Li Fan wondered if True Return had become dormant to help him overcome the effects of the three Daos merging. True Return had been his constant companion, his ultimate safeguard. Its sudden absence was unsettling.
Fortunately, the decades he had lived with amnesia served as a buffer, proving he could cultivate even without True Return.
"But compared to True Return, which can reverse anything with a thought, the Upstream Ark is far inferior. Without my ultimate safeguard, I must be even more cautious. If I die now, it might be for real," Li Fan thought, a shadow passing over his eyes.
He set aside his concerns about True Return and focused on the Upstream Ark, his only remaining lifeline.
After eight thousand years of reversed time and a forced landing, the already damaged ark was in a pitiful state, reduced to a bare deck and a few splintered supports. If not for the faint aura of the Dao of Upstream, Li Fan might have thought it was completely destroyed.
"The Tai Heavenly Emperor said anyone who understands the Dao of Upstream can create an ark. But in all of Primordial Possibility, only two seem to have been created. It's clearly not as simple as he claimed." Li Fan examined the ark, but he had no idea how to repair it, let alone create a new one.
With True Return, the Dao of Longevity, and the Upstream Ark all inactive, his situation was far from ideal.
His priorities became clear: first, find a way to awaken True Return; second, repair the Upstream Ark and restore the Dao of Longevity. Both seemed beyond his current capabilities.
Several questions plagued him.
One, with True Return dormant, was his understanding of the Interplay of Truth and Illusion, and the Illusion Becomes Reality technique, still usable?
Two, having returned eight thousand years into the past, was there another Tai Heavenly Emperor in the sealed village beneath the Mountain and Sea Fishery? If so, could he sense the events of eight thousand years later? If not…
Three, once he recovered his strength, what should he do? Return to the familiar safety of his one-year anchor point, or continue further into the past, searching for true safety?
These questions were daunting, even for Li Fan. He could only address them one by one.
Faced with the encirclement of these cultivators, likely from the Ten Immortal Sects, he decided to test the Interplay of Truth and Illusion. He had no cultivation in this body, but the remnants of the Dao of Longevity granted him strength comparable to his past Dao Integration realm.
"When the real is made fake, the fake becomes real," he recited silently.
Nothing happened.
But instead of fear, he felt relief. He had sensed the familiar fluctuation of the Interplay of Truth and Illusion. He could still manipulate reality, even without True Return. It was his Dao, and as long as the Dao of Truth and Illusion existed within the Mountain and Sea, he could wield it.
The reason he hadn't changed was the difference between the Dao eight thousand years ago and the present. Millennia of change, the birth and death of Daos, and the influence of Dao Obliteration had transformed the world.
He had successfully invoked the technique, but his attempt to manifest his envisioned cultivation level had failed. The subtle differences in the Dao, the changed environment, had disrupted the process. The Interplay of Truth and Illusion required a thorough understanding of the world's Daos. He needed to relearn them.
This wasn't a major problem. Though separated by eight thousand years, it was still the same world, the same possibility. Given time, he could adapt.
"Unfortunately, Illusion Becomes Reality seems to have vanished along with True Return." After careful sensing, he confirmed its absence. He wasn't surprised. After experiencing the Dao of Longevity's arrival and departure, he understood the difference between possessing a Dao and being granted its use.
But he wasn't ready to give up on Illusion Becomes Reality, the ultimate life-saving technique. Having tasted the freedom of moving unseen even within the Infinite Sea, he couldn't let it go.
"Illusion Becomes Reality is just an advanced application of the Interplay of Truth and Illusion. With my understanding…" He recalled the sensation of being under its protection. His constant use of it in the past had left a deep impression, making it easier to replicate.
"Even if I can't recreate the true Illusion Becomes Reality, a weaker version should be possible."
He glanced at the hostile cultivators, and a subtle shift occurred.
"You brat! Been holding it in for so long, haven't you?" One of the cultivators, growing impatient, slapped Li Fan's head, his eyes flashing with anger.
But as Li Fan's simplified Illusion Becomes Reality took hold, the cultivator's hostility faded. The same happened to the others. They seemed to forget Li Fan was a captured "Medicine King Sect disciple," treating him as one of their own.
The cultivator who had slapped Li Fan looked around in confusion. Then, his expression changed. "Where'd he go?!"
The others snapped out of their stupor. "Impossible! He escaped right under our noses?"
"But he didn't have any spiritual qi fluctuations. How…?"
They were incredulous, their divine senses searching the area, but finding no trace of him.
Then, Li Fan spoke. "Do you smell that faint medicinal fragrance? I hear the Medicine King Sect disciples are skilled with herbs, using them for both healing and… other purposes. Perhaps he used some technique on us." He feigned regret.
"You're right!" The others sniffed the air, nodding in agreement, filled with regret, completely oblivious to Li Fan's presence.
Li Fan breathed a sigh of relief. This was the best he could do for now. Recovering his strength required understanding this era's Daos, a gradual process.
"Though I've lost the direct experience of Dao comprehension, I should be able to regain it quickly. Others have to forge new paths. I simply have to retrace my steps." He looked at the sky, a mix of familiarity and strangeness washing over him.
Still surrounded by enemies, and with his simplified Illusion Becomes Reality imperfect, he remained inconspicuous, focusing on regaining his strength.
As the cultivators searched fruitlessly, a streak of light appeared in the distance, rapidly approaching.
"Elder Song is coming!" Their faces paled.
"Remember, we saw nothing," one whispered. They quickly agreed on their story.
Li Fan watched the approaching figure. Elder Song, the object of their fear, was only at the Nascent Soul realm. But his speed was impressive. He landed before them, inquiring about the Medicine King Sect's departure and the other streak of light.
They repeated their rehearsed story.
Elder Song scanned them, his gaze lingering on Li Fan for a moment, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. But he dismissed it without comment.
"The Medicine King Sect's departure was anticipated by the Ten Sect Masters. Let those fools go. They're digging their own graves." His tone was dismissive.
"Though they're gone, their sect remains. We, the Evergreen Valley, are closest, but taking over their entire territory is beyond us. We'll focus on the most valuable areas. Return to the sect and prepare for conflict. Troubled times are coming." He sighed.
The cultivators nodded, exchanging relieved glances.
Li Fan followed them back to the Evergreen Valley. With his simplified Illusion Becomes Reality, he blended in seamlessly. He quickly learned that the Evergreen Valley was a subsidiary sect of the Supreme Being Sect, one of the Ten Immortal Sects. This affiliation offered few benefits, but required significant annual tributes and unquestioning obedience to the Ten Sects' commands. They were essentially slaves.
Though resentful, the Evergreen Valley disciples had no choice but to accept their fate.
Located near the Medicine King Sect, the Evergreen Valley had profited from their neighbors' benevolent activities. As a small sect, with a Deity Transformation Sect Master and three Nascent Soul Elders, they were relatively powerful in the surrounding area.
Recently, the Ten Immortal Sects, suspecting the Medicine King Sect's intention to flee, had ordered surveillance. This explained the Evergreen Valley disciples' encounter with Li Fan.
"Elder Song, I have an important report," Li Fan said, approaching the elder discreetly amidst the growing tension surrounding the Medicine King Sect's abandoned territory.
"Oh?" Elder Song recognized him. "You're the guard from that day. What was your name again?"
"Li Ping, Elder. A recent initiate," Li Fan replied without hesitation. His simplified Illusion Becomes Reality fooled the Nascent Soul elder.
"What is your report?"
"That day, a streak of light from the Medicine King Sect returned to the Xuanhuang World. It landed right in the middle of us. We captured him, but he escaped…" Li Fan feigned fear and regret.
Elder Song's eyes narrowed.
"The others conspired to deceive you, Elder. They threatened me into silence. I agreed at the time, but I've been troubled by it ever since."
"Your loyalty is commendable." Elder Song abruptly left, returning moments later with a faint scent of blood clinging to him.
"Though you initially deceived me, you repented and exposed their treachery. You deserve a reward. What do you desire?"
"I dare not ask for anything, Elder. I leave it to your generosity," Li Fan replied.
Elder Song smiled and, after a moment of thought, rewarded Li Fan with a defensive artifact, a Dragonfire Shield, which would undoubtedly increase his chances of survival in the upcoming conflicts.
"He's not a bad guy," Li Fan thought, examining the shield. He didn't care about the reward. He had approached Elder Song to test his simplified Illusion Becomes Reality. Initially, the elder had been suspicious. Now, he was completely fooled.
"It will take time before I can fool Deity Transformation cultivators. The faster I understand this era's Daos, the sooner I'll achieve that."
The surrounding spiritual qi swirled around him, but he didn't absorb it, continuing to look at the sky, a frown creasing his brow.
Though the Daos were the same, he felt a strange resistance as he tried to comprehend them, a sense of powerlessness. It wasn't that his memories were faulty, but that the Xuanhuang World's Daos were actively rejecting him.
"Hmph, Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao," he thought, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
(End of Chapter)