As was widely known, the wonders of the Xuanhuang Realm were mostly cultivators who had fallen in the past.
These were what were called wonders of Man.
As for wonders of Earth and wonders of Heaven, they were basically manifestations of the Daos of heaven and earth in the Xuanhuang Realm.
The Kunqian Bone Hand upon Ou Shangtian, capable of Reversing Heaven and Earth, had truly transcended the scope of a wonder of Man and reached a level approaching a wonder of Heaven.
Yet it still manifested in the form of a human hand bone.
This could not help but make one ponder deeply.
When thinking back to the wonders of Heaven he had encountered before, what forms had they taken?
The Yanfa Jade, the Sword.
As well as the Dao Script Compass, the Yin-Yang Jade, the Primal Qi of Qiankun, and so on.
All were entirely creations of heaven and earth, bearing not the slightest human feature.
"Human remains nearing the stature of a wonder of Heaven."
"I fear only a legendary immortal could achieve such a thing..."
Li Fan could not help thinking to himself.
Furthermore, the shape of the hand bone that Ou Daozi had displayed seemed somewhat familiar...
The blue light of the Dao Transformation Stone flickered, calling up an image from his memory.
It was none other than the White Bone Vanguard Realm he had once used to deceive the people of the Li Realm.
The reason he had chosen it back then from among the many rentable Vanguard Realms was precisely because Li Fan had been deeply drawn to its unique and striking spectacle.
Unlike other Vanguard Realms that presented scenic, picturesque immortal landscapes, it was built atop a gigantic white bone left hand.
The surroundings were an expanse of dark, silent space, with the giant white bone hand floating in the endless void.
It was filled with a bizarre, eerie, and enigmatic atmosphere.
According to Immortal Venerable Zimiao, who had sold the White Bone Vanguard Realm, the conceptual design of this scene originated from that very "immortal" who had brought forth the entire Fallen Immortal Realm in a single thought.
Li Fan compared the two images.
They matched down to the finest detail!
Li Fan felt a sudden jolt in his heart.
This was definitely beyond what could be described as mere coincidence.
Li Fan was now intensely interested in anything that could be tied to "immortals."
After pondering for a moment, his avatar, Ji Shaoli, used the pretext of intending to lease the White Bone Vanguard Realm to contact the cultivator styling himself Immortal Venerable Zimiao.
He did not use an anonymous alias, but directly revealed his identity as Ji Shaoli.
Unlike his cold attitude back then, Zimiao was exceptionally warm toward Ji Shaoli.
"Senior has heard of me?" Ji Shaoli asked with some curiosity.
"Heh heh, since I do business, how could I not figure out the potential clients across the Alliance's provinces beforehand?" Zimiao replied with a laugh.
"After all, cultivators willing to spend massive amounts of contribution points each year to rent a Vanguard Realm are truly few and far between."
Ji Shaoli understood at once.
Originally, the few million contribution points from the top fish picking prize alone wouldn't have been enough to catch Zimiao's attention. It was likely that during this recent period, his avatar had relied on foreknowledge to speculate wildly and amass wealth in the market, which had brought him into Zimiao's view.
Ji Shaoli showed no fear; instead, he acted extremely interested in the White Bone Vanguard Realm.
On the spot, he proposed leasing it long-term for a century, or even buying it out permanently.
Zimiao grew increasingly attentive and hospitable.
To everything Ji Shaoli wanted to know, he answered almost every question.
Thus, Ji Shaoli gradually learned the origins of this White Bone Vanguard Realm, as well as the reason why it matched Ou Shangtian's Kunqian Bone Hand almost identically.
"True Immortal remains?" Ji Shaoli asked with keen interest.
"Indeed. Before the Great Calamity, the Venerable one had the fortune to see an album recording the True Immortal remains. The depictions within left a deep impression on him, one he could never forget even after thousands of years. Hence, when creating this Vanguard Realm, he imitated its form and mirrored its spirit," Zimiao rambled on.
Ji Shaoli pressed further for more information regarding the True Immortal remains.
"Before the Great Calamity descended, in the era when the immortal path had not yet been severed, the Xuanhuang Realm still maintained communication with the Immortal Realm. Not only were the great immortal sects protected by immortal artifacts bestowed by the Immortal Realm...
"...but there was also a set of True Immortal remains circulating in the mortal world. Into whose hands they specifically fell has long been lost to history. Yet this matter is absolutely authentic, verified by countless clues.
"This bone hand was one part of the immortal remains. Besides it, there were also the immortal torso, the immortal skull..."
Just as Zimiao was speaking of it with miraculous vividness, the content of his words took a sudden turn: "Right up until the arrival of the Great Calamity, various rumors of the True Immortal remains appearing in the world persisted. However, after the Great Calamity descended, those True Immortal remains, and even the supreme immortal artifacts of every sect, vanished altogether!
"The chaos this caused was unimaginable, accelerating the doom and destruction of the immortal sects."
Hearing this, Ji Shaoli became slightly lost in thought. "The remains and the immortal artifacts all vanished?"
Zimiao sighed with emotion. "Indeed. To this day, it remains an unsolved mystery; no one knows where they went. However, in the Xuanhuang Realm, the only place that can still be tied to 'immortals' is probably the Fallen Immortal Realm. Therefore, a good portion of the cultivators who know about this believe that the vanished remains and immortal artifacts might very well be hidden within the Fallen Immortal Realm.
"Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many Dao Integration cultivators still exploring the Fallen Immortal Realm so untiringly."
"The Fallen Immortal Realm, is it..." Ji Shaoli mused, nodding inwardly.
After that, no further useful information could be coaxed from Zimiao.
After some bargaining, Ji Shaoli ultimately bought out the White Bone Vanguard Realm outright for a price of eight hundred thousand contribution points.
Evidently having not encountered such a major client in a long time, Zimiao spoke in a very excited tone, promising free maintenance of the Vanguard Realm for the next hundred years.
He also added that if Ji Shaoli ever needed to purchase Vanguard Realms in the future, coming back to him would earn generous discounts.
The handover and handling of the Vanguard Realm were, naturally, not worth elaborating on.
The perspective returned to Li Fan's true body.
"The one behind this account is probably not Immortal Venerable Zimiao himself.
"Anyone capable of carving out a space within nothingness wouldn't be considered weak even among Dao Integration cultivators. They wouldn't be so mercenary."
Li Fan then pondered the connection between the True Immortal remains and the Kunqian Bone Hand.
"The True Immortal remains were stranded in the Xuanhuang Realm.
"The power of heaven and earth circulated, seeking to swallow and refine them into its own laws.
"Judging by the appearance of this Kunqian Bone Hand, it seems to have partially succeeded.
"It is just unknown where the rest of the True Immortal remains have gone now.
"Could things like the Yanfa Jade and the Dao Script Compass also be related to the True Immortal remains?
"Most crucially, whether immortal artifacts or True Immortal remains, all were treasures of unimaginable value that the great immortal sects would have guarded with utmost care. For them to vanish into thin air even under such circumstances...
"Intriguing."
Li Fan's eyes flickered as he contemplated the possible causes.
However, ancient secrets such as this were bound to be beyond what Li Fan could deduce with merely a mid-grade Dao Transformation Stone.
Before long, Li Fan had no choice but to break off his musings with regret.
Chapter 834