Li Fan was momentarily taken aback by his words, then broke into delight.
"If anyone else had told me this, I would only have assumed he had been locked in the Black Prison for too long and was spouting mad ravings. But coming from you, Brother Nangong..."
"I have no fear in my heart!"
Confronted with Li Fan's flattery, Nangong Hongzhao said nothing outwardly, but the faint, involuntary smile that crossed his face betrayed his inner satisfaction.
Taking this conversation as a springboard, the relationship between Li Fan and Nangong Hongzhao gradually grew closer.
Li Fan discreetly inquired about information regarding the Nangong clan. While none of it was top secret, it was knowledge that one would never qualify to learn in the Shuoxing Sea without reaching a certain social echelon.
For instance, the reason Nangong Fusheng bore the name "Fusheng"—"Restoring the Sage"—was that before him, the Nangong clan had truly produced an existence worthy of being hailed as a "Sage." That predecessor was named Nangong Fusheng as well, though written with the character for "Fortune." Laying the Dao Net in its infancy to shelter all living souls had been one of his great feats. However, this elder Fusheng had not appeared in the mortal world for a very long time, leaving the later Fusheng to act in his stead.
For another example, the Nangong clan possessed a supreme treasure, supposedly obtained years ago during the encirclement and hunting of a Nameless True Immortal: the clothing worn by that Nameless True Immortal. Setting aside how precious the material was, the wondrous effects of the garment alone were extraordinary. In reality, it was formed from the Great Dao fused into that Nameless True Immortal, forcibly stripped from the immortal's body after capture. If a cultivator had the good fortune to don this garment and survive the ordeal, it was as if they had plunged into an ocean of the Great Dao, surrounded on all sides by the very essence of the Dao. The efficiency of comprehending the Great Dao would surpass even being immersed in the Dao Net. Its only drawback was that this extreme efficiency applied solely to the corresponding path of that particular Nameless True Immortal.
...
Meanwhile, Nangong Hongzhao gradually discovered that "Ma Tiande," a former Dao Net operator, seemed to possess an understanding and perception of the Dao Net that was faintly superior to his own. In just a few words, he would often grant Nangong Hongzhao tremendous insights.
One had to understand that among this batch of newly inducted Immortal Hunters, most hailed from illustrious backgrounds. None of them bowed to anyone else. Yet someone like Ma Tiande, who ranked near the very top of the examination and was still exceedingly humble, was rare indeed.
*This man is truly worth befriending,* Nangong Hongzhao thought to himself.
Time slipped by in their daily conversations.
As if bearing out Nangong Hongzhao's words, after being imprisoned in the Black Prison for a full ninety days, they were finally released.
"Every word and deed of yours in the Black Prison has been recorded."
"This was the final phase of your induction trial."
"The previous rankings have been slightly adjusted."
"The formal appointments of the Immortal Hunters will follow the new roster."
"Go rest for now and await further notice."
Upon their release, the newly inducted Immortal Hunters were greeted with such an announcement.
Some were overjoyed, congratulating themselves on maintaining their restraint throughout. Others wore rapidly shifting expressions, consumed with bitter regret.
Naturally, true prodigies like Nangong Hongzhao, Dao Yuan, and Jin Changyue were clearly not fooled by such rhetoric.
Jin Changyue let out a cold snort as the three longswords at her back simultaneously howled with resonant hums. It took her considerable effort to rein back the overflowing killing intent.
Nangong Hongzhao and Li Fan exchanged a glance and silently departed together without a word.
They arrived at Nangong's resting quarters—a detached courtyard carved out within the Immortal Hunt organization. The Immortal Hunt organization resided directly inside the Dao Net rather than in the physical world. This courtyard was also an incarnation of the Dao Net's power. Its perimeter expanded in tandem with the owner's clearance level, and its appearance could shift at will according to the owner's thoughts.
Because it was manifested from the power of the Dao Net, residing within allowed one to comprehend the power of the Dao Net at every moment. Compared to cultivating in the external sea of stars, its efficiency was infinitely higher.
Under Nangong Hongzhao's control, the courtyard transformed in the blink of an eye into a winding karst cave with twists and turns. Li Fan followed Nangong deeper into the cave step by step. Below a colossal subterranean cavern lay scorching molten lava.
"Congratulations, brother! Your ranking moved up another notch, placing you in the top three. I reckon you will be entrusted with major responsibilities," Nangong Hongzhao said teasingly with a smile. Even as he spoke, he leaped downward and plunged into the lava.
Soaking in the molten rock radiating extreme heat, Nangong Hongzhao actually let out a groan of pleasure.
"I hadn't expected Brother Nangong to harbor such tastes," Li Fan said, staring downward without jumping after him.
Unlike the various illusions manifested within the Heavenly Profound Mirror's living quarters, everything in this Dao Net courtyard was real. Just like all things between heaven and earth, they were physical manifestations of the Great Dao.
Cultivators of the Shuoxing Sea focused solely on comprehending the Dao Net while neglecting their own physical cultivation.
"Ma Tiande" clearly did not possess the ability to survive in such blistering lava.
"Heh-heh, that's where you're mistaken. This is Great Sun Flame Lava. In theory, it can only be formed by destroying the suns of ninety-nine cultivation worlds at once, then melting and refining them together with the power of Lunar Yin to produce a single drop."
"Yet now, by relying on the unfathomable wonders of the Dao Net, countless tedious steps are bypassed, conjuring it from nothingness! Such a treasure, which only True Immortals were worthy of enjoying in the past, can now be savored to our hearts' content by mortals like us!"
As Nangong Hongzhao spoke, he cupped a single drop of Great Sun Flame Lava in his hand.
Li Fan watched as the crimson, viscous liquid slowly seeped into Nangong Hongzhao's body through the pores across his skin.
His flesh flushed red, looking as if it had caught fire.
Yet Nangong Hongzhao acted as if nothing were amiss, even taking a sip with relish.
Li Fan's eyes narrowed at once.
Even watching from a distance, he could discern the terrifying destructive power of this Great Sun Flame Lava. The pool serving as Nangong Hongzhao's bathwater below could likely reduce the entire Xuanhuang Realm to scorched earth.
*Even if it were my true body, plunging into this flame lava without spiritual energy for protection would probably reduce me to ashes in an instant. Yet Nangong Hongzhao can endure this relying purely on his physical body...*
Li Fan suddenly recalled the scene where Nangong Hongzhao was slapped away by the furious Nangong Fusheng.
When Nangong Fusheng descended, the surrounding starry sky had looked as though it were plunged into a violent tsunami, surging and roiling. That slap clearly had not been held back. Under such immense force, even a True Immortal struck by it would have been grievously wounded.
Yet Nangong Hongzhao had acted as if nothing had happened, keeping pace and returning at rapid speed all the way.
*A body-tempering method?* Li Fan thought, deep in contemplation.
Nangong Hongzhao's next words confirmed Li Fan's conjecture: "In the Shuoxing Sea, the power of the Dao Net reigns supreme."
"This is such a magnificent, grand creation, allowing mortals to manipulate the Great Dao of heaven and earth just like the immortals of old. However, compared to immortals, we mortals are still far too minuscule. Like a toddler wielding a sharp blade, one might fail to harm the enemy and instead cut oneself. Furthermore, immortal arts are strictly forbidden by the Governing Council. Therefore..."
Nangong Hongzhao drew a deep breath. Every pore on his body opened wide like gaping bloody maws, drawing the entire pool of Great Sun Flame Lava into his flesh.
"Exhilarating!"
By now, Nangong Hongzhao's face was completely stained crimson.
He gave a muffled grunt and exhaled a long breath of scorching air. There was not the slightest ripple of spiritual energy on him; relying purely on high-frequency vibrations pushed to the extreme, he digested the Great Sun Flame Lava.
As Nangong Hongzhao's complexion gradually returned to normal, he leaped up to Li Fan's side before continuing: "Dao Yuan, Jin Changyue—none of them are exceptions. Like me, they all possess unique body-tempering arts. Don't be fooled by their frail appearance on the surface!"
"This is also the greatest difference between the renowned clans of the Shuoxing Sea and common-born folks like you, brother."
Nangong Hongzhao patted Li Fan on the shoulder and said with deep meaning.
"To use oneself as a nail and integrate into the Dao Net: the sturdier one's body is tempered, the more strings of the Dao Net it can bear. People like Dao Yuan have undergone specialized training since childhood and have long been thoroughly tempered. But someone like Brother Ma..."
"Even if you can now invoke the power of the Dao Net to a certain extent, what materials and what methods to use for body tempering to achieve maximum efficacy without injuring yourself—if you rely entirely on fumbling in the dark alone, how could you ever compare to our lineages passed down through ten thousand generations?"
With Nangong Hongzhao laying it out so plainly, how could Li Fan fail to grasp his intent?
Bowing deeply, Li Fan said with a solemn expression, "I beseech Brother Nangong to instruct me. Whether I master it or not, I will repay you handsomely in the future. Should you have any commands, I will not shrink from death ten thousand times!"
Nangong Hongzhao helped Li Fan up. "You and I get along splendidly, brother, so please don't say such things. However, I am not merely putting on airs. You must understand that nowadays, every body-tempering technique has been deduced to its absolute limit and tested at the cost of countless lives. They are indeed precious beyond measure."
Li Fan nodded. "I naturally understand this truth."
"We chatted at length in the Black Prison, and I have gained a fair understanding of you. You have already passed the prime age for body tempering; with ordinary body-tempering arts, even if you exerted several times the effort, the results would be severely diminished. However, your advantage lies in possessing an understanding of the Dao Net that ordinary people can scarcely match. Therefore..."
Nangong Hongzhao looked Li Fan up and down once more, then said in a low voice, "This Great Dao Body Descent Art is tailor-made for you!"
Before Nangong Hongzhao could finish, Li Fan raised a hand to stop him.
With a grave expression, Li Fan asked in a whisper, "It suddenly occurred to me: such a body-tempering method is so precious. If Brother Nangong teaches it to me in private..."
"Senior Fusheng won't punish you, will he?"
"If that's the case, I must beg your pardon, for I absolutely cannot accept it."
Seeing that Li Fan spoke with genuine sincerity rather than polite pretense, Nangong Hongzhao froze on the spot.
Soon, however, he came to his senses and waved a hand. "No matter. Although the technique is precious, its confidentiality rating isn't particularly high. If I teach it only to you, Third Great-Uncle will certainly not punish me."
"Listen closely..."
The karst cave formed by the Dao Net courtyard sealed shut silently. Within it, Nangong Hongzhao imparted the Great Dao Body Descent Art in its entirety.
With Li Fan's wealth of experience, he quickly grasped the inner workings of the technique.
Without question, this art bore the hallmarks of immortal cultivation mantras.
It called for visualizing the Great Dao of the world as a net pressing down to suppress oneself, using the immense weight of the heaven-and-earth Great Dao to temper the body.
During the tempering process, beyond enhancing physical toughness, it deepened one's affinity with and comprehension of the Great Dao.
Just as Nangong Hongzhao had said, it was an extraordinarily wondrous and exceedingly precious esoteric body-tempering technique.
However, it had its drawback:
The cultivation difficulty was absurdly high.
If one could visualize the descent of the Great Dao upon oneself, one's comprehension of heaven and earth's Great Dao had clearly reached an exceptionally profound realm—surpassing even ordinary immortals.
If someone were so familiar with the Dao, they could directly merge their body with the Great Dao and ascend to become a Nameless True Immortal.
Why would they bother slowly tempering their physical flesh? Wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?
*Only in the Shuoxing Sea, shrouded beneath the Dao Net, could such a deformed and bizarre technique be born.*
*First, by replacing the formless Great Dao of heaven and earth with the tangible Dao Net, the threshold for cultivation was drastically lowered.*
*Second, the Shuoxing Sea is a gathering place of survivors from the Immortal Realm and lower seas of stars in the wake of the Dao Annihilation Tribulation, where True Immortals and even Nameless True Immortals gathered. Only under such circumstances could this Great Dao Body Descent Art have been deduced...*
A myriad of thoughts welled up in Li Fan's mind, yet this did not hinder him from beginning to cultivate the body-tempering art.
Already situated within the Dao Net, he naturally skipped the tedious preliminary process of visualizing the descent of Dao strings.
Suddenly, it felt as though weight upon weight of towering mountains crashed down upon his frame.
Li Fan collapsed wretchedly to the ground, and in an instant, copious blood sprayed out from every pore across his body.
It nearly splattered all over Nangong Hongzhao, who was observing nearby, though the latter blocked it in time.
The corner of Nangong Hongzhao's mouth twitched.
Struggling to climb to his feet, Li Fan tidied up his disheveled appearance. Cupping his hands somewhat weakly, he said to Nangong Hongzhao, "Forgive my embarrassing display, Brother Nangong. I never expected this body-tempering technique to be so punishing on my first attempt."
Nangong Hongzhao consoled him, "Brother Ma, remember to advance step by step; do not be greedy. Enduring some hardship is completely normal."
"The suffering I endured in my youth surpassed what you are experiencing now by a hundredfold!"
"Brother Ma, although I have imparted the Great Dao Body Descent Art to you, I cannot share the specifics of cultivation, related insights, or personal experience with you."
"You will have to fumble through it all on your own."
Li Fan cupped his fists. "Receiving this divine art is already a great kindness. How could I dare presume to ask for more?"
"I shall not disturb Brother Nangong further today. I will return to cultivate on my own."
After exchanging pleasantries, Li Fan bade farewell to Nangong Hongzhao and returned to his own courtyard.
While his ostensible rank was higher than Nangong Hongzhao's, the size of his residence was slightly smaller.
Li Fan paid it no mind. With a thought, he transformed the courtyard to resemble the summit of Mount Jieli.
Sitting cross-legged on the ground, he formally commenced his cultivation of the Great Dao Body Descent Art.
That pitiful display in front of Nangong Hongzhao earlier was, of course, entirely deliberate—merely an excuse to take his leave.
Given the exquisite delicacy of his perception of the Great Dao, the speed at which he cultivated this art would likely far exceed Nangong's imagination.
Moreover, Li Fan did not merely cultivate by following the book rigidly.
By now, Li Fan had the ability to modify techniques based on his own unique circumstances.
*The Great Dao descends upon the body.*
*Yet within my mind, the projection of the Great Dao has already manifested.*
*Therefore...*
*There is no need for the heaven-and-earth Great Dao to descend. I need only let the Dao strings shift from illusion to reality within my thoughts to harness the pressure of the Great Dao and temper my physical body.*
Li Fan narrowed his eyes slightly as the miniature Dao Net within his divine sense radiated ripples of faint light.
Chapter 1450