Chapter 1012: A Discourse on the Dao Root and Its Fruit
"Nearly three hundred years have passed. The Xuanhuang Realm must have drifted closer to the Immortal Ruins, yet it still hasn't collapsed..." Master Qiaogong's implication was clear.
Li Fan nodded in agreement. "All other realms have been annihilated, with only the Xuanhuang Realm surviving. There must be countless cultivators like us, refugees from other worlds, yet all of them are lying low, treading with caution. This is likely because they've been awed by the power protecting this realm."
"To be frank with you, fellow Daoist, I have some knowledge of formations. When I first arrived in the Xuanhuang Realm, I detected a vast, faint array enveloping the entire world. Its power level might be comparable to the legendary immortal-grade formations. Terrified by this discovery, I've kept a low profile ever since."
"I certainly wouldn't dare to cause such a stir as you did with the Lingyuan Sect!"
Hearing this, Master Qiaogong gave a wry smile. "It seems you've had your eyes on me for a long time!"
After a moment's pause, Master Qiaogong explained, "The Lingyuan Sect may seem grand in scale, but in truth, it's nothing more than a disorderly mob, completely beneath the notice of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. It's only because Nine Mountains Province has a unique geography and borders the Five Elders Council's territory that it's such a chaotic mix of characters. Rather than meticulously governing it, it's easier to let the Lingyuan Sect grow wild."
"At the very least, I am required to hand over a portion of the vast Source Power I harvest each time."
"I just don't know what on earth has happened these past three hundred years..." A shadow flickered in Master Qiaogong's eyes.
Li Fan couldn't help but laugh. "Fellow Daoist, you're merely frightening yourself. In truth, the Lingyuan Sect has been thriving all these years. It was only recently that it suffered an unforeseen disaster, caught in the crossfire when the manifestation of the Dharma Propagator Heavenly Venerate appeared and annihilated Nine Mountains Province with a single glance."
Master Qiaogong's face twitched as he watched, and he cried out in shock, "What crime did they commit to provoke the Dharma Propagator Heavenly Venerate himself?"
"Naturally, in the war between two behemoths, they chose to side with the Five Elders Council," Li Fan explained.
Master Qiaogong's face was a mask of disbelief, which then twisted into resentment. "What fools!" he hissed.
After a moment of struggling with the absurdity of it all, something seemed to occur to him, and he asked with a renewed sense of suspicion, "That can't be right. I can clearly sense that nearly a million people in the world are still practicing the Common Lives Spirit Essence Art..."
"Oh, that," Li Fan replied with perfect calm. "I couldn't bear to see your life's work reduced to ashes, so I took it over."
Master Qiaogong was utterly stunned. "You..."
In the next instant, his thoughts raced, and he pieced it all together. "No wonder you found my location so soon after I was resurrected..."
"No, wait. You must have discovered my method of resurrection long ago, didn't you?"
Master Qiaogong's expression shifted constantly, a turbulent storm of emotions.
Li Fan gave a slight nod. "Rest assured, fellow Daoist, I mean you no harm. Otherwise, I wouldn't have told you everything so candidly."
"Oh? Then what is it that you truly want...?" Master Qiaogong's face was a shifting landscape of light and shadow.
"Naturally, I see that your skills are extraordinary, a true work of heavenly craftsmanship. Therefore, I wish to invite you to join us and pursue a great cause together!" Li Fan declared with a solemn expression.
Following this, Li Fan once again gave a detailed account of his fabricated Federation of All Worlds and its mission to restore the dao lineage of the Red Dust Compassionate Immortal.
"A True Immortal's dao lineage?" Master Qiaogong's eyes narrowed, his expression a mixture of belief and skepticism.
It wasn't until Li Fan passed him a thread of golden Myriad Spirit Nectar that Master Qiaogong was once again struck with an inexplicable shock.
"Source Power Essence?!" he blurted out, using a term different from the one Baihua Daoren had used.
"Oh? And what might Source Power Essence be? In our Wansheng Realm, we call this Myriad Spirit Nectar," Li Fan inquired with keen interest.
Master Qiaogong stared intently at the substance in Li Fan's hand, as if beholding a peerless treasure. "Source Power is the fundamental energy that drives a cultivator's advancement. And Source Power Essence is the ultimate force that gives birth to Source Power itself."
"Or, to use a theory that was once popular in some cultivation worlds, if one's realm is the core and their cultivation base is the fruit, then Source Power Essence is the very body of the [Dao Flower]. And the origin of it all, the absolute wellspring, is the [Dao] that drives the development of all things."
Li Fan's mind flashed back to Baihua Daoren's description of the Myriad Spirit Nectar.
That it was the part discarded by a Nameless True Immortal while absorbing traces of the [Dao].
"Your analogy is quite novel, fellow Daoist," Li Fan remarked, thoughtfully mulling over the words.
Master Qiaogong, however, remained transfixed, his gaze locked on the Source Power Essence, unwilling to look away.
"Is the Dao Flower poisonous?" Li Fan asked abruptly.
Master Qiaogong was startled for a moment before he understood Li Fan's meaning. He pondered briefly, then explained, "It is harmless to believers. But non-believers will surely suffer a backlash!"
"You must understand, the Dao Root and the Dao Flower are not powers that cultivators like us, who have yet to ascend, can possibly master."
"If we wish to utilize them, we must rely on an [Immortal]."
"But [Immortals] are beings beyond our comprehension. As they pursue the Dao Root, they inevitably leave behind their own traces. Thus, the Dao Flowers, Dao Fruits, and Dao Cores that are generated all become tainted with their own unique aura."
"A common flower in this world follows a process: root, stem, blossom, then fruit. But we cultivators pursue the Dao by tracing the effect back to its cause. We seek the origin of everything, the Dao Root..."
"Such a profound and ethereal matter... If one does not achieve enlightenment on their own and instead tries to take a shortcut—rushing to trace back to the Dao Root before fully grasping the true essence of the Dao Fruit's power—they can only rely on the achievements of others."
"Do you understand what I'm saying, fellow Daoist?"
Perhaps it was the excitement of seeing a true Dao Flower, but Master Qiaogong had spoken a great deal in a single breath.
"According to your explanation, it seems there isn't much harm in using the power of a Dao Flower?" Li Fan asked.
"That's right, so long as you don't pursue other Dao Roots in the future," Master Qiaogong replied.
Li Fan thought for a moment and instantly understood. "One root bears one fruit?"
"Precisely. Once you are tainted by the power of a Dao Flower, you can almost never escape its influence for the rest of your life. If you have the chance to advance further, you can only follow the predetermined path to seek the Dao Root to which you are already bound. However, a True Immortal has already walked that path ahead of you..."
Master Qiaogong smiled. "So, you either become their believer and vassal, or you slay them and become the strongest on that particular Dao path."
"Oh, right, I forgot to mention one more thing. The fruit is born from the root. If the root withers, the fruit will surely perish. So if the Immortal at the source dies, all those downstream who used their power to align with that Dao Flower will also die instantly."
"But they are Immortals, after all. The probability of them falling is much smaller than for ordinary cultivators like us."
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