Chapter 1012 The Result of Dao Root
"More than three hundred years have passed, and it is likely that Xuanhuangjie has moved further away from the Immortal Domain. However, it still hasn't collapsed..." The meaning of the Craftsman's words was obscure.
Li Fan nodded in agreement, saying, "Many realms have perished, but only Xuanhuang has survived. Those like you and me, who escaped from other immortal realms to come here, must not be few in number. Yet, all of us are cautious and dormant, perhaps because of the intimidating power that protects Xuanhuangjie."
"Not hiding it from fellow Daoist, I have some knowledge of formations. When I first arrived at Xuanhuang, I observed a huge formation shrouding the entire world. Its level of power may rival that of legendary immortal-grade formations. Feeling shocked, I have always kept a low profile."
"I dare not make a grand entrance like fellow Daoist has with the Lingyuan Sect!" The Craftsman chuckled bitterly.
"Seems like fellow Daoist has been keeping an eye on me for a long time!" After a brief silence, the Craftsman explained, "The Lingyuan Sect may seem imposing, but it is actually just a group of disorderly people. It is not even taken seriously by the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance. Due to the unique geographical environment of the Nine Mountain Province and its proximity to the Five Elders, with dragons and snakes coexisting, it is more prudent to allow the Lingyuan Sect to grow wild rather than to govern it meticulously."
"At the very least, every time I harvest a large amount of origin power, I have to submit a portion of it."
"I just don't know what has happened in these three hundred years..." A hint of gloom flashed in the Craftsman's eyes.
Li Fan smiled, "Fellow Daoist is scaring yourself. In fact, over the years, the development of the Lingyuan Sect has been flourishing. It's just that not long ago, it suffered an unprovoked disaster when the sudden appearance of the Taoist Law Image caused the destruction of the Nine Mountain Province."
With that, Li Fan projected the scene of the Taoist Law Image's initial show of power.
After watching it, the Craftsman's face twitched, and he exclaimed, "What happened to cause the Taoist Law Image to appear and intervene?"
"Of course, it is due to the war between two giants, which led to a choice to align with the Five Elders' faction." Li Fan explained.
The Craftsman was full of disbelief, then exclaimed in frustration, "What a foolish decision!"
After a moment of astonishment, the Craftsman seemed to have realized something, and with some uncertainty, he said, "Wait a minute, I can sense that nearly a million people are still practicing the Lingyuan Technique..."
"Oh, that." Li Fan replied calmly, "I couldn't bear to see fellow Daoist's foundation be destroyed, so I took over."
The Craftsman was completely stunned at the words, "You..."
After a moment of contemplation, he seemed to understand everything, "No wonder you found my location shortly after my resurrection..."
"No, you must have found the method of my resurrection a long time ago, right?"
The Craftsman's expression kept changing.
Li Fan simply nodded, "Fellow Daoist, rest assured, I have no ill intentions. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been completely honest."
"Oh? Then what exactly is Fellow Daoist..." The Craftsman's face showed a mix of emotions.
"Naturally, it is because I see that Fellow Daoist has extraordinary abilities and possesses the creation of a divine craftsman. Therefore, I want to invite you to join us and work together for a great cause!" Li Fan said solemnly.
After that, Li Fan elaborated on the rhetoric of the United Realms, the redemption of the Red Dust Compassionate Immortal Dao tradition.
"Have a tradition of authentic immortals?" The Craftsman squinted his eyes, dubious.
It wasn't until Li Fan produced a golden spiritual essence that the Craftsman was once again inexplicably shocked.
"Spiritual essence?" A word that was different from what Baihua Daoren described blurted out from the Craftsman.
"Oh? What does this spiritual essence mean? In our Wan Sheng Realm, we call this the Golden Spiritual Nectar." Li Fan asked with great interest.
The Craftsman stared straight at the spiritual essence in Li Fan's hand, as if he had seen an extraordinary treasure: "Spiritual essence is the fundamental source of power that drives the advancement of a cultivator's realm. And spiritual essence, in turn, is the fundamental power that gives rise to spiritual essence."
"Or, according to the saying that once prevailed in some immortal realms, the realm is the core, and cultivation is the result. Spiritual essence is the essence of the path, and as for everything's origin, it is the 'Dao' that drives the development of all things."
Li Fan recalled the description of the Golden Spiritual Nectar by Baihua Daoren once again.
It is the portion abandoned by the True Immortals when they absorb the traces of the 'Dao'.
"Your analogy, Fellow Daoist, is truly extraordinary." Li Fan pondered over the words with a thoughtful expression.
The Craftsman remained fixated on the spiritual essence in Li Fan's hand, unwilling to look away.
"Is the Dao Flower poisonous?" Li Fan suddenly asked.
The Craftsman was taken aback for a moment, then understood Li Fan's meaning. After a moment of contemplation, he explained, "Harmless to believers, but those who don't believe will suffer backlash!"
"You should know that the root of the Dao, as well as the Dao Flower, are powers that us cultivators who have not yet attained immortality can't grasp."
"If we want to use them, we must rely on the 'Xian'."
"However, the 'Xian' is already an existence beyond our understanding. Pursuing the root of the Dao at the same time will leave behind their own traces. Therefore, the Dao Flower, Dao Fruit, and Dao Core that are generated are all tainted with their unique aura."
"In the mortal world, flowers take root, branch out, bloom, and bear fruit in a process. But as cultivators, we seek the cause from the result. We seek the root of the Dao, the source of everything..."
"Such elusive matters, if not personally comprehended and trying to take a shortcut, until the true meaning of the power of the Dao Fruit is completely understood, it is only natural to rely on the achievements of others."
"I wonder if fellow Daoist understands what I'm saying?"
Perhaps seeing the true Dao Flower with his own eyes, the Craftsman spoke a lot in excitement.
According to fellow Daoist's rhetoric, it seems that there are not many harmful effects to using the power of the Dao Flower?" Li Fan asked.
"Of course, as long as you don't seek other roots of the Dao in the future." The Craftsman replied.
Li Fan understood instantly, "One root results in one fruit?"
"That's right, once tainted by the power of the Dao Flower, it's almost impossible to escape for a lifetime. In the future, if there is a chance for further advancement, you can only follow the path that has been already set to seek the bound root of the Dao. However, there is already a True Immortal who has taken the lead on this path..."
The Craftsman smiled, "So, either become the follower or vassal of the other. Or kill them and become the strongest on the path of the Dao."
"Oh, I almost forgot to mention. The fruit is generated from the root, and if the root withers, the fruit will also wither. So once the immortal standing at the root dies, those downstream who rely on their power to taint the Dao Flower will also perish."
"However, it is an immortal after all, and the likelihood of them falling is much smaller than that of us ordinary cultivators."
(End of this chapter)