"Upon entering a Dharma Transmitter's pocket world, cultivators can also enjoy that ageless trait. Even Dharma Transmitter Feng, who is the least keen on collecting talent—the body I currently occupy—has over a thousand true geniuses inside his pocket world."
"One can only imagine how profound the foundations of the other Dharma Transmitters must be," Mo Rubin sighed.
Hearing this, an image inevitably rose before Li Fan's eyes.
The Xuanhuang Realm was like a field; for thousands of years, cultivators had been like crops, growing harvest after harvest.
The mediocre were reaped, while the true essence was meticulously preserved by those Dharma Transmitters.
*No wonder the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals seems to possess endless trump cards, bringing me new surprises in every lifetime.*
*And this is merely the lineage of Dharma Transmitters. Within the Alliance, there are also the two peer lineages: the Mirror Keepers and the Illusory True Sages...*
*Compared to this, the Five Elders Association seems a bit...*
Thinking this, Li Fan let out a cold snort: "What do they take the world's cultivators for? They truly deserve death!"
Mo Rubin nodded in agreement. "If the King of Profound Heaven returns, he will surely purge them all!"
Li Fan did not chime in, but pretended to fall into confusion. "The King of Profound Heaven... King of Profound Heaven..."
"Such a familiar name..."
Seeing Li Fan turn muddled again, Mo Rubin felt rather helpless.
*Fortunately, it is only intermittent and will not affect the grand scheme.*
Thinking this, Mo Rubin painstakingly "awakened" Li Fan again, briefing him on what to do should there be further progress.
Only then did he leave Li Fan's divine sense space.
Only after a long while did Li Fan drop the disguise.
*Dharma Transmitter Jiang likely reverted to origin along with the gray mold. No wonder an attack never came. It seems to have been a false alarm.*
*However, Dharma Transmitter Jiang's innate trait appears to have been transformed from an immortal artifact left behind in the Xuanhuang Realm, and currently there is no good way to guard against it. Even knowing in advance does not grant immunity to its effects...*
Even though Li Fan was protected by the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Incantation, Dharma Transmitter Jiang's innate trait seemed to directly alter Li Fan's own attributes and nature.
It did not confuse or bewitch another person's mind or cognition, which was why it never triggered the Immortal Heart Incantation's protective effect from beginning to end.
*Back then, before the Great Cataclysm, all the immortal artifacts in the Xuanhuang Realm vanished without a trace in an instant. Who would have thought some actually transformed into humans.*
*Interesting...*
Since True Reversion had not been exposed, there was no need to use it.
The plans for this lifetime would continue.
Yet Li Fan did not let down his guard; his consciousness remained connected to the Spirit Wood Realm.
What if Dharma Transmitter Jiang had deceived even his own side, and this was just a deceptive tactic?
Li Fan decided to observe a bit longer.
All that needed to be done now was one word: wait.
In his conversation with Mo Rubin just now, he had brought up whether it was possible to strengthen the Profound Heaven Nether-Lock array to further pressure the Profound Heaven Treasure Mirror.
Neither he as "Sun Xingwang" nor Mo Rubin were skilled in formations, and the people of the Alliance's Formation Planning Hall might not truly be trustworthy.
Thus, external aid was necessary.
Perhaps taking into account the future need to repair the Grand Star-Crossing Array, Mo Rubin pondered only briefly before agreeing that Li Fan had a point.
He promised to keep an eye out for rare treasures capable of array deduction once he returned.
*If I can absorb the merged nine-in-one Dissociation Disc, my array deduction capabilities will undergo another qualitative leap.*
*By then, I might even be able to easily see through the Grand Formation of Inverting Life and Death. Perhaps I could then uncover the true identity of that Heavenly Venerable of Life and Death.*
...
Li Fan's plan to remain seated in the Spirit Wood Realm was abruptly terminated half a month later by a sudden transmission from Lin Ling.
Despite already being a Dao Integration expert, Lin Ling's voice sounded panic-stricken like a child's: "M-Master, S-Senior Stone Slab is gone!"
"That little pond disappeared along with him!"
Li Fan's heart jolted, and he sprang to his feet.
Both the supreme treasure fishing pond and Senior Stone Slab were gone?
What was going on?
A surge of anxiety welled in Li Fan's heart, and he was about to rush immediately toward that small temple in the mountains.
However, recalling some of Lin Ling's earlier behavior, Li Fan abruptly halted.
He sent a transmission in a low, stern voice: "What is there to panic about! With Senior Stone Slab's strength, who in the Xuanhuang Realm could harm him?"
"Explain in detail what happened."
"Yes, Master." Lin Ling, still panicked, described what happened when the anomaly occurred.
Ever since Senior Stone Slab had sat cross-legged at the fishing pond to comprehend the Dao, he had remained motionless like a statue.
Initially, out of respect and fear of Senior Stone Slab, Lin Ling and the young Dao child Liuli had kept their distance.
Over time, however, they grew bolder.
Realizing that coming close did not elicit any reaction from Senior Stone Slab, they would occasionally approach him.
They wanted to take a close look at this peculiar Senior Stone Slab.
At first Lin Ling was still somewhat afraid, but pulled along by the young Dao child Liuli, she saw that nothing bad would happen.
She gradually grew more audacious.
"Sister Lin Ling, the closer you are to Senior Stone Slab, the more benefits you get!" The young Dao child Liuli plopped down on the ground, looking up at Senior Stone Slab with eager eyes.
And Lin Ling had indeed sensed a unique Dao charm undulating around Senior Stone Slab.
As if capable of resonating with the other laws of Heaven and Earth, after only a moment, fragmented images naturally rose in her mind.
Profound and marvelous, touching upon various principles of Heaven and Earth.
Even for a cultivator with Dao Integration combat strength like her, it was immensely beneficial.
"Only later did I realize that Senior Stone Slab's comprehension of the Dao of 'Fishing' had reached its most critical juncture, thereby triggering resonance with the principles of Heaven and Earth..."
"At the time, I was immersed in the benefits of Dao comprehension and didn't notice."
"Until not long ago, when that Dao charm fluctuation suddenly turned violent. That feeling..."
"It was like calm water suddenly surging with massive wind and waves!"
A hint of fear entered Lin Ling's voice.
"Inside the fishing pond, it felt as though something was pulling with all its might."
"Without any warning, Senior Stone Slab was yanked a step forward."
"Senior Stone Slab had a very strange look on his face at the time—surprise, but also fear."
"It was as if an invisible line tethered him to something in the fishing pond. They were locked in a tug-of-war, neither willing to let go."
"And then..."
Lin Ling paused, terrified: "All of a sudden, Senior Stone Slab was dragged right into the fishing pond, as if pulled in. He vanished into thin air before our eyes!"
"What's even more terrifying is that afterward, we found that the fishing pond stopped working as well."
Chapter 974