Perhaps because the possessed cultivator's emotions had run too wild with excitement, or perhaps due to some other mystical factor, the memory space trembled and rocked violently, growing exceedingly unstable.
Everything that followed between the book's protagonist and Senior Sister Zhao blurred as well. It became like peering at flowers through a dense fog; unable to catch the specifics, one could only itch with unsatisfied curiosity.
Yet the shock in Li Fan's heart was scarcely less than that of the deceased Five Elders Association cultivator. The information nestled within the remnant memories of this divine soul had truly stunned him.
*Senior Sister Zhao is actually one of the Five Elders Association's Longevity Heavenly Venerables?!*
Back when he had learned that the Dadao Sect's secret formulas and Dao Comprehension Pills were circulating within the Five Elders Association, Li Fan had already guessed that a mighty figure from the Dadao Sect might still be alive in their ranks.
Coupled with the authentic manifestation of Senior Sister Zhao's divine ability, Great Dao, Only Me, in Sit and Debate the Dao, as well as the unnaturally vast multitude of romantic and erotic storybooks starring her as the muse, Li Fan had surmised back then that the surviving Dadao Sect cultivator was likely this very Senior Sister Zhao, who had reportedly risen from an outer disciple all the way to sect master.
However, Li Fan had subconsciously assumed that Senior Sister Zhao was merely some high-ranking member of the Five Elders Association.
He had thought the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals had deliberately permitted those scandalous books to circulate—and even stoked the flames from the shadows—just to disgust their rivals.
Yet what Li Fan had never anticipated was that while Senior Sister Zhao was indeed in the upper echelons, she was situated a bit *too* high.
She was an actual ruler of the Five Elders Association—one of the supreme figures of this realm, a Longevity Heavenly Venerable hidden behind the curtain, looking down upon all living beings.
The instant he learned Senior Sister Zhao's identity, Li Fan's immediate reaction mirrored that of the fallen Five Elders Association cultivator.
*Storytelling Old Man and Wondrous Pen Immortal... just how did those two dare to make a Heavenly Venerable the protagonist of their smut books?!*
One had to understand that although cultivation under the new method was remarkably swift in this realm, rendering the gap in status between different realms less than completely insurmountable—such that Golden Core or Foundation Establishment cultivators might even banter as brothers with Qi Condensation disciples—that was only true in the earliest stages of cultivation.
As power climbed, advancement grew increasingly grueling, and the gulf in status steadily made itself known. Soul Formation cultivators almost universally held pivotal posts across entire provinces, their aura of nobility already evident.
Dao Integration cultivators exerted their might over whole provinces, holding dominion over the lives of countless cultivators. In their eyes, even Soul Formation cultivators were mere pawns on a board to be manipulated at will.
From Li Fan's previous experiences in Yuandao Province, as well as the displays of power from that black-robed Dao Integration expert and Immortal Venerable Blue Feather, one could glimpse the terror of the Dao Integration realm.
And as for Longevity Heavenly Venerables...
The Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable had established the new method and founded the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals; every cultivator in the world who wished to tread the path of cultivation had to walk the road he had paved.
That Heavenly Venerable who made people forget their troubles subtly influenced and reshaped people's thoughts without them ever realizing it. Even if his true name was unknown, the sheer thought of it was chilling.
Though these Heavenly Venerables seemed elusive, showing only glimpses like a divine dragon whose head is seen but never its tail, they had in truth woven themselves into every single facet of a cultivator's life, present everywhere.
Before beings of such caliber, ordinary cultivators could feel only dread and awe. How could anyone dare commit such sacrilege? Were they truly not afraid that Senior Sister Zhao would come knocking on their door?
Given the methods of a Heavenly Venerable, no matter where Storytelling Old Man and Wondrous Pen Immortal hid, there would only be death waiting for them.
To weave words into an experience that felt virtually identical to the real world, the cultivation of Storytelling Old Man and Wondrous Pen Immortal could not possibly be weak. They would never stake their lives on a joke just for petty coin.
Thus, Li Fan deduced that either they were completely certain Senior Sister Zhao did not care in the slightest about these illicit books, or they were backed by another force capable of rivaling a Heavenly Venerable, granting them the audacity to act without restraint.
Did Senior Sister Zhao care that erotic books about her were spread across the entire world? Li Fan had no idea.
By all ordinary logic, any normal female cultivator would feel varying degrees of fury over such a thing. But once matters reached the realm of Longevity Heavenly Venerables, Li Fan did not dare jump to conclusions.
Heavenly Venerables who defied the principles of Heaven and Earth to attain longevity had already transcended the bounds of normal cultivators. They were practically a different species; trying to fathom them through the same framework of thought would only invite ridicule.
In fact, thinking carefully about it, even that *Secret History of Ancient Cultivation*—which was widespread across the Xuanhuang Realm and freely available to every cultivator embarking on the path of cultivation—was riddled with suspicious points.
The real person was not dead; she was a Longevity Heavenly Venerable. What other cultivator, when penning a biography, would dare presumptuously use the first-person "I"?
So many ancient affairs had long been drowned in the river of history. Who else would possess such intimate, encyclopedic knowledge of everything that had occurred in the Dadao Sect thousands of years ago?
In all likelihood, that book, which Li Fan had previously treated as mere pastime reading, had an extremely high probability of being an autobiography written by Senior Sister Zhao herself.
Recalling the contents of the book word by word, he savored and reflected upon them anew.
Many passages he had once merely skimmed over now carried a completely different resonance to Li Fan.
The book devoted extensive passages to psychological monologues. It laid bare, without the slightest reservation, Senior Sister Zhao's weakness and helplessness as a lowly outer disciple, the grueling hardships of her rise through the ranks, all the way to the bitterness she felt years later upon becoming the sect master of the Dadao Sect, only to discover that the world had changed, old friends had vanished, and there was no longer anyone left to speak to.
The emotions were exquisitely delicate, the immersion breathtakingly powerful—truly as if Senior Sister Zhao were speaking in person.
*No wonder there are so many derivative stories; the characterization is simply too vivid.*
*This Heavenly Venerable truly has a peculiar taste.*
*Or perhaps it's not as simple as a mere hobby; there might be deeper factors involved,* Li Fan mused inwardly.
Once Li Fan recovered from his shock regarding Senior Sister Zhao's true identity, he savored once more the possessed cultivator's lingering, indelible impressions that had remained unforgettable even in death.
Before his eyes, fragmented, hazy visions could still faintly be seen of Senior Sister Zhao entangled with the book's protagonist.
*The taste of a Heavenly Venerable...*
*Even if it were only her past self before she attained that realm, such forbidden ecstasy would be enough to make anyone throw their life away.*
*No wonder this fellow couldn't forget it, even in death.*
Appreciating the remnant thoughts within the deceased Five Elders Association cultivator's memory, Li Fan could not help but sigh. Joyous moments were always fleeting.
After the fierce battle and parting between the book's protagonist and Senior Sister Zhao, the cultivator's remnant memory fragments finally reached their end.
Withdrawing from the memory space, Li Fan watched the crimson sphere of light slowly dissipate. This divine soul also reverted to being no different from an ordinary soul.
As this wisp of divine sense returned to his true body bearing everything it had witnessed, Li Fan closed his eyes for a long time before he completely digested the information it brought back.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Li Fan sighed in wonder once again.
Afterward, he did not forget his primary business. Making use of waste, he continued trying to perceive the presence of the soul covenant within the divine soul before him.
Regrettably, no miracle occurred.
Just like the hundreds of attempts prior, Li Fan remained unable to detect its existence.
Chapter 294