“A hundred lifetimes of Foundation Establishment. Arduous though it was, it has broken my shackles at last. From this day forward, I never again have to worry about an incompatibility between my cultivation method and my Foundation Establishment wonder.
“All methods under heaven may now be my methods.”
At the summit of Mount Jieli, Li Fan, having successfully established his foundation with True Reversion, felt a faint surge of joy welling in his heart.
More than six hundred years and a hundred reincarnations, all for a single goal.
Now that it had finally been realized, the results were naturally extraordinary.
“Vast Sea Pearl!”
With a thought, the warm, white jade orb in his dantian radiated a gentle glow.
A moment later, it transformed into the azure likeness of the Congyun Sea.
Even having built his Dao Foundation upon the Vast Sea Pearl before, Li Fan could hardly discern any difference between this expanse of sea within his body and the original.
It was not merely indistinguishable; it was identical!
“What a marvelous ‘the false is also true’!” Li Fan marveled.
True Reversion’s mighty power to reverse time transcended this world.
That was why his previous attempts to establish his foundation using True Reversion in its entirety had ended in repeated failure.
Yet while True Reversion transcended the world, it also intersected with it.
Its rule within this realm was embodied in seven characters: *When the true is made false, the false is also true.*
In short, during the Foundation Establishment stage, True Reversion could transform into any wonder of heaven and earth that Li Fan had comprehended himself or that True Reversion had previously absorbed!
Exhilarated, Li Fan cycled through different Foundation Establishment wonders within his body.
“Dao Xuan Sword!”
A battered, rusty sword—Dao Xuan—manifested atop Mount Jieli.
“Bamboo of Reluctance!”
“Dejected Staff!”
…
As the form of the Foundation Establishment wonder in his body shifted, the aura Li Fan emitted continually transformed alongside it.
After a long while, having simulated every wonder of heaven and earth he had encountered in his twelfth lifetime, Li Fan once again shifted True Reversion into the Vast Sea Pearl.
The phantasmal image of an ocean surfaced above his head, and Li Fan slashed outward with his sword.
The Single Sword of Congyun parted the sea of clouds, streaking toward the rising sun in the east.
Its terrifying might did not wane in the slightest until it finally vanished from sight.
“Unleashing a divine technique or lethal strike is completely identical to using the real Vast Sea Pearl.
“In this cultivation world, a Foundation Establishment wonder exerts an immense influence over a cultivator. At least before Dao Integration, one’s path of cultivation must harmonize with their wonder.
“For instance, when I established my foundation with the Vast Sea Pearl in my twelfth lifetime, had I forced myself to cultivate a fire-attribute method instead of a water-attribute one, my progress would have been dreadfully slow, to say nothing of the risk of severe backlash from conflicting affinities.
“Yet now that I have built my Dao Foundation with True Reversion, I will never have to bear such concerns again.
“This truly means that all methods under heaven can be my methods.”
“In fact, I have a premonition…” Li Fan’s eyes shone brightly as his thoughts raced.
“Wonders of heaven and earth are manifestations of heaven and earth’s laws. If one day I can simulate and manifest every wonder under heaven…
“Such as that wonder of Heaven possessed by the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, the Yanfa Jade…”
…
Only after a long while did Li Fan pull his mind back from his reverie.
Building his foundation with True Reversion had broken him free of his shackles, opening up endless possibilities for the future.
Yet they were still merely possibilities.
To turn them into reality would require meticulous planning across lifetime after lifetime.
“In this lifetime, guided by an intuition and absolute certainty, I began Foundation Establishment without waiting for True Reversion to finish recharging. Now that my foundation is complete, I have established a third anchor, just a few days after the initial anchor.
“The initial anchor is the moment I first transmigrated into this world.
“The second anchor is atop Mount Jieli, with the Vast Sea Pearl as my Foundation Establishment wonder and late Foundation Establishment cultivation.
“The third anchor is right now, with True Reversion as my Foundation Establishment wonder, likewise at late Foundation Establishment cultivation.
“Foundation Establishment is finished. It is time to return to the cultivation world.
“There are still nine years before recharging finishes, which gives me time to make some preparations in Great Xuan first.”
Li Fan thought to himself, then drifted down the mountain and descended into the mortal world.
In the guise of an immortal, he commanded mortals.
Over the course of nine years, he slaughtered every person throughout the realm who deserved death, collecting all of their blood.
In the end, he condensed it into a single black-red blood bead.
The aura radiating from within the bead felt like that of a natural predator.
Even gazing upon it from afar, Li Fan could not help but feel his heart palpitate with dread.
Once the recharge was complete, Li Fan once again chose True Reversion.
Returning to the third anchor, Li Fan chose the first option this time: retaining an item in his possession.
Naturally, it was this blood bead steeped in immortal-mortal miasma.
“Essence-Blood of Ten Thousand.”
Looking at the item's designation within True Reversion, Li Fan stroked his chin.
“It only refers to it as mortal essence-blood, with no mention of immortal-mortal miasma…”
Recalling how the immortal-mortal miasma in his body had been dispelled time and time again over his hundred lifetimes of Foundation Establishment, Li Fan gained a glimmer of insight.
“Could it be that this immortal-mortal miasma does not possess an actual physical form? Perhaps it is more akin to some manner of curse?
“Regardless, this bead of essence-blood will be one of my trump cards from now on.”
In his twelfth lifetime, whenever Li Fan faced cultivators at the Nascent Soul realm or above, he had always felt a sense of powerlessness.
He could not help but think back to this immortal-mortal miasma that made all cultivators turn pale with fright.
His efforts in this lifetime were aimed entirely at turning the immortal-mortal miasma into an item bound to True Reversion, allowing him to deploy it at any time.
“However, from what I know, using immortal-mortal miasma to maliciously harm others in the cultivation world will result in joint, relentless pursuit by both the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals and the Five Elders Association until death.
“Unless pushed to the absolute brink, I cannot use it lightly.
“Hmm… Perhaps I can rely on True Reversion’s transformations to disguise myself and act under another identity.”
Li Fan gradually sank into deep thought.
In Year 9 of the anchor, True Reversion completed its recharge.
Li Fan conducted his usual sweep, packing the Taiyan Boat to the brim.
He then broke through the Immortal Severing Formation, returning to the cultivation world after an absence of more than six hundred years.
At present, in order not to alert anyone prematurely, the only cultivation method Li Fan maintained was the Golden Chapter of Thousand Mechanisms and the Jade Cosmos.
His Foundation Establishment wonder took the form of the Step-Halting Broken Stele.
Upon arriving over the Congyun Sea, he headed straight for Liuli Island as before.
As he neared his destination, Li Fan did not forget to casually slaughter the giant liuli fish and secure the exquisite liuli pearl.
“Rest assured, Fellow Daoist He, I certainly won’t bankrupt you this time!”
Li Fan smiled faintly as he arrived outside Liuli Island.
“Is Fellow Daoist He of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals present?”
His voice boomed like thunder, ringing across Liuli Island in an instant.
A moment later, He Zhenghao’s grave voice echoed out: “I am He Zhenghao! May I ask what business Fellow Daoist has with me?”
He did not show himself, remaining safely concealed within the Island-Protecting Grand Formation.
Li Fan chuckled and called out in a clear voice, “I harbor no ill intent; I merely wish to join the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals. Having long heard of Fellow Daoist’s reputation for benevolence and charity, I would like to ask you to recommend me!”
“What…” Before the word had even finished resonating, He Zhenghao blinked forward repeatedly, appearing beside Li Fan with a face full of pleasant surprise.
“Of course! Of course!” He Zhenghao looked Li Fan up and down, agreeing without hesitation.
“Might I ask Fellow Daoist’s esteemed name?” He offered a Daoist bow, inquiring with a beaming smile.
“I am Li Fan.”
Looking at the beaming He Zhenghao, Li Fan could not help but show an equally genial smile.
Chapter 163