Chapter 1011: Remnant Disciple of the Tianji Realm
Chapter 1011: Remnant Disciple of the Tianji Realm
Only then did a figure with an obscured face appear before him.
“Interesting. Who exactly are you?”
Hearing this question, the leader of the Lingyuan Sect nearly coughed up blood.
You launch a sudden attack, drag me to this place, and then ask who I am? I’d like to ask you the same thing!
The leader of the Lingyuan Sect let out a cold snort, refusing to answer.
“So confident. It seems you’re not afraid of a soul-search, then?”
“A creation of cultivation and matter... truly different from an ordinary living being.”
“But have you ever seen this?”
And within that sphere, the leader of the Lingyuan Sect felt a presence buried in the deepest recesses of his memory—something that had left an unforgettable, bone-chilling terror in its wake!
“Are you insane?!” the leader cried out, his voice laced with pure horror.
But seeing the figure remain unmoved, even beginning to bring the seven-colored sphere closer...
“Let’s talk this over! We can talk about this!” the leader instantly capitulated.
“It seems you are no stranger to the Submerge character seal,” Li Fan stated calmly.
“Daoist friend, could you also be a refugee from another cultivation world who has fled here?” the leader asked, probing for information.
Li Fan didn’t answer, merely offering an enigmatic smile.
But in his heart, the leader of the Lingyuan Sect had already accepted it as fact.
After all, as possibly the only sanctuary left in this star sea, the Xuanhuang Realm was still relatively safe. There were no signs that it had been afflicted by the Submerge character seal.
“That thing is extremely dangerous, Daoist friend. It would be best to put it away. While the cultivators of this realm seem quite adept at handling all sorts of disasters, a sudden outbreak would likely be too much for them to handle.”
“It’s not that I’m on their side, but... there’s simply nowhere else for us to go,” the leader hastily explained, as if fearing Li Fan might misunderstand his intentions.
Hearing his words, Li Fan appeared to give them serious consideration.
He finally retracted the seven-colored sphere. As the lethal aura vanished, the leader of the Lingyuan Sect felt the crushing weight on his heart lift, at least for the moment.
“To carry such a thing with him... he’s truly a ruthless one,” the leader thought with a shudder.
He immediately adopted a cooperative attitude. “Since we are both fellow castaways, then please, ask whatever you wish to know! I swear I will tell you everything and hold nothing back!”
He had no choice. His life was in the other’s hands.
The leader of the Lingyuan Sect lamented his fate.
“Which cultivation world are you from?” Li Fan asked, cutting straight to the point.
“This humble one is the Master Craftsman Qiaogong, from the Tianji Realm,” the leader of the Lingyuan Sect replied, revealing his identity.
“How did you come back from the dead?” Li Fan asked the crucial question.
Master Craftsman Qiaogong answered readily, “Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a true resurrection. My original body was destroyed many years ago. My consciousness merely inhabits this Tianji Puppet that I built.”
“As you know, Daoist friend, this Xuanhuang Realm is a perilous place. One never knows when they might run into some hidden monster...”
Master Craftsman Qiaogong paused, glancing at Li Fan before continuing, “For my own safety, I made a habit of backing up my consciousness periodically. That way, even if I met with some... accident, I could rely on my prior preparations to revive myself.”
“It’s just that the disaster I encountered this time was a bit... significant,” Master Craftsman Qiaogong said with a wry smile.
Li Fan nodded at his words but offered no explanation.
He continued his questioning. “This Tianji Puppet... it appears to be constructed from cultivation itself as a material? Quite incredible...”
Master Craftsman Qiaogong replied, “Daoist friend, your insight is truly sharp. However, in our Tianji Realm, we generally refer to cultivation as ‘Source Power’.”
A flicker of nostalgia crossed Master Craftsman Qiaogong’s eyes. “The fundamental force that drives a cultivator’s advancement is Source Power.”
“Our Tianji Realm had a unique environment, established upon the shattered body of an immortal-grade puppet. We called that puppet ‘The Ancestor’. It was through constantly studying the mysteries of The Ancestor that we developed artifact refining techniques that far surpassed those of other cultivation worlds.”
“Source Power was one of the most important discoveries made during that process. Though cultivators in the world practice countless different techniques, they can all be extracted and purified through certain methods, then converted into the universal Source Power.”
“Components are the bones, and Source Power is the flesh. With them, one can forge a puppet bearing some resemblance to The Ancestor.”
Master Craftsman Qiaogong spoke with pride and fluency.
Li Fan monitored him closely the entire time, sensing no falsehood in his words.
“Your Tianji Realm was truly blessed with great fortune, to have occupied an immortal-grade puppet.”
“By comparison, our Wansheng Realm was rather unremarkable,” Li Fan remarked coolly.
“Wansheng Realm? I’ve never heard of it,” Master Craftsman Qiaogong said, shaking his head with a hint of regret.
Li Fan was unconcerned. “In those days, the cultivation worlds were as numerous as the stars in the sky. But now, they have all turned to dust. It’s best not to speak of it.”
His words stirred a similar sense of loss in Master Craftsman Qiaogong.
“Was your Tianji Realm also destroyed by the Submerge character seal?” Li Fan inquired after a moment.
Though an unknown amount of time had passed, Master Craftsman Qiaogong still looked deeply shaken. “Yes. In the beginning, we were able to hold it off for a time with our advanced technology. But the corrupting power of that mildew was simply too strong.”
“Even the remains of The Ancestor could not escape its erosion. On the day our defenses collapsed, we scattered in desperation, fleeing for our lives.”
“Speaking of which, that seven-colored sphere of yours... it seems capable of sealing the mildew?”
A thought suddenly occurred to Master Craftsman Qiaogong, and he asked with a flicker of hope.
Li Fan sneered. “It took the sacrifice of an entire cultivation world to refine this treasure. But it can only hold it back for a short time, and I must constantly replenish its energy.”
“Furthermore, what’s sealed inside is only a minuscule fraction of its true power.”
“When the calamity comes, no one can hope to remain untouched.”
Hearing this, Master Craftsman Qiaogong fell silent.
A short while later, however, he couldn’t help but retort, “Actually, I feel that if it weren’t for the Immortal Ruins hanging overhead, the Xuanhuang Realm might have a chance of surviving this calamity.”
“I have observed traces of the calamity’s descent upon this realm before, but it seemed to rage for only a short period before being eliminated by some unknown means. The Xuanhuang Realm is truly filled with remarkable individuals; I must admit my admiration.”
“Hmph. No matter how extraordinary they are, they are still doomed to be consumed by the Immortal Ruins. This is merely a temporary reprieve,” Li Fan declared coldly, his tone dripping with disdain.
Master Craftsman Qiaogong opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated.
“What is it? Do you have a different opinion?” Li Fan glanced at him.
Master Craftsman Qiaogong couldn’t hold back his thoughts. “Based on my observations from over three hundred years ago, the Xuanhuang Realm should already be much closer to the Immortal Ruins. Yet, in the face of such a colossal power, it still hasn’t disintegrated...”
“I suspect that there is a power, one nearly as great as the Immortal Ruins itself, that is protecting the Xuanhuang Realm.”
“So, as for escaping the Immortal Ruins... I don’t think it’s entirely impossible.”
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