Mo Rubin gazed at the boundary of the High Wall, a flicker of frustration on his face. But as a peerless prodigy of the ancient cultivation world, he quickly regained his composure.
Exhaling slowly, he said, "I was once just a step away from ascending to immortality."
"Brother Xuanyuan, a half-immortal, rarely displayed his true power before us. We interacted more as companions."
"This gave me the illusion that the chasm between mortals and immortals wasn't so vast."
"At least for me, it didn't seem like an insurmountable barrier. But now…hahaha…" Mo Rubin's voice was filled with rueful amusement.
"One doesn't know the height of a mountain until they reach its peak, nor the depth of an abyss until they stand before it. Even having been near the Immortal Ruins and experienced the power of True Immortals, how could it compare to truly reaching out and touching it? To be honest, the power of True Immortals is truly beyond my imagination," Li Fan agreed.
"What are your plans now, fellow Daoist? Will you continue studying the secrets of the High Wall here, or will you leave and resume your search for the Profound Heaven King?" Li Fan asked.
After a moment of hesitation, Mo Rubin looked back at the High Wall. "I'm not quite ready to leave. I plan to… observe a little longer."
"I'll give it thirty days. If I haven't gained any insights within that time, I'll leave immediately and never face the High Wall again." Mo Rubin seemed conflicted and uncertain.
Li Fan understood his feelings. The allure of the Dao was irresistible. With the secrets of True Immortals so close, even if intangible and invisible, who could simply glance at them and walk away? Especially since the High Wall's secrets held the hope of escaping the Dark Star Sea.
Li Fan said gravely, "In that case, I'll leave a spectral wooden sword to assist you!"
He conjured a miniature sword phantom, enveloping Mo Rubin within its protective aura.
"You're leaving? Not going to study it further?" Mo Rubin was taken aback.
"Haha, I'm different from you, fellow Daoist. You were once on the verge of ascension," Li Fan said, subtly flattering him before sighing. "But I know that with my aptitude, even observing it for millions of years wouldn't make a difference. I can't unravel the High Wall's secrets."
Mo Rubin was speechless. He looked at the spectral wooden sword surrounding him, about to speak, but Li Fan's voice suddenly rose with fervor.
"However, my temporary departure doesn't mean I'm giving up!"
"Since I, a lowly individual, am unable to do it, then why not let everyone in the world give it a try!"
"Hmm?" Mo Rubin's eyes widened, thinking he'd misheard.
"You want to bring everyone here to comprehend the Dao at the foot of the High Wall?" he asked incredulously.
"Even we are struggling to survive here. Those with lower cultivation levels would be crushed instantly by the High Wall's pressure. How can they possibly comprehend anything?"
Li Fan chuckled. "My eyes are the eyes of all; my hands are the hands of all; where I am, all are present…"
"Through my body, let all beings comprehend the principles of the High Wall."
As he chanted these words, another phantom separated from him. Similar in aura to the spectral wooden sword, yet faintly resembling Li Fan, it was a fragment of his soul fused with an escape technique phantom. Further enhanced by formations, this phantom's sensory input was amplified a thousandfold.
"I'll leave this phantom here to comprehend the Dao with you, fellow Daoist. I'll return to the Xuanhuang World and share its experiences with everyone," Li Fan said with a smile.
Mo Rubin seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
Li Fan continued, "Don't worry, I won't reveal the High Wall's existence directly, nor will I tell them that what they're sensing is a flaw in it."
"I'll simply synchronize the sensations of my comprehension phantom with them."
"Millions of people, millions of thoughts. Each person will have a different interpretation. Even if none of them are correct, they might still offer us some inspiration." Li Fan's expression was confident.
"…That's… certainly a method," Mo Rubin conceded after a long silence.
"I'm off!" Before he finished speaking, Li Fan vanished into the Star Sea with his spectral wooden sword.
Mo Rubin shook his head slightly, putting Li Fan out of his mind for now. After a brief rest, he resumed his exploration of the High Wall's flaw with the spectral wooden sword.
Meanwhile, even before Li Fan returned to the Xuanhuang World, dramatic changes were already taking place on the Dao Discussion Platforms in the various small worlds.
The projections of the Master, who had been constantly teaching day and night, suddenly stopped, gazing at the sky in contemplation. A loud rumble emanated from the platforms.
The inhabitants of the small worlds, confused and bewildered, murmured amongst themselves.
Beams of black light descended from the heavens, staining the sky. Within moments, the once azure sky turned completely black, plunging the worlds into darkness. Even the sun's brilliant light couldn't penetrate the oppressive gloom.
The small worlds, like the Dark Star Sea, were shrouded in darkness. Only the comprehension phantoms on the Dao Discussion Platforms emitted a faint glow, providing the only light in the world.
The mortals of the small worlds, having never witnessed such a terrifying phenomenon, believed the end was near, gripped by fear and despair. If not for the faint light from the comprehension phantoms, many would have succumbed to despair and taken their own lives.
Thus, the comprehension phantoms, radiating a light of salvation, became their only hope.
Previously, only those aspiring to cultivate would visit the Dao Discussion Platforms. But now, driven by their survival instincts, almost all beings flocked towards the platforms like moths to a flame.
As the crowds grew, the platforms expanded, growing millions of times larger than their original size, encompassing almost the entire small world.
The people knelt, begging the Master's phantom for salvation. The phantom remained motionless. They continued their pleas, not daring to rise until a compassionate sigh echoed throughout the world.
The dark sky shifted in response to the sigh.
The Master's phantom ascended towards the sky, radiating a brilliant light that momentarily illuminated the darkened world. His figure transformed into a rainbow, stretching across the sky, partially blocking the encroaching darkness. Like a luminous veil, it brought a glimmer of light back to the world, giving its inhabitants hope. They cheered, praising the Master's name.
But their celebration was short-lived. More darkness descended from the heavens, like a colossal wall pressing down on the sky, extinguishing most of the light the Master had brought. Despair returned, their cries echoing across the land.
The Master's resolute face appeared on the luminous veil. Gathering his remaining strength, he charged towards the wall of darkness, attempting to shatter the world-destroying gloom.
The collision between the Master and the darkness was silent.
In the end, the Master vanished completely. And the wall of darkness… seemed to have changed slightly.
The people stared intently at the point where the Master's face had struck the wall of darkness. They seemed to hear his final message:
"The path to salvation lies within."
The people wept. Faced with this apocalyptic crisis, some succumbed to despair, abandoning all hope. But most struggled to understand the Master's final words.
Clearly, the method to break the wall of darkness and save the world lay within that invisible yet tangible point where the Master had made his final stand.
As the people on the ground tried to sense the nature of that point, something incredible happened. The Dao Discussion Platforms, left behind by the Master, emitted a faint light that drifted towards them. In an instant, they felt themselves transported across the distance between heaven and earth, arriving at the edge of the sky, experiencing the existence of that point firsthand.
They understood. This was the Master's final gift, the method to save the world and themselves.
Driven by their desire to survive, the people unleashed their hidden potential. They quickly established a connection with the Dao Discussion Platform, their mortal bodies sensing the small point within the wall of darkness.
…
This scene unfolded in every small world where a Dao Discussion Platform stood. And the architect of all this was, of course, Li Fan.
Li Fan himself had returned to the Xuanhuang World. Having used formations to create the illusion of encroaching darkness, sealing the skies of the small worlds, he felt the resistance from their Heavenly Daos. Although the power of a single small world was negligible to him, their combined resistance was considerable.
However… it was only considerable.
After some effort, Li Fan suppressed them all. According to his plan, these small worlds would eventually merge with Xuanhuang, becoming nourishment for the ascended super Xuanhuang World. Their Heavenly Dao consciousnesses would also be devoured.
Using formations, he connected these small worlds.
Li Fan observed the situation within each world.
"In my experience, people only unleash their full potential when facing a life-or-death crisis. Simply asking them to comprehend something, without that sense of urgency, wouldn't be as effective."
"This is… much better." Sensing the countless thoughts and attempts at comprehension from the beings connected to the Dao Discussion Platforms, Li Fan nodded in satisfaction.
The gap between mortals and cultivators was vast, let alone the gap between mortals and True Immortals. But because True Immortals were so far removed from mortal comprehension, in their eyes, there was little difference between mortals and ordinary cultivators.
Therefore, in terms of comprehending the flaw in the High Wall, there wasn't much difference between cultivators and mortals.
"The advantage lies in their sheer number. The sample size is large enough."
"Besides, under the subtle influence of the Dao Discussion Platforms, these small worlds have already begun evolving towards true cultivation worlds. Many cultivators have emerged among them."
After analyzing their attempts at comprehension, Li Fan found that almost all were useless. But he wasn't discouraged. This was just the beginning.
He created a formation-based simulated personality specifically to categorize and process these thoughts, filtering out the useless information and relaying only the noteworthy ones to him.
"This is just another arrangement."
"I don't truly expect these mortals to unravel the secrets of the High Wall."
"Ultimately, I'll likely have to rely on myself."
Li Fan sensed the sensations from his comprehension phantom at the edge of the Star Sea.
"The High Wall, a creation of True Immortals… studying it alone is too difficult."
"Besides these mortals, I can also use those immortal artifacts to help."
"It's a pity I already fed the Boundless Mirror to the Xuanhuang World. If I don't find anything in this life, I can try it in the next."
Discovering the flaw in the High Wall through Mo Rubin had been an unexpected boon. Li Fan's current priority was still to integrate with the Heavenly Soul. Crossing the High Wall wasn't as urgent.
"Even if I unravel the High Wall's secrets, I won't risk myself!"
"It's far too dangerous beyond the wall!"
The image of Mao Bao devouring immortals and the High Wall collapsing in his previous life flashed before his eyes. Without fear, he simply scoffed, suppressing these distracting thoughts.
With a single step, he arrived in the main Xuanhuang World and gazed at the sky.
Having received the Star Sea's promise, Li Fan effortlessly established a connection with the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao. And this time, the Heavenly Dao wasn't as indifferent as before. It was almost… ingratiating.
"This Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao…" Li Fan chuckled, shaking his head.
Setting that aside for now, he communicated with the world, gaining a deeper and more detailed understanding of the changes occurring within the Xuanhuang World. It was like a thorough examination of a critically ill patient before a major surgery. Although Li Fan could investigate on his own, directly inquiring with the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao consciousness was far more convenient and accurate.
During their exchange, Li Fan also continuously imparted his insights from the Star Sea's Source True Intent and the foot of the High Wall to the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, offering his knowledge freely, without expecting anything in return. This was to strengthen his connection and bond with the Xuanhuang World.
Just as childhood was the easiest time to foster affection, Li Fan wanted to solidify his connection with the Xuanhuang World before its ascension, to make it easier to devour its Heavenly Soul in the future.
(End of Chapter)