Chapter 1044: Mending Heaven's Flaws with a Pill
The sallow, desiccated paper figure writhed in Li Fan's hand as if it were a living creature. Its face was a grotesque mask of rage, its expression bizarre. It even emitted ethereal, piercing shrieks as its body thrashed, struggling desperately to break free.
But its escape from Li Fan's grasp was doomed from the start.
After briefly explaining the origins of the Salvation Sect's paper figures to Mo Rubin, Li Fan applied a bit of pressure. The figure in his hand let out a bloodcurdling scream. Then, the yellow hue began to fade, and the paper turned transparent.
Yet its faint outline did not vanish, its presence still lingering within the Xuanhuang Realm.
“Brother Xingwang, if you hadn't pointed it out, I would have never noticed how these paper figures have infested the Xuanhuang Realm!” Mo Rubin exclaimed, his voice a mixture of shock and fury. “The Salvation Sect... they are truly courting death!”
“I have to admit, as despicable as their method is, it's certainly effective. They root themselves into the very fabric of the world, becoming one with the heavens and earth of the Xuanhuang Realm. Even after I cleanse them like this, they can regenerate from the imprints they've left behind. No wonder the Dharma Spreading Heavenly Venerate of old had no easy solution for the Salvation Sect.” As he spoke, Li Fan plucked another paper figure from the deep, dark space and crushed it mercilessly.
“No matter the era, the world always seems to have its share of parasitic figures like these. It's why some within the sect back then argued against saving the Xuanhuang Realm, believing it was better to simply leave.”
“If we were to actually succeed in saving the world, and the Salvation Sect were to reappear... that would be utterly revolting,” Mo Rubin said, his expression grim.
Mo Rubin’s own agitation subsided. “You’re right, Brother Xingwang. We must focus on what's important.”
“The prohibition-breaking array will soon be complete. You need to prepare on your end. We could begin our operation at any moment.”
Li Fan nodded in agreement.
Watching Mo Rubin’s departing figure, Li Fan’s inner thoughts were a world away from the words he had just spoken.
Relying on the long-lost Xuantian King to lead an escape from the Dark Star Sea...
I'm afraid the outcome is destined to disappoint you. But it's understandable. You need to see the man, living or dead. And Xuantian King's charisma was indeed great enough to inspire his twelve Dharma Kings to search for him even after ten thousand years.
A savior of the Xuanhuang Realm, hm.
Li Fan’s face was an emotionless mask as he quietly returned to the Spirit Wood Realm.
Compared to the desolate landscape of this world at its inception, the Spirit Wood Realm now had the true air of a “Federation of All Worlds.”
Its spiritual energy concentration was now on par with ordinary regions of the Xuanhuang Realm, and its reserves of array and artifact refining technology had firmly surpassed it.
Every power within the Spirit Wood Realm operated according to Li Fan's will.
After mastering every popular pill recipe from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, the Medicine King Sect successfully developed a pill named the "Flaw-Mending Pill." Though its name seemed unassuming, it was derived from the profound concept: "The Heavenly Dao is flawed; mend it with a pill." After consuming it, a cultivator would absorb a massive amount of cultivation base, their realm advancing at a staggering pace.
Even better, the Flaw-Mending Pill could postpone the bottleneck imposed by the Heavenly Disaster. As long as one continued to take the pills, the shackles of bottlenecks would never be a concern.
Of course, the side effects were equally potent. The more Flaw-Mending Pills one consumed, the stronger the dependency became. This wasn't a matter of addiction, but rather that after consuming an excessive number of these pills, the amount of cultivation gained from personal practice would dwindle. Eventually, a cultivator could only rely on the pills to advance. But the cultivation base from a single pill was fixed, while higher realms demanded exponentially more.
According to the deductions of Liu Ruchen and the others, the Flaw-Mending Pill could support a cultivator's journey up to the Soul Transformation stage at most.
Beyond that, even a lifetime spent swallowing pills would likely not be enough to accumulate the necessary cultivation.
The side effects didn't end there.
Although the Flaw-Mending Pill claimed to "mend the flaws of the Heavenly Dao," it was, in reality, just a pill for gaining cultivation. It possessed no such heaven-defying, world-altering properties. However, after a cultivator consumed the pill, a thought would subtly take root in their mind—a vainglorious, overreaching desire to mend the flaws of the Heavenly Dao.
A cultivator who was, at best, at the Soul Transformation stage, yet desired to perform the act of mending the heavens. Such an endeavor could only end in self-destruction.
According to Liu Ruchen, the name "Flaw-Mending Pill" was not something they had chosen arbitrarily. Rather, when the pill was successfully refined, it resonated with the laws of heaven and earth, and the name manifested in their minds from the Great Dao itself.
As for why a pill that simply increased cultivation base would be granted the name "Flaw-Mending," the members of the Medicine King Sect were all at a loss.
However, that didn't impede the pill's use.
Li Fan cared little for its side effects. As vast quantities of Flaw-Mending Pills were distributed, the cultivation levels in the various small worlds skyrocketed.
Soon, over a hundred Golden Core cultivators had emerged.
His clone, Li Qing, proceeded with the plan, leading them into the secret realm of the Zhaoyuan Sect.
This was the first feasibility test. If it succeeded, the Spirit Wood Realm would be capable of mass-producing Nascent Soul cultivators in the future.
...
In contrast, Master Craftsman Qiaogong's modifications to Tianyang were progressing at a much slower pace.
Theory, after all, was a far cry from practice.
The difficulties encountered in trying to build a true immortal-grade puppet were far greater than anticipated. Fortunately, Master Craftsman Qiaogong, Fang Zaiji, and Tianyang were all enjoying the process immensely. After observing for a time, Li Fan chose not to disturb them.
I just need to acquire their research before this life ends.
In the underground chamber, Li Fan’s mind settled and grew still.
In a trance, his perspective soared higher and higher, reaching a point above the sky from which he gazed down upon the lands of the Spirit Wood Realm.
The vast Spirit Wood Realm appeared no larger than the palm of his hand.
Every corner of it glowed with a moist, verdant light. The grand array was like an intricate pattern carved upon the world's surface, flickering in and out of existence.
After the Final Dissociation Disc completed its transformation and upgrade, Li Fan had performed another round of Array Refining on the Spirit Wood Realm.
It could be said that this small world had now become one of his large-scale magical treasures.
A thought stirred in Li Fan's mind, and he summoned the [Truth] panel.
A prompt from [Truth] followed immediately.
"Use a vacant anchor point to replace a bound item?"
Li Fan pondered for a moment but ultimately decided against it for now.
Although developing the Spirit Wood Realm to its current scale was no easy feat, he was confident that in another life, he could rebuild it from scratch—and perhaps do an even better job.
Anchor points were precious. If he were to use one to replace a bound item, it had to be for something exceedingly difficult to replicate, something that, if missed, might never be obtained again.
I have already used three anchor points. The initial one is set at the very moment I first transmigrated into this world.
The second anchor point is on the peak of Jieli Mountain, with the Ocean Pearl as my Foundation Establishment Wonder, and my cultivation at the late Foundation Establishment stage.
The third anchor point is also on Jieli Mountain, with [Truth] itself as my Foundation Establishment Wonder, also at the late stage.
Perhaps, after this life comes to an end, I will be able to set another anchor.
(End of Chapter)
Comments