Although Sacred Embryo Xu Bai had already departed, the clone Xu Bai remained immersed in the process of how the embryo had attained peak Golden Core in merely half a day.
"No wonder that even from merely being tainted with a wisp of Mr. Bai's divine charm, my clone's cultivation talent was already so terrifying.
"'My will is Heaven's will; my heart is Heaven's heart.'" Xu Bai softly murmured the phrase once more, enlightenment dawning upon him.
"Mr. Bai is probably an existence akin to an incarnation of the Heavenly Dao. Without the shackles of the new method, stepping directly into Soul Formation in an instant wouldn't have been difficult at all." Drawing upon the memories transmitted from Sacred Embryo Xu Bai, the clone was able to fully experience what the "Unity of Heaven and Man" truly felt like.
Currently, the relationship among the original body Li Fan, the clone Xu Bai, and Sacred Embryo Xu Bai had grown rather mystical.
Although all three were still governed by the same consciousness at present, their aptitudes differed.
Consequently, even toward the exact same thing, they would arrive at different insights. The clone Xu Bai's talent far surpassed Li Fan's.
Sacred Embryo Xu Bai, in turn, was far superior even to the clone Xu Bai. Furthermore, from the moment he detached from the host body, Sacred Embryo Xu Bai had suffered an even more severe "corruption." In his subconscious speech and mannerisms, he would do things beyond control. It was like walking down a road and inexplicably taking a fall.
It was inevitably the result of some external force.
Yet for the present Xu Bai, whether clone or sacred embryo, he remained entirely ignorant of the external force causing this phenomenon and had no means of resisting it.
He could only let the changes quietly unfold within himself.
The only certainty was that although the ultimate outcome was already predestined and irreversible, Sacred Embryo Xu Bai had not yet formed an independent consciousness of his own. His actions and demeanor were still under Li Fan's control.
This was precisely why, after discovering he had fallen under Mr. Bai's influence and could no longer actively trigger True Reversion, Li Fan had proactively brought forth the sacred embryo.
Since it could no longer be stopped, it was better to actively facilitate it and seize the initiative into his own hands!
Along the way, he could even quietly plant a thorn in the opponent's side.
For instance... if Mr. Bai were to awaken on his own, possessing Li Fan's memories, he might attempt "establishing the foundation with oneself" to break free from the shackles of Chuanfa and forge an entirely new cultivation path.
If that path was theoretically viable, then Mr. Bai was unquestionably the one most likely to realize it.
Yet Li Fan specifically refused to let him do so. Instead, he manipulated Sacred Embryo Xu Bai to establish his foundation with the Heaven's Will Sword and continue walking the path of the new method.
"Once Mr. Bai resurrects, he might very well fight against Chuanfa.
"Making things a bit harder for him suits me just fine." Li Fan harbored not the slightest goodwill toward this being seeking to possess his body for rebirth.
However, what was even more likely was that the moment the entity awakened his own consciousness, the very first thing he would do would be to track down the original body, Li Fan, and seize the extraordinary treasure True Reversion.
After all, he would possess all of Li Fan's memories. When that time came, Li Fan would truly be like a lamb to the slaughter, powerless to resist.
"I must make preparations before then.
"There isn't much time left for me." Xu Bai's expression turned exceedingly grave—a rare sight for him.
Given Sacred Embryo Xu Bai's cultivation speed, by the day Mr. Bai finally awakened, his cultivation would surely far exceed Li Fan's.
Moreover, with Li Fan's memories synchronized, he would know all of Li Fan's advance preparations like the back of his hand.
Under such circumstances, attempting to escape his grasp would be difficult beyond measure.
The only possible lifeline lay in True Reversion's Avatar function.
"Though dead, yet surviving; the true spirit never perishes. Transforming the body into an object to traverse eternity.
"Junior Brother Tianyang, whether I can escape this calamity all depends on you this time.
"If there truly is a next life, I will surely treat you well!" Xu Bai thought to himself.
Once the Avatar function was activated, one could discard their physical body and lodge their true spirit within an object. When the duration reached its limit, True Reversion would trigger automatically. This was also the sole method Li Fan could currently conceive of to break free from Mr. Bai's mental control.
However, if he rashly transformed his body into an object now, then once Mr. Bai's will awakened, he would also share the memory of Li Fan turning into an object. There would still be a high probability of him locating the object Li Fan possessed. When that happened, Li Fan's fate would likely be even more miserable.
"To fool Mr. Bai, I must first fool myself.
"Before activating the Avatar function, I cannot fixate on a target at all.
"At the same time, I must interfere with him using the Chaos Formula..."
Xu Bai's mind raced, contemplating a way to break the impasse.
Seven days later.
Xu Bai left the secret chamber and first returned to Tianliang City, where he resigned from his post as Liaison Emissary.
This move left Nangong Shirong thoroughly dumbfounded.
"If you have any grievances in your heart, you can just speak plainly. Why toss aside your duties and quit?
"Do you think the rank is too low? I can promote you. With the merits you've earned over the years, it's more than enough to silence anyone's complaints," he hastily urged.
Xu Bai shook his head slightly. "I thank Your Excellency for your favor. It's just that the other day, I suddenly had an epiphany. I felt that these worldly affairs, though busy, are of no real benefit to myself.
"No matter how high the official post or how abundant the resources, if one does not focus on cultivation itself, it is all futile. Instead, it becomes a burden on oneself." Putting on the demeanor of one who had seen through the mortal world, paired with his ethereal, peerless appearance, Xu Bai actually bluffed Nangong Shirong.
"It really is a bit of a pity. In another several decades or a century, once I am promoted to the Alliance headquarters, this Tianliang Province will ultimately have to be handed over to you. Among my subordinates, you are the only one I find truly reliable." Seeing that Xu Bai's resolve was firm and not mere posturing, Nangong Shirong shook his head and sighed, attempting one last effort to persuade him. After being politely yet firmly refused, he added, "Tianliang Province will always have a place for you. If you ever change your mind in the future, you are welcome to come back to me at any time."
"Then allow me to thank Your Excellency in advance!" Xu Bai bowed and drifted away, while Nangong Shirong watched his retreating figure, his face full of bewilderment.
Xu Bai's resignation indeed caused no small stir. After all, within the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, every post had a specific claimant.
Now that a lucrative position like Liaison Emissary was suddenly vacant, various factions naturally scrambled to vie for it.
Before long, however, an event occurred that effortlessly quelled the waves caused by Xu Bai's resignation.
In the Alliance cultivators' campaign to conquer the pocket worlds, an unexpected major upheaval finally arose.
The Taiyan Sect, an illustrious ancient immortal sect, had not only survived—it continued to thrive in immense prosperity within a certain pocket world.
When a squad of Alliance cultivators intruded upon it, they were easily defeated. Yet the Taiyan Sect harmed no one, merely releasing them all back.
Chapter 774