"The Supreme Being realm…"
"So that's what the Healer calls himself now."
Li Fan's thoughts raced. He reinforced the formations around the Healer, delaying him further, then turned his attention to Mo Rubin.
His reaction was almost identical to the Healer's when he'd touched the High Wall within the Myriad Xuanhuang Beings Formation. Without any outward display of power, tears streamed down Mo Rubin's face as if he'd glimpsed something beyond the wall, like a sudden enlightenment.
Fortunately, he was starting to emerge from his trance, his eyes regaining their clarity.
"Let's go!"
Li Fan projected golden threads, wrapping them tightly around Mo Rubin, a technique remarkably similar to the Healer's. He pulled Mo Rubin towards him, and his spectral wooden sword materialized. Moments later, they were beyond the Healer's sensory range.
Mo Rubin, still lost in the afterglow of his enlightenment, seemed dazed.
Li Fan didn't disturb him, heading towards the Xuanhuang World while reviewing the insights he'd gained from trapping the Healer within the Myriad Xuanhuang Beings Formation. As the creator of this grand formation, his role was more than just an observer.
The Illusory, Myriad Xuanhuang Beings Grand Formation blurred the lines between reality and illusion. Based on an immortal-level formation and infused with a touch of Li Fan's "Interplay of Truth and Illusion," the events within the formation weren't merely an illusion experienced by the Healer, but a representation of a real possibility—a possibility where the Heavenly Law World had defeated Xuanhuang.
However, this possibility only existed within the confines of the formation. Once the formation was broken, it would vanish.
All beings within the formation, except for the Healer, were infused with a fragment of Li Fan's will.
Su Bai, Inverse Fusion, and even the Heavenly Law World, Tian Mo, and the High Wall itself, were all partially constructed from Li Fan's consciousness.
Therefore, he could experience the Healer's actions and thoughts firsthand, even sensing his emotional fluctuations. This was the power of the immortal formation.
The Healer, having taught Li Fan the Healer's Immortal Scripture and the Record of Mending the Heavens, was practically his teacher. Li Fan was intimately familiar with his experiences and techniques. With a complete understanding of the Healer's theoretical foundation and his techniques, replicating them… wasn't difficult for Li Fan.
In fact, infused with the transcendental "Interplay of Truth and Illusion," Li Fan's version of the golden threads technique was even more refined. The threads wrapped around Mo Rubin seemed to vanish, but they had actually entered his body, hidden in a "fake" state as a contingency plan. Not only was Mo Rubin unaware of this, but probably no one in the entire Dark Star Sea could detect this seemingly insignificant yet extraordinary technique.
When needed, with a shift from "Fake as Real," the golden threads would materialize, erupting within Mo Rubin's body.
"These threads, while appearing as threads, are actually manifestations of my understanding of the world's principles, the Grand Dao."
"Although my current power is slightly inferior to the Healer's, my comprehension of these principles is definitely not."
Besides the golden threads technique, Li Fan had also learned the Healer's method of sealing Tian Mo. The eighty-one golden needles, while different from the Soul Seal, World Substitution technique the Healer had used in his previous life, shared the same origin. Li Fan had almost completely deciphered it. With a little more time, he could replicate it.
Moreover, the Healer's actions to save the Heavenly Law World, especially his ability to freeze the world's operation by condensing the Constant Dao, had given Li Fan new ideas regarding the Heavenly Soul he intended to integrate with in this life.
"The Healer is truly a treasure trove of knowledge. Unfortunately, the same formation won't work on him again."
"I can try it in the next life."
"Using the Myriad Xuanhuang Beings Formation as my eyes, I'll extract all his knowledge and power!"
…
Nearing Xuanhuang, Mo Rubin finally regained full consciousness. He was stunned for a moment, then, realizing his current location, immediately tried to return to the High Wall.
Li Fan frowned, restraining him with the golden threads. Mo Rubin struggled, surprised to find himself bound. He hadn't realized Li Fan possessed such a powerful technique.
"Calm down, Brother Mo."
"You've comprehended the High Wall twice. If you still can't resist its allure, you'll be trapped forever, lost in its depths!"
Li Fan's cold words snapped Mo Rubin out of his trance. He stopped struggling.
Li Fan didn't release him.
"Do you still feel that sense of irretrievable loss?" he asked gravely.
Even with his comprehension, Li Fan hadn't gained any insights from the High Wall's flaw. His current question was based entirely on the Healer's experience within the formation.
Mo Rubin's expression was complex. "Irretrievable loss… that's the perfect description."
He cupped his hands, thanking Li Fan for stopping him, then sighed. "Thanks to you, fellow Daoist, I was able to fully comprehend the secrets of the High Wall's flaw."
"However, what I understood…" He paused for a long time.
"…isn't something I can currently grasp."
"Hmm?" Li Fan raised an eyebrow.
"I know it sounds confusing, even unbelievable, but it's true."
"It's an understanding that doesn't exist within the Dark Star Sea. Only through the High Wall can we perceive it."
"And away from the High Wall, even though I 'remember' and 'understand' it, I can't manifest something that doesn't exist…" Mo Rubin's voice was dreamy as he struggled to explain his experience.
Li Fan understood. It was like trying to explain the "Interplay of Truth and Illusion" to someone without True Return. They wouldn't be able to comprehend it, dismissing it as nonsense, because for them, such a concept simply didn't exist.
"Touching the High Wall allows you to recall the understanding, but leaving it makes it vanish…"
"Isn't that like the moon in the mirror, the flowers in the water, completely useless? At least you can see the moon and the flowers," Li Fan said, feigning disappointment.
Mo Rubin pondered, then shook his head slightly. "Not quite. Although I can't retain the understanding, these two experiences have allowed me to translate the High Wall's existence into something I can comprehend."
He tapped a finger in the air, drawing a circle around Li Fan.
Li Fan's vision blurred. Mo Rubin vanished. Even the Dark Star Sea disappeared from his perception. His divine sense and the connection to the golden needles he'd implanted were severed! It was as if an invisible wall had been erected around him, blocking his senses.
"Interesting. A miniature High Wall."
But Mo Rubin's wall was clearly no match for the one surrounding the Dark Star Sea. Without even using the Nine Heavens Dustfall Finger, Li Fan simply elevated his "potential" slightly and stepped over the barrier.
Mo Rubin, still in the same spot, wasn't surprised by Li Fan's quick escape.
"My understanding is still insufficient."
"If you give me more time, it won't be so easy for you to escape," he said slowly.
Li Fan frowned. "Your technique, Brother Mo, seems to be missing a crucial element compared to the true High Wall…"
"It's this missing element that weakens its power. If you can decipher it, you might truly be able to 'draw a prison on the ground' at will."
A look of longing and frustration flickered in Mo Rubin's eyes. Such easily triggered emotional fluctuations were rare for a cultivator of the Undying Demonic Heart Immortal Technique. It showed how deeply the High Wall's secrets had affected him.
"I have True Return, so I don't have to worry about that irretrievable loss. But I still haven't gained any insights from it. Is the difference in our comprehension truly that vast? It seems I'll have to return and rely on the collective wisdom of the small worlds again, even though time is running out in this life," Li Fan mused.
He then asked about Mo Rubin's plans.
"Will you continue searching for the Profound Heaven King in the remaining areas of the Star-Crossing Array?"
"While you were comprehending the High Wall, I searched the Xuanhuang World again. Unlike the Eye of the Celestial Beast and the Gathering Spirit Ascension Formation, the other parts of the Star-Crossing Array are likely severely damaged, unsuitable for the Profound Heaven King to hide within…" Li Fan said slowly.
Mo Rubin looked at the Xuanhuang World in the distance. As they talked about the Profound Heaven King, the uncertainty in his eyes vanished, and he became the enigmatic Dharma King of the Profound Heaven Sect once more. Perhaps Li Fan's willingness to protect him had deepened his trust.
After a moment of hesitation, Mo Rubin spoke. "There's one more place I'd like to visit."
"But after millennia, the Xuanhuang World has changed so much… I can't quite pinpoint its location…"
"That's easy."
An image comparing the past and present Xuanhuang World appeared before Mo Rubin.
"Here." After studying it carefully, he selected a location.
Li Fan's expression turned strange.
"What is it?" Mo Rubin, sensing the change in Li Fan's demeanor, asked.
Li Fan shook his head slightly. "You'll see."
With a flicker of his spectral wooden sword, he took Mo Rubin to the designated location.
It was the small mountain and Daoist temple where the Fishing Pond was located!
In this life, Li Fan hadn't used the Fishing Pond. He had simply relocated Zhong Shentong, the Daoist child Liu Li, and the others.
"This… was Brother Xuanyuan's home."
"And the place of his final ascension."
"I didn't expect it to become so desolate." Mo Rubin entered the temple, observing his surroundings with a sigh.
"It was the last ascension site in the Xuanhuang World?" Li Fan was surprised.
"Yes. Brother Xuanyuan was very attached to this place. Whenever we couldn't find him, we'd always find him here. I don't know what was so special about this place, or what he experienced here." Mo Rubin walked slowly, as if searching for traces of the Profound Heaven King.
He reached the temple's backyard and stopped before the ordinary-looking pond, his pupils constricting. He rushed forward.
"This…"
"After all these years, it hasn't changed at all?!" Mo Rubin was shocked, sensing something extraordinary about this place.
"Was this what you were referring to earlier?" he asked, turning to Li Fan.
Li Fan nodded slightly. "I couldn't destroy this small pond, which is how I discovered its unusual nature."
"But even after searching it thoroughly, I couldn't find anything unusual…"
Mo Rubin looked at the Fishing Pond again.
"The surrounding mountains and rivers have all changed, but this pond remains the same. There must be something hidden here…"
"Strange. But Brother Xuanyuan never mentioned any secrets here."
Having found a clue, Mo Rubin wouldn't give up. He tried various methods, even diving into the pond. But he found nothing. It seemed to be just an ordinary pond.
The secret was right before him, yet he couldn't grasp it. His expression darkened.
"This was the Profound Heaven King's home? What kind of person was he before his ascension?" Li Fan asked.
"Brother Xuanyuan's early life was very ordinary. So ordinary that I wouldn't have even looked at him twice."
"I was a direct disciple of the Nine Refinements Temple, while he was just a lowly Qi Refining cultivator."
"But no one knew that beneath his ordinary appearance lay extraordinary talent. He rose to prominence without relying on any sect resources, becoming the first and last person to ascend from the Xuanhuang World in that era…" Mo Rubin's voice was filled with nostalgia.
Li Fan, listening to his words, was lost in thought. He knew of the Fishing Pond's existence, but not when it had appeared in the Xuanhuang World. As a creation of the Nameless True Immortal, it transcended the world itself. Even the stone tablets recording Xuanhuang's history contained no mention of it.
He had always assumed it had appeared after the Star Sea calamity, after the destruction of the worlds.
But now…
"Could it be that Xuanyuan Hong, the Dharma King of the Profound Heaven Sect, rose to prominence because of this Fishing Pond?"
This thought surfaced in Li Fan's mind.
(End of Chapter)