"The Dream of Blissful Ignorance…" Sun Erlang shuddered, the memory of the demonic cultivators feasting on human flesh clashing violently with the idyllic image conjured by the realm's name.
The three companions looked towards the border of Qiuxi Region. The demonic sect's world was gone, replaced by the familiar White Mist Barrier.
"We can go home?" Wang Xuanba asked, his voice filled with a hopeful excitement.
But it wasn't that simple. As they attempted to pass through the barrier…
BAM!
The mist, usually an ethereal, energy-draining fog, had solidified, becoming an impenetrable wall.
Wang Xuanba, leading the charge, slammed into it face-first, his head spinning.
"It seems… leaving this Dream of Blissful Ignorance… it won't be easy," Yue Zhenwei said grimly.
They looked towards the remaining two worlds, a shared premonition settling over them. Perhaps they had to complete all three trials before they could… escape.
…
Within the Dao Discussion Platform, the silvery-white pearl relayed the three disciples' experiences to Li Fan.
"Interesting."
Having lived over a hundred lifetimes, having witnessed the destruction of the Xuanhuang World, the Star Sea's resurgence, the collapse of the Wall… he could glean far more from their experiences than they could.
"The outer layers of the Dream of Blissful Ignorance… they incorporate elements from the Xuanhuang World. The stone by the sea in Shilin Region, the bolt of purple lightning that destroyed the beast… A cultivator's experiences within the Xuanhuang World… they can be… advantageous within this dream realm. Overcoming these trials, growing stronger… is that the key to… progressing deeper into the dream?" He smiled, recognizing the familiar pattern.
"The Land of Blissful Ignorance has its own rules. I'll let them… explore. Gather information."
Sun Erlang, Wang Xuanba, and Yue Zhenwei were just the first. More of his disciples would follow, venturing into the Dream, mapping its depths, unraveling its secrets.
The Land of Blissful Ignorance might be vast, but even ants… could chart its course.
His interest in the Land of Blissful Ignorance stemmed from his previous life, from the shadowy cloud that had protected the Council of Five Elders' territory during the activation of the Immortal Descent formation.
Even those who had perished had been shielded from its world-ending power.
The Immortal Descent, All Things Return to Void formation… it had pushed even Legacy Transmission to his limits.
And this cloud… it had not only endured but had also protected others.
He knew, with absolute certainty, that the Five Elders, powerful as they were, couldn't have achieved such a feat.
He hadn't discovered this secret in any of his previous lives. They had hidden it well.
But the world-destroying storm… it had revealed their secret, their hidden power.
"And there was something else within the Council of Five Elders' territory that withstood the formation's power," Li Fan mused, his eyes narrowing.
"Legacy Transmission's remains. The Soul Crushing Disc."
He had encountered it in his 119th life. The Alliance, having used the Chosen to weaken the Five Elders, had attacked, demanding the return of this… lost relic.
"Fifty-six soul fragments. One hundred and three bone fragments."
"And yet, they remained intact, even amidst the surge of Celestial energy."
"The entire area around the disc was destroyed, reduced to nothingness, but it… endured. And the Soul Crushing Disc itself… it was just an ordinary artifact…"
A thought, a realization, struck him.
Eternal Remnant Will.
"I can't bring Eternal Remnant Will into a new life. My fragments can't even sense it. Only I, my true self, can absorb it. Through the True Return."
"Like Master Bai's skull… it's located deep within enemy territory. Not easily acquired."
"Perhaps… this time… I can find a way. If not… I'll simply take it by force. Once I reach Dao Integration."
He returned his attention to the task at hand.
Standing within the Great Xuan Small World, he held an ordinary spear, its metal cold against his skin, his eyes narrowed in concentration.
A wave of icy energy descended, then vanished.
He had summoned a Heavenly Soul, a fragment of the world's essence, then dismissed it before it could fully manifest, its power, its… attributes, leaving a faint… imprint on the spear in his hand.
The spear shimmered, its surface now covered in a thin layer of frost, snowflakes swirling around it.
He repeated the process several times, using different Heavenly Souls, their power, their essence, infusing the spear, transforming it from an ordinary weapon into something… more.
He summoned a fiery Heavenly Soul, its energy a dancing, swirling inferno.
The crimson flames washed over the spear, etching nine intricate dragons onto its surface.
Sensing the world's growing disapproval, its subtle resistance to his manipulation of its power, he shifted his location, appearing in a more… isolated area.
"The Ice Soul, Flame Dragon Spear." He gave his newly crafted weapon a name, then tossed it into the Dao Discussion Platform, adding it to the growing collection of Heavenly Wonders.
Creating artifacts by harnessing the power of the Xuanhuang World's Heavenly Dao… it was becoming… routine.
He wasn't just creating these treasures for his disciples, to aid them in their cultivation. He was also using them to… monitor the Xuanhuang World's recovery.
The positive effects of reintegrating the fragmented malevolent will had exceeded his expectations.
The world's growth, its transformation, continued, its progress hidden, its changes subtle, occurring deep within its core, beyond the reach of conventional observation methods.
He had to be… creative.
And the Heavenly Dao's… reward for his assistance… it was still pending.
"When it fragmented its will, attaching a part of itself to Master Bai, the Xuanhuang World's Heavenly Dao became… incomplete. And absorbing those other worlds… it didn't… fix it. It simply… highlighted the flaw. Made it more… pronounced."
He continued his work, creating artifacts, his senses focused on the world's subtle changes.
"The Xuanhuang World… it was… damaged. And returning that fragment of its will… it was like… mending a broken bone."
"Impressive. It seems this enhanced Xuanhuang World… it will be even stronger than I anticipated."
He completed another artifact, a small, intricately carved wooden bird.
"This time… the boost in power is… negligible. It's almost finished." He looked towards the sky, a strange feeling settling over him.
A connection, faint at first, then growing stronger.
The Xuanhuang World's Heavenly Dao.
It was acknowledging him.
But his true self, his core, was still tainted by the remnants of the World-Ending Transformation from his previous life. The Heavenly Dao, though no longer actively hostile, still regarded him with suspicion, its favor… limited.
It was nothing like the… unreserved adoration it had shown towards the Sacred Emperor persona.
"But now that its attitude has shifted… I can… improve our relationship."
He sensed Immortal Master Yin, the Ingenious Craftsman, and the others reacting to the Heavenly Dao's… acknowledgment.
The sense of… disconnect, the subtle barrier that had separated Hundred Flowers and the Craftsman from the Xuanhuang World, due to their origins in other realms… it was gone.
Xu Ke, once a being of immense luck, his fortune having faded after guarding the sealed Xuanhuang malevolent will and the death of his spirit beast companion, Xiao Hei, felt his luck returning. His white hair darkened, his hunched back straightening. He looked… decades younger.
Immortal Master Yin's reaction, however, was… less pleasant.
His head exploded, his skull dissolving into a bloody mist, his body, visible through the gaping wound on his neck, disintegrating.
The miniature figures within, their faces contorted in a grotesque parody of… pain, spat out chunks of flesh and bone, which were quickly absorbed by his outer body, its flesh rippling, reforming.
He waved his hand, stopping the others from approaching, his laughter echoing through the air, a strange, unsettling sound.
Li Fan appeared beside them.
"Do not be alarmed," he said, his voice calm, reassuring. "This is… a good thing."
Immortal Master Yin was a… conglomeration of world fragments, remnants of shattered realms that couldn't be fully absorbed by the Xuanhuang World, their consciousnesses lingering, like… ghosts.
Before, the Xuanhuang World's Heavenly Dao had simply… ignored him. Tolerated his existence.
But now, having assisted in the return of the fragmented malevolent will, he had been… reclassified. Deemed… beneficial.
And the Xuanhuang World's Heavenly Dao, recognizing his value, was attempting to… integrate him. To assimilate him. To make him a part of itself.
If nothing interrupted the process, in time, he would become like the Stele, like the Ruo Tree – a guardian, a protector, his existence intertwined with the Xuanhuang World's fate.
Li Fan hadn't lied. This was a good thing.
The Xuanhuang World's power would crush the other world fragments within him, purifying his essence, calming the chaotic energies that had plagued him, the source of his… madness.
And within the Xuanhuang World, countless… anomalies lingered, remnants of the absorbed worlds, fragments of their laws that couldn't be assimilated, corrupting influences that usually required… extreme measures to eradicate.
But Immortal Master Yin, once integrated into the Heavenly Dao's system, would be able to… consume these anomalies, purifying the world, growing stronger in the process. A mutually beneficial arrangement.
But despite these… benefits, Li Fan sensed… resistance. A reluctance.
If Immortal Master Yin fought back, he could disrupt the process.
"There's no need for… concern," Li Fan said, his voice reaching only Immortal Master Yin, a gentle reassurance laced with a hint of… compulsion. "Becoming a part of the Xuanhuang World's Heavenly Dao… it's not so different from the path of the Defiance of Natural Order cultivators."
"The Star Sea is being reborn. And the Xuanhuang World… it is the last bastion of cultivation, the seed of this resurgence. It has the potential to… transcend. To become… a true Celestial Realm. And your role in this… transformation… it will be… significant."
"This is the inevitable tide of change. Embrace it, and you will thrive. Resist it, and you will be… swept away."
His words, his promises, his thinly veiled threats, calmed Immortal Master Yin's turbulent emotions. The mention of the Celestial Realm… it extinguished the last vestiges of his resistance.
His shattered skull reformed, the wound on his neck healing, the sickening sounds of grinding flesh and bone fading.
He returned to his previous form.
But the… madness in his eyes was gone, replaced by a… serenity. A quiet strength. He resembled… the Stele.
Ancient. Imposing.
"Congratulations," Li Fan said, a gentle smile gracing his lips.
"Thank you, Sacred Teacher," Immortal Master Yin said, his voice filled with gratitude. They no longer addressed him as "fellow Daoist." He was now… their teacher. Their mentor.
He had shown them the path to the Star Sea's resurgence, he had guided them, taught them how to purify and return the Xuanhuang World's malevolent will, earning them the Heavenly Dao's favor.
He had… remade them.
He was worthy of the title, Sacred Teacher.
"The Xuanhuang World's initial transformation is complete. Now… we must guide it, assist it in absorbing the remaining world fragments. But first… we need to… prepare it."
"Please, Sacred Teacher, enlighten us."
"Though it has reintegrated its fragmented will, the Xuanhuang World has been… weakened by millennia of exploitation. Like someone who has been starved for a long time, suddenly presented with a feast… it needs time to… adjust. To adapt. A sudden influx of power, a rapid assimilation of those world fragments… it could be… detrimental."
Hundred Flowers nodded. "So, we need to… help it digest? But where do we start?"
"The world fragments within the Xuanhuang World… they're interconnected. Like a spiderweb. Touching one could… destabilize the entire structure. We cannot use them." He smiled, his gaze sweeping over them.
The Ingenious Craftsman looked towards the Star Sea beyond the Xuanhuang World. "So… we need to find more… world fragments? Out there?"
"But where? We traveled across the Star Sea. It's… empty. Desolate. All the remaining world fragments… they've likely fallen into the Immortal Ruins."
"Then where did the Xuanhuang World acquire the fragments it has already absorbed?" Immortal Master Yin asked, his voice sharp.
Li Fan nodded. "There are still… remnants. Scattered throughout the Star Sea."
"At its edge. Beneath the Wall."
His words sent a shiver of excitement through them.
He waved his hand, and a vision appeared before them – countless world fragments, clustered together, forming a… cosmic junkyard, a graveyard of shattered realities, their combined mass… staggering.
They stared at the image, speechless.
Even they, powerful cultivators in their own right, were awestruck by the sheer scale of it.
(End of Chapter)