Li Fan could clearly sense that this "anchor" of Baili Shan was far more stable than Elder Song. It was not merely because his relationship with Baili Shan now seemed closer.
It had to do with the depth of the "brushstrokes" the anchor figure had left in the River of Time.
"If all goes well, Elder Song will be nothing more than a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator in this lifetime. No different from the common masses of the Xuanhuang Realm, his final end will be to perish like an ant in the coming great calamity of the cultivation world."
"Baili Shan, who has obtained the Supreme Dao Scripture, will undoubtedly reach the peak of the Xuanhuang Realm—the Dao Integration Stage. Living longer, leaving a deeper mark."
Li Fan's gaze seemed to pierce the mist of history, penetrating the vast and mighty River of Time, glimpsing the scene ten thousand years hence.
...
His speculation confirmed, Li Fan abandoned his previous practice of using Illusion is Reality to conceal his identity, instead appearing frequently before others. Baili Shan was now a figure of widespread attention in Changqing Valley, and Li Fan, as Baili Shan's newly made friend, also drew no small amount of notice.
Compared to Baili Shan, this rising star about to ascend, Li Fan was a nameless nobody with no merits whatsoever. Thus most Changqing disciples could not understand why he was on such good terms with Baili Shan. Some disciples with dark hearts tried to shake their relationship, but failing, certain sordid rumors began to quietly spread through Changqing Valley.
"Ignore those fools. You and I are not of the same world as them," Baili Shan said disdainfully.
Merely sensing Li Fan's transmitted comprehension of the Supreme Dao Scripture, she was overjoyed: "Indeed, the great Dao is like the heavens; viewed from different angles, what is seen differs. By sharing our insights and corroborating each other, our cultivation efficiency is many times greater than secluded cultivation!"
At first, Baili Shan had only regarded Li Fan as one of her own who shared a common secret. But after seeing Li Fan's comprehension of the Supreme Dao Scripture and his rapid advancement in cultivation, her attitude subtly changed.
She came to regard him as a fellow Dao-seeker with whom she could help one another.
"Rumors are like a flood; if not stemmed at the source, they will only spread further. I do not care, but you, as chief disciple of Changqing Valley, are destined to inherit the position of Valley Master."
"Allowing such rumors to spread, someday..." Li Fan shook his head slightly.
The expression on Baili Shan's face gradually stiffened. After pondering for a moment, she frowned and said: "What you say makes sense. I will go report this to my master right away."
Li Fan waved a hand: "Baili brother, you must learn to place yourself properly. The situation now is not that you beg to stay in Changqing Valley, but that Changqing Valley needs you to stay. If you cannot resolve even this small matter, then there is no point in remaining in this Changqing Valley!"
"But..." Baili Shan, hearing this, felt conflicted.
What Li Fan said seemed reasonable, yet it ran contrary to the conduct she had cultivated for so long.
Apparently seeing Baili Shan's hesitation, Li Fan volunteered: "Baili brother, do not worry. You need only continue to play the role of the radiant senior brother."
"As for the villain, I shall play that part."
Baili Shan, seeing Li Fan's calm expression, was completely stunned.
Over the next few days, Changqing Valley was stirred by no small amount of bloodshed. Those who fabricated and spread the rumors were, before the assembled disciples, executed with thunderous means, their bones ground to ash and scattered. The rumors indeed stopped instantly.
As for Li Fan's barefaced killings, violating sect rules, the Valley Master of Changqing Valley and the various elders all chose to turn a blind eye. They assumed Baili Shan, caring for her reputation, was unwilling to act herself, and thus had instructed Li Fan.
Compared to Baili Shan, those few rumor-mongers were not worth mourning. Naturally, no punishment would befall them; indeed, some even stepped forward to back the two.
The disturbance gradually faded.
Li Fan's cold, ruthless figure of slaughter, however, remained like a nightmare deeply imprinted in the hearts of the Changqing disciples.
"Indeed, this method of leaving an anchor is effective."
"And compared to ordinary methods, the effect is even better." In the seclusion chamber, sensing the many connections between himself and the mortal world gradually stabilizing, Li Fan's eyes slowly kindled with a dangerous light as he thought of something.
But after reflection, he slowly extinguished it.
"It may be used occasionally, but not as a primary means. Most important is that there be people and things in the present world to serve as anchors. If they are all slaughtered, or if their number is too few, the anchoring effect will instead diminish..."
After rising and moving about a bit, sensing the firmness of the established anchors, Li Fan nodded with some satisfaction.
"Changqing Valley, though only a small sect, radiates influence over ten thousand li. My infamy is known to all within the valley. Using this as a foundation, the anchors I have laid down are sufficient for my activities for now."
Li Fan did not intend to remain here too long.
During this time, he had also discreetly gathered some news about the brutal war the Ten Sects were currently waging.
The Xuanhuang Realm was at war with a cultivation realm called Taiyuan.
Compared to the Xuanhuang Realm, whether in scale or the overall strength of its cultivators, Taiyuan was not on the same level. At the outset of the war, the rulers of the Xuanhuang Realm, the Ten Sects of the Immortal Dao, had not taken the other side seriously, believing the war would soon end.
As people expected, faced with the Xuanhuang Realm's sudden invasion, Taiyuan was caught off guard and suffered heavy losses. Several of its greatest sects were nearly exterminated, leaving only some survivors who united to resist to the death.
At first, the Ten Sects did not particularly care about these makeshift resistance forces, only wishing to quickly complete their plunder of Taiyuan's resources.
But no one expected that the survivors' resistance army would grow rapidly, dealing the Ten Sects a heavy blow.
They not only nearly exterminated the Xuanhuang vanguard cultivators, but even once counterattacked into the Xuanhuang Realm itself.
All this was thanks to a realm-protecting immortal artifact within Taiyuan—the Taiyuan Chaos Furnace!
Below was the news the Xuanhuang Realm had learned at great cost.
Any cultivator who perished in Taiyuan needed only to activate the furnace fire, and could be reborn in full condition within the Taiyuan Chaos Furnace. It was said the entire Taiyuan Realm was originally a place to experiment with the furnace's effects. Later, when the Immortal Realm fell, the Taiyuan Chaos Furnace was instead controlled by its own experimental subjects.
The enemy would be endlessly reborn, while our side lost one for every death. How could this war be fought?
The moment the news spread, morale among the Ten Sects plummeted. Nearly all wanted to abandon the plan to attack Taiyuan.
However, Qu Yixing, the sect master of Yishi Sect, at the critical moment pierced the heavenly secret with a single word.
The news about the Taiyuan Chaos Furnace had been deliberately leaked by the other side, in order to drive the Xuanhuang Realm forces back.
The Taiyuan Chaos Furnace did have a rebirth effect, but all immortal artifacts require immortal spiritual energy to activate. Taiyuan had no True Immortals, so the situation with this Taiyuan Chaos Furnace should be similar to the immortal artifacts left behind within Xuanhuang.
Use it once, and it is diminished once.
The method of rebirth was not without limits.
So many had already been sacrificed in the attack on Taiyuan—should they abandon the effort halfway?
Furthermore, if the Taiyuan Chaos Furnace truly had the miraculous effect of resurrection, then after completing the attack and occupying it, they might likewise be able to resurrect the Ten Sect cultivators who had perished in Taiyuan.
Whether out of self-interest or righteousness, continuing the attack became the only choice for the Ten Sects.
Thus they chose to continue pouring in manpower and wage a war of attrition against Taiyuan.
However, perhaps they had misjudged the available quantity of immortal spiritual energy remaining within the Taiyuan Chaos Furnace.
The cultivators of Taiyuan were reborn wave after wave, yet seemed impossible to kill completely.
Thus the war fell into a complete stalemate.
...
After organizing the news he had gathered, Li Fan's expression turned somewhat subtle.
"Not a True Immortal, unaware of the infinite attribute of immortal spiritual power."
"Choosing to fill it with lives..."
Not every so-called cultivation realm was as special as Xuanhuang Realm. As one of the most important experimental grounds in Lanke Dao Sanctuary, it was strictly supervised; even immortal artifacts were merely crippled semi-finished products with their functions cut off.
Using Xuanhuang Realm's situation to speculate about other cultivation realms would likely not turn out well.
What made Li Fan curious was the location of this so-called Taiyuan Realm. Li Fan, having once been a disciple of Shou Qiu and obtained the highest authority in Lanke Dao Sanctuary, had not found this Taiyuan Realm among the many testing ground starfields.
"Either, at this point in time, it was occupied by Xuanhuang Realm and then destroyed."
"Or else, Taiyuan Realm is not within the Great Wall."
Li Fan had previously, while at Great Dao Sect, observed up close the horizontal golden lock represented by the Grand Star-Crossing Array.
Given the might it displayed, perhaps it truly could pierce the Great Wall and connect to the starry skies beyond.
"Unfortunately, it seems to be forcibly activated at some cost."
"It is now on the edge of damage."
"Only one chance remains, so it is no wonder the Ten Sects are fighting so desperately."
"One can only say their luck is truly bad."
"An immortal artifact capable of infinite resurrection..."
In Li Fan's understanding, such an immortal artifact, even in the ancient Immortal Realm, was of the highest grade. Only the executive Immortal Emperor who held the reins of the Immortal Realm could craft them, then bestow them upon the Immortal Xiang of various star domains.
"Could it be left behind by yet another Hidden Emperor?"
Li Fan gazed into the distance at the faint image of the Grand Star-Crossing Array on the canopy of heaven, pondering silently.
"In this critical autumn of life and death, someone is needed—to turn back the tide on the verge of collapse, to support the great hall on the verge of falling..." Li Fan murmured softly, his mind already made up.
Sending only one message to Baili Shan, Li Fan drifted away once more.
Entering the Taiyuan battlefield was no difficult matter. With manpower insufficient, the Ten Sects were all forcibly conscripting soldiers. After obtaining a proof token from the Valley Master of Changqing Valley, Li Fan came to the gates of Taishang Sect.
Even more imposing than what he had seen in paintings.
Peak after peak hung suspended in the sky, forming the Vast Array. Taishang Sect disciples were all like immortals in the heavens, looking down upon the common masses.
It was a pity that the present Taishang Sect was somewhat desolate.
"You have come to volunteer?"
Duan Yuxiao, a Soul Formation cultivator of Taishang Sect, looked at Li Fan with utter astonishment.
After carefully sizing up Li Fan and matching him to the figure described from memory by Zou Yunhao, the Valley Master of Changqing Valley, Duan Yuxiao set aside his doubts.
He said solemnly: "Good! Now, when all under heaven tremble at the mention of war, we need someone like you to set an example! Rest assured, our Ten Sects will certainly not mistreat you!"
"Follow me!"
Duan Yuxiao did not lie.
He directly brought Li Fan into the sect's treasure vault, pointing to the vast sea of techniques and treasures, and said generously: "Choose three items from among these!"
"If you return alive, I will report to my martial uncle, the sect master, and have you accepted as an orthodox direct disciple of my Taishang Sect!"
Li Fan cupped his hands and wandered through the Taishang Sect treasure vault.
Clearly, this was only the outermost layer. Though said to contain countless treasures, they were actually only suitable for those below Soul Formation Stage.
With Li Fan's current discernment, he naturally looked down on them all, and he did not discover any rare treasure.
He simply casually selected one technique and two treasures for appearances' sake.
Li Fan was then personally brought to the battlefield by Duan Yuxiao.
Within Taishang Sect, there were also golden chains of the Grand Star-Crossing Array. But compared to what Li Fan had seen before, the situation seemed even more precarious. In Li Fan's view, these chains were clearly at their limit, on the verge of collapse at any moment.
Duan Yuxiao, however, was oblivious, happily leading Li Fan along the golden chains to complete a spatial traversal.
The instant he stepped into Taiyuan Realm, Li Fan keenly sensed the strands of immortal spiritual energy flowing between heaven and earth.
"Without the Great Heavenly Venerable Xuanhuang causing trouble, surely it will not still resist my comprehension?"
Li Fan sensed the great Dao revealed in this realm.
After a moment, he could not help but slightly furrow his brow.
Though the situation was much better than in Xuanhuang Realm, it was far from optimistic. For the great Dao of this realm was actually extremely solid, blended into one.
Li Fan almost thought that the one standing before him was a Nameless True Immortal who had comprehended the Dao!
"And this realm's great Dao is actually in my blind spot, not known to me through the Myriad Manifestations Dao Net..." Li Fan was somewhat surprised.
By comparison, Duan Yuxiao was not so pleased.
Apparently discovering something, after entering Taiyuan Realm his expression turned grave.
Grabbing Li Fan, he fled at extreme speed toward a building standing on the earth ahead.
This place had apparently once been the stronghold of some sect in Taiyuan Realm, but was now occupied by Xuanhuang Realm. After who knows how many cruel battles, it barely resembled its original appearance.
"Senior Brother Duan, why have you come?" A somewhat surprised voice rang out; the speaker was a female cultivator whose entire body exuded a thick scent of blood.
The female cultivator had ordinary features, but the heroic air between her brows and eyes made her unforgettable.
Duan Yuxiao pointed to Li Fan and truthfully explained the situation.
The female cultivator looked at Li Fan and nodded slightly: "Though his cultivation is a bit low, he can be announced to all to boost morale."
"How is the battle?" Duan Yuxiao asked.
(End of chapter)
Chapter 1535