"As body merges into the cosmos, let intent gallop across the star river. Taijia Boundless, spirit wanders; Taijia Changeless, spirit transforms; Taijia Non-Void, spirit divines..."
Li Fan chanted continuously in his heart.
And in his field of vision, just as the Sacred Emperor had once experienced, the seemingly pitch-black, annihilated star sea suddenly flickered with starlight here and there.
This time, however, was different from making direct contact with the star sea's primordial true intent.
With the Taijia Divine Technique serving as a "translator" bridging the connection between them, Li Fan sensed that the star sea's primordial true intent naturally held a measure of goodwill toward him.
Not only did its contempt for insignificant mortal creatures fade and vanish, but Li Fan could even sense that the star sea's consciousness was listening.
How immense was the chasm between a cultivator and the vast star sea?
Yet relying on the Taijia Divine Technique, that disparity could actually be drastically narrowed! Part of this was naturally because the star sea was in a newly nascent state of revival following destruction, while Li Fan's strength already stood at the pinnacle of mortals across the star sea.
Even so, it could not be denied that the Taijia Divine Technique was indeed an exquisitely profound divine ability.
"Only by attaining a remarkably high degree of understanding of the star sea's essence could one create such a technique."
"Perhaps the creator of this divine technique had long since ascended to immortality," Li Fan thought as the notion flashed through his mind.
Still, he did not forget the purpose of this communion.
Maintaining his state of casting the Taijia Divine Technique, Li Fan wore a solemn expression. First, he extolled the grandeur of the star sea and its revival from ruin.
Next, he laid out the current reality of the star sea still lying in dead silence, and specifically highlighted the star sea's sole remaining bastion of life: the Xuanhuang Realm.
Finally, Li Fan sincerely petitioned the star sea's consciousness, seeking its assistance in sublimating the Xuanhuang Realm and escaping the Immortal Ruins.
Like an ancient emperor offering sacrifices and prayers to Heaven.
After finishing his plea, Li Fan remained silent, patiently awaiting a response from the star sea's primordial consciousness.
As if posed with a difficult conundrum, the star sea's consciousness gave no reply for a long time.
Yet Li Fan could feel that the connection between them had not severed, so he continued to stand and wait.
During the communion with the star sea's consciousness, thoughts and insights concerning the Dao of the star sea flooded in one after another. It was as though he had entered the legendary state of unity between heaven and man; with every passing moment, he seemed to undergo an epiphany.
To Li Fan's slight regret, however, these insights were like sprays of foam upon a surging sea. Though they rose and fell in succession, as each wave crashed down, they soon melted back into the water.
"These are not insights earned by myself, but natural phenomena arising from being in this unique state. How much I can retain in the end depends entirely on my own fortune..." Li Fan realized.
Immersed in this state bordering on enlightenment, he lost track of time. Finally, the star sea's consciousness provided an answer.
Immediately afterward, Li Fan was forcibly expelled, his connection to the star sea's consciousness severed.
The knowledge that the Taijia Divine Technique could not be used again for some time, along with a peculiar summoning ritual—these two insights surfaced simultaneously in Li Fan's mind.
"It seems the underlying principle of the Taijia Divine Technique is consuming the goodwill of the star sea's primordial consciousness. Furthermore, this goodwill slowly accumulates over time. Ever since the Taijia Realm fell, ten thousand years have passed without a single cultivator casting the technique. That is why the goodwill accumulated over all these years reached such an astonishing level, giving me the distinct sense that the star sea was actively listening..." Li Fan thought, coming to an understanding after completing the communion ritual.
"However, the goodwill accumulated across those years was wiped out clean by the request I made. For at least the remaining twenty years of this lifetime, there will be no way to get it to do anything else of use. But no matter—having mastered the Taijia Divine Technique, I will have ten thousand years of accumulated goodwill at my disposal once again in the next life."
Perhaps ten thousand years of accumulated goodwill was truly substantial, or perhaps the sublimation of the Xuanhuang Realm was indeed beneficial to the overall revival of the star sea.
In any case, the star sea's consciousness agreed to Li Fan's request and would provide aid in the sublimation of Xuanhuang.
The ritual it imparted was precisely the method to receive the star sea's assistance.
"Once the ritual is arranged, the star sea will directly bestow its mighty power."
"Even an infant star sea is far beyond anything the Xuanhuang Realm, formed from the fusion of myriad realms, can compare to."
"With another layer of support, the plan for Xuanhuang's sublimation is that much more certain."
A peculiar look suddenly flickered in Li Fan's eyes. "I only wonder whether this ritual will still work in the next life."
A moment later, Li Fan shook his head slightly, discarding the thought. "To put it simply, this ritual is merely a signal beacon. Whether it chooses to help is still up to the star sea's consciousness. Without the groundwork of prior communication, the star sea would likely only feel disturbed and enraged. Not only would there be no assistance, but it might even send down calamity and punishment."
Now that the goodwill was completely spent, Li Fan was no different from any other cultivator in the eyes of the star sea. The duration of the Ascent Formation had also reached its limit, so Li Fan departed aboard his wooden sword projection, leaving the formation to collapse.
The collapse of the towering peak kicked up faint ripples at the heart of the star sea. As the commotion gradually settled, an extremely faint wisp of black Qi emerged unnoticed.
It was identical to the wisp of black Qi that had appeared previously when Li Fan used the Ascent Formation to conduct the pocket world sublimation experiment, after the pocket world plummeted from the heights and annihilated.
Only this time, no pocket world had fallen; the black Qi was born purely because this place was near where the star sea's primordial consciousness was most active.
Compared to the wisp later swallowed by Dharma Transmitter Jiang, the wisp at the center of the star sea seemed far weaker.
Yet calling it weak was unquestionably an illusion.
With steady progression over time, this faint wisp of black Qi slowly grew. Wherever it enveloped, the star sea—whose vitality had just begun to stir—was plunged completely into nothingness.
Yet bizarrely, the star sea's primordial consciousness failed to notice the existence of this moth-like black Qi.
It allowed the Qi to continually devour the star sea's vitality, entirely helpless.
At first, the black Qi grew at an extremely sluggish pace. But as the regions of the star sea it swallowed expanded, its capacity for growth increased steadily as well.
Before long, this black Qi of unknown origin would surely sweep across the star sea with horrifying speed.
For now, however, the black Qi was still developing in silence.
The surviving beings across the star sea were wholly oblivious to it.
And Li Fan, the instigator, was likewise unaware of the calamity he had casually spawned.
By this time, he had already returned to the Xuanhuang Realm and recounted his experiences at the center of the star sea to Master Yin and the others.
Baihua exclaimed in wonder again and again, joy lighting her eyes. "Ten thousand years of Taijia Realm's accumulation has ended up paving the way for our Xuanhuang Realm! With the help of the star sea's consciousness, Xuanhuang's sublimation is just around the corner!"
Master Yin was much calmer. "Earlier, near the fragments of the Taijia Realm, I also found world fragments that can serve as medicinal primers for Xuanhuang.
"However, because I rashly devoured the Taijia Realm fragments, the stability of the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds was compromised. I fear we must wait a while until the storm of Reverberating Astral Force has completely passed before we can carry out the next step."
Baihua grew even more delighted. "Truly, when one step goes smoothly, every step follows! From the look of it, we will only need to wait half a year at most before we can formally launch the Xuanhuang sublimation plan."
Li Fan smiled. "It is not quite that simple. Though we have gained the star sea's aid, we must not let down our guard. The star sea's mighty power is like a potent tonic. Administered properly, it can cure the ailment immediately. But if handled improperly..."
"The weakened vessel cannot withstand the tonic and will suffer harm instead!"
Hearing this, Baihua turned solemn.
Using the principles of the Heaven-Man World, Li Fan gave the two another lecture. Then he assigned tasks to each of them.
"Xu Ke is still beneath the High Wall. His vitality is not extinguished, so he must have encountered some fortuitous chance. Since you caused the storm of Reverberating Astral Force, go and retrieve him!" Li Fan said to Master Yin.
"As it should be!" Master Yin nodded in agreement.
Li Fan then looked toward Baihua. "On this journey to the border of the star sea, both Master Yin and Xu Ke made gains. Though you returned safely, you had no such fortune..."
Baihua gave a wry smile, but then, as if realizing something, she looked at Li Fan with a flicker of anticipation in her eyes.
"In the star sea, the High Wall is not the only place with fortuitous encounters. Go examine this place; you may find something." Giving her coordinates in the Pitch-Black Star Sea not far from the Xuanhuang Realm, Li Fan wore an inscrutable expression.
"Remember: do not be greedy, and prioritize safety. If fate is not on your side, simply return."
Baihua firmly memorized the location Li Fan provided, then cupped her hands in thanks.
Watching the two depart one after the other, Li Fan calculated that enough time had passed, and only then slowly headed back toward the celestial vessel.
The location he pointed out to Baihua was a natural "high ground" outside the Xuanhuang Realm.
During his flights, Li Fan had passed it several times. Although on the surface he had discovered nothing, in his heart he had always harbored a vague feeling that it might conceal some unknown secret.
During his brief communion with the star sea's consciousness, Li Fan had become even more certain of his judgment.
So he sent Baihua ahead to scout it out first.
The known high grounds in the star sea—the High Wall, the Sea of Endless Gloom—were all fraught with peril. Even though he now possessed sufficient strength to protect himself, Li Fan still refused to rush in first.
Before long, he arrived outside the Xuan Celestial Vessel.
Intentionally releasing his aura, the vessel's elders soon arrived.
They surrounded Li Fan on all sides.
Seeing that Li Fan had returned as agreed, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Then their expressions turned solemn as they got down to business.
"Fellow Daoist, what did... Great Qi have to say?" Jian Daosheng was the first to ask.
A flicker of anger flashed in Li Fan's eyes. "Petty, scheming cowards! Best not to speak of them!"
Zhong Daogong smiled faintly, his eyes glinting. "It seems you failed to persuade them, Fellow Daoist?"
"You could say that." Li Fan snorted coldly. "I recounted what I saw beneath the High Wall to my teacher, but to my dismay, they remained unimpressed.
"My teacher even told me that in the star sea, high points like that are actually not rare. Yet that kind of height, compared to the height of the High Wall, is like the gulf between mountain peaks on the ground and the firmament...
"'Hoping to scale it is nothing but a fool's daydream!'"
Li Fan's words caused the expressions of all the vessel's elders to shift slightly.
"Without special means, merely borrowing height indeed cannot cross the High Wall," Zhong Daogong said with a faint, enigmatic smile.
"However... did you say just now that there are many other high points in the star sea?" Zhong Daogong suddenly shifted the topic, his expression turning solemn.
Li Fan nodded. "Correct. My master even took me personally to one of them. It was indeed true; though it was slightly lower than the spot on the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds, one could still gaze upon the High Wall from there."
Hearing this, Zhong Daogong fell silent for a long time.
After an unknown consultation with the other elders, he finally said slowly after a long while, "It seems our celestial vessel truly underestimated the world. How could a civilization that survived from the great calamity to this day be simple?"
"Strong they may be, but they are as timid as mice. They do not even have the courage to try," Li Fan retorted with a cold snort.
Zhong Daogong, on the contrary, took the initiative to defend the nonexistent Great Qi: "You are looking at this too simply, Fellow Daoist.
"Even with the traces left by predecessors, crossing the High Wall still demands the utmost effort of an entire civilization. It is not something that can be described as merely giving it a try.
"They have survived peacefully in the star sea for tens of thousands of years, and perhaps will continue to survive. There is absolutely no need to take such risks. Of course, Fellow Daoist, you do not have long to live, and wishing to hear the true Dao before death is entirely understandable," Zhong Daogong said expansively.
Li Fan snorted again, but argued no further.
A brief awkward silence fell between both sides.
It was Jian Daosheng who spoke up again: "Naturally, Fellow Daoist can rest assured. Our celestial vessel's conviction to cross the High Wall has never wavered. If you wish to fulfill your desire, cooperating with us is likely your only choice."
Only then did Li Fan seem to recall something, asking with a frown, "What is the reason your celestial vessel is so obsessed with this?
"Merely because the other half of the celestial vessel exists beyond the High Wall?"
Jian Daosheng did not answer directly, instead remarking pointedly, "Before this, the vessel's situation was actually much like yours. And now, while there might be another turn of fortune, we already have a tiger by the tail.
"Besides, with the precedent of the Shang Celestial Vessel, replicating the feat of crossing the High Wall...
"Is not as difficult as imagined."
"This applies only to our Xuan Celestial Vessel," Zhong Daogong added.
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, studying the vessel's elders. "It seems your celestial vessel still holds secrets."
Zhong Daogong smiled without answering.
"Since you have such confidence, how could I be faint-hearted?" Li Fan said in a deep voice.
"I shall do everything in my power to help the vessel succeed. All that I learned in my lifetime from Great Qi should never have been passed outside. But now..."
Hearing this, the elders could not help a flash of delight crossing their eyes.
"To be frank with you all, aside from True Immortal seal characters, my deepest studies lie in the Dao of formations. In addition, I have mastered an ancient divine technique capable of communicating with the star sea's consciousness..." Li Fan raised his head and began introducing his skills.
The vessel's elders listened, their eyes gleaming with wonder.
"Of the True Immortal seal characters researched by Great Qi, is the character 'Creation' that you demonstrated to us last time the highest among them?" Zhong Daogong asked the most crucial question.
Li Fan immediately reined in the arrogance on his face.
"Given my status in Great Qi, among the True Immortal seal characters I could access, 'Creation' was indeed the highest.
"However..."
Chapter 1338