Li Fan sensed an aura similar to the Southern Immortal Heavenly Pillar emanating from several key nodes within the Dao Net.
Before he could ponder this, the magnificent [Dao Net] vanished from his sight.
The cacophony of Supreme Bliss City seemed to momentarily cease, then instantly resumed. Perhaps only Li Fan, responsible for the Dao Net inspection, and the city lord himself, noticed the change.
If the Dao Net was a sheet of paper overlaid upon the Great Dao, then the inspection was like splattering ink on the paper, then pressing it firmly.
"The Dao Net's traces are becoming clearer. Nothing within the net can escape."
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, picturing Scholar Zhu's sinister face. He didn't interfere with the Dao Net's encroachment upon Supreme Bliss City, simply observing as his "toy" became increasingly entangled.
After the Dao Net's humming subsided, Scholar Zhu glanced towards Li Fan.
Li Fan bowed slightly, feigning nervousness.
After a long moment, Scholar Zhu looked away, his figure disappearing into the city.
Unconcerned by the implied threat, Li Fan cleared his mind, recalling every detail of the Dao Net he had just witnessed.
As a low-level Dao Net operator, Ma Tiande wasn't merely a consumable resource. In fact, accessing and observing the Dao Net was an unparalleled opportunity for any cultivator!
The Dao was formless and invisible.
Cultivators dedicated their lives to understanding it, the source of all things.
Ma Tiande, though a [Dao Manipulator], only possessed Nascent Soul level cultivation. Such a level was far from being able to perceive even a single Dao, let alone the complete Great Dao.
However, his unique position allowed him to regularly glimpse the Dao Net, a reflection of the Great Dao.
"Ma Tiande's talent is truly mediocre. Within the Dark Star Sea, he wouldn't even reach the Qi Refining stage. And the Shuo Star Sea Governing Council deliberately withheld cultivation knowledge from him. So despite his countless close encounters with the Dao, his cultivation remained stagnant."
"He possesses a great treasure without knowing it!"
Li Fan sighed, slowly digesting the profound insights swirling within him.
"True Immortal inscriptions are Inscription Dao Immortal's interpretation. Studying them allows one to glimpse the Great Dao through his eyes."
"While the Dao Net is a direct reflection, or perhaps a replica, of the Dao itself."
"Even closer to the true [Dao] than True Immortal inscriptions."
"Remarkable!" Even the well-traveled Li Fan was impressed.
His comprehension far surpassed Ma Tiande's.
This first glimpse triggered an unprecedented surge of inspiration. He compared and cross-referenced the fragmented glimpses of the "Dao" he had seen with the true Dao Net.
His understanding deepened, wave after wave of insight washing over him.
This was the culmination of years of accumulation, a natural progression.
Though merely a thread of divine sense, upon reaching a level of understanding capable of resonating with the Great Dao, a miraculous transformation occurred. The divine sense became a thin membrane, covered in faint, interwoven lines.
It resembled the Dao Net!
Li Fan had essentially used his divine sense as a canvas to create another "rubbing" of the Dao Net, a replica of the Dao's replica.
But the original was still the Great Dao itself!
Though his divine sense membrane only captured the most basic structure, it was enough to manifest the true power of the Dao.
Light flickered across the membrane, resonating with the Great Dao, drawing upon its boundless life force and energy, supplementing Li Fan's weak divine sense projection.
Slowly, the divine sense transformed, taking on Li Fan's appearance!
Though the details were still blurry…
"Is this… Thoughts Manifest Divinity?"
The moment his divine sense transformed, Li Fan's true body in the Xuanhuang World reacted, sensing everything happening in Supreme Bliss City.
Despite severing the connection, without the dream paradise's power, across a distance equivalent to dozens of Dark Star Seas, with an invisible wall separating them, he could still sense his divine sense projection.
Li Fan's expression shifted.
"It's not a direct connection, but rather relayed through the Great Dao of heaven and earth."
"Everything is a projection of the Dao. My own projection within the Dao is unique."
"No matter the distance or the obstacles, as long as we exist within the same Great Dao, this connection cannot be severed."
Li Fan quickly understood. He had essentially created a miniature Dao Net within himself, using the Dao Net as a template, based on his deep understanding of the Dao!
As his divine sense projection connected with the Dao Net, his true body's divine sense also transformed.
The clarity of the pattern on the membrane wasn't determined by the difference between his true body and his projection, but by his comprehension of the Dao.
Within his sea of consciousness, with the birth of Thoughts Manifest Divinity, Li Fan's phantom stood tall.
The Dao Transformation Stone pulsed with a brilliant blue light, transforming into countless rays that surged towards the phantom, completing the pattern of the Great Dao upon it.
Some of these rays merged perfectly with the phantom, while others, unable to find a suitable place or usurp an existing one, drifted aimlessly before returning to the Dao Transformation Stone.
However, due to the loss of these Dao components, the stone's quality dropped from Stone Mother level to mid-grade.
But this didn't concern Li Fan. With the Transformations of Truth and Falsehood, he could easily restore its quality.
"This phenomenon confirms my theory."
"The Dao Transformation Stone Mother is indeed the manifestation of the complete Dao within a possibility. However, that possibility's Dao is different from, and weaker than, the [Primordial Possibility] I inhabit. Therefore, only a portion of its Dao merged with my Thoughts Manifest Divinity phantom."
"But even so, with the Dao Transformation Stone's supplement, my miniature Dao Net is no longer a crude imitation."
Li Fan's mind wandered within the Dao Net within his divine sense, captivated.
Due to the sudden influx of external power, he couldn't fully control it yet. This was both a blessing and a curse.
But having been created from his own divine sense, he still possessed ultimate control.
After a long while, he regained his senses, exhaling slowly. "This is very close to the theoretical ideal of Thoughts Manifest Divinity."
"Using one's thoughts to support the shadow of the Great Dao."
"I've inadvertently bypassed several stages, reaching this level directly."
"Though it's imperfect…"
If this were the true, perfected state of the New New Method, what manifested on his divine sense projection wouldn't be a distorted imitation but a perfect reflection of the Great Dao.
"Divine sense, ascending to the source of the Dao. Every thought imbued with the power of the Dao."
"Unfortunately, I'm only reflecting an incomplete replica."
Li Fan felt a tinge of regret.
But he knew that even at the Half-Immortal Realm, comprehending the true Great Dao of this world was a pipe dream.
"A counterfeit manifested by a supreme expert is a suitable temporary substitute."
The benefits of manifesting a miniature Dao Net with his thoughts extended beyond instant communication across vast distances.
He now possessed the ability to directly utilize the power of the Dao, like the Immortal Hunters of the Shuo Star Sea.
"However, my miniature Dao Net is insignificant compared to the Shuo Star Sea's."
"But it's still hundreds of times more efficient than using True Immortal inscriptions."
Having created his own Dao Net, Li Fan understood the difference between his method and the conventional one.
"Perhaps only now, with the Immortal Realm destroyed and True Immortals hidden, is this method safe."
"In ancient times, with numerous Nameless True Immortals merged with the Dao, utilizing the Dao's power through a Dao Net would have alerted them."
"I would have become the enemy of all Nameless True Immortals, hunted relentlessly before even reaching the True Immortal Realm."
Even with the drop in his Dao Transformation Stone's quality after integrating the Dao within, Li Fan's thought process remained unaffected.
He quickly considered the implications.
"Now, with the remaining Nameless True Immortals unknown and another, larger Dao Net drawing their attention…"
"I can operate undetected."
"Perhaps even…" A surge of confidence filled Li Fan. With Thoughts Manifest Divinity and his own Dao Net, he was no longer completely helpless against a Nameless True Immortal.
"Nameless True Immortals have complete mastery of a single Dao."
"My Thoughts Manifest Divinity, though only an incomplete reflection of the Dao, can utilize the power of numerous Daos."
"Though weaker, it's still the power of the Dao. Theoretically, it's the same power used by Nameless True Immortals," Li Fan realized.
This wasn't arrogance from a recent breakthrough but a logical deduction based on his understanding of the Dao.
"My Thoughts Manifest Divinity is still incomplete."
"If I achieve the true perfected state of the New New Method, perhaps I can truly contend with a Nameless True Immortal."
"If this is possible at the Soul Formation Realm, what about at the Star Sea Dao Integration Realm or the Resonance with the Dao, Eternal Life Realm?"
"Could that be the realm of Black Healer and Evil Su Bai?"
Li Fan's imagination soared.
After a while, his racing thoughts subsided.
"My ability to achieve Thoughts Manifest Divinity is a result of unique circumstances."
"Through countless reincarnations, I not only encountered numerous True Immortal inscriptions, but also witnessed a complete Celestial Realm, a True Immortal's leg bone, and even the descent of black qi and the annihilation of the Dao. These experiences of creation and destruction have given me an unparalleled understanding of the Dao."
"But that wasn't enough. The Shuo Star Sea's [Dao Net] served as a catalyst, allowing me to transform my accumulated knowledge into reality. A replica of a replica, though distant from the original, is the best way for a 'novice' like me to learn."
"And more importantly…"
Li Fan's divine sense phantom examined itself.
For the first time, he faintly sensed the presence of [True Return].
Elusive like the Great Dao itself, it appeared as a blurry, indescribable figure. But Li Fan, long acquainted with True Return, was certain.
That was [True Return].
"The Transformations of Truth and Falsehood within True Return seem to encompass all Daos."
"My deepening understanding of the Transformations of Truth and Falsehood is essentially a deepening understanding of the Great Dao."
"Now, I can briefly maintain the existence of objects created with [Falsehood Becomes Truth]. Perhaps this is why I can contain the complete Dao of a possibility within my divine sense projection."
"As for others…" Li Fan pondered, then shook his head slightly.
"Only those with extraordinary talent, under perfect circumstances, could achieve this."
"I thought I had pioneered the path of the New New Method."
"But it seems I'm still cheating with True Return, skipping the initial stages. This is an anomaly, not a reproducible method."
But Li Fan didn't care if others could cultivate it. As long as it worked for him, that was enough.
"Though my Thoughts Manifest Divinity is incomplete, it points towards my next step."
"I must interact with the [Dao Net] further to refine my replication."
"Deepening my understanding of the Transformations of Truth and Falsehood and the Great Dao, allowing my reflection of the Dao Net to approach its true essence…"
Li Fan was overjoyed.
Though the path to immortality was severed, inspired by the Shuo Star Sea civilization, he had found a new path in such a short time.
"This isn't the work of a single mortal, a single lifetime."
"There's the involvement of True Immortals, and the difference in time flow between the world within and beyond the wall…"
Li Fan frowned, calculating.
(End of Chapter)