality, my original body perished many years ago. It is merely that my consciousness resides within this Tianji puppet I crafted.
"Fellow Daoist, as you know, this Xuanhuang Realm is fraught with peril. One never knows when they might run into some concealed madman..."
Layman Qiaogong paused, stole a glance at Li Fan, and continued, "For the sake of my own safety, every so often I had no choice but to create a backup of my consciousness. That way, even if some mishap occurred, I could achieve resurrection relying on my prior preparations.
"It's just that the calamity I encountered this time was a bit too grand," Layman Qiaogong said with a wry smile.
Li Fan nodded upon hearing this, offering no explanation.
He continued questioning, "This Tianji puppet seems to be crafted with 'cultivation base' as its material. That is rather incredible..."
Layman Qiaogong said, "Fellow Daoist truly has a piercing gaze. However, in our Tianji Realm, cultivation base is generally referred to as 'Source Power.'"
A flicker of reminiscing passed through Layman Qiaogong's eyes. "The fundamental force driving the advancement of a cultivator's realm is what we call 'Source Power.'
"Our Tianji Realm had a unique environment, built upon the shattered remains of an Immortal Realm puppet. That puppet was revered by us as the 'Ancestor.' It was precisely by continuously researching the secrets within the Ancestor that we developed artifact-crafting techniques far ahead of other cultivation worlds.
"Source Power was one of the most significant discoveries our Tianji Realm made during that process. Although cultivators under heaven practice a myriad of bizarre techniques, all of them can be extracted, purified, and converted through certain methods into the most universal Source Power.
"Components serve as bones, Source Power serves as flesh. With these, one can forge puppets bearing a resemblance to the Ancestor."
Layman Qiaogong spoke eloquently and at length.
Li Fan observed and monitored him constantly throughout; in this speech, Layman Qiaogong had likely told no lies.
"Your Tianji Realm truly possessed immense providence, to have laid claim to an Immortal Realm puppet.
"By comparison, our Wansheng Realm appears rather unremarkable," Li Fan remarked placidly.
"The Wansheng Realm? I haven't heard of it," Layman Qiaogong shook his head regretfully.
Li Fan did not mind. "Back then, cultivation worlds were as numerous as stars in the sky. Yet now they have all turned to dust. There is no need to dwell on it!"
These words also stirred deep sentiment within Layman Qiaogong.
"Was your Tianji Realm destroyed by the 'Mo' character formula as well?" After a moment, Li Fan asked again.
Even though who knew how much time had passed, Layman Qiaogong still wore an expression of lingering dread: "Indeed. In the beginning, we could hold out a bit by relying on the artifact arts we had developed. But the infectious power of those mold patches was simply too terrifying.
"Even the remains of the Ancestor could not escape its corrosion. On the day our defensive line collapsed, in utter despair, we had no choice but to scatter and flee for our lives.
"Come to think of it, Fellow Daoist, that seven-colored sphere of light seems capable of sealing away the mold patches?"
Layman Qiaogong suddenly recalled something and asked.
Li Fan sneered. "Only by refining an entire cultivation world did I obtain this treasure. Even so, it can merely hold it back for a time, requiring me to replenish its consumed energy day and night.
"Furthermore, what is sealed inside is only an infinitesimal fraction.
"When the catastrophe falls, no one can stay out of it."
Hearing this, Layman Qiaogong lapsed into silence.
Before long, however, he could not resist countering: "Actually, I feel that if it weren't for the Immortal Ruins above our heads, perhaps this Xuanhuang Realm could have survived the catastrophe.
"I have observed traces of the catastrophe descending in this realm, but it seemingly ran rampant for only a short while before being eradicated by some unknown means. The Xuanhuang Realm truly produces an endless stream of capable talents—one cannot help but be impressed."
"Humph. No matter how extraordinary it is, it cannot escape the fate of being buried in the Immortal Ruins. Right now, it is merely clinging to a precarious existence!" Li Fan said coldly, a note of disdain in his tone.
Layman Qiaogong opened his mouth as if to speak, but hesitated.
"What? Does Fellow Daoist have some brilliant insight?" Li Fan glanced at him.
Layman Qiaogong could not help but say, "Judging from the observations I made over three hundred years ago, the Xuanhuang Realm was already very close to the Immortal Ruins. Yet in the face of such colossal power, the Xuanhuang Realm has still not disintegrated...
"My guess is that there must be some power rivaling the Immortal Ruins shielding Xuanhuang.
"Therefore, when it comes to escaping the Immortal Ruins, I think it might not be entirely impossible."
Chapter 1011