"But how do we do it?" Immortal Master Yin's sharp question cut to the heart of the matter. Their strength was roughly equal. As cultivators of the old Dao of Eternal Life, they couldn't even reverse the Xuanhuang World's decline, let alone revive the Star Sea.
Doused by a bucket of cold water, their excitement cooled, and they all looked at Li Fan.
Sitting on the Dao Discussion Platform, as if anticipating the question, Li Fan calmly replied, "Do you know that worlds, like humans, and even the Star Sea itself, are similar?"
"If a person is ill, we prescribe medicine and stimulate their acupoints and meridians. Worlds and the Star Sea, facing calamities, can be treated similarly…"
A human-shaped figure, marked with important acupoints and meridians, appeared before them as Li Fan spoke. With a wave of his hand, the figure transformed, expanding and diffusing into a faintly glowing yellow cloud. The acupoints and meridians, following a specific pattern, dispersed throughout the cloud.
Having just returned from the void outside the Xuanhuang World, they instantly recognized the cloud as their world. As they watched intently, Li Fan gestured again.
The cloud expanded a thousandfold, ten thousandfold. A dazzling spectacle engulfed them, and they found themselves lost within a brilliant Star Sea. They vaguely sensed that the points of light flickering within the Star Sea corresponded to the acupoints and meridians of the previous human figure and the world.
"From human to world, from world to domain. It makes sense!" Immortal Master Yin mused.
The others seemed to have gained enlightenment as well.
Before they could examine it further, Li Fan waved his hand, and the Star Sea instantly reverted to the image of the Xuanhuang World.
"To restore the Star Sea, we must first restore the Xuanhuang World. To restore the Xuanhuang World, we must revitalize these points."
Li Fan marked several locations on the miniature image of the Xuanhuang World. "The Xuanhuang World has been plundered by cultivators for millennia and should have been completely depleted. Fortunately, the Legacy Transmission Celestial Venerable has been gathering world fragments from the Star Sea to nourish it. These shattered worlds are like medicine. While the Xuanhuang World has ingested them, it hasn't fully absorbed them…"
The marked points glowed with a vibrant, crystalline light, brimming with life force and energy.
Li Fan's explanation made his intentions clear. In short: help the Xuanhuang World digest the medicine!
He continued, "The Xuanhuang World has been weakened for too long and is in danger of being unable to absorb such nourishment. Therefore, we must guide and entice it, using the acupoints to stimulate the meridians, using specific points to revitalize the whole…"
The sermon lasted for seven days and seven nights. Even after Li Fan's image dissipated, they remained immersed in his teachings of the unity of humans, the heavens, and healing.
Immortal Master Yin was the first to recover. "Shattered worlds as medicine, a truly ingenious analogy. Absorption, digestion, integration. And the unusable parts are discarded, like medicinal dregs…"
Craftsman Qiao, distracted, mumbled a few perfunctory words and excused himself.
Daoist Hundred Flowers frowned. "Enticing the Xuanhuang World to digest the shattered worlds will not be easy. Cultivators and the Heavenly Dao have been at odds for millennia. Any action involving the power of shattered worlds might provoke its hostility, even if we have good intentions."
"That's why we must first clear up this misunderstanding and gain the trust of the Xuanhuang World's Heavenly Dao," Immortal Master Yin said, looking at the spot where Li Fan had vanished.
Before leaving, Li Fan had promised to address this matter before his next sermon. They just didn't know what method he would employ. As a soul from a shattered world, Immortal Master Yin understood better than most the difficulty of appeasing the Xuanhuang World's malice.
Seven days later, when Li Fan reappeared, he invited them to the void above the Great Xuan Small World. Upon arriving, Immortal Master Yin felt as if he had sunk into a mire, every movement met with immense resistance. His nature as a soul from a shattered world offered no help in overcoming this force. He couldn't even discern its source.
Daoist Hundred Flowers and Craftsman Qiao also wore solemn expressions, indicating they, too, sensed something extraordinary about this place.
"Everyone, allow me to introduce someone," Li Fan said with a smile. A stooped, white-haired elder appeared before them. While the elder's cultivation wasn't remarkable, the coffin on his back caught their attention. The resentful aura emanating from the coffin made them narrow their eyes.
"This is Fellow Daoist Xu Ke, a former disciple of the Beast Taming Sect. Bearing a heavy responsibility, he has remained hidden within this small world for millennia…" After this brief introduction, Li Fan gestured to Xu Ke, who removed the coffin from his back and suspended it in the air.
As if sensing its caretaker's absence, the sealed object within the coffin became agitated. The coffin lid rattled violently, as if its prisoner might break free at any moment.
"Do you know what's sealed within this coffin?" Li Fan asked.
Without waiting for a response, he revealed the answer. "A fragment of the Xuanhuang World's consciousness. However, this fragment is now consumed by resentment, madness, and paranoia. It has become a true embodiment of the Xuanhuang World's malevolence! Today, we will purify this malevolent consciousness and return it to the Xuanhuang World!"
Xu Ke coughed and added, "When this malevolent consciousness separated from the Heavenly Dao, it intended to become completely independent. For the Heavenly Dao, this wasn't simply losing a piece of itself. It was more like losing an avatar."
"If we can return it and restore what was lost, it will surely earn us the favor of the Xuanhuang World's Heavenly Dao… provided we can completely purify the malevolence within it, of course." Xu Ke looked at Li Fan.
Li Fan's expression was confident. "It's just a sliver of malevolence. With our combined strength, purifying it shouldn't be a problem."
Having listened patiently, Craftsman Qiao, upon learning the true nature of the sealed object, was eager to begin. "How do we proceed? I'll give it my all!"
"Its resentment stems from not leaving the Xuanhuang World. Therefore, let's fulfill its wish and allow it to cross the Great Wall!" Li Fan said, producing a horsetail whisk. He raised it high and swept it down towards the coffin.
Thousands of white threads from the whisk, like shooting stars, pierced the coffin. The violently shaking coffin leaped into the air, then froze. The threads glowed with a dreamlike silver light. Within the light, countless images flickered, dream sequences implanted by Li Fan.
While each dream was different, they all depicted the horrors and desolation beyond the Great Wall. In each dream, the Xuanhuang World's malevolence, attached to Master Bai, successfully crossed the Great Wall and escaped the Dark Star Sea, only to perish within three breaths from various indescribable calamities.
Within moments, the Xuanhuang World's malevolence had experienced thousands of deaths in the illusory realm.
Craftsman Qiao muttered to himself, "Isn't this a bit too much? While the world beyond the Great Wall is unknown, it can't be this terrifying, can it? Even an ordinary-looking cat can devour it in one bite? This malevolent consciousness, in terms of strength, is probably not much weaker than a cultivator of the ancient Dao of Eternal Life. Can this really deceive it?"
Xu Ke, having spent millennia with the malevolent consciousness, sensed its struggles weakening within the coffin. His face lit up with hope. "It's actually working!"
Li Fan's voice echoed from above. "You can also help create dream sequences. The more bizarre and terrifying, the better. As long as the malevolent consciousness is ultimately extinguished."
The light from the whisk intensified, expanding towards them. A vortex appeared at the end of its handle. Understanding his intent, Immortal Master Yin and the others focused their minds, projecting their most terrifying nightmares into the vortex.
Immortal Master Yin's nightmares were particularly grotesque and horrifying, even sending chills down Li Fan's spine. In comparison, the dreams conjured by Craftsman Qiao, Daoist Hundred Flowers, and Xu Ke were relatively ordinary.
Craftsman Qiao's dreams involved the destruction of worlds, bodies transformed into puppets, and the blurring of reality and illusion. Daoist Hundred Flowers's dreams focused on the withering of life and all things frozen in silent stillness.
Bombarded by these terrifying dreams, the Xuanhuang World's malevolence began to change.
"Is it truly that horrifying beyond the Great Wall?"
"I shouldn't have left. Even a meager existence within the wall is better than instant death!"
Thoughts like these accumulated within the malevolent consciousness with each dream cycle. Although each thought was like an insignificant scratch, the speed of the dream cycles was incredibly fast. Hundreds of thousands of dreams arose and vanished every moment.
More importantly, these weren't ordinary dreams. Li Fan had imbued them with a touch of his "Fake becomes Real" comprehension, transforming them into top-tier illusion formations. From the outside, one might wonder why those within the formation couldn't distinguish between dreams and reality. Only those trapped within could truly experience the power of this "Fake becomes Real" illusion.
Looking at his handiwork, Li Fan couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. "Based on the Cloudwater Dream Illusion Technique, but its effects are far superior. Amplified by the illusion formation… While not a true immortal formation, it surpasses one."
As the dream cycles continued, the Xuanhuang World's malevolence sank deeper into despair. Initially, it still occasionally showed signs of doubt and resistance. Later, all questions vanished, replaced by endless regret and fear.
Seeing the malevolent consciousness trembling within the formation, Li Fan knew it was time.
"Rise!"
He reached out and grasped the giant whisk, gently stirring it. The thousands of silver threads within the coffin churned like blades, dissecting the now completely unresisting malevolent consciousness into countless fragments. The coffin, along with the disintegrating malevolence, began to fade.
Li Fan flicked the whisk, and some of its threads, carrying a portion of the fragmented malevolent consciousness, drifted towards Immortal Master Yin.
"Fellow Daoist, please." Immortal Master Yin bowed in gratitude and accepted the purified fragment.
Li Fan then offered a portion to Craftsman Qiao. Like dividing spoils, he distributed the fragments of the Xuanhuang World's malevolence to everyone present, keeping a larger share for himself. Naturally, no one objected.
"Go!"
With a solemn expression, Li Fan hurled the giant whisk towards the sky, tearing open a passage to the Xuanhuang World.
"Oh, vast and boundless sea, return the soul to its origin~" Li Fan chanted.
He didn't need to do anything more. The moment the passage opened, the Heavenly Dao consciousness of the Xuanhuang World sensed the presence of its long-lost fragment.
A booming sound echoed from the passage, as if the Heavenly Dao consciousness itself was about to descend.
"Return the soul to its origin!" Li Fan pointed, and the purified, fragmented malevolence before him flew towards the passage, accelerating rapidly until it vanished from sight.
Immortal Master Yin and the others followed suit.
After half a day, the long-lost fragments of the Xuanhuang World's malevolence finally returned to their source. The passage closed, and all celestial phenomena disappeared.
Xu Ke, watching the coffin fade into nothingness, felt a sense of loss. Craftsman Qiao was worried. "Is that it? Did we just waste our time?"
Li Fan smiled faintly. "Rest assured. The Xuanhuang World remembers those who have served it well. However, it needs time to digest. Be patient, and you will be rewarded."
With those words, Li Fan's image faded, leaving behind a group of people with mixed emotions.
Immortal Master Yin turned to Xu Ke, inquiring about Master Bai. Xu Ke, who had been lost in thought, suddenly brightened up. The two began to chat animatedly, as if they had known each other for years.
Daoist Hundred Flowers and Craftsman Qiao, still not on good terms, went their separate ways. They were all waiting for the reward Li Fan had promised.
Meanwhile, within the Xuanhuang World.
Li Fan, concealing his presence, observed the changes taking place. While the absorption of immortal spiritual energy manifested in the mountains and rivers, the absorption of its lost consciousness occurred silently within the world itself, perceptible only to those deeply familiar with the workings of the Xuanhuang World's Heavenly Dao.
"Compared to us cultivators, it's like strengthening one's soul and divine consciousness. The first to benefit will be the laws of the Xuanhuang World… in other words, the Eternal Life experts…"
Li Fan sensed several powerful consciousnesses sweeping across the world, some of them familiar.
"Hmph, let you savor a bit of sweetness first. In the end, I'll take it all back!"
The powerful consciousnesses searched but couldn't find the cause of the changes. They eventually gave up.
Li Fan sneered inwardly, ignoring them, continuing to observe the transformation of the Xuanhuang World, a transformation completely different from his own world-destroying transformations.
(End of Chapter)