Li Fan did not know how long it had been since he had taken a good look at himself.
In his mind, his subconscious perception of his own appearance remained frozen in that of a frail scholar at age twenty.
After all, no matter how much his features aged, in the end, as soon as he triggered [True Reversion] and returned to the anchor, he was still this very same appearance.
Therefore, to Li Fan, aging was essentially a false premise.
The things worldly living beings feared beyond measure—aging, sickness, death—were to him nothing more than temporary "states" that could be cast off at any time.
He had even come to regard the changes occurring within himself with a certain degree of "indifference."
Much less the myriad living souls of this Xuanhuang Realm.
Kou Hong, Dao Xuanzi, He Zhenghao, Zhang Zhiliang, Xiao Heng...
And all the others like them. In each cycle of reincarnation, their fates would shift along with Li Fan's actions.
Enemies who fought each other to the death in the previous life might become intimate friends sharing wine and laughter in the next.
In the life after that, perhaps they would become Li Fan's loyal and devoted subordinates.
And further down the road?
Perhaps they would end up as innocent souls caught in the crossfire as Li Fan fought someone in magical combat.
Yet...
Whatever their experiences might be, once Li Fan activated [True Reversion], their "states" would return once more to the anchored moment Li Fan had chosen.
Then, for them, did the experiences of lifetime after lifetime count as an illusion of another sort?
When people mocked extremely selfish individuals, they often liked to say things like, "The world doesn't revolve around you; why should anyone give way to you at every turn?"
Yet for Li Fan, the world—at least this Xuanhuang Realm he was in—truly did revolve around him as its center.
With a single thought, the world reset.
All past history turned to smoke and clouds.
Under such circumstances, how could Li Fan ever view the people of this world as beings of the same status as himself?
Even if he could only accomplish this by relying on the exotic treasure [True Reversion], Li Fan, capable of reversing time, truly could not treat the living beings of the Xuanhuang Realm as his "peers."
Li Fan scrutinized his reflection in the mirror for a long time, yet he failed to discern the kind of "indifference" Gao Yuan had spoken of.
Perhaps this indicated that even Li Fan himself had not noticed the subtle, imperceptible change gradually unfolding within him.
Just like his [psychological age], which continued to climb steadily despite cycle after cycle of [True Reversion].
In truth, Li Fan's person was not completely unchanging, as he had believed.
[True Reversion] could reverse time, but Li Fan, as the vessel of [True Reversion], possessed the ability to continue "changing" beneath its influence.
"And here I thought my acting skills were already exceptional..." Li Fan mocked himself softly.
He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, a subtle shift appeared to have taken place in his gaze.
It seemed more vivid, more lively, carrying a trace of affection for everything around him in the world.
Li Fan observed himself carefully once more, making constant adjustments.
Only after a long while did he stop.
"Fixed for now."
"Still, acting is just acting. No matter how convincing it seems, it isn't real."
"There are too many people in this world with unimaginable abilities. Even a common guard cultivator in the Congyun Sea has such sharp insight."
"Fooling everyone under heaven is probably impossible for now."
"No matter. It isn't any catastrophic flaw."
"It's not as if there are no [callous, heartless people] in this world."
Regarding this minor interlude, Li Fan merely made slight adjustments to himself and did not pay it much mind.
As for Gao Yuan and the other imagining that he might be a Longevity Heavenly Venerable whose cultivation had fallen, it left him between laughter and tears.
"I really had no profound intention. I purely wanted an excuse to avoid the great battle that might erupt in Tianling Province in the future."
Leaving Wanxian Island quietly and all alone, Li Fan dove beneath the sea.
He went tens of thousands of meters down into an oceanic trench, ensuring that no one was tailing him.
Only then did Li Fan activate [Wondrous Profound True Spirit Transformation], returning to his original appearance.
Furthermore, he temporarily buried all the items he had acquired from the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals since entering the world under the identity of an "ancient Heavenly Mechanism Sect cultivator," concealing and sealing them with [Covering the Sky with One Hand].
Completely stark naked, Li Fan conjured a suit of clothes for himself and returned to the sea surface.
First, he borrowed a well-fitting set of clothes on a nearby mortal island to change into, and then headed straight for the island where the people from the [Empire] were staying.
Before long, he arrived at his destination.
Because he did not conceal his aura, as he drew near, the Empire's Saint Teacher—the very qingluan that had once accompanied Xu Ke—sent a divine sense warning:
"What business does Fellow Daoist have here?"
Li Fan halted, standing in midair with a faint smile.
He replied with only two words: "The Association."
Shortly thereafter, Xiao Qing flew out in person to welcome him.
After studying Li Fan for a moment, she ushered him into a secret chamber on the island.
Li Chenfeng seemed not to be on the island, having gone somewhere unknown.
Even Formless Killing Intent's spirit-locking had temporarily lost its effect.
Replaying the imagery recorded by the Dao Transformation Stone in his sea of consciousness, Li Fan discovered that he had actually departed the Xuanhuang Realm.
Yet the departure location this time was not the same as when he had previously returned to the Empire.
"Not the Empire, but another pocket world?"
Li Fan's thoughts stirred, but he made no commotion, merely committing it to memory.
"Is Fellow Daoist also from the Myriad Realms Association?" Xiao Qing asked bluntly.
"Indeed. By the order of my superior, I have come to inform you that our cooperation will likely have to be suspended temporarily," Li Fan said indifferently.
"What?!" Even though Xiao Qing had lived for thousands of years, hearing such sudden news caught her entirely off guard.
She was shocked into rising directly to her feet, her phoenix eyes glaring fixedly at Li Fan.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Immediately afterward, she looked Li Fan up and down with suspicion, narrowing her eyes. "Are you truly from the Myriad Realms Association?"
She had already begun to doubt Li Fan's identity.
Killing intent drifted slowly through the air. Cupping his hands, Li Fan gestured for Xiao Qing not to be too tense.
He explained, "It is not that our Myriad Realms Association intentionally goes back on our word; this truly arises from circumstance."
"Not only with your [Empire], but with all the other pocket worlds as well, we have temporarily severed contact."
"The higher-ups' intention is for everyone to lie low for a while and wait until the heat passes."
Xiao Qing's tightly furrowed brows did not ease in the slightest. Just as she was about to speak, Li Fan continued, "I know you are anxious to escape the Xuanhuang Realm."
"However, the circumstances truly are unusual, leaving us no choice."
"After all, we also benefited immensely from our last transaction. We would love nothing more than to complete the remainder of the deal as soon as possible."
Chapter 545