The most crucial factor was that the speed of cultivating arts that unlocked the body's secret treasures fell far behind the immortal cultivation path passed down by the Immortal Venerable.
Reviewing these books and records, Li Fan discovered that once the potency of unlocked secret treasures reached an equivalent of the Golden Core realm, the difficulty surged drastically.
As though bound by an invisible shackle, making the slightest bit of progress demanded an exorbitant price.
For the exact same amount of effort expended, the gains from immortal cultivation far exceeded those of unlocking the body's secret treasures.
What was more, immortal arts could channel the energy and laws of heaven and earth—how could the mere intrinsic power of the human body compare?
Rebirth from a single drop of blood or the like—how could that ever match the might of the Nascent Soul realm, where as long as the grotto-heaven remained indestructible, the cultivator would never die?
In short, according to the research and deductions of many cultivators, unlocking the body's secret treasures might possess special methods capable of contending with the immortal Dao, provided one stepped outside the overarching environment of the Xuanhuang Realm.
"Just as guns and gunpowder are suppressed in this world, so too are the arts of unlocking the body's secret treasures."
Li Fan had once tested a musket brought from the Great Xuan in the cultivation world.
Its explosive power had been reduced to barely a hundredth of its normal force.
What had been a lethal weapon instantly became a child's toy.
Just as Kou Hong had said, it had turned into nothing more than a pile of scrap metal.
"The Xuanhuang Realm is a world of the immortal Dao."
"Any power system outside the immortal path faces varying degrees of suppression."
"It is as if the Heavenly Dao is consciously rejecting foreign power."
Corroborating this with his past experiences, Li Fan reached this conclusion.
Even prior to this, however, he had harbored faint suspicions, so he was not particularly surprised now.
"Even if it lacks subsequent momentum, it is more than enough to help Tianyang break the deadlock."
"Still, relying purely on the power of the body's secret treasures to defeat a Golden Core as a mortal within six years..."
"That remains somewhat beyond reach."
"Self-Transformation into Another at Will..."
"Establishing the Dao foundation with oneself..."
Li Fan slowly turned over the possibilities in his mind.
Truth be told, the ancient Path of Bodily Transformation's Self-Transformation into Another at Will and the modern practice of "borrowing the wonders of heaven and earth to establish the Dao foundation" shared an uncanny similarity in concept.
Both borrowed from external things to nurture oneself.
And back on Yinyin Island, Master Yin had once spoken to Li Fan about the possibility of "establishing the foundation with oneself."
This naturally led Li Fan to wonder: could Self-Transformation into Another at Will be used to transform into oneself?
To thoroughly separate consciousness from the physical flesh.
First regarding one's own body as an external object, and then gradually achieving union between object and self.
Cultivated to the peak, Body Transforms into Other Objects allowed the fusion of object and self into one.
If one could transform into oneself, did reaching the pinnacle mean achieving complete mastery over one's own body?
It was practically identical in spirit to "establishing the foundation with oneself."
Once a cultivator had absolute control over their own body and then mobilized the infinite secret treasures of potential within, just what kind of terrifying power would erupt?
This was the solution Li Fan envisioned to break the deadlock.
And if he succeeded in testing it within the simulated world, there was no reason he could not replicate it in the real world.
Of course, the difficulty was bound to be extraordinarily high.
Li Fan was no transcendent genius; there was no way he could achieve this goal in haste.
Only through repeated attempts could he ultimately bring it to fruition.
Fortunately, True Reversion provided him with ample capital, allowing him to experiment over and over without any fear of consequences.
"In the real world, I'll have my clone practice the method of unlocking the body's secret treasures."
"Accumulate experience, and once I feel reasonably confident, activate the simulated world and try it out on Tianyang."
Having settled on a plan, his clone—which had been idling about and slacking off all this time—immediately sprang into action.
Meanwhile, Li Fan's true self adopted a three-pronged approach: cultivating, studying formations, and perusing the Heavenly Doctor Immortal Scripture.
At the same time, he held the second Dao Transformation Stone in his palm, circulating the Spirit Unity with Dao Transformation secret technique to absorb the mysterious energy within and expand the blue crystal in his sea of consciousness.
Dividing his mind four ways, Li Fan felt he had reached the limit where efficiency remained uncompromised.
He could certainly split his attention further, but that would inevitably slow his mental processing, proving more trouble than it was worth.
Only when his divine sense grew stronger in the future could he resolve this problem at its root.
Clearing away all stray thoughts, Li Fan immersed himself entirely in cultivation.
Time slowly drifted by, entering the fifteenth year of the anchor.
On the deserted island, Ye Feipeng, having sparred once more with Xiao Heng and suffered yet another defeat at the hands of the killer move Water Dragon's Chant, was thoroughly exasperated.
With an irritable scowl, he brushed past everyone and walked alone to the beach, gazing out at the boundless ocean as he turned over his own schemes.
"Dammit! If this goes on, forget Xiao Heng—even Su Xiaomei is going to surpass me!"
"And that Zhang Haobo, too."
"As expected of someone who achieved Dao Integration in the previous life. I thought stealing his luck would leave him a mere mortal forever."
"Who would've thought that getting close to him back then would draw the attention of that old fossil of a skull, letting him step onto the immortal path once more!"
"Hmph, had I known, I should've been ruthless and slaughtered him right then and there."
"Then my heart wouldn't skip a beat every time I see him now."
"Still, luckily this treasure won't fall to you in this life."
Ye Feipeng subconsciously touched his chest.
There, a pale blue, translucent drop of water was constantly helping him absorb the surrounding pure water-attribute spiritual energy, enhancing his cultivation.
Ye Feipeng naturally knew that this blue drop of water was the Vast Sea Pearl.
In his previous life, it was with its aid that Zhang Haobo had slain Crimson Flame as a Golden Core and successfully integrated with the Dao.
In this life, he had emulated Zhang Haobo, ceaselessly chasing and dissipating wind calamities to draw the attention of the Congyun Sea.
Through his tireless efforts, he had finally succeeded.
Yet he could not bring himself to feel happy.
"With such a treasure aiding me, my cultivation speed still can't match those freaks on the island. Could it be that I, Ye Feipeng, am really that pathetic?"
The fat man grew angrier the more he thought about it, falling into profound self-doubt.
After a long while, he took a deep breath and consoled himself, "Calm down, you need to stay calm."
"So what if my cultivation speed is a bit slow? My greatest advantage is the foresight of a reborn person."
Ye Feipeng looked up toward the distant sky, his eyes flickering.
"Heaven Fiend Sword Intent..."
"The premonitions the Vast Sea Pearl keeps sending lately must be related to this."
"Yet I sense immense danger over there, which is why I haven't been able to make up my mind to investigate..."
"I can't go on like this!"
A look of resolution flashed in Ye Feipeng's eyes.
"The path of cultivation was never meant to be entirely free of risk."
"If I don't even have this much courage, how can I hope to scheme for Dao Integration in the future?"
Displaying a speed entirely mismatched with his girth, Ye Feipeng moved like a ghost, treading the waves and riding the wind.
In the blink of an eye, he had departed the deserted island.
Chapter 237