"There is a gulf between immortals and mortals. Relying solely on ourselves, it would naturally be impossible to reach such heights. That is precisely why we must draw upon an 'outside force.' It was so for the Shang Celestial Vessel back then, and it remains so for our Xuan Celestial Vessel today!" Zhong Daogong smiled faintly, offering an ambiguous reply rather than a detailed explanation.
"An outside force? True Immortal seal characters? Is that why you wish to join hands with our Great Qi?" Li Fan asked bluntly.
"It is... and it is not." An inscrutable look passed over Zhong Daogong's face.
"Well then, now that you have witnessed the weak point in the High Wall with your own eyes, fellow daoist, our vessel's sincerity has been proven. Why do we not return to a safe place before conferring further? This is no place to linger..." Before Zhong Daogong could finish speaking, the elevated point on the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds where they stood suddenly shuddered.
Everyone could not help looking "downward."
Beneath the clustered peaks, ripples had inexplicably surged across the Pitch-Black Star Sea. They rolled onward through the sea of stars without end, like crashing billows in a sea of clouds.
"It is the Reverberating Astral Force!" The elders of the Celestial Vessel all blanched slightly.
"The scale of this eruption is considerable; I fear it will not subside anytime soon. It would be best for us to depart as soon as possible," Zhong Daogong said heavily.
Li Fan gazed into the distance. Though the distortion of their perspective prevented him from discerning concrete objects within the star sea, he could faintly sense the origin of this erupting Reverberating Astral Force.
The Great Wall of Remnant Worlds was like a breakwater. Because one of its remnant worlds had vanished, a breach had formed.
A portion of the remnant True Immortal power accumulated beneath the High Wall had found an outlet. Following this opening, it surged downward in a vast torrent.
Such a thing had also occurred in his previous life. Back then, it was because his Holy Embryo avatar had severed the numerous remnant world fragments planted by the Heavenly Physician in the Chizha Abyss, forcing the replenishment of worlds.
Yet in this life, that trigger had never happened. Why, then, had the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds been thrown into turmoil?
*Could it be a commotion stirred up by Master Yin and the others?*
*He wouldn't be that reckless...* A thread of doubt flickered in Li Fan's mind. As he pondered, the elders had already brought him down, tumbling from the "heights" of the star sea.
The surrounding vista shifted at breakneck speed. The boundless Pitch-Black Sea vanished. The Great Wall of Remnant Worlds still stood towering and majestic, making their earlier "Ascended Horizon" feel like an illusion. Clearly, ascending to that vantage point was no easy task even for the vessel's elders.
In a matter of moments, the elders were left with disordered auras, beads of sweat breaking out on their foreheads. Zhong Daogong looked toward the source of the upheaval far along the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds with a grave expression.
In the end, however, he chose not to investigate. Instead, he organized and urged the group to leave. On the return journey to the Celestial Vessel, Li Fan once again manifested the golden sword phantom to lead the way.
This time, the group truly experienced just how terrifyingly fast the sword phantom was. By the time they reached the Xuan Celestial Vessel's location, the Reverberating Astral Force had not even reached it yet.
The looks the elders cast toward Li Fan grew even more varied.
"Fellow daoist, let us enter the vessel first before discussing our future plans for cooperation," Jian Daosheng said with a beam, gesturing toward the vessel's open portal.
Unexpectedly, Li Fan decisively shook his head in refusal. "I think not. I am afraid I must make a trip back to Great Qi."
The elders' expressions instantly turned subtle.
Unafraid, Li Fan adopted a haughty demeanor. "What? It seems you gentlemen have an objection?"
"This differs from what was agreed upon beforehand, does it not? You have learned our vessel's highest secret plan, fellow daoist, and now you wish to simply walk away..." Zhong Daogong's expression turned foul. The other elders also stared fixedly at Li Fan, locking their auras onto him.
"Hmph, I suggest you save your breath. You have all seen my 'Immortal-Slaying Strike.' If I unleash it, who among you could stop me?" Li Fan said unhurriedly.
Hearing this, the elders could only meet his words with silence.
Indeed, it was faster even than the spreading speed of the remnant True Immortal power in the star sea.
It could even carry multiple people along... Such an escape art truly exceeded their comprehension. Yet allowing Li Fan to leave so easily was also entirely out of the question.
As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, it was Li Fan who took the initiative to break the deadlock. "Why must you all act like this? I am merely going and returning shortly. I understand your concerns—you fear nothing more than that I will leak the location of the High Wall's weak point. There is no need for such worry!"
"My return this time is to attempt another round of persuasion, to see whether Great Qi might have a change of heart. Having witnessed with my own eyes that such a weak point truly exists in the High Wall, my words will carry far more weight. If my master and the others still refuse to take the risk, I naturally will not expose this secret. And if I am fortunate enough to convince them..."
"We will be cooperating in the end regardless, so leaking it or not makes no difference."
"My lifespan is drawing to a close. Now, before I die, I have had the fortune of seeing with my own eyes the sole chance to cross the High Wall. How could I possibly give it up?" Li Fan said earnestly.
With that, he cupped his hands. Right before the eyes of the encircling elders, he took control of the sword phantom and tore through the void.
His speed was so immense that not even Zhong Daogong had time to react. Li Fan's figure had already vanished into thin air.
"This kid is truly troublesome to handle," Jian Daosheng said, stroking his beard with a frown.
"Nothing can be done. He possesses True Immortal seal characters, his array attainments are extraordinary, and his escape art is elusive as a phantom. Worse still, his end is near, so he does not fear death in the slightest... It is best not to make an enemy of such a person unnecessarily."
"Fortunately, he does not have many years left to live. Otherwise, our Celestial Vessel might never know peace in the future."
"I, for one, believe what he said makes sense. If Great Qi refuses to take part because their realm-protecting immortal artifact foretold calamity, then our Celestial Vessel is the only thing he can rely upon. After all, attempting to leap across the High Wall on his own is clearly unrealistic..."
While the elders were engaged in animated discussion, Li Fan had already returned to the boundary of the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds.
The Reverberating Astral Force was growing increasingly fierce, like a rising tempest. The wooden sword phantom Li Fan had left behind here was already flickering like a candle in the wind, in imminent peril.
He struck out a beam of golden light, reinforcing its stability. Li Fan searched the surrounding area for traces of Qiaogong and the others, but found nothing.
The covert marks they had agreed to leave along their paths while searching for suitable world fragments had all been scattered by the Reverberating Astral Force.
*They have all lost contact?* Li Fan was somewhat surprised.
*Fortunately, the damage to the 'Close Horizons' array is not severe.* Li Fan drifted beside the formation. After reinforcing it once more, he abandoned the thought of seeking them out.
*I can only hope fortune favors them.*
*Given their karmic luck, they should not perish from a mere eruption of Reverberating Astral Force.*
*Once the storm gradually subsides, if they are safe and sound, they should naturally return on their own.*
Passing through the grand array, he returned to Xuanhuang.
As expected, Li Fan found that a wisp of remnant True Immortal power had leaked through the formation. After laying down a net of Source Power Essence on this side of the array as a secondary seal, he finally quelled the tremors brought on by the Reverberating Astral Force.
*Among them, if anyone was most likely to trigger this anomaly in the star sea, it would have to be Master Yin.* Li Fan recalled the rather strange expression on Master Yin's face when they had first arrived at the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds.
*He must have seen scenes from the memories of the world specters he once absorbed.*
*Yet Master Yin is by no means a reckless man. If it were merely that, he would not tamper with remnant world fragments heedless of the consequences...*
*The secret behind this should be revealed once Master Yin returns.* Li Fan possessed a faint premonition that Master Yin was still alive somewhere in a corner of the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds.
He might have even stumbled upon an immense stroke of fortune.
*Could it be related to the formation of the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds?* The thought suddenly crossed Li Fan's mind. In the Pitch-Black Star Sea, not only was the origin of the High Wall unknown, but even the formation of the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds beneath it had always remained an unsolved mystery.
Back then, the countless cultivation worlds obliterated within the star sea had not converged toward the Immortal Ruins. Instead, they had piled up at the foot of the High Wall, coalescing into a single continuous mass.
In Li Fan's view, whatever sustained the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds was a magnificent power no lesser than the remnant power of a True Immortal.
Yet it lay outside Li Fan's current understanding.
One had to realize that Li Fan's breadth of experience far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators.
Through repeated cycles of reincarnation, he had explored without restraint and without fear of consequences. Within Xuanhuang and the Pitch-Black Star Sea, very few blind spots remained for him.
The great power sustaining the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds was one of them. The deepest depths of the Sea of Endless Gloom were another.
Returning to Daxuan, Li Fan used a wisp of divine sense to possess the body of a robust You person.
He then gathered the You people, initiated the ritual to enter the Sea of Endless Gloom, and stepped slowly inside.
The Sea of Endless Gloom was an expanse of endless black.
To ordinary cultivators, it was naturally a deadly peril fraught with danger. But Li Fan had walked it countless times; familiar with every step of the path, his journey was completely without incident.
Paying no heed to the ancient Xuanhuang Longevity corpses lying on the ground, he walked forward single-mindedly.
He arrived at the central core of the Spirit-Gathering Ascension Array.
Like a transparent lookout platform, it allowed him to overlook the outline of the True Immortal skeleton spanning the entire Sea of Endless Gloom.
He finally halted his steps, venturing no deeper downward to confront the remnant will to survive of the True Immortal concealed below.
Before him, ancient storm clouds accumulated over uncounted years stood in quiet stillness, resembling horrific, grotesque primordial beasts.
Looking down upon these masses of gathered power from above, Li Fan felt a faint sense of familiarity.
*Indeed, my intuition was not wrong!* A brilliant light flashed in Li Fan's eyes. The imagery he had comprehended earlier while overlooking the Sea of Endless Gloom from the peak by virtue of the High Wall's elevation appeared before his eyes once more.
It gradually overlapped with the sight of the condensing storms in the Sea of Endless Gloom.
It was not that the specific scenery was similar.
Rather, because of the convergence of energy, this part of the Sea of Endless Gloom had likewise been abruptly elevated.
*These must be the numerous peaks I saw from that high vantage point.*
*The energy gathered here is 'higher' than that of the entire Xuanhuang realm. In fact, it is even superior to the elevation reached beneath the High Wall through the momentum of the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds!* Li Fan's gaze flickered, his thoughts racing: *Not only is the Spirit-Gathering Ascension Array in the Sea of Endless Gloom built atop the remains of a True Immortal...*
*It is also because nearly ten thousand years have passed since the array was established!*
*Back then, Xuanyuan Hong established the array precisely to lead Xuanhuang across the High Wall. It was only due to various unforeseen mishaps and Xuanyuan Hong's inexplicable disappearance that the plan collapsed halfway through.*
*Yet the accumulation of energy in the Sea of Endless Gloom did not cease as a result. On the contrary, it has continued unabated for nearly ten thousand years.*
*Over ten thousand years, the star sea has undergone countless upheavals. Yet in reality, the 'height' of the High Wall hemming in the star sea has not changed at all. Which means...* Li Fan swept his gaze across the Sea of Endless Gloom below once more.
In his eyes, the gathered storm clouds suddenly transformed into mountain peaks. Every single one floated above the Pitch-Black Star Sea, facing the High Wall from afar.
*High vantage points that the people of the Celestial Vessel regard as precious treasures—points they can only reach by borrowing an outside force—are everywhere in Xuanhuang.*
*Standing here to cross the High Wall would be far easier than doing so from anywhere else.*
*The only concern is that it might stir the True Immortal's will to survive here...*
*Still, so long as I am cautious, it shouldn't pose much of a problem.* Maintaining this elevated vantage point was slightly strenuous for Li Fan.
Breathing a long sigh of relief, he returned to his normal state. He began contemplating the proper way to utilize this fortune left behind for him by Xuanyuan Hong.
*Merely using a high point as a springboard is certainly not enough. I still require more data—preferably verified through actual results...*
*The Celestial Vessel would make decent cannon fodder.*
*As a component of the Grand Star-Crossing Array, the Spirit-Gathering Ascension Array involves crossing the High Wall. The same goes for the Eye of the Tian Beast. Viewed this way, the Eye of the Tian Beast likely does not serve merely for navigation and targeting...*
*What it sees might also be the 'height of the High Wall'—a higher-dimensional perspective identical to what I witnessed before.* A faint understanding dawned in Li Fan's mind.
Controlling the You person's body, Li Fan remained in the main control hub of the Spirit-Gathering Ascension Array for a full seven days. He only stopped when the You person's frame could no longer withstand the dense power of gloom and was utterly consumed by the darkness, severing the sensory link.
Within the Daxuan pocket world, Li Fan slowly opened his eyes. His divine sense swept through heaven and earth; having grown accustomed to that higher-dimensional perspective, returning to the normal reality actually left him with a faint sense of discomfort.
*In ancient times, breaking through the limits of height allowed one to shed mortality and ascend to immortality.*
*Later, the path to immortality was severed, and the High Wall came into existence...*
*Yet perhaps the principles behind the two are somewhat similar.* Looking upon the teeming masses in Daxuan, an inexplicable wave of insight welled up in Li Fan's heart.
*It is only that the height of the High Wall is perhaps greater still than the height of attaining immortality. After all, Xuanyuan Hong was able to ascend the immortal path back then, yet he could not cross the High Wall.*
*Thinking of it another way: if one can leap across the High Wall now, perhaps in the past, one could have ascended to become an immortal.* Contemplating this, Li Fan could not help being slightly lost in thought.
*Immortal...* Ten thousand years had passed, and the world had changed. For the exact same realm of cultivation, one person attained the Dao and ascended, while another was locked beneath the High Wall.
Even if one could cross it, they would still have to confront the unknown perils lurking beyond.
*The Great Dao shifts; an immortal is no longer an immortal.* Li Fan could only sigh inwardly with such sentiment.
*If my guess is correct, and the means by which the High Wall was constructed are cut from the very same cloth as the shackles of so-called immortal ascension, then things will be quite interesting.*
Chapter 1328