"By the way, I retained the memories of destroying her body before, and then incorporated them when creating her new body..."
"You guys didn't see the expression on her face when she just woke up," Master Qiaogong said, growing more excited.
As the construction of the source force essence buffer zone progressed, the surroundings gradually brightened. This allowed Master Qiaogong to see the gazes of those around him, making him even more proud.
"I should have thought of it earlier. Since you can replicate and back up your own consciousness, it shouldn't be a problem to have backups of consciousness from other cultivators in the Celestial Engine Realm," Li Fan suddenly appeared, his indifferent tone causing Master Qiaogong to freeze.
"Cultivators in the Celestial Engine Realm are absolute geniuses in alchemy. The Union is in need of talents, how can you keep such secrets?" Li Fan's gaze turned hostile.
Master Qiaogong could only awkwardly smile.
"On your side, how many consciousness backups do you have? Hand them all over, and I won't blame you for the past. Otherwise..."
Master Qiaogong felt a murderous intent emanating from Li Fan, causing his heart to tremble. He even felt an invisible giant hand firmly gripping his neck, making it almost impossible to breathe.
With this tightening sensation came increasing intensity.
He felt like an insect caught in a web, unable to break free and only awaiting death.
Master Qiaogong knew this was the power of the Compassionate Immortal of the Red Dust.
After reciting the oath upon joining the Elder Council, he had fallen into the web of True Immortals.
Unless he could surpass Li Fan in strength, relying solely on this connection, Li Fan, as the Superior Envoy, could easily erase him with a thought.
Fortunately, Li Fan didn't actually intend to kill him here.
Just as Master Qiaogong's consciousness was about to blur, the binding sensation disappeared instantly.
Regaining his composure, Master Qiaogong breathed heavily, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and explained repeatedly, "It's only a few core members of the Elder Council."
"I was in a hurry when I escaped; that's all I could bring."
"The dark power is mysterious and exceptional. We can release them when the time comes for collective research," Li Fan said casually.
Naturally, Master Qiaogong had to agree.
After being scared by Li Fan once, Master Qiaogong became much more obedient afterward.
Three days later, the golden buffer zone was completed.
Looking at the thick darkness that was completely blocked outside, everyone couldn't help but marvel at the power of the Compassionate Immortal of the Red Dust.
Although the dark power was strong, it couldn't contend with True Immortals.
Despite constructing buffer measures, there was still a slight risk of the dark power going out of control.
Li Fan had no intention of bringing it back to the Spirit Wood Realm for research. Instead, he established a separate research facility in this underground world.
The four elders from the Celestial Engine Realm were also released by Master Qiaogong.
At this point, Li Fan learned that the beautiful female immortal puppet from earlier was actually the chief elder of the Celestial Engine Realm, Shangguan Tuo, as mentioned by Master Qiaogong before.
Shangguan Tuo, back then, attempted to fully control the [ancestors] and fused her soul into the broken core of the [ancestors]. Naturally, she had already made consciousness backups before this.
Her reckless actions almost led to the collapse of the entire Celestial Engine Realm, a severe crime indeed.
At that time, the members of the Elder Council decisively rejected the proposal to awaken Shangguan Tuo again.
They merely concealed her consciousness backup.
Ultimately, before the destruction of the Celestial Engine Realm, she was brought out by Master Qiaogong.
What surprised Li Fan even more was that Shangguan Tuo was, in fact, Master Qiaogong's mentor.
Looking at everyone's gazes, Master Qiaogong appeared completely untroubled. The remaining three elders of the Celestial Engine Realm also maintained silence regarding Master Qiaogong's deceitful actions.
When Li Fan asked Shangguan Tuo if she wanted to seek freedom, he received a negative answer.
This made Li Fan somewhat curious.
Glancing at Master Qiaogong, who suddenly shivered, he quickly explained.
"This actually has little to do with me."
"They are just consciousness backups after all. In order to prevent two 'me' from killing each other, their subjectivity has been suppressed, and they cannot be completely equated with true personalities. Only the Grand Elder himself knows how to lift the restrictions."
"This is also a protective measure implemented by our Celestial Engine Realm to prevent someone from massively using consciousness backups, jeopardizing world security."
"As for myself, with the Celestial Engine Realm gone, I naturally have fewer concerns."
Master Qiaogong's tone couldn't conceal his satisfaction.
"So, they are just second-tier individuals in the Celestial Engine Realm. Are they listening to you, a first-tier individual?" Fang Zaiji stroked his chin and asked.
Master Qiaogong nodded.
But after seeing Li Fan's expression, he immediately patted his chest and assured, "Envoy, please rest assured. Although they consider themselves lower in status than me, their research talents are no different from mine. With our combined efforts, researching the use of this dark power should not be difficult."
"Then, I'll leave it to you."
Li Fan couldn't be bothered with these Celestial Engine Realm matters.
As long as they could be of use to him.
After giving instructions, Li Fan returned to the underground world alone.
Alone, in the darkness.
Li Fan felt no fear in his heart, just quietly contemplating his surroundings.
"It's just as I thought. Even the influence of the Faceless True Immortal is greatly weakened in the darkness."
"Although I can't completely break free, for me, it's already equivalent to a sanctuary."
"In the depths of the Dark Realm, I can activate the True Return technique and return at any time."
Thinking of this, the threat that had been pressing on Li Fan's heart for a long time finally lightened.
"But blindly avoiding is useless."
"This world has prepared so much for the confrontation between the Faceless True Immortal and the Immortal Realm cultivators. I already have a great deal of confidence in safely retreating. How should I choose in the end?"
Li Fan, who had rarely calmed down in this life, pondered alone.
The darkness seemed like an all-encompassing protective umbrella, allowing Li Fan an unprecedented sense of relaxation.
"The power of the Faceless True Immortal still lingers in the Xuanhuang Realm. Just avoiding trouble won't make it go away."
"When I reach a certain level, it will inevitably attract His attention. This is an unchangeable fact."
"Unless I can find a safe way to escape the Xuanhuang Realm."
"But beyond the high walls, True Immortals still exist."
"Avoiding the unavoidable..."
A gleam flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
"Facing a True Immortal, sometimes being weak is an advantage."
"Being able to observe carefully while the other party neglects me."
Li Fan looked around at the profound darkness.
"Like this darkness. If there is something in the dark staring at me, and its strength is far weaker than mine, posing no threat to me..."
"Then how can I detect it?"
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 1102: Gathering Diverse Cultivations
The research on the Dark Power by the Celestial Engine Realm individuals did not progress as smoothly as they had imagined. Considering the power level comparable to Source Essence, even with their talents, conducting research from scratch would undoubtedly require a significant amount of time. Fortunately, Master Qiaogong and his team were research enthusiasts, completely immersed in their work since the beginning.
Li Fan's role was to patiently wait and enjoy the results.
During this time, Li Fan quietly began planning against the two Immortals.
In the secret chamber beneath the Spiritwood Realm:
Hundreds of peculiarly shaped puppets stood still.
Li Fan, with a serious expression, personally engraved formations on them.
"The bait puppets, grouped in pairs of two hundred and forty-eight. One puppet from each pair will fly into the Immortal Realm, while the other will be placed in various corners of the Xuanhuang Realm's veins. When the seventy-two groups of bait puppets fly towards the Immortal Realm, the formations on them will activate, drawing the attention of the Immortal Realm cultivators."
"This formation, derived from the Dissociation Disk, is infinitely close to the Immortal-level formation. It's called 'Confusion and Chaotic Blooming.' During seclusion, if a sudden threat is sensed, they will instinctively react, leading back to the Xuanhuang Realm."
"As for the bait puppets left in the Xuanhuang Realm, I will set up a warning net using Source Essence from the Faceless True Immortal. Once triggered by the power of the Immortal Realm cultivators, it will attract the attention of the Faceless True Immortal."
"If nothing unexpected happens..."
"Once these two unimaginable forces come into contact, the Xuanhuang Realm will probably be instantly destroyed. So, I'm manipulating the heavenly path, preparing in advance for the changes in life in the Xuanhuang Realm."
The Transcendence Stone in his mind emitted a flickering blue light.
The enhanced derivation ability of the sublimated Transcendence Stone greatly eased the burden of this complex plan. However, it was only possible because Li Fan had pre-set abilities for the Faceless True Immortal and the Immortal Realm cultivator.
Li Fan was self-aware enough to know that with his current strength, attempting to derive the actions of true Immortals was like a fool's dream. What he could do was seek a slim chance of success based on the realities he had experienced.
"Immortal Realm cultivator, shaking the True Immortal's web."
"I will then seize the opportunity to activate True Return and break free."
"Of course, this is the most ideal scenario. Preparing for failure, I also have to consider that if my plan fails and the gap in strength between the Immortal Realm cultivator and the Faceless True Immortal is too significant to break the True Immortal's web..."
"Then I must immediately return to the depths of the Dark Realm, activate True Return, and escape the crisis."
"Now that I have mastered a few things that can minimally affect true Immortals, I can delay for a moment if necessary."
Li Fan scrutinized his spiritual soul.
Various forces, such as the silver protective light gifted by the Heavenly Doctor, the golden Source Essence, and the seven-colored divine light enveloped in gray mold, maintained a delicate balance.
Perhaps only someone like Li Fan could remain completely calm in such a situation and even feel a sense of tranquility.
"Leveraging strength against strength, navigating all directions. Ultimately, the fundamental issue is my own weak strength. But transcending into Immortality is not an easy threshold to cross."
"Talented individuals like King Xuan Tian, Transmitting Law, and the Heavenly Doctor have all been blocked, unable to make progress."
"What about me? If it weren't for having True Return, I would probably have given up on this seemingly unrealistic fantasy a long time ago," Li Fan said with a self-deprecating tone.
"But since I have the fortune to encounter the extraordinary item 'True Return,' no one can stop my path to Immortality..." A cold light flashed in his eyes.
Li Fan knew that whether it was 'Chaos,' 'Hunger,' or 'Nothingness,' what he saw was not the original version but rather later imitations.
Long been persistent, Li Fan had never given up on in-depth research into these three Immortal Seals, even though they were only imitations. The more similar the imitation, the stronger its power.
Even Immortals could comprehend Dao through one of these seals. For Li Fan, researching any one of these three, almost exhausted his lifetime efforts.
Li Fan's comprehension was limited, but he could rely on external objects.
Apart from Li Qing's extraordinary talent, in the Mountain and River Pavilion, the outstanding talents from the Xuanhuang Realm, who had been deceived and turned, became Li Fan's nourishment.
The Xuantian Dao technique obtained from Senior Sister Zhao, "Heaven and Earth Taxation," could average and harmonize the innate talents and enlightenment of any target.
After Li Qing achieved some success with her clone, she began to select suitable candidates.
Externally, it was announced that they were sent out to execute secret tasks for the Red Dust Compassionate Immortal. In reality, they were secretly controlled to extract their talents.
Due to the harmonization, these outstanding talents also received half of Li Qing's innate talent bonus.
As Li Qing's talent was not weaker than theirs, the talents in the Mountain and River Pavilion, including Shang Tiangi, did not notice anything unusual. They were merely amazed at the mystical nature of the "Building Foundation with Myself" technique.
With the enhancement from over a dozen outstanding talents, Li Qing's enlightenment had reached an astonishing level. She even sensed the removal of part of her memories by Li Fan.
However, being just a clone, there was no difference between her and the main body. She steadfastly carried out the task of comprehending the Immortal Seals.
The three Immortal Seals continuously surfaced in her mind like living entities.
Li Qing seemed to see a vague figure, turning Dao into words.
"Inscription Dao..."
"A presence even stronger than the Faceless True Immortal. Perhaps that is my ultimate goal."
...
While Li Fan secretly prepared for the final plan in this world:
The previously emerged Reversal of Life and Death Celestial Sovereign finally demonstrated His impact on the Xuanhuang Realm.
People discovered that ever since this Celestial Sovereign descended, no new descendants had been born among the cultivators of the Xuanhuang Realm.
Or rather, it applied to the entire human population.
Initially, people couldn't confirm if it was the influence of this Celestial Sovereign.
However, when a cultivator who had previously fallen unexpectedly returned in a way no one had ever imagined, everyone connected the dots.
Lancang River, the largest river on the southwest border of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
A cultivator named Chang Ji, one day, suddenly emerged from the river, completely naked.
This unusual scene naturally attracted onlookers.
However, Chang Ji didn't care at all. Instead, he ecstatically and unbelievably looked at his own body, muttering to himself, "I came back to life again?"
"Reversing life and death, reversing life and death, the Celestial Sovereign didn't deceive me!"
(This chapter is complete.)
Chapter 1103: Xuanhuang Resurrection River
Chang Ji, regardless of the curious gazes from the crowd, respectfully performed a grand salute towards the sky.
Then, he transformed into a streak of light and flew away.
The words he spoke before leaving immediately attracted the attention of some observant cultivators.
After a thorough investigation, people finally discovered that Chang Ji should have died completely a year ago. During the exploration of the ruins of an outer sect, he unfortunately triggered a protective formation, leading to a death without a complete corpse.
More than ten people who were present at that time could testify to the authenticity of this incident. It couldn't be fabricated!
And now, Chang Ji had unexpectedly come back to life!
The location of his resurrection happened to be the nearest large river to the place where he perished!
This shocking discovery quickly spread throughout the entire Wanxian Alliance.
Soon, Chang Ji's friends from his past life came to verify the authenticity of his disappearance.
Chang Ji did not deny it but openly admitted that he had indeed come back to life.
"Thanks to the divine power of the Celestial Sovereign!" he even devoutly said in front of everyone.
In the past, when cultivators in the Wanxian Alliance mentioned the Celestial Sovereign, they were undoubtedly referring to the Celestial Sovereign who transmitted laws.
But now, hearing it from Chang Ji's mouth, everyone knew he was talking about the Celestial Sovereign who quietly reversed life and death.
Seeing that his relatives and friends still had some doubts, Chang Ji directly invited everyone into his Tianxuan Mirror space.
As is well known, the Tianxuan Mirror space is bound to the cultivator, and only the cultivator can open it.
With the Tianxuan Mirror as evidence, everyone finally believed Chang Ji's true identity.
To be resurrected after death was not an isolated case.
This shocking news quickly became widely known.
In the following days, more and more resurrected cultivators appeared, providing further verification of its authenticity.
After summarizing, in the Wanxian Alliance, without exception, the resurrected cultivators were all at the Foundation Building stage or below.
As for how long it took for cultivators of higher realms to resurrect, it would need further verification.
After resurrection, they always appeared naked. Any items they carried, even those hidden within their divine souls, did not appear with them. Nevertheless, it was fortunate enough to regain their lives. No one cared much about these external possessions.
Resurrected cultivators seemed to have the same age as their pre-death age.
However, after detailed measurements, it was found that the reborn bodies seemed to be one year younger than before their fall.
Not only cultivators, but any living beings within the Xuanhuang Realm would resurrect from the river after death.
So, people could always witness the spectacle of creatures continuously coming ashore from the resurrection river.
There seemed to be a magical force in the river, protecting the just-resurrected beings from being drowned immediately after their rebirth.
However, this power disappeared soon after leaving the resurrection river. Even if they reentered the river, the trace of this force could not be found again.
...
The miraculous phenomena of death and resurrection became the most discussed topic among the Wanxian Alliance cultivators.
Some were relieved that they no longer had to worry about falling in the future.
However, some cultivators began to worry about the future of the Xuanhuang Realm if no new life was born.
Fortunately, a discovery quickly dispelled such concerns.
In some states of the Wanxian Alliance, there were still new lives being born, even after the Celestial Sovereign reversed the law of life and death. However, the number was extremely small. Adding up all of the Wanxian Alliance, it did not exceed fifty in a year.
But after all, the complete cessation of life's reproduction didn't happen.
Even if life wouldn't completely disappear from now on, an increase of fifty or so cultivators in a year and a half was not a significant issue for the Xuanhuang Realm.
Soon, cultivators shifted their attention to other critical questions.
For example, after dying once, could one still resurrect? How long would it take for the second resurrection? Was there really no limit to the number of resurrections? Does the reduction of one year in age with each death have an upper limit?
...
The extremely mysterious Celestial Sovereign never appeared to explain anything.
All of this had to be explored by the cultivators themselves.
In the future, it would become a rule that must be followed, and cultivators naturally attached great importance to it.
Soon, under certain orders, some recently resurrected cultivators were forced to sacrifice their lives again to explore the mysteries of resurrection.
Fortunately, knowing that they could die and come back to life, and with the promise of generous rewards, these experimental cultivators did not have too many complaints.
After all, they had died once already.
After death, they were not conscious at all.
Close your eyes, open them, and you're back in action.
Being able to receive rewards that they couldn't earn in a lifetime, why not?
The secret of resurrection would probably take some time to unravel.
After hearing the news, Li Fan personally went to one of the resurrection rivers and investigated for a long time.
In the end, he still couldn't see any clues.
"Compared to the Everlife Mansion I experienced before, the way of reversing life and death in this world is obviously more perfect."
"It can actually give birth to life out of thin air from the river..."
"Truly unimaginable."
The principle of reversing life and death had completely merged with the Xuanhuang heavenly path, making it difficult to distinguish.
Even Li Fan, who was proficient in formations, couldn't detect any traces of the "Reversal of Life and Death Great Formation" he had seen before.
Worried that this inexplicable Celestial Sovereign would affect his grand plan, Li Fan secretly contacted Transmission Law Expert Zhou, trying to get some inside information from her.
But to his disappointment, Transmission Law Expert Zhou still replied with the same clueless response as before.
"According to what I know, your Wanxian Alliance has an organization called the Heaven Control Court, specifically monitoring the heavenly principles of the Xuanhuang world. This Celestial Sovereign has succeeded in reversing the laws for so long, and you insist you're completely unaware of it... Friend Zhou, this doesn't seem reasonable, does it?" Li Fan's tone was unfriendly, questioning.
Transmission Law Expert Zhou smiled, "Your Wanxian Alliance's information network is indeed well-informed."
"It's hard to conceal even confidential organizations like the Heaven Control Court from you. But I am not making excuses; I really don't know about this."
The smile on Zhou's face gradually faded, and her expression became serious.
"In general, for Dao-combining cultivators, the process of reversing the laws is a gradual one."
"During this process, the traces of the distortion and change of heavenly principles are quite evident. This is the reason why the Heaven Control Court can monitor the signs of the imminent birth of the Everlife Celestial Sovereign."
"But this Everlife Celestial Sovereign is different."
"The speed at which he appeared..."
"Is a bit too fast."
Chapter 1104: Celestial Sovereign's Different Path
"The traces of the reversal of heavenly principles, the success in reversing them, and achieving eternal life appeared in less than ten years."
"Under normal circumstances, Dao-combining cultivators haven't even completed the first step of reversing the laws, yet this one has already completed the ascension."
"I almost suspect that this Everlife Celestial Sovereign might be an outsider, a great cultivator already close to the realm of eternal life. That's why everything has been so smooth for him," Transmission Law Expert Zhou's tone was somewhat horrifying.
"An outsider?" Li Fan, upon hearing her words, fell into contemplation.
Fortunately, this Celestial Sovereign seems to have no intention of intervening in the disputes of the Xuanhuang Realm. Whether it's us or the Five Elders Council, He has not actively appeared. As for the impact of reversing life and death, we are still evaluating it. However, it can be foreseen that both sides may become more cautious about launching wars in the future," Transmission Law Expert Zhou reflected with some emotion.
Li Fan also nodded in agreement.
Despite the ability to reverse life and death and seemingly have endless manpower, the crucial issue is the time required for resurrection. The speed of Xuanhuang Realm's natural reproduction has been weakened to the extreme. Once there is a significant reduction in numbers, a long window period is needed for slow recovery. And with the increasing number of resurrections, the resurrection time is likely to become longer.
In the short term, there won't be any major problems.
But in the long run...
Li Fan suddenly spoke, "Friend Zhou, there's no need to worry too much. If I remember correctly, your Wanxian Alliance has suppressed and put many cultivators into eternal sleep, right? In critical moments, releasing them could serve as an emergency response."
Li Fan's words were referring to the cultivators suppressed within the Eternal Immortal Wall by the Wanxian Alliance, including those whose bodies were occupied by the million gods and demons he summoned using the Three Calamities and Hundred Tribulations Divine Art.
Transmission Law Expert Zhou stared at Li Fan for a moment but did not answer. She politely ended the conversation with a smile.
"I have a hunch that the identity of this Everlife Celestial Sovereign..."
"Perhaps we can jointly test and verify it in the next life. This life has enough variables, right?"
Li Fan's eyes flickered as he returned to his preparations.
...
Time passed swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the anchored 24th year.
By the Cloud Sea, Li Fan appeared silently, looking up.
"Because I previously falsely conveyed the will of heaven, it aroused the wrath of the heavenly consciousness. The calamity of Crimson Flame Burning Sea not only came three years earlier but also increased in intensity."
He squinted, watching the flickering crimson figure.
Still a blurry humanoid form, but different from the previously seen figure, which stood alone with hands holding flames.
This time, the Crimson Flame of this life sat cross-legged on a cloud of flame, with eyes full of killing intent, gazing at the beings in the Cloud Sea below.
Around him, there was a coiling dragon-like creature, also staring down at the beings in the Cloud Sea like a predator.
Suddenly, as if sensing Li Fan's gaze, they looked sharply in his direction.
However, Li Fan was covered by an array and couldn't be discovered.
"Surprisingly, it's a completely new form I haven't seen before. It seems that the gradual arrangements I made over these years have caused unease and alertness in the Xuanhuang heavenly path." Li Fan smiled.
"But unfortunately, as long as I don't take action, no one in this world can predict what I'm planning."
"All your resistance is in vain."
Li Fan did not stop the progress of the Crimson Flame Burning Sea, just silently observing.
This time, he didn't plan to lure out Mo Sha.
Chapter 1105: Distinct Paths of Heaven and Man
As the strongest among the essences of heaven and earth, once Mo Sha appeared, it would undoubtedly attract the attention of the eternal Celestial Sovereigns in the world.
Even though Li Fan was no longer afraid of them now.
However, the preparations he made for the apocalypse were kept discreet. To avoid affecting the plan of driving tigers and swallowing wolves, maintaining a low profile was the best course.
Li Fan came to the Cloud Sea today to observe the specific changes that would occur during the self-purification process of the Xuanhuang Realm.
Having thoroughly read the Tianyi's "Records of Sky Restoration," Li Fan had a new understanding of the event of the Crimson Flame Burning Sea.
The Cloud Sea originated from the Sky Law Realm and did not belong to the core of the Xuanhuang Realm. During the merging process of the two realms, various "repulsion" reactions were bound to occur. The frequent strange occurrences in various places of the Cloud Sea were representative of this.
The seemingly world-destroying actions of the Crimson Flame were actually to better facilitate the integration of the Cloud Sea with the Xuanhuang Realm.
"The same event, seen from the human perspective and from the perspective of the heavenly path, is entirely different."
"There is no right or wrong."
As the mutated Crimson Flame slowly accumulated power, a layer of sealing force began to appear at the boundary of the Cloud Sea, attempting to prevent living beings from escaping.
At the last moment before this heavenly and earthly cage took effect, Li Fan saw a group of people hastily coming from the sea on a ship.
After finally reaching the shore, they hastily abandoned the ship and fled.
The leader was someone familiar to Li Fan, Zhang Haobo!
In this life, Li Fan had no connection with him. But relying on his own intuition and his own luck, he managed to escape with his relatives and friends just before the great calamity.
"Haobo, we were living well on Liuli Island. Why did we have to leave our hometown and come to this unfamiliar continent?"
"Yeah, Boss. Although I definitely believe in you and will follow you forever, I'm still confused in my heart."
...
Facing the questioning of the people around him, Zhang Haobo's expression remained calm.
He unfolded the map, identified the location, and orderly directed everyone to continue their journey.
While walking, he said, "Haven't you noticed that there seem to be fewer people on the island recently? Since the last time it was said that an immortal from the Wanxian Alliance came."
"Not only our island, but other islands, including those immortals themselves, have quietly left the Cloud Sea."
"Obviously, something big is about to happen." Zhang Haobo analyzed calmly. "Instead of staying in the Cloud Sea and waiting for death, it's better to come over here and give it a try."
Others still had an unbelieving look on their faces. Some even couldn't help but retort, "But now it's said that under the vast power of the Celestial Sovereign, everyone can be resurrected. Since we can resurrect, what's there to be afraid of?"
Zhang Haobo snorted coldly without explaining.
"Those willing to follow me, continue to follow. Those who are unwilling, the ship is still on the shore, you can return on your own at any time." He spoke coldly.
Hearing this, the crowd fell silent, not daring to say more.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 1105: Xuanhuang Life and Death Transformation
Despite their doubts, those who had been repeatedly led through life-threatening situations by Zhang Haobo were still very trusting of him.
Not a single person chose to turn back; they all obediently continued to follow, embarking on an unknown journey.
Observing this group slowly moving away, Li Fan fell into deep thought.
"Even among a group of ordinary people, there will be some like Zhang Haobo who sense danger before it arrives."
"Not to mention the countless cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm."
"It seems that I might have been overly optimistic. Although everything is hidden well enough, there's no guarantee that someone with the mandate of heaven will discover something unusual due to various coincidences."
"If you want to conceal something, the best method is to divert people's attention with something else."
Li Fan's eyes flashed, and he quickly formed a plan in his mind.
But for now, he chose to quietly watch the spectacle of the Crimson Flame Burning Sea unfold.
Not long after Zhang Haobo and the others left, the Crimson Flame, which had been sitting cross-legged all this time, finally took action.
The fiery dragon entwined around it revealed excited eyes and instantly turned into countless red flames, rushing wildly towards every corner of the Cloud Sea.
The sea temperature rose at a terrifying speed, and fear spread in the hearts of the living beings that had not yet left the Cloud Sea.
Facing despair, some cultivators rose to resist.
However, the highest among them was only in the Nascent Divinity Realm. How could they be opponents to the enhanced version of the Crimson Flame?
Li Fan's attention did not focus on the swiftly disappearing lives.
Instead, he silently observed the changes in the heavens and the earth itself.
"In destruction, new life is born."
"In ruin, there is revival."
The Crimson Flame Burning Sea lasted for three full months.
The ocean dried up, turning a thousand miles of land into a red expanse, and the vast sea turned into deep valleys.
However, as Li Fan watched every scene from beginning to end, he vaguely felt the hidden vitality within.
"This is the Xuanhuang Life and Death Transformation."
"By comprehending this principle, I can now advance to the Nascent Divinity realm at any time. Moreover, just like the Five Elements Grand Celestial Realm in the Nascent Soul realm, once I advance, I will definitely be the strongest among Nascent Divinity cultivators."
"Unfortunately..."
"My aspirations go beyond this."
Li Fan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging spiritual power within his body.
"The changes in life and death in a specific region of the Xuanhuang Realm, how can they compare to the instinctive stress response of the entire world in the face of an apocalypse crisis?"
Li Fan recalled various insights he had gained over the years while contemplating the "Records of Sky Restoration."
The world is like a person.
When faced with life-threatening situations, people often burst forth with powers that exceed their limits.
The world is no different.
When the apocalypse crisis arrives, the heavenly path of the Xuanhuang Realm will undergo various mysterious self-transformations in that instant, seeking a glimmer of hope.
The changes born at that time will far exceed those in the usual stable period.
"If I succeed, my strength after advancing to Nascent Divinity will surpass the estimate."
"So..."
"No one can stop me!"
Li Fan's eyes were filled with indifference as he turned and walked away.
...
Lingmu Realm.
Oudaozi carefully examined the corpse in front of him.
"It's unbelievable, truly unbelievable."
"Did Senior really create this? If you hadn't personally told me, I would almost believe that it's the remains of an immortal."
"After all, the feeling it gives me is almost identical to when Shangtian was by my side."
A body emitting a faint golden light lay horizontally in the air.
The face was not visible due to the reflection of the golden light.
However, the sacred aura it emitted made Oudaozi feel both awe and greed.
Chapter 1106: Masterpiece of Deception
After hearing Oudaozi's conclusion, Li Fan nodded in satisfaction.
This fabricated immortal's remains were his trump card to stir up trouble in the Xuanhuang Realm.
The corpse was purchased with heavy gold, originating from the well-preserved remains of a Dao Integration cultivator from thousands of years ago.
Li Fan then meticulously refined it with golden primal force, infusing it with a power beyond the mundane.
To make the disguise more convincing, Li Fan extracted some abilities from the treasures he obtained from the fishing pond and placed them on the corpse.
For example, once near this corpse, various emotions in a cultivator's heart would be amplified almost to the point of losing reason.
Moreover, after being attacked, the remains would autonomously escape through the void.
When someone touched the remains, the pure and mutated spiritual energy hidden inside would be forcefully infused into their body, instantly boosting their cultivation.
...
All of this was done to make everything as realistic as possible.
"Even the Longevity Celestial would probably be interested in the legendary true immortal remains."
"Let's make some noise."
On this so-called true immortal remains, besides these tangible benefits, Li Fan also made some secret arrangements.
He guaranteed that the person who eventually succeeded would get a big surprise.
The concealment of the power of the Faceless True Immortal prevented cultivators skilled in divination from deducing the origin of the remains.
After making the final adjustments, two pitch-black puppets walked in, carrying the "true immortal remains."
They left to carry out Li Fan's tasks.
From appearance to disappearance, they were silent.
Even if Li Fan wasn't their master, it would be challenging to discover their whereabouts.
These two puppets were the gains of Oudaozi and his colleagues in the Tianji Realm over the years.
Indeed, they were the most outstanding individuals in terms of talent in the Tianji Realm. After relentless research, although they still hadn't figured out the essence of the Dark Power, there were no obstacles to its application.
The pitch-black puppets perfectly possessed the characteristics of the Dark Power.
They could disappear and reappear from the "cracks" in the world just like the Dark Power.
They couldn't be locked onto or sensed by divine consciousness.
And they had strong suppression against spiritual power.
Ordinary attacks could hardly cause any damage to them.
The only drawback was the limited destructive power of the puppets; they could only execute covert tasks.
Moreover, the departure from the Immortal's Domain characteristic of the Dark Power meant that these puppets could not stay outside for an extended period.
After a certain period, they had to return to the Dark Realm to replenish the Dark Power.
In any case, Li Fan was very satisfied with these pitch-black puppets.
Handing them the task, they would hardly reveal any flaws.
After sending Oudaozi away, Li Fan, alone, entered a sealed space.
On the light screen, small faces kept flashing.
Together with the images, there were lengthy introductions about their personalities below.
"There are millions of mortals in the small worlds, but finding someone with the pure heart and sincerity like Mr. Bai is somewhat difficult."
"Especially the power of the Longevity Celestial has already affected many small worlds in recent years."
"In these years, the number of newborns has significantly decreased."
"No way. Let's take a step back and influence them through postnatal education."
(End of this chapter)