The Hunger Immortal had already been comprehending the Dao in the Immortal Ruins for a long time. Judging by her performance in previous cycles when she awakened to confront the unfurled immortal domain and the Wordless Stele, she was not far from attesting to the Nameless realm. Perhaps she was only a single step away.
Whether she was a Nameless True Immortal made a world of difference in her usefulness to Li Fan.
"If she does not attest to Nameless, no matter how close her strength comes, she cannot be easily turned into a pillar to support the Dao, nor can the power of the Mound-Guarding Lord's phantom be freed up."
"Perhaps I can lend her a hand..."
Countless images flickered before Li Fan's eyes as he began to deduce rapidly.
In the past, this Hunger Immortal in the Immortal Ruins had been an utterly untouchable, terrifying existence to Li Fan. He still remembered the horrifying might of her single gaze destroying Xuanhuang.
Even if she had been easily captured by Maobao, and even if she had been ruthlessly trampled underfoot by Sinister Su Bai without even realizing it, the Hunger Immortal was still not someone whom Li Fan, at merely the half-immortal realm, could confront.
Yet now, having grasped the power of the Mound-Guarding Lord's phantom, she suddenly seemed no longer so invincible.
"The Xuanhuang Realm is still of great use to me; I cannot easily allow it to be destroyed."
"However, if she succeeds in attesting to Nameless, the resulting shockwaves will inevitably annihilate everything in the vicinity..."
After weighing the options, Li Fan already had an idea in mind.
In the Pitch-Black Star Sea, it seemed as though starlight flickered.
Li Buren manifested a Dao Net body and returned to the Pitch-Black Star Sea.
In essence, it was a Dao Net projection devoid of a physical form. Wherever the Great Dao reached, his form could manifest. Thus, sitting in the grandmaster's chair while simultaneously appearing in the star sea beneath the Great Wall caused no conflict.
The body formed by the Dao Net projection remained hidden from reality, silent and traceless like snow melting into water.
Li Fan's true body stood up and exchanged glances across the distance with Li Buren beneath the Great Wall.
His divine sense instantly enveloped the Xuanhuang Realm in layers through the ubiquitous Carefree Dream Paradise.
The true body and the avatar—two identical divine sense Dao Net projections—resonated with each other. The corresponding nodes in the Dao Nets naturally began to merge.
"Rise!"
With the colossal strength of the Mound-Guarding phantom descending upon him, Li Buren used the connected Dao Net projection as a rope. With a low shout, he pulled fiercely toward the Xuanhuang Realm's location.
Wrapped by the Dao Net projection, the Xuanhuang Realm instantly trembled slightly. Then, inch by inch, it was wrenched free from the pull of the Immortal Ruins!
An escape plan from the Immortal Ruins that had once proved impossible even with the combined might of every cultivator in the Xuanhuang Realm was accomplished by Li Fan alone.
Such was the immense gulf between a Nameless True Immortal and mortal cultivators!
At that moment, countless immortal arrays evolved outside the Xuanhuang Realm. The Xuanhuang Realm seemed to plunge into a vast mist, shifting from real to illusory and becoming impossible to discern clearly. This was a concealment measure Li Fan took to avoid alarming the Hunger Immortal prematurely.
As it turned out, the Hunger Immortal, immersed in Dao comprehension, truly cared for very little.
She remained completely unaware of the Xuanhuang Realm's departure.
Though the Dao Net traction method appeared to move slowly, that was only relative to the size of the Xuanhuang Realm.
If converted to the flight speed of a cultivator, it was equivalent to traversing ninety-nine Xuanhuang Realms in a single breath.
Though seemingly slow, it was extraordinarily fast. Without much upheaval, the Xuanhuang Realm successfully broke free from the suction of the Immortal Ruins.
All obstacles along the path were completely ignored before the power of the Mound-Guarding phantom, which rivaled a Nameless True Immortal.
Even the residual Dao Annihilation black qi from the earlier spatial tremors of the testing ground was resolved by Li Fan's intervention.
Its speed through the void grew faster and faster. Smoothly and without incident, more than ten days later, the Xuanhuang Realm had arrived in a safe region of starry space.
Aside from being surrounded by absolute dead silence, there was no other shortcoming.
Perhaps sensing the change in its environment, corresponding transformations began to unfold within the Xuanhuang Realm. Signs of revival emerged—Ruomu sprouted fresh buds, and earth veins surged with new vitality.
Like a dying patient suddenly bursting with new life, the dynamics of attack and defense had now reversed.
The fragments of other cultivation worlds that the Heavenly Physician had once grafted in massive quantities had previously been tumors feeding upon the realm's body; now, they became nourishment for the Xuanhuang Realm's rebirth.
The yellow representing the Xuanhuang Realm's own power blew the horn of counterattack, spreading rapidly outward with the original central Xuanhuang region as its core.
As the actual sovereign of Xuanhuang, Li Fan naturally witnessed all these changes.
"Previously, to resist the pull of the Immortal Ruins, the Xuanhuang Realm always had to allocate a portion of its power. Now that it is far away from the Immortal Ruins, that power has been liberated."
"It's just like me calling upon the Mound-Guarding phantom."
The speed at which the Xuanhuang Realm's vitality revived was also somewhat beyond Li Fan's expectations.
He looked toward Li Ningqing—the Dharma Formulation Jade—who was still leisurely touring the landscapes within the Xuanhuang Realm.
The vacation Li Fan had granted her had ended long ago, but he had not recalled her, as if he had forgotten about it.
Having worked continuously for thousands of years, Li Ningqing had clearly not rested enough. She actually pretended to have forgotten as well, failing to report back to Li Fan on time. At first, she had been quite nervous and uneasy, but seeing that so much time had passed without any reaction from Li Fan, the worry in Li Ningqing's heart gradually faded.
She spent her days roaming mountains and rivers, exploring secret realms across Xuanhuang, living carefree and blissful.
Befitting a former creation of the Immortal Realm, she had actually discovered several secret grounds that Li Fan had overlooked, relying on her keen spiritual perception.
However, almost all of them were abandoned or damaged, possessing little value.
Therefore, Li Fan continued to let her enjoy herself, intending to settle accounts with her once she had completely surveyed the Xuanhuang Realm.
"If only my manipulation of the Mound-Guarding phantom's power weren't incapable of such delicacy, I wouldn't need to rely on this little girl," Li Fan thought, shaking his head slightly.
A majestic force rivaling a Nameless True Immortal was unquestionably fine for confronting enemies. But if used to search the Xuanhuang Realm...
Before anything could be found, the Xuanhuang Realm would likely succumb to the strain and shatter into pieces.
Li Fan had no intention of destroying his own base just yet.
Leaving aside the various dramatic changes taking place inside the Xuanhuang Realm after its departure from the Immortal Ruins, the avatar Li Buren proceeded step by step, ultimately arriving above the Immortal Ruins.
Unlike ordinary True Immortals, the avatar puppet's current body was formed entirely of the Great Dao's projection, perfectly blending into this world.
Without mobilizing the power of the Mound-Guarding phantom, he was almost undetectable to others.
Still, one could not underestimate the Hunger Immortal.
Compared to the dead-silence Great Dao of this extinguished star sea, Li Buren's Dao Net projection body was still somewhat distinct.
Seemingly sensing something, the golden shackles on the Hunger Immortal's body began to clink softly.
Li Buren also detected a suction force emanating from the Hunger Immortal.
It was her instinctive urge to swallow Li Buren, this delectable morsel of food, into her stomach.
Li Buren did not resist, allowing his body to drift forward, accelerating toward the Hunger Immortal.
When he was only three zhang away from the Hunger Immortal, Li Buren's heart stirred slightly.
*Sure enough, beneath this...*
*There is the aura of a Nameless True Immortal.*
It had been concealed exceedingly well by the Hunger Immortal, blending seamlessly with the fluctuations generated by her own Dao comprehension.
Had he not drawn so close, and had Li Buren, as a Dao Net projection, not been incomparably sensitive to the Great Dao of heaven and earth, it truly might have been overlooked.
With the Hunger Immortal's skeletal frame in sight, Li Buren accelerated abruptly, closing in before her in an instant.
Just as the Hunger Immortal finally noticed and snapped her eyes open, the power of the Mound-Guarding phantom descended upon Li Buren's body.
In a flash, leveraging the suction the Hunger Immortal had yet to withdraw, Li Buren pressed a finger to the center of her brow.
This was no guiding impartation of enlightenment; rather, he poured in the Mound-Guarding colossal power, akin to a Nameless one, in one fell swoop along with the Hunger Immortal's absorption.
The Hunger Immortal's emaciated body instantly swelled like a balloon.
Instead of plumping up like normal flesh and blood, it expanded in a grotesque, twisted fashion. Different parts of her body bulged to varying degrees; in this moment, the Hunger Immortal looked like a horrifying monster existing only in the profound abyss.
Even her two eyes were mismatched in size: the larger one took up half her face, while the smaller one was compressed until only the pupil remained.
Yet both fixed a deathly glare on the abruptly appearing Li Buren.
In her eyes were shock and confusion, as well as towering fury.
Soon, however, all of this turned into terror.
For she finally realized that the boundless, colossal force the other party had poured into her was simply not something she could consume.
At this rate, she would very likely be "burst" in a certain sense.
And it was not merely her immortal body.
The Hunger Immortal sensed that the Dao of Hunger, which she had painstakingly comprehended through arduous secluded cultivation, was actually being gradually seized by the opponent with near-brute force.
Like a cuckoo usurping a magpie's nest, not only had he forced his way into her house, but he was also going to drive her out entirely!
"Wuuu..."
Frightened and enraged, the Hunger Immortal naturally resisted by instinct.
Her immortal body being destroyed was of no consequence, but her Dao path being usurped was utterly impermissible.
The Hunger Immortal fought the mysterious intruder for ownership of the Dao of Hunger.
However, she had not yet attested to Nameless. Even though she was only a sliver away, the Dao path did not yet belong to her.
At first, relying on the familiarity cultivated over the past, the Hunger Immortal could barely defend her territory.
Gradually, however, she discovered to her horror that the Great Dao of Hunger was steadily leaning toward her opponent!
From occupying ninety-nine percent of the room to being driven into a corner took only a few breaths.
The Hunger Immortal could not help but be dazed.
She could see that while the opponent's formidable strength was one reason for such efficiency, the primary reason was that his comprehension of the Dao of Hunger was also profoundly deep.
Only thus could he seamlessly contest ownership of the Dao path of Hunger with her and achieve overwhelming victory!
"How... how is this possible?"
The realization of this fact dealt a blow to the Hunger Immortal that was in no way inferior to the destruction of her body or the theft of her Dao path.
*Clearly...*
*The skeleton of the Nameless of Hunger is right beneath me!*
*Nowhere in this world is this Dao path denser than here.*
*Where did he comprehend the Dao?*
Unable to muster even the slightest power of resistance, the Hunger Immortal felt despair and incomprehension.
Yet for some reason, just when the opponent could have completely seized the entirety of the Dao of Hunger next, he stalled halfway. At the crucial final juncture, he remained motionless.
Still, the Hunger Immortal dared not act rashly, only observing silently while accumulating strength to prepare for a desperate counterattack.
In the Immortal Realm, mortal struggles to contest a particular Dao path were not uncommon.
And the outcome was always a fight to the death.
Thus, the Hunger Immortal harbored no naive optimism.
Yet what baffled her greatly was that the other party seemed to have truly halted before the final step.
Clearly, with just a gesture, he could have driven her out of this room.
Yet he had not done so.
After a long time, something even more unexpected to the Hunger Immortal happened.
That figure actually shook his head slightly and stepped out of the room, step by step!
The Hunger Immortal regained complete control over the Dao path of Hunger!
Having recovered most of her strength, she was overjoyed.
Returning to reality from the struggle for the Dao, the Hunger Immortal vigilantly eyed the figure not far away.
At the same time, the colossal power that had been poured into her mysteriously vanished.
The Hunger Immortal's immortal body returned to normal in the blink of an eye.
She withdrew the golden chains and, looking at the enigmatic person before her, attempted to communicate.
"Immortal friend..."
"What is the meaning of this?"
After a long silence, a cold voice spoke:
"This Dao is too weak. Merging with it is no different from not."
This answer far exceeded the Hunger Immortal's expectations.
She froze slightly, her mind going blank for a brief moment.
These words were not hard to understand.
The opponent disdained the Dao of Hunger as too weak. Therefore, even though he had a hundred percent certainty of successfully attesting to Nameless through it, he had actively withdrawn.
But... how could that be?
Could there really exist such an arrogant figure in the world?
The Hunger Immortal's heart was filled with incomprehension and shock.
One had to know that the difference between attesting to Nameless and being an ordinary True Immortal was like night and day.
In the Immortal Realm of the past, although True Immortals could freely establish their own cave abodes across an expanse of starry space and enjoy boundless energy and resources, they were still subject to the jurisdiction of the Immortal Realm. None dared disobey the decrees of the reigning Immortal Emperor.
They were akin to citizens of the Immortal Realm.
Only upon reaching the realm of a Nameless True Immortal was one promoted to an "official." Not only could they govern a star domain, but they could even argue face-to-face with the reigning Immortal Emperor without punishment.
At its core, this was because the source of a True Immortal's limitless immortal power was firmly controlled by the Immortal Emperor. A single imperial decree could strip a True Immortal of their authority to access the Infinite Sea.
Without the attribute of "Infinite," a True Immortal was not even a match for their own immortal servants or puppets.
Moreover, having tasted the savor of infinity, how could a True Immortal easily part with it?
Consequently, under the reign of the Immortal Emperor, virtually no one dared rebel.
The ultimate goal of all True Immortals was to merge with a Great Dao and advance to the Nameless realm.
It was said that a Nameless True Immortal could break free from the Immortal Realm's control to a certain degree and access the Infinite Sea on their own, thereby achieving true freedom.
Therefore, whether strong or weak, advancing to Nameless was an irresistible temptation for any True Immortal in the world.
Yet now, someone had arrived at the gate of Nameless and refused to enter?
The Hunger Immortal gazed in profound shock at the figure not far away.
"If you wish to merge with it, then merge."
"However, there are still flaws in your comprehension."
While the Hunger Immortal stood dazed, the other spoke again.
He actually proceeded to recount in detail all of his own insights regarding the Dao of Hunger.
Comparing them with her own comprehension, the Hunger Immortal was both shocked and overjoyed.
She was shocked that the other's comprehension was indeed superior to hers.
She was overjoyed that with these additions from him, she was not far from taking that final step!
Chapter 1474