"Without the Xuanhuang World, there's no Primordial Essence of Time."
"Without Primordial Essence of Time, our race can't traverse possibilities and can only wait for death as Dao Obliteration approaches." Di Sanmo's tone was calm, but his ancient, wise eyes were fixed on Li Fan.
"That's not necessarily true. You mentioned your race has a method of merging into one. Since you could traverse possibilities, the merged form should be able to as well. Why seek help from others?" Li Fan spoke casually, his right index finger rising, blocking Di Sanmo's view.
A small, bronze-colored sphere of energy appeared on his fingertip: the Primordial Essence of Time! Di Sanmo's pupils constricted. Before he could speak, the sphere vanished like a bubble.
Knowing it was intentional, Di Sanmo took a deep breath and explained, "It's not that we don't want to, but that we can't."
"The method Withered Shadow and I used has severe limitations…"
"Not only can only a single consciousness traverse each time, but there's also the risk of being lost in the spacetime turbulence."
Li Fan remained silent, observing Di Sanmo, whose expression was filled with helplessness. "After Wan Shiyong's death, Withered Shadow, assuming his identity, went beyond the wall. After years of hardship, he joined the Immortal Hunters."
"They are the most powerful faction beyond the wall. They possess a treasure called the World Crossing Profound Coffin. They seem to think it's a replica, unaware of its true origin. But Withered Shadow sensed the fluctuations of our race, from another possibility, within this coffin."
"Perhaps because we have traversed possibilities so many times, we are more sensitive…"
As Di Sanmo spoke, Li Fan waved his hand. "Is it this?"
A Profound Coffin appeared before Di Sanmo, who, after a moment of stunned silence, his expression changed drastically. This was the coffin Li Buren had taken from the Nothingness Immortal and Qian Ruochang.
The Shuo Star Sea faction seemed to be hiding Li Fan, the "Hidden Emperor." Despite having Wan Shiyong as an inside source, Di Sanmo didn't know about the changes in the past century or Li Fan's involvement.
"This World Crossing Profound Coffin, crafted from the remains of a transcendent human, can indeed traverse worlds. However, it requires a specific method, which you clearly don't know, yet you managed to utilize its power and traverse… You're quite capable." Li Fan casually stored the coffin, not letting Di Sanmo examine it closely.
Although genuine, Li Fan had severed its spirituality, disabling its world-crossing ability. It might deceive Di Sanmo initially, but prolonged scrutiny would reveal its flaws. The coffin's appearance further reinforced Li Fan's image of immense power.
Di Sanmo's resolve strengthened. "Senior, you displayed great power when rescuing me. With your abilities…"
"Indeed, I can help your race traverse. But why should I? As the saying goes, those not of my kind are not of my heart. A world with thirteen Primordial Dao Incarnate… helping you would be like inviting wolves into my home."
Di Sanmo, having anticipated this, was prepared. "We anticipated your concern, Senior. But please rest assured. In our current possibility, there's something called the Beast Taming Wheel!"
"This wheel is the former Crucible of Myriad Beasts, having witnessed our race's transformation from many to one, and from one back to many. It possesses power over our entire race…"
As he spoke, Di Sanmo's long hair and beard swirled around him, forming a ring. A ghostly image of a wheel appeared within the ring. Li Fan saw countless beasts roaring within the image.
"Our entire race is controlled by this wheel, even the thirteen Primordial Dao Incarnate…"
"Besides the five who perished at the hands of human Unnamed True Immortals, the remaining eight are also bound by it."
"Bófúzhū, the merged form of our race, is most deeply affected by the crucible, as are Qùchénxī, Jíliángshǒu, and the other Primordial Dao Incarnate who, while helping our race traverse possibilities, merged a part of themselves with the crucible before their demise. Although it wasn't the Primordial Dao Incarnate from that glorious world who did this, strictly speaking, there's no difference between them."
"With this wheel, you have nothing to worry about, Senior." Di Sanmo explained calmly.
The ghostly wheel solidified, and he presented it to Li Fan, who, observing the patterns on it, seemed to sense the power of countless beasts. He had seen the Beast Taming Wheel in a previous reincarnation, the one passed down within the Beast Taming Sect. It was far inferior to this one.
After examining it, Li Fan confirmed Di Sanmo wasn't lying. Holding the wheel, he saw the detailed process of the Beastkin Race's creation, even Di Sanmo and Di Yi among them. The secrets of their life cycle were now laid bare before him, easily manipulable.
"Hehehe. Di San, do those in your world know about you offering the Beast Taming Wheel?" Li Fan observed the wise beast with amusement.
Di Sanmo lowered his head, replying calmly, "They don't. They don't even know of its existence."
"Then aren't you risking being branded a traitor for eternity?"
"Hehe, I've borne that title for millennia. It's nothing." Di Sanmo seemed genuinely unconcerned.
He looked sincerely at Li Fan. "Compared to our race's survival, everything else is insignificant."
Li Fan pondered, unable to discern the beast's true intentions. But regardless, he wouldn't miss out on the feast of thirteen Primordial Dao Incarnate.
"With Li Buren's current strength, he can only contend with one Primordial Dao Incarnate. But that's under normal circumstances. If I unleash the full power of the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections…"
"Although it will hasten the Dao Obliteration Calamity in the Dark Star Sea, it's worth it for the chance to devour thirteen Great Daos."
"Regardless of the Beast Taming Wheel's usefulness, I can still deal with those Dao Incarnates…" Li Fan's mind raced.
He then laughed heartily. "Good. A wise man submits to circumstances. You are indeed the embodiment of your race's wisdom, Di San."
Li Fan's expression changed. "I won't hide it from you. Your race's thirteen Dao Incarnates are of great use to me…"
He feigned greed and desire.
"I will eventually return to my homeland."
"And I will personally kill the two bastards who destroyed it." Li Fan pointed, and images of the Black Heaven Healer and the evil Su Bai appeared.
He paused, staring at them. "But I must admit, I'm not as strong as them yet. However, I've inherited a supreme Dao lineage. Given time and resources…" He finished with a cold sneer, leaving the rest to Di Sanmo's imagination.
"Supreme Dao lineage." Di Sanmo caught the key phrase.
In Li Fan's fabricated story, although his homeland, the Immortal Realm, was destroyed, its legacies remained in the Lower Realm, even capable of resisting Dao Obliteration. His ability to create Primordial Essence of Time further reinforced this claim. Di Sanmo couldn't help but believe him.
"Senior, are you saying the Primordial Dao Incarnate are the resources you need?" he asked cautiously.
Li Fan nodded proudly. "Don't worry, I won't harm your ordinary people. Only the Dao Incarnate, the natural embodiments of the Great Dao, are of use to me."
"Will you betray the Primordial Dao Incarnate to save your race, or watch them all perish in the Dao Obliteration Calamity…"
"Make your choice."
Di Sanmo's answer was swift. "My answer won't change. I've already considered the consequences."
"The only thing I didn't anticipate was your ability to utilize the Dao's form. Among human cultivators, wouldn't that be like…"
Li Fan smiled ominously. "Sometimes, being too smart isn't a good thing."
He appeared beside Di Sanmo, placing a hand on his head. Di Sanmo felt an immense weight pressing down, immobilizing him. It was as if a knife was carving and cutting into his mind. Even with his vast experience, he couldn't endure the pain.
The sensation was as sudden as its disappearance. Moments later, he was fine, the pain feeling like an illusion. However, a faint image of Li Fan remained in his mind, unshakeable, no matter how he tried to dispel it.
"It's just a small restriction. Don't worry. As long as you follow the plan, you'll be fine."
"Otherwise…" Li Fan chuckled ominously. "I don't mind if you and your entire race become test subjects."
Di Sanmo's expression turned serious. He lowered his head submissively.
After discussing the details of the plan, Li Fan asked the crucial question: "How much Primordial Essence of Time do you need to traverse possibilities?"
Di Sanmo produced a strange mask. "Based on our past experience, we just need to fill this Divine Mask."
Li Fan examined the mask and replied calmly, "Alright. In three days, I'll give it to you filled with Primordial Essence of Time."
"Also…"
"Wear this when you traverse."
Di Sanmo saw a small statue floating before him, its material unknown. It depicted mountains and seas nestled together, with a figure standing on the mountains, hands clasped behind its back. The moment he touched it, the image of the mountains and seas merged into him, their location within him undetectable.
"You may go now."
Dismissed, Di Sanmo returned to the Xuanhuang World. He didn't leave, but waited, observing his surroundings. Compared to a century ago, the world had changed dramatically. Not only did the world feel vaster, but the most noticeable change was the vibrant life force permeating everything.
Di Sanmo felt a sense of déjà vu, as if he had returned to the ancient times before the calamity.
"It would be fortunate indeed if we could thrive here."
"Although not permanent, it's still a paradise."
"And with enough Primordial Essence of Time, even if this place becomes uninhabitable, we can find another."
…
Within the pillar space, Li Buren stood with his eyes closed, acting as a conduit between his main body and the Hill-Guarding Immortal's power. As an energy source capable of supporting traversing possibilities, Primordial Essence of Time was incredibly high-ranked. Creating enough to fill the mask wasn't easy, even for the current Li Fan.
He needed external help. Of course, he wouldn't let the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections or the other pillars directly interact with True Return's power. He would use the Dao Net connection between his main body and his avatar as a conduit.
After a century of cultivation, Li Fan's main body, empowered by the growing Ink Slaughter Dao Net, could now withstand the Hill-Guarding Immortal's power. The immense power of the mountains and seas flowed through Li Buren into the Ink Slaughter Dao Net.
As Li Fan expected, Ink Slaughter, sharing a similar nature with Dao Obliteration, resonated with the power of the mountains and seas. The Hill-Guarding Immortal's power flowed smoothly into the Dao Net, surging like a river. It was like the power boost from using "Fake becomes Real," an immense, inexhaustible power.
"Fake becomes Real…" He recalled creating Primordial Essence of Time. Focusing his mind, bronze-colored light points materialized from nothingness.
Objects created by Li Fan using "Fake becomes Real" would normally dissipate after a few breaths, leaving only faint remnants. However, after a century of cultivation, the amount of remaining material had increased significantly, from one ten-thousandth to five ten-thousandths.
And now, empowered by external forces and having temporarily reached the Unnamed realm, it increased again to five thousandths! Although still a significant loss, with the "infinite" nature of the borrowed power, it was negligible.
Pushing the Ink Slaughter Dao Net to its limit, Li Fan immersed himself in creation, his understanding of the Transformation of True and False deepening with each droplet of light.
…
Three days later, Di Sanmo was summoned again. A mask was thrown towards him. He instinctively caught it. The familiar, potent aura emanating from within made him tremble. It wasn't just energy, but the hope of his entire race.
"I won't disappoint you, Senior," he declared solemnly.
If he had any lingering doubts before, seeing the mask filled with Primordial Essence of Time dispelled them completely.
"With enough of this energy, we can keep searching for safe havens until the entire mortal world is destroyed. At least until then, our race's safety is guaranteed. No more gambles."
"Compared to that…"
"The sacrifice of a few Primordial Dao Incarnate is insignificant."
His resolve, hidden beneath his cloudy eyes, he returned to the edge of the Shuo Star Sea.
…
Li Fan watched Di Sanmo depart, sensing his location through the mark he had left in his mind, a mark created using his understanding of the Dao of Engraving gained in the past century. He didn't expect it to last after Di Sanmo traversed possibilities, only to monitor the events within the World Crossing Profound Coffin. Even if Di Sanmo betrayed him, Li Fan could still find the thirteen Primordial Dao Incarnate.
Although he would be weaker in their world, as long as he knew their location, he could deal with them later. Moreover, he believed the chance of Di Sanmo betraying him was slim.
"Time to make some preparations." He couldn't contain his excitement. Having truly assimilated the Dao of an Unnamed True Immortal, he finally understood its benefits. Although still a "Half-Immortal," with the Ink Slaughter Dao Net, he could easily capture any opponent whose "weight" was below his.
This "weight" was Li Fan's way of describing a Dao path's significance within the Great Dao, a qualitative assessment rather than a quantifiable metric. For example, the Dao of Engraving gleaned from Situ Xing's memories, although incomplete, originated from an Unnamed True Immortal, its weight equivalent to half an Unnamed True Immortal, far surpassing ordinary True Immortals.
And this was just one aspect of Li Fan's Ink Slaughter Dao Net.
Formless, Hunger, Creation, Primordial… countless others were scattered throughout the net. These comprehended Dao laws allowed him to contend with even genuine Unnamed True Immortals, as proven through his frequent sparring with Li Buren.
Strictly speaking, this wasn't Li Fan's own power, but a borrowed strength, utilizing the resources available in this possibility. Outside this possibility, without these Dao laws, his power might vanish instantly.
But at least, in the original possibility, this made him almost invincible, fearing none except perhaps a few old monsters who had survived the Immortal Realm's destruction.
"The Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections. My own Dao Net."
"Every Unnamed True Immortal I suppress and devour strengthens both."
"The projections' power has a limit, but my Ink Slaughter Dao Net is boundless. Perhaps its limit is my ideal of assimilating all Three Thousand Great Daos."
Li Fan was satisfied with his progress. Having tasted such power, he couldn't help but look at the Shuo Star Sea. Due to the time dilation from traversing possibilities, it might be another century before he heard from Di Sanmo. He couldn't simply wait.
The Shuo Star Sea, now filled with True Immortals who had formed a tentative alliance with the Immortal Hunters, was his ideal hunting ground.
The Nothingness Immortal had been reporting on their progress. Although slow, with the combined efforts of several factions, the Immortal Hunters and the True Immortals were gradually setting aside their past animosity, agreeing to share the burden of resisting Dao Obliteration. The Immortal Hunters' offer to release all imprisoned True Immortals, even the Unnamed, was sincere.
The condition was that before leaving the Dao Net, they had to leave behind Dao-bearing projections using the Projection Dao Bearing technique. The projections' only drawback was that they needed to be retrieved for true transcendence, something even the Hill-Guarding Immortal hadn't achieved, let alone these prisoners. So they readily agreed.
"They haven't revealed the list of released True Immortals."
Li Fan observed the Shuo Star Sea from within the wall. Continuously drawing upon its Dao laws to nourish the weakened Dark Star Sea for a century, although subtle, had attracted their attention. They had sent several scouting parties, all driven away by Li Fan.
"They won't tolerate this forever."
"Let me add fuel to the fire."
Fighting near the wall gave Li Fan a significant advantage. He preferred to keep the battlefield here. Having made his decision, Li Buren's Dao path opened its maw like a bottomless abyss, devouring the Dao laws of the Shuo Star Sea.
This time, Li Fan didn't hold back. The resulting disturbance formed a distorted ring of light near the wall, instantly alerting the Shuo Star Sea.
After a moment of silence, two figures approached. One was the Nothingness Immortal. Li Fan didn't recognize the other, who didn't exude any True Immortal aura. Instead, wherever he went, he caused ripples in the surrounding Dao laws, like a giant beast moving underwater.
"A show of force." Li Fan was amused. This person clearly belonged to the Immortal Hunters. With his level of control over the Dao Net, he wouldn't normally cause such a disturbance.
Li Fan observed the lingering ripples.
"A Dao Net woven for who knows how many millennia, supported by Unnamed True Immortals. Indeed powerful, far surpassing my current Myriad Aspects Dao Net."
"However…"
"Such a display is too brazen!"
With a thought, Li Fan unleashed the power of Wuji, forming a giant hand that reached towards the Immortal Hunter.
(End of chapter)