If this were the mere stele fragment from before his previous True Return, Li Fan wouldn't dare experiment with it before True Return was fully charged. But now, the Unnamed True Immortal's Leg Bone was a bound item. He had seen it become inert within True Return's fog. He was confident True Return's bound items couldn't harm him.
He carefully examined the object. If not for True Return's prompt, he wouldn't have guessed this fist-sized, round stone was a leg bone.
"Unlike the complete stele, observing its surface doesn't trigger any insights. It seems like an ordinary stone…" He kept his distance.
"Unnamed True Immortals are beings beyond True Immortals, having mastered a specific Dao, transcending mortal comprehension and perception."
"Yet, this leg bone bears no trace of the Dao…"
"Could it be that this Unnamed True Immortal's Dao was stripped away? Were they killed, their bones refined into Heavenly Pillars?" Li Fan's imagination ran wild.
But even facing a seemingly ordinary leg bone, he remained cautious. The True Immortal's remains in the Subterranean World had given rise to the Will to Live. Who knew what this bone could produce?
However, Li Fan's eagerness stemmed from a specific hypothesis. In his previous cycle, after he'd thrown the White Ring at the stele, the character [Innate] had appeared, and his understanding of it had deepened immensely.
True Immortal script was a manifestation of the Dao, not easily comprehended. Even the True Immortal in the Immortal Ruins had spent eons comprehending the [Starvation] character. And even the most brilliant mortals, like the Profound Immortal Vessel's elders, could only replicate the characters' forms through generations of effort. A chasm separated True Immortal script from mortal comprehension.
Li Fan, though having encountered several True Immortal script characters, mostly imitations by the "What's-It-To-You Immortal" who had caused the Star Sea calamity, had believed his understanding was near perfect. But the glimpse of the complete stele, covered in True Immortal script, had been a rude awakening. He was still far from grasping the true form of the Dao's laws.
"Of all the True Immortal script I know, [Innate] and [Starvation] are closest to the source. And my understanding of [Innate] surpasses even [Starvation]! I observed [Starvation] from outside the Immortal Realm, but [Innate]…"
"…was directly projected into my mind!" A glint flashed in his eyes.
"The stele is like a decoder, breaking down everything into its primordial form, revealing it as True Immortal script. And directly interacting with it seems to provide additional benefits…"
"Isn't this the perfect tool for learning True Immortal script?" He couldn't contain his excitement.
"Even a fragment of the stele, this leg bone, surpasses the entire Profound Immortal Vessel in deciphering True Immortal script!"
"It will be invaluable in my pursuit of mastering more characters!" He gazed at the bone, his heart pounding.
True Immortal script wasn't just important for mortals. Even True Immortals needed to study it to progress further, choosing a suitable Dao to reach the Unnamed realm.
"Of course, the characters manifested by this fragment might not be the pure, primordial Dao laws."
"They're more like…"
"That Unnamed True Immortal's own understanding of the Dao."
"Unless… that Unnamed True Immortal is the legendary Dao Inscription Immortal…" His thoughts abruptly stopped. The implications were too vast, the truth too distant. He buried the thought deep within his mind.
"An Unnamed True Immortal's understanding far surpasses mine. Even if it's not the true Dao, it's close enough to serve as my teacher for a long time."
"But manifesting True Immortal script on the fragment won't be easy. It's just a leg bone, not the complete stele. I need sufficient materials…" He pondered, recalling the previous cycle.
"The White Ring, with its mysterious nature, manifesting a character was expected."
"But the Starvation Immortal struggled to manifest even the [Starvation] character…" He frowned.
"Conventional methods won't work. Even sacrificing the entire Dark Star Sea might not yield many useful characters."
"But that's fine. I retrieved this bone specifically for dealing with… unusual things." A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
He had witnessed two major upheavals in the Star Sea: Mao Bao attracting the forces beyond the barrier, and the arrival of the Immortal Realm with the Heavenly Pillar. These apocalyptic crises had forced all hidden entities to reveal themselves, their desperate attempts at survival providing valuable insights.
"Now, only a few things within the Dark Star Sea pose a threat."
"Before my Dao Integration, further investigation would only yield the same results as before. But with the Unnamed True Immortal's Leg Bone, it's different."
"No matter how powerful or mysterious, can they surpass an Unnamed True Immortal?" Images from his previous cycle flashed through his mind.
"Let's take them one by one!"
After confirming the bone remained inert, Li Fan stored it within True Return's bound space. He returned to the Xuanhuang World, entering the Small World inhabited by the Nether Race.
He had previously discovered that the Nether Race, descendants of the first Grand Celestial Venerable of Xuanhuang, possessed a True Immortal script character related to the Transformation of Immortal and Mortal within their bloodline. But he hadn't been able to decipher it.
This time, with the stele fragment, he didn't need to.
"With enough sacrifices, I can reveal the true character behind the Transformation of Immortal and Mortal!"
He gazed at the small, frail Nether Race population with an indifferent expression.
"Their numbers are insufficient. I still need some for Source Power Essence."
"One must give before taking…" With a wave of his hand, he replicated his actions from the previous cycle, sending visions of the Transformation of Immortal and Mortal into the minds of several Nether Race members.
They turned to dust, but the remaining population, experiencing a form of ancestral reversion, grew stronger.
"Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish. Patience is key." Leaving a sliver of divine sense to monitor them, he returned to the Great Xuan Small World.
He released the White Ring, annihilating Mount Jielidie. The Dao Discussion Platform remained, attracting mortals from across Great Xuan like moths to a flame.
"My plan remains unchanged: ascend Xuanhuang and integrate with Ink Slaying's Heavenly Immortal Soul."
"Only minor adjustments are needed."
"I'll continue playing the role of Heavenly Teacher, guiding mortals to uncover the barrier's weaknesses and explore the Land of Dreams."
"Blissful Ignorance…" He looked towards the Council of Five Elders' territory, his expression unreadable.
During the stele's appearance in the previous cycle, the Longevity realm experts of the Council, including the Blissful Ignorance Celestial Venerable, hadn't appeared, seemingly oblivious. But when True Return's fog had enveloped everything, revealing only the stele's light, something had been revealed.
"There were other observers besides the Starvation Immortal, intangible presences, mere wisps of consciousness. Only a few within the Star Sea are capable of this."
"Even the Starvation Immortal and the other Supreme Beings didn't notice them. Their combat strength is unknown, but their concealment methods are impressive."
…
"With the accumulated experience from the previous cycle, the exploration of dreams will be faster this time."
"No dream can withstand my repeated incursions."
"Hmph… Blissful Ignorance!" He sent slivers of divine sense throughout Xuanhuang, manifesting towering Dao Discussion Platforms, slowly creating Simulated Heavenly Grids, replacing existing Small World consciousnesses or acting as their Heavenly Dao.
Points of light, representing each Small World, appeared in his mind. Like a god, he looked down upon billions of beings.
He hadn't forgotten Wuming in the Thirteen Peaks Small World. Under his guidance, Wuming had developed a desire to explore the wider world. However, after the previous cycle's events, Li Fan needed more time to prepare. Wuming was still comprehending the Small World's Heavenly Dao, but Li Fan had subtly connected it to Xuanhuang's Heavenly Dao. Soon, Wuming would be comprehending Xuanhuang itself.
Before True Return was fully charged, Li Fan avoided drastic actions, following the previous cycle's trajectory.
Three years passed.
During this time, he focused on the Nether Race, sending down revelations every few days. Their understanding of the Transformation of Immortal and Mortal was nearing his own. The Nether Race, their bloodline partially restored, exhibited an astonishing reproductive rate. Children reached adulthood in a mere twenty to thirty days, each one strong and healthy. Within three years, they had filled their Small World.
Observing the strained ecosystem, Li Fan decided it was time to harvest.
Dark clouds gathered. A stele descended from the swirling vortex, its immense power instantly crushing thousands of Nether Race members. Their blood flowed towards the stele, their bodies dissolving into beams of light, absorbed by the stele.
As expected, shadowy images began to manifest on the stele. But the absorbed material was insufficient to fully reveal the True Immortal script character.
The stele's appearance alarmed the Nether Race. After several cautious attempts, confirming its danger, they avoided it.
But Li Fan wouldn't let them escape. His array, expanding and contracting, pulled most of them into the stele, fueling the character's manifestation. The array continued to expand, threatening to consume the entire population. Soon, only eight thousand remained, huddled in a small corner of the Small World.
As despair set in, Li Fan projected a shadowy figure, blocking the array's advance. The figure emitted a faint darkness, pushing back the array, creating a safe haven for the survivors.
Overjoyed, the Nether Race prostrated themselves, offering prayers. As if responding to their devotion, the figure pushed back the array further before turning into a stone statue, falling into their midst. They quickly surrounded and protected it.
Li Fan, observing from above, nodded.
"Harvest them every time their population recovers."
"This provides both Source Power Essence and materials for the Unnamed True Immortal's Leg Bone to decipher the Transformation of Immortal and Mortal."
He looked at the stele at the center of the Small World. The leg bone itself wasn't that large. He had simply concealed it within an array. After absorbing ninety percent of the Nether Race, the bone had changed significantly, developing intricate golden patterns.
"This character is far more complex than [Creation] or [Innate]."
"And besides complexity…" He pondered, his expression unreadable.
"There's a hint of… divine aura."
Comparing it to his previous experiences, he estimated it would take over a hundred years at this rate to fully reveal the character.
"Too slow."
"Should I unlock more of their bloodline seals?"
(End of chapter)