Judging from the phenomena observed in the depths of the Dark Sea, the Xuanhuang World possessed remarkable plasticity. Having been near the Immortal Ruins for millennia, even after its removal, the world itself hadn't fully recovered from its influence.
"The outflow of spirituality from the Xuanhuang World's beings will likely continue for another hundred years before reversing."
"This slight decrease in spirituality doesn't significantly affect those with low or average talent. Their potential is limited anyway. However, for prodigies, maintaining their complete spirituality is crucial. It's the same principle as the Grand Magus turning into stone after I stripped away his spirituality."
Li Fan set up a formation within the now empty Dark Sea to gather this outflowing spiritual matter, partly for research, partly for nurturing the most talented individuals in the Xuanhuang World.
The plan to imbue Ink Slaughter with myriad Dao aspects had gotten off to a good start thanks to the Grand Magus, but such effortless opportunities were rare. Cultivating each Dao individually was too slow. Relying on the prodigies of the Xuanhuang World was the best option.
Li Fan had utilized the insights of Xuanhuang prodigies before achieving the Half-Immortal realm. This was simply a return to his old methods.
"However, the Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang World is incomplete. It's far inferior not only to the complete Dao in the original possibility, but even to the Dao within the Dark Star Sea."
"But I can't easily leave the safety of the wall…"
After a moment of thought, Li Fan had an idea. A figure appeared in the Obliterated Lands outside the wall, an avatar created using the Hill-Guarding Immortal's power.
It was also a Dao Net projection, but purely energy, without a physical body, meant for "paving the way." It flew away from the wall, stopping at a certain distance. "This is the limit of the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections' reach. Hmm… still within the Obliterated Lands, within the range of the weakened Dao."
The figure continued flying, releasing threads like Dao Net strings, weaving a path through the dim starry sky, like an extended hand for the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections within the wall, extending their power beyond.
This wasn't Li Fan's main goal. Ignoring the Dao Obliteration above the wall and forcibly extending the projections' reach was possible, but risky. His true purpose was to use this path to supplement the incomplete Dao within the wall.
The Dao path extended beyond the Obliterated Lands, reaching the Shuo Star Sea. Li Fan was initially concerned about avoiding the Shuo Star Sea Dao Net's detection. However, he noticed that the Dao Net had retreated slightly from this border region.
It didn't appear damaged, but brighter and more profound than before.
"They're probably giving face to the Immortal Emperor I'm impersonating."
This courtesy made things easier for Li Fan. Sensing the relatively complete Great Dao within the Shuo Star Sea, strands of light separated from his avatar, weaving swiftly like nimble fingers, forming a miniature Dao Net within the starry sky.
Compared to the true Dao Net, this miniature version was sparse and fragile, supported only by the various Dao aspects within Li Fan's Ink Slaughter Immortal Soul. Without the Grand Magus's millennia of accumulation, Li Fan wouldn't have been able to create it.
This miniature Dao Net was a conduit, channeling the complete Great Dao from the Shuo Star Sea into the wall. Transforming the path into a net simply increased efficiency. Li Fan wasn't greedy. The miniature net stopped expanding after covering a small area outside the Obliterated Lands.
"This is sufficient." With a thought, he returned to the Xuanhuang World, weaving another Dao Net above it.
The aura of the complete Great Dao from beyond the wall flowed through the net, revitalizing the Xuanhuang World and the entire Dark Star Sea. It wasn't a simple replenishment of life force or Immortal power, but a fundamental repair of the damage caused by Dao Obliteration. Although essentially robbing Peter to pay Paul, for this Star Sea within the wall, it was a rebirth.
Gratitude emanated from the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao and the Dark Star Sea's origin consciousness. They eagerly absorbed the complete Great Dao from beyond, and the desolate Star Sea began to fill with life.
However, within the original possibility, under the threat of Dao Obliteration, the total amount of Dao remained constant. Any increase in one area meant a decrease elsewhere. To avoid detection, Li Fan closed the connection after a while.
Ignoring the thoughts emanating from the Xuanhuang World and the Dark Star Sea, Li Fan immersed himself in comprehending the Great Dao from beyond the wall. Embodying the Dao path, directly experiencing the Great Dao, was different from his previous mortal perspective. He could now more easily see the holes within the Dao, the places where Dao laws should have been but were now missing.
Although seemingly vibrant compared to the ravaged Dark Star Sea, Li Fan sensed a decline behind this vitality, like a frail, aging man nearing his end.
"Even my miniature Dao Net can see this clearly. How could those in the Shuo Star Sea not notice?" Li Fan sneered inwardly, looking at his neighbor, the vast, shadowy Dao Net.
Their cooperation with the True Immortals didn't seem to be progressing smoothly. Compared to before, only a few more Dao-bearing projections had appeared. Perhaps the remaining True Immortals were unwilling, or perhaps there simply weren't enough of them.
Li Fan didn't concern himself with them, focusing on absorbing his gains within the Dark Star Sea: extracting the Hunger Immortal's memories, reconstructing Li Buren's physical body with myriad Dao aspects, utilizing the insights of the Xuanhuang World's beings to comprehend the Great Dao…
Li Fan would be in a period of accumulation and development for a while. Fortunately, the wall and the Dark Star Sea provided a natural sanctuary, safe from outside interference.
Time passed.
The Dark Star Sea brightened, points of life flickering in its corners. This change was most evident in the basin below, where the long-dormant River of Life surged again, its roar echoing as life force from across the Star Sea flowed into it.
This surge attracted a being within the river: the shadow of the Unnamed Immortal, formed from the recorded fluctuations of the Hunger Immortal's ascension. It bore no resemblance to the Hunger Immortal, just a ghostly black shadow, existing in a state of unawareness since its birth, until the surging life force drew it in.
Like a whale drawing in water, the shadow absorbed the overflowing life force, its form solidifying. After a long while, it looked like a real person, but it made no further movements, simply standing by the roaring river, seemingly without purpose.
Li Fan, observing secretly, patiently waited. He wouldn't move until the enemy moved. He couldn't cultivate peacefully without resolving all potential threats within the Dark Star Sea. Now, all threats were eliminated, except for the Fishing Pond, which he wasn't ready to deal with yet, and this newly formed shadow of the Unnamed Immortal.
Having left a wisp of his divine sense to monitor it, the shadow's movements couldn't escape his notice. The shadow, not being a true living being, couldn't retain the absorbed life force. As it stood motionless, its vitality gradually faded.
Seemingly unable to endure the loss, a hidden figure finally acted. A broken mask, seemingly ravaged by time, emerged from the depths of the River of Life and rushed towards the shadow. Entering the shadow, it thrashed like a rabid beast, causing violent fluctuations. Amidst chilling crunching sounds, the shadow stabilized, the mask now adorning its face.
It looked at the nearby life force, greed filling its heart. Just as it opened its mouth to absorb it, a hand landed on its shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going, thief?"
"Stealing my things." The calm voice exuded authority.
The figure froze, instinctively trying to flee, but felt an immense weight pressing down, immobilizing it.
"Damn it! Just a borrowed shadow. If only I had my own body…" Before it could think further, the world spun, and it found itself in an unknown space, before two towering pillars.
A sense of foreboding washed over it.
"Those are…"
Recognizing them, the figure trembled uncontrollably. It knew these pillars. It was the fear of becoming one that had driven him to send an avatar to the Lower Realm, seeking a way to escape the calamity.
The disaster had come unexpectedly. Even his great power was useless against the Dao Obliteration tide. He was reduced to ashes, the calamity even affecting his avatar.
Almost completely annihilated, only a fragment of his consciousness remained, trapped within the River of Life he had created.
"If I hadn't suppressed my avatar's consciousness to avoid detection, I wouldn't be in this miserable state," he had lamented for years, trapped in the river.
However, compared to the countless True Immortals and Immortal Emperor Tianluo who perished in the Immortal Realm's destruction, having even a sliver of consciousness remaining was a blessing. He could only slowly accumulate strength, hoping the Dao Obliteration Calamity wouldn't reach him before he could recover.
Until recently, when he sensed the fluctuations of an Unnamed True Immortal's ascension above. He was shocked, terrified, and overjoyed. Overjoyed that perhaps the Immortal Realm wasn't completely destroyed, as evidenced by the new Unnamed True Immortal. Terrified of being discovered.
Although only a remnant, his past fragmented, he was once an Unnamed True Immortal. If this new Immortal grew greedy and devoured him…
Torn, he decided to gamble, using all his accumulated power to activate the Shape of Life within the River of Life, recording the newly ascended Unnamed Immortal's shadow.
"With this shadow, I can escape this predicament!" The thought of rebirth filled him with hope. The past millennia had been agonizing.
After expending all his power, he fell into an unprecedented weakness, unable even to sense the Unnamed Immortal above. But looking at the shadow he had created, he felt it was worth it.
"This place is brimming with life force. In a few days, when I can move again, I'll use the shadow to absorb it all and escape this hellhole."
His plan was sound. And as if luck was finally on his side, the long-dormant River of Life surged, not just with life force, but also with the essence of the Great Dao! This was even more crucial for him. Although his physical body was gone, his understanding of the Dao remained. Absorbing the life force and Dao essence, he could quickly recover. Even if he couldn't return to the Unnamed realm, regaining his True Immortal strength and accessing the Infinite Sea should be possible.
(End of chapter)