After all, based on the information gathered so far, Mr. Bai's standing was rising ever higher.
It faintly surpassed the upper limits of an ordinary immortal cultivator's might, and he might very well be connected to the True Immortal who had forged the entire Fallen Immortal Realm.
Powerful as Situ Yao's sword strike was, before an immortal, it was destined to pale into insignificance.
After a long while, the disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect finally snapped out of their shock from the scene.
They dared not make loud noises, terrified of disturbing Mr. Bai, who was still within the sect.
Instead, they vented the shock in their hearts through hushed whispers, some bordering on hysterical.
Right then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a figure suddenly flew over to the wooden sword Mr. Bai had tossed aside.
It was Li Fan.
Ignoring the glares of the surrounding cultivators that looked ready to kill him, Li Fan took a deep breath and grasped the wooden sword firmly.
In a trance, he seemed to see a white light illuminating heaven and earth.
Countless profound insights concerning the "sword" unfolded and evolved freely in his mind in an instant.
Li Fan was instantly mesmerized.
Yet in the next moment...
A violent tremor surged forth, jarring Li Fan's hand right off the wooden sword.
Li Fan was torn from his enlightenment.
A flicker of annoyance and reluctance crossed his mind, only for Li Fan to realize that, somehow, he had been thrown several zhang away.
Seeing this, the other cultivators followed Li Fan's lead one after another, trying to pull the wooden sword free.
Without exception, after holding it for merely a moment, they were all flung away by the wooden sword.
"Sigh, it makes sense when you think about it. How could something belonging to such a powerhouse be so easily taken by us?"
"I'm afraid only Eldest Senior Brother might be able to pull it out."
...
The disciples spoke with uncontainable regret, able only to stare with longing and greed at the solitary wooden sword in the center of the grounds, wiping away the drool from the corners of their mouths.
Just as had happened in actual history, Mr. Bai did not take the wooden sword with him. He simply departed the Heavenly Sword Sect without a sound.
No one knew what he and Situ Yao had discussed.
All they knew was that from that day on, the Heavenly Sword Sect had a mission.
Namely, to forge a Boundary-Splitting Divine Weapon that had previously existed only in sect legends.
At all costs.
As an inner disciple, Li Fan naturally had to contribute his share of effort.
Like the other disciples, his task was to draw insights from the wooden sword and infuse them into primeval stones known as sword embryos.
Afterward, countless primeval stones condensing everyone's sword dao insights were continuously cast into a colossal pit in the Heavenly Sword Sect's back mountains.
Harnessing molten fire, they forged the prototype of the Boundary-Splitting Divine Weapon.
Although no one knew the purpose behind forging the Boundary-Splitting Divine Weapon, Eldest Senior Brother Situ Yao held immense prestige. Moreover, Mr. Bai's earth-shattering power had completely awed the entire Heavenly Sword Sect.
Thus, the disciples harbored few complaints about the endeavor.
On the contrary, meditating on the wooden sword allowed them to elevate their own cultivation realm and sword dao proficiency. Why wouldn't they jump at the chance?
Time slipped swiftly by in this manner.
Before Li Fan could even have his fill, this journey into the Fallen Immortal Realm came to an end.
The surrounding scene faded, and Li Fan returned once more to the distorted transparent bubble space.
All three scenes had grown dim and unselectable. Li Fan did not exit immediately, merely reflecting on what he had witnessed in the Heavenly Sword Sect...
"Judging from the timeline, [Heavenly Sword Sect Sword Refinement] should have taken place after [Retrieving Longevity Fruits in Ningyuan] and before [Disaster of the Beast Taming Sect].
"To think that the Heavenly Sword Sect's forging of the Boundary-Splitting Divine Weapon was also Mr. Bai's idea. Raising Realm-Rifting Whales, forging a Boundary-Splitting Divine Weapon...
"Just what is Mr. Bai scheming?
"On the surface, it seems he was preparing contingency plans and escape routes for the impending catastrophe. But is that truly the case?"
Judging by his own habits, Li Fan always felt that behind everything Mr. Bai did, there might be other untold secrets.
Yet Mr. Bai was unfathomably enigmatic; his thoughts were not something the current Li Fan could fathom.
After pondering for a long time to no avail, Li Fan could only set the matter aside for the moment.
"Inside the Fallen Immortal Realm, there is also a physical condensation of the sword laws. If I could bring it out of the Fallen Immortal Realm, what would happen?"
Back in the Great Xuan mortal pocket world, Li Fan had conducted similar experiments.
He knew that between heaven and earth, two identical wonders of heaven and earth could not coexist.
If, due to some peculiar cause, two of them existed, then the two would subsequently merge and sublimate.
The weaker would vanish; the stronger would endure.
"Although the wooden sword in Shuo Feng's hand is hailed as a wonder of Heaven, I've always felt the one in Mr. Bai's hands thousands of years ago was its complete form.
"Weathered by thousands of years of wind and frost, perhaps its power has already waned.
"Then if I can bring this wooden sword out, wouldn't it..."
"Fascinating."
As though picturing the scene of Shuo Feng abruptly losing his Foundation Establishment wonder, Li Fan shook his head with a slight smile.
"I'm thinking too far ahead. Let's see what I gained this time first."
Leaving the Fallen Immortal Realm and returning to the Valley of Longevity, Li Fan tried hard to recall everything he had experienced in the Heavenly Sword Sect.
After a moment, a hint of disappointment crept onto his face.
"Without fulfilling the lingering obsession, insights really can't be brought out, can they?
"Wait..."
Li Fan's eyes flashed. He flicked his finger, and in the empty air before the secret chamber, countless streaks of blue sword light suddenly flashed.
Staring intently at the constantly leaping Sky-Breaking Heart Sword, a familiar sensation welled up in his heart.
"So that's how it is. Even though the memories and direct insights cannot be brought into the real world, the traces of the sudden comprehension remain.
"Like the ebb and flow of the tide, it ultimately returns to the sea, yet leaves behind its own imprint upon the sandy shore.
"This way, even if I don't directly gain the insights, it's still immensely beneficial for deducing divine abilities—as if I received a massive boost in proficiency out of nowhere."
Delighted, Li Fan immersed his mind in the contemplation of the dao of the sword before the familiarity could fade.
Not knowing how much time had passed, it was a message from Fang Zaiji that finally woke Li Fan.
It turned out over half a year had passed during this secluded cultivation, and the protective Dharma treasures Li Fan had instructed him to craft—such as the white robes and folding fan—were finally finished.
"Truly, time holds no meaning in cultivation," Li Fan sighed softly, in no hurry to exit.
Instead, he first checked the status of the Fallen Immortal Realm.
The cooldown before entering [Heavenly Sword Sect Sword Refinement] again seemed a bit longer than the previous two scenarios.
Even though half a year had already passed, it would still take about five months before he could enter once more.
"Is it because the level of power I touched was significantly higher?" Li Fan mused to himself.
Without dwelling on it, Li Fan simply committed the timing for the next entry to memory and emerged from seclusion, meeting Fang Zaiji, who was beaming with excitement and pride.
"Haha, Sect Master! I truly outdid myself this time. Even Liu San wouldn't be able to easily breach the defenses of the treasures I forged!"
Chapter 681