The timing of the appearance of these Immortal Realm Law fragments was a little too coincidental. They appeared just as Li Fan was about to push the Xuanhuang World towards its ascension and transformation into an Immortal Realm. Given Li Fan's personality, it was hard for him not to be suspicious. He attempted to slowly unravel the logic behind it.
"The concealment of these pawns is truly frightening. No one on the Celestial Ark, not even the Legacy Transmission Celestial Venerable or the Healer, detected anything unusual, despite having direct contact with them countless times over tens of thousands of years."
"The only reason I discovered the anomaly so easily was due to the guidance of True Return. Without it, I too would have considered them ordinary…"
This thought sparked something in Li Fan's mind.
"From this perspective, the pawns could indeed be bait specifically designed to target True Return."
"However… there are many other things that only True Return can sense, such as the Eternal Remnants. It's simply that True Return is of such a high level that all these anomalies are laid bare before it."
"I can't jump to conclusions, but caution is certainly warranted."
Li Fan observed the seven-colored pawn resting within his body. It seemed completely independent, unaffected by the flow of spiritual energy and divine sense passing through its location. It was as if it didn't exist at all. Aside from the "burden" of the fused Immortal Realm fragment, the pawn hadn't caused any other changes in Li Fan.
"Sun Piaomiao hid thirteen gray pawns in thirteen different cultivation worlds he had visited, recording their world markers in his travelogue for posterity."
"But it's clear these pawns weren't crafted by Sun Piaomiao, but by True Immortals from the Upper Realm. Perhaps they were a contingency plan by some pessimists in anticipation of the Dao Obliteration Calamity, a last resort for the revival of the Immortal Realm."
"Somehow, they ended up in Sun Piaomiao's hands." Li Fan pondered, his thoughts churning.
"During Sun Piaomiao's era, the Immortal Realm hadn't yet shattered, and the path to immortality wasn't severed. Most True Immortals were still actively fighting the Dao Obliteration Calamity. It's conceivable that in such a time, the defeatist True Immortals who created these pawns wouldn't have been accepted by the mainstream and had to operate in secret. Is that why they were quietly passed down to the lower realms?"
"But for some unknown reason, these contingency plans haven't been activated. The most likely explanation is that the True Immortals who created the pawns perished in the Dao Obliteration Calamity that destroyed the Immortal Realm."
"Or perhaps…" Li Fan narrowed his eyes, recalling the structure of the Celestial Ark's Myriad Manifestations Yin-Yang Scroll.
"There are no black or white pawns left on the board anywhere in the Dark Star Sea. Only these 'discarded' gray pawns remain. Perhaps, in some unknown place, beyond this Great Wall, those black and white pawns have already fulfilled their mission of rebuilding the Immortal Realm?"
This was merely Li Fan's speculation, unsupported by any evidence.
"Sun Piaomiao likely knew more about these gray pawns. He himself is nowhere to be found. If any clues remain in the Star Sea, the most likely place would be the Medicine King Cauldron he left behind in the Medicine King Sect."
"Fifteen years until the anchor is set and the star falls back to Xuanhuang. It's almost time…"
Although there might be hidden dangers behind these pawns, Li Fan wouldn't abandon his plan to ascend the Xuanhuang World using the fused Immortal Realm fragments based on mere speculation. With the Immortal Realm fragments as the foundation, the chances of Xuanhuang's ascension were significantly higher.
Li Fan calmed his thoughts and turned to Immortal Master Yin and Daoist Hundred Flowers. They had witnessed the entire fusion process of the gray pawn, watching silently, not daring to speak. Li Fan hadn't explained the emergence of the Immortal Realm fragment after the fusion, but they guessed that these pawns, forged from dead worlds, likely played a crucial role in the Xuanhuang ascension plan.
"I previously asked you to investigate a location in the depths of the Star Sea. Did you find anything?" Having been busy collecting pawns since returning to Great Qi, Li Fan was finally free to inquire.
He had expected Daoist Hundred Flowers to spend considerable time exploring the unknown "high ground." Yet, she had returned rather quickly, rejoining Immortal Master Yin at the edge of the Star Sea.
After a moment of contemplation, Daoist Hundred Flowers explained, "Perhaps I am incompetent. I searched the location you indicated for a long time, but found nothing unusual. Seeing that further investigation would be a waste of time, I had no choice but to give up and join Immortal Master Yin in searching for Xu Ke."
"Perhaps that opportunity was not meant for me." She sighed.
Li Fan nodded and then asked, "And what about Xu Ke? Any leads?"
Immortal Master Yin replied, "We have some leads. We believe Xu Ke may have been drawn into a peculiar zone within the Great Wall of Shattered Worlds. The Great Wall is the convergence point of countless destroyed worlds at the foot of the High Wall. Though fragmented into countless pieces, they are faintly connected as one."
"We don't yet understand the principles behind its formation, but perhaps it can be visualized as a long rope woven from countless thin threads. The place where Xu Ke disappeared is a 'knot' formed by the rope to maintain its stability."
"However, we received your message just as we were about to explore the knot further," Immortal Master Yin said with regret.
"A knot…" Li Fan pondered for a moment, then continued, "It was an unforeseen circumstance. To obtain the pawn, I had to ask you to put on a little act."
"The people you saw that day were from the Celestial Ark civilization at the edge of the Star Sea."
"To avoid exposing the Xuanhuang World, I previously posed as a member of the non-existent 'Great Qi' civilization to interact with them. The Celestial Ark excels at deciphering the remnants of True Immortal Seal scripts scattered throughout the Star Sea. I exchanged some of the True Immortal Seal scripts I possess with them, and both sides benefited."
"This time, during the exchange, I happened to discover the presence of gray pawns within the Celestial Ark's treasury."
"These pawns are too crucial for Xuanhuang's ascension to miss. So, I employed a little trickery…" Li Fan casually explained the sequence of events.
"The Celestial Ark is still of some use to the Xuanhuang World, so avoid contact with them to prevent exposure. Especially you, Immortal Master Yin. Your aura of life and death is too distinct; they'd immediately recognize you as the one who took the gray pawn."
Immortal Master Yin and Daoist Hundred Flowers naturally wouldn't side with the Celestial Ark. They chuckled, unconcerned about Li Fan's methods.
"Leave the remaining pawns on the Celestial Ark and within the Great Wall of Shattered Worlds to me. You should prioritize finding Xu Ke."
"Once I've gathered all the pawns, the final ascension of the Xuanhuang World won't be far off," Li Fan instructed.
Immortal Master Yin nodded solemnly in agreement.
After issuing his instructions, Li Fan used the Boundless Steps Array to arrive at the edge of the Great Wall of Shattered Worlds. With the spectral wooden sword flitting back and forth, he expended considerable effort to collect the remaining five gray pawns from this location.
Even with his exceptional escape technique, the depths of the Great Wall of Shattered Worlds were fraught with peril. The fluctuating and turbulent astral energy, like surging waves, could only be partially neutralized by Li Fan's spectral wooden sword. He still had to contend with the omnipresent suction force.
Coupled with the constant burden of the Immortal Realm fragment, using the spectral wooden sword's escape technique consumed two to three times more energy than usual. Therefore, after collecting the five pawns, Li Fan was both physically and mentally exhausted.
But the gains were substantial. Li Fan gazed within his body. Five gray pawns, along with a larger seven-colored pawn, floated quietly, facing each other. Perhaps due to their small number, the newly acquired pawns only revolved around each other, unable to interact with the fused seven-colored pawn.
"Only two remain. One on the Celestial Ark, and one in the Medicine King Sect."
"Once all thirteen pawns are in place, they should, if I'm not mistaken, recreate a fragment of the former Immortal Realm." Li Fan narrowed his eyes.
He then struck his chest with a forceful palm, letting out a muffled groan. His already weary face paled further. Without using his spiritual energy to heal the injury, Li Fan maintained this weakened appearance as he leisurely made his way towards the Celestial Ark.
As he approached, without concealing his aura, the elders reacted. Led by Zhong Daogong, they came out to greet him.
"I have successfully completed my mission," Li Fan coughed lightly, cupping his hands and speaking faintly.
"You've worked hard, fellow Daoist!" Zhong Daogong's expression was solemn as he bowed deeply.
Li Fan frowned and sidestepped, scoffing, "Spare me the formalities. Although the ritual wasn't complex, concealing it from my master and the other Venerables took considerable effort."
"I'm unsure of the exact population encompassed by the ritual, but I presume it was sufficient."
Zhong Daogong smiled and nodded. "Approximately one hundred million souls. More than enough to bear the backlash of the Equal Heavens Technique."
"Since that's the case, there's no need to hide it from me any longer, is there?" Li Fan's gaze swept across the assembled elders.
"This isn't the place to discuss such matters. Let us speak inside the Celestial Ark." The elders, as always, remained cautious.
They arrived at the top of the Divine Technique platform, within the deepest chamber of the Severing Immortal Tower. The black profound jade floor was inscribed with mystical patterns. Li Fan recognized these symbols as part of the Equal Heavens Technique ritual. It seemed the elders were eager to begin.
The elders took their respective seats. Li Fan was also assigned a position, earned with the sacrifice of one hundred million souls. One hundred million humans represented an unimaginable number in the resource-scarce and life-depleted Celestial Ark. Therefore, upon completing the ritual, coupled with his previous actions, Li Fan had finally gained their absolute trust.
"Please be patient, fellow Daoist," Zhong Daogong said, gesturing towards Li Fan's designated spot. "Please take a seat and experience the effects of the Equal Heavens Technique first."
Li Fan complied without hesitation, floating down to sit. The patterns beneath him shimmered faintly. As he sat, his vision shifted under the glow. The positions of the Celestial Ark elders warped strangely in space. While originally seated on the same plane, they now appeared scattered throughout a three-dimensional cubic space, each occupying a specific point within the cube. Li Fan was positioned at the center, the focal point of their gazes. His expression remained unchanged.
"Misty heavens, vast eternity. Originally one, all beings equal..." The chanting of the Celestial Ark elders echoed, ancient, vast, and tinged with a hint of eerieness.
As the chant continued, the elders raised their arms, using their fingers as brushes to inscribe in the void before them. Each elder wrote only a partial structure of a complex True Immortal Seal script character. To Li Fan, it seemed as though countless moving lines had suddenly appeared, encircling him. As the lines were completed, the character 均 (jūn – equal) gradually formed.
Boom! Li Fan's body trembled. His vision involuntarily ascended, stopping at a fixed point. From this vantage, looking down, he saw the combined script structures written by the elders on different planes, forming a single 均 character on a single plane! And his body was pressed beneath it, at the very center!
The 均 character was more intricate than the 饥 (jī – hunger) and 乱 (luàn – chaos) characters Li Fan had seen before. While not as complex as Creation, it possessed a unique and profound mystique.
Under the influence of the Equal Heavens Technique, Li Fan gradually felt changes within his body. He checked his True Return panel. His remaining lifespan, which had dwindled to a mere ten years, was slowly increasing! Strands of black hair appeared amidst the white. Life force surged forth, revitalizing his decaying body.
However, Li Fan wasn't elated by this sudden extension of life. He continued to cautiously observe True Return. Only after the influx of life force receded and the Equal Heavens Technique ritual concluded, with no other reactions from True Return besides the change in his physiological age, did he finally relax.
"As expected, a single 均 character isn't enough to affect True Return."
"It only affects the target locked by the Equal Heavens Technique, such as lifespan in this instance."
"Other aspects, like divine sense and cultivation level, remain unchanged."
After thoroughly examining his condition, Li Fan reached this conclusion. He then looked at the members of the Celestial Ark's council of elders. Compared to before the ritual, they all appeared slightly older. However, because the lifespan reduction was distributed among them, the change wasn't particularly noticeable.
"How do you feel?" Zhong Daogong asked on behalf of the elders.
Li Fan feigned awakening from a trance, examining his rejuvenated body. He then bowed deeply to the elders, expressing his gratitude for their life-saving grace. The elders returned the gesture in unison.
"From now on, we are family," Zhong Daogong declared solemnly.
(End of Chapter)