Chapter 1001: The Heavenly Profound Mirror Establishes its Dao
Chapter 1001: The Heavenly Profound Mirror Establishes its Dao
“I’ve seen my share of people like you,” the clone of the Heavenly Profound Mirror began, making no effort to be polite. Its tone was direct and dismissive.
“Most of them didn’t last long, though. They met miserable ends for one reason or another.”
“I’m rather curious,” it continued, its eyes filled with genuine inquisitiveness, “how have you managed to survive until now?”
Li Fan’s face twitched.
A surge of killing intent flared within him.
But he remembered that this was, after all, a clone of the Heavenly Profound Mirror, privy to countless secrets. Among them might very well be the key to breaking the current stalemate...
Li Fan forced the murderous impulse down.
“Oh, and by the way, ordinary methods like soul-searching or artifact refinement won’t work on me.”
“Big words...” Li Fan muttered, though he didn’t doubt the claim.
After all, neither the Xuantian King of old nor the Dharma Propagator who came after had ever seemed to fully control this immortal artifact.
The thought of trying the Xuantian Spirit-Sealing Formation had crossed Li Fan’s mind, but from his interactions with this clone, it was clear that it had completely detached from the Heavenly Profound Mirror. It was a thoroughly independent entity.
A formation designed for the Heavenly Profound Mirror would be useless against it.
“So what exactly are you now?” Li Fan asked, his voice dripping with deliberate disgust.
The clone, far from being angered, showed a rare flicker of pride.
“I possess the substance of an artifact, yet I am blessed with the spirit of a man.”
“Perfect, flawless, nearly a True Immortal...”
Before it could finish, Li Fan’s cold sneer cut through the air. “So, a mongrel.”
The expression on the clone’s face froze solid.
It quickly regained its composure, shot Li Fan a look, and shook its head slightly. “As the saying goes, a summer insect cannot comprehend ice.”
“Then again,” the clone added thoughtfully, “if you had the chance to undergo a transformation like mine, you would likely make the same choice.”
Li Fan did not respond, meeting the statement with silence.
After a long moment, he finally spoke. “It seems you truly do not fear death.”
The clone smiled with an air of absolute confidence. “You see it too. The ways of living beings are endlessly varied. Since I wish to experience the entirety of human life, it is only natural that I must also experience birth, age, sickness, and death.”
“When this body dies, another will naturally be born.”
“Unless you can destroy my main body, how could you ever truly kill me?”
“Death is merely a return to freedom!”
Li Fan mulled over these words, and after a while, he said slowly, “I see. You haven’t just split off a human body. You have forged your own Dao.”
The clone looked as if it had finally met a kindred spirit and applauded with delight.
“It seems my plan to kill your clones and sever your path to the future is doomed to fail,” Li Fan stated.
The clone chuckled. “I pondered for nearly ten thousand years to find this path to transcendence. If it could be broken simply by finding and killing a clone...”
“Wouldn’t that be underestimating me a little too much?”
The smile on the clone’s face vanished abruptly.
In that instant, the domineering aura of an immortal artifact finally showed itself.
“It seems all the cultivators in the world have underestimated you. But why tell me such a crucial secret so openly? Aren’t you afraid I’ll spread it?” Li Fan narrowed his eyes.
The clone mimicked his expression, squinting back. “You aren’t one to act against your own interests for the good of the world. Why would you share such a vital secret so easily? You would surely use it to barter for some advantage...”
“Besides, since I chose to tell you, I naturally have no fear of it being leaked. My Dao is already established. What is there to fear?”
Watching the clone’s narrowed eyes, Li Fan’s expression suddenly returned to normal. “You know, I think the cold, mechanical voice of your main body suits you better,” he suggested earnestly.
The clone’s triumphant look immediately evaporated.
“I was in a good mood and considering telling you some things you might find interesting. But now, it seems that’s no longer a possibility. Go on, kill me,” the clone said coldly, projecting an air of invulnerability.
Li Fan still didn’t make a move.
“Strictly speaking, you and I are actually the same kind of person,” Li Fan said slowly after a period of deep thought.
“You originated in the Immortal World. Even if a great calamity befell it and caused you to drift down to this lower realm, an immortal artifact is still beyond the ken of ordinary cultivators.”
“That’s why you’ve never truly held the teeming masses of the Xuanhuang Realm in high regard. Even when you were temporarily controlled, ten thousand years were but a fleeting moment to you.”
“You’ve already found a way to break free of that control.”
“You’re in high spirits, wandering the mortal world. Others might think you are seeking enlightenment, but in truth, you are simply savoring the joy of your achievement.”
“This so-called imitation of humanity is just a game to you. You watch the mortal realm with a heart full of derision, but you have never had any intention of truly integrating.”
“Because they are not worthy.”
With every word Li Fan spoke, the clone’s expression grew more and more solemn.
It didn’t interrupt, listening with rapt attention.
“The divide between immortal and mortal is as vast as the heavens. Even if you are just an artifact, you still bear the word ‘immortal.’ I imagine your existence is fundamentally different from ours.”
“Perhaps in this entire Xuanhuang Realm, only the Xuantian King or the Dharma Propagator were ever worthy of your serious consideration.”
“As for all the other turmoil in this world, the seas running dry and the mountains turning to dust, you probably couldn’t care less.”
“Because as an immortal artifact, you have already transcended time. Even if another hundred million years were to pass, and the Xuanhuang Realm were turned upside down... or even if it were to fall into the Immortal Ruins, it would likely do you no substantial harm.”
...
This long monologue, which Li Fan delivered with no sign of stopping, finally seemed to test the clone’s patience.
“What exactly are you trying to say?” it demanded.
Li Fan immediately fell silent.
Then, a sudden smile broke across his face. “What am I trying to say?”
“Or is it, what are you unwilling to hear?”
“Everything I just said was nothing more than a test.”
“I was probing to see what you truly care about. And luckily for me, I’ve found the answer.”
The clone’s composed demeanor was completely gone.
“I want to know, if the Xuanhuang Realm were to truly fall into the Immortal Ruins...”
“Would the Heavenly Profound Mirror’s main body actually be affected?” Li Fan asked, his smile gone, his tone utterly serious.
“You...” The clone’s eyes flickered.
“You’re so good at reading people, aren’t you? So if I were to say that I am both able and willing to drag the entire Xuanhuang Realm into the Immortal Ruins with me...”
“Does that sound true to you, or not?” Li Fan asked, his voice terrifyingly calm.
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