Chapter 1041: The Principle of Yin-Yang Union
A thief never leaves empty-handed.
This expedition to the Salvation Sect had certainly cost him a great deal of effort.
Returning with nothing to show for it was hardly Li Fan's style.
Li Fan's clone stroked his chin, and after a long moment of contemplation, an idea took shape.
He began to meticulously weave a new layer of restrictions around the Calamity Crossing Book, one of his own creation.
At his current level of strength, Li Fan still couldn't handle the Calamity Crossing Book without a seal to suppress it.
And creating something from nothing was far more difficult than making repairs.
Even after completely exhausting a third of his divine soul, he was still far from finished.
Fortunately, Li Fan's main body, waiting patiently outside this pocket of space, had already sent another third of his soul's power as reinforcement.
Under the weight of this dual suppression, the book's pages began to flutter more frantically.
Even the paper silhouettes flickering within its pages grew hazy and indistinct.
Sensing that the seal was more than strong enough, Li Fan moved on to the next step: dismantling the original restriction left by the Dharma Spreader.
As he worked to unravel it, he maintained the highest level of vigilance.
Meanwhile, his main body quietly retreated hundreds of miles away, observing for any unexpected changes.
As it turned out, Li Fan's caution was unnecessary.
Even when the Dharma Spreader's restriction was fully dismantled, no unusual phenomena occurred.
Li Fan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Gazing at the Calamity Crossing Book, his divine soul enveloped it and retraced its path out of the microscopic space.
The clone did not return to his main body, instead heading back to the Spirit Wood Realm alone.
Li Fan's true self, however, went to report to the Heavenly Profound Mirror's clone.
"What took you so long? I was starting to think you'd run into trouble," the clone inquired.
It had changed its identity again and now appeared as a captivating woman, dressed in a striking crimson gown.
Li Fan froze.
His eyes swept over the three other completely unclothed mortals in the room before landing back on the clone. He stammered in disbelief, "What... what is all this?"
The Heavenly Profound Mirror's clone was unperturbed by his shock.
"I've simply come to comprehend a new path of cultivation," it stated plainly.
"A life devoid of pleasure is fundamentally incomplete. If I am to become human, then I must experience everything a human does."
Li Fan studied the exquisite face manifested by the clone, his expression unreadable. "Even so, you didn't have to take on a woman's form, did you?"
"Male or female, I must experience both. It is merely a matter of sequence." The clone shook its head, deftly changing the subject. "What's the situation on your end?"
"The formation to break the restriction works perfectly. If the plan proceeds smoothly, your escape is not far off. However..." Li Fan paused, his tone laced with annoyance. "That Salvation Sect is... strange. By the time I arrived, the Dharma Spreader's restriction was already weakening. The moment I fully broke it, the entire sect vanished right before my eyes."
The Heavenly Profound Mirror's clone narrowed its eyes slightly.
It seemed to be deep in thought for a moment before it finally explained, "Don't worry about it. As long as the calamity in the Xuanhuang Realm persists, those people from the Salvation Sect will forever remain in that state."
"The only thing they're capable of now are a few shadowy machinations that can't see the light of day."
Li Fan seized the opportunity to press further. "Are you saying that if the Xuanhuang Realm successfully weathers this calamity, the Salvation Sect could actually be revived?"
A flicker of killing intent surfaced in his eyes.
The clone chuckled dismissively. "It's a remote possibility, at best. They sought to survive the calamity by becoming paper figures, but they never anticipated that the wait would be so long."
"To exist as paper for nearly ten thousand years—did they really think there would be no side effects? You can consider them all dead and gone."
Li Fan slowly nodded in understanding.
After a moment of silence, he asked another question. "Before I set out, I made some inquiries. It seems the Salvation Sect believes in a so-called 'Calamity-Responder,' someone who can help them survive. Is there any truth to that?"
"If such a miraculous person truly exists, I will hunt them down and eliminate them to prevent the Salvation Sect from ever rising from the ashes," Li Fan declared with righteous conviction.
The Heavenly Profound Mirror's clone frowned. "According to the Salvation Sect's cultivation method, such a figure does, in theory, exist."
"The members of the Salvation Sect remove themselves from the world to avoid disaster, but in doing so, they gain a unique sensitivity to the currents and variables of a calamity. The one who can influence that disaster is what they call the Calamity-Responder. However..."
The clone let out a cold laugh. "If this were an ordinary calamity, the Xuanhuang Realm would naturally give rise to a child of destiny to turn the tide and save the day."
"But we are facing a world-ending catastrophe. The Xuanhuang Realm itself is struggling to survive. How could it possibly produce a child of destiny?"
"A Calamity-Responder capable of ending it all is even more out of the question."
The clone fell silent, its thoughts drifting to some unknown memory.
After a long pause, it spoke again, its voice low and distant. "If such a person truly did exist, I imagine every cultivator in the entire Xuanhuang Realm would have to pledge their aid, doing everything in their power to help."
"Even the Dharma Spreader himself would likely pay a personal visit."
A barely perceptible glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
He gave a dry laugh and agreed, "You're right. If we want to survive, we have to rely on ourselves."
"To be like the Salvation Sect, pinning all their hopes on some so-called savior... it's absurd. They got what they deserved!"
With the topic of the Salvation Sect concluded, Li Fan, having successfully verified the method for breaking the restriction, began to press the Heavenly Profound Mirror's clone for his reward.
The clone did not renege on its promise. "While you were away, I observed human life through this female form and gained new insights."
"I believe they will serve as a fine reference for you."
Li Fan's expression soured, and he was about to refuse.
But when he saw what the clone held out, he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.
In the clone's hand rested a piece of white jade, shaped like a crescent moon.
It emanated a gentle, nourishing aura.
Just being near it, Li Fan felt the circulation of his spiritual power and divine soul become smoother, more effortless.
"This is..."
A hint of pride touched the clone's features. "As the saying goes, solitary yang cannot long endure. From my observations, it seems you have abstained from the union of yin and yang for quite some time, haven't you?"
"Solitary yang, though powerful, is inevitably flawed without the aid of yin energy."
"This is an artifact born from my comprehension of the human female form. It is called the [Long Moon Yin Jade], and it will lend you its strength!"
Hearing this, Li Fan's expression became exceedingly strange.
Seeing Li Fan's hesitation, the clone advised him earnestly, "The union of yin and yang is one of the Great Daos of heaven and earth; there is no need to shun it."
"Besides, this Long Moon Yin Jade is a pure manifestation of principles. Even if you are a purist at heart, it will not affect you."
Feigning reluctance, Li Fan accepted the crescent jade and tucked it away.
Just as he expected, it required no formal refinement.
The moment it was close to his body, it felt like a withered tree greeting the spring. His aura, already at its absolute peak, seemed to inexplicably shatter its previous limits, growing even stronger.
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