After resting briefly, Xu Ke's energy was replenished.
The green light on his mask flickered as he resumed carving fissures into the void.
"Senior Xing's legacy has greatly extended my lifespan. This is a debt I can never repay. This remaining life is enough to complete the creation of the Dark River."
"After all, Senior Xing had already extended the Dark River across most of the Star Sea before his death. I'm just adding the finishing touches…"
Xu Ke rambled, seemingly explaining himself to Li Fan and Mo Rubin, or perhaps convincing himself.
He continued working, the green light carving a path before him.
Completely focused, tireless.
Li Fan didn't care whether Xu Ke's dedication stemmed from his own will or Xing Wuque's legacy. To him, there was no difference.
He was more interested in how Xu Ke carved fissures into the void with the green light.
These fissures were within the Star Sea, but at its lowest potential.
While Li Fan could ascend to higher potentials with his Ascension Formation, he lacked a method to descend.
He had a hunch that ascending and descending potentials were two sides of the same coin. Understanding only one aspect was incomplete.
If he could decipher the method of creating fissures, his understanding of [Potential] would deepen.
Xu Ke wasn't simply carving a path forward, but creating points of low potential within the Star Sea.
They were essentially the same as the natural platforms within the Great Wall of Shattered Worlds, just at different potentials.
"The key is the green light emanating from the mask."
"This mask…" After observing for a while, Li Fan understood.
His Ascension Formation required True Immortal flesh as a catalyst.
Xing Wuque's mask served a similar purpose.
"It's not just an Immortal Artifact, but something more."
Staring at the green light, Li Fan felt a strange sense of familiarity.
It was fleeting, vanishing before he could pinpoint its source, as if it were a mere illusion.
But Li Fan wouldn't let go of this clue.
Images of his past experiences flashed through his mind, searching for a match.
The more reincarnations he experienced, the more complex his memories became, and the greater the strain on his mind when recalling them.
As time passed, the sense of familiarity faded. To find the source, Li Fan pushed the Dao Transformation Stone to its limit.
Sweat trickled down his forehead. Cracks appeared on the stone's surface. He channeled his immense soul power into the stone, repairing the damage and fueling its operation.
Perhaps due to luck, or the stone's enhanced efficiency, just before the familiarity vanished completely, Li Fan found the source within his vast memories.
"With the protection of the First Grand Celestial Venerable's remains and the power generated by detonating those Immortal Artifacts, together, we have a high chance of breaching the wall!"
"We've prepared for so long, how can you change your mind now?!"
Even after so long, Li Fan could still sense the speaker's resentment.
It was…
…the scene that unfolded within the Fallen Immortal Realm trial after making the same choice as Su Bai!
The Fallen Immortal Realm was incredibly realistic.
Everything within it was both real and illusory.
When the fragmented consciousness of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao roared its question, Li Fan, as "Su Bai" within the trial, felt a strange sensation.
The remains of the First Grand Celestial Venerable…
…truly existed.
And at that moment within the trial, they were in Su Bai's possession.
Thus, reliving this memory allowed Li Fan to sense the remains' unique aura through "Su Bai's" body.
Initially, he couldn't identify the aura, so he hadn't realized its significance. The Dao Transformation Stone simply recorded it.
Now, as he examined Xing Wuque's mask, the familiar aura triggered his memory.
"A relic of the First Grand Celestial Venerable of Xuanhuang?"
That was his first thought.
But he quickly realized his mistake.
"The similarity isn't from the same source."
"But of the same nature."
Slightly disappointed, Li Fan pondered the nature of this similarity.
Noticing Li Fan's strange behavior, Mo Rubin asked, "Fellow Daoist, have you encountered Xing Wuque before?"
"Not personally, but I'm amazed that someone could be so…"
Li Fan paused, then settled on the word "obstinate."
Mo Rubin chuckled wryly. "More than obstinate, he was foolish. Even I, a fellow Dharma King of the Profound Heaven Sect, couldn't believe he would go to such lengths."
A hint of sadness entered his voice.
"Perhaps that's why Brother Xuanyuan entrusted him with this task. None of the other Dharma Kings, including myself, could have done what Xing Wuque did."
"It's not just his loyalty, but his unwavering dedication to his mission, remaining in this desolate place for millennia after Brother Xuanyuan's disappearance, diligently working on the Dark River…" Mo Rubin shook his head.
"Xu Ke's temperament is similar to Xing Wuque's. Now he's inherited the mission, continuing the work on the Dark River. I can't dissuade him. But Fellow Daoist Mo, do you know the true purpose of this Dark River?" While pondering the nature of the similarity, Li Fan looked at Mo Rubin intently.
"If it's just to accumulate life force for the Star Sea's revival, then it doesn't need to cover the entire Star Sea. Even half would be sufficient."
"But the difference in effort between half and the whole is immense. Profound Heaven King was no fool. As Xing Wuque said, his instructions must have a deeper meaning. What is it?"
Mo Rubin narrowed his eyes, looking at the Dark River.
He was stumped.
Li Fan chuckled. "Surely Profound Heaven King didn't make a mistake when giving Xing Wuque his instructions?"
"Impossible!" Mo Rubin said firmly.
He frowned, still puzzled.
Asking Xu Ke yielded no answers. Xu Ke simply said that Xing Wuque always followed Profound Heaven King's orders without question.
Mo Rubin fell silent.
"Perhaps… it's like a formation. It only functions when complete. Even if ninety percent is finished, it's useless without the final connections."
"Yes, that must be it." After a while, Mo Rubin offered this seemingly plausible explanation.
Li Fan didn't comment. "Spanning the entire Dark Star Sea, what a grand undertaking. If a formation of this scale were activated, it could not only revive the Star Sea, but perhaps even breach the wall."
Despite his words, Li Fan didn't believe Mo Rubin.
He considered his mastery of formations to be on par with Profound Heaven King.
The Dark River bore no trace of formations. How could he not notice?
"Even if it's not a formation, the principle might be the same."
"Only when it's complete can the conditions be met and the effect triggered."
Li Fan paused.
This feeling of falling short at the last moment reminded him of ascending to the peak potential with his Ascension Formation.
Until reaching the threshold of Immortal ascension, no matter how high he climbed, it was pointless.
Only by completing the final ascension process did his efforts bear fruit.
"Ascension."
"Immortal Ascension."
Although standing at the lowest point of the Star Sea, Li Fan's perspective expanded, encompassing the entire Dark Star Sea within the wall.
"Could it be that Profound Heaven King's ultimate goal was the same as mine in this life?"
"Except, I'm trying to elevate the Xuanhuang World to an Immortal Domain."
"And Profound Heaven King…"
"Was trying to elevate the entire Star Sea?"
Even Li Fan found this idea absurd.
Only through personal experience could one truly understand the immense gap between mortal and Immortal.
To elevate the Xuanhuang World, he had made extensive preparations.
The life force from hundreds of shattered worlds, the stored energy within the fissures, the legacy of the Grand Celestial Venerable of Xuanhuang, Immortal spiritual energy, the integration of numerous small worlds, and even a complete Immortal Domain fragment from an unknown True Immortal…
Even with all this, he couldn't guarantee success.
The Star Sea was far larger than the Xuanhuang World.
Elevating the entire Star Sea…
…would require unimaginable energy!
Even with True Return, allowing him to repeatedly gather resources, he couldn't fathom achieving this within his lifespan.
"It's just a foolish fantasy."
"Unless…"
"Profound Heaven King saw something I can't yet see."
For some reason, this thought lingered in Li Fan's mind.
"Brother Mo, are you staying here with Xu Ke?"
After a long silence within the fissure, Li Fan spoke.
Mo Rubin looked away from Xu Ke's resolute figure, remaining silent for a moment.
"We've tried everything."
"Although I'm reluctant to admit it, it seems highly likely that Profound Heaven King vanished within that strange pond."
"He no longer exists within the current Dark Star Sea."
"Even though he's gone, I won't give up. But saving the Xuanhuang World now depends entirely on us," Li Fan sighed.
Mo Rubin remained optimistic. "Brother Xuanyuan made such extensive preparations. He wouldn't perish so easily. I believe the key lies within that strange pond."
"I'm returning to the Xuanhuang World to continue my research."
Li Fan nodded, looking at Xu Ke again.
"Don't worry about Xu Ke. I'll send people regularly to ensure he's in good condition to continue his work," Li Fan said solemnly.
"You heard him call me 'Holy Teacher.'"
"I simply saved some children and taught them a few things along the way. I don't deserve such a title. Please forgive my boasting, Brother Mo," Li Fan said dismissively.
Mo Rubin nodded, unconcerned.
At his urging, Li Fan took him back to the Xuanhuang World.
Standing beside the Fishing Pond, Li Fan observed it carefully.
It seemed that even though Xing Wuque was dead, his actions had greatly inspired Mo Rubin.
"Profound Heaven King was truly a charismatic figure."
"Some toiled tirelessly for him for millennia. Others have unwavering faith in him."
Li Fan scoffed internally, setting up a protective Immortal array around the Fishing Pond, claiming it was to prevent others from disturbing Mo Rubin's research.
But the formation's true purpose was to suppress Mo Rubin if necessary.
He couldn't allow anything to be fished out of the pond during the Xuanhuang World's ascension in this lifetime.
Mo Rubin likely wouldn't discover the pond's secrets anytime soon.
Li Fan continued pondering the nature of the similarity.
His instincts told him that the similarity between Xing Wuque's mask and the First Grand Celestial Venerable of Xuanhuang held a significant secret.
He returned to the Great Xuan Small World, observing its inhabitants, lost in thought.
He even temporarily set aside the task of merging the Immortal Domain fragment.
Three months passed quickly.
Li Fan still hadn't found any answers.
Just as he was about to give up, his gaze fell upon the clouds above the small world.
"Clouds, mist, rain, ice. They're all different forms of water."
"That's the similarity."
"And…"
His furrowed brows relaxed.
"I shouldn't be looking for similarities between the bronze mask and the First Grand Celestial Venerable."
"But for similarities between the First Grand Celestial Venerable and the bronze mask."
"The bronze mask's purpose is to create the Dark River, lowering potential. The opposite of ascension."
Then, it hit him.
"The First Grand Celestial Venerable of Xuanhuang did the same."
"Lowering potential…"
"Descending from Immortal to mortal!"
(End of Chapter)