Pretending to be indifferent, Li Fan put away the nine Termination Disintegration Discs.
Li Fan asked Moru Bin about the cooperation with Cang, the Mirror Holder.
"This Cang guy is quite interesting. If you hadn't mentioned it earlier, I wouldn't have realized that he had become a slave to the Xuantian Treasure Mirror," Moru Bin shook his head slightly.
"But with his covert cooperation, the plan to convince the Million Immortal Alliance to build a great formation and completely control the Xuantian Treasure Mirror has progressed smoothly."
"However, the crucial point depends on you, Brother Xingwang. Can you help the Tianxuan Mirror break free from the restriction of the Transmission Law Deity's formation..."
"Do you really have confidence?" Moru Bin asked with a hint of doubt.
Li Fan didn't immediately guarantee. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly said, "It should be no problem. The little thing you just gave me seems to be much stronger than the previous Lifeless Formation Crown."
"But just to be safe, if possible, you'd better inquire more about the restrictions left by the Transmission Law."
Seeing the reason in this, Moru Bin immediately agreed.
"Oh, by the way, I recently encountered something that you might be interested in." After exchanging some details about the future execution of the plan, before parting ways, Moru Bin suddenly said.
"Oh?" Li Fan stopped in his tracks.
"You previously released a million thought demons, occupying many cultivators' bodies and causing a commotion, right?" Moru Bin enthusiastically said.
"Huh?" Li Fan looked confused, as if he had completely forgotten about it.
After Moru Bin explained it, Li Fan pretended to nod as if he vaguely remembered.
"These cultivators had their consciousness destroyed, leaving only their bodies. However, due to the operation of the Floating Starry Sky Formation, they couldn't be killed directly. So, they were all imprisoned at that time."
"The original plan was to keep these cultivators alive with their bodies, while their consciousness disappeared forever. However, after some discussion, we thought that the quantity of a million was too much. After all, among them were many cultivators above the Yuanying Realm. As long as they were alive, they would occupy the caves, seize resources, and affect the normal number of cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm in the future."
"So, after careful consideration, we decided to only keep five hundred thousand and permanently seal them."
"As for the remaining five hundred thousand..." at the crucial point, Moru Bin paused slightly.
"Kill them all? No, I didn't feel any tremors in the Xuanhuang Realm." Li Fan also cooperated and reacted.
Moru Bin's eyes showed a slightly interested expression, "The Million Immortal Alliance has actually mastered a technique to extract the caves and transformations of cultivators, and even the soul, and return them to the world between heaven and earth!"
"Hmm?" Li Fan's eyes lit up upon hearing this, "How is it different from the natural process when cultivators fall and return to the heavens?"
Moru Bin explained, "When cultivators die and return to the heavens, it may take many years for them to be reborn between heaven and earth. Moreover, during this period, the caves, the soul, and the essence of heaven and earth in their bodies will undergo corresponding changes during the world's operation."
"However, the technique called 'Sealing Lives' by the Million Immortal Alliance is different. Within half a day at most, the heavenly and earthly resources devoured by the cultivator will be directly extracted and returned to the Xuanhuang Realm, then the Million Immortal Alliance has prepared a place for these extracted resources."
Moru Bin's tone contained some admiration, obviously impressed by this genius idea, "This place is located in the devouring elemental white mist at the junction of the central four states of the Immortal Alliance, close to and yet distant from the Xuanhuang Realm. It still belongs to the control of the Xuanhuang Realm's heavenly dao, but after transformation, the Million Immortal Alliance can gain greater control authority."
Chapter 1016 Sealing Lives and Drawing from the Foundation
"Are you saying that these extracted and stored heavenly and earthly resources can be reactivated at any time?" Li Fan thought for a moment, then was slightly surprised.
Because the implications behind this were somewhat terrifying.
"That's right. In other words, as long as the Million Immortal Alliance is willing, it can quickly use these resources to recreate a group of cultivators. However, this is not the key point. The Million Immortal Alliance has many other ways to achieve the same result."
"More importantly, the Million Immortal Alliance can continuously expand this realm. Then, slowly gather all the parts devoured by cultivators from all over the world." The scene described by Moru Bin was somewhat chilling.
"Think about the consequences of this if it goes smoothly. By then, I'm afraid even cultivating immortality will require the Million Immortal Alliance's 'permission.' The Million Immortal Alliance doesn't need ordinary cultivators to maintain the survival of the Xuanhuang Realm. Most likely, they will transform a large number of cultivators into mortals..."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
"The Million Immortal Alliance actually possesses such means." Li Fan's face also darkened.
"Hehe, brother, don't worry too much. Under the opinions of the Transmission Law Master Jiang and more than half of the Transmission Law Masters, the use of this life-sealing technique has been strictly restricted. After all, it is still too dangerous. If one cannot control it well, it is likely to lead to the future monopoly of cultivation." Moru Bin hurriedly consoled.
"In my opinion, Transmission Law Master Jiang is not bad. He genuinely considers the cultivators of the world. As for those other Transmission Law Masters who hold opposing views, I think it's probably because they are concerned about the existence of the Five Elders' influence. After all, if the number of cultivators is really too small, if a full-scale war breaks out with the Five Elders, only the combat power provided by the 'Illusion True Sage' is probably not their opponent." Moru Bin analyzed.
"As for the one who researched the 'Sealing Lives' technique... Transmission Law Master Zheng, he is quite dissatisfied with the resolutions of the Transmission Law Masters Council. This kid, having been in power for too long, already believes that there is no need for the existence of cultivators in the world, and they should all be turned into ordinary people like pigs. Hehehe..."
"But relying on the authority of the Transmission Law. Transmission Law Master Zheng, if I encounter him..." A mysterious light flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
"Brother Xingwang, don't be careless. Transmission Law Master Zheng still has some real skills. After all, he was able to research such a sinister technique as 'Sealing Lives'..." Moru Bin reminded with some solemnity, "You haven't seen the miserable state of those cultivators when they were sealed."
Moru Bin sighed, "Even with my experience, I find it hard to look directly at it. And that's with them already in a state of ignorance. If a cultivator's divine consciousness still remains, and 'Sealing Lives' is still performed..."
"I'm afraid it will surpass all the tortures throughout history!"
With a sigh, Moru Bin came to this conclusion.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 1017 Tenfold Disintegration Disc
"You can imagine. After all, cultivators integrate new cultivation methods, and the heavenly and earthly resources are completely fused with themselves, making it difficult to distinguish. If they are re-extracted, it is almost the same as being shattered and separated," Li Fan said coldly.
"This Transmission Law Master Zheng is indeed a rare talent. If I have the chance, I really want to meet him." Li Fan sneered.
Moru Bin shook his head, "Because his suggestion was rejected, Zheng, in a fit of anger, returned to his small world. And no one has seen him since. In a short time, there is probably no chance. Maybe when we leave later, we can plan it out."
Li Fan nodded in agreement.
After finishing this interesting story, Li Fan returned to the Spirit Wood Realm with the nine Disintegration Discs.
In the underground secret room, Li Fan carefully set up a layer of formation protection around it.
Then, he took out the nine recently born Disintegration Discs and placed them in front of him.
No longer suppressing the desire that surged in his sea of consciousness, the ultimate Disintegration Disc flew out directly, like a hungry beast that had been starving for a long time, glaring at the "self" of this world.
If it weren't for Li Fan's control, the ultimate Disintegration Disc would have followed its instinct and quickly devoured the nine discs.
But Li Fan still maintained a clear mind.
Should he let the ultimate Disintegration Disc devour the nine discs that had not yet merged one by one now, or should he wait until the nine discs were unified, forming a complete Disintegration Disc before devouring them?
The answer was obvious.
With great perseverance, Li Fan restrained the ultimate Disintegration Disc.
Then he began to manipulate and promote the fusion of the nine discs.
The fusion of the nine discs ultimately meant the survival of the strong and the elimination of the weak.
For Li Fan, who had personally experienced the unity of the nine discs and now possessed knowledge of formations far beyond this generation, it was a piece of cake.
He casually selected one of the nine discs as the lucky one, holding it in the palm of his hand. Then, with a gentle tap, the ultimate Disintegration Disc in the sky emitted a white light.
The changing information in the white light represented countless formations that had not been recorded by the Disintegration Disc at this point in time.
Originally, it would take a considerable amount of time for the Disintegration Disc to learn these formations through its own study and continuous deduction.
At this moment, all of them were violently stuffed into this newly born Disintegration Disc by Li Fan.
This was like pulling up seedlings to help them grow.
As the number of formations absorbed by the newly born Disintegration Disc increased, its appearance became almost visibly brighter to the naked eye.
The remaining eight Disintegration Discs seemed to sense the crisis.
Forced to push the speed of their own deductions to the limit.
But how could they compare to the lucky one who was enjoying the fruits of victory?
In just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the first Disintegration Disc was eliminated from the competition.
After devouring its companions, the lucky one became even more powerful.
The speed of accepting the infusion also accelerated.
The pace of devouring the other newly born Disintegration Discs also continued to speed up.
Finally...
Half a day later, the last winner appeared.
The complete Disintegration Disc of this world was now present.
Li Fan did not eagerly devour it immediately. Instead, like a patient gourmet, he used Source Power to refine this newly born complete body.
When everything was ready, the ultimate Disintegration Disc, which had been suppressed, was finally released.
So, the "lucky one" who had just won in the life and death competition among the brothers instantly fell into the hands of the dark hand behind it.
Li Fan seemed to hear the faint sound of chewing.
As if he heard the resentful and angry wailing of the newly born Disintegration Disc.
But the fusion of the two was already destined.
Like returning to the original and washing away the brilliance, the once shining ultimate Disintegration Disc, in the process of continuously absorbing the newly born body, gradually converged its radiance.
It became inconspicuous.
Although the process of deducing formations was interrupted due to fusion, as the owner of the ultimate Disintegration Disc, Li Fan clearly felt the unimaginable transformation happening on it.
In the blink of an eye, the world turned upside down.
As the ultimate Disintegration Disc ascended, an inexplicable fluctuation also descended.
Similar to the scene when the Spirit Wood Realm ascended, the entire world trembled slightly.
The creatures living in the Spirit Wood Realm all felt it, knowing that something significant was happening.
However, under Li Fan's deliberate concealment, the source of the anomaly could not be locked down.
The changes are still ongoing.
On the surface of the stone disc, mysterious patterns spontaneously generated.
Before Li Fan could see clearly, they hid inside and disappeared from sight.
With the blessing of these innate patterns, the aura emanating from the ultimate Disintegration Disc became even more extraordinary.
Above the sky of the Spirit Wood Realm, a hole even cracked open for no apparent reason.
As if something was descending beyond the hole.
Li Fan looked up with anticipation.
However, what he didn't expect was...
The hole persisted for quite some time, but the anticipated changes never came.
The ultimate Disintegration Disc seemed to be hovering just outside the highest point, on the verge of reaching the pinnacle.
But invisibly, there seemed to be something obstructing it. It was as if there was an invisible barrier in front of it.
The aura of the ultimate Disintegration Disc soared, but it ultimately failed to complete the ultimate transformation.
From prosperity to decline.
The central hole in the sky of the Spirit Wood Realm gradually shrank as time passed.
Eventually, it disappeared without a trace.
And all the anomalies that occurred on the ultimate Disintegration Disc also completely subsided.
Li Fan held the brand-new ultimate Disintegration Disc in his hand, pondering.
"Something is missing."
"It seems that the severed connection to the immortal path has an impact on pure artifacts as well."
Soothing the occasional dissatisfaction transmitted from the ultimate Disintegration Disc, after it finally accepted this helpless reality, Li Fan began to try running the transcended Disintegration Disc.
Although it did not complete the transformation to the level of an immortal artifact, the efficiency of deducing formations had already reached a level beyond comparison!
The most significant change was that not only did the speed of analyzing the "Myriad Spirits Return to One" grand array increase several times, but also, during the analysis, it conducted self-deduction.
Moreover, it had the spare capacity to continue the task of deducing the breaking of the prohibition left by the Transmission Heavenly Sovereign!
What's more terrifying, Li Fan keenly sensed that this wasn't even the state of the brand-new ultimate Disintegration Disc running at full capacity!
It still had spare capacity!
Li Fan assessed that after devouring another self, the overall deducing efficiency of the ultimate Disintegration Disc had expanded to more than ten times!
"This..."
Without ascending to the level of an immortal artifact, but Li Fan believed that the ultimate Disintegration Disc at this moment had undoubtedly reached the pinnacle of worldly artifacts.
In terms of pure formation deduction ability, it might even be comparable to some immortal artifacts!
The effectiveness was far beyond Li Fan's expectations!
"Did the fusion of selves bring about an effect greater than one plus one equals two..."
Li Fan fell into contemplation.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 1018: Stepping onto the Pinnacle of Mortal Dust
The fusion of identical objects was an experience Li Fan had undergone before, such as the Dao Stone and the Broken Stele.
However, it was evident that their post-fusion effects were far inferior to the Disintegration Disc.
"Perhaps it's because the Disintegration Disc is already standing at the pinnacle of mortal realm formations. Although it didn't ascend after devouring another self, it achieved some kind of qualitative change."
"There are many entities in the world, like the Disintegration Disc, on the verge of ascending but are almost condemned to forever remain stagnant due to the severance of the immortal path. After all, grand actions like the 115th era Tianxuan Mirror, where the entire Immortal Alliance mobilizes all cultivators to explore countless small worlds to achieve the ascension of their origin, are not something everyone can accomplish."
"Yet, with the help of Reality, the attainment of the 'Integration of Two' can easily cross this insurmountable gap."
"This is probably the simplest method in the world today to mass-produce power close to the immortals."
Various items and their potential performances after self-fusion flashed through Li Fan's mind.
The Blood Law Jade, Wood Sword, and even the Creation Stone Tablet.
As for items that had undergone fusion once, whether they could continue to strengthen through self-fusion needed further verification.
However, Li Fan speculated that it probably wouldn't work.
"The key lies in the severance of the immortal path and the absence of immortal spirit aura."
"Without its foundation, quantity becomes useless."
As his thoughts gradually converged, after coming out of seclusion, Li Fan first modified the protective grand formation of the Spirit Wood Realm.
The time spent on this improvement was even longer than when Li Fan initially constructed the array. It was almost equivalent to rebuilding it.
However, the entire process was carried out silently without alerting any living beings in the Spirit Wood Realm.
Only after the formation was completed did the faint change in the aura covering the Spirit Wood Realm become noticeable to cultivators like Baihua Daoist who were at the Unity Dao and above.
Li Fan stood in the sky, closing his eyes.
Even without relying on divine sense or visual observation, purely by relying on the induction of the protective formation, the detailed miniature image of the Spirit Wood Realm appeared in Li Fan's mind.
Not a single creature in the Spirit Wood Realm could escape.
With the power of this new protective formation, Li Fan could instantly annihilate living beings within the formation without taking action himself.
"The difference between immortals and mortals is truly like an abyss."
"I see the beings in the Spirit Wood Realm as ants; immortals probably see me in the same way."
"If I didn't have Reality..."
Li Fan sighed slightly.
Theoretically, the newly laid Spirit Wood protective formation had not yet reached its limit. But constrained by the special materials unique to the immortal realm and the absence of immortal spirit aura, the current state of the formation had little room for further advancement.
After completing the preliminary testing of the Disintegration Disc's power, Li Fan returned to the secret chamber to summarize the analysis of the ultimate Disintegration Disc on the Myriad Spirits Return to One. He also supervised the progress of deciphering the Transmission Heavenly Sovereign's restrictions.
Although the ultimate Disintegration Disc had formidable computing power and was already at the top level of mortal standards, it was still an inanimate object that required Li Fan's guidance.
It might self-deduce in strange directions if left unattended.
The Dao of Arrays was boundless, and Li Fan immersed himself in it, unaware of the passing years.
One day, Li Fan suddenly felt something and woke up from his research.
"Anchored for 15 years, Medicine King Cauldron's return."
Calculating the time, it was about right.
Li Fan's eyes flickered, putting aside his current task, and his figure instantly left the Spirit Wood Realm.
He arrived at the Abyss of Cangwu, patiently waiting at the predetermined landing spot for the return of the Medicine King Cauldron.
Looking down into the abyss, Li Fan's expression became somewhat solemn.
With his current strength, he naturally had the ability to go down.
However, whenever this thought arose, an uneasy feeling emerged in his heart, which Li Fan quickly suppressed.
Sensing the intrusive thoughts being dispelled by the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart's mantra, Li Fan's gaze became profound. "The inexplicable attraction is not just an illusion."
"If I'm not mistaken, the Abyss of Cangwu is probably another significant remnant, like the Sea of Nebulous Clouds, left by the assimilation of other cultivation worlds during the integration of the Xuanhuang Realm. Well, perhaps it's even more than that. The depths of the abyss may be related to the depths of the white mist."
Li Fan surveyed the ruins floating around, contemplating slowly.
In ancient times, the Abyss of Cangwu did not exist. The Sea of Nebulous Clouds was slapped into existence with a single palm, and the Abyss of Cangwu was created with a single footstep.
Obviously, the Xuanhuang Realm had assistance from Transmission Heavenly Sovereign during the process of assimilating and devouring other cultivation worlds.
"It's evident that relying solely on the power of the Xuanhuang Realm itself is insufficient for digestion. It needs the assistance of Transmission Heavenly Sovereign. This itself can explain a lot."
Although the Abyss of Cangwu undoubtedly concealed many secrets like the Sea of Nebulous Clouds, Li Fan was aware that there were probably even more mysteries within it.
Chapter 1019: Mysterious Deviation
However, Li Fan currently had no intention of investigating the root cause.
He patiently waited for the return of the Medicine King Cauldron.
As the memory's timing indicated, late at night, a fiery meteor illuminated the sky.
Then it disappeared into the night, heading straight for the Abyss of Cangwu.
After arriving at Li Fan's location, the Medicine King Cauldron paused in mid-air, concealing its presence.
"Hmm?"
However, as Li Fan watched the landing point of the Medicine King Cauldron, his expression became subtly strange.
After repeatedly comparing the scene with his memory, Li Fan confirmed that in this life, the final landing position of the Medicine King Cauldron had a slight deviation.
Only a three-inch difference, if it weren't for Li Fan's keen perception, coupled with the meticulous record of the Dao Stone, he would almost have overlooked it.
"Did it encounter unknown external forces during the return? Or..."
"Has the 'position' and 'size' of the Xuanhuang Realm itself changed?"
A sense of unease inexplicably arose in Li Fan's heart.
He instantly reviewed all the events that had occurred in this life in his mind, sifting through the potential objects that might have caused this deviation.
After locking onto several targets, he couldn't confirm the cause definitively at the moment.
He just firmly kept it in mind. Afterward, Li Fan controlled a miniature Medicine King Cauldron and entered the interior of the true Medicine King Cauldron.
To gain control of the Medicine King Cauldron, one had to enter the control room.
Li Fan had long been prepared for this.
With a slight movement in his heart, a strand of Longevity Azure Qi differentiated within him and infused into the "Life and Death Door" outside the control room.
Before the Medicine King Cauldron returned, Li Fan had already practiced the Life and Death Scripture. Although he had discarded it by now, he stored some Longevity Azure Qi in the Heavenly Cave for backup.
The Life and Death Scripture could only be cultivated with the true transmission of the Medicine King Sect. Having passed the verification, Li Fan successfully entered the interior of the control room.
It seemed like an empty space.
Except for a faint figure, there was nothing else.
That illusory figure should be the deceased Medicine King Sect Master, Liu Ruchen.
His face couldn't be seen at this moment, but after casting a glance at Li Fan and confirming his identity as the true disciple of the Medicine King Sect, various scenes began to float in the void.
It was precisely the Medicine King Sect's escape from the Xuanhuang Realm, nearly captured by the Immortal Burial Site.
Later, Liu Ruchen sacrificed himself along with many elders, barely rescuing the Medicine King Cauldron.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 1019: Immortality After a Thousand Years
Even though Li Fan had long known the causes and consequences of the events, watching them again, he still felt a slight sense of awe in the face of the might of the Immortal Burial Site.
After the playback concluded, the illusory figure of Liu Ruchen began to give instructions.
He entrusted the position of Medicine King Sect's sect master to his adopted son, Liu Yihang, and expressed his wish for the other elders to support and assist him. If they were unwilling, they could leave the Medicine King Sect, and he wouldn't force them.
Upon returning to the Xuanhuang Realm, they were not to seek revenge immediately but to lurk in Changsheng Valley and patiently wait for the right moment.
It was the same as before.
However, after temporarily gaining control of the Medicine King Cauldron, Li Fan did not hastily leave.
Instead, he continued to wait in the control room.
After the illusion of Liu Ruchen completely dissipated, Li Fan did not leave either.
Patiently waiting for nearly half a day, there seemed to be no sign of any changes.
After pondering for a moment, Li Fan swiftly activated the End of Days Disintegration Plate, and a formation quickly formed.
With a trace of cold light in his eyes, Li Fan instantly arranged a formation in the control room.
The main function of the formation was to expose all the hidden remnants of the soul!
Yes, Li Fan suspected that Liu Ruchen, the sect master of the Medicine King Sect, had not completely died!
This was not baseless speculation.
It should be noted that Li Fan was now incredibly knowledgeable and experienced.
Mechanisms, formations, restrictions—what kind of existence had he not encountered?
The illusory figure that declared the will was not among these.
Since it could maintain an image and speak for such a long time, there must be some power supporting it.
Since the above external options were ruled out, the only remaining possibility was Liu Ruchen's own spiritual power!
With the formation in place, waves of intersecting light beams swept through space as expected by Li Fan. Just as he anticipated, a gradually blurry figure was forced to reveal itself once again!
Even mental communication was impossible, as if it could disintegrate at any moment.
Sensing the faint sense of helplessness and despair from the other party, Li Fan coldly snorted.
He reached out and grabbed Liu Ruchen.
Without any courtesy, Li Fan infused the source power containing the influence of the Faceless True Immortal into him.
As Liu Ruchen's spiritual soul gradually became clearer, he also appeared in Li Fan's perception network.
"Master Liu, your trick of escaping danger was quite clever. You almost fooled even this lord." Li Fan said indifferently.
"Daoist, you're joking." Liu Ruchen's face showed a bitter smile.
"I wonder which sect Daoist comes from?" He tentatively asked.
"Xuantian Sect." Li Fan smirked.
"Huh?!" Liu Ruchen's spiritual soul trembled. It was originally not very solid, and now, after hearing Li Fan's words, it seemed to be on the verge of disintegration.
After stabilizing his mind with great difficulty, Liu Ruchen, with a lingering fear, said, "Don't make such jokes..."
Before he could finish speaking, the blood moon phantom behind Li Fan instantly appeared.
A pressure far exceeding that of an ancient Harmony Dao cultivator manifested. Just the aura alone almost completely shattered Liu Ruchen's currently feeble spiritual soul.
"Do you think I'm lying? Your Medicine King Sect has only been gone for half a day, but thousands of years have passed in the Xuanhuang Realm!" Li Fan sneered.
Liu Ruchen was awakened as if from a dream. "What? Thousands of years?"
He calculated with his fingers, confirming that Li Fan was not lying.
His originally vague face became even paler. "I knew it would have an impact on time and space, but I never thought it would come to this."
Although deeply shocked, Liu Ruchen was the sect master after all, and he quickly calmed down.
"In that case, has the Xuantian Sect successfully revived and regained control?" Liu Ruchen cautiously asked.
"Hehe." Li Fan smiled ambiguously, then slightly pointed, transmitting the approximate current state of the Xuanhuang Realm.
After learning about the colossal changes over the past thousand years, Liu Ruchen remained silent for a long time.
"Humph, I occasionally learned about the rumors of your Medicine King Sect leaving in ancient times. Recently, seeing a fiery meteor streak across the sky, I got curious and decided to investigate the causes and consequences."
Chapter 1019: Immortality After a Thousand Years
"In accordance with the rules of our Xuantian Sect, fools and traitors like you are usually sentenced to death," a hint of killing intent flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
But then he changed his tone, "However, times have changed. If we want to overthrow the Immortal Alliance and re-establish the Xuantian Sect, we need to gather all the available power."
"So, I'll give your Medicine King Sect a chance..."
Li Fan looked at Liu Ruchen, his eyes revealing a fierce glint.
Liu Ruchen had no other choice. Not only himself, but the lives of the disciples dormant in the Medicine King Cauldron were also at the mercy of the other party's thoughts.
Liu Ruchen had to agree.
"Hmph, your opinion doesn't really matter. Since you've already worshiped the Compassionate True Immortal of the Mortal Realm, there's no escape for you now," Li Fan said with a smile.
Liu Ruchen recalled the faceless stone statue that suddenly appeared in his spiritual soul earlier, and his heart trembled involuntarily.
Temporarily putting Liu Ruchen and the Medicine King Cauldron into the pocket dimension, Li Fan returned to the Spiritwood Realm and summoned Craftsman Qiao.
Currently deeply engrossed in studying the Heavenly Sun, Craftsman Qiao was not pleased to be disturbed by Li Fan.
"My friend here lost his physical body due to certain accidents. Can you forge a puppet for him to inhabit?" Li Fan straightforwardly asked.
With Liu Ruchen's current spiritual soul strength, it was challenging to even maintain a physical form, let alone cultivate again.
It would be troublesome to help him complete his spiritual soul.
Might as well let Craftsman Qiao lend a hand.
Craftsman Qiao glanced at Liu Ruchen, nodded, and said, "No problem! However, it can only be an ordinary Heavenly Mechanism Puppet. He had Harmony cultivation before, right? I'm afraid the puppet's body won't fully unleash his original strength."
"As long as it can move," Li Fan didn't mind.
Reviving Liu Ruchen was just to better control the Medicine King Sect.
There were no real Inducement Fruits on hand. If they resorted to coercion and inducement to make the Medicine King Sect submit one by one, it would be somewhat risky.
After all, signs of this had appeared in the previous life.
As long as Liu Ruchen was around, there was no need to worry about the Medicine King Sect going out of control.
Muttering to himself, Craftsman Qiao asked Li Fan for some materials.
Having lived in the Xuanhuang Realm for quite some time, Craftsman Qiao requested materials that were all locally produced in the Xuanhuang Realm.
Li Fan quickly got everything ready.
"Oh, by the way..."
"Could you provide some Essence of Source Power?" Before forging the puppet, Craftsman Qiao suddenly made a request.
As if afraid that Li Fan would misunderstand, he explained, "I haven't used Essence of Source Power before, and I want to give it a try. Otherwise, I wouldn't be confident if I directly used it on Little Brother Tianyang."
Li Fan remained silent for a moment but ultimately agreed to Craftsman Qiao's request.
Craftsman Qiao instantly became excited.
Seemingly overturning the previous forging plan, he also asked Li Fan for some materials.
Only then did the forging of the Heavenly Mechanism Puppet begin.
The forging process was quite novel.
No tangible flames were used; instead, golden source power from the void was directly used to create a shadow.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 1020: Otherworlds Beyond Xuanhuang
Piece by piece, celestial materials formed the puppet's skeleton, and golden source power surged like a tide, creating "flesh and blood tissue" that adhered to the skeleton.
The Heavenly Mechanism Puppet gradually took shape.
During the emergence of the golden source power, Li Fan faintly heard intermittent murmurs.
"What's this commotion?" Craftsman Qiao, appearing calm and composed, wasn't bothered by the noise. Li Fan directly asked.
"I'm not sure, but it's an inevitable phenomenon when using source power. There's no need to worry. We cultivators of the Heavenly Mechanism Realm call it the 'Whisper of the World.' You get used to it after seeing it a lot."
While answering Li Fan, he focused on the Heavenly Mechanism Puppet, skillfully manipulating the source power.
Limbs, trunk, head, then skin, hair...
All slowly manifested.
Medicine King Sect Master Liu Ruchen looked at this scene with shock.
The methods used to refine the puppet completely exceeded his imagination.
When the puppet, which looked exactly like Liu Ruchen, was created in an instant, a desire to possess it surged within him.
"Friend, please." Craftsman Qiao lazily said.
After looking at Li Fan, who nodded, Liu Ruchen cautiously approached.
A faint light erupted from the Heavenly Mechanism Puppet. After a while, it opened its eyes.
Liu Ruchen, who had regained a new life, held his palm and exclaimed, "It's almost... exactly like my original body."
"Even the existence of the dantian and sea of consciousness! How is this done?"
Craftsman Qiao paid no attention to Liu Ruchen, saying, "Done? If there's nothing else, I'll go back. Junior Tianyang is still waiting for me!"
Li Fan smiled and let him leave.
"Liu Zongzhu, how do you find the methods of our Universal Alliance?" Watching Liu Ruchen experiencing his new body, Li Fan asked.
"Incredible, absolutely incredible." Liu Ruchen was sincerely impressed.
Then his expression changed slightly, "The Universal Alliance... Could it be that the Craftsman friend just now is not a cultivator native to the Xuanhuang Realm?"
Li Fan nodded, "Liu Zongzhu indeed has extraordinary knowledge. Craftsman Qiao is from the Heavenly Mechanism Realm."
Hearing this, Liu Ruchen exclaimed, "Heavenly Mechanism Realm? The rumored cultivation realm built on a giant puppet, floating unpredictably in the starry sky?"
"I see, that makes sense."
After some inquiries, Li Fan learned that the Medicine King Sect's founder, Yao Wang Sun Miaomiao, had traveled through various realms and recorded observations of different worlds.
Among them was information about the Heavenly Mechanism Realm.
"However, after the Immortal Dao was cut off, the communication between various cultivation realms basically ceased. Therefore, records about other realms are still in the distant past."
"When I decided to lead the entire sect to escape from Xuanhuang and head to the nearest 'Carefree' Realm, the cultivators there revered the Dao of Non-Action and were a friendly bunch. It was a good place. Unfortunately..."
Liu Ruchen's expression turned somewhat dim.
During the conversation, he tactfully transferred Sun Miaomiao's travel notes to Li Fan through divine sense.
A simple star map instantly appeared in Li Fan's mind.
It marked the positions of eighteen cultivation realms around the Xuanhuang Realm.
Seemingly arranged randomly, there was no apparent pattern.
In addition to the eighteen fixed ones, there were two cultivation realms without specific markers.
One is the Heavenly Mechanism Realm, and the other is called "Xuan Shang."
According to the travel notes, Xuan Shang is more like a massive flying ship than a world.
Xuan Shang travels between various cultivation realms, exchanging goods and seeking profits.
...
"Piaomiao Laozu, being able to traverse various realms is truly admirable." After scanning the contents of the travel notes several times, Li Fan exclaimed.
The ages were too distant, and the starry sky underwent immense changes. Everything recorded in the travel notes might have turned into nothingness or been devoured by Xuanhuang.
"Xuan Shang..."
"The behavior style of cultivators in this realm seems somewhat similar to Jiao Xiuyuan's. If there's a chance, we can verify it."
Unaware of Li Fan's thoughts, Liu Ruchen continued, "It is said that Laozu planned to travel even farther, but for some unknown reason, he changed his mind. It seems there is something special about the starry sky we inhabit. However, Laozu didn't disclose the specific reasons to later generations."
Li Fan's expression changed slightly, "Something special?"
During Sun Miaomiao's era, the Immortal Dao hadn't been severed yet, and the "High Wall" didn't exist naturally.
But the starry sky where Xuanhuang was located was already different...
"All the ascending immortals from Xuanhuang throughout the generations couldn't find any relevant records."
"Either every predecessor ascended to become a 'Nameless True Immortal,' or some great power wiped away all information about them."
"Interesting..."
Li Fan fell into contemplation.
...
Next, Li Fan led Liu Ruchen to tour the splendid scenery of the Spiritwood Realm.
Whether it was the mountains, rivers, and scenery from Xuanhuang or replicas of various ancient sect remnants, even the towering trees in the center, impressed Liu Ruchen.
After a respectful visit to the faceless true immortal statue, Li Fan took out the Medicine King Cauldron.
"Now, due to the restrictions on simultaneous cultivation methods, if we awaken all the disciples in the cauldron, they will surely fall into mutual slaughter. How do you propose to handle this, Sect Master Liu?"
"In our Universal Alliance, we have a technique called 'Cangsheng Lingyuan Gong.' It can alleviate such restrictions..."
After listening to Li Fan's introduction, Liu Ruchen pondered for a moment before giving a response.
"Since I've decided to join the alliance, I naturally have to contribute. In terms of combat strength, our Medicine King Sect might not be much, but when it comes to alchemy and cultivating spirit plants, we are quite proficient."
"However..." Liu Ruchen hesitated slightly.
"Thousands of years have passed, and I don't know the current state of alchemy in Xuanhuang. But if we can obtain some specific elixirs and are given some time, we should be able to catch up."
Liu Ruchen understood very well that the best way to ensure the safety of the entire Medicine King Sect was to showcase their value as much as possible.
After all, seeing the tree people working tirelessly day and night in the Spiritwood Realm and the flesh puppets that had completely transformed into efficient machines for spiritual cultivation, Liu Ruchen knew that this Universal Alliance was by no means benevolent.
And the current representative of the "Red Dust Compassionate Immortal," the former Law King of the Xuantian Sect, didn't appear as friendly or benevolent as he seemed.
"The 'Jishi Longsheng Scripture' has a special enhancement for alchemy. Therefore, it's better for the elders in the sect to choose to preserve their original cultivation base."
(End of this chapter)