Within the Xuanhuang Realm, there was first a deathly silence. Then came an uproar.
"What in the world is happening?"
"Can he fight again? Give up—it's too tragic. There's no hope of victory."
"Where are the cowards of the Ten Sects? Let me in! I want to go to the Taiyuan Realm and die alongside the War God!"
…
The vast majority of cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm saw only "Li Ping" stand up once more, as if he wished to keep fighting. Only a very few finally grasped the meaning of the strange aura bursting from Li Ping's body.
They were all horrified, rising to their feet in a clamor.
"Fang Sect Master, if I'm not mistaken, that is…" Xiahou Yan, master of the Wuding Prison, asked incredulously.
Fang Dingge had lost his earlier composure, examining it for a long time in doubt and uncertainty, afraid he was seeing things.
But as the twisted radiance above the sky grew more pronounced, he finally believed it: "A breakthrough? Could those be signs of a breakthrough?"
"He's already at the peak of the Dao Integration stage. If he advances another step…"
Fang Dingge opened his mouth, utterly stunned.
"Immortal?"
The few in the hall exchanged glances, their hearts filled with shock and confusion.
But soon they all looked up together, afraid to miss any detail.
Above the sky, the twisted ripples grew more violent, all centering on Li Ping's towering figure.
Like a stone dropped into a great lake, causing ripples across the water.
The Taiyuan cultivators, who had been silently mourning, also noticed this anomaly. Without further hesitation, they hastily launched another attack.
Yet around Li Fan, a storm of incredible fury seemed to have arisen.
Any living creature that tried to approach was inevitably swept up by the gale, spinning uncontrollably in the air like ants. Even Dao Integration cultivators were no exception!
Even with all their might, they could not draw near by a hair's breadth, let alone harm Li Fan.
At the very center of the storm, Li Fan's vitality and momentum seemed to climb endlessly. Through the Sky-Spanning Golden Lock, it reached into the Xuanhuang Realm.
All living creatures gazing at the figure at the storm's center instinctively felt a sense of oppression, wanting involuntarily to bow down and worship him.
Though they did not understand, they knew something momentous was about to happen.
The Xuanhuang Realm was filled with deathly silence. In the Taiyuan Realm, all cultivators, gripped by fear rising in their hearts, still struggled to make one last attempt, seeking to stop Li Fan's transformation.
Alas, it was all in vain.
When the storm finally subsided, Li Fan's unharmed body appeared before everyone once more.
The stench of blood from successive fierce battles had washed away; he was ethereal and refined, like a celestial being.
"Immortal!"
The word sprang simultaneously into the minds of all living creatures in both realms who saw Li Fan.
Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
Ever since the path to immortality was severed, there had been no True Immortal in the world for tens of thousands of years.
Who would have thought that today, an immortal would be born before everyone's eyes!
The living beings of Xuanhuang knelt on the ground, unable to resist, worshiping him fervently.
The Taiyuan Realm cultivators, though still fearful in their hearts, nevertheless fearlessly launched an attack against this "Immortal," Li Fan.
But after Li Fan had attained the Dao, the battlefield situation underwent an earth-shattering change.
The Taiyuan cultivators' sky-covering, earth-shading divine abilities and arcane arts had originally been impossible for Li Fan to evade.
But now, he simply extended his hand toward the front.
Countless agreed-upon seven-colored lights and shadows were all deflected and absorbed into his palm.
Then he exhaled gently.
All those unleashed killing moves were instantly bounced back, striking their casters.
The unprepared Taiyuan cultivators suffered heavy losses. Especially since they were all gathered together, concentrating their divine abilities and unleashing them simultaneously, this brought them massive casualties.
Originally, Li Fan had been surrounded so tightly that not even water could seep through, but after suffering backlash from their divine abilities, a large area was directly emptied.
If Li Fan's method of turning their own arts against them had not yet made the Taiyuan cultivators terribly afraid, then what happened next filled these cultivators—who could be resurrected countless times—with profound despair.
Li Fan raised his left hand gently upward.
The relics of Xuanhuang cultivators scattered across the battlefield all seemed to sense something and flew into the sky.
As if summoned, a string of phantoms emerged beside these relics.
They were their original owners—the Xuanhuang Realm cultivators who had died on the battlefield!
Even though their faces were not particularly clear, the living beings of the Xuanhuang Realm recognized these resurrected friends and loved ones. Many burst into tears on the spot.
The phantoms of the Xuanhuang warriors all bowed respectfully to Li Fan first, then grasped their weapons and ferociously charged at the Taiyuan cultivators.
One real, one phantom—the combat power of both realms clashed violently once more.
This time, the offensive and defensive dynamic had reversed!
One must understand that whether in overall or average combat strength, Taiyuan cultivators were far inferior to Xuanhuang Realm cultivators. It was solely through the Taiyuan Resurrection Furnace's ability to resurrect infinitely that they had driven Xuanhuang to this desperate strait.
But now…
When the Taiyuan cultivators exerted all their strength and shattered the Xuanhuang cultivator phantoms,
a streak of light flew from Li Fan, who held the rear. In just an instant, those phantoms reappeared. The Xuanhuang cultivators, resurrected in the blink of an eye, slew their stunned enemies before them.
Then they charged toward other opponents on the battlefield.
Having finally tasted their enemy's greatest reliance, the Xuanhuang cultivators were inspired as if by a hundredfold boost, slowly forcing the Taiyuan cultivators back.
The phantoms that died in battle would soon be replenished by Li Fan.
On the battlefield, streaks of light flashed unceasingly, like a grand meteor shower bursting across the Taiyuan Realm's sky.
When the meteor shower ended, the Taiyuan cultivators gathered nearby were either dead or had fled in panic.
"Kill!"
Li Fan did not stop because of this. He pointed his sword forward and uttered only one word, flatly.
The direction his sword pointed was precisely where the Tianyu Dao Palace and the Taiyuan Resurrection Furnace were located!
Thus countless streaks of light slowly advanced deep into the Taiyuan Realm.
Unstoppable, irresistible.
Anyone blocking this rolling torrent would be instantly torn to pieces.
This heart-shaking scene made the countless living beings watching the battle in the Xuanhuang Realm hot-blooded, eager to join in.
Only a handful could see past the surface of this passionate scene to the true hidden workings behind it.
Although those resurrected Xuanhuang cultivators were merely phantoms, the divine abilities and killing moves they unleashed undoubtedly possessed true lethal power.
On the Taiyuan battlefield, how many cultivators had been resurrected from the dead? Not less than hundreds of thousands?
And yet "Li Ping" alone could support their consumption?
As if thinking of something, Fang Dingge completely lost himself, unable to hide his inner shock, muttering to himself: "Infinite, the infinity of an immortal. Could it really be an immortal?"
All cultivators who understood the nature of a True Immortal reacted just like Fang Dingge.
Amid this shock, Li Fan had already led a million phantoms, step by step, advancing to beneath the Tianyu Dao Palace.
Before this magnificent million-strong army, the Taiyuan Realm's greatest combat advantage no longer existed.
You can resurrect; I resurrect even faster than you.
You have iron will, carrying out orders without fail, never collapsing even in desperate straits. While our soldiers don't even have subjective will—only an existing obsession with revenge.
…
Although immortal spiritual power was infinite, the efficiency of an immortal array's operation had a limit.
With nonstop resurrection over a long period, the pressure on the Taiyuan Realm's ancient protective immortal array finally reached its critical value.
To the naked eye, the speed of resurrecting Taiyuan cultivators slowed by a large margin.
The Xuanhuang Realm erupted in cheers.
But the leaders of the Ten Sects and their elites who had entered the Tianyu Dao Palace still wore grave expressions.
The combat power demonstrated by "Li Ping," this half-immortal, was indeed beyond their imagination. But the immortal array deep in the palace was equally despairing.
Yet Li Ping's next move once again defied their expectations.
He did not lead the forces into the palace.
Instead, facing the ninety-nine-tiered tower standing atop the mountain, he brought a sword down from above.
Blinding, dazzling light illuminated the entire world, obscuring people's vision.
A terrifying roar, like continuous thunderclaps, echoed through the clouds.
The tremendous vibration even crossed distant spacetime, reaching the Xuanhuang Realm.
Both worlds trembled beneath that sword light Li Fan had struck down.
When sight returned, the Tianyu Dao Palace and the Taiyuan cultivators were all gone.
Only a deep ravine remained, set into the earth.
Gloomy and pitch-black, bottomless.
Only Li Fan's ethereal figure stood there.
And…
a strange cauldron in his hand.
The world fell silent once more.
"Is this the might of a True Immortal?"
All living beings' minds went blank, deeply shaken by the tremendous power of a single True Immortal's sword.
After the people of the Ten Sects recovered from their shock, they thought of even more.
Now that a True Immortal had descended into the world, how should the Ten Sects conduct themselves from now on?
This question seemed to have no other answer.
Even if all the cultivators of the Ten Sects joined forces, they probably could not match this True Immortal. Even if they used all the remaining immortal artifacts, they might not fare well.
They did not know whether this True Immortal would blame them for their earlier abandonment.
The hearts of the Ten Sects were in turmoil.
In the Taiyuan Realm, anomalies arose again.
Only the strange cauldron Li Fan tightly held in his hand suddenly burst forth with sky-reaching seven-colored radiance, illuminating the entire Taiyuan skyline.
Li Fan looked down at the Xuanhuang phantoms, who had completed their mission of revenge and were at a loss.
Then he smiled faintly.
The seven-colored radiance surging from the cauldron, like waterfalls, poured down upon them respectively.
After being infused by the Taiyuan Resurrection Furnace, significant changes were occurring on those million Xuanhuang phantoms.
Their illusory faces gradually became clear.
The faint phantoms became solid.
Vitality belonging to living beings emerged upon these phantoms.
They…
were truly being brought from death to life, experiencing resurrection!
Even though the people of Xuanhuang had already experienced too many shocks today, upon seeing this scene they were still overjoyed.
Especially when they saw their deceased friends and loved ones, after resurrection, looking at their own bodies in disbelief, and shedding tears of supreme joy alongside them.
A million Xuanhuang warriors, resurrected from the dead, wept with joy.
After the initial excitement, they came to their senses.
They all kowtowed and bowed before this True Immortal above them who had saved and granted them new life.
But after a long time, the True Immortal still did not move.
The cultivators couldn't help but look up.
They saw a scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
Pinpoints of starlight began to appear from the True Immortal's figure.
After a breeze blew, these starlights drifted from the True Immortal's body.
At first only dozens or hundreds of star points.
Then more and more.
Like stars of the nine heavens sprinkling down upon the mortal world.
When the stars filled the sky above, the True Immortal was already gone without a trace.
The living beings of both realms collectively fell into a stupor.
A full half day passed before they understood what had happened.
Cries of pain and wailing then echoed through both realms.
Endless and unceasing.
…
One month later.
The war that had changed the fate of the Xuanhuang Realm had long ended, yet the living beings of the Xuanhuang Realm had still not emerged from their grief.
Without the enemy of infinite resurrection, the Xuanhuang Realm had successfully occupied the Taiyuan Realm, opening up another safe haven for itself at the far end of the starry sky. The threat of the Immortal Ruins beyond Xuanhuang was only beginning to become known to the world.
But compared to the Immortal Ruins, the living beings of the Xuanhuang Realm were more concerned with what exactly had happened to that [Xuanhuang True Immortal].
After reasoning by the leaders of the Ten Sects, combined with observations of the scene, they reached a preliminary conclusion.
The path to immortality had been severed—an unchangeable fact. The immortal that "Li Ping" had become was not a true immortal in the genuine sense.
It was simply that, because of his astonishing talent, he had forcibly overdrawn himself and raised himself to a realm between Dao Integration and True Immortal, perhaps callable a half-immortal.
Had he become a True Immortal, he should have been able to reverse dying from severe injuries.
Alas…
Before his fall, he held on.
Not only did he lead the forces to complete their revenge on the Taiyuan Realm, but he even used the Taiyuan Resurrection Furnace to resurrect the Xuanhuang cultivators who had died in battle, as much as possible.
But in the end, he ultimately could not reverse destiny and suddenly passed away.
Compared to a True Immortal who survived, clearly this True Immortal who sacrificed himself to save the people of Xuanhuang would be remembered more by people.
Every household erected memorial tablets and statues of the [Xuanhuang True Immortal], burning incense and praying, reciting scriptures to seek blessings.
Even in great and small immortal sects, halls were erected to worship the Xuanhuang True Immortal.
Originally there were a few opposing voices, but they soon disappeared.
The True Immortal had passed away, but the aftermath lingered, never ceasing.
The improved version of the Ten Sects' secret arts that Li Fan had left under his pillow was also found.
The Ten Sects listed it as the highest secret.
On the day these secret arts were returned to the Xuanhuang Realm, the leaders of the Ten Sects gathered in one hall to discuss and study them.
"Indeed, someone who can attain the Dao as a True Immortal—this improved divine ability even surpasses the sect's secret arts not passed down…"
Everyone from the Ten Sects sighed in admiration.
Yet among the common people, rumors were secretly whispered.
He who obtains the Supreme Dao Scripture can attain True Immortality!
Chapter 1541