Even with the Dao Transformation Stone's assistance, deciphering the Dao Net's access method wasn't easy.
Unable to replicate Ma Tiande's learning process, Li Fan could only resort to trial and error, starting with the most basic Dao Net commands.
"Each command triggers a reaction within the Dao Net, monitored by the Governing Council. I only have one or two chances to make mistakes."
"But my trials don't need to connect to the Dao Net. I only need to verify the validity of the Dao Origin combinations."
According to Ma Tiande's memories, successfully writing a Dao Origin command would trigger a strange, chilling energy within the body, connecting to heaven and earth like a key unlocking the Dao Net.
Li Fan's task was to test various Dao Origin combinations and disperse them before they connected to the Dao Net.
The challenge lay in blocking the transmission.
He quickly devised a solution.
"The Dao Net of heaven and earth is essentially the Great Dao. Formless and intangible, it flows through all things. Everything exists within its shadow."
"However, there is one thing the Great Dao avoids!"
A glint flashed in his eyes. From the phantom Xuanhuang World within his divine sense, a blurry figure emerged.
It was Ink Kill, the Heavenly Soul!
Initially, Ink Kill's appearance was identical to its original form in the Xuanhuang World. But under Li Fan's divine sense, it rapidly changed, as if the true Heavenly Soul, Ink Kill, had descended.
In fact, after merging with Ink Kill, Li Fan could manifest it with his divine sense alone. However, his current divine sense projection within the Shuo Star Sea was too weak. Even at full power, it would be quickly depleted in a confrontation with the Dao Net.
For a sustained effort, he needed the energy from the Xuanhuang World phantom.
"The Ink Kill Heavenly Soul isn't the Dao Obliteration Calamity itself, but a fusion of Dao Obliteration black qi and the Heavenly Dao. It's both a part of the Great Dao and possesses some characteristics of Dao Obliteration."
"With careful control, it should be able to block the Dao Net's detection."
The Ink Kill Heavenly Soul transformed into a vast, black shadow, enveloping Li Fan.
Sitting within this void, he began experimenting with Dao Origin combinations.
The Shuo Star Sea utilized Dao Origin symbols to resonate with the Great Dao. In Qin Zhuang's memories, combinations of several hundred symbols could unleash power comparable to True Immortal inscriptions.
But now, within Supreme Bliss City, Li Fan discovered these combinations were ineffective, as if they had been upgraded.
Even after trying all possible combinations of hundreds of Dao Origins, he couldn't generate any energy fluctuations. He gradually increased the number of symbols.
Thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands…
Finally, with a million Dao Origin symbols interweaving, he seemed to forge a key, inserting it into the correct lock.
The moment the combination was complete, a surge of energy shot outwards.
Even with his reflexes, Li Fan couldn't react fast enough to stop it.
But upon reaching the shadow formed by the Ink Kill Heavenly Soul, the energy abruptly halted, as if encountering a terrifying predator. It tried to advance, but couldn't break through.
Li Fan's plan worked.
Though the generation and transmission of the Dao Origin command were incredibly fast, exceeding even his perception, it was no match for the Dao Obliteration Calamity's power.
Unable to penetrate the Ink Kill Heavenly Soul's blockade, it remained trapped within the black sphere surrounding Li Fan.
He observed the energy writhing like a startled snake, not attempting to capture it.
"Basic level Dao Net command…"
Like a living being with a limited lifespan, the trapped energy gradually weakened and dissipated within the shadow.
Li Fan recorded the successful combination.
"According to Ma Tiande's memories, this is the simplest command, the most basic level."
"The commands used to access and manipulate the Dao Net are hundreds of times more complex, some even layered multiple times…"
But having found a viable testing method, no matter how complex the commands were, they couldn't stump Li Fan.
Within the sphere of shadow, Dao Origin symbols rapidly combined and dispersed, forming countless patterns.
Energy signals, like bolts of lightning, periodically erupted, only to be intercepted by the Ink Kill Heavenly Soul.
Li Fan recorded each one before it dissipated.
Gradually, he began to grasp the Dao Net's command structure.
As he prepared to test more advanced commands, a sense of danger washed over him.
He abruptly stopped.
"The Ink Kill blockade shouldn't be the problem."
"Could it be that the seemingly dissipated energy signals haven't truly vanished but still linger within this space?"
Li Fan quickly identified the potential cause.
He scanned the area repeatedly, his gaze sharp as a hawk, but found nothing.
After some thought, he changed his approach.
"Fight fire with fire. I'll use the Dao Net's own power."
With a thought, he generated countless Dao Origin symbols, deliberately avoiding any meaningful combinations, letting them drift aimlessly as if trying to attract something.
After a fruitless attempt, the sense of danger persisted. He rearranged the symbols.
Finally, he had a breakthrough. A faint ripple appeared within the space sealed by the Ink Kill shadow. The Dao Origin symbols, like magnets, drew out a hidden command!
Li Fan narrowed his eyes. The Ink Kill shadow transformed into chains, binding the command.
"So, a portion of each command remains after it naturally dissipates. If enough accumulate, they spontaneously form a new warning signal. And…"
This warning signal, formed from remnants, wasn't suppressed like the other commands. It struggled against the Ink Kill shadow's chains, threatening to break free.
"This command isn't in Ma Tiande's memories. It must only circulate within the Dao Net itself, used for…"
"Warning against the Dao Obliteration Calamity!" Li Fan instantly deciphered the seemingly "malicious" Dao Origin combination.
This command was different. It didn't dissipate with time, its existence sustained by an unseen force.
Li Fan even sensed that it was replicating and strengthening itself.
Flickering images appeared around the warning signal, forming a new warning, drawn to it by some unknown force.
"I can't leave it like this."
"A single warning can't break through Ink Kill's blockade. But if there are more…"
Li Fan's expression turned serious. The Ink Kill shadow surged towards the trapped warning signal, countless shadows devouring it.
But the warning signal's life force was incredibly tenacious.
It took Li Fan three days and nights to completely consume it. If not for the energy equivalent to an entire Xuanhuang World in its ascended state, he might not have succeeded!
"This must be the Dao Net's underlying logic, one of the reasons why the civilization beyond the wall survived the Dao Obliteration Calamity!" Li Fan was deeply shaken.
Ink Kill's power was his, and he was Ink Kill.
While devouring the warning signal, he faintly sensed its essence.
If Ink Kill was an attempt to utilize the Dao Obliteration Calamity's power against itself, this underlying warning signal represented the ultimate form of "resistance."
Li Fan saw images of unwavering figures standing firm against the calamity's relentless waves, of indomitable wills holding up the collapsing heavens.
The image of the Southern Immortal Heavenly Pillar flashed through his mind. He sensed an incredibly similar aura from the Dao Net's warning signal!
"It's not a delusion!"
After careful confirmation, Li Fan was both shocked and puzzled.
"The Southern Immortal Heavenly Pillar became a pillar because of the Nameless True Immortal's leg bone within the stele. Heaven and earth are a net, the Dao is a pillar. Though Nameless True Immortals merge with the Dao, even in death, they can return, becoming pillars of support."
"And this Dao Net can achieve the same…"
His wariness subsided.
With a new theory, Li Fan continued testing the Dao Net's commands.
All commands were built upon basic operations.
Having mastered them, aided by Ma Tiande's memories, Li Fan's progress accelerated.
Three days before Supreme Bliss City's Ceremony, his Dao Net manipulation skills finally matched, and even surpassed, Ma Tiande's.
However, having never directly connected to the Dao Net, his assessment was based solely on speed and proficiency in generating commands.
"Let me see what this Dao Net truly looks like."
The surrounding Ink Kill shadow receded, removing the blockade.
From now on, every command Li Fan generated would connect to the Dao Net. He was prepared to sever the connection and abandon Ma Tiande's body if his possession was discovered.
With a solemn expression, he generated a pattern.
This hadn't appeared before, while he was still concealed.
He felt a mysterious power descend, bypassing even Scholar Zhu's blockade, enveloping him.
His perspective soared. Supreme Bliss City rapidly shrunk, becoming a mere speck, disappearing from his perception.
A vast, multicolored net stretched across heaven and earth.
But this net wasn't complete. It was riddled with holes and tears!
Besides countless small holes, several large sections were missing, a disturbing sight.
Beneath this multicolored net, Li Fan could faintly perceive the true Great Dao of heaven and earth.
The [Dao Net] was like a sheet of paper, imprinted and overlaid upon the interwoven Great Dao, making it accessible and controllable by mortal cultivators.
He saw multicolored auras converging on the damaged areas, attempting to repair them.
And beyond the vast empty sections of the Dao Net, a giant, invisible hand pressed the paper-like net further onto the Great Dao, gradually revealing its unmapped regions.
Though seemingly crude and flawed, this magnificent sight captivated Li Fan.
"This is the triumph of human will over heaven."
"The myriad Daos, formless and intangible, yet transformed into a controllable entity through this incredible method…"
Awestruck, Li Fan didn't forget his original task.
With the Supreme Bliss City Ceremony imminent, he needed to perform the customary Dao Net connection and coverage check for the area.
He didn't need to perform the maintenance himself, only send the notification signal and cooperate with the designated personnel.
Li Fan saw multicolored streams of light approaching from the depths of the Dao Net, following his signal towards the nodes representing Supreme Bliss City.
After a quick circuit, they returned.
Then, another stream of light appeared, this time from a different direction, also probing Supreme Bliss City.
This process repeated several times.
Li Fan observed silently, a strange feeling of both advancement and backwardness washing over him.
"Such a sophisticated Dao Net, yet it still requires manual intervention…"
"Hmm?"
Li Fan's eyes suddenly widened.
He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but as the Dao Net scanned Supreme Bliss City, the "sheet of paper" covering the Great Dao seemed to ripple, as if stirred by a gentle breeze.
As if… it might be lifted at any moment!
But the hand-like shadow beyond the [Dao Net] kept it firmly in place, preventing it from detaching from the Great Dao.
"So unstable…"
"This Dao Net doesn't seem to be in a stable state."
Li Fan pondered.
Besides the invisible hand, he sensed other forces maintaining the Dao Net's stability.
He observed carefully but found nothing.
The Supreme Bliss City inspection was almost complete.
Before disconnecting from the Dao Net, a sudden inspiration struck Li Fan.
"Nameless True Immortals?"
He abruptly turned his attention to several key nodes within the Dao Net.
(End of Chapter)