"The extraordinary powers in the world have all disappeared, and the maximum lifespan of ordinary people is one hundred years."
"However, humanity's eternal pursuit of the Dao remains unchanged."
"Studying, analyzing, and utilizing the laws—ordinary people can still unleash astonishing and extraordinary powers."
...
In the blank world before Sun Er Lang's eyes, a sphere suddenly appeared.
The sphere rotated, and countless black spots representing humans on its surface moved at an extremely fast speed.
Initially, the buildings on the ground were only about ten feet tall, but with the rapid passage of time, more and more skyscrapers rose.
Before long, even flying vehicles appeared in the sky.
As Sun Er Lang wove the imagined world in his mind, he recalled the teachings of his Master.
"The predicament of the Xuanhuang Realm is essentially the same as these worlds without extraordinary powers. Many ancient classics say that the Dao is eternal. This statement may not be false."
"The so-called 'Immortals' are those who understand the principles of the Dao and apply them to the extreme. They stand on the other side of all living beings, equal to the Dao, overlooking all living things, immortal."
"But if the 'Dao' itself undergoes changes, what will happen?"
"The Dao is still the Dao. However, those entities unable to adapt to the changed Dao will inevitably move toward destruction."
"If they cannot harmonize with the Dao, then they are not worthy of being called 'Immortals.' They will perish."
"Among the myriad living beings, there will always be born new 'users of the Dao.' The powers they wield will also become stronger."
"Becoming the new 'Immortals.'"
...
At that time, the enigmatic words spoken by the Faceless Holy Emperor were cryptic not only to Sun Er Lang, but also to the other direct disciples under the Holy Emperor's seat. No one could comprehend the underlying principles.
However, now, using the power of the True Fruit, they had the opportunity to experience the taste of being creators.
Sun Er Lang looked at the world he had created before him, and a sudden realization struck him.
In that spherical world, after countless years of natural evolution, groups of beings in line with the Dao he envisioned were born.
They could perceive the ultimate secrets of the world that other creatures could not and thus became the so-called 'users of the Dao' in this world.
Boom!
Sun Er Lang's vision rapidly traversed and landed on the spherical creation.
In an ordinary building, a young scholar was contemplating under the lamplight.
The blackboard in front of him was filled with complex formulas and drawings.
"No, no, no..."
"What went wrong? Why do my calculations deviate so much from the actual trajectory?"
"It's as if there's a force binding us, preventing us from leaving this planet."
The scholar painfully tugged at his hair, then suddenly looked out the window.
In the pitch-black night, it seemed that his eyes were meeting Sun Er Lang's gaze.
...
Sun Er Lang's vision blurred for a moment, and the scene shattered.
When he came to his senses, he was amazed to find that there were already some spaceships on the sphere, attempting to fly beyond the "world's boundaries."
But beyond the world, Sun Er Lang had not yet created anything, and it remained empty.
"They will naturally not succeed."
Sun Er Lang's thoughts swiftly turned, and he began to create a new map.
The white space slowly darkened. In the starry sky, besides the original planet, thousands of other planets began to appear.
The map's scope suddenly expanded more than ten thousand times, and Sun Er Lang's Dao Stone suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed.
To reduce the workload, Sun Er Lang set these planets as desolate wastelands devoid of any life.
And to prevent the original inhabitants of the initial planet from expanding too quickly, he increased the distance between each planet.
So far that even with the power of longevity, it would be nearly impossible for a person to traverse the distance between planets within their lifetime.
...
After tremendous effort, Sun Er Lang barely managed to save the world from imminent collapse.
However, before he could perfect or expand the stellar panorama, the world once again became precarious.
After some investigation, Sun Er Lang realized that the indigenous people had started doubting the authenticity of their world.
This doubt arose not only because they couldn't fly out of the world, but also because they observed numerous planets in the starry sky that were previously unseen.
These planets appeared suddenly, shattering their understanding of the world.
"It's essential not to arbitrarily set rules but to embed the representations of all things in the fundamental principles of the world."
This sentence suddenly flashed in Sun Er Lang's mind.
Soon, he made the necessary adjustments.
In the natives' persistent attempts, a spaceship surprisingly managed to break free from the planet's constraints and enter the starry sky.
The humans on the spaceship discovered a blue halo beyond the planets.
It was the presence of this halo that interfered with internal observations of the planets and prevented their previous attempts to leave the planet.
It was a groundbreaking discovery!
After surviving life-threatening situations, the spaceship finally returned to the surface, revealing this discovery to the public.
Scholars on the planet, after including the halo variable in their calculations, finally achieved a temporary theoretical and practical consistency.
People cheered, welcoming the arrival of a new era, and they regarded all the members on the first spaceship as heroes.
With the successful experience, the development of the suppressed native inhabitants reached its peak.
Fortunately, by this time, Sun Er Lang had roughly depicted the desolate stellar panorama.
Moreover, due to the vastness of the created stellar expanse, he temporarily stabilized these indigenous people using space and time.
But Sun Er Lang knew it was just a temporary measure.
One day, they would notice the anomaly in this stellar expanse.
"If we don't want to be discovered, we need to continue expanding this stellar expanse."
"And the expansion rate must exceed the speed at which these individuals explore."
The macroscopic view was raised tens of thousands of times again.
Endless nebulae and galaxies are born beyond the darkness.
The Dao Stone has already been subtly pushed to its limit.
"The so-called 'a slight change in one place affects the whole situation.' Every object in the starry sea has a connection between them."
"It's not just something added later; you also have to consider the impact of their appearance on the original planets."
...
After pondering, Sun Er Lang felt that the Dao Stone was on the verge of collapse. Without hesitation, he decisively used the span of space to minimize these impacts.
"When these individuals realize that something is wrong, it should be a long time from now."
The indigenous people continued to progress rapidly.
They studied the star halo and invented a reverse vessel that could reverse the force of the star halo.
Like a slingshot, the spaceship was rapidly thrown out.
Although it couldn't turn back, it significantly accelerated the indigenous people's exploration speed of this stellar expanse.
"Isn't this too fast?"
Sun Er Lang stared in amazement at the first reverse vessel, constantly accelerating using the power of the passing star halos, heading towards the edge of the stellar expanse.
"No..."
After a moment of contemplation, Sun Er Lang guided a meteor, changed its original trajectory, and sent it fiercely towards the reverse vessel.
Unexpectedly, the people on the flying ship skillfully avoided it.
In a blink of an eye, the scene on the reverse vessel appeared before Sun Er Lang.
"Sir, thanks to you! Otherwise, we would have perished this time!"
A stern-faced middle-aged man with long beard, his expression didn't relax: "This meteorite seems a bit strange. The vastness of the starry sky, yet we coincidentally encountered it..."
"Stay on guard! Don't be careless!"
...
Hearing the words of the man, Sun Er Lang couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Indeed, he had been a bit rough in handling this matter.
However, he quickly thought of a way to remedy it.
Sun Er Lang pointed gently towards the nearest planet to the reverse vessel.
Before long, it disintegrated with a thunderous noise.
Turning into thousands of fragments, like a torrential rain, they descended towards the reverse vessel.
Some were lucky, but luck was not repeatable.
With such a dense group of fragments, and a precise guidance, the reverse vessel naturally had no chance of survival.
In the collision, it turned into a ball of flame and disappeared into the stellar expanse.
However, such an incident was fundamentally unable to curb the curiosity of the indigenous people about the stellar expanse.
Next, more and more massive and advanced reverse vessels continuously flew out from the initial planets.
They began to explore in all directions.
Although Sun Er Lang really wanted to use the old method to destroy all these spacecraft again, he knew that his previous actions had already shaken the rules of this world-creating game.
If he continued to intervene directly, this world would collapse even faster.
So, Sun Er Lang had to come up with another solution.
He looked at the countless spacecraft bouncing on the star halos and soon had an idea.
With a thought, an unknown change occurred in the star halo on the initial planet.
The indigenous people only noticed that something was wrong a year later.
The planets were experiencing extreme weather records.
Cold waves, drought disasters, rampant and devastating.
Crop yields decreased, and even the birth rate of the indigenous people began to decline slightly.
Realizing that something was wrong, the small indigenous people gathered the most elite scholars on the planet to study the causes of these disasters.
In the end, they came to a conclusion.
Although the star halo bound them, preventing them from reaching the stellar expanse, it also acted as a protective barrier.
It isolated the planets from the extreme environments in the stellar expanse.
In recent years, with the misuse of the elasticity of the star halo, the star halo had undergone a slight reduction.
Although this reduction was negligible for the star halo itself, the fragile ecology of the planets couldn't withstand its impact.
After a fierce debate, the small indigenous people temporarily gave up their plan to explore the stellar expanse.
The reverse vessels were also sealed from this point onwards.
"We can endure for a while longer."
Sun Er Lang couldn't help but sigh in relief.
"I wonder how long has passed in the real world outside."
He looked at the galaxy he had created before him, his expression becoming somewhat trance-like.
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, a hundred years had passed on the initial planet.
From the third decade onwards, spacecraft gradually approached the star halo for sampling and research.
In the fifth decade, after the unremitting efforts of all the small indigenous people, they finally found a way to repair the damage to the star halo.
Sun Er Lang witnessed these small indigenous people reproducing the power of the star halo in the laboratory and couldn't help but be deeply moved, with a myriad of thoughts rushing into his mind.
"The power of the star halo comes from the foundational laws of the world I created."
"But these small indigenous people are also manifestations of the laws of this world. As part of the world, they have the ability to explore the essence of the world's source..."
"Because they truly exist, they can study and utilize it."
...
The changes on the initial planet continued.
After numerous experiments, the small indigenous people confirmed the effectiveness of repairing the star halo. Unable to bear the pent-up excitement any longer, they finally let go.
An unprecedented era of exploration arrived.
Countless reverse vessels once again left the initial planet, venturing into the endless stellar expanse.
In the seventh decade, the small indigenous people invented a method to navigate the stars using the power of the star halo without relying on its elasticity.
From then on, the indigenous people officially achieved round-trip stellar exploration.
From the eighth decade to the one hundredth year, the small indigenous people ushered in a new era of exploring and colonizing the stars.
At this point, Sun Er Lang knew that it was only a matter of time before his fabricated world would be exposed.
Watching countless small indigenous people still willing to sacrifice for this cause, Sun Er Lang inexplicably felt a strange emotion.
He no longer attempted to expand the boundaries of the stellar expanse but silently observed the footsteps of the small indigenous people toward the edge of the world.
Five hundred years later, when a uniquely shaped reverse vessel finally reached the outskirts of the stellar expanse, the world before Sun Er Lang's eyes suddenly shook.
Boom!
Like exploding stars, it erupted in a brilliant light.
And disappeared.
But Sun Er Lang did not return to the real world.
Before him was still a blank space.
"Hmm?"
Sun Er Lang was somewhat surprised, looking around, unsure of what had happened.
"Do you think there's anything wrong with this world just now?"
A voice suddenly sounded from behind Sun Er Lang.
His heart jumped, and he immediately turned around.
A Daoist with long eyebrows and white hair, holding a dusting whisk, was smiling and looking at him.
"This is..."
Sun Er Lang vaguely guessed the identity of this person, gathered his courage, and said tentatively, "Greetings, Celestial."
The Daoist did not respond, still smiling as he observed Sun Er Lang.
After a moment of contemplation, Sun Er Lang recalled the civilization of the small indigenous people on the initial planet.
After a while, he realized, "Something is not right. The small indigenous people on that planet..."
"Are too united."
"They never experienced major wars or internal conflicts. Even when the planet faced crises, they always set aside their differences and worked together to solve them."
"Compared to the current situation in the Xuanhuang Realm, it's truly incredible."
Sun Er Lang shook his head.
The Daoist nodded and then asked, "This is one aspect. What else?"
"What else?"
Sun Er Lang frowned slightly.
"The small indigenous people's obsession with exploring the stellar expanse is overly profound."
"Even after facing multiple obstacles, they never gave up."
"Even the highest echelons of the planet share the same belief..."
Sun Er Lang looked at the Daoist.
"In the real world, perhaps this is unimaginable."
Hearing Sun Er Lang's words, the Daoist with white hair smiled slightly.
"Not bad. Everyone has their own independent personality and thoughts. It's natural for creatures to scatter when facing great danger. Trying to make everyone united is indeed a bit difficult. The various events in the history of the Xuanhuang Realm have demonstrated this point."
The Daoist with white hair lightly waved his dusting whisk, and countless scenes appeared in the pure white space before Sun Er Lang's eyes.
Representing the apocalyptic black shadows floated above the Xuanhuang Realm, ready to descend at any moment. However, regarding how to deal with this catastrophe, the various factions in the Xuanhuang Realm still held different attitudes.
There were those determined to abandon the realm and flee, those choosing to hide like turtles, those actively rallying and urging everyone to unite, and those taking advantage of the chaos to satisfy their own desires.
The beings in the scenes did not have specific appearances; they were all represented by faceless small figures.
"But this is the past Xuanhuang Realm."
The Daoist with white hair waved his dusting whisk again, and the scenes suddenly changed.
"With unity among the masses, unwavering against destiny, embracing the power of unity, fearing nothing, a single word can stabilize nine cauldrons..."
With the words of the true Celestial, details of human life in the territories of the Five Elders' Association appeared before Sun Er Lang.
"What do you think of this compared to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance?" the true Celestial asked.
"It is undoubtedly much stronger than the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance," Sun Er Lang said without hesitation.
He added, "Unfortunately, all of this is built on the great supernatural powers of the five Celestials. Everything is as illusory as a mirage. If one day any of these five Celestials were to suddenly encounter an accident, this seemingly beautiful scene would collapse in an instant."
In the territory of the Five Elders Association, openly discussing the possible fall of the Celestials was a blasphemous statement. However, the Daoist with white hair, seemingly the true Celestial, did not get angry. Instead, he nodded in agreement, saying, "What you said does make some sense, but it also doesn't."
Sun Er Lang looked puzzled and respectfully said, "Please enlighten me, Celestial."
"The reason I say you are right is that from the perspective of an ordinary cultivator from an external sect, it is indeed so. The order here is born because of the five Celestials. If the Celestials were to pass away, the order would also be completely destroyed."
"But when I say you are wrong, it's because you haven't understood the true meaning of the Eternal Life Realm in this world."
The true Celestial stroked his beard and spoke slowly, "Oppose the principles of heaven and earth to attain eternal life."
"After cultivators go against these principles, they naturally become part of the world's principles. Just like sunlight, droplets, and air, they collectively constitute the essence of the [world] itself."
"People are not isolated individuals. Negating the existence of the Eternal Life Realm and then exploring cultivators under the veil of the Eternal Life Realm is also meaningless."
Sun Er Lang didn't quite understand the true Celestial's words. In his view, it seemed to be a kind of sophistry to a certain extent.
But the Celestial, standing at the top of this world, would obviously not argue with a junior like him over temporary verbal advantages.
Sun Er Lang furrowed his brows and carefully pondered.
After a long time, he spoke thoughtfully, "We are discussing cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm. This is the premise. And the Eternal Life Celestial has already become an indispensable part of the Xuanhuang Realm. So..."
"No," Sun Er Lang suddenly became alert. "The key is that your power doesn't seem to cover the entire Xuanhuang Realm, only being limited to this place."
The true Celestial asked, "Have you noticed the existence of the Supreme Eternal Celestial's divine power?"
Sun Er Lang nodded, "Of course, I'm aware of that."
"Although Supreme Eternal possesses strength in the Eternal Life Realm, it is not much stronger than the rest of us. What he can achieve..."
"We naturally can achieve as well," the true Celestial said slowly.
Upon hearing this, Sun Er Lang instinctively found it somewhat unbelievable. However, as he contemplated, his expression gradually became more serious.
"Why?" he couldn't help but ask.
"Obviously, the time has not yet come," the Daoist with white hair said with a gentle smile and waved his dusting whisk.
The white space of the real fruit tree gradually faded away.
The true Celestial's figure also became blurry.
"Celestial!"
It was only at this moment that Sun Er Lang suddenly remembered his master's instructions and hastily shouted, "Does the Celestial know about the matter of the Eastern Pole Celestial?"
"You will know when you see it."
The white space burst open.
Countless lights and shadows erupted, unfolding in Sun Er Lang's mind.
Back in the real world, Sun Er Lang was still immersed in the images transmitted by the true Celestial.
"Defying the principles of heaven and earth again? Are you crazy? You have reached this point, just one step away from opposing the principles, as long as you proceed normally and step by step, it's enough to achieve eternal life. Why do this?" The young Daoist from the past, with a puzzled expression, spoke vehemently.
"Eternal life? It's just a way of transforming the self into the Dao." The person opposite, whose face couldn't be clearly seen, spoke with disdain towards the [Eternal Life Realm].
He continued, "If it weren't for that existence, our Dao of Eternal Life would be fine. However, the entire cultivation system is built upon the framework he created..."
"Xing Han, do you know what consequences there will be?" The young Daoist remained silent.
"The Xuanhuang Realm is undergoing destruction and rebirth. This is the only thing he cares about right now. Someone achieving eternal life is irrelevant to him. In fact, he even hopes that a [Eternal Life Realm] that meets his expectations will be born. Do you know why?" The mysterious figure sneered.
The young Daoist continued to bow his head in silence.
"Your talents are not beneath mine. How could you not understand? It's just wishful thinking."
"Let me be blunt. Someday, when the Xuanhuang Realm welcomes a new life and completes its transformation, the so-called Eternal Life Celestial will become an integral part of the new world's heavenly dao... Life is no better than death, or rather, life and death are inconsequential."
"They are nothing more than tools to reshape the world."
The figure sneered.
"It's just your imagination, speculation..." After a long time, the young Daoist weakly retorted.
But the blurry figure paid no attention and continued, "I don't believe it! I want to compete with him!"
"Defy the principles of heaven and earth to attain eternal life. This is the foundation of his attainment, but also his greatest flaw. If we can defy his principles again, we can instantly seize all of his creations and take his place..."
"Dong Ji! You..." The young Daoist looked around nervously, afraid that this rebellious statement would be overheard.
However, the blurry figure was full of ambition, with eyes full of ambition.
"Xing Han, don't be nervous. On this path, I am not alone." At this moment, Dong Ji suddenly spoke to reassure him.
"In the Immortal Mortal Pestilence, there are secrets related to defying the principles of heaven and earth. They come from the previous deceased Xuanhuang Grand Celestial..."
"I have gained some insight recently. As long as..."
Boom!
Before Dong Ji could finish speaking, the scene suddenly shattered.
When the view became clear again, it was still the figure of Dong Ji.
However...
Originally confident and spirited, Dong Ji now looked extremely bizarre.
His head was lowered, and his body was naked.
Long hair scattered, countless threads extending from his body.
Stretching out into the invisible void.
"Dong Ji!"
This horrifying scene, accompanied by the exclamation of the true Celestial, suddenly shattered and disappeared.
...
"What is this?" Sun Er Lang's mind was shaken.
Although it was only a brief conversation, the revealed secrets were shocking.
Sun Er Lang first looked around and found that not much time had passed since he entered the creation illusion of the real fruit tree.
At this moment, there were still cultivators undergoing the trial with closed eyes on the fruit.
But Sun Er Lang had no intention of staying here any longer.
He had to return quickly and tell his master about what he had seen and heard.
Fortunately, the attention of the cultivators in the city was all focused on the "Heaven's Pride" who were still in the illusion.
There was not much attention given to Sun Er Lang, the failed participant.
Quietly leaving the city, he headed straight for the entrance of the Great Awakening Small World.
While flying away, Sun Er Lang's thoughts quickly turned.
"The true Celestial has long discovered my trace?"
"Hence, he appeared in the illusion to show me."
"They knew about the situation of the Eastern Pole Celestial a long time ago. I happened to be here on my master's orders, so they used me to convey these scenes to my master..."
"What deeper meaning lies behind this?"
Although Sun Er Lang considered himself well-traveled, in the face of the top-secret truth of the Xuanhuang Realm, he still found it hard to maintain composure.
Sun Er Lang couldn't help but accelerate his speed.
...
In fact, he didn't need to return to the Great Awakening Small World in person.
Using the golden giant net formed by the essence of Source Force, the Faceless Holy Emperor had synchronized with everything that happened to Sun Er Lang the moment he entered the real illusion.
Similarly, the true Celestial wasn't really talking to Sun Er Lang, the small cultivator who had not yet entered the Dao.
Instead, he was communicating with the Faceless Holy Emperor.
Li Ping carefully replayed the scenes transmitted by the true Celestial.
At the same time, the meaningful words from the other party echoed continuously.
"A tool for passing down the law to remodel a new world?"
"It seems they have some self-awareness. Seeing me manifest and competing against the law, they subtly express goodwill..."
"However, it cannot be completely trusted."
Li Ping coldly snorted.
The five great Celestials indeed achieved the Dao through the transformation of their bodies.
But facing the coercion of passing down the law, Li Ping simply didn't believe that after so many years, they would just sit back and do nothing.
"Realm of Joyful Serenity, creating its own heaven and earth."
"The True Realm, giving rise to countless worlds."
"As for the others, most of them adopt a 'sit back and watch the tigers fight' attitude."
"And those truly desperate, like today's Xuanhuang Celestial, as long as there is a chance, they will eagerly embrace it."
Li Ping's thoughts were calm, and he wasn't influenced by the somewhat terrifying scenes shown by the true Celestial.
"But Eastern Pole Celestial's words about the mystery of reversing the law, hidden in the Immortal and Mortal Miasma... maybe it's true."
"Eastern Pole's Pure Body Spirit Pond can, like the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra, resolve the opposing principles that Su Bai is trying to reverse."
"Reversing the law again..."
Li Ping pondered, contemplating these two phrases.
"It cannot be fully relied upon, but it is also a way to shake the power of passing down the law."
Thinking this way, Li Ping's figure flashed, arriving around Yin Shangren.
Xu Ke was also present.
They were observing a seemingly delicate little girl, both expressing amazement.
Upon seeing Li Ping's arrival, Yin Shangren spoke first, "Your timing is perfect. Come and take a look at this little one."
The majestic aura of the Holy Emperor, along with the faceless appearance, made the little girl inevitably nervous.
However, she mustered the courage to gaze directly at Li Ping.
Divine sense swept through the little girl's body in an instant. Li Ping was slightly surprised and asked through a mind transmission, "Didn't they say they were all practicing the new-new laws?"
"Why is this little one cultivating the law of passing down the law?"
Xu Ke answered with some emotion, "Holy Emperor, don't misunderstand. No one taught her the way of practice here; she figured it out on her own."
"Moreover, among this group of children, there's more than one like her."
Yin Shangren's tone was also somewhat strange, "They are desperate and trying a different path. Unable to build the foundation like their peers and watching their companions progress, they, in their anxiety, instinctively stumbled upon another path of cultivation."
"To avoid any impact on those children practicing the new-new laws, we had to take them away."
The faceless Holy Emperor, upon hearing this, remained silent.
This time, the essence of Source Force swept through, observing the specific situations within these children.
"It's not a coincidence."
"The way of passing down the law is already a part of the Xuanhuang Celestial's Dao."
"Just like the naturally existing paths in the world, even if you cover your eyes, you will instinctively walk into this path."
Li Ping recalled the situation in Sun Erlang's created world not long ago.
"This is the Xuanhuang's [Dao]. The supreme Dao, even the Xuanhuang Celestial cannot escape its influence."
"Conforming to its Dao can prove the highest in the realm, which is longevity."
"As for going against the Dao..."
"It's either you die, or I perish."
Li Ping envisioned the eerie puppet-like body of Dongji.
But there was no trace of fear or hesitation in Li Ping's heart.
"Su Bai, Dongji, they might fail..."
"But that doesn't mean I will!"
"Although passing down the law is strong, it's not without a solution."
Li Ping's train of thought remained consistent from start to finish.
"To succeed in going against the Dao, one is to reverse its principles and disrupt its foundation."
"The second is to use strength to suppress strength, to break through with force. The way of passing down the law is indeed supreme in the Xuanhuang realm. However, the world is not limited to just one Xuanhuang realm. Beyond the world, there is the starry sea. Beyond the starry sea, there are higher realms..."
Li Ping's thoughts shifted, and at the same time, he explained his intentions to Yin Shangren and Xu Ke.
"Immortal and Mortal Miasma?"
Yin Shangren found it strange that Li Ping brought up this research subject once again.
"Mr. Bai successfully reversed the law at the cost of his own demise. Because he was deeply favored by the Heavenly Dao, the greater the entanglement, the greater the backlash. In the end, he couldn't escape his fate, returning to the heavens..."
Yin Shangren explained.
"Since it has already reversed the law, why can it be dispelled again?"
"Doesn't that mean that every expulsion of the Immortal and Mortal Miasma is equivalent to reversing the principles of the world again?"
Li Ping calmly asked.
This was a question that Yin Shangren had never considered before, leaving him stunned on the spot.
"Going against the Dao, going against the Dao..."
"Could it really be like this?"
Yin Shangren stood still for a long time, then couldn't help but tremble in place.
Xu Ke, with his aged face, was also extremely excited. "No wonder Mr. Bai always said, just wait."
"Besides the Xuanhuang Celestial descending for self-rescue, countless mortals continuously embark on the path of cultivation. The process of cultivation is the process of reversing the principles of the Immortal and Mortal Miasma. Thousands of years have passed, accumulating day by day..."
The faceless Holy Emperor spoke in a profound tone, "Contrary to intuition, removing the Immortal and Mortal Miasma, a seemingly simple matter in the eyes of cultivators, the initial steps and prerequisites of cultivation are essentially the same as achieving the ultimate goal of proving longevity."
"Both involve going against the principles of the world."
With these words, both Yin Shangren and Xu Ke revealed incredibly complex expressions in their eyes.
Yin Shangren said, "If the Sovereign of Reversed Principles were still here, ordinary people in the Xuanhuang realm wanting to go against the principles of the world and embark on the path of cultivation wouldn't be so easy. However, because Mr. Bai has already passed away, the restrictions of the Immortal and Mortal Miasma have been greatly weakened."
Li Ping added at this point, "Moreover, there is Dongji Celestial, who has unraveled the mystery here. With the so-called Pure Body Spirit Pool Array, he has further reduced the difficulty of going against the principles."
Xu Ke's lips moved slightly, and after a long time, he managed to say, "When I last saw Mr. Bai, I could sense the determination in his heart. I couldn't let go of it all these years, but now, perhaps I understand a bit."
Yin Shangren, on the other hand, fell into a self-muttering trance again, "People are all going against the principles of the world, but speaking frankly, this is still within the framework of the law-passing cultivation system. Even if we know this, what use is it?"
"There must be something we haven't thought of..."
Li Ping was firm, "The answer should be within the Immortal and Mortal Miasma. If we talk about the research on the Immortal and Mortal Miasma, I'm afraid there is no one in the current Xuanhuang realm who can go deeper than you. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you, Daoist, to work a little harder."
"Although there are no longer mortals with Immortal and Mortal Miasma in the Daqi realm, it is not difficult to find some from those conquered small worlds for research. I will have people fully cooperate with you." Li Ping said to Yin Shangren.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty." Yin Shangren suddenly became excited.
...
At the same time.
In the Wanxian Alliance's Yefa Ju Space.
After seeing the Remnants Realm Great Wall, Li Fan's original calm heart was once again stirred by ripples.
"Going against the principles of the world again? Immortal and Mortal Miasma..."
Li Fan suddenly remembered his experience of removing the Immortal and Mortal Miasma on Liuli Island and in the Pure Body Spirit Pool Array.
The magma-like hot pool water devastated his consciousness. Even with a firm will, he eventually fell into a state of ignorance.
His mind went blank, acting solely on instinct.
Before entering the spiritual pool, Li Fan, who had been practicing the Xuanhuang Qingxin Mantra day and night, instinctively activated this mantra once again.
Finally, while completely removing the miasma from his body, Li Fan inexplicably comprehended an advanced version of the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Mantra.
Xuanhuang Refining Heart Mantra.
From then on, it evolved into the current Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra. This mantra had been of immense help to Li Fan throughout his journey.
"The suffering in the Pure Body Spirit Pool is unbearable for ordinary people. There is a high possibility of falling into a coma, and even if one remains conscious, no other distractions can be accommodated in this extreme pain."
"Harboring both the soul and the body, purging the profound and observing nature..."
With closed eyes, Li Fan had a flash of insight in his mind.
"Harmony with the Dao. Instinctive behavior in a state of ignorance is precisely the closest to the Dao. Perhaps, this is the reason why so many ordinary people in the world can successfully eliminate the Immortal and Mortal Miasma and go against the principles of the world."
"However, in reality, this is not a complete reversal. The fact that strength does not undergo a qualitative leap after removing the Immortal and Mortal Miasma indicates this."
Li Fan pondered.
"On the one hand, it's because it is not solely relying on one's own strength to eliminate the Immortal and Mortal Miasma, and secondly..."
In his mind, the light of the Dao Stone shimmered, and Li Fan reviewed his instantaneous insights repeatedly.
He contemplated, "When the Immortal and Mortal Miasma was finally removed..."
"It's like disappearing on its own."
"It's like sensing the Xuanhuang Qingxin Mantra I operated and spontaneously generating changes in the Refining Heart Mantra."
"Triggering some kind of condition."
Li Fan remembered the image of Dongji Celestial transmitted by the True Celestial.
"The secret of going against the principles of the world is hidden within the Immortal and Mortal Miasma."
Li Fan seemed to see, over the thousands of years, countless mortals breaking free from the shackles of the Immortal and Mortal Miasma and going against the laws to embark on the path of cultivation.
"Every cultivator's birth goes through a process that is similar to going against the principles of the world."
"Even if they themselves are unaware, it is indeed happening."
"Going against the principles of the world is tantamount to directly facing the overturning of the cultivation system created by the True Celestial. Even talents like Mr. Bai and Dongji ended in failure. This shows the immense difficulty. But..."
Li Fan suddenly enlightened.
He recalled his simulations of reincarnation.
"The process of every mortal resisting the Immortal and Mortal Miasma can be regarded as a simulation of going against the principles of the world."
"One person's power may have its limits. The power of tens of millions of people has its limits as well."
"But the power of tens of millions, the power of countless moments, is endless and inexhaustible."
"In the face of such a vast power, breaking the new methods of the Dao is only a matter of time."
Li Fan was shaken, "The myriad beings of heaven and earth, the refining of spirits by countless living beings, is using pure quantity to shake the transcendent power of the immortals."
"Infinite living beings, forever going against the law, this is magnifying the advantage of quantity into a qualitative change on the scale of time..."
"As long as there are beings in the Xuanhuang realm who are unwilling to accept the fate of ordinary people, this method will continue."
Li Fan's thoughts turned rapidly, and for Mr. Bai, the creator of such a wonderful method, he felt even more sincere admiration.
Ignoring the limit of lifespan, the means still took effect after death, crossing the river of time, influencing many years later.
Unlike Li Fan, who possessed the True Treasure of Return, this was already the limit that an ordinary mortal cultivator could achieve.
Of course, for Li Fan, there was not much worth learning from this.
"Mr. Bai needs the assistance of thousands of years of cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm to accomplish what Li Fan can achieve through continuous Returning to Truth."
"But this doesn't prevent Li Fan from benefiting from Mr. Bai's achievements."
"In my opinion, the secret of going against the principles of the world hidden in the Immortal and Mortal Miasma is the insights of countless cultivators when removing the Immortal and Mortal Miasma over the years."
"All of it has been recorded and preserved."
"If these simulated experiences of going against the principles of the world can be absorbed..."
Li Fan, who considered himself familiar with the majority of treasures in the Xuanhuang Realm, including the cat treasures from beyond the High Wall, couldn't help but feel intrigued upon sensing these countless experiences of going against the principles.
Unlike artifacts, this experience gift package could directly enhance Li Fan's soul essence.
It was enough to significantly narrow the gap between him and the Transmission of the Dao and the Celestial Physician.
Although it was a one-time thing, it held great significance for Li Fan, and the sooner he discovered it, the better.
"At the very least, it can save me three lifetimes of reincarnation time."
Li Fan calculated in his mind.
"So, where has Mr. Bai hidden this gift package?"
"In the Fallen Immortal Mirror, or is it within the power of the Immortal and Mortal Miasma? Does it require any special conditions to trigger?"
If it weren't for setting the tone of sitting back and watching the tiger fight in this life, Li Fan would have wanted to personally explore and find out.
However, years of experience made him suppress this impulse.
"With Yin Shangren and Xu Ke working hard on research, it's undoubtedly more efficient than me blindly exploring."
"If they know, it's equivalent to me knowing. In the end, it's all mine, no need to be in a hurry."
"I can also see how substantial this gift package is. After the Saint Emperor avatar absorbs it, can it really shake the Transmission of the Dao?"
"Hmph, it really makes me look forward to it."
After a long time in seclusion in the Transcendent Law Jade Space, Li Fan, who inevitably felt bored, was now also emotionally stirred.
...
The perspective returned to the side of the Saint Emperor avatar.
Unraveling the mysteries left by Mr. Bai was not something that could be completed overnight.
Before that, the time agreed upon with Ruo Mu had already arrived.
The Saint Emperor once again arrived outside the Black Abyss of the White Flower.
Not being careless due to having an absolute advantage, he set up a silent layer of protection around him to guard against Ruo Mu's desperate moves, and the Essence of Origin silently laid out a defense.
Only then did Li Fan step back into the Jianshou Shou Space.
Perhaps it was because of Li Fan's nourishment last time, or maybe Ruo Mu saw hope within herself.
In the originally desolate and hopeless yellow space, this time Li Ping unexpectedly felt a trace of vitality.
Although extremely weak, the emergence of this vitality, which shouldn't have existed in the first place, already indicated certain issues.
Li Ping also noticed something different from before.
The cultivators hanging on the branches of Ruo Mu...
All disappeared.
"Greetings, Saint Emperor."
The old Taoist appeared in front of Li Ping with a smiling face.
Noticing the direction of the other's gaze, Ruo Mu explained before Li Ping could ask, "Since I've decided to join you, I naturally have to make some changes. It's good to change such powerless and furious behavior from the past."
"Don't say, I've really had enough of these flesh fruits."
Li Ping said indifferently, "Where are they now?"
Ruo Mu chuckled, "Naturally, they have returned to the heavens."
Saying that, Ruo Mu handed over a leaf.
The leaf was green and yellow, and upon closer inspection, it contained a universe. It held various types of golden pills piled up like small mountains.
These pills seemed to be dissolving, incomplete.
Li Ping could vaguely see the appearance of extraordinary objects within the cores of these pills.
"I was originally a spiritual creature of heaven and earth, holding the life and death authority of Xuanhuang. Although the authority has gradually been taken back, the connection with heaven and earth has never been severed."
Ruo Mu glanced at Li Ping and continued, "Through my absorption and transformation, the heavenly power that was swallowed by cultivators can also be quickly returned to heaven and earth."
"You see, I haven't embezzled anything."
Li Ping withdrew his gaze from the leaf, "I believe you're not that foolish. Compared to my reward, these are negligible."
Ruo Mu nodded repeatedly, expressing agreement.
"Come here." Li Ping suddenly spoke.
The old Taoist hesitated for a moment but eventually walked slowly to the front of the faceless Saint Emperor.
Compared to Li Ping's massive three-zhang tall figure, the hunched old Taoist seemed like a baby.
Li Ping placed his palm gently on Ruo Mu's head.
Boom!
The scene before Ruo Mu shattered in an instant.
For a moment, he seemed to have left the Jianshou Shou Space.
He arrived in the endless dark starry sky.
Golden vortexes, like rivers of stars, swirled magnificently.
In the center of the star river, you could vaguely see the majestic figure of the faceless Saint Emperor.
That powerful and sacred aura seemed to surpass the familiar Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao for Ruo Mu.
As one of the oldest existences in the Xuanhuang Realm, Ruo Mu naturally understood the meaning of this power.
The last bit of dissatisfaction in his heart gradually disappeared.
Ruo Mu revealed his true form, no longer an ugly human old Taoist, but a small withered sapling that seemed malnourished.
In front of the vast golden vortex starry river, it appeared like an ant.
The branches and leaves gently swayed, indicating Ruo Mu's submission.
The figure of the faceless Saint Emperor rapidly expanded, instantly filling Ruo Mu's entire field of vision.
The golden starry river also burst apart.
Endless starlight submerged Ruo Mu.
When Ruo Mu woke up from the illusion, Li Ping's figure had already disappeared.
"Be patient."
"When I need you, I will call for you."
Only Li Ping's voice continued to echo in Ruo Mu's mind.
And Li Ping's initial promise was not broken.
Ruo Mu keenly felt that the bond between himself and the Xuanhuang Realm was slowly recovering.
Although returning to the peak of the past was impossible, there was still hope.
Moreover...
Ruo Mu looked at his palm.
In addition to the original green leaf, there was an extra small green bottle at some point.
Obviously left behind by the faceless Saint Emperor before leaving.
A method of manipulating the prohibition naturally appeared in Ruo Mu's mind. He followed it and opened the small green bottle.
A pure vitality emerged from the bottle.
Although it couldn't compare to the nourishment directly from the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, for Ruo Mu in his current state, it was an absolute tonic.
Ruo Mu greedily swallowed all the vitality from the green bottle.
Until not a drop could be poured out, he reluctantly stopped.
However, Ruo Mu sensed that the vitality in the small green bottle had not completely disappeared.
Instead, it was slowly regenerating on its own.
What amazed Ruo Mu even more was that the generation of this vitality did not draw any energy from the outside world.
It seemed like the vitality was entirely derived from the green bottle itself.
"It truly is a good treasure."
Ruo Mu smacked his lips in satisfaction.
"It doesn't seem to be from the Xuanhuang Realm..."
Ruo Mu pondered for a moment, then chuckled.
"Why bother about it so much, just eat and drink."
"I can't be worse off than before."
Only after losing it did he realize the preciousness of what he once had.
If someone wanted to take these things away again...
Even if it was the transmission method, Ruo Mu would dare to bite back.