Daoist Baihua's tone sounded somewhat uncertain as well.
Hearing this, Li Fan frowned deeply. "You? The Longevity realm?"
His voice was rife with suspicion.
Although he could not gauge her strength with absolute certainty, compared to the Longevity powerhouses of the Xuanhuang Realm, there was undoubtedly a vast gulf.
At the very least, Li Fan felt no immense threat radiating from her.
"Fellow Daoist, don't tell me you think tossing out the name of the Longevity realm is enough to bluff me," Li Fan said, his expression darkening.
Daoist Baihua gave a bitter smile. "Reduced to such straits as I am now, why would I do something so pointless?
"In truth, had I remained in Wansheng—or any other cultivation world, for that matter—I would indeed be worthy of the word 'Longevity.'
"However, in the Xuanhuang Realm..."
Daoist Baihua looked up at the sky, a flicker of awe passing through her eyes. "Several millennia have passed, and the seas have turned to mulberry fields. To think this realm has expanded to become so vast.
"To be frank, my homeland of Wansheng was only about the size of five provinces in today's Xuanhuang Realm.
"And back then, among the various cultivation worlds, our Wansheng Realm was ranked in the middle tier in terms of scale.
"Even though both are called Longevity, there are naturally differences," Daoist Baihua said rather helplessly.
Li Fan understood at once.
Back in those days, among the many cultivation worlds, the Xuanhuang Realm had already been a behemoth by comparison.
After thousands of years of ceaseless plundering and devouring, the present Xuanhuang Realm had bloated beyond measure.
As what was very likely the sole surviving cultivation world in the Pitch-Black Star Sea, Xuanhuang truly could not be judged by conventional logic.
And in such a colossal world, the Longevity Heavenly Venerables, who defied natural order to coexist with Heaven and Earth, naturally wielded terrifying strength.
They could not be measured by normal standards.
*Being born in Xuanhuang is truly both a blessing and a curse,* Li Fan mused inwardly.
Looking at Daoist Baihua again, he estimated that her strength was only on par with a somewhat stronger Dao Integration practitioner in the Xuanhuang Realm.
"No wonder I found you rather weak, Fellow Daoist," Li Fan remarked quite bluntly.
"I have fought against Longevity Heavenly Venerables before. At your level, you probably wouldn't last more than a few rounds in their hands."
Li Fan could not see Daoist Baihua's facial expression, but from the slight ripples coursing through her golden-glowing figure, she was clearly in no great mood.
"Very well. Since your words have been verified, let us return to the Spirit Wood Realm first. The Xuanhuang Realm proper is constantly under the surveillance of the Heavenly Venerables. Even if your strength is lacking, your realm is still Longevity after all. Lingering here too long risks exposing you," Li Fan said as he led Daoist Baihua back into the Spirit Wood Realm.
Daoist Baihua did not act rashly either.
Setting aside the fact that their strengths were evenly matched and any clash might draw the avarice of stronger entities, the crucial point was that little Liuli remained in Li Fan's grasp. She was now all alone, and her future cultivation would still depend on the sustenance of the Liuli Wisdom Fruit.
"Fellow Daoist Baihua, do you have any way of contacting the survivors from those various realms nowadays?" Back in the Spirit Wood Realm, Li Fan put on a different face, speaking with pleasant affability.
"I know what concerns you, Fellow Daoist. But there is no need to worry. After so many years, that lot has probably long been buried in the Immortal Ruins," Daoist Baihua replied coldly.
"Oh? You are that certain?" Li Fan asked with interest.
"Even a world of Xuanhuang's scale is on the verge of plummeting into the Immortal Ruins. Relying solely on a tiny patch of land cobbled together on the fly, how long could they possibly hold out?" Daoist Baihua stated with conviction.
"So other than the Xuanhuang Realm, I have nowhere else to go. We are both in the same boat, Fellow Daoist; there is truly no need for you to be so guarded against me," Daoist Baihua urged earnestly.
Inwardly, she lamented how the hearts of cultivators were not what they once were.
Back in her era, scheming and deception had inevitably existed, but when had cultivators ever been like this—constantly watching their backs at every single moment as though dealing with sworn mortal enemies?
"Heh. The human heart is treacherous; one can never be too careful," Li Fan said, looking completely accustomed to it.
"Words alone are no proof. Whether it is letting you leave or cooperating with you, I cannot set my mind at ease..."
"Hm?" Daoist Baihua started at his words. Thinking Li Fan was still planning to make a lethal move, her golden radiant form instantly roiled with tension.
Little did she expect Li Fan to change the subject smoothly: "Follow me, Fellow Daoist. You need only pay homage to a stone statue, and we will be companions walking the same path. From then on, we will share one heart and mind, with no need for mutual suspicion."
Daoist Baihua froze. "A stone statue?"
Her confusion turned to sheer terror the instant she laid eyes upon the faceless stone statue.
Her golden light flickered frantically as she trembled like a fledgling beast catching sight of its natural predator.
Backing away continuously, she lost her voice in panic: "A True Immortal statue? How could such a thing be here?
"Have you been deceiving me all along?"
Daoist Baihua stared at Li Fan, her gaze half terror, half resentment.
Li Fan also keenly sensed faint waves of suction seeming to emanate from the Faceless True Immortal stone statue.
It was as though it wanted to draw Daoist Baihua's glazed golden divine body inside.
"Why panic, Fellow Daoist? This is the Red Dust Compassionate True Immortal, entirely unlike any other immortals you know.
"Simply take the oath with me, and I guarantee your safety!" Li Fan said in a solemn voice.
At the same time, his mind connected with the stone statue. In an instant, scenes of countless believers of the Compassionate Immortal praying across the Xuanhuang Realm surfaced within Li Fan's mind.
And he himself felt as though he had been empowered by some mysterious force.
Daoist Baihua let out a shriek, frantically pulling further away, staring at Li Fan in total horror.
Li Fan's heart stirred as he sensed a faint, wisp-like strand of golden floss being stripped from Daoist Baihua's body.
Drifting in the air, drawn by the Faceless True Immortal stone statue, it slowly floated toward Li Fan.
"Golden vow power?"
After absorbing it, Li Fan noticed that the nature of this energy was extremely similar to golden vow power.
Yet it appeared far purer.
Li Fan's gaze fell once more upon Daoist Baihua.
Under Li Fan's coercion, Daoist Baihua had no choice but to recite the oath after him.
When the recitation ended, Li Fan's conscious connection in his mind instantly registered Daoist Baihua's presence.
However, she was no longer a golden-glowing humanoid form, but a lotus-shaped oil lamp.
"This is your current true form?" Li Fan asked with a frown.
"Y-yes," Daoist Baihua replied, her tone no longer as before, but extremely constrained and cautious.
"You are a Longevity realm cultivator after all. Why are you so frail?" Li Fan was genuinely puzzled this time.
At these words, Li Fan felt a thick wave of grievance welling from her.
Daoist Baihua glanced at the silently standing faceless stone statue, hesitating to speak.
"Speak freely," Li Fan assured her.
"The Red Dust Compassionate Immortal, even if not at the realm of a Nameless True Immortal, is not far from it. I am merely a destitute Longevity cultivator; how could I resist?" Daoist Baihua said weakly.
"Even so, it is merely a stone statue. Is there any need to be this terrified?"
Thinking Li Fan was testing her, Daoist Baihua hurried to pledge her loyalty: "Honored Envoy jokes. In the realm of a True Immortal, wherever their power reaches, what difference is there between a stone statue and their true self?"
Chapter 985