At the Peak of the Mortal Realm

Merging identical objects together was something Li Fan had experienced before. Take the Dao Transformation Stone or the Step-Halting Broken Stele, for instance. Yet the effects of their mergers were clearly far inferior to that of the Dissociation Disc. "Perhaps it is because the Dissociation Disc already stands at the very pinnacle of mortal formation arts. Even though it failed to ascend in rank after devouring its other self, it still underwent a qualitative transformation. "There are many things in this world like the Dissociation Disc, standing just a single step away from ascension. Yet because the Immortal Path has been severed, they are destined to remain stagnant for all eternity. After all, not just anyone can pull off a grand feat like the Heavenly Profound Mirror in the 115th reincarnation, mobilizing every cultivator in the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals to explore thousands of pocket worlds to ascend its true form. "Yet by relying on True Reversion, the 'merger of two into one' that I achieved allows it to easily bridge this impassable chasm. "This might very well be the simplest way in the world today to mass-produce near-immortal power." Instantly, countless artifacts flashed through Li Fan's mind, along with what might happen if they fused with their other selves. The Yanfa Jade, the Sword, and even the Creation Slate. As for whether an item that had already been merged once could be further strengthened by fusing with another version of itself... That still required further verification. However, Li Fan surmised that it likely would not work. "The crux lies in the severance of the Immortal Path and the absence of immortal spiritual qi. "Without that fundamental foundation, sheer quantity is useless." Gradually gathering his thoughts, Li Fan exited the secluded cultivation chamber and first set about revamping the protective grand array of the Spirit Wood Realm. The time spent on this overhaul was even longer than the time he had originally taken to establish the formation. It was virtually equivalent to rebuilding it from scratch. Yet the entire process unfolded in absolute silence, without alerting a single living being in the Spirit Wood Realm. Only after the array was completed did the subtle shift in the aura blanketing the Spirit Wood Realm stir the senses of Daoist Hundred Flowers and the few other Dao Integration and higher cultivators. Li Fan stood high in the sky, his eyes closed. Even without relying on divine sense or his physical vision, solely through the resonance of the realm-protecting grand array, a miniature reflection of the entire Spirit Wood Realm appeared in his mind down to the finest detail. Not even a single creature in the Spirit Wood Realm could escape his awareness. Wielding the power of this brand-new boundary array, Li Fan did not even need to lift a finger to instantly obliterate any living being within it. "The divide between mortal and immortal is truly like an unfathomable abyss. "I see the beings in the Spirit Wood Realm as mere ants, and an immortal would surely view me the same way. "If I didn't have True Reversion, that is." Li Fan sighed softly. Theoretically speaking, the newly deployed realm-protecting formation was still far from its absolute limit. But constrained by special materials that only existed in the Immortal Realm and the lack of immortal spiritual qi, the array's current state truly had little room left for improvement. Having completed the preliminary test of the Dissociation Disc's power, Li Fan returned to the secluded chamber to compile and summarize the Terminal Dissociation Disc's analysis of the Myriad Spirits Returning to Numerical Order Great Array. At the same time, he oversaw the progress of decoding the restrictions left by the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable. Although the Terminal Dissociation Disc possessed terrifying computational power—faintly ranking among the very top tier in the mortal realm—it was, after all, an inanimate object and could not function without Li Fan's guidance. Left alone, it might well deduce its way into some bizarre direction. The Dao of formations was boundless. Li Fan immersed himself in it, oblivious to the passage of time. One day, a sudden premonition jolted Li Fan from his research. "Anchor Year 15: the return of the Medicine King Cauldron." Calculating the time, it was indeed almost upon him. With a flicker in his eyes, Li Fan halted his work and vanished from the Spirit Wood Realm in an instant. Arriving at the Abyss of Cangwu, he waited patiently at the preordained landing site of the Medicine King Cauldron. Li Fan gazed toward the depths of the abyss, his expression turning solemn. With his current strength, he certainly had the power to descend further. Yet every time that thought surfaced, a sense of unease welled up in his heart, only to be suppressed by him. Sensing the stray thought neutralized by the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Incantation, Li Fan's eyes darkened. "That inexplicable attraction really isn't an illusion. "If I'm not mistaken, the Cangwu Abyss, much like the Congyun Sea, is a sizable remnant of another cultivation world. Hmm, perhaps it's more than just that. The bottom of the abyss might even be connected to the depths of the white mist." Li Fan looked around at the floating ruins and slowly pondered. In ancient times, this Abyss of Cangwu did not exist. The Congyun Sea had been carved out by a single palm strike, and the Abyss of Cangwu had been stamped open by a single foot. Evidently, during the process in which the Xuanhuang Realm devoured and assimilated other cultivation worlds, Chuanfa had lent a helping hand. "The Xuanhuang Realm was unable to digest it solely on its own and required Chuanfa's assistance. That in itself speaks volumes." Even though the Abyss of Cangwu undoubtedly harbored many secrets, just like the Congyun Sea, Li Fan had no intention of tracing them back to their source at this moment. He merely waited patiently for the Medicine King Cauldron to return. Right on schedule, just as he remembered, a blazing shooting star illuminated the night sky. It then vanished into the darkness, hurtling straight toward the Abyss of Cangwu. Upon arriving at Li Fan's location, the Medicine King Cauldron halted in midair and concealed its presence. "Hm?" Yet as Li Fan looked at where the Medicine King Cauldron had stopped, his expression turned subtle. After cross-referencing it repeatedly with the memory in his mind, Li Fan was certain that in this life, the Medicine King Cauldron's final resting position had shifted ever so slightly. A deviation of a mere three inches. Had his divine perception not been extraordinarily sharp, coupled with the Dao Transformation Stone meticulously recording every single detail, he almost would have overlooked it. "Was it influenced by some unknown external force during its return? Or..." "Did the Xuanhuang Realm's own 'location' and 'size' change?" An inexplicable sense of unease rose in Li Fan's heart. He instantly reviewed all the events of this life in his mind, filtering through potential factors that could have caused this deviation. After locking onto several suspects, he still could not reach a definitive conclusion. Etching the matter firmly into his mind, Li Fan steered a Small Medicine King Cauldron and entered the interior of the true Medicine King Cauldron. To seize control of the Medicine King Cauldron, one had to enter the control room. Li Fan had long since prepared for this. With a thought, a strand of azure longevity power separated from within his body and flowed into the Gate of Life and Death outside the control room. Before the Medicine King Cauldron had even returned, Li Fan had already cultivated the Scripture of Saving the World and Cultivating Longevity. Although he had dissolved it since, he had stored several strands of azure longevity power inside his grotto-heaven for later use. The Scripture of Saving the World and Cultivating Longevity could only be practiced by true disciples of the Medicine King Sect. Having passed the verification, Li Fan stepped smoothly into the control chamber. It was like a vast void. Aside from a faint figure, nothing else existed. That illusory silhouette was likely the deceased Sect Master of the Medicine King Sect, Liu Ruchen. His face could no longer be seen clearly. He merely cast his gaze toward Li Fan, and after confirming his identity as a true legacy disciple of the Medicine King Sect, scenes began to drift across the void. They depicted how, after flying out of the Xuanhuang Realm, the Medicine King Sect had nearly been captured by the Immortal Ruins—and how Liu Ruchen, at the cost of his own life and those of several elders, had barely managed to rescue the Medicine King Cauldron.