Li Fan's attack was sudden and unexpected, like a dark shadow abruptly emerging from the depths.
The Shuo Star Sea Immortal Hunter, caught off guard, was momentarily stunned. He quickly regained his composure, though a flicker of anger remained hidden within his expression.
Wielding the immense power of the Dao Net, he prepared to suppress the intruder. But then…
The brilliant Great Dao, for reasons unknown, dissipated like melting snow the moment it neared the shadow. His mighty fist, capable of shattering mountains, landed with the lightness of a feather, unable to even disturb a single leaf.
Not only that, but the very source of his strength, the Dao Net itself, began to unravel. It was as if the shadow had corroded a gaping hole within the Dao Net, and he was plummeting into its dark abyss.
The Immortal Hunter's anger instantly transformed into stark terror.
Wuming, who had initially intended to remain a spectator, sensed something amiss. He moved to intervene, but a hand gently pressed down on his shoulder, pinning him with the weight of mountains. He could only watch helplessly as the Immortal Hunter was swallowed by the shadow.
"What's all the commotion?" Li Fan's voice drawled lazily after everything had settled. He made no mention of the suppressed Immortal Hunter, as if he had merely swatted a fly, an insignificant act unworthy of comment.
Wuming knew that his earlier disrespectful behavior had provoked the unpredictable "Hidden Emperor." That was why Li Fan had acted.
The thought of Elder Wei, one of the top three powerhouses within the Shuo Star Sea Governing Council, being captured so easily sent a chill down Wuming's spine. Over the years, the Governing Council had analyzed the Hidden Emperor's strength through various means. Yet, the level of power he had just casually displayed far surpassed their estimations.
"Even that lord might not be capable of such a feat."
"No wonder they never came to pay their respects despite knowing of the Hidden Emperor's existence all these years. They were afraid…"
Wuming's mind raced, but his body reacted instinctively. Bowing his head respectfully, he said, "I sensed a disturbance in the Great Dao at the edge of the Star Sea and feared it was a summons from Senior, so I rushed here to investigate." He made no mention of the missing Immortal Hunter.
"Hmph."
"I absorbed a bit of your Natural Order Great Dao. That shouldn't be a problem, should it? After all, you have the Dao Net supporting you, and in recent centuries, you've even gained the support of True Immortals' Dao projections," Li Fan questioned coldly.
With their backing, Elder Wei, captured so effortlessly, Wuming dared not voice any objection. He could only nod bitterly, "No problem, no problem at all."
"I have long since awakened. Now that the Dao Obliteration Calamity has subsided, there is much to be rebuilt. I intend to re-establish the Immortal Court…"
Wuming was still contemplating how to explain the situation to the Shuo Star Sea Immortal Hunters upon his return when Li Fan's words struck him like a thunderbolt, leaving his mind completely blank.
"Re-establish the Immortal Court?" Wuming was dumbfounded. The image of the vast and boundless Immortal Realm from years past involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
"With the Dao Obliteration Calamity not fully retreated, rebuilding the entire Immortal Realm is currently impossible. However, restoring a single Immortal Domain…"
"Is still within my capabilities," Li Fan declared proudly.
"It will be completed soon. Those interested are welcome to visit. However, idlers and those lacking proper etiquette need not come."
Still reeling from the shocking news, Wuming felt his mind in a daze. He was about to respond when he felt the pressure on his shoulder intensify. The scenery before his eyes blurred, and when he regained his senses, he had been flung thousands of miles away.
Something else seemed to have been thrown out with him. However, it stopped after traveling only three thousand miles, standing motionless in the void.
At first glance, it appeared to be a stone pillar, inscribed with a large character: [静 - Stillness/Silence].
But after observing it for a moment, a chilling dread washed over Wuming, leaving him feeling as though he had plunged into an icy abyss.
What stood before him was no mere stone pillar. It was Elder Wei, the Immortal Hunter who had accompanied him!
"When the Dao Net was first created, Protector Wei was already one of its pillars. Immersed in the Dao Net for countless years, his body merged with myriad Daos. He could even handle several Unnamed Ones with ease."
"During the negotiations, he forced back three attackers simultaneously. He was so formidable. To think he has been reduced to this…"
Wuming felt no empathy, only an unspeakable terror.
"We initially analyzed that the Hidden Emperor had obtained Keeper Qiu's wondrous technique through a stroke of luck. Now it seems that Keeper Qiu may have entrusted it to him deliberately. With such power, he could be a close friend of Keeper Qiu…" The more Wuming thought about it, the more apprehensive he became. Not daring to concern himself with Elder Wei, now transformed into a stone pillar, he sped back towards the Shuo Star Sea. The matter was far too grave; he had to inform the others as quickly as possible.
…
Li Fan watched Wuming's retreating figure coldly, his gaze returning to the stillness-inscribed stone pillar. Although it was also a pillar, its essence differed from that of the primordial pillars like Yuanshi.
Li Fan had merely reshaped the Immortal Hunter using the Dao of "Inscription," rather than condensing it into a single Great Dao. After all, the Immortal Hunter only borrowed power from the Dao Net, possessing no Dao Path of his own.
After Li Fan severed the Immortal Hunter's connection to the Dao Net with the power of [Boundless], the Hunter's displayed strength wasn't even comparable to the Healer within the Great Wall.
Though transformed into a pillar, the Immortal Hunter retained his senses. The arrogance he had arrived with was gone, replaced by a complex mixture of fear, despair, and regret.
Using the Immortal Hunter's fear as a guide, Li Fan slowly eroded and peered into his mind. As expected, anything related to the Dao Net was obscured, like covered by a cloth. However, the various affairs of the Shuo Star Sea Governing Council were crystal clear.
"This newly formed alliance has already gathered four Unnamed Ones and thirty-six True Immortals…"
"While not as delectable as the thirteen Primordial Dao Incarnates, it's still a decent feast."
If Li Fan had learned of such a formidable force in the Shuo Star Sea before, he would have chosen to avoid it at all costs. Now, however, an insatiable greed surged within him.
Noticing this shift in his mentality, Li Fan frowned slightly, abruptly pulling himself out of his ravenous fantasy. Closing his eyes, he calmed his mind.
"The Myriad Manifestations Dao Net devours Unnamed Ones, forcibly seizing their Dao Paths. Such a method of increasing strength is indeed too rapid. It's not even adequately described by the term 'hasty.'"
"As a result, my mindset has been somewhat affected. If this continues, I fear I will become incapable of accepting any gradual progress."
"Of the myriad Daos in the world, I might be able to find ways to devour and effortlessly acquire them all. But the Transformations of Truth and Illusion, I must comprehend on my own…"
Li Fan pondered, his desire to "consume" slowly fading.
"Though the Myriad Manifestations Dao Net's annihilation by Mo hints at Transcendence, the [Transformations of Truth and Illusion] are my true foundation."
"The method may be wondrous, but it must not sway my will."
…
After a long period of introspection, Li Fan finally emerged from his near "loss of control." While his plan to hunt Unnamed Ones remained unchanged, his desire, his urgency, had diminished.
With his current power, even if the four Unnamed Ones of the Shuo Star Sea gathered, he should be able to suppress them all, regardless of the cost. Moreover, the Shuo Star Sea would never send all their Unnamed Ones and True Immortals for a mere initial probe.
The plan was not difficult to execute.
"However, the bait needs careful refinement."
Li Fan extended his hand, and dozens of shimmering fragments appeared in his palm. They were the remnants of Sun Piaomiao's Immortal Domain chess pieces. During the transformation of Yuanshi's bone into a Heavenly Pillar, most of the Immortal Domain had crumbled, returning to Yuanshi.
Only a few fragments remained.
Li Fan wasn't yet capable of recreating the Immortal Domain with just these fragments.
But if it were just to create a convincing façade of an Immortal Court…
That shouldn't be a problem.
"What makes the Immortal Realm 'Immortal' are two things: the potential of Upper Mountain and the infinity of the Infinite Sea."
"If both are present, even if it isn't the true Immortal Realm, it can be considered as such."
"With Keeper Qiu's projection and several Heavenly Pillars at my disposal, I can withstand the Dao Obliteration Calamity. Their potential is more than enough for this deception."
"The key is the attribute of infinity…" Li Fan pondered, momentarily hesitant.
The unknown existence he had sensed at the bottom of the Infinite Sea was truly terrifying. Most importantly, it seemed capable of sensing the [True Return] within his true body through the connection between his avatar and himself.
Although he had found a way to access the Infinite Sea, Li Fan hadn't used it a second time in the past century.
Amidst his hesitation, Li Fan finally decided to consult the True Return directly. After all, having weathered the tumultuous storm following his last attempt to stir the True Return's thoughts, and after a century of tempering, he felt he could withstand more of the True Return's contemplation.
Not long after conveying his intent, Li Fan received a response from the True Return.
This time, it wasn't a simple emotional fluctuation like before, nor the concrete thoughts that had previously surged like a tempestuous sea.
It was a pure "guidance," like an instruction.
As Li Fan carefully savored its contents, his expression shifted, growing increasingly intrigued.
The content of this guidance seemed to be a divine ability!
The use of the word "seemed" was because the content imparted by the True Return was unlike any divine ability Li Fan had ever known.
Divine abilities and spells rely on the concept of "cultivation." From nothing to something, from unfamiliarity to familiarity, and then to mastery. It is a gradual process of mastering an unknown skill.
But what the True Return had imparted to Li Fan bypassed the arduous cultivation process entirely, leading directly to the result.
Like an incantation, its effect could be achieved simply by uttering it.
Li Fan was skeptical, but he conducted his first experiment without any practice. Of course, out of caution, he didn't use his true body. Li Buren, his avatar, once again served as the test subject.
After receiving the "guidance," Li Buren didn't sense any change within himself. Nevertheless, relying on his memories from the last time, he resolutely connected with the Infinite Sea once more.
Having already established a connection, he didn't need the previous complicated steps. With a single thought, he returned to the boundless ocean!
Even though it wasn't his first time, Li Buren was still awestruck by the infinity before him.
But unlike before, despite being within infinity and bearing the weight of eons, he felt no pressure.
It was as if he possessed a legendary water-repelling pearl, enveloped in a protective layer that negated the natural pressure of the sea, allowing him to freely roam within the Infinite Sea.
"This…"
Li Buren was certain that this was a unique experience, unattainable even by Unnamed True Immortals. Perhaps not even so-called Transcendent powerhouses could remain so comfortably at the bottom of the Infinite Sea.
Yet, the [True Return] had achieved this with a single wondrous technique.
Li Buren's mind was slightly dazed as he carefully examined the change within himself. He realized that he hadn't noticed it earlier because the True Return's technique had affected something beyond his comprehension.
It had made him, a mortal who didn't belong here, become as one with the Infinite Sea.
Since he was now a part of the Infinite Sea, he was no longer subject to its pressure.
Li Buren knew this was undoubtedly a supreme divine ability.
But gazing at the endless convergence of time and events around him, he felt momentarily lost, unsure of what to do next.
As he stood there in a daze, a sudden tremor shook him. It felt like the water-repelling pearl's protection was about to break, and the pressure of the Infinite Sea was about to return.
"So this alteration, or deception, has a time limit." Understanding dawned on Li Buren.
Not daring to tarry, he returned to the present world while the divine ability was still active.
Thanks to the True Return's technique, this foray into the Infinite Sea had not attracted the attention of the unknown, terrifying existence lurking within its depths.
"Moreover, with this technique, I seem to be able to draw upon the power of the Infinite Sea more effectively than other True Immortals."
"While the divine ability lasts, I can freely draw upon its power without incurring its pressure or provoking its wrath."
Li Fan savored the entire exploration process, his heart pounding uncontrollably.
The Immortal Dissociation Disc had long been capable of deriving Immortal Power.
Li Fan knew that although Immortal Power possessed the property of infinity, the amount an individual could utilize was limited by their strength. This limit was directly related to their cultivation level.
The Immortal Power of an Unnamed True Immortal was undoubtedly far greater than that of an ordinary True Immortal.
And those like Keeper Qiu were a step above even the typical Unnamed True Immortal.
But now, with the divine ability bestowed by the True Return, Li Fan seemed to be able to bypass these limitations, accessing Immortal Power across levels…
Unable to resist the temptation, Li Fan immediately attempted to use the ability again.
But he discovered…
He failed.
"Hmm?"
After several more unsuccessful attempts, he finally identified the problem.
It wasn't that he had made a mistake in executing the divine ability, but rather that the ability itself had become unusable.
"Can this deception only be used once?"
Li Fan's eyelid twitched. Upon closer inspection, he relaxed slightly.
"It's not one-time use."
"But there's a cooldown period before it can be used again."
"This…"
"How is this like…"
"A skill?"
A strange expression crept onto Li Fan's face.
Lost in thought, Li Fan seemed to recall something. He quickly glanced at the status panel displayed within the [True Return].
After the information on name, age, and charging progress, and before the bound items information, a new line of text had appeared.
Divine Blessing: Illusion Becomes Reality.
(End of chapter)