The Healer's white hair and beard stirred, though no wind blew. His wrinkled face flickered, shifting between countless different visages. For some reason, the moment Tian Mo was freed from the ice, it attempted to possess the Healer!
However, as the Grand Venerable of All Laws, the Healer was far too powerful for the weakened Tian Mo to control. He plunged a long, golden needle into the top of his head. His fluctuating face returned to normal, and Tian Mo's spectral form was forced out. Simultaneously, countless golden threads, weaving themselves into a net, formed a world, pulling the expelled Tian Mo inwards.
Tian Mo roared, but it was no match for the Healer's power. It was subdued.
However, the Healer's expression remained grim. "I can't communicate with it at all? Has it lost its sentience after being frozen for so long?"
After examining Tian Mo, his furrowed brow relaxed. "This is actually beneficial. Its ability to influence the heart remains. It will make things easier."
Sighing at the loss of his old friend, the Healer quickly returned to his task, taking the sealed Tian Mo and another suitable world fragment back to the Heavenly Law World.
He didn't waste the year-long journey. As he traveled, countless golden threads, like tendrils, extended from him, sensing the True Immortal residual power along the way. He had taken Dao Attainment Celestial Venerable Su Bai's suggestion to heart.
"Indeed, if used correctly, the power of True Immortal Seal scripts might be enough to shake the Immortal Ruins…"
He practiced writing several characters in the air. Although merely phantoms, the moment they appeared, powerful fluctuations echoed around him, intensifying as he neared the Heavenly Law World. This was after less than a year of study, a testament to the Healer's incredible talent.
As the Heavenly Law World came into view, he dispelled the True Immortal Seal script phantoms and fully released his aura, openly initiating the process of integrating the world fragment, attracting the attention of most of the Longevity realm experts within the Heavenly Law World.
Meanwhile, he discreetly sent a projection, carrying the sealed Tian Mo, towards the Inverse Fusion Celestial Venerable.
Whether due to arrogance or foolishness, while the other Longevity realm cultivators in the Heavenly Law World concealed their auras and locations, the Inverse Fusion Celestial Venerable remained exposed.
The Healer easily reached his location. The Celestial Venerable, seemingly in seclusion, was startled by the Healer's actions, looking up at the sky with resentment.
Before him, a vision of the Heavenly Law World appeared, revealing several locations beyond the Healer's perception. The Healer's heart skipped a beat. After careful observation, he realized, "Those are remnants of the Xuanhuang World!"
"The Inverse Fusion Celestial Venerable's Dao, inadvertently aiding the remnants of Xuanhuang, has attracted its attention!"
"He's courting death!" Killing intent surged within the Healer.
The Heavenly Law World was his home, carrying the memories of his past and his loved ones. He wouldn't allow anyone to threaten it.
"Constant Dao of the Heavenly Law, Condense!"
He didn't hesitate, unleashing his most powerful technique.
Within the Heavenly Law World, the wind stilled, the rain stopped, and everything, even the flow of time, froze. Even the Longevity realm cultivators, embodiments of the world's principles, were no exception!
The Healer appeared behind the Inverse Fusion Celestial Venerable, placing his hand on his head. A dark light erupted, and the subdued Tian Mo was forced into the Celestial Venerable. Like the Healer before, the Inverse Fusion Celestial Venerable's face flickered, shifting between countless visages.
Stopping the flow of the Constant Dao seemed to take a toll on the Healer. After successfully implanting a part of Tian Mo within the Inverse Fusion Celestial Venerable, he immediately restored the world's normal operation. In that instant, his hair turned whiter, and his eyes clouded slightly.
The Healer was the Grand Venerable of All Laws. The changes in him were reflected in the Heavenly Law World. Thousands of miles of land turned barren, glaciers melted, and countless beings withered and died. The world seemed severely weakened by that brief pause.
But seeing the Inverse Fusion Celestial Venerable's contorted face return to normal, showing no hostility towards him, even nodding respectfully, the Healer finally relaxed.
With Tian Mo's return and the nourishment from the new world fragment, the Heavenly Law World quickly recovered. No one noticed that the Healer had used Tian Mo to possess the Inverse Fusion Celestial Venerable.
To be safe, he implanted eighty-one golden needles within the Celestial Venerable's body, completely suppressing his original consciousness and preventing Tian Mo from losing control.
Once successful, he could repeat it.
Over the next thirty years, the Healer used this method to control all the Longevity realm cultivators in the Heavenly Law World, except for the Single-Minded Celestial Venerable. Zhao Ruoxi, the Single-Minded Celestial Venerable, had scattered her consciousness, her presence spread throughout the world. Possessing her would be difficult, and she posed no immediate threat, so the Healer left her alone for now.
With the Heavenly Law World unified under his control, he could finally focus on his plan to save it.
Time flew by. A century passed.
The Heavenly Law World, having devoured nearly a hundred carefully selected world fragments, had more than doubled in size. The constant influx of vitality had also allowed it to completely digest the Xuanhuang World. There were no more hidden dangers within.
The Healer's power had also grown, reaching the limit of what the Star Sea could contain. He was on the verge of a breakthrough, yet there was no path forward. He couldn't take that crucial next step, a feeling that brought even him, with his unwavering resolve, a sense of frustration and despair.
"Is this the so-called Supreme Being realm?" He remained silent for a long time.
Then, he scoffed.
"Supreme Being…"
"Just a consolation prize for those who can't become immortals!"
"The path to immortality is blocked… blocked…" Feeling restricted by some Grand Dao Law, he suddenly remembered his experiences comprehending the High Wall.
"They seem similar."
"Yet fundamentally different."
As he thought this, his vision rapidly ascended. The vast Heavenly Law World shrunk to the size of a toy in his hand. The High Wall at the edge of the Star Sea seemed closer, within reach.
With a single step, the Healer vanished, reappearing a considerable distance closer in his miniature view of the Dark Star Sea. This "shrinking the earth into inches" technique was one of the insights he'd gained in the past century.
Spending years traversing the Star Sea, interacting with the High Wall and the Immortal Ruins, although his realm hadn't significantly increased, his power had reached an astonishing level. A journey that once took over a year now took less than two days.
Moreover, he felt his speed could increase further as his understanding of the Star Sea's "potential" deepened. Perhaps one day, he could cross the Star Sea in the blink of an eye!
Arriving at the High Wall, the Healer expertly projected countless golden threads, like flowing mercury, attempting to touch and sense the invisible barrier. He had done this countless times over the years. Despite never gaining any insights, he persisted in this seemingly futile endeavor.
He had a feeling he would discover something within the High Wall.
As if in response to his years of waiting, one day, the countless threads, flowing like a golden waterfall, suddenly stopped.
The Healer trembled, a sharp glint appearing in his clouded eyes, as if a breach had appeared in a vast, boundless ocean, and all the threads, like seawater, surged inwards.
"It's not a passage."
"Just a flaw."
"And there are traces of… artificial manipulation…" After careful examination, the Healer felt a pang of disappointment. "Perhaps it was created by some powerful cultivator in the Star Sea long ago."
As his senses probed deeper, all distractions vanished from his mind. He focused entirely on comprehending the flaw.
While he'd been unable to see the High Wall's true nature in the past century, through this flaw, he finally glimpsed it.
A creaking sound echoed.
Tears streamed down his face as he saw something indescribable. His body, despite his Supreme Being realm cultivation, couldn't withstand the pressure of the unknown force, bending and contorting.
Far away, at the other end of the Star Sea, the Heavenly Law World trembled, cracks appearing across its sky as if cut by an invisible blade.
At this critical moment, torn between further comprehension and the survival of the Heavenly Law World, the Healer chose the latter. He retreated, instinctively severing his connection to the High Wall.
The tremors in the Heavenly Law World ceased.
The Healer touched the tear stains on his face, a look of confusion in his eyes. He realized that everything he'd seen and understood was fading as his connection to the High Wall was severed.
And a premonition told him that to retain these memories, he had to reconnect with the High Wall before the sensations completely faded, to continue the inscription.
"But the Heavenly Law World can't withstand it anymore… It's reached its limit…" Hesitation and conflict, rarely seen in him, flickered in his eyes.
Finally, the Healer sighed.
He didn't approach the wall again, allowing the sensations to fade completely.
Pfft!
Having betrayed his own pursuit of the Dao, his spirit was severely wounded. He coughed up blood, quickly inserting needles into his acupoints.
But they couldn't stop the damage originating from his soul. He coughed up more blood.
"A healer can't heal himself…"
He remained in the void for half a month before fully recovering.
He tried to explore the High Wall's flaw again, but it was gone. It looked no different from any other section of the wall.
The Healer stood motionless, a sense of loss washing over him. He knew he had lost his chance to unravel the High Wall's secrets.
But he was resilient. After another ten days, he regained his composure.
"My pursuit of becoming a True Immortal is only to save the Heavenly Law World."
"I won't abandon my world for my own enlightenment."
"Besides…"
"…although I can't comprehend the High Wall's secrets, I can still use its power."
With a thought, countless golden threads formed a wall before him. But the moment it took shape, the threads collapsed, dissolving into golden light.
"The High Wall's flaw has left its mark on me."
"From now on, the High Wall is no longer invisible to me." A realization dawned on him.
"Perhaps…"
"…I can build a High Wall around the Heavenly Law World, blocking the Immortal Ruins' suction."
His enlightenment at the foot of the High Wall had enhanced his power.
He spent the next hundred years weaving countless golden threads, enveloping the Heavenly Law World like a cocoon, slowly pulling it away from the edge of the Immortal Ruins!
This daring act, snatching prey from the tiger's mouth, finally attracted the attention of the comprehending True Immortal within the Immortal Ruins. The majestic figure appeared above the Heavenly Law World, gazing at the Healer and the golden cocoon with an impassive expression.
The True Immortal's pressure caused the Heavenly Law World, even within its protective cocoon, to tremble, its mountains and rivers cracking.
But the Healer, facing this True Immortal… felt no fear. Only confusion.
"This…"
"…is a True Immortal?"
The True Immortal's projection slowly extended a hand, and an immense suction force emanated from it, pulling at everything in the Dark Star Sea, even light itself. Yet, the Healer remained rooted to the spot, like an unyielding pillar. He held onto the Heavenly Law World, like a kite buffeted by a fierce wind, tossed and turned, but the thread remained unbroken.
The confusion in his eyes deepened. He stood within the True Immortal's aura, not resisting.
Then, as if realizing something, he closed his eyes.
…
Outside the Myriad Xuanhuang Beings Grand Formation, Li Fan watched the rapidly fluctuating formation, on the verge of collapse, and sighed. The Healer was indeed powerful. And a downgraded immortal formation wasn't a true immortal formation. Even a complete immortal formation might not be able to fully replicate the power of a True Immortal from the Immortal Ruins.
The Healer discovering the flaw was expected.
"It doesn't matter. I've learned enough."
(End of Chapter)