"A former part of the Congyun Sea, or perhaps a fragment also belonging to the Tianfa Realm with an aura extraordinarily similar to it..."
In the past, Li Fan had established his foundation using the Vast Sea Pearl, merging his consciousness with the Congyun Sea.
In this lifetime, his Holy Emperor avatar had directly devoured the Congyun Sea's remnant consciousness. One could say Li Fan was thoroughly familiar with the Congyun region.
Thus, even though this world fragment had long fallen into ruin and lain dead and silent for ages, Li Fan had only stood here for a brief moment before he still sensed that faint trace of familiarity from it.
Understanding suddenly dawned on Li Fan: "Perhaps Chuanfa stepped in to mend this place partly because it was his homeland."
Strolling through the ruins of the Tianfa Realm, even though thousands of years had passed, the terrifying scars left when the world was destroyed were still clearly visible.
Not a single intact building could be found upon the ground—only scattered patches of broken walls and crumbling ruins. Amid the rubble, the skeletal remains of cultivators occasionally appeared; judging by their postures, they did not seem to have died in combat against other people.
"It seems the catastrophe occurred so abruptly that they couldn't even struggle."
Although he had destroyed the Xuanhuang Realm through various methods, every time the Xuanhuang Realm fell to ruin, Li Fan had already used Trueness to return to the summit of Mount Jieli. He had witnessed world extinctions with his own eyes only a handful of times.
An oppressive sensation welled up unbidden in Sacred Embryo Li Fan's heart.
It was not that his mental state had been shaken, but rather a physical reaction naturally produced by any living creature in such an environment.
This world fragment was not very large, and Li Fan soon searched it completely. He found no valuable clues.
"However, relatively speaking, this remnant realm is preserved fairly well. For now, Chuanfa hasn't moved it only out of concern for the balance of the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds. Soon enough, He will likely take it away."
"This is no place to linger."
Decisive as ever, Li Fan quietly transformed into a streak of light and departed.
After a moment's thought, he did not return directly to the exterior of the Profound Immortal Boat. Instead, he took up seclusion right here within the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds.
For one, a wisp of his consciousness was already lying dormant inside the Profound Immortal Boat, dwelling within and manipulating Zhao Xian, and the present situation did not require his direct intervention.
Second...
"The upper limit of laws here is a bit higher."
"Is it because it's closer to the High Wall? Or because of the remnants of a thousand realms?"
"If one ignores environmental factors, this truly is a fine place for comprehending the Dao and cultivating."
Sacred Embryo Li Fan had forged his Dao foundation and Grotto-Heaven through the Xuanhuang Sword Dao, making his perception of natural laws exceptionally keen.
If the still-intact Xuanhuang Realm was a low basin in terms of the height of law limits in the Pitch-Black Star Sea, then here, the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds was the highest peak of law limits across the entire star sea.
Even though the echoing stellar power made the rhythms of the laws difficult to grasp, and they were fundamentally incomplete and chaotic, if one could seize those fleeting moments of insight, a single breakthrough might surpass a hundred years of ordinary, painstaking cultivation.
"The supreme principles of the mortal realm were brutally torn to shreds by the power of the True Immortal seal characters from the Immortal Realm, scattered throughout the star sea."
"For a later survivor like me, it is actually easier to sense and comprehend them. Under normal circumstances..."
Sacred Embryo Li Fan's mind instantly recalled the flickering fragments of light and shadow he had occasionally glimpsed through the Scarlet River in his 119th lifetime—scenes of the Xuanhuang Realm interacting with other cultivation realms in ancient times.
"Back then, all realms still existed, and everything was in orderly harmony. Forget comprehending them—cultivators found it arduous beyond measure just to come into contact with these Pitch-Black principles. Anyone who obtained such an opportunity by sheer coincidence would likely have had bright prospects on the immortal path."
Sacred Embryo Li Fan's thoughts flowed steadily as countless Dao insights surged into his mind at once.
Fearing that sword light might draw the attention of Chuanfa and the Heavenly Physician, who might be present within the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds, Li Fan refrained from actually unleashing a strike despite having thousands of flashes of inspiration.
He merely simulated them in his mind.
Even so, it filled him with immense delight.
At the same time, a thought inevitably surfaced: "Lingering here year after year, it seems Chuanfa and the Heavenly Physician must have both reached the pinnacle of the mortal realm in their cultivation."
While journeying through the star sea earlier, he had already suspected as much. Now, he was utterly convinced of this conjecture.
Li Fan had zero doubt regarding the natural talent of Chuanfa and the Heavenly Physician. Their ability to comprehend the supreme laws of the star sea was certainly equal to or greater than that of the Sacred Embryo.
Yet compared to before, that slight trace of trepidation in Li Fan's heart had vanished.
"They indeed reached the ceiling of the Pitch-Black Star Sea, but they can go no further. The immortal path is severed; immortality is beyond reach..."
A faint glint flickered in Li Fan's eyes.
The reason people believed Heavenly Venerable Chuanfa was invincible was simply that they did not know what realm of cultivation He truly possessed.
Because it was unknown, they felt fear and confusion.
Although Li Fan previously had vague conjectures—below True Immortal, at the pinnacle of the mortal realm—he had been unable to tangibly quantify or perceive how this peak differed from the Longevity realm.
Now, however, standing at the foot of the High Wall and experiencing firsthand the existence of the Pitch-Black Star Sea's upper limit of power, all doubts vanished from Li Fan's heart.
Having a definite goal made catching up much easier.
Li Fan also felt immensely fortunate: the reason Chuanfa and the Heavenly Physician had remained in this realm for thousands of years was that the star sea's ceiling was strictly capped. In essence, their cultivation had stagnated for a very long time, which indirectly bought Li Fan time to catch up.
"Moreover, with the True Immortals of the Immortal Ruins watching, even if they found a way to break through the mortal realm, they would have to weigh their options carefully for the safety of the Xuanhuang Realm."
"In the race between the tortoise and the hare, the tortoise is the one who wins."
Sacred Embryo Li Fan cast aside distracting thoughts and settled down to peacefully comprehend the wandering supreme laws of the star sea.
***
In the Xuanhuang Realm.
After a period of breeding, Wang Xuanba had successfully cultivated a sufficient quantity of the specific Dao-One Worms requested by the Holy Emperor.
"Every spirit tree in heaven and earth has its own unique function. My little bugs also possess a marvelous trait: after they devour a spirit tree, it doesn't die immediately. Instead, it gradually transforms into insectified spirit wood. Its original consciousness can be freely kept or erased, and one can even merge other sources of consciousness into the swarm of Dao-One Worms to achieve an avatar-like existence," Wang Xuanba boasted rather proudly to Ou Shangtian.
"Sigh, I still feel the Dao of Exotic Beasts has endless variations and is far more interesting. Formations are truly dull," Ou Shangtian said, a flash of envy in his eyes.
Wang Xuanba chuckled, gloating slightly. "Who told you to aim too high, wanting to learn everything you see and displeasing Master?"
"Yeah. Until my formation skills meet Master's standards, I'm forbidden from being distracted by anything else. Sigh, it feels hopeless," Ou Shangtian sighed.
"By the way, Master also said earlier that he would have me act as bait in the future to fish out a hidden expert in the Xuanhuang Realm. That person is quite formidable, and if my formation mastery isn't up to par, my life might even be in danger. I wonder if it's true or not," Ou Shangtian said casually.
Hearing this, Wang Xuanba's expression changed. "Junior Brother, don't speak so carelessly! Since Master said so, it is certainly true. You saw Senior Xu Ke before. The hidden experts in the Xuanhuang Realm truly cannot be underestimated. You must take this seriously!"
Ou Shangtian nodded in superficial agreement, but internally he remained unconvinced.
He had seen Xu Ke too. The man was merely a decrepit old fellow with one foot in the grave.
While Xu Ke's strength was indeed far superior to his own, with the Seven-Colored Jade Void Flowing Light protecting him, even Xu Ke wouldn't be able to stop him if he chose to flee!
"I'd really like to see just how 'high' this expert Master speaks of truly is!"
Beneath the Holy Emperor Throne, inside the Sacred Dynasty treasury.
Glancing faintly toward the location of Ou Shangtian and Wang Xuanba, Li Ping shook his head.
He had naturally sensed Ou Shangtian's thoughts.
Youthful arrogance, bolstered by numerous divine treasures—it was understandable.
"However, if you don't diligently study formations and rely solely on the Seven-Colored Divine Light, escaping from the stone slab's hands will be rather difficult."
Chuckling inwardly, Li Ping had no intention of warning him again.
Suffering a bit of a setback would do the boy good, and the stone slab was unlikely to strike to kill right away.
As long as the stone slab revealed itself, Li Ping would personally step in to deal with It.
Since retrieving the stone slab would come after dealing with Ruomu, Li Ping set the matter aside for the moment and stroked the little orange cat resting on his shoulder.
Compared to before, Cat Treasure had grown a size larger.
Its fur had thickened from its once sparse state, becoming faintly soft and sleek.
What drew the Holy Emperor's attention even more was Cat Treasure's second transformation.
Previously, Cat Treasure could transform into a small square box. When the box emitted light, it could duplicate whatever it encompassed.
The limits of this ability were still unknown, but duplicating a realm vessel refined from the power of an entire world was entirely within Cat Treasure's capability, causing at most some excessive exhaustion.
Not long ago, when Wang Xuanba brought the Dao-One Worms that devoured spirit wood to report to the Holy Emperor, Li Ping felt Cat Treasure actively transmit its thoughts for the first time.
After Wang Xuanba departed, Li Ping conducted an experiment.
He placed a cluster of roughly tens of thousands of Dao-One Worms before Cat Treasure.
At first, Cat Treasure looked somewhat fearful, watching from a distance. Yet its eyes also betrayed desire.
Two steps forward, one step back, Cat Treasure slowly crept toward the swarm of Dao-One Worms.
Facing Cat Treasure's approach, the Dao-One Worms—ordinarily hypersensitive to foreign objects—showed no reaction whatsoever.
Finally arriving before the swarm, a dim blue glow surfaced over Cat Treasure's body. Then, under Li Ping's watchful gaze, it transformed into a blue orb of light, enveloping the Dao-One Worms.
The swarm inside the blue orb seemed frozen in an instant, falling into total stasis.
On the surface of the orb, various structural diagrams of the Dao-One Worms' anatomy flashed intermittently.
Li Ping's expression turned solemn.
The orb of light did not last long; this form seemed to consume an immense amount of energy.
Before long, Cat Treasure reverted to the form of a little kitten and returned to Li Fan's side, lazily lying back down on Li Ping's shoulder.
The previously immobile Dao-One Worms resumed their movement once more.
From beginning to end, however, they remained completely oblivious to what had just occurred to them.
"It isn't because the Dao-One Worms have low intelligence; even if it were a cultivator from the Xuanhuang Realm, the outcome likely wouldn't be any different."
"This blue light from Cat Treasure..."
It was a power far more wondrous and profound than anything Li Ping had ever encountered.
With a stir of his mind, he patted Cat Treasure.
Though the little orange cat was somewhat reluctant, it perked up out of consideration for Li Ping's continual feeding of golden Source Power Essence.
Blue light enveloped its body and shattered in an instant.
A moment later, Cat Treasure astonishingly transformed into a swarm of Dao-One Worms!
They were completely identical to the ones encompassed by the blue orb earlier, not far away in the chamber!
The entire transformation occurred right under Li Ping's eyes, yet he simply could not detect the slightest distinction between the two.
"This is not a shapeshifting art, but a complete transmutation of life form. That is why no difference can be discerned."
Even as someone who considered himself the Destined Holy Emperor and a Soul Formation sovereign of Xuanhuang, Li Ping could not help but sigh in heartfelt marvel at this wondrous, godlike craft.
"Furthermore, the transformation isn't confined to the copied original. It can also evolve completely according to the copied subject's characteristics."
Li Ping gained a flash of understanding, and a speck of golden light appeared at his fingertip.
Cat Treasure grasped Li Ping's intent. The swarm of Dao-One Worms suddenly expanded in a visible shift, ballooning from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands—multiplying tenfold in an instant.
The swarm of Dao-One Worms morphed from Cat Treasure returned to Li Ping's side as if seeking praise.
Once granted permission, amidst shattering blue light, it reverted to the form of an orange cat.
It happily swallowed the Source Power Essence.
"This is essentially another form of duplication. However, it duplicates living beings and allows Cat Treasure itself to morph."
"Such technology..."
Li Ping fell silent.
In his memory, perhaps only a treasure of the Immortal Realm could achieve this.
Yet on Cat Treasure, not the slightest trace of immortal spiritual energy could be felt.
"Beyond the High Wall..."
An undeniable fact had become glaringly obvious.
"I wonder just what tier of treasure Cat Treasure would be considered beyond the High Wall."
Li Ping's resolve was steadfast; the possible disparity between inside and outside the High Wall did not shake his will.
"Item duplication, living creature simulation... I wonder if Cat Treasure has other abilities?"
He wanted to find answers from the little orange cat, but Cat Treasure itself knew little about its own abilities.
Only when conditions triggered them would it automatically learn them.
"Moreover, Cat Treasure isn't willing to duplicate or simulate just any living creature."
"I tested it with some ordinary exotic beasts, and it showed no interest at all. Only singular beings like the Dao-One Worms pique its curiosity."
Li Ping gently stroked this supreme treasure from beyond the High Wall once more, various uses for it flashing through his mind.
"Although this Cat Treasure has no offensive capabilities, its value is vastly greater than purely lethal treasures."
As if sensing Li Ping's thoughts, the little orange cat let out a smug meow.
Seven days later, carrying a wooden box, Wang Xuanba arrived in the Xuanhuang Realm.
Standing on the ground, Wang Xuanba closed his eyes and sensed the earth vein power flowing deep beneath the surface.
"Here's an appetizer for you first. The main course comes later."
With a smile on his face, Wang Xuanba transformed into a black shadow and drilled into the earth.
In a flash, he reached extreme depths underground.
The rushing earth vein power formed a barrier, preventing him from drawing closer.
He even faintly sensed a wisp of consciousness sweeping past.
Wang Xuanba sneered inwardly and shattered the wooden box.
A mass of shadows immediately flew toward the yellow earth vein.
The protective barrier was like flimsy paper, easily gnawed to nothingness.
Chapter 1241