After indulging his imagination for a while, Li Fan ultimately forced the thought down.
There would come such a day, but not now.
In this lifetime, the objective of achieving Dao Integration with the Xuanhuang Heaven and Earth Immortal Soul superseded all else.
"Besides the Hunger Immortal of the Immortal Ruins, I could also experiment on that Watcher or even Great Heavenly Venerable Xuanhuang. Theoretically speaking, as holders of Immortal Realm offices, the constraints placed on them should run even deeper."
Li Fan was thoroughly satisfied with his gains this time. Not only had he substantially rectified the deficiencies of his immortal arrays, but he had also acquired a True Immortal seal character representing an Immortal Realm edict.
And all of this was merely the result of a casual glimpse into the secrets beyond the High Wall.
It was truly hard to imagine what the world beyond the Wall had become by now.
"As for Jiao Xiuyuan's identity..."
Jiao Xiuyuan was very likely an orphan from beyond the Wall—something Li Fan truly had never anticipated.
"When he was first cast inside the Wall, Jiao Xiuyuan must have been newly born. For an infant in such circumstances to be sent far away from home and kin..."
"A catastrophic upheaval must have taken place. The faction Qin Zhuang represented only tracked him down after finding clues countless years later."
Li Fan wore an enigmatic expression.
"Why choose to entrust the life of a young scion to the Xuanhuang Realm inside the Wall?"
"To them, was the Xuanhuang Realm a pure land where one could escape turmoil? Or does this land conceal some treasure coveted even by those beyond the Wall?"
"And more importantly, it seems those outside the High Wall can observe the situation inside the Wall to some extent. At the very least, they could confirm that the Xuanhuang Realm had not yet been devoured and destroyed by the Immortal Ruins. Otherwise, casting Jiao Xiuyuan inside would have been no different from sending him to his death."
A single stray drop of the substance contained within the sphere that had enveloped the infant Jiao Xiuyuan had been enough to cultivate an extraordinary tree capable of evading an immortal array's influence. It went without saying that Jiao Xiuyuan himself, having absorbed the vast majority of that substance, would possess even more remarkable peculiarities. This was precisely why Li Fan had not simply searched his soul upon confrontation, but had instead probed him through the illusions of an immortal array.
"Yet Jiao Xiuyuan has spent so many years in the Xuanhuang Realm that calling him native-born would hardly be an exaggeration. That special ability of his seems to have gone dormant..."
Sweeping his divine sense across Jiao Xiuyuan, who remained lost within the Xuanhuang Myriad Beings Array, Li Fan temporarily abandoned the idea of helping him awaken his latent potential.
Earlier, when Jiao Xiuyuan was on the verge of awakening, the aura he had unconsciously emanated had given Li Fan bouts of unease.
This unease did not stem from being overpowered by a sudden surge in strength.
Rather, it was like a spiritual premonition warning of an impending danger.
"Since Jiao Xiuyuan originally came from beyond the High Wall, when I wish to explore outside in the future, I might consider letting him lead the vanguard."
"With his unique identity, the vortex he stirs up will be turbulent enough, and the secrets I can glimpse will be all the greater."
"Of course, the final decision will still have to be made based on the information extracted from Qin Zhuang's mind."
"The Heavenly Sword Sect..."
At the thought of this sect—one of the former Ten Great Immortal Sects that had escaped using a boundary-splitting divine weapon—Li Fan felt a sudden stir in his mind.
"Could the source of Jiao Xiuyuan's bloodline also be one of the factions that escaped in the Xuanhuang Realm's history?"
"Even if not, it must be deeply connected to the Xuanhuang Realm."
"Across vast stretches of time, those immortal sects that fled back then have probably developed to an astonishing scale. I wonder if they still acknowledge their old relatives from the Xuanhuang Realm..."
His thoughts churned ceaselessly.
The more information he gained regarding the outside of the Wall, the more impatient Li Fan grew to venture beyond it.
First, however, he had to increase his means of self-preservation.
"Soon."
"After fifteen years of slow simmering over gentle heat, it is time to switch to the fierce flame!"
Li Fan turned his gaze back toward the Xuanhuang Realm.
With the overwhelming majority of living beings plunged into the supreme illusory array, the Xuanhuang Realm had been left practically vacant.
Without the disturbance of humans and cultivators, the speed at which the Xuanhuang Realm rested and recuperated was nearly hundreds or thousands of times faster than ordinary times.
In particular, within the illusory array, the deaths of cultivators occurred continuously every second.
Upon death, cultivators returned their Dao to Heaven, acting as one medicinal tonic after another. Though the potency of each was slight, their immense and unending numbers compensated. Moreover, what cultivators swallowed was originally a portion of the world's power to begin with, so the Xuanhuang Realm absorbed it without the slightest impediment.
The feedback from cultivators, the return of various pocket worlds, the pouring of vitality from the underground subterranean river, and the nourishment of boundless power from the Sea of Stars—
At a speed visible to the naked eye, the Xuanhuang Realm was becoming increasingly solid and robust.
"The foundation is already thick and sturdy enough—far surpassing my preparations in the previous lifetime. It is fully capable of withstanding the upheavals to come."
A glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes, and dozens of figures instantly flew out from the illusory array.
These were all the Dao Integration cultivators of the Xuanhuang Realm.
Li Fan's plan was fundamentally no different from that of his previous lifetime.
When the colossal power capable of sublimating the entire Xuanhuang Realm poured in, several medicinal primers would still be needed as buffers.
And these Dao Integration cultivators were the undisputed best choice.
Golden light flashed repeatedly. Strong as they were at the Dao Integration realm, in Li Fan's hands they had no room to resist whatsoever.
Unconscious and fast asleep in illusory dreams, they were manipulated at will by Li Fan like insects.
"Without an unfolded Immortal Domain in this lifetime, relying solely on the meager immortal spiritual energy left behind by Great Heavenly Venerable Xuanhuang would certainly be insufficient to sustain the Xuanhuang Realm's qualitative transformation."
"Fortunately, I can now communicate with the Sea of Stars and invoke its boundless power, which is sufficient to sustain the long stage of quantitative accumulation before the tipping point of qualitative change."
"All I need to do is detonate the immortal spiritual energy at the final, crucial step, merging it into the Xuanhuang Realm to push it across the final threshold."
"Afterward, I will use the thigh bone of the Nameless True Immortal to temporarily anchor the Xuanhuang Realm's momentum."
"Once the Xuanhuang Immortal Domain descends, with my monumental contribution of practically single-handedly driving the sublimation, summoning Mo Sha through the principle of falsifying transposition shouldn't be difficult."
"Then, using the myriad Xuanhuang World-Extinction Transformations prepared in advance—already planted within the Xuanhuang Heaven and Earth and evolving alongside it—I will slay Mo Sha's Heaven and Earth Immortal Soul!"
While arranging these Dao Integration cultivators, Li Fan swiftly ran through the general Dao Integration process in his mind.
He confirmed that there were no major flaws.
Looking at the Dao Integration cultivators before him, wrapped tightly like cicada pupae in golden silk, Li Fan drew one of them across the void and cast him back into the immortal array spanning the Xuanhuang land.
Merged into one with an array node, concealed under the aura of the immortal array, it would be impossible for any outsider to detect him.
In fact, as long as the Xuanhuang Heaven and Earth had not sublimated into an Immortal Domain, it too would be incapable of detecting these Dao Integration cultivators.
"As the Xuanhuang Myriad Beings Array gradually absorbs cultivators and feeds their energy back into the Xuanhuang Realm, its connection with the realm grows ever tighter."
"These medicinal primers rely on precisely these connections to be planted soundlessly within the Xuanhuang Heaven and Earth."
"First, they will lend a helping hand along the Xuanhuang Realm's path of sublimation."
"Second..."
"When necessary, this mesmerizing illusory array can instantly transform into a world-extinguishing immortal array. With these medicinal primers serving as pre-planted array nodes, it will be equivalent to detonating the immortal array directly from within the Xuanhuang Realm."
"When the time comes, even if Xuanhuang transforms into an Immortal Domain, it will suffer a devastating blow!"
Li Fan felt a surge of excitement.
Throughout the preparations for Dao Integration, his understanding of arrays and alchemy had truly approached mastery through practical execution.
Numerous ingenious concepts kept welling up in his mind.
It had to be said that this perspective—taking the myriad things of Heaven and Earth and the worlds of all living beings as arrays and ingredients—suited Li Fan and his Revert to the True immensely.
Having his actions align completely with his thoughts and intentions gave him a feeling of sheer exhilaration.
Naturally, Li Fan did not become lightheaded or lose himself in hubris.
He knew full well that the reason the immortal array and the Medicine King Dao Refining Sutra passed down by Sun Piaomiao could maintain such cold indifference toward all living beings as mere ants was entirely due to the transcendence of their strength. The ranks of True Immortals were genuinely beings of an entirely different order from worldly mortals.
And the only reason Li Fan could do the same was by borrowing the transcendent power of Revert to the True.
Consequently, Li Fan's desire for Dao Integration grew ever more urgent.
"Even if I can only achieve the stature of a half-immortal, I should still become completely distinct from mortals!"
Having planted all the Dao Integration primers into the great Xuanhuang array, Li Fan nodded slightly and activated the array to conceal all traces.
Then, he turned his gaze toward one of the few remaining pocket worlds in the Xuanhuang Realm: the Thirteen Peaks world.
More than ten years had passed, and Wuming still looked like a child.
Standing alone atop the mountain peak, he had remained motionless for a long time, looking like a carved statue.
The other living beings among the Thirteen Peaks had already come to revere him as a deity.
None dared draw near; they only knelt and prostrated from afar.
And today, following a subtle hint sent by Li Fan, Wuming—having comprehended the Dao for so long—finally opened his eyes.
Taking a single step forward, he departed the Thirteen Peaks pocket world and truly stepped into the Xuanhuang Realm.
In truth, under Li Fan's covert guidance, Wuming had already gained an early insight into the principles of Heaven and Earth of the Xuanhuang Realm.
Yet when this youth, who had lived since childhood in a tiny world formed of only thirteen peaks, suddenly arrived in the boundless vastness of the Xuanhuang Realm, Wuming's heart was still filled with boundless awe.
He looked up at the sky and down at the earth, his vision seeming to sweep rapidly across the entire Xuanhuang Realm.
When he saw the slumbering beings of the world, Wuming was not overly surprised, thanks to Li Fan's advance hints and guidance.
He hardly even paid them any mind.
What Wuming truly cared about was solely this Xuanhuang Heaven and Earth.
Wuming stood quietly in place, observing the Xuanhuang Realm. A full seven days and nights passed.
Only then did Wuming open his eyes and begin his journey.
This designated Great Heavenly Venerable Xuanhuang of Li Fan's choosing did not immediately perform the ritual to enter the trial illusion.
Instead, his form drifted like mist as he wandered across the Xuanhuang land, taking in Xuanhuang's mountains, waters, flora, and gentle breezes.
Although Wuming's cultivation realm was still merely that of a mortal and he had not embarked on the path of Chuanfa's new techniques, his affinity with the principles of Heaven and Earth in the Xuanhuang Realm grew increasingly profound as his travels progressed.
Taking two steps forward, he had no need for spatial shrinking; the Xuanhuang Heaven and Earth actively cooperated, closing the distance between them.
He had no need to ride the wind; merely opening his arms lightly, a gentle breeze arrived naturally to lift him up...
Cultivators of the new techniques had to devour a soul of Heaven and Earth to wield the power of its principles.
Yet Wuming, aided by the active and eager cooperation of the Xuanhuang Realm, could perform the feats of Dao Integration with a mortal body.
Moreover, what he invoked was not merely a single law of Heaven and Earth, but all that met his eyes.
It carried much of the momentum seen when Heavenly Dao Bai had emerged back then, when souls of Heaven and Earth had flocked to him at the speed of light to be placed at his command.
Any ordinary person in the world treated this way would gradually and unreservedly come to believe that they were the favored Child of Destiny chosen by the Great Dao, and that becoming Great Heavenly Venerable Xuanhuang was their preordained fate.
Yet only Li Fan, who stood behind the scenes orchestrating everything, knew that the only reason the Xuanhuang Realm cooperated so willingly was that it sensed Li Fan behind Wuming.
Had Li Fan wished for it himself, the Xuanhuang Realm's cooperation would have been dozens of times more intricate and varied!
After all, considering the Xuanhuang Realm's current rate of recovery, it would not be an exaggeration to describe Li Fan's contribution as a debt of recreating its existence!
Watching Wuming revel delightfully throughout the Xuanhuang Realm until he finally entered the illusory realm of the inheritance trial, Li Fan smiled faintly.
Wuming was indeed an exquisite puppet.
He possessed virtually no personal ego and acted purely on instinct.
Unlike Sun Tianci before him, even if Wuming succeeded as Great Heavenly Venerable Xuanhuang, he would not make any proactive, unconventional moves.
He would only let nature take its course, allowing the Xuanhuang Realm to continue developing in a favorable direction.
Naturally, he would have no reason to obstruct Li Fan's plans in any way.
"And when the time comes to use that mass of immortal spiritual energy, there will be no need for me to intervene and guide him."
"The Xuanhuang Realm's own urging will make him contribute it with absolute compliance. After all, that is the mission of Great Heavenly Venerable Xuanhuang..."
Pondering this, Li Fan waited for Wuming to emerge from the illusory array.
With Sun Tianci's precedent, there were no complications this time.
A peculiar rhythm descended upon Heaven and Earth.
A new Great Heavenly Venerable Xuanhuang was born.
Wuming still appeared to be that pure and untainted child with clear eyes.
After emerging into the world, he stood dazed for a brief moment before springing into action.
Li Fan followed covertly, observing him.
He discovered that Wuming's first stop was none other than the Great Boundary-Splitting Maelstrom at the far south of Xuanhuang.
This was the scar left behind when the Southern Nether demonic beasts broke through the boundary and departed all those years ago.
For ten thousand years, it had remained unhealed, becoming a terrifying forbidden zone that made the vast majority of cultivators turn pale at the mere mention of it.
Wuming drifted before the great maelstrom, gazing upon the tempestuous wind, rain, and relentless thunder ahead.
He gently released a ray of white light.
This warm brilliance was like the crisp notes of a string instrument capable of soothing anger in a person's heart, gradually quieting the violent storms of the great maelstrom.
Ray after ray of white light followed in an unbroken stream.
This ten-thousand-year-old wound of the Xuanhuang Realm was slowly healing.
Li Fan watched clearly from the sidelines.
The white light Wuming released was nothing other than the channeled vitality of the Xuanhuang Realm.
Under normal circumstances, a world's vitality was distributed relatively evenly and would not be concentrated like this.
Yet when channeled by Great Heavenly Venerable Xuanhuang, it could be gathered in a single place.
Under the influence of this dense vitality, the wound was being swiftly mended.
Chapter 1392