"A Great Wall of shattered worlds… such a… monstrosity, at the edge of the Star Sea?" The Ingenious Craftsman gasped, his voice filled with disbelief.
"So that's where they all went," Hundred Flowers murmured, her face pale with shock. "The countless worlds that were destroyed… they're all… here? At the foot of the Wall? What kind of power… what kind of force… could create such a… thing?"
Having witnessed the destruction of countless worlds, the collapse of entire civilizations, they understood the true scale of this cosmic graveyard, this endless expanse of shattered realities, far better than the others. Its sheer size… it was awe-inspiring. Terrifying.
"I… I think…" Immortal Master Yin pressed his hand against his head, as if trying to dislodge a… memory, a half-forgotten image, his voice trailing off.
Li Fan glanced at him, but didn't press the matter. "Beyond the Great Wall of Shattered Worlds," he continued, his voice grave, "lies another wall. A wall of… artifacts. Together, they guard the Wall, their power interconnected, forming a… nearly impenetrable barrier. The journey there is far more dangerous than our trip to the heart of the Star Sea. You could… perish."
His gaze swept over them, his next words a challenge. "The choice… is yours."
"You have six months to decide. Do not blindly chase power. Your contribution to the Xuanhuang World, your assistance in returning its fragmented will, that alone will earn you… significant rewards. Even if you do nothing else. Once the Xuanhuang World completes its transformation…" His form shimmered, then vanished.
The Ingenious Craftsman, Hundred Flowers, Immortal Master Yin, and the others exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of awe, excitement, and… a healthy dose of fear.
The Great Wall of Shattered Worlds… it was a sight that ignited their curiosity, their desire to… witness it firsthand. But Li Fan's warning… it was a sobering reminder.
In this desolate Star Sea, wonders often came with… a price. Power and danger were… intertwined.
Like the Great Wall of Shattered Worlds. Like the Immortal Ruins.
And besides, to stimulate the Xuanhuang World's ability to absorb and refine the remnants of other worlds, they only needed a few fragments. They didn't all need to go.
If this expedition was successful, there would be other opportunities to… contribute to the Xuanhuang World's ascension. To earn its favor.
They weighed their options, their minds racing, calculating the risks, the potential rewards.
Li Fan observed them, his gaze piercing, his understanding of their personalities, honed by countless lifetimes of interaction, allowing him to… read their thoughts, their intentions.
"The pursuit of the Dao… it's a cultivator's instinct. But the path is fraught with peril. Fear, doubt, hatred… they are… obstacles."
"To grasp the true Dao… how difficult it is…" He watched them, their struggles, their choices, their fear of death warring with their desire for knowledge, for power… and a flicker of… understanding touched his heart.
Waiting for the opportune moment to achieve Dao Integration… it didn't mean he would remain idle.
"Every breath, every action, every thought… it's all cultivation."
"The desires of all beings… they are… scriptures."
Within the Dao Discussion Platform, the thoughts and emotions of the millions of cultivators gathered there flowed into him, a constant stream of… data, fueling his own cultivation, his understanding of the Dao deepening.
His decision to become the Teacher of Heaven and Earth wasn't a whim.
In his previous life, the Sacred Emperor, during his sermon, had introduced the concept of Resonance with the Dao, the idea that by studying the echoes, the shadows of the True Immortals' Dao, one could gain enlightenment.
And his own experiments with the "when the real is made to appear fake" principle seemed to confirm the Law Derivation Jade's theory about the Sacred Emperor's New Law.
A top-down projection of the Dao… it was indeed… more accessible. Easier to grasp.
Without a projection, the Dao remained hidden, its true form elusive, its essence… unknowable. One could only glimpse it through diligent cultivation, through moments of sudden insight, painstakingly piecing together fragments of understanding, like an archaeologist reconstructing a shattered artifact.
And though there were countless paths to the Dao, how many cultivators ever truly… saw it? Understood it?
The True Immortal within the Immortal Ruins, despite possessing the [Hunger] script, a Dao Inscription, had remained trapped, their meditation lasting for millennia, their ascension… incomplete.
Even a True Immortal struggled to grasp the Dao.
What hope did mortals have?
He, Li Fan, however, was… different. The True Return… it was a shortcut, a cheat code, placing him at the… finish line, the ultimate Dao within his grasp. That's why he could manipulate reality, perform feats that defied explanation, even with his… limited Soul Formation cultivation.
Before, his understanding of the True Return's reality-bending power had been limited, his progress slow, incremental, reliant on strengthening his connection to it, like building trust with a… fickle god.
But now, with his deeper understanding of the "when the real is made to appear fake" principle, and with the knowledge gleaned from that mysterious symbol within the Nether Race…
…he saw a new path. He could use other Daos, other paths, to… indirectly enhance his understanding of the True Return, to accelerate its evolution.
The Dao projected itself downwards, creating worlds, realities.
Everything within the Xuanhuang World, its matter, its energy, its consciousness… it could all be considered… projections of the Dao.
But they were… distant echoes, faint shadows. To trace them back to their source, to understand the true Dao through these… imperfect reflections… it seemed impossible.
But the Xuanhuang World, the last bastion of cultivation in the Dark Star Sea, was a realm of… impossible possibilities.
Like Eternal Remnant Will, a resonance with the Dao itself.
He had already retrieved Tian Yang's remains, the source of the Eternal Remnant Will he had encountered in his previous life, from their hidden resting place beneath the Congyun Sea.
He had tried everything, but he couldn't… access it. He couldn't feel the resonance.
But he wouldn't give up. He would find another way. A… substitute.
In his 119th life, he had used the image of a faceless True Immortal to create the Red Dust Compassion True Immortal Network. Of its countless followers, two had stood out – Kou Hong and Daoist Xuan. Their devotion, their unwavering faith, had been… remarkable. Even within the Source Power Essence network, their presence had been… unusually bright.
They were… true seekers of the Dao.
Before, he had dismissed their devotion as a… personality quirk. Something… unremarkable. But now… he suspected their unwavering faith… it was a… nascent form of Eternal Remnant Will.
Perhaps, with the right… guidance, he could nurture it, amplify it, until, upon their deaths, it blossomed into true Eternal Remnant Will.
"If I can't use the real thing… perhaps I can create a… substitute."
This discovery, coupled with his plan to achieve Dao Integration with the enhanced Heavenly Soul of the Xuanhuang World, had inspired him. It had led him to… this. To become the Teacher of Heaven and Earth.
Within the Dao Discussion Platform, the thoughts and emotions of millions of cultivators swirled, like stars in the night sky, their brightness varying.
Those that… stood out… drew his attention.
So far, he hadn't found any suitable candidates for… Eternal Remnant Will cultivation.
But he was patient. Once the Dao Discussion Platform expanded to encompass the entire Xuanhuang World… he would find more. Many more.
As for Kou Hong and Daoist Xuan… in this lifetime, their current level of… devotion was… inadequate. Taking them as disciples now would only… hinder their progress. He would leave them be, for now, even adding a few… obstacles to their paths, making their journey… more challenging.
He would reap his harvest later.
"The Dao projects itself onto the world, and within that world… there are those who… resonate with it. Echoes of the true Dao. And these echoes… they are the key to my own… ascension. To mastering the interplay of truth and illusion."
Having experienced the power of "making the fake real," he had made it his second priority, after survival.
Cultivation level, resources, treasures… those were… secondary. Transient. He could acquire them in any lifetime.
"But these… sparks of inspiration, these echoes of the Dao… they are… finite. Like Eternal Remnant Will, they can only be… consumed once. I wonder… how many… hidden gems… await me within the Xuanhuang World?"
He glanced at the crowds still flocking towards the Dao Discussion Platform, their numbers seemingly endless, and nodded slowly.
Then, with a flicker of movement, he vanished, leaving the Great Xuan Small World behind.
…
He reappeared within the Qiling Region of the Xuanhuang World, deep beneath the earth, within a vast, empty cavern.
An invisible, unsettling energy permeated the space, a presence that made his skin crawl.
Even with his current cultivation and the protective aura of Source Power Essence he had gathered, he felt… vulnerable.
Golden threads of energy, woven into a complex formation, shielded him from the cavern's… influence.
"As I suspected," he murmured, his gaze sweeping across the desolate landscape. "The ancient Celestial Mortal Miasma… it has… evolved. Along with the Xuanhuang World."
In his 119th life, an earthquake in the Qiling Region had caused a leak, releasing the ancient miasma, resulting in… a great deal of chaos. And the miasma itself, after millennia of… gestation within this sealed chamber, had become far more potent than its original version.
Created by Master Bai by reversing the laws of Heaven and Earth, it was… a paradox, a contradiction, a force that defied… definition.
And now, as the Xuanhuang World underwent its transformation, the ancient miasma within this cavern was also… changing. Its power… growing.
"Even mortals… can slay immortals…"
He extended his hand, the golden barrier parting before him, allowing the unseen energy to… touch him.
He frowned, focusing his senses, analyzing the miasma's nature, its power…
Then, he severed his arm, his movements swift and decisive, his expression… unreadable.
He resealed the barrier, the golden light protecting him from further… contamination.
"Interesting."
His severed arm regenerated instantly.
The one he had left behind, however, was quickly consumed by the miasma, not even bone remaining, only a fine, gray dust.
A flicker of excitement lit up his eyes.
Among the items bound to his True Return was a vial of Ten Thousand Blood, the condensed essence of ten thousand executed criminals.
But even that… it couldn't compare to this… enhanced, ancient Celestial Mortal Miasma.
"Once the Xuanhuang World completes its transformation… how powerful will this miasma become?"
He ran simulations, his mind racing, extrapolating.
The Star Sea's resurgence, the Celestial Spiritual Qi within the Grand Celestial Venerable's legacy, the remnants of countless worlds…
Their combined power would elevate the Xuanhuang World, pushing it to the very limits of… reality. Making it… almost… a Celestial Realm.
"Perhaps… not enough to kill a True Immortal, but… certainly enough to… wound one."
"And this miasma… it grows stronger as the Xuanhuang World ascends. Its very nature… a mortal weapon against immortals… makes it… invaluable."
"One day… when I finally push the Xuanhuang World beyond its limits, transform it into a true Celestial Realm… then this miasma… it will become a true… Immortal Slayer."
He looked at the unseen energy within the cavern, his eyes gleaming with a cold, calculating ambition.
The Profound Heaven King's fate, the glimpses he had seen of the world beyond the Wall…
Ascending to immortality within the Dark Star Sea was a dangerous proposition.
A new Celestial Realm, however… that would attract attention. But it wouldn't be his body, his soul, on the line. He would have time. Time to prepare. Time to adapt.
Which was more difficult? Ascending to immortality himself, or transforming the Xuanhuang World into a Celestial Realm?
Any sane person would choose the latter.
But he, Li Fan… he was different.
"The Grand Celestial Venerable's legacy, the Celestial Spiritual Qi within those artifacts… they are resources I can use repeatedly. Infinitely."
"And there are other… resources… other sources of power… within the Star Sea."
His thoughts raced.
"It's… possible. I just need to… wait. See how close this enhanced Xuanhuang World comes to… true divinity."
The ancient miasma's transformation had opened his eyes to a new possibility.
The Xuanhuang World contained countless manifestations of its laws, its essence.
And as the world ascended, so too would these… artifacts.
"The entire Xuanhuang World… it can become… my weapon against the Celestial Realm."
He smiled, his eyes narrowing.
Immortals and mortals… they were different.
But a mortal, wielding the power of an entire world… a world on the verge of becoming a Celestial Realm…
That was a different story.
"The world beyond the Wall… it's still an unknown."
"Perhaps… using a world as a… shield… a testing ground… is the safest approach."
He carefully wove a series of formations around the cavern, concealing its presence, protecting the ancient miasma from… prying eyes.
"Grow," he whispered, his voice barely audible above the faint humming of the miasma. "Reach your full potential. And when the time comes… I will forge you into a blade."
Satisfied with his preparations, he left the cavern.
"If this plan works… I'll need more anchor points."
"And weapons against immortals… one can never have too many."
He made his way to the Tianling Region, to the nascent Five Elements Great Grotto-Heavens, still forming within the void.
A newly forming Grotto-Heaven… perfect for replenishing his anchor points.
He had already used the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heavens once. He wasn't sure if the True Return would… accept them again.
He entered the familiar black and white space, the realm of creation, and focused his will, his senses attuned to the True Return's… response.
"Difficult to… consume… but not… impossible."
He opened his eyes, his expression… strange. He focused his mind, his divine sense enveloping the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heavens.
A moment later…
…they were gone.
And he had gained another anchor point.
He suspected this was the limit. The True Return wouldn't accept them a third time.
Unlike the fully formed Grotto-Heavens he had consumed before, this one was still… nascent. Its sudden disappearance caused ripples, a disturbance in the… balance.
(End of Chapter)