"Could it be because of that mighty female cultivator?" Li Fan asked.
"Not at all. One matter should not be conflated with another; she is quite reasonable," Shenyuzi replied with a shake of his head. "In fact, she was the very one who released this secret art of 'Re-establishing the Dao' to the world."
"Oh? Then why is that?" Li Fan grew curious.
Shenyuzi chuckled softly without giving a direct answer. Instead, his tone turned faint and distant. "If every cultivator knew they might become ingredients for higher-realm cultivators at any moment... wouldn't the world be thrown into chaos? Those great figures certainly don't wish to see that."
Li Fan remained silent.
"Nevertheless, there are no restrictions on using this secret art. You can rest easy, my young friend."
Shenyuzi terminated the communication.
Shaking his head, Li Fan pushed down his tangled thoughts and began studying Re-establishing the Dao.
After a long while, Li Fan could not help but praise silently, *This Chen Shimei truly was a peerless prodigy.*
*Using objects as metaphors for people, harmonizing them with emotion, awing them with dharma...*
Once he had committed all the subtleties of the art to memory, Li Fan did not rush to cultivate it himself. Instead, he observed Ye Feipeng once more.
Li Fan knew Ye Feipeng's movements inside and out. The boy definitely had never had any chance to come into contact with the secret art of Re-establishing the Dao.
Then how had his dual Dao Foundations formed?
And what was the difference between his and those created through Re-establishing the Dao?
After observing for a long time, Li Fan gained a faint understanding.
As the saying went, ten thousand changes never strayed from the source.
The underlying principle behind both was essentially the same.
Taking the earlier concubine metaphor once again:
If Chen Shimei's Re-establishing the Dao was expending immense effort to convince one's wife to permit taking a concubine,
then Ye Feipeng was someone naturally born to keep a harem.
The primary wife, acting as the backbone of the household, would not only refrain from interfering, but would even lend a helping hand from the shadows.
*What an incredible constitution!* Having untangled the crux of the matter, Li Fan looked at the chubby youth in a different light.
*You really bring me more and more surprises.*
*I wonder what changes will occur once you wake up.*
*I have a faint feeling that the Congyun Sea staking everything on a single throw definitely had another reason behind it.*
Withdrawing his attention, Li Fan began cultivating Re-establishing the Dao.
For him, it was equivalent to having a primary wife who was an exquisite beauty skilled in the arts of transformation, capable of shifting into the appearance of any other woman.
Thus, he was spared the trouble of constant conflict between old and new Dao Foundations.
All he needed to do was re-establish a Dao Foundation and invite True Reversion out once more.
...
A month later.
The secret art was accomplished.
Li Fan inspected his body and found that within his dantian, the white jade light cluster representing True Reversion had seemingly divided into two perfect clusters.
Yet in essence they remained one; with a single thought from Li Fan, they could instantly merge back together.
Delighted, Li Fan quietly left Wanxian Island and arrived at a secluded, deserted seabed to test his gains.
"Seven-Apertures Exquisite Heart, Dao Xuan Sword!"
True Reversion simultaneously transformed into two distinct wonders.
The transition was incomparably smooth, devoid of the slightest hindrance.
"Vast Sea Pearl, Dao Xuan Sword!"
Amid a brilliant azure glow, a battered iron sword harbored killing intent, biding its time.
"Excellent!"
Li Fan's eyes lit up.
*This makes for a splendid ambush!*
His thoughts shifted again.
*What would happen if it transformed into two identical items?*
In an instant, two identical Vast Sea Pearls materialized within Li Fan's dantian.
To Li Fan's slight regret, however, the moment the Vast Sea Pearls formed, they mysteriously fused back into one.
And their power showed not the slightest change.
*It can only increase quantity, not enhance quality...*
*A bit of a pity, but still genuinely impressive.*
*When inside the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, I can permanently maintain the Seven-Apertures Exquisite Heart state.*
*And when facing enemies, I can utilize the power of two Foundation Establishment wonders simultaneously.*
After experimenting for a while longer and growing adept at quickly shifting between the two Foundation Establishment wonders, Li Fan returned to the Heavenly Profound Mirror, fully satisfied.
"According to the secret art's explanation, once dual Dao Foundations are opened, the difficulty of establishing a new one will multiply."
"Indeed, I also feel that dual Dao Foundations are my current limit."
"I wonder if there will be opportunities to increase it in the future."
"Even so, dual Dao Foundations are of immense benefit to me."
"One foreseeable advantage is that when condensing my Golden Core using the four dharmas—Heaven Fiend, Hanhai, Mo Sha, and Blue Flame—it will be vastly easier. The required switching speed for True Reversion's forms has been cut nearly in half."
"There are still six years before the Crimson Flame incinerates the sea."
"This life holds many variables. To be safe, I should leave the Congyun Sea ahead of schedule."
"By Anchored Year 26, I can head to Shilin Province."
"Mm, I need to find an excuse to bring He Zhenghao along..."
As luck would have it, just as Li Fan thought of Daoist He, a message arrived from He Zhenghao.
Upon reading it, Li Fan felt a pleasant surprise.
For the past year and more, He Xinxin had toured all over the Congyun Sea in He Zhenghao's company.
Not long ago, Heng Ruoshui had finally issued an ultimatum ordering her to return home immediately.
Although He Xinxin was reluctant, she had already had her fill of fun, and her father was no longer in mortal danger.
Not daring to defy her mother's orders, the young girl tearfully bid farewell to her father.
Having promised to visit often in the future, He Zhenghao saw his daughter off and felt his long-lost fighting spirit rekindle.
It was as though he had returned to his youth; his cultivation was filled with drive.
With a daughter, he had no regrets; all the knots in his heart were undone.
He Zhenghao's cultivation speed advanced by leaps and bounds.
Before long, he broke through his bottleneck and was on the verge of forming his Golden Core.
This message was precisely because he wished to head out to "peer into the Dharma" and form his core, inviting Li Fan along to watch over him.
Li Fan naturally had no reason to refuse.
The two met at the Dharma Transmission Plaza and used the teleportation array to reach Linglong Island in the northwestern waters of the Congyun Sea.
From there, they flew westward.
"Three thousand li west of here lies a natural wonder," He Zhenghao explained.
"The Three Undersea Faults."
"Across a stretch of only a few hundred li, the seabed forms three massive fault steps like a steep staircase."
"Between each tier is a drop of four to five thousand meters."
"Between the faults, intense earth pulses have pushed up numerous mountain ranges."
"They stretch endlessly in bizarre shapes."
"Far more magnificent and spectacular than mountains and rivers on land."
"I cultivate the *Mountain River Hidden Dragon Technique*, and I must observe the wonders here."
"Using the Earth Pulse Dharma, Mountain River Dharma, and Hidden Abyss Dharma, three dharmas united to form my Golden Core!"
He Zhenghao hid nothing from Li Fan, laying out his Core Formation plan in full.
Li Fan looked toward him and saw him brimming with heroic fervor and high spirits.
An indescribable confidence radiated from his brow.
He was a completely different person from the timid, meek man he once was.
*It seems that for middle-aged and older men, having a sensible daughter really is quite important,* Li Fan mused inwardly.
Aloud, he clicked his tongue in admiration. "Daoist friend, your ambition is truly extraordinary—uniting three dharmas to form a Golden Core! In all of the Congyun Sea, I doubt there are many who can compare to you. Allow me to wish you success in advance!"
Chapter 256