Li Fan, his thoughts returning to the present, tightly gripped the Northern Chill Immortal Coin, trying to decipher its purpose.
"It can't be just ordinary currency, can it?" He felt there was more to it.
He first tried infusing it with Source Power Essence. However, Source Power Essence, while the closest thing in the lower realms to immortal spiritual energy, wasn't the same. It had no effect on a true Immortal Realm artifact like the Northern Chill coin. The surging Source Power Essence simply washed over the coin's surface, unable to penetrate it.
Li Fan withdrew the Source Power Essence and, after a moment's thought, went to the void outside the Xuanhuang World. He activated the Ascension Formation, observing the coin from a higher dimension.
As expected, his perspective changed. As his "potential" increased, the rapidly changing images on one side of the coin slowed down, revealing more of the overall picture.
And… above the panoramic view of the Northern Chill Immortal Realm, a faint, blurry figure appeared.
Li Fan couldn't see its face clearly, but a single glance sent his spiritual energy into a frenzy, instantly causing him to lose his elevated "potential" and fall back to his normal state.
The turmoil within his spiritual energy continued. Li Fan frowned, attempting to suppress it with greater force.
But this was like adding fuel to the fire. It raged uncontrollably, consuming his spiritual energy and his physical body before finally subsiding.
A moment later, with a strange fluctuation, Li Fan's body reappeared in the void, his physical and spiritual energy fully restored.
"Not just my body and spiritual energy, but even my soul was almost affected."
"Fortunately, I acted decisively, severing the connection between my soul and body in time." Li Fan examined his new body, his expression grave.
"Just a single glance at that figure…"
"Is this the punishment for a mortal attempting to glimpse a True Immortal?"
"If not for my exceptional survival abilities, even the most powerful Dao Integration cultivator in the Xuanhuang World wouldn't have survived."
"That figure is definitely no ordinary True Immortal. The Nameless Realm…" Li Fan mused.
Temporarily sealing the Northern Chill coin and suppressing it within the Great Qi small world, he decided to postpone fusing the Immortal Realm fragments and leisurely headed towards the Celestial Ark. He also stopped setting up the Equal Heavens Ritual to avoid arousing their suspicion.
Along the way, Li Fan sensed subtle changes within his own body. Although minuscule, his control over himself was so complete that he noticed them immediately.
He touched his face. "It's starting to resemble the multi-eyed Desolate God… Is this the price of using its power?"
"I haven't even directly interacted with it. This is just the influence of the Equal Heavens Ritual."
A look of amusement flickered across his face. Maintaining his charade, he first went to the Celestial Ark's previous location. Finding nothing, he feigned confusion, then used the connection established through the Equal Heavens Ritual to locate their new hiding place.
The Ark's entrance was sealed. No elders came out to greet him. Feigning anxiety, Li Fan released his aura as a signal. After waiting, still receiving no response, he prepared to force his way in.
Only then did Zhong Daogong's weak voice echo, "Don't worry, we're fine."
"We're just… not available at the moment…"
Li Fan, initially relieved, then responded with indignation, "After the Equal Heavens Ritual, we're practically family. You still don't trust me?"
Zhong Daogong sighed. "It's not that. Haven't you noticed the changes in yourself?"
Li Fan feigned surprise, then examined himself, his body trembling dramatically. "What happened?!"
Zhong Daogong recounted the incident with the Immortal Puppet.
Li Fan's expression shifted, as if struggling to speak.
"Fortunately, the puppet was also injured. In the end, it only took the last pawn and an Immortal Coin, causing minimal damage to the Ark. Otherwise, I would be eternally guilty."
"We underestimated its power. We never expected something capable of rivaling the Desolate God to exist in the current Star Sea," Zhong Daogong coughed lightly.
After a long silence, Li Fan finally spoke. "Even if I were there, I might have fallen for the trap. After all, it's an Immortal Puppet, immune to True Immortal Seal scripts and possessing True Immortal flesh…"
"Could there be a civilization hidden within the Star Sea, surpassing both the Celestial Ark and Great Qi?" he asked, feigning shock.
"It seems likely," Zhong Daogong said, then added, "Now that they have all the pawns, they'll probably focus on recreating the Immortal Realm fragment and leave us alone for a while."
"They didn't leave any tracking marks? It's frustrating to lose such valuable treasures."
"Even if we can't defeat them, we should at least track them down and cause some trouble, to let them know the Celestial Ark isn't easy to bully," Li Fan grumbled.
Zhong Daogong didn't argue, replying calmly, "We were simply outmatched. The Celestial Ark prioritizes survival, not pointless conflicts. Besides, none of us have mastered your extraordinary escape technique."
Li Fan was speechless.
"The multi-eyed Desolate God is one of our last resorts. Although it can unleash immortal-level power, it requires extensive preparation and carries the risk of backlash…"
"The reason we can't meet you is because, as a participant in the Equal Heavens Ritual, you're unaffected by the Desolate God. You're like an anchor, slowing down our transformation," Zhong Daogong explained briefly.
"Your absence actually helps our recovery."
Li Fan nodded, accepting this explanation.
"Do you need any assistance? I recall a Dao Venerable in Great Qi who studied the effects of True Immortal power…"
Zhong Daogong hesitated, then declined Li Fan's offer. "Don't worry. We have experience dealing with True Immortal Seal scripts."
Li Fan sighed regretfully. "Very well. I came here risking much, concerned about the Ark's safety, since I'm in the middle of performing the ritual…"
"The ritual now encompasses thirty million people. If all goes well, I can increase it three to five times more," Li Fan reported his progress.
Zhong Daogong's voice finally brightened. "Good. That should minimize the Star Sea's backlash."
"This is just a minor setback. The bigger picture is more important. There can be no mistakes with the ritual. You should return quickly." He was clearly dismissing Li Fan.
"They're suspicious of me. They're too weak to let me in."
"But they still need me to gather sacrifices for the ritual, so they can't openly turn against me."
Understanding their intentions, Li Fan was about to take his leave when…
Boom!
A powerful shockwave, like a tsunami, suddenly erupted from the distant High Wall. It moved too fast, and needing to maintain his facade, Li Fan pretended to be caught off guard, swept away for thousands of miles before regaining his footing.
The hidden Celestial Ark, however, was exposed by the powerful shockwave, tossed around like a small boat in a storm.
"What happened?!" Li Fan asked, feigning alarm as he returned to the Ark, gazing towards the High Wall.
The Celestial Ark members were equally surprised.
"We've only recorded three such phenomena in the Ark's history…"
"We don't know its origin."
"It's a pity we're currently recovering from injuries. Otherwise, we would investigate."
The other elders, all looking weak and depleted, emerged from the Ark.
Li Fan sensed the receding shockwave, noticing that its power rapidly dissipated as it traveled through the Star Sea, as if the True Immortal residual power was hindering its progress.
"I'll go take a look!" Li Fan volunteered, cupping his hands towards the Ark.
"Don't worry, if I can't find the source, I'll return immediately!"
Without waiting for their response, he sped towards the source of the disturbance with his spectral wooden sword. Quickly crossing the Great Wall of Shattered Worlds, following the residual energy fluctuations, he neared the origin.
Li Fan's expression turned grave. He realized the shockwave seemed to have originated from the flaw in the High Wall!
His heart skipped a beat. He accelerated.
Moments later, arriving at the flaw, he found only half of Mo Rubin's head remaining, unconscious. The wooden sword and comprehension phantom he'd left were still there, seemingly unaffected by the shockwave.
"That's why I didn't sense it…"
"What happened? Can the High Wall retaliate now? Did Mo Rubin actually discover something?"
Li Fan's mind raced. After a quick examination, he found that although severely injured, Mo Rubin wasn't dead. Relieved, he was about to examine the flaw when his expression changed.
He sensed a familiar aura rapidly approaching.
"The Healer?!"
"Is he here because of the shockwave too?"
Li Fan pondered briefly, then made a decision. He didn't want a direct confrontation with the Healer yet. Alerting him to his plan to ascend the Xuanhuang World would only complicate things.
He quickly fled the scene with Mo Rubin's head, using his spectral wooden sword.
"Strange, the Celestial Ark mentioned observing similar shockwaves before."
"If this shockwave was caused by Mo Rubin comprehending the High Wall's flaw, doesn't it mean someone has done this before?"
Considering the Healer's swift arrival, a realization dawned on Li Fan.
"The Healer also discovered the flaw in the High Wall?"
"And he's even studied it, gaining insights?"
"He's truly not to be underestimated, even with my immortal formations." Li Fan was shaken.
He flew past the Great Wall of Shattered Worlds, reaching a desolate area in the Star Sea before stopping to heal Mo Rubin.
Infused with Li Fan's spiritual energy and soul power, Mo Rubin slowly regained consciousness, his body regenerating.
"Ugh…" He opened his eyes, confused, staring blankly at Li Fan's concerned face for a moment before looking around.
"Where… Where am I? Wasn't I at the foot of the High Wall?"
"You were severely injured. Fortunately, I found you in time," Li Fan explained simply.
This seemed to trigger a missing memory. Mo Rubin's body shuddered.
"What happened? You were in a terrible state. What could have injured you so badly…?" Li Fan stared intently at him.
Mo Rubin opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"While you were unconscious, a strange shockwave swept through the Star Sea."
"And there are records of three identical shockwaves in the past…"
"Do you know what this means?"
Mo Rubin's eyes widened in disbelief. After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Actually… I'm not sure."
"I remember comprehending the High Wall's secrets… I suddenly understood something."
"I can't describe it."
"It felt like… like a fish leaping out of the sea, a bird soaring into the sky. I saw something completely different…" Mo Rubin's voice was dreamy, his brow furrowed as he struggled to recall the sensation.
"Then, I lost consciousness."
"You didn't even resist?" Li Fan asked.
Mo Rubin shook his head.
"That shockwave rapidly weakened as it traveled. Its power was already terrifying when I encountered it near the Celestial Ark. Imagine its intensity at its origin near the High Wall. If it was truly caused by comprehension, as Mo Rubin suggests, is it some kind of defense mechanism triggered by the High Wall?" Li Fan wondered.
Mo Rubin suddenly realized something. "You brought me away… Does that mean someone went to investigate the flaw?"
"Indeed. And that person is very powerful, perhaps even stronger than us," Li Fan said gravely.
Mo Rubin's expression shifted.
"No, I have to return to the High Wall immediately! I can feel my insights fading. If I don't reinforce them with the High Wall's aura, all my efforts will be wasted!" he declared resolutely, ignoring Li Fan and flying towards his destination.
Going towards a powerful, unknown enemy contradicted Mo Rubin's usual cautious nature. It showed how alluring the High Wall's secrets were, even affecting his judgment.
After a moment's thought, Li Fan decided to follow. His spectral wooden sword enveloped them both, Source Power Essence forming a concealing formation around them.
"Returning now is actually a good opportunity. The enemy, after finding no one there, will likely try to track us for a while. They won't expect us to return so soon…"
As he spoke, they arrived back at the flaw in the High Wall.
The Healer was gone.
Mo Rubin was about to approach when Li Fan stopped him. Upon closer inspection, they found thin, spiderweb-like threads covering the flaw, clinging to the invisible High Wall.
Both of them gasped.
"This…"
They had both experienced the transcendental nature of the High Wall. Mo Rubin, especially, having spent months comprehending its secrets, knew that even staying near it for extended periods was difficult, let alone leaving traces of his energy on it.
"Such a powerful being exists in the Star Sea?"
After his initial shock, Li Fan quickly calmed down. "It's just a temporary measure. Those threads are dissipating."
"We just need to wait."
Mo Rubin said gravely, "We can't wait."
"Whoever set this up must have had a similar experience comprehending the High Wall. They know that delaying me for a while is enough…"
"And…" Mo Rubin looked around. "They probably haven't gone far. They're waiting for us to take the bait."
Despite his words, he instinctively moved towards the High Wall's flaw, his aura fluctuating uncontrollably, his desire overriding his reason.
Li Fan, after a long silence, sighed. "Very well. I'll accompany you."
"I'll hold them off!"
"Be quick. I can't hold them for long!"
As he spoke, golden threads emerged from Li Fan, weaving themselves into an intricate and beautiful pattern in the void.
"Let the Healer experience my Illusory, Myriad Xuanhuang Beings Grand Formation!" he thought, a cold glint in his eyes.
Although he didn't want a premature confrontation, he wasn't afraid of the Healer. With his escape technique and immortal formations, he was confident he could suppress the Healer for a while!
Reassured by Li Fan's promise, Mo Rubin no longer held back.
"Demonic Heart, Immortal Intent!" he roared.
Countless faces, like dark clouds before a storm, erupted from him, each with a different expression, swarming towards the golden threads like moths to a flame. Under the cover of these demonic souls, Mo Rubin approached the High Wall.
A sound like a plucked string echoed through the Star Sea. Before the demonic souls could reach the golden threads, many were annihilated, like snow melting under sunlight, leaving behind only faint, blurry figures. Upon closer inspection, each figure contained a thin golden thread, connecting them to the Healer's control. They instantly turned against Mo Rubin, colliding with his demonic souls.
"Mere mortal techniques dare to compete with immortal methods?" Mo Rubin scoffed, his eyes turning into pools of eerie darkness.
An invisible mirror appeared before him, reflecting the demonic souls controlled by the Healer's golden threads. A black light erupted from the mirror, turning the illusory reflections into reality. Then, the reflected demonic souls transformed into images of Mo Rubin himself! Even under the control of the golden threads, they were forcibly possessed by Mo Rubin!
Using the cover of his undying demonic souls, Mo Rubin broke through the Healer's outer defenses.
Just as the High Wall's flaw was within reach, he suddenly found himself immobilized.
Invisible needles, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, were pinning him down. Initially, there was just one, then two, then four. They multiplied rapidly, like a living organism, quickly covering all his acupoints. Mo Rubin's ferocious expression seemed to freeze.
Li Fan, observing while setting up his formation, considered intervening. But he had underestimated Mo Rubin, a Dharma King of the ancient Profound Heaven Sect.
The moment Mo Rubin froze, a touch of blackness appeared on the invisible needles, spreading like a muddy swamp, consuming them. Upon closer inspection, the blackness was revealed to be Mo Rubin's demonic souls, but far more feral than those he'd released before, their eyes filled with a destructive frenzy as they devoured the sealing needles.
As each needle was consumed, it was pulled from Mo Rubin's body and flew towards the other needles, aiding in their destruction. The sealing needles rapidly disintegrated. Within moments, they were all gone.
"The Undying Demonic Heart Immortal Technique, personally chosen for Mo Rubin by the Profound Heaven King, is truly extraordinary!" Li Fan marveled, having witnessed the entire process.
With the sealing needles gone, only the Healer's final layer of defense remained. And Li Fan, having completed his formation, sensed the Healer's aura approaching.
"Even the strongest in the Star Sea must face my Myriad Xuanhuang Beings Formation!" A fierce glint appeared in Li Fan's eyes.
Looking at the approaching figure with long white hair, he remembered his first encounter with this peerless expert from the Heavenly Law World.
Source Power Essence flowed from him, and the Terminal Dissociation Disc spun at its maximum speed. The information he'd gathered on the Heavenly Law World during his hundred lifetimes flashed through his mind.
"Let's see how you like this world I've created just for you!"
"Activate!" Li Fan roared.
An invisible wave enveloped the approaching Healer. A look of surprise crossed his face before he lost consciousness.
When he awoke, after a moment of disorientation, a childish voice called out, "Venerable One! Venerable One!"
The Healer looked towards the source of the voice.
It was an adorable young girl, barely a teenager, yet already at the Nascent Soul realm.
"Su Xiaomei." Information about the girl appeared in his mind.
"Two worlds merged, two Heavenly Dao consciousnesses residing within mother and daughter."
"Exceptionally talented, naturally immune to the Celestial-Mortal Miasma, possessing the perfect physique all beings dream of."
"Celestial-Mortal Miasma?" The Healer felt a sense of dissonance.
After a brief moment of dizziness, he remembered what had happened in the past millennia. In the final battle between the Heavenly Law World and the Xuanhuang World, the Heavenly Law World had emerged victorious, devouring Xuanhuang and gaining its resources, allowing them to temporarily escape the Immortal Ruins.
However, the victory came at a heavy cost. All the Venerables of the Heavenly Law World, except for himself, had perished. And in their final moments of despair, the Xuanhuang cultivators had used their world as a sacrifice, unleashing a devastating attack.
The Celestial-Mortal Miasma, the "Techniques Cannot Be Cultivated Together" restriction, and other world laws, like poison, were embedded within the merged world. Even the fundamental principles of cultivation had changed.
Severely injured and unconscious, he hadn't noticed in time.
When he awoke, the Heavenly Law World was unrecognizable. The restriction against cultivating multiple techniques had caused cultivators to turn on each other. The already weakened world was almost driven to the brink of collapse.
Fortunately, after a period of brutal conflict, the surviving cultivators had access to numerous techniques. The fighting stopped, but trust was lost. They lived in a desolate wasteland, wary and isolated.
During this time, surviving cultivators from the Star Sea discovered the remnants of the Heavenly Law World. Their home worlds having been destroyed in the Star Sea calamity, they settled here.
Over the millennia, the Star Sea continued to change. The Immortal Ruins' suction pulled at everything. The Heavenly Law World, once a haven, was now at the edge of the Immortal Ruins, teetering on the brink of destruction.
This was the scene the Healer had awakened to. Although shocked, he immediately took action, convincing several Longevity realm experts to form a loose alliance, gathering the remaining cultivators and supporting the development of new generations. The Heavenly Law World slowly regained its vitality, but the Longevity realm experts, each with their own agendas, plotted their escape from the sinking ship.
This was the Heavenly Law World the Healer was trying to save.
(End of Chapter)