Now, the greatest resource Li Fan possessed—aside from the insight, strength, and experience accumulated through the repeated cycles of True Reversion—was the countless mortals dwelling within the pocket worlds.
Under the day-and-night transformation of the Heaven and Earth Furnace, every single one of these mortals was a prospective cultivator.
More importantly, they were cultivators who could be used by Li Fan.
Now, building a true Myriad Realms Association was almost within reach, just one step away. The sole obstacle was the scarcity of cultivation techniques resulting from the principle that Techniques Cannot Be Practiced Concurrently.
Before successfully abducting the Yanfa Jade, Li Fan had already conceived an interim alternative.
Namely, the former Lingyuan Sect's *Common People Lingyuan Technique*.
The more people who cultivated this technique simultaneously, the faster their progress would be—enough to offset the negative effects brought about by the restriction that Techniques Cannot Be Practiced Concurrently.
Previously, the dharma idol of the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable had descended upon Jiushan Province, leveling nine mountains with a single glance.
The headquarters of the Lingyuan Sect had been obliterated as a result.
Even so, there were still disciples of the Lingyuan Sect throughout the world who knew the *Common People Lingyuan Technique*.
Because the number of cultivators practicing the Lingyuan Technique had plummeted drastically, its beneficial boost could no longer offset the adverse effects of Techniques Cannot Be Practiced Concurrently. Consequently, those disciples had all switched to other techniques.
The faithful of the Red Dust Compassionate True Immortal had gone to considerable trouble before finally unearthing information on one such hidden disciple.
Avatar Li Qing had already quietly made the journey, brought the captive back to the Spirit Wood Realm, and begun the interrogation.
"Even if ordinary people cannot endure long within the blood-colored river, if cultivators from the pocket worlds throw their lives into it wave after wave..."
"All of that hidden history will eventually be brought to light."
Li Fan's thoughts surged, his gaze falling once more upon the Genesis Historical Records.
"Of course, if I want them to throw their lives away for me, pure coercion certainly won't do. I must entice them with benefits..."
With that in mind, Li Fan formed hand seals, rebuilding the protective formation that shrouded the small mountain temple.
Previously, because the supreme treasure fishing pond could not be relocated at all, Li Fan had only set up a rudimentary formation here.
Now, although the Genesis Historical Records likewise concealed itself spontaneously, its status was ultimately one tier below the fishing pond.
Furthermore, one could not rule out the possibility that certain old monsters of the Xuanhuang Realm might forcibly relocate it if it were discovered.
Having already claimed it as his own, Li Fan naturally would not allow such a thing to happen.
In his mind, the Terminal Dissociation Disc emitted a faint white glow, and Li Fan laid out and established the latest iteration of the formation.
"Without new formation data input, the Dissociation Disc's deduction and evolution speed has hit a bottleneck."
"I either need completely new formations, or I'll have to await news from Mo Rubin regarding the nine Dissociation Discs of this era."
As the materials stored within his grotto-heaven were gradually consumed, the highest-tier formation that this Terminal Dissociation Disc could presently deduce slowly materialized in the world.
The caliber of this formation surpassed the current Xuanhuang Realm by two whole generations; compared to it, the protective grand formation of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals was as crude as a child's toy.
"This formation can be named the Terminal Grand Emptiness Formation," Li Fan said, exhaling slowly after completing the array.
Terminal, true to its name, meant that the Dao of formations had been deduced to the very end of time.
Grand Emptiness represented the nature of the array.
Drawing inspiration from the World-Secluding Void-Concealing restriction technique previously imparted by the Heavenly Physician, and combined with countless concealment formations, the stealth capability of this Grand Emptiness Formation had likely reached the pinnacle of the Xuanhuang Realm. The space shrouded by the array was practically a world unto itself.
Even if a Dao Integration cultivator came to inspect the area closely, they might not detect a single flaw.
If a Longevity realm powerhouse merely swept their divine sense across the place without a meticulous search, the result would likely be the same.
Beyond concealment, the Terminal Grand Emptiness Formation also possessed fundamental functions such as defense and counterattack. They were simply a tier below its stealth capability, so there was no need to dwell on them.
"All believers of the Red Dust Compassionate Immortal may face the river of time directly. If one retrieves even the slightest scrap of time fragments from within, they shall receive a boon from the True Immortal..."
In an instant, Li Fan had already fabricated the necessary pretext in his mind.
"Now that the Heaven and Earth Furnaces in the Empire and the Li Realm have all been set up, I can attempt to launch this plan before long."
As the saying went, those who work with their minds govern others, while those who work with their brawn are governed by others. Possessing a superior and far more efficient method, Li Fan naturally had no intention of braving the perils of the blood-colored river in person. Dispatching cultivators from the myriad realms to risk their lives on his behalf was the proper course.
"Reconstructing lost history from within the blood-colored river. This shall be called Mending Heaven."
Li Fan took considerable satisfaction in giving the endeavor such an awe-inspiring name.
A place as vital as Mending Heaven could not be left alone with only a peerless array for protection. Still uneasy, Li Fan summoned Tianyang and ordered him to watch over the site before taking his leave.
Of course, before departing, he did not forget to remind Tianyang never to attempt to gaze into the blood-colored river.
Then again, perhaps only Tianyang would never let curiosity get the better of him and foolishly seek his own destruction.
Tianyang simply sat quietly on the ground, watching over the Genesis Historical Records as if in a daze.
He harbored not the slightest interest in that supreme treasure containing the entirety of the Xuanhuang Realm's history.
***
Within the Spirit Wood Realm, Zhong Shentong and the Dao child Liuli, having just arrived, were already awestruck by the magnificent sights of the Myriad Realms Association headquarters.
Lin Ling, who had not returned for a long time, was also greatly astonished by the changes in the Spirit Wood Realm.
When the treeman matriarch Lin Xin appeared before her in human form, Lin Ling was visibly shaken, a complex expression flashing in her eyes.
None of these subtle shifts escaped the eyes of Li Fan, whose mind was united as one with the heaven and earth of the Spirit Wood Realm.
"Just as I expected, this little one has indeed developed other thoughts," Li Fan sneered inwardly.
Calling it betrayal would not be entirely accurate; rather, she had merely developed an unwillingness to submit to Li Fan.
After all, when Li Fan had enlightened her and she had willingly acknowledged him as master, her consciousness had only just awakened, ignorant and bewildered. She had held no clear understanding of the world.
Back then, Li Fan's strength was vastly inferior to hers, yet she had submitted with utter sincerity.
However, over the years, she had remained in constant communication with the Earth Vein Ancient Tree, and her intellect had matured rapidly.
Moreover, Li Fan had never revealed his true strength before her; in her eyes, he was merely a somewhat powerful Nascent Soul cultivator.
It was only natural that she would have second thoughts.
Li Fan had noticed this long ago, which was why he had not rushed to her side immediately upon receiving her message.
Still, Li Fan did not care what Lin Ling thought.
So long as she committed no acts of betrayal and continued to faithfully execute his commands, all would be well.
Otherwise...
Sneering coldly in his heart, Li Fan flashed through the air and arrived at the central underground chamber.
"Have you interrogated him yet?"
Avatar Li Qing's expression was grave. "I got the technique out of him, but something is strange."
"I cannot cultivate this *Common People Lingyuan Technique* at all."
"It's not that it produces no effect—I cannot even manage the initial breakthrough to get started," avatar Li Qing emphasized.
Chapter 977