Chapter 1177: Leaving Xuanhuang in the Dust Crossing Boat
“Completely and utterly wrong!” Li Fan countered coolly before Shang Shaojun could even reply.
“The source of this power isn’t close at hand. It’s coming from the depths of the Star Sea!”
“What?”
Shang Shaojun was stunned by Li Fan’s declaration.
“I know you don’t believe me, Shaojun. But that’s fine. Once I successfully break free from the shackles of the Immortal Ruins and fly beyond the Xuanhuang Realm, you’ll see that I was right!”
“I must ask you to lend me a hand, Shaojun!” Li Fan’s expression turned solemn as he bowed deeply.
Shang Shaojun would never dare accept such a gesture from Li Fan and quickly moved to stop him.
“Brother Li, there’s no need for this! It’s just a few supplies. Between friends like us, all you have to do is say the word.”
“Yan Huan!” Shang Shaojun summoned his trusted subordinate and ordered him to handle the matter.
“Too slow! This is a godsent opportunity, and it won’t wait. One day!” Li Fan stated bluntly.
Shang Shaojun pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth. “Fine! One day it is!”
He then seemed to give some additional instructions via voice transmission.
After settling everything, he turned back to Li Fan, hesitating as if he wanted to say more.
“Shaojun, if you have something on your mind, please speak freely!”
“Brother Li, are you really going to...” Shang Shaojun still seemed to find it hard to believe.
Li Fan smiled faintly and began to explain his reasoning. “The immense power causing these tremors throughout the Xuanhuang Realm originates from the depths of space. It’s entirely different from the gravitational pull of the Immortal Ruins that has always tugged at our world.”
“In the past, venturing rashly beyond the Xuanhuang Realm without the world’s protection would have meant utter destruction, even for Dao Integration cultivators like us. Perhaps even those at the Longevity stage would perish. Only a being with the power of the Dharma Spreader might stand a chance. But things are different now...”
A pool of water suddenly materialized before Li Fan.
At its center, a massive vortex spun rapidly, its violent currents devouring everything around it.
With a light flick of his finger, Li Fan gestured.
Beyond the first vortex, another of equal size appeared.
The forces of the two whirlpools interfered with each other, and the flow of the water became erratic and unstable.
Shang Shaojun instantly understood Li Fan’s meaning.
“But... this is all just your speculation, isn’t it, Brother Li? What if you’re wrong...?”
“To learn the Dao in the morning is to be able to die content in the evening,” Li Fan replied, his face a mask of calm, entirely devoid of fear.
“If I miss this rare opportunity, I will regret it for the rest of my life, even if I survive.”
“That is why I must go,” Li Fan’s tone was resolute.
“I want to see for myself what kind of existence can wield such magnificent power.” His eyes shone with a brilliant light.
Shang Shaojun fell silent.
The efficiency of the Azure Mysterious Army was not to be underestimated.
Within a single day, all the supplies Li Fan required had been gathered.
“The dangers beyond the Star Sea are immense. Aren’t you going to prepare more, Brother Li? You intend to cross the void with just this?” Shang Shaojun wondered inwardly.
“If time permitted, I would naturally build a sturdy flying vessel. But since time is short, I’ll have to make do with the Immortal Alliance’s Dust Crossing Boat.”
The Dust Crossing Boat was the only designated flying artifact used by the Immortal Alliance for travel within the White Mist Barrier.
Back in his 114th life, Li Fan had traveled aboard this very vessel with Ji Hongdao to reach the Abyss of Roars.
Forged from numerous rare materials and protected by a multitude of arrays, it was an invaluable treasure. The entire Eternal Immortal Fortress possessed only two.
That Shang Shaojun was willing to part with one spoke volumes of his loyalty as a friend.
“But as long as I can weather the fiercest point of conflict between the two forces just outside the Xuanhuang Realm, I should be out of danger,” Li Fan mused, using the last of his time to modify the Dust Crossing Boat.
There was another reason for his confidence, one he hadn’t mentioned aloud.
Li Fan’s greatest assurance in traversing the void was not some external artifact, but his own Foundation Establishment Wonder—the Black Sword, a Heavenly Wonder!
As a physical manifestation of law, the Black Sword was more indestructible than almost anything in the Xuanhuang Realm.
Moreover, unlike ordinary protective materials that would gradually wear down, the Black Sword could use external forces to continuously temper its form, enhancing its own adaptability.
“And thanks to the Dharma Spreader’s New Method, even if I abandon this physical body, I can survive in the void as long as the law of the sword remains unbroken.”
Despite his confidence, Li Fan had also considered the various unexpected situations he might encounter after leaving the Xuanhuang Realm.
For example...
The law of the Black Sword was a manifestation of the Xuanhuang Realm’s sword dao.
Once outside the Xuanhuang Realm, without the support of his world, would its power diminish drastically? Would it become weak and fragile?
Furthermore, the Heavenly Doctor had once mentioned a certain "illness" to be wary of in the void outside the Xuanhuang Realm.
Li Fan had seen this affliction himself on Han Zhong.
A dark decay that infected the soul.
Even the Limitless Fullness and Emptiness technique, which could repair the soul, had no effect on it.
Li Fan didn’t expect to be immune to this ailment, but he hoped that with a large supply of precious materials to nourish his soul, he could extend the time he could endure in the void.
Another day passed in a flash.
The tremors shaking the Xuanhuang Realm were visibly subsiding.
The cultivators of the world looked like they had just survived a catastrophe. Many were still shaken, terrified that the dreadful disaster might return.
Outside the Abyss of Roars, Li Fan’s preparations were complete.
The Dust Crossing Boat looked vastly different from its original form. Bidding farewell to the soldiers of the Azure Mysterious Army, Li Fan calmly stepped aboard the vessel.
Watching Li Fan’s departing figure, Shang Shaojun hesitated, a torrent of words caught in his throat.
An impulse surged within him, a desire to follow, to charge out of the Xuanhuang Realm and uncover the secret behind that immense power.
What cultivator would not be curious about a force of that magnitude?
However...
He was not a man without ties. He had far too much to consider.
For a fleeting moment, Shang Shaojun found himself envying the solitary figure on the Dust Crossing Boat.
“At this moment, Shaojun, do you wish to cast aside life and death and join me?”
As if reading his mind, Li Fan’s voice suddenly echoed in his thoughts just before departure.
Before Shang Shaojun could answer, Li Fan chuckled and added, “I’m afraid that won’t do.”
Shang Shaojun was taken aback.
“Don’t forget, Shaojun, that there are still villains hiding in the shadows of the Xuanhuang Realm, plotting their schemes.”
“If we both leave, wouldn’t we be letting those scoundrels have their way?”
“And here I thought you’d forgotten all about that in the blink of an eye,” Shang Shaojun grumbled to himself.
The Dust Crossing Boat slowly ascended into the sky.
Li Fan’s voice resonated in Shang Shaojun’s ears.
“The future of the Xuanhuang Realm and the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance rests on your shoulders, Shaojun.”
“If I am fortunate enough to survive this ordeal, I will surely return to aid you!”
Shang Shaojun followed the Dust Crossing Boat until it passed through the white mist, watching until it vanished over the horizon.
A sense of melancholy and loss washed over him.
Though he had known Li Fan for only a short time, he had been deeply impressed by both his power and his character.
“You’d better stay alive.”
Shang Shaojun whispered to himself.
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