Li Fan struck without warning, like a dark shadow suddenly surfacing beneath the water.
When that Shuo Star Sea Immortal Hunter sensed the incoming strike, he was momentarily taken aback. But he quickly regained his composure, though a trace of anger simmered behind his expression.
Harnessing the immense power of the Dao Net, he prepared to suppress the brazen intruder. Yet to his shock...
The magnificent Great Dao somehow thawed and dissipated like melting ice the instant it neared that shadow. A punch thrown with the force of a thousand jun landed with such flimsy weightlessness that it could not even deflect a falling leaf.
Not only that, the foundational source of his immense strength—the Dao Net itself—was disintegrating!
It was as though the shadow had corroded a gaping void right through the Dao Net, and he was plummeting straight into this abyssal black hole.
In an instant, the fury in the eyes of the Shuo Star Sea Immortal Hunter gave way to terror.
Beside him, Immortal Wu, who had originally intended to watch the spectacle unfold, also realized something was amiss. Just as he moved to intervene, he felt a hand gently rest upon his shoulder. It felt as though whole mountain ranges were pressing down on him, rendering him utterly immobile!
He could only watch helplessly as the Immortal Hunter was swallowed whole by the dark shadow.
"What brings you here this time?"
Once everything had settled into calm, Li Fan's lazy voice drifted through the air. He made no mention of the suppressed Immortal Hunter, as if he had merely swatted an insignificant fly that was not worth bringing up.
Immortal Wu knew that their rude display a moment ago must have provoked this mercurial "Hidden Emperor," prompting him to strike.
Reflecting on how Elder Wei—whose strength ranked among the top three in the Shuo Star Sea Governing Council—had been captured so effortlessly, Immortal Wu felt a chill seep into his very core.
Over the years, the Governing Council had employed all manner of methods to analyze this Hidden Emperor's might. Yet the realm of power he had just casually displayed far exceeded any estimate they had produced.
Even that lord would probably be hard-pressed to achieve such a feat.
No wonder they knew all along of this Hidden Emperor's existence over the years yet never came to pay their respects. They were terrified...
Thoughts churned wildly in Immortal Wu's mind, but his instincts did not falter. He bowed his head respectfully and said, "We sensed an anomaly in the Great Dao at the fringes of the star sea and feared Senior might be summoning us, so we hurried over to investigate."
He did not utter a single word about the Immortal Hunter.
"Hmph."
"Taking a bit of your standard cardinal Daos shouldn't be an issue, should it? After all, you have the Dao Net supporting you, and over the past century, you've even gained the blessings of several True Immortals' Dao-bearing phantoms," Li Fan asked coldly.
With the Immortal Hunter elder who had backed him already captured, how could Immortal Wu dare voice the slightest objection? He could only nod bitterly. "No issue at all, none at all."
"I have been awake for quite some time. Now that Dao Annihilation has temporarily subsided and everything awaits restoration, I intend to re-establish the Immortal Court..."
Immortal Wu had been calculating how to account for this to the Shuo Star Sea Immortal Hunters upon his return.
Yet Li Fan's words fell like a clap of thunder, blasting his mind completely blank.
"Re-establish the Immortal Court?" Immortal Wu was struck dumb.
Unbidden, grand visions of the boundless, majestic Immortal Realm from countless years ago surfaced before his eyes.
"Dao Annihilation has not fully receded, so re-establishing the Immortal Realm is impossible for the time being. However, restoring a single immortal domain..."
"Is still barely within reach," Li Fan said with aloof pride.
"Construction will be completed before long. When the time comes, any of you who are interested may come visit. But idle riffraff and those lacking manners need not bother."
Immortal Wu was still reeling from this explosive revelation, his head spinning. Just as he opened his mouth to reply, he felt the heavy pressure on his shoulder surge once more. The scenery before him blurred, and by the time his senses cleared, he had already been hurled ten thousand li away.
Something else seemed to have been cast out alongside him.
However, that object flew outward for only three thousand li before coming to a halt, standing motionless in the void.
At first glance, it appeared to be a stone pillar.
Engraved upon it was a massive seal character: [Stillness].
Yet after observing it for a moment, a chilling dread swept through Immortal Wu, leaving him as if plunged into an icy cavern.
What stood towering before him was no mere stone pillar.
It was unmistakably the Immortal Hunter elder who had accompanied him!
"When the Dao Net was first established, Wei Daofu was already one of its pillars. Steeped in the Dao Net for countless years, his body merged with myriad Daos, he moved with ease even when facing the Nameless True Immortals.
"Back during the negotiations, he forced back three attackers striking in unison—what overwhelming might that was! Who could have imagined he would end up reduced to this state today..."
In Immortal Wu's heart, there was no grief of mourning one's own kind, only an unspeakable dread.
"Our prior analysis concluded that the Hidden Emperor had merely obtained the Mound-Guarding Lord's marvelous arts by sheer coincidence. From the look of things now, perhaps the Mound-Guarding Lord deliberately entrusted them to him. With such terrifying strength, could he be an intimate friend of the Mound-Guarding Lord...?" The more Immortal Wu thought, the more intimidated and unnerved he became. Not daring to meddle with Elder Wei, who had been turned into a stone pillar, he sped back toward the Shuo Star Sea.
This matter was far too grave; he had to inform the others as quickly as possible.
...
Li Fan coldly watched Immortal Wu vanish into the distance, then turned his gaze back to the stone pillar engraved with "Stillness."
Although it was also a stone pillar, in essence it was completely different from the Heavenly Pillars of Primordial Beginning and the others.
Li Fan had merely shaped him using the Dao of "Carve," rather than solidifying a single Great Dao.
After all, Immortal Hunters merely borrowed the power of the Dao Net and possessed no Dao paths of their own.
Once Li Fan severed all ties between this Immortal Hunter and the Dao Net using the power of [Wuji], the strength the man demonstrated was inferior even to that of the Heavenly Physician within the Great Wall.
Though transformed into a pillar, he still retained his awareness. Stripped of all the arrogance he had arrived with, nothing remained in his heart except a turbulent mix of dread, despair, and regret.
Using the fear in the Immortal Hunter's heart as an entryway, Li Fan slowly corroded and peered into his mind.
As expected, anything touching upon the Dao Net was shrouded as if behind a thick veil, murky and indistinct. However, the various affairs, both large and small, within the Shuo Star Sea Governing Council could be seen with absolute clarity.
"This fledgling alliance has actually gathered four Nameless True Immortals and thirty-six True Immortals...
"While not quite as delicious as the Thirteen Primordial Dao Manifestations, it can still pass for a grand feast."
If before this, learning of such a massive force in the Shuo Star Sea would have made Li Fan steer clear of them, what welled up in his heart now was an insatiable greed.
Yet the moment he detected this state of mind within himself, Li Fan frowned slightly and immediately withdrew from his fantasies of gorging himself.
Closing his eyes, he calmed his emotions.
"The Myriad Manifestations Dao Net devours the Nameless and forcibly seizes the Dao paths of others. This method of growing in power is indeed too fast—it goes far beyond mere eagerness for quick success.
"As a result, my mindset has inevitably been swayed. If this continues long-term, I might become unable to accept any gradual, steady progress.
"Among the myriad Great Daos in the world, I may be able to find ways to reap benefits without sowing by devouring them. But the transformation of true and false alone requires my own gradual comprehension..."
Li Fan pondered, and the craving to "feed" gradually subsided.
"Though Mo Sha's Myriad Manifestations Dao Net seemingly points toward transcendence, the [transformation of true and false] is my true foundation.
"Wondrous though the technique may be, it must not corrupt my resolve."
...
Only after an extensive bout of introspection did Li Fan gradually pull himself back from that near-out-of-control state.
Though the plan to hunt the Nameless remained unchanged, he no longer harbored that prior ravenous, impatient craving.
With the power Li Fan currently commanded, even if all four Nameless True Immortals of the Shuo Star Sea gathered, he could likely suppress them all regardless of the cost. Moreover, the Shuo Star Sea would never send every single one of their Nameless True Immortals on a preliminary probe.
Executing the plan would not be overly difficult.
"Still, the bait must be carefully refined."
Li Fan extended his hand, and several dozen faintly glowing fragments appeared in his palm.
Their former form had been the immortal domain chess pieces left behind by Sun Piaomiao. In the process of the Primordial Beginning Bone transforming into a Heavenly Pillar, the vast majority of the immortal domain had shattered and disintegrated, returning to Primordial Beginning.
Only a few fragments survived.
Re-creating an immortal domain solely with these fragments was something the current Li Fan was not yet capable of doing.
Yet if he merely wanted to construct an intimidating, deceptive Immortal Court...
It shouldn't be much of a problem.
"What makes the Immortal Realm truly immortal lies first in possessing the momentum of Mount Shangfang, and second in possessing the infinity of the Sea of Infinity.
"If both are present, then even if it is not the true Immortal Realm, it can still pass as one.
"With the phantom of the Mound-Guarding Lord and several Heavenly Pillars in hand, able to withstand the Tribulation of Dao Annihilation, their momentum is more than sufficient to fabricate a disguise.
"The key remains the property of infinity..." Li Fan pondered, a hint of hesitation creeping into his mind.
That incomprehensible presence he had previously sensed at the bottom of the Sea of Infinity had been truly terrifying. Most critically, it seemed capable of tracing the link between his clone and true body to detect [Revert to the True] within him.
Because of this, although Li Fan had found a method to access the Sea of Infinity, he had not used it a second time throughout the entire past century.
Amid his hesitation, Li Fan ultimately decided to consult Revert to the True directly.
After all, ever since he had stirred Revert to the True's thoughts and endured that tempestuous storm, and after enduring a century of tempering, Li Fan felt he could bear more of Revert to the True's contemplation.
Not long after sending his intent, Li Fan indeed received a response from Revert to the True.
This time, unlike in the past, it was not merely a simple fluctuation of emotion. Nor was it a concrete train of thought crashing like tempestuous waves as it had been last time.
Instead, it was a pure, explanatory "directive."
As Li Fan carefully digested its contents, his expression grew increasingly fascinated.
The content of this directive might very well be a divine ability!
The reason he thought of it as "might" was that what Revert to the True imparted was utterly different from any divine ability Li Fan had ever known.
Divine abilities and magical techniques centered on the concept of "cultivation." From nothing to something, from unfamiliar to practiced, and finally to mastery—it was a gradual, progressive process of acquiring an unknown skill.
Yet what Revert to the True revealed to Li Fan could bypass the arduous process of cultivation entirely and leap straight to the result.
It was like an incantation: so long as it was uttered, the effect would manifest.
Half in doubt, Li Fan conducted his first test without prior practice.
Naturally, out of caution, he did not test it on his true body. Once again, Li Buren was tasked with the experiment.
After completing the "directive," Li Buren did not sense any change in himself.
Resolute nonetheless, he relied on the memories left from last time to reconnect with the Sea of Infinity.
Having already forged a connection with the Sea of Infinity, there was no need for the tedious steps of before. With just a single thought, he returned once more to that boundlessly vast ocean!
Even though it was not his first time seeing it, Li Buren was still awed by the infinity before him.
Yet unlike before, while immersed in the infinite and bearing the weight of hundreds of millions of years of time, Li Buren felt no pressure whatsoever.
It was as though he had obtained a legendary Water-Repelling Bead; a layer of protection enveloped him, ignoring the natural crushing pressure of the seawater and allowing him to roam freely through the Sea of Infinity.
"This..."
Li Buren was certain that this was a unique experience not even Nameless True Immortals could enjoy. Even supposed transcendent experts might not be able to linger at the bottom of the Sea of Infinity with such serene ease.
Yet [Revert to the True] had accomplished it with just a single wondrous art.
Li Buren felt dazed as he carefully examined the changes that had taken place within him.
He realized that the reason he hadn't noticed any change earlier was that the realm influenced by Revert to the True's marvelous art exceeded his own comprehension.
It had made him, a mortal who did not belong here, become of the same origin and nature as the Sea of Infinity.
Because he was now part of the Sea of Infinity, he would not suffer pressure originating from himself.
Li Buren knew full well that this was definitely an extraordinary supreme divine ability.
Yet looking at the endless condensed time and events all around him, Li Buren was momentarily at a loss, unsure of what step to take next.
While he was momentarily stunned, a violent tremor suddenly ran through his surroundings.
Just like the barrier of a Water-Repelling Bead about to shatter, the crushing pressure of the Sea of Infinity was about to descend once more.
"So this alteration—or deception—has a time limit," Li Buren realized.
Not daring to be reckless, he returned to the mortal world while the divine ability's effect still lasted.
Aided by the marvelous art of Revert to the True, the clone's daring foray into the Sea of Infinity truly had not attracted the attention of that unknown, horrific existence at the ocean floor.
"What's more, with this technique's blessing, it seems I can channel far more of the Sea of Infinity's power than other True Immortals.
"During the duration of the divine ability, I can draw upon it to my heart's content without provoking the pressure or turmoil of the Sea of Infinity."
As Li Fan reviewed the entire exploration, his heart pounded uncontrollably.
The Immortal Sequenced Dissolving Disc had long been able to derive its own immortal energy.
Li Fan knew that although immortal energy possessed infinite properties, the energy tier an individual could draw upon had a strict ceiling. This upper limit was intimately tied to one's own cultivation strength.
The immortal energy wielded by a Nameless True Immortal was naturally far greater than that of an ordinary True Immortal.
And figures like the Mound-Guarding Lord stood far above ordinary Nameless True Immortals.
Yet now, through the divine ability imparted by Revert to the True, Li Fan seemed capable of disregarding such limitations entirely, leaping across tiers to channel infinite immortal energy...
Unable to contain his eagerness, Li Fan immediately prepared to attempt it again.
Only to find...
The casting failed.
"Hm?"
Refusing to give up, he tried several more times in succession before finally discovering the problem.
It was not that he had made an error in the steps of casting the divine ability; rather, the divine ability itself had become unavailable to him.
"Could this deception only be used once?"
Li Fan's eyelids twitched. But upon probing more closely, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's not a one-time use.
"It just requires a cooldown period before it can be used again.
"This...
"Why does it seem like...
"A skill?"
Li Fan's expression turned decidedly peculiar.
Mid-thought, as if remembering something, Li Fan quickly turned his attention to the display panel of [Revert to the True].
After the entries for name, age, and charging progress, and before the bonded items section...
A new line had appeared.
Divine Blessing: Illusion as Reality.
Chapter 1491