The storm within the great vortex subsided. Nourished by Li Fan's efforts, Xuanhuang's life force was far more potent than before. Channeled by the new Grand Celestial Venerable, Wuming, the millennia-old wound rapidly healed.
As the chaotic energy subsided and the obscured view cleared momentarily, Li Fan focused on the last vestiges of the vortex. He had previously witnessed, through the Myriad Mirrors Spirit Sun Luyao, the Yao race's departure under Di Yi's leadership.
Di Yi, revealing his divine aspect, had used the key hidden within the giant serpent coiled around Southern Bright Mountain to unlock its hidden power, shattering the world. That power, like a sharp sword, had pierced through space, leaving its mark.
Now, Li Fan caught a fleeting glimpse of blurry images within the closing fissure. Before he could process them, the vortex vanished.
Wuming, having healed the wound, didn't leave, but continued his work. Life force flowed from across Xuanhuang. Rumbling echoed across the calm sea as islands rose from the depths. Greenery sprouted on the barren seabed, quickly covering the newly formed islands, transforming them into vibrant jewels dotting the ocean.
Li Fan noticed countless creatures from surrounding waters migrating to this new paradise. Xuanhuang had lost a perilous wasteland and gained a vibrant new land. Wuming's favor with Xuanhuang increased, not from Li Fan's manipulation, but from his own actions.
Wuming then proceeded to his next destination: the Cangwu Abyss in Xuanhuang's southwest corner. This abyss, far larger than the vortex, was a dumping ground for materials created during the Legacy Transmitter and the Healer's reshaping of Xuanhuang. Normally, it wouldn't be filled until the Heavenly Law World's rebirth. But Wuming, wielding the power of Xuanhuang, intended to resolve this blight.
However, this would inevitably alert the Legacy Transmitter and the Healer. Since Xuanhuang's sealing, the Legacy Transmitters within the Heavenly Profound Mirror had been trying to contact the Legacy Transmitter outside, but their mortal methods couldn't penetrate Li Fan's Immortal Arrays. Thus, the Legacy Transmitter and the Healer remained unaware of the changes within Xuanhuang. They hadn't even noticed Wuming's ascension, not due to incompetence, but because the arrays' power surpassed their detection methods.
"Their premature arrival would disrupt my plans. The Cangwu Abyss…"
"I'll deal with it later," Li Fan said, not to himself, but to Xuanhuang's Heavenly Dao.
He sensed the Heavenly Dao's reluctance. The abyss clearly bothered it.
"Don't worry, I'll compensate you. Something even better." A hint of enticement laced his calm tone.
The Heavenly Dao seemed to hesitate, then, trusting Li Fan, agreed. A wave of profound energy descended. Wuming, understanding its meaning, paused mid-flight, a look of surprise on his face. He looked towards the sky, confused.
The Heavenly Dao didn't explain, simply reiterating its request. Though puzzled, Wuming obeyed, changing course towards another blighted land: the desolate, fiery expanse of the Ten Thousand Flames Beach, once vibrant, now barren after a mysterious calamity a thousand years ago. Compared to the abyss and the vortex, this was a far easier task.
Next, he would likely travel throughout Xuanhuang, healing its scars. Li Fan, receiving updates from the Heavenly Dao, stopped following Wuming, focusing on fulfilling his promise.
With a thought, countless images from the Myriad Xuanhuang Beings Grand Formation appeared in his mind. With everyone trapped within, their thoughts and desires were laid bare before him. They had no secrets.
Combined with his previous search, he had located all thirteen Half-Immortal Tools within his controlled territory. He called them "Half-Immortal" because, like the Myriad Mirrors, though once Immortal Tools, they had lost their spiritual essence, retaining only fragments of their former power.
There was a fan that could manipulate emotions, a blank scroll that could manifest painted images into reality, and a skin that allowed its user to perfectly mimic others, both physically and spiritually.
Though powerful, these Half-Immortal Tools were no longer of much use to Li Fan. He decided to offer them to Xuanhuang.
Thirteen orbs of light emerged from the array, materializing in the real world. Within the array, their owners still believed they possessed them. But in reality, they were now under Li Fan's control.
As the orbs gathered, Xuanhuang's Heavenly Dao, sensing what was about to happen, radiated excitement, its previous dissatisfaction forgotten.
Instead of immediately refining them, Li Fan examined them closely.
"Like the Myriad Mirrors, each one contains traces of the Grinding Wind Calamity."
"Some even contain significant remnants." He pondered, then, using Source Power Essence as bait, extracted the Grinding Wind Calamity from all thirteen tools, carefully gathering and containing it within golden threads.
"Though seemingly targeting Immortal Tools, the Grinding Wind Calamity is a terrifying force capable of destroying them. Even True Immortals avoid it."
"Even without the Dao Obliteration Calamity, a large quantity of this would be a powerful trump card." He recalled the Legacy Transmitter and the other Supreme Beings' reactions to the unleashed Grinding Wind Calamity.
Without the calamity's taint, the Half-Immortal Tools were even more appealing to Xuanhuang's Heavenly Dao. It urged Li Fan to proceed.
He waited, further whetting its appetite, before finally taking the next step.
"Xuanhuang World Destruction Transformation: Time Flows, Worlds Change!" This transformation only manifested when Xuanhuang faced destruction. Currently, with the world thriving, it didn't exist.
Just as he had done with the Myriad Mirrors, he accelerated time around the thirteen Half-Immortal Tools. The world's power churned, digesting them. They grew dim and blurry.
Li Fan looked up, noticing the Heavenly Soul responsible for transforming artifacts into Heavenly Wonders had appeared. He observed it closely. Usually, it only handled one or two artifacts at a time. Now, it faced thirteen, seemingly hesitant.
"Don't worry, I'm here." He sent a reassuring thought.
The Heavenly Soul, a manifestation of Xuanhuang's laws, was inherently connected to him. It nodded towards Li Fan, selected three Half-Immortal Tools, and merged back into Xuanhuang.
Li Fan's attention intensified. He had previously observed that this Heavenly Soul would place the absorbed artifacts within newborn beings, becoming their innate treasures. But now, with most of Xuanhuang's inhabitants asleep, what would it do?
What happened next proved that humans, animals, and plants were merely a part of the world, not an essential one. Even without them, Xuanhuang had other methods.
The nine towering mountain ranges of Jiushan Region suddenly trembled violently.
Boom! Boom!
Like the world splitting apart, they crumbled, their collapsing forms sending clouds of dust skyward. The earth continued to tremble. If not for the array's protection, this catastrophe would have decimated Jiushan Region.
Li Fan watched with interest, then, his eyes gleaming, drew his wooden sword and went to Jiushan Region.
As the dust settled, a unique life form was being born amidst the newly formed hills. Li Fan saw the remnants of the three Half-Immortal Tools within it. But what truly caught his attention was its resemblance to the Profound Heaven Sect's sacred beast, the Celestial Beast!
Newly born, it was already a fifth the size of Jiushan Region. It snored loudly, seemingly in deep slumber. As it grew, its size, instead of increasing, decreased, its form condensing!
Li Fan was overjoyed. "Mo Rubin told me the Celestial Beast was originally a jade pendant brought from the Immortal Realm by the Profound Heaven King."
"Though it died and transformed into the nine mountains, it seems it merely reverted to its pendant form after depleting its energy."
"With most cultivators asleep, Xuanhuang, seeking a vessel for the Half-Immortal Tools, chose the dormant Celestial Beast!"
As he pondered, the miniature Celestial Beast shrunk to the size of an adult's palm, the traces of the Half-Immortal Tools almost completely gone.
"Incredible digestive capabilities,不愧是 a being from the Immortal Realm." Even Li Fan was surprised. Concealing his aura, he approached the sleeping beast, picking it up.
Even in its infancy, it felt as powerful as a Dao Integration realm cultivator in Xuanhuang. Its breath resonated with the sound of wind and thunder. It instinctively sensed the danger, struggling to escape.
Li Fan offered it his spiritual energy, which it disdainfully rejected. He then tried Source Power Essence. The beast sniffed it, then retreated, uninterested.
He tried the infinite power of the Star Sea and the crevice network's life force, but the beast remained indifferent.
"Does it require Immortal spiritual energy?"
"You picky little brat, I barely have enough for myself!" He cursed inwardly.
Then, a thought struck him. He retrieved a gray chess piece, one of Sun Piaomiao's Immortal Realm fragments. Though he wasn't planning to revive the Immortal Realm this time, he had collected most of the scattered pieces, storing them in various locations.
"I only need to be wary of the Southern Immortal Heavenly Pillar."
"It won't appear if I only unfold a single piece."
"In my previous cycle, the Profound Immortal Vessel unfolded one, creating the outer shell attached to it…"
"But that's just theory. I don't need to take that risk."
"However…" Sensing the fragment's aura, the miniature Celestial Beast scrambled towards it, eagerly gnawing at it. But Li Fan's protective measures on the fragment regenerated it faster than the beast could consume it. Frustrated, the beast grew restless.
(End of Chapter)