"The Great Wall of Remnant Realms... To think such an anomaly would appear at the border of the Sea of Stars!" Qiaogong exclaimed in disbelief.
"No wonder the worlds that went extinct back then vanished without a trace—they all gathered at the foot of the High Wall? A ceaseless stretch of remnant realms... Just what manner of mighty power could forge such a spectacle?" Baihua's face was likewise filled with shock.
Both of them had survived from the shattering of the Sea of Stars to this day, having witnessed firsthand countless cultivation worlds turn into dead, silent wastelands. Thus, far more than the others, they could deeply appreciate the awe-inspiring terror of that endless Great Wall of Remnant Realms.
"I seem to..." As if recalling some memory buried deep within his mind, Master Yin pressed a hand to his head, hesitating to speak.
Li Fan glanced at him but did not press further. Instead, he solemnly added, "Beyond the Great Wall of Remnant Realms, there is another perimeter acting as a barrier—the Great Wall of Relics. The two flank and protect the High Wall, echoing each other from afar to form an array. The journey there will be even more perilous than the previous trip to the center of the Sea of Stars. There is even a very real possibility of meeting calamity and perishing..."
Li Fan's gaze swept over the crowd. "Whether to go or not is entirely up to you.
"I will give you half a year to consider. Do not blindly chase higher levels of power. Merely for the merit of returning the Xuanhuang malice, even if you do nothing from here on out, once the Xuanhuang Realm completes its elevation, you will already receive ample benefits." His figure slowly faded away along with his words.
Qiaogong and the others wore varied expressions.
Indeed, the moment they had seen the marvel of the Great Wall of Remnant Realms, their hearts had shuddered, sparking the desire to see it for themselves. But Li Fan's words served as a sobering reminder.
In this Sea of Stars, marvels were often accompanied by mighty power. And mighty power meant crisis.
Such was the Great Wall of Remnant Realms, and such were the Immortal Ruins.
Furthermore, stimulating the Xuanhuang Realm's ability to devour and digest only required three or four remnant realm fragments as a catalyst. It did not require everyone to set out.
If this journey went smoothly, there would be plenty of future opportunities to earn the merit of aiding the realm's ascension.
Harboring such thoughts, they began calculating in their hearts.
Li Fan naturally noticed every subtle shift in their expressions. Over his numerous cycles of reincarnation, he had come to understand these individuals' temperaments thoroughly. At a glance, he could guess their general thoughts.
*Walking toward the Dao is the instinct of a cultivator. Yet this path is fraught with perils and arduous steps. The fear and aversion within one's heart are even greater obstacles on the journey.*
*How difficult it is to truly touch the so-called 'Dao'...*
Watching the choices Qiaogong and the others made when faced with life, death, and seeking the Dao, threads of insight welled up in Li Fan's heart.
Waiting for the Heavenly and Earthly Immortal Souls of the Super Xuanhuang Realm to unite with the Dao did not mean Li Fan's cultivation would stagnate before then.
*Every breath, word, and deed is cultivation.*
*The myriad thoughts of all living beings are like tomes of the Dao.*
Upon the Preaching Platform, within the Great Xuan Realm, the thoughts and intents of countless living beings drifted in like scattered starlight, flooding into Li Fan's mind one after another to be perceived by him.
They transformed into a driving force, propelling the great wheel of Li Fan's cultivation steadily forward.
His choice to become the Master of Heaven and Earth in this lifetime was by no means an impulsive whim.
In the previous lifetime, when the Holy Emperor preached, he had brought up the concept of Resonating Dao Longevity. By tracing back the Dao's shadows, one could comprehend the true meaning of the Resonating Dao.
Through multiple attempts with Falsehood Is Reality, Li Fan had faintly corroborated the little girl's speculation about the Holy Emperor deducing a new method.
A projection of the Dao from top to bottom indeed made it easier to touch the Dao itself.
Without a projection, the Great Dao lay hidden in the boundless azure, unseen. One could only rely on cultivation and insight to seek Dao traces, deepening them step by step.
Though the Great Dao possessed ten thousand branches, how difficult was it for ordinary cultivators to catch a glimpse of the Dao's true face?
The True Immortal in the Immortal Ruins had the imitation inscribed Dao character for "Hunger" as an aid, yet he still sat in withered meditation for tens of thousands of years, lingering without a breakthrough.
From this, one could see how arduous comprehending the Dao was.
If even a True Immortal was like this, what of those below?
Amidst all living beings, Li Fan's situation was exceptionally peculiar. Possessing Truth-Returning, he was more like someone already standing at the finish line of this Great Dao, with the ultimate summit of the "Dao" almost within arm's reach. Thus, a seemingly miraculous wonder like Falsehood Is Reality could be performed with a cultivation level of merely the Soul Formation realm.
Regarding the interplay of truth and falsehood involved with Truth-Returning, Li Fan had previously only been able to comprehend it gradually by strengthening his bond with Truth-Returning.
However, as his comprehension of Falsehood Is Reality gradually deepened, and after coming into contact with that wondrous symbol hidden deep inside the You people, Li Fan faintly realized that he could use analogy and deduction, starting from other Dao traces to reverse-engineer and accelerate his mastery over the changes between truth and falsehood.
The Great Dao projected downward from above, forming myriad worlds.
Everything that existed in the Xuanhuang Realm—matter and consciousness—could be seen as projections of the Dao.
However, it was already at the very tail end of the projection. Attempting to trace upward from the bottom to reverse-engineer the projected Dao was an almost impossible task.
Yet as the sole surviving haven in the Sea of Stars, the Xuanhuang Realm had already gathered far too many impossibilities.
For instance, bizarre existences like the Eternal Lingering Thought, which triggered Dao resonance.
In this lifetime, Li Fan had already visited Master Tianyang's cave abode beneath the Sea of Congyun, collecting Tianyang's skeletal remains that contained an Eternal Lingering Thought.
He had tried various methods, yet could never sense the Dao resonance within it.
Yet Li Fan did not abandon his research into Dao resonance because of this. Instead, he turned to seeking a lesser alternative to the Eternal Lingering Thought.
In the 119th lifetime, Li Fan had used the Faceless True Immortal statue as a conduit to create the Web of the Red Dust Compassionate True Immortal. Among the tens of thousands of believers, only the thoughts of Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi were uniquely radiant.
Even within the web of Source Power Essence, they stood out starkly.
They were bona fide Seekers of Utmost Sincerity.
Previously, Li Fan had thought this was merely a result of their innate nature, offering no extra benefit to himself. But now, Li Fan discovered that Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi's sincere devotion to seeking the Dao was very likely the sprout of an Eternal Lingering Thought.
In other words, if guided properly to continuously deepen their conviction to seek the Dao, after Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi died, there was a chance that an Eternal Lingering Thought would be born.
*If I can't use an Eternal Lingering Thought, can't I at least use a lesser alternative?*
The discovery he had made from Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi had inspired Li Fan. Coupled with the need to use the Heavenly and Earthly Immortal Souls of the Super Xuanhuang Realm to unite with the Dao, he had naturally capitalized on the momentum to become the Master of Heaven and Earth in this lifetime.
Upon the Preaching Platform gathered the thoughts of myriad beings, like stars in the night sky, differing in brilliance.
Whenever an extraordinary one appeared, Li Fan paid special attention to it.
Regrettably, he had not yet found any with the potential to elevate into an Eternal Lingering Thought.
However, Li Fan believed that once the Preaching Platform eventually expanded to the Xuanhuang Realm, aside from Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi, he should be able to harvest a few others.
As for Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi, with their current experiences in this lifetime, they were still some distance away from the Seekers of Utmost Sincerity they had once been. Taking them as disciples right now would actually disrupt their drive to seek the Dao. Therefore, Li Fan left them alone for the time being, even deliberately adding some extra difficulties to their cultivation.
He would wait for the flowers to bloom and bear fruit before returning to harvest.
*The Dao projects into myriad worlds, and among the living beings of these worlds, there will always be a few who resonate with the Dao traces. These are the very materials I can use to advance my comprehension of the interplay between truth and falsehood.*
Having personally experienced the power of Falsehood Is Reality, Li Fan had decided to raise the priority of advancing this matter to second only to preserving his own life.
As for cultivation realms, power, or treasures—things that could be acquired in every reincarnation—they could not compare in the slightest.
*Still, it seems these brilliant living thoughts, like Eternal Lingering Thoughts, can probably only be used to comprehend the Dao once. I wonder how many people across the entire Xuanhuang Realm will be able to surprise me.*
Sweeping his divine sense across the land and watching the Great Xuan subjects who continued to stream incessantly toward the central Preaching Platform, Li Fan nodded slightly.
With a flicker of his figure, Li Fan left the Great Xuan pocket world in the next instant and arrived at Qiling Province in the Xuanhuang Realm.
An immense, cavernous underground space was suffused with an invisible, bizarre aura.
Even with his current cultivation, Li Fan had only dared come here after gathering enough Source Power Essence as protection.
Streaks of golden threads formed a protective formation, separating Li Fan from the terrifying power within this underground space.
"My guess was correct. This ancient immortal-mortal miasma has undergone an elevation and metamorphosis along with the Xuanhuang Realm," Li Fan concluded after careful observation.
In the 119th lifetime, an earthquake had struck Qiling Province, causing the ancient immortal-mortal miasma sealed here to leak and unleashing a storm of blood and slaughter. Having gathered in this underground space for thousands of years, the ancient immortal-mortal miasma seemed to have undergone a mutation, becoming even more potent than the original version.
The immortal-mortal miasma was created by Mr. Bai by defying the principles of Heaven and Earth, yet it was also part of those principles.
In this lifetime, as the Xuanhuang Realm began evolving toward the Super Xuanhuang Realm, the ancient immortal-mortal miasma within this underground space was also gathering the strength to metamorphose.
"Mortals, too, can slay immortals..."
Li Fan extended his hand, and an opening opened in the golden protective array. The invisible power seized the opening, beginning to corrode his palm.
Frowning deeply, after experiencing it for merely an instant, Li Fan decisively severed his entire arm.
Then, the Source Power Essence sealed the barrier again, keeping the miasma's corrosion at bay.
"Fascinating."
Within a breath, Li Fan's severed arm had already regrown.
Meanwhile, the arm left inside the ancient immortal-mortal miasma was devoured completely by the surrounding invisible force.
Not even withered bones remained, leaving only a pile of sand-like residue.
A rare glint of excitement flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
Among the items bound to his Truth-Returning was the Essence-Blood of Ten Thousand.
It had been refined from tens of thousands of death-row convicts.
Yet the power of the immortal-mortal miasma contained within the Essence-Blood of Ten Thousand could not match even a trace of this enhanced ancient immortal-mortal miasma.
"If the Super Xuanhuang Realm completes its final metamorphosis, to what degree will the immortal-mortal miasma here be amplified?"
In Li Fan's deductions, the power of the Sea of Stars' revival, the immortal spiritual energy from the Great Heavenly Venerable's legacy, the remnant worlds of the Sea of Stars...
Driven jointly by all these forces, it would be enough to elevate the Xuanhuang Realm to a level infinitely close to the Immortal Realm.
Or rather, in a sense, this Super Xuanhuang Realm would be a newly ascended Immortal Realm—only a notch weaker than the shattered ancient Immortal Realm.
*By then, even if it cannot outright slay an immortal, dealing a heavy wound might well be possible.*
*More crucially, this ancient immortal-mortal miasma can grow stronger alongside the Xuanhuang Realm. Its innate property of 'mortals slaying immortals' determines its indispensable value.*
*One day, when I possess the ability to truly elevate the Xuanhuang Realm into an Immortal Realm, this immortal-mortal miasma will be a consummate weapon for slaying immortals!*
At this thought, the look in Li Fan's eyes as he gazed upon the invisible power in this vast space changed completely.
Judging from Xuanyuan Hong's past experiences as King Xuantian and the clues currently glimpsed outside the High Wall, attaining immortality within the Sea of Stars likely meant facing unimaginable perils.
And the birth of an immortal domain might be just as conspicuous, but after all, it wasn't Li Fan himself. Even if it truly brought about some descending crisis, it would afford him ample buffer time.
Which was harder: achieving immortality oneself, or propelling the Xuanhuang Realm to become an immortal domain?
Unless one were a madman, anyone would surely choose the latter as the harder task.
Yet for Li Fan, the conclusion was entirely the opposite.
*The Great Heavenly Venerable's legacy and the immortal spiritual energy within the immortal artifacts are, for me, infinitely reusable resources.*
*Besides that, there are the other materials and powers across the entire Sea of Stars.*
Li Fan's thoughts spun rapidly.
*It might just be feasible.*
*I only need to wait until the end of this lifetime and see just how far this Super Xuanhuang Realm of my own making falls short of the legendary Immortal Realm before drawing a conclusion.*
The changes in this ancient immortal-mortal miasma had broadened Li Fan's perspective.
Within the Xuanhuang Realm, manifestations of the realm's laws were countless.
When the Xuanhuang Realm was elevated, these manifestations of laws would likewise be elevated in sync.
"The entire Xuanhuang Realm can be regarded as my weapon against immortals."
Li Fan narrowed his eyes.
There was a vast gulf between mortals and immortals.
However, if this "mortal" was backed by an entire Immortal Realm, then the final outcome would be an entirely different story.
*Beyond the High Wall, the situation remains unclear.*
*Using a realm as a foundation might make it easier to investigate.*
Li Fan carefully laid down formations around this underground space, preventing anyone else from discovering the immortal-mortal miasma sealed here.
"Continue to grow. When you reach the limit, that will be the day you are forged into a sword."
Only after ensuring everything was secure did Li Fan depart.
*If the plan is feasible, then it is time for me to collect some anchors.*
*The more items that can slay immortals, the better.*
Thinking this, Li Fan quietly arrived at Tianling Province, entering the void of the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven.
At this point in time, the Five Elements Grotto-Heaven had not yet fully descended.
It perfectly met the condition for absorbing and supplementing an anchor: a newborn grotto-heaven.
However, Li Fan had already used the Five Elements Grotto-Heaven to complete a charge previously; he did not know whether Truth-Returning would still respond this time.
Familiar with the way, he arrived at the gestation space interwoven with black and white.
Li Fan focused his mind, sensing the feelings conveyed by Truth-Returning.
"A bit hard to swallow, but barely passable."
After a long time, Li Fan opened his eyes, an odd expression on his face.
Composing himself, his divine sense instantly enveloped the entire Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven.
A while later...
The grotto-heaven vanished without explanation.
And Li Fan gained another available anchor.
A premonition welled up in Li Fan's heart: if he did this once more, Truth-Returning really wouldn't have any appetite left.
Unlike previously when it devoured a grotto-heaven that had already descended into the world, the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven was still in the middle of gestation.
Its unexplained disappearance naturally triggered tremors in the surrounding space.
Chapter 1312