"Oh? Tell me more," Li Fan said, his expression turning serious.
"Can you discern the function of this 'Gu' character, fellow Daoist?" Zhong Daogong asked cryptically.
Li Fan pondered for a moment, tracing the character in the air with his finger. "Gu represents the past, the old…"
"…Time reversal?" His eyes lit up as he considered the mysterious character inscribed on the ruin's floor.
Zhong Daogong clapped his hands in admiration. "Your comprehension is truly extraordinary! Even the quickest among our elders would take several days to grasp its meaning. I never thought you would discern it at a glance!"
"However, 'time reversal' might not be the most accurate description of its power. It's more like reverting things to their past state…"
Li Fan nodded as he listened. "It sounds similar to Ou Shangtian's Qian-Kun Bone Hand," he thought.
"At its peak, the 'Gu' character would cause a terrifying calamity within its area of influence. Everything would revert to its past form, from life to death, turning into dust, truly becoming 'ancient'…" Zhong Daogong waved his hand, and several images appeared before them.
The moment "Gu" was activated, cultivators, towering trees, sprawling buildings, even the world itself, underwent a reverse transformation as if time was flowing backward. They eventually disintegrated into invisible particles, scattered by the wind.
"If this original character still retained its power, we wouldn't dare approach it, no matter how tempting it might be. But now…"
The Ark's inhabitants then demonstrated the character's current function. Jian Daosheng, the eldest among the elders, slowly approached the "Gu" character, hovering in the air at a safe distance.
While Zhong Daogong had claimed the "Gu" character's power was exhausted, that was a relative statement. A faint trace of power still lingered on the original character, negligible compared to its peak. However, just like the "Sheng" character, too much power was harmful, while a small amount could be beneficial. When the reverting power of "Gu" was weakened to a suitable level…
The wrinkles on Jian Daosheng's face gradually faded. Strands of black appeared amidst his white hair and eyebrows. His posture straightened, and his spirit seemed rejuvenated. He was undergoing a visible reversal of aging, a restoration of youth!
While the Ark's elders were accustomed to this, Li Fan's eyes narrowed in thought.
Jian Daosheng didn't wait for a complete reversal. After only a few breaths within the "Gu" character's influence, he retreated. Li Fan knew he was preventing himself from being overly affected by the character.
After Jian Daosheng, the other elders took turns approaching the original character, staying for varying durations, all emerging noticeably younger.
"With this character, wouldn't one achieve immortality?" Li Fan exclaimed.
Zhong Daogong gave a wry smile. "It's not that simple. It can prevent aging, but true immortality…" He shook his head. "Reversing age with the 'Gu' character does increase one's lifespan, but the effect diminishes with each use. Once the limit is reached, it no longer works. However, a youthful body is certainly preferable to one nearing its end."
After the elders finished, Zhong Daogong turned to Li Fan. "Would you like to try it, fellow Daoist?"
Li Fan declined. "I'm only thirty, at the peak of my physical prime. Returning to childhood would be detrimental."
Silence fell upon the space within the Divine Tree. The elders stared at Li Fan as if he were a monster.
Zhong Daogong's expression stiffened. "Are you jesting, fellow Daoist?"
Judging by Li Fan's strength and his mastery of formations and the True Immortal Script, they had assumed he was centuries, perhaps even a millennium old. Now, he claimed to be only thirty?
It was hard for them to accept.
Li Fan chuckled. "I'm just a quick learner. While rare, there are those even more talented than me in Great Qi. You needn't be so surprised."
His words threw the elders into disarray. They quickly resealed the "Gu" character and led Li Fan out of the Divine Tree.
"Fellow Daoist, please rest here for now and don't leave. We have some matters to discuss…" Zhong Daogong said, leading him to a pavilion atop the Divine Tree.
"Oh, and these are the three items you selected earlier." Handing him a scroll, Zhong Daogong hurriedly left.
Ignoring the elders, Li Fan unfurled the scroll, and the three treasures materialized before him. He had already examined the bronze crane and the seven-colored stream of light. With a wave of his hand, he stored them away.
His attention then focused on the figurine with its head bowed. Sensing the subtle pulsation from True Return, Li Fan concentrated. Like the previous two items, the figurine vanished a moment later. However, this time, it wasn't stored away but transformed into an unknown energy, absorbed by True Return.
Li Fan stared intently at the True Return interface. Like tiny electric currents, the characters on the interface flickered several times before settling down.
Li Fan's gaze landed on the changed parameter: "Void Energy Charge Progress: 400%."
"Hmm?" Li Fan's eyes narrowed.
The Void Energy Charge Progress was a prerequisite for activating True Return's world-reversing ability. Only when it reached 100% could he transform reality into illusion, truth into falsehood. This was why Li Fan, after activating True Return, always remained within the Great Xuan Small World, waiting for the charge to complete before venturing out.
Previously, the Void Energy Charge Progress had a maximum of 200%. The excess charge beyond 100% acted as a buffer against external attacks, ensuring True Return's activation. However, as Li Fan's enemies grew stronger, this protective function became less effective, the charge depleting too quickly to be truly reliable.
But now, this figurine had doubled the maximum charge. Moreover, Li Fan sensed that this additional 200% charge, if unused in this life, wouldn't be reset with True Return. It would remain within True Return. In other words, he could now activate True Return three times consecutively.
"Interesting."
Li Fan recalled the figurine's appearance. "Its origin is quite peculiar. Being able to increase the charge limit by 200% makes it an extraordinary item. I wonder if absorbing it again in my next life will further increase the limit?"
So far, Li Fan hadn't figured out the exact mechanism of True Return's energy charge. The unknown medium required for its activation could only be replenished slowly over time.
"Perhaps studying this figurine will unravel this mystery." Li Fan made a mental note of this objective.
A 400% charge limit was undoubtedly an additional layer of protection. More importantly, when facing the Faceless True Immortal or even stronger beings, Li Fan could now activate True Return multiple times to escape their grasp. Otherwise, with only a single activation, returning to a predetermined anchor point might still leave him in mortal danger. In this sense, the figurine's life-saving value was immense.
"The Ark is truly a place of fortune. I should ask them about the figurine's origin later."
Soon, Zhong Daogong and the other elders returned. They seemed to have reached a consensus. The hostility and killing intent Li Fan had sensed from some of them had vanished completely.
"Are you satisfied with the transaction, fellow Daoist?" Zhong Daogong asked.
"Extremely satisfied. My master will surely reward me upon my return. And rest assured, I will do my best to gather information about that thief for you," Li Fan promised.
"We thank you in advance."
After the pleasantries, Zhong Daogong changed the subject. "Fellow Daoist, you have proven your trustworthiness. After careful consideration, the Ark's elders have decided to propose a deeper level of cooperation."
Li Fan's interest was piqued. "Do you have more True Immortal Script characters you haven't shown me?"
Zhong Daogong waved his hand. "Not True Immortal Script characters, but something even more important."
The surrounding scenery suddenly shifted, and they seemed to be transported to the Dark Star Sea. As Zhong Daogong gestured, the scene rapidly changed, passing through the Sea of Relics and the endless Great Wall of Shattered Worlds, arriving at a place of nothingness.
"Where is this…?" Li Fan asked, slightly startled.
"The Great Wall. Beneath the Great Wall," Zhong Daogong said solemnly, his expression complex.
"Oh?"
Li Fan looked around. "I've been beneath the Great Wall before, to the end of the Dark Sea. The path ends there, but I didn't see the Great Wall itself… Why are you showing me this?"
Zhong Daogong's gaze deepened. "The Great Wall stretches endlessly, encircling the entire Star Sea. However, this section we're showing you is different."
"Different? How can one part of the Great Wall be different from another?" Li Fan was intrigued.
Jian Daosheng answered his question. "This area is the weakest point of the entire Great Wall. If there's any place in the Star Sea where one can cross the Great Wall, this is it!"
"I imagine there are many cultivators in your world who wish to escape the Dark Star Sea, unwilling to be trapped here for eternity. If we cooperate, we might succeed," Zhong Daogong said slowly.
"The weakest point of the Great Wall…" Li Fan stared at the scene projected by the Ark, repeating the phrase several times.
Instead of answering, he asked, "How can you be certain? The Great Wall's existence surpasses our current understanding. Formless and invisible, how can you pinpoint its weakest point?"
Zhong Daogong smiled faintly. "This involves a closely guarded secret of the Ark. We cannot divulge it until we've established a cooperative agreement. However, rest assured, it's absolutely true. You can report this to your superiors. When you send someone again, the Ark can demonstrate it for you."
Li Fan's expression turned serious. After pondering for a long time, he bowed and said, "This is indeed a significant matter, beyond my authority. I will report it to my superiors upon my return and give you a definite answer."
"We await your good news!"
Under the elders' watchful eyes, Li Fan's light vanished from the Ark, disappearing into the vast Star Sea.
"A risky move. If this is exposed…"
"What's there to be afraid of? Will someone come knocking, demanding we share the location of the Great Wall's weak point? If anything, that would be preferable. We're all fish in a boiling pot. We should have united long ago!"
"Indeed, this Great Qi civilization is at least as strong as us, if not stronger. They survived the Great Calamity, and they occupy an entire cultivation world. They're suitable partners."
"And that world-protecting immortal artifact…"
The elders discussed amongst themselves.
Meanwhile, Li Fan, returning to the wooden sword's image, pondered the information revealed by the Ark. While they hadn't explicitly stated it, based on crucial information he had gathered in his past life, he could deduce why they knew the Great Wall's weakest point.
"Zhong Daogong mentioned in my past life that the Profound Merchant Ark split because a faction decided to ram the Great Wall to escape the Star Sea. And they succeeded. This weak point is likely the location where the Merchant Ark collided with the Great Wall. Through the connection between the two Arks, the Profound Immortal Ark was able to pinpoint its location…"
If the Ark hadn't revealed this, Li Fan would have activated the measures he had planted within the Records of a Hundred Hearsay Immortals upon leaving, plundering its treasures. However, since the Ark still held secrets, he decided to wait.
"The Ark's obsession with collecting True Immortal Script characters might not be solely due to their power, but also because of this escape plan. Ramming the Great Wall… I wonder how the Merchant Ark managed to do it."
Within the wooden sword's image, Immortal Master Yin was resting, while the others continued to search the Great Wall of Shattered Worlds for suitable world fragments to serve as catalysts for the Xuanhuang World.
After replenishing their Luminous Flowing Crystals, Li Fan didn't return to the Ark. Instead, he used the Horizon at Hand Grand Formation to return to the Xuanhuang World.
Within the Great Xuan Small World.
Li Fan appeared beside the sleeping Ou Shangtian. Sensing the Qian-Kun Bone Hand still developing within him, Li Fan wrote the character "Gu" with his finger. He focused his divine consciousness, observing the changes within Ou Shangtian.
His understanding of the "Gu" character was still rudimentary, and he hadn't infused much spiritual power into it, so its power was extremely weak, barely enveloping Ou Shangtian's body.
(End of Chapter)