"The imprint should have been freshly left by Xu Ke, but I searched all around the vicinity and found no trace of him. The residual power of the True Immortal grew increasingly fierce, and I truly couldn't hold out. With no other choice, I had to return through the teleportation array," Baihua said, still visibly shaken.
The working principle of the Close Horizons Array was actually different from an ordinary teleportation array, but the practical effect was identical. Baihua habitually referred to it as a teleportation array, and Li Fan did not bother to correct him.
Following the traces he had placed on several individuals earlier, Li Fan began sensing their current locations and conditions.
Xu Ke and Qiaogong were indeed still alive.
However, Qiaogong's situation was even better than Xu Ke's. Xu Ke's aura flickered erratically, clearly struggling immensely to survive amidst the aftershocks of the True Immortal's residual power. On Qiaogong's end, however, things were surprisingly stable, as if he were entirely unaffected by the turbulent astral power.
As for Master Yin...
The imprint left upon him had completely vanished.
"There is indeed something strange. Setting aside that his current strength shouldn't allow him to detect my methods, even if he had vaguely sensed it, given how I acted earlier, he should have seen it as my protection and wouldn't have actively removed it."
The border of the starry sea, the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds, and the High Wall were still virtually uncharted territory to Li Fan.
Letting these people of immense fortune who had survived from the ancient catastrophe scout the way was Li Fan's original intention all along. The sudden eruption of reverberating astral power merely accelerated the process.
Li Fan decided to leave them be for the time being. Once they returned, he could question them in detail.
He already understood their temperaments thoroughly; nothing too chaotic could go wrong.
"Rest assured, they are all safe and sound, and each has met with their own fortunes."
When Li Fan said this, Baihua's expression instantly became somewhat subtle.
Unconcerned with what Baihua was thinking, Li Fan handed over another mass of Source Power Essence. "Don't go back to the teleportation array for now. Wait until the storm subsides."
"However, under the sweeping buffets of the True Immortal's residual power, the array will require periodic maintenance. Otherwise, if it's damaged, someone will have to make another trip, adding many unnecessary variables. I leave this task to you."
Along with the Source Power Essence came extensive information regarding the maintenance of the Close Horizons Array.
Baihua nodded in understanding and quickly immersed himself in this profound formation knowledge. Although it covered only the basic unit structure and didn't touch upon the formation's core, it still held Baihua utterly entranced.
After making arrangements for Baihua, Li Fan gazed into the distance toward the Pitch-Black Star Sea.
"The impact of the reverberating astral power will reach the vicinity of the Xuanhuang Realm in about half a month. Just like in the previous lifetime, the entire world will plunge into violent tremors."
"If this vast, surging power is wasted for nothing, it would truly be a pity."
Having witnessed the Pitch-Black Star Sea from a higher-dimensional perspective, and having seen with his own eyes pocket worlds ascending in dimension only to plummet and shatter to dust, Li Fan had developed a new understanding of the True Immortal's residual power accumulated at the foot of the High Wall and blocked by the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds.
"The True Immortal power emanated by the True Immortal contemplating the 'Hunger' mantra within the Immortal Ruins encountered the High Wall during its outward expansion. Day after day, year after year, it continuously accumulated at the base of the High Wall. The accumulation of the True Immortal power's 'potential' formed a relative highland."
"Because it is merely a raw accumulation of energy, it cannot maintain stability."
"On one hand, it tends to tumble toward lower levels. On the other hand..."
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, as if picturing once again the magnificent spectacle beneath the High Wall.
"According to reason, this True Immortal power ought to slowly flow back into the Pitch-Black Star Sea. Yet for unknown reasons, the continuous Great Wall of Remnant Worlds formed at the base of the High Wall, firmly holding back this True Immortal power."
"This created a peculiar state of equilibrium. Now, that equilibrium has been shattered."
"The True Immortal power cascades downward like a torrential flood, slowly flowing into the low-lying Pitch-Black Star Sea, elevating the starry sea as a whole..."
A flash of enlightenment crossed Li Fan's mind.
In the previous lifetime, perhaps this event had been one of the driving forces behind the starry sea's rapid recovery.
"What I must do now is find a way to intercept this flood and preserve it for now."
"So that it may be utilized later when the Xuanhuang Realm ascends."
This was undoubtedly a colossal undertaking.
Achieving perfection within a mere half a month was impossible; Li Fan could only do everything within his power.
The position of the Xuanhuang Realm was very peculiar.
Just outside the Immortal Ruins. Because of the True Immortal contemplating the Dao within the ruins, when viewed across the topographical distribution of elevations throughout the Pitch-Black Star Sea, the Xuanhuang Realm was definitely situated near the highest peak.
In fact, because of its close proximity, it was itself positioned on a relative elevation—much like a mound rising at the foot of an abrupt mountain.
"Therefore, as if shielded by an invisible barrier, the shock the Xuanhuang Realm naturally has to face will be much smaller."
"And what I must do is create a depression, then divert and store the True Immortal power from a vast area as much as possible."
Li Fan nodded slightly.
Li Fan had already personally experienced the journey of ascent. To climb higher and approach immortality, one only needed to continuously stimulate energy and elevate one's domain.
However, as for how to create a depression...
Li Fan currently had no clue.
However, when looking down from the heights of the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds and from the master control core of the Pitch-Black Star Sea, he had indeed seen areas in the starry sea that were lower-lying than ordinary regions.
"I should go take a look first."
Decisive as always, Li Fan first went to Ou Shangtian and generated some more True Immortal flesh.
Looking at Ou Shangtian, whose face was as pale as beaten gold, Li Fan frowned slightly.
"It seems finding True Immortal skeletal remains has become an urgent matter."
Li Fan suppressed the thought for now. Source Power Essence transformed into a suit of protective golden armor. The wooden sword phantom unsheathed, and in an instant, he had already left the Xuanhuang Realm, speeding through the Pitch-Black Star Sea.
As he flew rapidly toward the target region in his memory, he sensed the variations in elevation.
When the wooden sword passed beyond a certain region of the starry sea, Li Fan seemed to detect something.
He turned back, coming to a halt in the void to observe carefully.
"This place is indeed a natural depression."
"Yet if I hadn't witnessed the perspective of higher and lower elevations and observed without a higher-dimensional vantage, I likely would never have noticed anything unusual here."
"It looks no different from any other region in the starry sea."
Li Fan frowned. Strands of divine sense flew forth, fanning out to explore various points across the area.
The result matched his senses.
This depression did not appear to differ from normal regions merely due to having a lower potential.
After standing there for half a day still at a loss, Li Fan suddenly realized something.
Controlling the spiritual energy in his body, he flicked his finger and shot out a streak of sword qi.
It only simulated an ordinary Soul Formation cultivator's strike, yet as the sword qi whistled past, the space along its path was actually torn open into a fissure.
Although fleeting, and the rift quickly restored itself, it did not escape Li Fan's gaze.
"So that's how it is."
"This depression has become fragile," Li Fan realized.
It was not merely space itself.
Rather, all conditions maintaining the existence of this space had suffered a drastic decay compared to normal regions of the starry sea.
"Xuanhuang is to this place as the Immortal Realm is to the Xuanhuang Realm."
"Perhaps an exaggeration, but it illustrates well the distinction between the three."
"A Dao Integration cultivator from the Xuanhuang Realm would probably be like a True Immortal in this region. Annihilating a world with a single glance wouldn't take the slightest effort."
Li Fan felt the fragility of this depression.
"In terms of potential height, the difference compared to the Xuanhuang Realm isn't actually that vast. Yet manifested in tangible phenomena, the effect is so pronounced." Li Fan fell into pensive silence.
"If it were even lower—dropped to the absolute limit—what would happen?"
The question sprang unbidden to his mind.
Li Fan's thoughts drifted.
However, this place was already practically the lowest point in the Pitch-Black Star Sea.
As for Li Fan's question, there was currently no ready answer for reference.
With the day of the reverberating astral power's impact drawing nearer, Li Fan's thoughts returned to the present.
"With my current understanding, I cannot yet decipher the specific reason these depressions form."
"Still, that doesn't prevent me from putting it to use first."
Back when Li Fan served as an official in Great Xuan, he had personally surveyed the land, drawn blueprints, and built water conservancy projects to benefit the local populace.
Now, in his eyes, the project of diverting the True Immortal power into this depression was fundamentally no different from water conservancy construction.
"This depression is a natural reservoir."
"All I need to do is channel the True Immortal power here!"
"The first priority is to prevent this depression from absorbing the diverted True Immortal power. Otherwise, it will only cause the depression to elevate and disappear..."
"Source Power Essence is insoluble in True Immortal power, making it the perfect material."
A sharp gleam flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
Then, an endless expanse of Source Power Essence, like a bolt of cloth, erupted from his body.
Just a thin layer, meant purely for insulation.
Under Li Fan's guidance, it quickly covered the entire depression.
Golden light drifted and dispersed as the Source Power Essence faded into the darkness. Outwardly, it seemed no different from before.
Yet Li Fan knew that compared to earlier, a qualitative transformation had taken place.
"Next, I must enlarge the inlet to this depression as much as possible."
"At the same time, I must continuously reinforce the insulating layer at the bottom."
"Source Power Essence is running a bit low; I can only trouble the You people for a bit."
With a shift of Li Fan's divine sense, the You people kept in captivity within the Great Xuan pocket world all sensed something.
One after another, they awoke from their slumber.
Then, kneeling in deep prostration, they began praying devoutly without food or water.
As the Source Power Essence gradually replenished, Li Fan once again took a higher-dimensional perspective to look down upon the area.
The boundary was irregular, and its expanse was not particularly large.
At its current size, when the True Immortal's residual power swept through, the amount gathered might be exceedingly limited.
"How should I divert the flow?"
After some thought, an idea struck him.
The wooden sword phantom flashed repeatedly.
Over the next several days, Li Fan laid down Ascent Array after Ascent Array across the vast starry space surrounding the depression.
Because the True Immortal flesh was consumed too quickly, Li Fan had no choice but to return to the Xuanhuang Realm once more.
Ou Shangtian was on the verge of breathing his last; even fine cracks had appeared across the Kunqian Bone Hand. Clearly, it would be unable to generate any more True Immortal flesh in the short term.
Nonetheless, he had finally gathered enough material.
The formations were completed according to plan.
Sensing the imminent arrival of the reverberating astral power, Li Fan waited in silence.
"For now, I haven't found a way to anchor the ascended state."
"However, triggering a short burst to form peaks and alter the flow of the True Immortal power is entirely achievable."
"According to my precise calculations, the True Immortal power across this vast surrounding starry space will all be channeled right here."
Buzz...
Amid Li Fan's anticipation, the reverberating astral power arrived as scheduled, like a surging tide and a terrifying tempest.
With resolute eyes, Li Fan activated the Ascent Arrays one after another.
In the Pitch-Black Star Sea, not far outside the Xuanhuang Realm, a marvelous spectacle unfolded across the starry sky.
Ordinary people could not perceive it.
Only supreme experts standing atop the peaks to look down might catch a glimpse from above.
Low-lying mountain peaks suddenly bulged upward,
standing directly in the path of the surging tide of True Immortal power.
Although these peaks tumbled back down shortly after rising,
they had, after all, truly and genuinely collided with the tide of True Immortal power.
The low peaks collapsed amid roaring rumblings.
And through impact after impact, the surging tide of True Immortal power shifted its course,
converging tumultuously toward the depression Li Fan had demarcated.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
At first, it was merely gusts of gentle breeze.
Yet as more and more of the diverted True Immortal power gathered, the howling True Immortal power here surprisingly became even stronger than at the initial eruption site beneath the High Wall.
Li Fan was forced to take shelter within the wooden sword phantom, relying on the profundities of the Transformation of Real and Fake to evade the True Immortal power's influence.
Watching the depression slowly fill,
even with Li Fan's temperament, a wave of pride couldn't help welling up within him.
"What a True Immortal can do, I can do as well now!"
"Even if it's a bit troublesome, as long as I master the concrete method, I can replicate it countless times in the future!"
Just like accumulating beneath the High Wall and being held back by the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds,
massive amounts of True Immortal power piled up within the depression.
Due to the insulation of the Source Power Essence and the natural uniqueness of this location,
the potential of space itself did not rise; it merely accumulated power continuously.
It was as though another Immortal Ruins were slowly emerging before Li Fan's eyes.
The wooden sword phantom flickered between light and dark.
The gravitational pull it endured grew stronger and stronger, as if truly confronting the True Immortal of the Immortal Ruins face-to-face.
Li Fan frowned, maneuvering the phantom out of the depression's expanse.
The instant he exited the depression, Li Fan felt the immense suction gathered inside immediately diminish by more than half.
It was as though the two were not in the same world.
The convergence of the True Immortal power tide continued.
Eventually, only after the depression was completely filled did the overflowing tide begin sweeping toward other regions of the starry sea.
However, with such a massive reservoir, the storm's power had already been significantly dampened.
Most notably, this reservoir lay directly ahead of the Xuanhuang Realm, leaving all living beings in the Xuanhuang Realm barely sensing any of the turbulent commotion it brought.
In this lifetime, the members of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals who had likewise received a warning from Heavenly Venerable Chuanfa looked at one another in bewilderment.
"The tremor the Heavenly Venerable spoke of... surely it hasn't arrived yet?"
"This is definitely just a prelude. The big one is yet to come!"
Chapter 1331