"Oh? I would be glad to hear the details," Li Fan said, his expression turning solemn.
"Can you tell, Fellow Daoist, what miraculous purpose this seal character for [Ancient] possesses?" Zhong Daogong teased, keeping him in suspense.
Li Fan pondered for a moment, his fingers sketching lightly in the void. "'Ancient' signifies the past, the bygone... Time reversal?"
Gazing down at that enigmatic glyph on the ground of the ruins, Li Fan savored its essence, his eyes lighting up.
Zhong Daogong clapped his hands in praise. "Your comprehension is truly remarkable, Fellow Daoist! Even the quickest among our vessel's elders needed several days to glean an understanding from it. Who would have thought you would see through it at a single glance!
"However, describing its power as time reversal might not be entirely accurate. It is more akin to an object itself reverting to its past..."
Li Fan listened to his explanation and nodded slightly.
"Sounds somewhat similar to Ou Shangtian's Kunqian Bone Hand," he mused to himself.
"At the peak of its power, the character [Ancient] would undoubtedly bring about a terrifying catastrophe within its area of influence. All things would devolve toward their former states—from life unto death, turning into shifting sands. Truly becoming relics of the past..." Zhong Daogong waved his hand, conjuring dozens of projected images before them.
Once [Ancient] appeared, cultivators, towering trees, sprawling buildings upon the earth, and even the world itself seemed to experience time rewinding, devolving in reverse against space-time. In the end, all turned into imperceptible particles, scattered by the wind.
"If this original artifact still held its original might, our Celestial Vessel would have no choice but to steer clear no matter how coveted it was, not daring to lay a finger on it. But now..."
Next, the people of the Celestial Vessel demonstrated the miraculous utility of this True Immortal seal character through action.
The eldest among the elders, Jian Daosheng of the Severing Immortal Tower, slowly flew toward the glyph for [Ancient].
He did not draw too close, instead hovering in midair at a safe distance.
What Zhong Daogong had said about the glyph's power being exhausted was, in truth, only relative. In fact, faint remnants of power still lingered upon the original inscription. Compared to [Ancient] in its prime, it was virtually negligible. Yet just like that character [?], it brought disaster when strong, but benefit when weak. Once the regressive force of [Ancient] was reduced to an appropriate threshold...
The wrinkles on Jian Daosheng's face began to recede. Amidst his white brows and hair, streaks of black suddenly surfaced. His frame stood straight once more, and even his spirit grew noticeably revitalized.
This scene was nothing less than rejuvenating from old age, reclaiming youth!
The elders of the Celestial Vessel were already well accustomed to this, but Li Fan narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
Jian Daosheng did not wait until he had completely reverted to his youth. After lingering within the character's radius for merely a few breaths of time, he drifted back.
Li Fan understood that this was to prevent himself from being affected too deeply by [Ancient].
After Jian Daosheng, the other elders of the Celestial Vessel took turns stepping near the original glyph. Some stayed longer and some shorter, but all emerged looking considerably younger.
"With this character here, doesn't that mean you can achieve immortality and eternal youth?" Li Fan exclaimed in wonder.
Zhong Daogong gave a wry smile. "It is not as simple as it seems. It can only grant agelessness. As for eternal life..."
He shook his head. "Rejuvenating through the character [Ancient] does indeed grant a slight increase to one's lifespan cap. However, the more times it is used, the weaker the effect becomes. Once one's lifespan reaches its ultimate limit, it will no longer increase.
"Even so, a youthful vessel is indeed far better than a body on the brink of its natural end."
Once all the elders had finished, Zhong Daogong turned to Li Fan and asked, "Would you care to try it for yourself, Fellow Daoist?"
Li Fan politely declined. "I am not yet thirty, right at the peak of my physical prime. Reverting to childhood would only do me harm."
At those words, the space within the Divine Tree instantly fell dead silent.
The elders all fixed their gazes upon Li Fan as though looking at a monster.
The expression on Zhong Daogong's face grew rather stiff. "Fellow Daoist, surely you must be joking?"
Judging from Li Fan's strength, as well as the mastery of formations and seal characters he had displayed, the people of the vessel had long assumed he was a cultivator who had lived for hundreds or even thousands of years.
Yet now Li Fan claimed he was not even thirty?
How could the people of the Celestial Vessel accept this in an instant!
Li Fan chuckled softly. "I merely learn things a bit faster than most. In our Great Qi, geniuses even more gifted than myself may be rare, but they do exist. There is no need for such alarm, fellow Daoists."
His words threw the hearts of the Celestial Vessel's elders into utter turmoil.
Working together, they resealed the character [Ancient] and escorted Li Fan out of the Divine Tree's interior.
"Please rest here for now, Fellow Daoist, and do not leave for the moment. We still have matters to deliberate..."
Inside a pavilion courtyard at the pinnacle of the Celestial Vessel's space, reminiscent of a mountain peak, Zhong Daogong gave these instructions.
"Ah, right—these are the three items you selected earlier." Handing over a scroll of white paper, Zhong Daogong hurried away.
Paying no heed to the elders, Li Fan slowly unfurled the white paper in his hand. The three treasures sprang forth from the parchment and hovered before him.
He had already examined the bronze crane and the seven-colored light closely beforehand.
With a wave of his hand, Li Fan stowed them away for safekeeping.
His attention then settled upon the figurine with lowered eyelids.
Sensing the faint tremors stirring from Trueness, Li Fan focused his mind.
Just like the previous two items, an instant later, the figurine vanished into thin air.
Yet this time, it was not stowed away; rather, it turned into an inexplicable energy and was absorbed by [Trueness].
Li Fan stared intently at the [Trueness] panel.
Like faint currents of electricity flashing across, the characters on the [Trueness] panel flickered several times.
Finally, it returned to stillness.
Li Fan's gaze fell upon the line that had changed.
"Reversion charging progress: 400%."
"Hmm?" Li Fan's eyes narrowed slightly.
The reversion charging progress was the prerequisite for activating [Trueness] to invert all things. Only when the charging progress reached 100% could reality be turned into illusion and truth into falsehood.
This was also why Li Fan, after each cycle of Trueness, had always hidden in the Great Xuan pocket world and waited until it was fully charged before venturing outside.
Previously, the cap for reversion charging progress had been 200%.
Charging progress exceeding 100% could ward off external attacks for Li Fan at critical moments, ensuring that [Trueness] could be activated smoothly.
However, as the enemies Li Fan provoked grew increasingly formidable, this protective function had become somewhat trivial.
The progress depleted far too quickly to be of much use beyond negligible comfort.
Now, however, this figurine had doubled the charging cap in one stroke.
Moreover, Li Fan could sense that if this additional 200% charging progress was not consumed in this lifetime, it would not disappear with the reset of [Trueness].
Instead, it would remain stored within [Trueness].
In other words, he could rely on this to undergo three consecutive cycles of Trueness.
"Intriguing."
Li Fan recalled the appearance of the figurine. "The origins of this figurine are quite bizarre. To be able to add 200% to the charging cap, it is definitely an extraordinary object.
"I wonder, if I encounter this item again in the next lifetime and absorb it, will the charging cap increase even further?"
Up to now, Li Fan had still not deciphered the exact mechanism behind [Trueness]'s charging.
The unknown medium required to activate [Trueness] could only accumulate slowly with the passage of time.
"Perhaps by thoroughly investigating this figurine, I can unravel this mystery." Li Fan narrowed his eyes, committing this goal to memory.
A 400% charging cap was nothing short of an extra protective umbrella for Li Fan. More crucially, if he encountered the Faceless True Immortal or even higher-level entities, he could execute multiple consecutive activations of Trueness to rid himself of their threat as much as possible.
Otherwise, if he possessed only a single activation of Trueness, facing another fatal crisis right upon returning to the established anchor would place him in extreme peril.
From this perspective, the figurine's practical value for preserving his life could not be overstated.
"The Celestial Vessel truly is my blessed land.
"In a moment, I can also inquire with them about the origins of this figurine," Li Fan thought to himself.
Before long, Zhong Daogong led the group of elders back before Li Fan.
It seemed their recent discussion had reached a consensus; the faint hostility and killing intent Li Fan had previously sensed from several among them had completely vanished.
"Are you satisfied with this transaction, Fellow Daoist?" Zhong Daogong began by asking.
"I have reaped a rich harvest. Once I return, my master will surely bestow rewards upon me. Ah, rest assured, I will do my utmost to investigate information regarding that thief for you," Li Fan promised.
"Hehe, then we thank you in advance, Fellow Daoist."
After the pleasantries, Zhong Daogong changed the subject. "You have already proven your credibility to our vessel. Following unanimous deliberation among our elders, perhaps we can pursue a deeper collaboration."
Li Fan grew interested. "Do you have other True Immortal seal characters you have yet to show?"
Zhong Daogong waved his hand. "Not a True Immortal seal character. But something far more important than that."
The scenery of pavilions around them suddenly shifted, as if they had arrived within the Pitch-Black Star Sea in an instant.
Following Zhong Daogong's gesture, the surrounding light and shadows morphed rapidly, passing through the sprawling Sea of Relics and the endless Great Wall of Remnant Worlds, arriving at a place of nothingness.
"This is..." Li Fan started slightly.
"The High Wall. Beneath the High Wall," Zhong Daogong replied solemnly, his expression complicated.
"Oh?"
Li Fan looked left and right before saying, "I, too, have been beneath the High Wall, the very end of the Pitch-Black Sea. The road ahead is severed, yet no physical High Wall can be seen...
"Why do you show me this sight of the High Wall?"
Zhong Daogong's gaze was profound. "The High Wall stretches endlessly, encircling the entire star sea. However, the section of the High Wall our Celestial Vessel is showing you right now is different from anywhere else."
"Different? Both are the High Wall—what could possibly be different about it?" Li Fan looked startled.
It was Jian Daosheng who answered him. "This area can be said to be the weakest part of the entire High Wall. If there is anywhere in the star sea where one might cross the High Wall, this place offers the greatest chance!"
"I imagine that in your homeland, Fellow Daoist, there are many cultivators who are unwilling to remain trapped in the Pitch-Black Star Sea for generations and wish to escape, are there not? If we collaborate, we may well succeed," Zhong Daogong said slowly.
"The weakest part of the High Wall..." Li Fan stared at the scene projected by the vessel, repeating the phrase several times under his breath.
Rather than answering directly, he asked in return, "How did you determine this? The existence of the High Wall already lies beyond current comprehension. Formless and intangible, it cannot be seen. How could you possibly identify its most fragile section with such precision?"
Zhong Daogong smiled faintly. "This matter involves top secrets of our Celestial Vessel. Until our two sides formally establish a partnership, forgive us for being unable to disclose it.
"However, rest assured, this is unequivocally true. You may report this matter back. When you dispatch someone again, our Celestial Vessel can verify it for you in advance."
Li Fan took on a solemn expression. After pondering for a long time, he cupped his hands. "This matter is indeed of immense consequence, beyond what I can decide on my own. Once I return, I will certainly report back to my elders. Whatever the outcome, I will surely give you an answer."
"Then we shall await your good news, Fellow Daoist!"
Under the watchful eyes of the elders, Li Fan flew off in an escape light, leaving the Celestial Vessel behind and vanishing into the boundless star sea.
"A risky move. If this gets out..."
"What is there to fear? Is someone in this star sea going to come knocking on our doors demanding that we share the location of the High Wall's weak point? If you ask me, that would be even better. We are all fish in a boiling pot; we should have united long ago!"
"Indeed. This Great Qi civilization is stronger than us, not weaker. After all, they have survived from the Great Tribulation to this day, and they occupy an entire cultivation realm. They are a suitable partner."
"And there is that realm-protecting immortal artifact..."
The elders chattered amongst themselves.
On the other side, Li Fan, who was returning to the wooden sword phantom, contemplated the information the Celestial Vessel had just revealed.
Although they had not stated it outright, based on the crucial intelligence he had obtained during his undercover days in his previous life, it was not difficult to deduce why they knew of the High Wall's weakest point.
"In my previous life, Zhong Daogong once mentioned that the Xuanshang Celestial Vessel split in the past precisely because a faction aboard decided to ram into the High Wall to escape the star sea.
"And in the end, they actually succeeded.
"This weak point in the High Wall is likely the location where the Shang Celestial Vessel rammed into it back then. Relying on the mutual resonance between the Xuan and Shang vessels, the Xuan Celestial Vessel was able to determine the exact coordinates..."
Had the people of the vessel not revealed this matter, Li Fan would have triggered the hidden measures he had planted in the Baiwen Immortal Record the moment he departed, plundering all the treasures within.
Now that the Celestial Vessel still held secrets waiting to be unearthed, however, there was no harm in waiting a bit longer.
"The Celestial Vessel's persistent obsession with collecting True Immortal seal characters might stem not only from the characters' inherent powers, but also from this plan to escape the star sea.
"Ramming the High Wall...
"I wonder how the Shang Celestial Vessel managed to pull it off back then," Li Fan pondered.
Inside the wooden sword phantom, Master Yin was resting.
The others were still shuttling across the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds, searching for suitable world fragments to serve as medicinal primers for Xuanhuang.
After replenishing their supply of Void Clarity Flowing Crystals, Li Fan did not return to the people of the Celestial Vessel.
Instead, he passed through the So Near Yet Worlds Apart Array, first returning to the Xuanhuang Realm.
The Great Xuan pocket world.
Li Fan's figure flickered, appearing beside the soundly sleeping Ou Shangtian.
Sensing the Kunqian Bone Hand still gestating within the boy's body, Li Fan used his hand as a brush to write out the character [Ancient].
Focusing his divine sense, he observed the changes inside Ou Shangtian.
His comprehension of the ancient glyph was still in its rudimentary stages, and he had not infused much spiritual power into it, so the strength of this character [Ancient] was extremely feeble.
It barely enveloped Ou Shangtian's body.
Chapter 1323