Fragile and powerful—two polar opposite concepts seemed to have found unity in Qiao Sidao.
Even though his divine soul had been on the verge of fading away, hovering on the brink of collapse at any second before Li Fan rescued him, his vast, labyrinthine sea of memories still made even Li Fan grimace slightly.
"If my divine soul were only at this level of strength, it would never be able to sustain so many memories..."
Setting aside the peculiarities of Qiao Sidao's soul, Li Fan first cast a sweeping glance across the scenes within his countless memories.
Li Fan had little interest in most of the worlds deduced by the [Era] apparatus. Even the various cultivation methods and divine abilities Qiao Sidao had personally encountered and practiced held little value for the present Li Fan.
What proved more useful were the secrets regarding ancient times and the Immortal Realm that Qiao Sidao had occasionally gathered while infiltrating the Ten Sects of the Immortal Dao under various identities.
"I only wonder how much truth there is to this information—whether it's merely lore that exists within deduced worlds, or clues passed down from the destruction of the various realms..."
Looking across all the worlds Qiao Sidao had traversed throughout hundreds of billions of reincarnations, only two caught Li Fan's attention.
One was the [Eternal Immortal Realm], and the other was [Turbulent Spacetime].
The Eternal Immortal Realm was a deduction of a perfect world where immortal cultivation civilization had developed to its absolute pinnacle in the absence of an apocalyptic tribulation. Not only was the average lifespan extraordinarily long—granting several thousand years of longevity even without cultivation—but it was also home to a magnificent existence known as the [Immortal Spirit Tower].
Immortal Spirit Towers stood in every corner of that world, ceaselessly releasing pure spiritual energy day and night. Cultivation methods, formations, alchemy, medicine refinement... whatever knowledge one wished to learn could be queried and studied within an Immortal Spirit Tower without restriction.
It was precisely inside the Immortal Spirit Tower that Qiao Sidao had accumulated sufficient experience to break free from the [Era] apparatus in one fell swoop.
Yet it was, after all, merely a theoretical framework derived from deduction, incapable of being mapped directly onto reality.
With Li Fan's current discernment, he naturally saw through the disharmonies in what Qiao Sidao had learned at a glance.
"Superficially plausible, but fundamentally flawed. It might work within a deduced virtual world, but..."
Li Fan conducted an experiment using an extremely powerful formation from Qiao Sidao's memories.
The formation was named [Overturning Heaven and Earth]. Unassuming as the name sounded, once laid, it could truly invert the sky and earth of an entire world. Any creature incapable of flight would plummet helplessly from the ground into the sky, either starving to death during the endless fall or crashing into the boundary of the world, shattered to pieces.
If it truly functioned as described, the formation was indeed intriguing. However, when Li Fan fed it into the Disassociation Disk for testing...
...the result showed that the formation could not take form at all.
"Perhaps in some possibility entirely identical to that deduced world, this formation could function normally. But in the present world, where the Great Dao is incomplete and conflicting principles grind against one another, the operating conditions simply do not match."
Though it couldn't be used off the shelf, Li Fan was not disappointed.
"It points out a possibility. Though it does not align with reality, it can still function with the appropriate modifications."
"Qiao Sidao only lived inside the virtual [Era] apparatus, and his understanding of reality was limited to what he observed within Era, so he might not possess such ability. But I am different."
Within his sea of consciousness, the Immortal Array Disassociation Disk flashed with light.
Formation data, like a glowing river, was extracted from Qiao Sidao's memories into the Disassociation Disk.
As if his soul were being subjected to the torture of a thousand cuts, Qiao Sidao let out a muffled groan. Had Li Fan not stabilized his soul, this process alone might have shattered it into oblivion.
Yet Qiao Sidao truly lived up to his status as someone who had struggled and escaped from endless cycles of reincarnation; thereafter, he did not make a single sound. It was as if he gradually grew accustomed to the agony, and his expression slowly returned to normal.
It did not take long.
Through the transformation of the Disassociation Disk, the myriad formations in Qiao Sidao's memories were turned from illusory arrays into real formations suited to the reality of the world!
With a flip of his hand, Li Fan fed the conclusions deduced by the Disassociation Disk back into Qiao Sidao.
Keenly sensing how the formations transmitted by Li Fan differed from what he had studied and known, Qiao Sidao was momentarily stunned before trembling with uncontrollable excitement.
Qiao Sidao could still recall how powerful he had been in Era after living through countless reincarnations, capable of seeing through the greatest mysteries of heaven and earth to break free. Yet the stark contrast upon arriving in the real world had been hard to accept.
He had become so fragile that a random gust of wind seemed capable of extinguishing his soul. Qiao Sidao knew this was the divide between [Era] and reality.
But now...
Through the variations between the two versions of the formations transmitted by the mysterious senior before him, Qiao Sidao seemed to vaguely perceive where that exact difference lay.
"Master one law, master all laws. Given just a bit of time, I should be able to convert everything I have learned." Qiao Sidao greedily absorbed the knowledge transmitted by Li Fan, momentarily forgetting even to thank him.
Li Fan didn't mind. He could see that Qiao Sidao was currently in a state of enlightenment.
This soul truly had not disappointed him.
It was worthy of use!
Li Fan turned to Di Sanmo, resuming the unfinished conversation between them from his previous life.
"Just what level of strength is required to cross possibilities?"
"And what exactly is this energy contained within Sacred Beast Mountain?"
As Li Fan spoke, he employed the Transformation of Real and Unreal to conjure another small sphere of bronze-colored energy and tossed it toward Di Sanmo.
Li Fan's two questions had already left this longevity beast somewhat tense after his initial overwhelming shock.
And when he greedily inhaled this incomparably pure energy into his body, feeling a sense of revitalization wash through every corner of his being, Di Sanmo became certain: the figure before him had definitely reached that legendary step.
Perhaps because this body was already too aged and decayed, the pure, untainted [Jinggu Cangyuan] he had swallowed slowly and steadily drained away, leaving only a tiny remnant in the end.
Yet even this small amount was of immense significance to him. At the very least, it extended his lifespan by another ten thousand years.
Even more crucial was that he had witnessed with his own eyes how this senior before him seemed to conjure [Jinggu Cangyuan] endlessly, as if performing magic tricks.
This divine substance had originally been something where each portion consumed meant one less in existence. If it could be made inexhaustible...
Countless thoughts flashed through Di Sanmo's mind in an instant.
Yet in the end, they coalesced into a single, resolute conviction:
No matter what, he had to remain by this senior's side!
For survival—whether his own or that of his entire race—Di Sanmo had allied himself with different parties time and again.
First it was Di Yi, then the Beast Taming Sect, and later Heavenly Venerable Chuanfa.
The hope Di Sanmo had seen from all of them combined did not compare to what he saw in the person standing before him right now.
He was not one to dither.
Once his mind was made up, he immediately translated it into action.
With Li Fan questioning him now, Di Sanmo held nothing back.
"To inform Senior, according to the ancient inherited memories of our clan, in the boundless dawn of primeval antiquity, even [Primordial Dao Manifestations], whose forms were united with the Dao, could not easily leap across possibilities."
"If compared by analogy, a Primordial Dao Manifestation could be viewed as equivalent to the realm of a [Nameless True Immortal] among human cultivators. Yet compared to human cultivators comprehending the Dao, the magnificent Primordial Dao Manifestations were naturally born from the Great Dao itself, taking physical form from it. Whether in strength or inherent comprehension of the Dao, they were innately superior by a notch. Aside from a few supreme figures, most Nameless True Immortals were no match for a Primordial Dao Manifestation." Even though he had resolved to throw his lot in with Li Fan completely, Di Sanmo did not embellish anything, recounting it honestly based on his inherited memories.
Listening, Li Fan remained noncommittal, gesturing for Di Sanmo to continue.
"The existence of Primordial Dao Manifestations was both an advantage and a disadvantage. Because among the Great Daos of heaven and earth, certain formidable Daos never took form as Dao Manifestations. Furthermore, due to their innate mutually repellent nature, they forever lost the opportunity to comprehend those Daos."
"Human cultivators, however, were different. Any Dao intrinsic to heaven and earth could be refined and mastered by humankind."
Di Sanmo's tone suddenly grew somber.
"This was also the origin of our clan's catastrophe."
"In our clan's primordial world, the number of human cultivators could not compare to ours. Most humans were treated as pets or food. We monopolized the methods of cultivation; only obedient humans were permitted to cultivate, becoming our lackeys to help us suppress other humans..."
Di Sanmo slowly recounted the hidden history of the beast clan.
Comprehending to the side, Qiao Sidao couldn't help dividing his attention to listen. Even through his countless reincarnations within Era, he had never experienced this period of history. Hearing that the human race had once been nothing more than rations for demonic beasts, he furrowed his brow slightly. He had been looked after by Di Sanmo for a long time, yet had never heard him mention this.
Li Fan, on the other hand, did not show the slightest change in expression.
"We were not a short-sighted, unintelligent race. From those human cultivators who submitted to us, we saw the terrifying potential dormant within the human form. Thus, we tightened our control over humanity even further."
"According to the normal trajectory of history, in theory, there was no possibility for human cultivators to rise in our homeland."
"And in reality, that was true. Because the immense variable came from outside the world's possibilities!"
At this point, Di Sanmo's tone carried a hint of helplessness.
Hearing this, Li Fan seemed to grasp something, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes.
"Suddenly, one day, an immense tribulation descended upon our race out of nowhere."
"A [Nameless True Immortal] actually crossed possibilities and descended into our spacetime. Witnessing the tragic plight of humankind, he began a frenzy of slaughter and vengeance."
"Initially, our clan possessed thirteen [Primordial Dao Manifestations]. Yet in the battle against that Nameless True Immortal, the majority were slain or wounded..."
Although Di Sanmo spoke calmly, Li Fan could see the deep fear hidden within his words.
"Though that Nameless True Immortal was also temporarily repelled after being severely wounded, upon departing, he looted the remains of the five Primordial Dao Manifestations he had slaughtered. If he were to refine the Great Daos contained within those remains, our race would inevitably face its ultimate doom."
"The remaining [Dao Manifestations] exhausted countless possibilities, yet failed to find any path to victory for our clan. Thus, in utter despair and helplessness, they could only choose to flee."
"Yet, as I said before, in the dawn of primeval antiquity, crossing possibilities was extraordinarily difficult. Although we did not know how that Nameless True Immortal who inexplicably descended into our spacetime managed to achieve it, according to our deductions and calculations, even if all eight surviving [Dao Manifestations] sacrificed themselves, they still could not allow the majority of the clan to escape."
"Exhausting everything in the world, they could only allow a single individual to escape!"
In Li Fan's mind, Di Yi's figure flashed instantly.
"All Phenomena Returning to One?"
Di Sanmo nodded.
"Our race was entirely derived from the Primordial Dao Manifestations. At that time, to preserve a sliver of hope for survival, the only path was fusion and reversion to antiquity."
"To ensure the future surviving race's completeness as much as possible,"
"Countless kin, whether willingly or under duress, stepped into that colossal furnace."
"In the end, they fused into [Di Yi]," Di Sanmo said flatly.
"Alas, the five most primeval and formidable Primordial Dao Manifestations had already been lost."
"And another seven sacrificed themselves and dissipated in the crossing of possibilities."
"Of the thirteen Primordial Dao Manifestations, only one remained. Ever since, our race has never been able to regain the glory of primeval antiquity." Di Sanmo's tone was tinged with melancholy.
"Seven Primordial Dao Manifestations were required just to leap across timelines?" Li Fan paid no heed to Di Sanmo's melancholy, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"That was an old story from primeval antiquity. Ever since the great tribulation descended, the threshold of power required to leap across possibilities has grown lower and lower." Di Sanmo waved his hand, and countless phantoms appeared within the ruins of Mount Nanming ahead.
They were identical to what Li Fan had witnessed back in the Fallen Immortal Realm.
"As the saying goes, one must prepare for danger in times of peace. After completing the escape, though we found temporary safety and Di Yi successfully separated the myriad phenomena of our clan back out over time, the terror wrought by that Nameless True Immortal still lingered in our hearts."
"Therefore, we have constantly been searching for methods to escape across possibilities."
"[Jinggu Cangyuan] was our discovery."
Li Fan extended his hand, and the bronze-colored energy sphere manifested once more.
"[Jinggu Cangyuan]?" Li Fan mused.
"That is our clan's own name for it. In truth, human cultivators likely have another name for it, as this substance was actually discovered by us in the ruins of human cultivators. Yet even after assimilating into human society for tens of thousands of years, I have never found any records concerning it," Di Sanmo explained in detail.
"The divine mask that seals Jinggu Cangyuan and the key that opens the restriction were both obtained by us from those ruins."
"And these ruins are within the Xuanhuang Realm?" Li Fan's eyes flashed with keen interest.
Di Sanmo nodded. "In every possibility, the name and exact location have slight variations. But in at least all the ones we have experienced, its existence can be found within this general region."
"It seems you have fled across possibilities more than once," Li Fan said, staring intently at Di Sanmo.
"Before countless possibilities, time and frequency hold little meaning."
Di Sanmo gazed toward the Realm-Cleaving Maelstrom, which was now completely desolate and empty.
Chapter 1418