The Hunger Immortal had been cultivating in the Immortal Ruins for a long time. Judging from her reaction to the manifested Immortal Domain and the Wordless Stele in a previous reincarnation, she was close to achieving the Unnamed realm, perhaps just a step away.
Whether or not she was an Unnamed True Immortal made a world of difference to Li Fan.
"If she doesn't achieve the Unnamed realm, no matter how close she is, I can't easily turn her into a Dao-supporting pillar to free up the Hill-Guarding Immortal's power."
"Perhaps I can help her…" Li Fan's mind raced, rapidly calculating.
In the past, the Hunger Immortal in the Immortal Ruins was an untouchable, terrifying existence. Li Fan still remembered her casually destroying the Xuanhuang World. Even though easily captured by Mao Bao and unknowingly ravaged by the evil Su Bai, she was still far beyond Li Fan's Half-Immortal level.
But now, with the power of the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections, she seemed less invincible.
"The Xuanhuang World is still useful to me. I can't let it be destroyed."
"But if she achieves the Unnamed realm, the resulting fluctuations will destroy everything…"
After careful consideration, Li Fan made his decision. Points of light, like stars, appeared in the Dark Star Sea. Li Buren, manifesting his Dao Net body, returned to the Dark Star Sea. As a Dao Net projection, he had no physical form and could manifest anywhere the Dao reached. He could sit in the armchair and appear in the Star Sea within the wall simultaneously.
His Dao Net body merged seamlessly with reality, like snow melting into water. Li Fan's main body stood up, making eye contact with Li Buren across the wall. His divine sense, through the omnipresent Blissful Ignorance Dreamland, enveloped the Xuanhuang World.
The main body and the avatar, two identical Dao Net projections, resonated with each other, their corresponding nodes merging.
"Rise!"
Empowered by the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections, using the connected Dao Net projections as ropes, Li Buren pulled sharply towards the Xuanhuang World.
The Xuanhuang World trembled, inch by inch pulled away from the Immortal Ruins' grasp. The escape plan that had once required the combined efforts of all Xuanhuang World cultivators was now achieved by Li Fan alone. This was the difference between an Unnamed True Immortal and a mortal cultivator!
Countless formations manifested around the Xuanhuang World, shrouding it in mist, blurring its form. This was Li Fan's precaution against alerting the Hunger Immortal.
As it turned out, the meditating Hunger Immortal wasn't easily disturbed. She remained oblivious to the Xuanhuang World's departure.
Although seemingly slow, the Dao Net's pulling force, relative to the Xuanhuang World's size, was equivalent to a cultivator traversing ninety-nine Xuanhuang Worlds in a single breath.
Swiftly and smoothly, the Xuanhuang World escaped the Immortal Ruins' pull. All obstacles were insignificant before the power of the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections. Even the lingering Dao Obliteration black Qi from the testing ground's spatial distortions was dealt with by Li Fan.
Their speed increased. After ten days, the Xuanhuang World arrived in a safe, albeit desolate, region of the starry sky.
As if sensing the change in its environment, the Xuanhuang World began to recover. New buds sprouted on the Ruo Tree, and the earth's veins flowed anew. Like a dying patient suddenly rejuvenated, its defenses turned into offense.
The fragments of other cultivation worlds implanted by the Healer, once cancerous growths, now became nourishment. The yellow representing the Xuanhuang World's power expanded rapidly from its core.
Li Fan, within the Xuanhuang World, observed these changes.
"To resist the Immortal Ruins' pull, the Xuanhuang World had been diverting a portion of its power. Now, free from its grasp, that power is being released."
"Just like when I utilize the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections."
The Xuanhuang World's rapid recovery surprised Li Fan. He looked at Li Ningqing, the Law Derivation Jade, who was still leisurely exploring the Xuanhuang World.
Her leave had long expired, but Li Fan hadn't recalled her, as if he had forgotten. Having worked continuously for millennia, Li Ningqing clearly hadn't rested enough. She also pretended to forget, not returning on time. Initially anxious, seeing Li Fan's lack of reaction, her worries gradually faded.
She spent her days exploring the Xuanhuang World's hidden realms, enjoying her freedom. As expected of a creation of the Immortal Realm, with her sharp senses, she actually discovered a few secret places Li Fan had overlooked.
However, they were mostly abandoned or damaged, of little value. So Li Fan let her be, planning to settle the score later.
"If I could control the Hill-Guarding Immortal's power more precisely, I wouldn't need this little girl." Li Fan shook his head slightly.
The immense power of an Unnamed True Immortal was great for combat, but too crude for searching the Xuanhuang World. He might destroy it before finding anything. Li Fan wasn't ready to destroy his base yet.
Leaving aside the changes within the Xuanhuang World, Li Buren arrived at the Immortal Ruins. Unlike ordinary True Immortals, his avatar's body, formed entirely from the Dao Net projection, merged seamlessly with the world, undetectable without using the Hill-Guarding Immortal's power.
However, he couldn't underestimate the Hunger Immortal. Li Buren's Dao Net body was still different from the desolate Dao of this lifeless starry sky.
As if sensing something, the golden chains on the Hunger Immortal rattled faintly. Li Buren felt a pull, her instinctive urge to devour him. He didn't resist, allowing himself to be drawn closer.
When he was only three meters away, Li Buren's heart stirred.
"Indeed, below her…"
"There's the aura of an Unnamed True Immortal."
It was well-concealed, seamlessly blended with the fluctuations from her cultivation. If not for his proximity and his heightened sensitivity to the Great Dao as a Dao Net projection, Li Buren would have missed it.
As the Hunger Immortal's skeletal form loomed closer, he accelerated, closing the distance instantly. The Hunger Immortal finally noticed, her eyes snapping open.
Simultaneously, the power of the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections surged through Li Buren. In a flash, utilizing the Hunger Immortal's still active pull, he pointed a finger at her forehead.
It wasn't a gesture of enlightenment, but a forceful infusion of the Hill-Guarding Immortal's immense power through her absorption. The Hunger Immortal's emaciated body inflated like a balloon, not with flesh and blood, but in a grotesque, distorted expansion. Different parts of her body swelled at different rates, turning her into a monstrous creature from the abyss.
Even her eyes became mismatched, one large, one small, the smaller one reduced to a mere pupil. But both eyes were fixed on the suddenly appearing Li Buren, filled with shock, confusion, and then, overwhelming rage.
This quickly turned into terror as she realized she couldn't handle the immense power flooding into her. She was about to burst, not just physically, but also in her Dao.
She felt her painstakingly cultivated Dao of Hunger being invaded, like a cuckoo taking over her nest and driving her out!
"Wuuu…"
Shocked and enraged, the Hunger Immortal instinctively resisted. Losing her physical body was acceptable, but losing her Dao path was not. She struggled against the intruder for control of the Dao of Hunger.
However, she hadn't yet achieved the Unnamed realm. Although close, the Dao path wasn't truly hers. Initially, she could maintain control through her familiarity with it. But gradually, to her horror, the Dao of Hunger shifted towards the intruder!
In a few breaths, she was pushed from occupying ninety-nine percent of the "house" to a corner. The Hunger Immortal was stunned. She realized the intruder's efficiency wasn't just due to his power, but also his profound understanding of the Dao of Hunger. That's why he could so easily wrest control from her!
"How… is this possible?"
This realization was even more devastating than the threat to her body and Dao path.
"But…"
"The bones of the Unnamed True Immortal of Hunger are right beneath me!"
"There's no place in the world where this Dao path is more concentrated."
"Where did he comprehend it?"
Unable to resist, the Hunger Immortal despaired. But strangely, the intruder stopped at the last moment, just shy of taking complete control. She didn't dare move, only observing, gathering her strength for a counterattack.
Battles over Dao paths were common in the Immortal Realm, always ending in one side's complete annihilation. The Hunger Immortal didn't harbor any illusions. However, to her surprise, the intruder truly stopped. He could easily drive her out completely, but he didn't.
After a long while, something even more unexpected happened. The figure shook his head slightly and retreated from the "house"!
The Hunger Immortal regained complete control of the Dao of Hunger! Her power surged back. Returning to reality from the struggle for the Dao, she looked warily at the figure. The immense power he had infused into her vanished. Her Immortal body returned to normal.
She retracted the golden chains and tried to communicate with the enigmatic figure.
"Fellow Immortal…"
"Why did you do that?"
After a moment of silence, a cold voice replied, "This Dao is too weak. Not worth merging with."
This answer was completely unexpected. The Hunger Immortal was stunned, her mind blank. The words weren't difficult to understand. The intruder had deemed the Dao of Hunger too weak, abandoning it despite being able to achieve the Unnamed realm through it.
But… how was that possible? Such arrogance! The Hunger Immortal was filled with shock and confusion.
The difference between an Unnamed True Immortal and an ordinary True Immortal was immense. In the ancient Immortal Realm, although True Immortals could freely establish their domains within a Star Sea, enjoying endless resources, they were still under the ruling Immortal Emperor's jurisdiction.
They were like citizens of the Immortal Realm. Only Unnamed True Immortals achieved "official" status, not only controlling a Star Region but also able to argue with the Immortal Emperor without punishment.
This was because the source of a True Immortal's infinite power was controlled by the Emperor. A single decree could revoke their access to the Infinite Sea. Without their "infinity," they couldn't even defeat their own servants or puppets. And having tasted infinity, how could they give it up?
Thus, there were few rebels under the ruling Immortal Emperor. A True Immortal's greatest aspiration was to merge with a Great Dao and achieve the Unnamed realm. It was said that Unnamed True Immortals could partially escape the Immortal Realm's control, accessing the Infinite Sea independently and achieving true freedom.
Therefore, regardless of its strength, achieving the Unnamed realm was an irresistible temptation for any True Immortal.
But now, someone was rejecting it? The Hunger Immortal stared at the figure in disbelief.
"If you wish to merge, then merge."
"But your understanding is flawed."
As the Hunger Immortal stood there dumbfounded, the figure began explaining his understanding of the Dao of Hunger. Comparing it with her own, the Hunger Immortal was both shocked and overjoyed. Shocked by his superior understanding, and overjoyed that with his guidance, she was finally close to taking that final step!
(End of chapter)