Under normal circumstances, ordinary cultivators couldn't withstand such a rapid surge in understanding. "To hear the Dao in the morning, and die in the evening" was their fate.
But now, the Gui Xu World was under Li Fan's complete control. Life and death weren't dictated by heaven, but by Li Fan!
A profound and mysterious power descended, refining and strengthening the soul within his grasp.
The speck of light grew brighter, its aura more imposing.
Unlike the others present, Li Fan saw a series of numbers floating above the soul.
It was [Celestial Axis, Convergence of Myriad Spirits], one of the Profound Primordial Spirit Grand Formations, quantifying the soul's enhancement.
The numbers rapidly climbed from 23 to 80, then slowed.
"Without immortal spiritual energy, even with the phantoms of the Xuanhuang World's power within me, I can't recklessly use the [Desolate Fall, Blossoming from the Void] Grand Formation. But the Convergence of Myriad Spirits is no problem."
"However, nearing the Eternal Life Realm, it's only at 90 strength?"
Li Fan glanced at the numbers above his own head:
"9999."
One hundred times the strength of an Eternal Life cultivator.
But this wasn't his actual combat power, merely the quantifiable limit of the Convergence of Myriad Spirits formation.
"If a True Immortal entered the formation, it would probably just show a string of question marks for now."
The combined power of the Heaven Connecting Formation and the Convergence of Myriad Spirits Formation allowed him to quantify a cultivator's strength within the dream world, even converting Dao comprehension into quantifiable "experience points."
This facilitated the mass production of Eternal Life level combatants within the dream paradise.
Unlike illusionary realms, which could freely fabricate and distort reality with minimal cost, but whose contents couldn't manifest in the real world, the dream paradise was built upon reality. Anything within it could manifest quickly, given sufficient energy.
"Setting aside the True Immortal level, if I forcefully channel the power of the Boundless Star Sea, I can instantly summon countless Eternal Life and lower realm combatants into reality."
"It's very close to the Fallen Immortal Realm."
Within the Fallen Immortal Realm existed countless worlds, blurring the line between reality and illusion, some even inhabited by Eternal Life cultivators.
Since objects from the Fallen Immortal Realm could be brought into reality, theoretically, cultivators could too.
But throughout history, only the consciousness of Xuanhuang World cultivators had entered the Fallen Immortal Realm. There were no records of Fallen Immortal Realm cultivators crossing over.
Li Fan believed this was a restriction imposed by the True Immortal who created it.
"Perhaps attaining the True Immortal Realm within the Fallen Immortal Realm would allow one to bypass this restriction."
"Unfortunately, that's almost impossible." Having painstakingly reached the Half-Immortal Realm, Li Fan understood the difficulty. Such an individual wouldn't appear within the Xuanhuang World's Fallen Immortal Realm for millennia.
The Fallen Immortal Realm, formed from a True Immortal's remnant thoughts; the Dark Sea, formed from a True Immortal's remains; and the True Immortal's will to survive slumbering within its depths—all still held immense value for Li Fan.
After all, the opportunity to further transcend and reach the True Immortal Realm might lie within them. Though achieving that realm might attract the attention of the factions beyond the wall, Li Fan wouldn't be deterred.
Moreover, he had True Return. He could ascend to the True Immortal Realm, experience it firsthand, and if the situation proved too dangerous, simply revert to his Half-Immortal anchor point and try again.
Lost in thought, Li Fan noticed that the soul in his hand, purely in terms of strength, now rivaled Zhao Ruoxi.
Such a feat naturally impressed everyone present.
Blissful Ignorance, however, asked hesitantly, "If so many powerful individuals suddenly appear within the dream paradise, I fear I won't be able to maintain it…"
Li Fan interrupted her. "Don't worry. With my assistance, the dream paradise will remain stable."
Blissful Ignorance's heart sank. She knew she had lost control of her creation.
But she also recognized this as a great opportunity.
Her power was directly linked to the dream paradise's scale. Even without direct control, the paradise's expansion under the True Immortal's guidance would undoubtedly benefit her greatly.
Suppressing her complex emotions, Blissful Ignorance expressed her gratitude.
…
Modifying Blissful Ignorance's dream paradise was a monumental task.
The most crucial aspect was ensuring the safety of the countless beings within.
Under Li Fan's command, Di Sanmo and the remaining Eternal Life Celestial Venerables of the Council of Five Elders entered different regions of the dream paradise, overseeing the integration of the formations.
Blissful Ignorance opened her mind, surrendering control to Li Fan.
Following the Ink Kill, Dao Obliteration Form, which had already subtly infiltrated every corner of the dream paradise, Li Fan integrated the power of the [Heaven Connecting, Great Dao As I Am Formation] and the [Celestial Axis, Convergence of Myriad Spirits Formation].
Using the Eternal Life cultivators as nodes, the formations quickly took root within the paradise.
The Dissociation Disc's immortal spiritual energy slowly seeped in, modifying the dream paradise through the parasitic formations.
With each modification, Li Fan's control increased.
Blissful Ignorance Celestial Venerable, the paradise's creator, could only watch helplessly as her creation slipped from her grasp. She even sensed that the benefits she still received from the paradise were due to the True Immortal's benevolence, not a right.
She had no idea that Li Fan's true intention was to use her as a scapegoat.
After all, exploring beyond the wall might attract the attention of powerful beings who might trace the connection back to the dream paradise.
With Blissful Ignorance as its ostensible master, Li Fan would have time to react and escape without undue embarrassment.
The takeover proceeded smoothly.
Through the Dissociation Disc, Li Fan saw a translucent ribbon of light, like a veil, floating within the Dark Star Sea, interwoven with reality but not overlapping.
Specks of light, drawn from reality, drifted towards the dream paradise, creating new threads within the ribbon, representing the formation of new dreams.
Sitting within the Xuanhuang World, Li Fan's consciousness, aided by the dream paradise, traveled at a speed several times faster than his wooden sword technique, instantly reaching the edge of the Star Sea, beneath the wall.
Unlike the formless, invisible barrier he perceived in normal vision, what Li Fan saw now was a dark, curved line separating the world within the wall from the world beyond.
This boundary, though tangible, still seemed insurmountable.
But its very existence suggested that crossing it wasn't impossible.
"So this is how the wall's blockade affects consciousness."
"No wonder the members of the Council of Five Elders were so determined to escape through the dream paradise."
Li Fan observed the boundary closely. After a while, a sense of unease washed over him.
Previously, when he observed the wall in reality, he felt its oppressive weight. More importantly, comprehending its principles carried the risk of permanent loss.
But within the dream paradise, this characteristic was absent.
Li Fan pondered, motionless.
Staring at the dark line, a thought suddenly struck him.
"Perhaps it's because only consciousness exists within the dream paradise, making it incomplete."
"The wall is like a mirror, reflecting the self."
"What one sees and feels depends on one's state of being."
He recalled that this mere wall could block even powerful beings like Black Healer and Evil Su Bai.
"This wall is a one-way mirror."
Li Fan suppressed his impulse to cross it within the dream paradise.
Based on Mo Rubin and the Healer's insights, he suspected the wall was like a dragon gate. Though an impassable barrier to those within, it also offered great benefits to those who could cross it.
With a thought, he traversed space and time, returning to the Xuanhuang World.
The dream paradise's modification was almost complete.
Now, it was time to open more access points.
Previously, due to Blissful Ignorance's limited power and Legacy Transmission Celestial Venerable's deterrence, only a small portion of the population within the Council of Five Elders' territory could enter the dream paradise.
But now, under Li Fan's command, the translucent ribbon above the Xuanhuang World extended countless tendrils of light, encompassing the entire world and its surrounding small worlds and grotto-heavens.
Countless beings were pulled into the dream, their physical bodies absorbed by the dream paradise for safekeeping as their consciousness entered a deep sleep.
Within the paradise, new bodies, formed from their souls, awaited them.
Though cultivators were numerous, they paled in comparison to the vast mortal population.
The most significant change to the dream paradise was the addition of a massive floating city in each region, an enhanced version of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's Celestial City, offering training grounds, resting areas, marketplaces, and even the ability to choose dream regions.
Newcomers were dazzled by the vibrant world.
For veteran players, the greatest change was the removal of the death penalty. They could now respawn within the "main city" after dying.
And unlike the previous cultivation methods, which mirrored reality, there were now "Enlightenment Points."
These points, earned through completing tasks and other activities, could directly enhance cultivation and realm.
This drastically accelerated the cultivators' growth.
Moreover, according to the announcement, new dream worlds were about to open, with additional rewards for those who explored them first.
…
With the influx of new elements, the dream paradise flourished.
But in reality, Blissful Ignorance Celestial Venerable wasn't faring so well. Even with Li Fan's modifications, the hundredfold expansion was a tremendous burden. If not for the protection of the Xuanhuang World phantom, she would have been crushed by her own creation.
Now, to maintain her sanity, she had reverted to her infant form, falling into a deep sleep, her furrowed brow and occasional cries betraying her suffering.
Every action had consequences.
While Blissful Ignorance bore the brunt of the dream paradise's expansion, Li Fan reaped the rewards.
As the true master of the dream, he could closely observe countless beings, their every action, every emotion, every fluctuation in their thoughts and feelings.
His understanding of "humans" deepened.
Previously, due to True Return and the constant cycle of reincarnation, all beings had become meaningless symbols and numbers to Li Fan.
But now, through close observation within the dream paradise, these "symbols" regained their vibrancy. Though still symbols, they were more distinct.
Li Fan realized that this concrete, practical understanding greatly aided his comprehension of the [Transformations of Truth and Falsehood].
After all, to transform falsehood into truth, or truth into falsehood, required a complete understanding of a thing's essence.
Though True Return allowed him to bypass this prerequisite, if Li Fan himself could comprehend a thing's essence, perhaps the energy saved could be used for even greater feats.
With this thought, Li Fan divided his attention, immersing himself in the dream paradise.
Exploring beyond the wall wasn't something that could be achieved overnight. The Xuanhuang World still needed time to prepare.
The countdown to the world-destroying calamity steadily decreased.
Ten years passed in the blink of an eye.
The absence of permanent death and the introduction of Enlightenment Points allowed cultivators within the dream paradise to rapidly increase their power.
Within those ten years, the paradise nearly collapsed over thirty times.
Li Fan repeatedly intervened, barely maintaining its stability.
After numerous iterations, the dream paradise now completely filled the world within the wall.
Some of its tendrils had even reached beyond!
Though merely on a conscious level, the stark difference between the world within and beyond the wall surprised Li Fan.
Simply put, the Enlightenment Points generated by the Heaven Connecting Formation in the dream worlds beyond the wall were five or six times greater than those within!
(End of chapter)