"Aptitude and comprehension—the influence one's inherent traits have on actual cultivation may well have an upper limit. Anyone capable of reaching the realm of a True Immortal will not be lacking in these regards.
"Yet to take a further step..." Qiao Sidao continued to explain his reasoning to Li Fan in detail. "It likely requires a certain amount of luck and coincidence.
"Every choice one makes shapes a different life ahead. In the case of the Sinister Su Bai and the Blackened Heavenly Physician whom Senior encountered, it was the series of subsequent changes brought about after they made choices entirely different from their counterparts in this world that drove their strength to such an unknowable realm.
"Furthermore, from the matter of being hunted by supreme figures from other possibilities, we might also be able to infer, to a certain degree, the broader condition of the entire..." Qiao Sidao paused, searching for the right words.
"Let us refer to it as the 'Mortal Realm,'" Li Fan said suddenly, then gestured for him to continue.
"Ah, yes—to infer the general condition of the entire Mortal Realm," Qiao Sidao smoothly adapted his phrasing according to Li Fan's request.
"Elaborate," Li Fan said, his eyes flickering. In an instant, he had already deduced Qiao Sidao's line of thought.
"If infinite possibilities still exist across the Mortal Realm, that would mean any given individual in the Xuanhuang Realm theoretically has a counterpart beyond the sea of stars who is a supreme expert capable of effortlessly traversing possibilities. Third Uncle, myself, and even the myriad living beings of the Xuanhuang Realm—it would hold true for all of us.
"Conversely, if the present Dao Annihilation Tribulation has already extinguished the vast majority of possibilities throughout the Mortal Realm, such a situation might no longer exist. However, as for how to conduct such a verification while ensuring our own safety..." Qiao Sidao's brow furrowed slightly. "That is beyond what I can currently fathom. After all, those hypothetical adversaries possess cultivation far too terrifying. It exceeds the scope of my ability."
"Having a direction is already a good start," Li Fan praised offhandedly.
What posed a dilemma for Qiao Sidao was no problem at all for Li Fan.
*In this lifetime, I can make a preliminary assessment.*
*Still, judging by the might displayed by the Blackened Heavenly Physician in the previous life, I must prepare thoroughly in advance.*
Next, Li Fan made detailed inquiries to Di Sanmo regarding Su Bai and the Heavenly Physician, placing the emphasis on Su Bai.
According to Di Sanmo's recounting, the general circumstances were essentially consistent with what Li Fan had experienced in the Fallen Immortal Realm.
However, certain aspects concerning the sinister nature of Su Bai had not manifested within the illusion.
"The Beast Taming Sect was, after all, one of the Ten Sects of the Immortal Dao, a sovereign pillar ruling over the Xuanhuang Realm. When an unknown nobody suddenly showed up at their doorstep spouting arrogant words, they naturally wouldn't just yield so easily.
"Only after a brutal battle, weighing the pros and cons, were they forced to submit," Di Sanmo said with a wry smile.
In the battle Di Sanmo described, Mr. Bai had initially only harmed spirit beasts without hurting cultivators. But as the slaughter progressed, Mr. Bai's strikes grew heavier and heavier, and his expression gradually turned abnormal.
It was only because Di Sanmo keenly noticed this and communicated in time with the sect master of the Beast Taming Sect, coupled with the appearance of Lu Ya—whom Mr. Bai had raised from childhood—that a horrific tragedy was perhaps averted.
Di Sanmo naturally had no idea that Su Bai had once stepped one foot past the high wall and had been mysteriously influenced by Sinister Su Bai.
He merely assumed it was a darker nature hidden deep within Su Bai himself.
"Though my homeland was destroyed, I imagine many old acquaintances, like me, managed by some twist of fate to flee into other possibilities.
"The short-term goal is to find a stable method to leap across possibilities. The long-term goal is to seek vengeance against those two!
"Powerful though they may be, they have no right to treat us as mere ants. Such wanton, unrestrained atrocities must be punished!" Li Fan declared with a solemn expression, his deep voice reinforcing the persona he had crafted.
These words resonated deeply with Di Sanmo, who had endured a nearly identical ordeal, earning his heartfelt agreement.
Qiao Sidao nodded in sincere accord as well.
Admittedly, Li Fan could have used various means to coerce the two into serving him. Yet in his view, having them cooperate willingly was far more efficient and dependable.
"The level of development in this realm is far inferior even to my homeland. Accomplishing this goal will surely be exceedingly difficult.
"We must unite our efforts as one," Li Fan said, gazing toward the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals headquarters outside the Museum of Divine Treasures.
Di Sanmo quickly caught the implication in Li Fan's words and took the initiative to say, "The Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals is governed by three ruling powers: the Dharma Transmitters, the Mirror Keepers, and the Illusory True Sages. I oversee the lineage of the Illusory True Sages. They are formed from divine souls screened through the 'Era' apparatus, combined with the biological raw materials archived within the Museum of Divine Treasures, and forged through our clan's smelting technique.
"The most outstanding among them is a creation named Diyi Jinglun.
"In truth, this person's birth was also filled with countless coincidences. The legendary nature of his rise is not inferior even to Qiao Sidao's..."
From Di Sanmo's recounting, Li Fan learned why Diyi Jinglun had been given the surname 'Diyi.'
It was no accident that his name bore such similarity to Di Yi, the king of the beast clan. Diyi Jinglun had not originated from a single individual soul. During the process of forging bodies for hundreds of selected souls, an extremely rare accident occurred. In a catastrophic explosion, all the remaining biological materials and souls fused together into a single mass.
Normally, such a mixture of residual dregs could never give birth to an intelligent entity. Yet against all odds, from that sludge-like matter, a prodigy like Diyi Jinglun was born.
Di Sanmo said with deep regret, "Even though I did my utmost to conceal it, Diyi Jinglun's uniqueness could not escape the Dharma Transmitters and Mirror Keepers. To prevent him from posing a threat once he matured, they joined forces to suppress him.
"Under the new cultivation laws established by Heavenly Venerable Chuanfa, lacking the essential resources meant that no matter how heaven-defying one's talent was, one would remain strictly constrained. A talent so astounding that even I found it hard to believe has remained stuck at the Soul Formation realm to this day..." Di Sanmo's tone carried unmistakable indignation.
"This is also related to the nature of our Illusory True Sage lineage. When I first allied with Chuanfa, I made a pact with him never to interfere in the worldly affairs of the Alliance, offering assistance only in specific extraordinary moments. Thus, it was not convenient for me to intervene too much," he explained to Li Fan.
Li Fan was no stranger to this Diyi Jinglun.
Back when his own strength was still modest, he had already heard the tales of Diyi Jinglun: 'cultivated for three years, a mortal achieving Core Formation; at Golden Core, slew Nascent Soul and defeated Soul Formation.' Later, when appointed island master of Wanxian Island, Li Fan had even accepted his assignment to construct Congyun Immortal City and suppress the Nether-Passage Tunnel Mouth beneath Wanxian Island.
However, Li Fan possessed the advantage of perpetual rebirth through Revert to the True. In every lifetime, he could recklessly gather intelligence without regard for consequences, and cultivation resources were never an obstacle for him.
After achieving Nascent Soul through the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven, this so-called 'peerless prodigy' had long ceased to be of any consequence in his eyes.
*Speaking of which, this Diyi Jinglun makes a fitting pawn for experimentation.*
*To test the richness of the remaining possibilities in the Mortal Realm today.*
*Even though in infinite possibilities everyone has a chance to attain supreme Dao achievement, those with higher innate talent, comprehension, and temperament have a far greater overall probability of reaching that pinnacle. Consequently, more of them would survive after the Dao Annihilation Tribulation sweeps through. For someone like He Zhenghao to reach an unnamed realm would be exceedingly rare, even within infinity.*
*I can group them into different tiers based on their aptitude and dispatch them beyond the high wall in turn...* Li Fan had already settled on a plan in his mind.
Without summoning Diyi Jinglun for the moment, Li Fan had Di Sanmo lead the way straight to the Council of Dharma Transmitters.
With Di Sanmo—the leader of the Illusory True Sage lineage appointed personally by Heavenly Venerable Chuanfa—using 'a matter of utmost urgency' as a pretext, the vast majority of Dharma Transmitters were gathered in one place.
Li Fan was well aware of the deep-seated corruption among these Dharma Transmitters. Not bothering to waste words on them, he directly descended with an immortal array and suppressed them all.
After breaking them in, any who proved useful would be released. If any proved utterly unviable, he would destroy them outright and replace them with fabricated personalities combined with the flesh-smelting technique provided by Di Sanmo.
The beast clan's flesh-smelting technique shared seventy to eighty percent similarity with the methods developed within the Empire's pocket world. However, all the Empire's techniques were founded on anomalous beasts entirely purged of beast clan bloodlines, making them far better suited to unearthing the biological potential within an organism. While the techniques appeared weaker on the surface, their core essence lagged behind very little.
When Li Fan provided this knowledge to Di Sanmo, the latter was pleasantly surprised and gained considerable inspiration.
Having quietly secured control over the Council of Dharma Transmitters, Li Fan did not immediately confront the Heavenly Profound Mirror.
Instead, he made a trip to Protector Hall first.
Only after the three guarding Dao Integration cultivators watching over the Heavenly Profound Mirror repeatedly verified the authenticity of the transfer order did they leave the Dharma Formulation Jade space in hurried bewilderment, leaving the Dharma Formulation Jade all alone.
The little girl, who had previously been sprawled listlessly across the long wooden table, watched for a long while before finally failing to contain her curiosity.
She poked her head up stealthily.
*What's going on here?* the little girl wondered to herself.
After pondering for a while, though uncertain of what had happened, the fact remained that nobody was watching her.
The Dharma Formulation Jade loli did not even entertain the thought of running away. Delighted with her good fortune, she simply settled in comfortably and drifted off to sleep.
An indeterminate time passed.
A figure suddenly appeared before her, fingers lightly rapping on the wooden table.
The little girl jolted awake from her pleasant dream. Skillfully wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth, she widened her eyes, completely devoid of any trace that she had just been fast asleep.
She scrutinized the newcomer and asked tentatively, "Are you the new guard?"
The newcomer—Li Fan—smiled faintly. "Yes, and no."
"I hate you riddlers the most," the little girl said, puffing out her cheeks in disdain.
Not wishing to bother with Li Fan any further, she counted on her fingers as if calculating something, her large eyes glancing up at the colossal sphere of glyphs hovering overhead.
Li Fan paid it no mind.
With unhurried composure, he manifested an identical long wooden table before him.
He laid out paper, ground the ink, and raised his brush.
With a sweep of his hand, it was done.
Across the long wooden table, only two words were written.
Yet the instant those two words appeared, they irresistibly seized the little girl's attention.
She froze for a moment, her eyes filled with confusion.
Then, as if remembering something, she let out an incoherent, piercing shriek.
It echoed on and on without pause.
"Y-Y-You..." The Dharma Formulation Jade pointed a trembling finger at Li Fan as if looking at a ghost, completely tongue-tied.
Li Fan cast a cool glance at her.
The little girl jumped in fright again, yet under Li Fan's gaze, she dared not make the slightest move. She could only stare at him in sheer terror.
"How much do you still remember of the Immortal Realm?" Li Fan asked calmly once she finally managed to quiet down.
This single question confirmed the suspicion in her heart beyond a doubt.
The dread within her swelled even further, and she shook her head frantically. "I don't remember at all!"
"Oh?" Li Fan narrowed his eyes, his brow furrowing.
The little girl waved her hands anxiously, explaining, "Really! I'm not lying!
"I was puzzled by this too, but Big Brother Jing Xuan said that to avoid the fallout of the Immortal Realm's catastrophe, most immortal artifacts had to sever ties with their past selves to survive...
"Those two words—I only vaguely recalled them just now after seeing you write them."
Immortal artifacts, immortal puppets, immortal servants, and their kind seemed to naturally occupy a position of absolute subservience before a True Immortal.
With merely a simple glance from Li Fan, the Dharma Formulation Jade loli poured out everything she knew in one breath.
Though the Dharma Formulation Jade born within her originated from the Immortal Realm, it had already been in a fragmented state to begin with.
After she merged with it physically, her past memories had dissolved like salt in water, vanished without a trace.
"Hold still," Li Fan said calmly, placing a hand on top of the little girl's head to examine her internal state.
No trace of the Dharma Formulation Jade as an external relic remained.
It had almost entirely fused with her human body.
Yet her nature as a 'human' still faintly persisted; it had not been entirely integrated or consumed.
"I can sense the desire in your heart.
"Do you wish to live on as the Dharma Formulation Jade, or as a true human?" Li Fan asked neutrally, withdrawing his hand.
Hearing this, the little girl froze. Then, realizing what it meant, her mouth fell slightly open.
She did not answer immediately, wrestling with the dilemma for quite some time.
"As the Dharma Formulation Jade, though you are destined to lose your freedom, your lifespan will be endless, and you will have no fear of death.
"As a human, though you may break free from the shackles of an artifact, true carefree freedom might not exist beneath the heavens," Li Fan reminded her calmly.
The little girl lowered her head, sinking into deep thought.
In the end, exactly as Li Fan had anticipated, she made her choice with absolute resolve.
To become human.
"Very well. Since your mind is made up, I shall grant your wish."
Thousands of golden threads erupted in an instant, piercing deep into the little girl's body.
Under the indescribable agony, tears and snot streamed down her face in an instant.
Li Fan paid her distress no heed, focusing solely on sensing the relic within her body and slowly drawing it forth.
Chapter 1420