Chapter 1013: The True Dao of the Dharma Spreader
Chapter 1013: The True Dao of the Dharma Spreader
"You needn't worry..."
As he spoke, the Master Artificer seemed to recall the calamity that had befallen the Immortal Realm all those years ago, and he suddenly fell silent.
"Then again, it's hard to say for sure. The path to the Root of the Dao is fraught with peril. Even an ordinary immortal, unless they are a Nameless True Immortal who coexists with the Dao, cannot escape the risk of perishing," the Master Artificer lamented with a sigh.
Once his words were spoken, a long silence once again descended between them.
Li Fan, his brow deeply furrowed, seemed to be digesting this revelation, lost in thought.
After a long moment, he finally came back to himself and asked, "When you mentioned that non-believers would suffer a backlash, were you referring to the consequence of seeking another Root of the Dao?"
"Precisely," the Master Artificer confirmed with a nod. "Not only would it alert the immortal at the source, but it would also cause the Root of the Dao itself to tremble."
"This is because, based on all the information we have, each Root of the Dao is utterly pure, independent, and exclusive. Of course, perhaps beyond the realm of Nameless True Immortals, there exists an even more unimaginable state where all Daos merge into one. But that is nothing more than baseless speculation, without a shred of evidence to support it."
"I've noticed that the 'Common Lives Spirit Essence Art' you created seems to bear the shadow of this 'Consequence of the Dao Root' as well," Li Fan observed pointedly.
"Heh, you saw it too, fellow Daoist," the Master Artificer said, lowering his voice to a heavy, conspiratorial tone. "It's not just the Common Lives Spirit Essence Art. Even the cultivation method of this Xuanhuang Realm, to 'reverse the logic of heaven and earth and attain Longevity,' secretly aligns with the true meaning of the Dao Root."
"The Dharma Spreading Heavenly Venerate... that man. Though he has not yet reached the realm of an immortal, he has used this method to establish control over cultivators from an 'upstream' position. He is truly terrifying and awe-inspiring."
"Although he is not an immortal, he already possesses some of an immortal's authority. It's just as I said before: you either become his believer and cultivate his law, or you must kill him directly," the Master Artificer whispered, his profound reverence for the Dharma Spreader evident in his voice.
Li Fan's brow creased. "By that logic, if the Dharma Spreading Heavenly Venerate were to die for some reason, could it affect every single cultivator in the Xuanhuang Realm?"
The Master Artificer shrugged. "That possibility can't be ruled out. That's why I say the man is exceedingly formidable. I even suspect he might be a reincarnated immortal. Otherwise, it would be impossible to apply the theory of the Dao Root with such masterful proficiency."
Li Fan's frown deepened.
This was an angle he had never considered before. It seemed the difficulty of dealing with the Dharma Spreading Heavenly Venerate was far greater than he had imagined.
"By the way," Li Fan began after a moment, changing the subject, "I noticed your two Creation Golden Man guardians look exactly like the Dharma Spreader. Is there some mystery to this? Could it be that the Puppet Ancestor of your Tianji Realm also had this appearance?"
The Master Artificer quickly shook his head. "You misunderstand, fellow Daoist. The Ancestor's appearance was too fragmented to be recognizable. The reason I designed the Creation Golden Man in the Dharma Spreader's likeness was likely to better align with the Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm."
Fearing Li Fan might not understand, the Master Artificer elaborated, "As you can see, my Tianji Puppets are constructed from Source Power but also require numerous other components. The Creation Golden Man, however, is composed purely of Source Power."
"Though it is Source Power gathered from cultivating the Common Lives Spirit Essence Art, its existence within the Xuanhuang Realm means it is inevitably influenced by the Dharma Spreader. Therefore, I had to fashion it in his image to maintain its structural stability."
His explanation dispelled the surprise and doubt in Li Fan's mind.
If the Dharma Spreader was indeed a reincarnated immortal, then he would have to tread even more carefully in the Xuanhuang Realm from now on.
But from the current situation, even if he wasn't a true immortal, he wasn't far from it.
"In that case, what is your stance on joining our Federation of All Worlds?" Li Fan asked after another long period of quiet contemplation.
The Master Artificer answered without a trace of hesitation. "Of course, I accept. The path to immortality is now severed, making ascension and the pursuit of the Dao Root nothing but a distant dream. To have the opportunity to serve under this..."
"Compassionate Immortal of the Red Dust..." The Master Artificer recited the name with profound respect.
"...is an immense honor. You must understand, with calamity sweeping across the star domains, a living True Immortal is the kind of patron countless cultivators can only dream of," he declared, his eyes filled with longing and aspiration.
"And with the power of a True Immortal, the various projects that were halted due to insufficient resources could finally be implemented," the Master Artificer added, finally revealing the true reason for his eagerness to join.
To avoid arousing Li Fan's suspicion, he quickly explained, "We learned so much from studying the Ancestor's puppet back then. The Tianji Puppet is merely the most basic of our designs."
"You can see that it's driven by Source Power—the Fruit of the Dao. But if we could harness the power of the Flower of the Dao to forge puppets..."
The Master Artificer's eyes gleamed with visionary fervor. "We could undoubtedly create true immortal-grade puppets whose power would crush ordinary cultivators."
"While they couldn't compare to a true immortal, I believe they would have little trouble contending with cultivators at the Longevity stage."
The Master Artificer was brimming with confidence.
As he spoke, his gaze drifted once more to the golden wish-power that still coiled around Li Fan's fingertip.
The so-called power of the Flower of the Dao.
Hearing this, Li Fan nodded slowly.
He retracted the golden wish-power back into his calamity body, storing it away.
"In that case, come with me and pay your respects to the statue of the Compassionate Immortal of the Red Dust!"
The Master Artificer's vision blurred for an instant, and he found himself in a vast, circular hall.
Before him, a stone statue with an obscured face stood imposingly.
The aura emanating from the statue was strikingly similar to the residual aura he had felt on the Ancestor's body all those years ago!
This was the power of an Immortal!
All doubts in the Master Artificer's heart vanished.
Willingly, he followed Li Fan and recited the oath of allegiance with sincere devotion.
The very instant the oath was completed, Li Fan felt a connection form with the most devout power among all the members of his organization.
It was even stronger than that of Dao Xuanzi, whom he had previously deemed a "Most Sincere Seeker of the Dao."
"Perhaps those who have witnessed the true power of an immortal become all the more devout, with no thought of rebellion," Li Fan mused silently.
But to follow a True Immortal that already existed in the world, to be a mere dog...
That was not something Li Fan would ever do.
Of course, to borrow that power for a lifetime or two in a simulation...
That was another matter entirely.
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