Chapter 1073: Xuanhuang Great Heavenly Venerate
Chapter 1073: Xuanhuang Great Heavenly Venerate
"If my guess is correct, Feng Rui and his companions were indeed possessed at one time."
"However, this possession technique is rather peculiar. To think it can even return the body to its owner,"
Dharma Transmitter Jiang remarked with a frown.
Li Fan was also lost in thought. "But everything that exists leaves a trace. That period of possession must have had an irreversible impact on their souls and bodies."
"Certain traits of that Xuantian Sect Law King's soul have been left imprinted upon them."
Dharma Transmitter Jiang's eyes narrowed. "That Law King... Mo Rubin, was it? A truly remarkable and admirable individual."
Li Fan simply nodded, offering no further comment.
"They still retain their memories from the time of possession. However, from their perspective, everything that happened was a collaborative effort, planned and executed alongside Mo Rubin."
"He took his leave over a year ago and has not been seen since. As a token of gratitude for their time together, he even left behind several cultivation techniques from the old Xuantian Sect as payment," Dharma Transmitter Jiang continued to explain.
"Another ruse to throw us off, I suspect. It was quite effective, too. At the very least, it's cost me a great deal of time," Li Fan remarked with a self-deprecating smile.
"Still, where could he have gone? And the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's Tianxuan Mirror... is it still the same artifact it once was?"
"I will get to the bottom of that," Dharma Transmitter Jiang declared, his expression turning grave. "As for this body of yours..."
"They'll need someone to answer for this."
Dharma Transmitter Jiang's jet-black eyes instantly locked onto the immortal puppet, Li Fan.
It was as if he were being dragged into a world of absolute nothingness. The immortal puppet's form was slowly consumed by the void.
Within moments, it vanished completely from the world.
...
Within the Spirit Wood Realm, Li Fan perceived the final images transmitted by his immortal puppet and shook his head slightly.
He wasn't surprised by Dharma Transmitter Jiang's sudden move.
After all, to accuse—or rather, to slander—a Dharma Transmitter of failure was an unforgivable offense.
Someone had to take responsibility.
Even if only for appearances.
Before destroying the immortal puppet, Dharma Transmitter Jiang had sent a telepathic message, informing him that the investigation into Mo Rubin would now be conducted in secret.
Any new findings would still be communicated through Dharma Transmitter Zhou.
"Jiang," Li Fan mused, "is likely the only reliable one among all the Dharma Transmitters."
"If I want to find out where Mo Rubin has gone, I'll have to wait for the results of his investigation."
Having been led by the nose by Mo Rubin on several occasions, Li Fan felt a surge of frustration.
What worried him even more was that Mo Rubin had been missing for nearly a year.
During the period he controlled the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, he had commandeered the Tianxuan Mirror's immense deductive power, undoubtedly for matters concerning the Xuantian King's whereabouts.
And in all this time, he hadn't resurfaced.
Could he have already found the missing Xuantian King? Or perhaps he wasn't searching for the Xuantian King at all, but instead used some method left by the ancient Xuantian Sect to escape this Darkest Star Sea?
As his mind churned with a disquiet he hadn't felt in a long time, Li Fan finally received the results of Dharma Transmitter Jiang's investigation.
Once again, a newly created immortal puppet appeared in Dharma Transmitter Zhou's private pocket world.
"The Tianxuan Mirror is still itself. However, using so much of its deductive power has actually damaged its very essence."
"It's likely that many of the Tianxuan Mirror's functions will have to be suspended for a long time."
"As for Mo Rubin's whereabouts, the mirror has chosen to remain silent."
"However, Jiang visited the Mirror Holders and the lineage of the Illusionary Truth Sages. By combining the authority of all three powers, he managed to forcibly extract the previous deduction records from the Tianxuan Mirror."
"And they finally found the Xuantian Sect Law King's possible destination." Dharma Transmitter Zhou's tone, however, was uncharacteristically grave.
Li Fan's expression was grim as he waited for him to continue.
A result that required an immortal artifact to damage its own essence to obtain was clearly a matter of extraordinary significance.
After a brief pause, Dharma Transmitter Zhou lowered his voice and began to speak.
"Are you aware," Zhou began, asking a seemingly unrelated question, "that corresponding to the physical Xuanhuang Realm, there exists another, illusory world?"
Li Fan's heart skipped a beat. He nodded. "I am. You cultivators of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance call it the Fallen Immortal Realm."
"Correct. The Fallen Immortal."
"At the moment of this immortal's fall, he cast one final glance at the Xuanhuang Realm. In that instant, everything in the world—from the vast mountains and seas down to the tiniest ant and microbe—was perfectly mirrored in that illusory world! What an incredible divine power!" Dharma Transmitter Zhou exclaimed, his voice tinged with awe and longing.
"So, have you ever wondered who this immortal, with his unimaginable power, truly was? And for what reason did he fall?"
"The thought has certainly crossed my mind," Li Fan admitted. "Don't tell me you know the answer?"
"To be honest, I didn't know either until now. But based on the Tianxuan Mirror's deductions, we can venture a guess," Zhou confessed.
"Do you still remember the method to enter the Fallen Immortal Realm?"
"The method?" Li Fan instantly recalled the rather bizarre ritual.
Four items were required.
A simple linen robe.
A full ear of rice.
A small, exquisite model of a house.
A lifelike miniature donkey cart.
The four items had to be placed in the four corners of a room.
Then, one had to take the first step, facing the linen robe, and recite in a low voice:
"Blessings upon the Xuanhuang Immortal Venerable."
For the second step, one had to turn toward the full ear of rice and chant sincerely in one's mind:
"Blessings upon the Xuanhuang Heavenly Lord."
For the third step, one had to look at the exquisite house, hold their breath, and whisper:
"Blessings upon the Xuanhuang Supreme Emperor."
For the fourth step, one had to gaze upon the cart filled with goods.
Finally, one had to silently chant: "Blessings upon the Xuanhuang Heavenly Venerate."
"The answer, as it often is, was hidden in plain sight," Zhou said, his expression solemn. "That Fallen Immortal... was the Xuanhuang Heavenly Venerate!"
"The linen robe, the ear of rice, the house, the donkey cart. They correspond to clothing, food, shelter, and transport—the four essential pillars of human survival. That was the domain of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Venerate's duty!"
"The Xuanhuang Heavenly Venerate?!" Li Fan was inwardly shaken.
"Xuanhuang, for the Xuanhuang Realm. Heavenly Venerate..."
"Does that refer to a Longevity Heavenly Venerate?"
"But putting it all together, I don't quite understand."
"Can an expert at the Longevity stage possess power on par with an immortal's?" Li Fan asked, his brows knitted in confusion.
"An ordinary expert at the Longevity stage certainly couldn't accomplish such an incredible feat. But the Xuanhuang Heavenly Venerate," Zhou explained, "most definitely could."
"Xuanhuang Heavenly Venerate is not a specific person. It is a title."
"Imagine if a cultivator in a world could achieve complete unity, body and soul, with that world's Heavenly Dao."
"Reaching a state of 'My heart is Heaven's heart, my will is Heaven's will.' At that point, nothing in the world could possibly escape their sight."
"The Xuanhuang Great Heavenly Venerate was just such a figure."
As Zhou explained, Li Fan was instantly reminded of his own connection to the Spirit Wood Realm.
(End of Chapter)
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