This time, in claiming the wonder of Heaven, Sacred Embryo Li Fan had already received recognition beforehand.
Thus, the wooden sword offered no resistance.
The profound aura contained within the wooden sword slowly faded away.
A wondrous, abstruse fluctuation gently surfaced upon Sacred Embryo Li Fan.
In that moment, the transfer of the Xuanhuang Sword Dao was complete.
Amidst the countless rusting swords in the Sword Tomb bowing to see him off, Sacred Embryo Li Fan walked out at an unhurried pace.
"Possessing a wonder of Heaven allows one to step straight into the Dao Integration stage."
"The sword as a Dao Foundation, the Dharma of the sword, transforming the sword into a grotto-heaven. And..."
Li Fan's true body had already reached Soul Formation, so the path his sacred embryo needed to tread next was instantly clear as day to him.
"The innate evolution of the Xuanhuang Sword Dao itself."
"After that, it is merely a matter of thoroughly merging the wonder of Heaven with oneself, which equates to devouring and completely mastering the power of the heavenly laws. That is how one achieves the rank of Dao Integration Immortal Venerable."
"Compared to ordinary practitioners of the new method, it is indeed far too easy. But as the price..."
"It almost completely severs the possibility of defying the heavenly principles to attain Longevity. Just like how Mr. Bai, as the Xuanhuang Great Heavenly Venerable, went against the very principles of Heaven and Earth he presided over. Even if one were brilliant enough to succeed in defying those principles, one could never escape the backlash of Heaven and Earth."
"The day one proves the Dao is the moment one falls."
Thoughts surged through Sacred Embryo Li Fan's mind while his cultivation realm climbed step by step.
When he departed the Sword Tomb, he had only just entered the Foundation Establishment stage.
Yet by the time he stepped out of Tianyou Province, Sacred Embryo Li Fan had already advanced to the Golden Core stage.
And when Sacred Embryo Li Fan appeared outside the White Mist Barrier concealing the Chizha Abyss, he had already crossed into the ranks of the Nascent Soul stage.
Without needing to deliberately absorb it, and without the slightest hindrance, the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth surged forth, burrowing into Sacred Embryo Li Fan's body of its own accord.
It became the stepping stones for his steady ascent.
"This is the benefit of gaining the Heavenly Dao's recognition."
"And this is merely the single Dao of the 'Sword.' If it were the entire Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, it would truly be unimaginable. No wonder Mr. Bai was able to advance to Soul Formation in a single step and prove Longevity in the blink of an eye back then..."
With a wonder of Heaven residing within him, cultivation no longer required external aids.
Coupled with the overarching momentum of Heaven and Earth actively cooperating with him, the speed of Sacred Embryo Li Fan's cultivation could no longer be measured by common sense.
Fluctuations of the Sword Dao rippled outward to his left and right, forcing back the Essence-Devouring White Mist.
Sacred Embryo Li Fan transformed into a streak of sword light, shooting straight toward Broken Palm Immortal City.
By the time his ears caught the faint wailing that sounded like countless malicious ghosts, Sacred Embryo Li Fan had, like his true body, reached the Soul Formation realm.
However, upon breaking through to Soul Formation, his comprehension of the evolution of his own Sword Dao remained somewhat lacking.
This caused his cultivation progress to abruptly slow.
"I will delve into it and polish it further in this lifetime. When I start over in the future, my progress will be even faster."
"Halt!"
A thunderous roar interrupted Sacred Embryo Li Fan's train of thought.
At the same time, a figure blocked Li Fan's path.
Clad in azure-glowing scale armor and gripping a heavy halberd, the figure pointed the weapon at Li Fan from afar.
"Who goes there?! How dare you trespass upon the Eternal Immortal Bastion?" The heavily armored cultivator's tone was hostile.
Li Fan's eyes narrowed slightly as he recognized the voice.
Back in his 114th lifetime, he had been ordered to construct the Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Formation within the white mist outside the Eternal Immortal Bastion.
Later, an abrupt upheaval occurred in the Chizha Abyss, cutting off communications between Outpost Jiaxu, where he was stationed, and the immortal city.
Seeing that supplies were about to run out, Li Fan had undertaken the reverse cultivation of the Dao heart and traveled alone from the outpost back toward the immortal city to seek reinforcement.
Though he had encountered a few twists and turns along the way, accidentally straying into the Chaos Lost Domain,
he had ultimately emerged safe and sound, successfully freeing himself.
At the very limit, right before his lifespan was exhausted, he had rushed back to Broken Palm Immortal City.
Originally, he still had several decades of life remaining, but at that final juncture, a booming roar of "What manner of scoundrel goes there?!" had intercepted him.
Forced to explain the situation, Li Fan had lost precious time.
By the time he finally entered the immortal city, his oil was spent and his lamp had burned dry; he had very little time left to live.
...
"Hmph!"
Sacred Embryo Li Fan cast a faint glance at the guard, offering no explanation.
He merely formed a sword with his fingers and tapped lightly toward the space ahead.
The white mist that seemed to have lingered since antiquity parted in an instant.
The wailing rising from the Chizha Abyss was drowned out by a resounding, clarion sword cry.
A dazzling white sword light illuminated all between Heaven and Earth.
The Eternal Immortal Bastion, forged from the severed palm of an Ancient Heavenly Venerable, and the dreadful abyss reeking of malevolent aura...
In this moment, neither could hide beneath Sacred Embryo Li Fan's sword light; every minute detail stood revealed.
The vast, majestic sword light swept straight through the figure barring Li Fan's path, surged across Broken Palm Immortal City, and stabbed fiercely deep into the Chizha Abyss!
Heaven and Earth fell dead silent.
As if utterly cowed by this world-shaking strike, the wailing within the abyss failed to return for a long, long time.
It was only when the white mist slowly gathered back together, healing the torn wound, and the abyss hid once more beneath the mist,
that the muttered, agonizing shrieks began to filter out again in sporadic bursts.
Yet compared to their former scale, they were vastly diminished.
Perhaps they feared that crying out too loudly would invite another of Li Fan's strikes.
Recovering from their shock, every soldier of the Qingxuan Army within the Eternal Immortal Bastion turned their gaze toward Li Fan's position.
Absolute silence reigned.
It seemed as if even the dense white mist could not obscure that figure resembling an immortal of the sword.
No one understood the terror of those demonic voices better than these Qingxuan troops, who guarded the perimeter of the abyss day and night.
Yet in this single moment, thousands upon thousands of demonic voices had been completely suppressed by a single sword.
Just what level of cultivation was this?
The Qingxuan soldiers felt their minds reel and their vision swim, their thoughts wiped entirely blank.
With his hands clasped behind his back, Sacred Embryo Li Fan quietly gazed ahead.
The heavily armored cultivator in azure scales before him had long since frozen like a stone statue.
Having faced Li Fan's strike head-on, although the sword light had not harmed him physically, it was now deeply engraved into his mind.
From this day forward, he would have room for nothing else except that beam of sword light.
He stood like an imbecile, unresponsive to the outside world.
Conversely, if he could comprehend Li Fan's strike and assimilate it into his own understanding,
then for someone at the Nascent Soul realm, this single strike would also be a tremendous stroke of good fortune.
Even without resources to advance, relying on this sword technique alone would allow him to slay enemies across realms.
For the Li Fan of today, there was no need to seek absolute retribution against everyone who had once crossed him in the past.
If they happened to cross paths again, a simple lesson would suffice.
Sacred Embryo Li Fan's strike was primarily a show of force, meant to draw out Young Lord Shang, the master of the Qingxuan Army.
After all, only by displaying one's might first could subsequent matters be discussed on favorable terms.
Sure enough, faced with Li Fan standing suspended in midair amidst the white mist, not a single person among the Qingxuan Army dared step forward to meet him.
A moment later, ripples stirred through the white mist.
An exceedingly bizarre figure, oscillating and shimmering like disturbed water, materialized before Li Fan.
"What magnificent swordsmanship, Fellow Daoist!"
"I have guarded the Chizha Abyss for many years, yet never did I expect someone of your caliber to appear in this world!"
Young Lord Shang fixed his eyes upon Li Fan. "What brings you here, Fellow Daoist?"
Pointing toward the Chizha Abyss not far below, Li Fan smiled and said, "These demonic sounds grate upon the ears and vex the mind. I intend to take my sword and charge into the abyss to end them once and for all."
"I wonder if you, Young Lord, would be willing to accompany me?"
Sacred Embryo Li Fan spoke with a sincere gaze and an earnest demeanor.
Chapter 1147