Chapter 1266: Stealing the Power of the Gloomy Sea
Li Fan had no choice but to temporarily stop driving the Immeasurable Mirror.
He tossed out another mass of Source Power Essence, pulling the spirit of the Immeasurable Mirror back from the brink of death.
The Source Power Essence he had in store was generated by the hundred You Clan members who prayed ceaselessly in the secret chamber of the Sun family's underground blood pool.
A portion had been consumed luring out the Annihilation Wind Calamity that lay dormant within the Immeasurable Mirror.
More had been used to repair the mirror's damage and sustain this very avatar of Li Fan.
There wasn't much left.
Li Fan estimated the rate of consumption. "It's just enough," he calculated. "No need to make another trip back."
"However..."
Li Fan glanced nonchalantly toward the center of the small, deathly still world.
"Hmph. I don't care what grand origins you had in life; now you're nothing but a skull. How dare you act so presumptuously before me..." Li Fan stood with his hands clasped behind him. With a mere thought, a containment array instantly materialized.
It locked onto the space containing the golden skull, sealing it away.
"I'll deal with you in the next lifetime."
Li Fan had no intention of probing the golden skull for its secrets this time.
The pressing matter was to uncover the secrets of the protective array here, then return to the Xuanhuang Realm. From there, he could work backward from effect to cause and locate the traces of the hidden grand protective array.
Bathed in the Source Power Essence, Sun Luyao slowly regained consciousness.
"Rest for a moment. We continue after."
Yet Li Fan's calm words struck him like a lightning bolt.
Still, not a single thought of defiance crossed his mind.
Sun Luyao knew that the very existence of the Immeasurable Mirror hinged on a single whim of Li Fan's.
It wouldn't even be impossible for Li Fan to simply erase him, the mirror spirit, and replace him with the consciousness of another cultivator.
"This process, while painful, is a form of tempering. A thousand firings forge iron; ten thousand forge steel. You were merely a mortal who, by a twist of fate, became the spirit of the Immeasurable Mirror. You've seen how it performs now. It nearly dies just from analyzing the simplest things. How can it possibly be called an immortal artifact in this state?"
"While the mirror is indeed damaged and incomplete, the greater cause is you—its weak and fragile spirit," Li Fan declared in a solemn tone.
The words filled Sun Luyao with shame.
"This Source Power Essence is something that even Longevity cultivators can only dream of obtaining. Using it on you is an extravagant waste. And yet, I have done so..." Li Fan's voice was low and resonant.
"In the crucible between life and death, there is great terror, but also great opportunity. Meditate on this well!"
With that, Li Fan once again directed the Immeasurable Mirror to analyze the formation remnants hidden beneath the world's ruins.
Sun Luyao felt his strength drain away once more, but buoyed by Li Fan's encouragement, he desperately rallied his spirit, struggling to remain lucid.
"I must not fail him!"
Scenes from his time with Li Fan flashed through his mind.
Li Fan's help along the way had been undeniable, yet Sun Luyao had never been able to contribute. Now, with a chance to finally repay the debt, he was determined not to let Li Fan down.
Besides, Sun Luyao knew Li Fan spoke the truth.
With each trial of life and death, his core consciousness had grown stronger. His progress in the last few days alone surpassed decades spent hiding in the Sun family's secret chamber.
As his resolve surged, the faint, wavering light of his consciousness stabilized once more.
Seeing this, Li Fan couldn't help but give a slight nod of approval.
...
In the Great Qi Sacred Dynasty.
Seated upon the imperial throne, Li Ping had already finished replicating and implanting ten masses of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao's aura.
However, the prolonged, nonstop work had caused the Cat Treasure to have a breakdown; it was now on a full-blown strike.
No amount of enticing Source Power Essence could move it; the Cat Treasure simply pretended not to see, sleeping soundly.
The Saint Emperor had no choice but to pause his work.
He turned his gaze toward the Central Four Prefectures of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
"Is the Alliance's rainbow light for leaving the realm ready?"
Having savored the rewards from the Star Sea's true origin intent, the Xuanhuang Realm's Heavenly Dao consciousness was growing restless. It instinctively wanted to latch on again and hitch another ride.
But Li Ping dissuaded it.
The Saint Emperor's intuition told him this expedition by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance would be nothing like his own smooth journey.
Not only did the Saint Emperor possess a prescient awareness of the dangers ahead—a feat the Alliance could not hope to replicate—but there was a more critical issue. The expeditionary force was composed entirely of Dao Integration cultivators, yet it lacked a figure with the absolute power needed to command their unwavering obedience and keep them in line.
While authority in the Xuanhuang Realm was dictated by rank and title, out in the Star Sea—especially in a crisis—it was anyone's guess who would truly be in command.
"Lan Yu of Source Dao Province."
"Golden Sun of Liuguang Province."
...
The list of Dao Integration cultivators on this expedition was no secret.
As the Saint Emperor read through the names, a faint sigh escaped him.
"The deaths of several dozen Dao Integration cultivators would, without a doubt, be beneficial for both the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao and my Great Qi."
"It's a pity, though..."
Pity it may be, but the Saint Emperor would not indulge in misplaced sentimentality and intervene.
He would simply wait for them to depart.
Besides, who was to say that among them, there wasn't one with extraordinary fortune? One who might survive the countless perils of the Star Sea and ultimately achieve enlightenment?
Even if he were to stop them, he would only be accused of obstructing their path to the Dao, earning their eternal enmity.
Five days later, under the watchful eyes of every cultivator in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, a seven-colored rainbow light slowly ascended into the heavens.
This departure seemed far more practiced than the last.
Its different hues separated in sequence before it vanished into a patch of the darkest star sea.
Li Ping watched them go, offering a moment of silence for their fate.
Seven days later, a flicker of awareness crossed the Saint Emperor's face.
In a flash, he appeared in the secret dimension inhabited by the You Clan.
Under the rule of the Great Qi, the You Clan was now broadly divided into three groups, each with a different purpose.
The largest group existed for a single purpose from birth to death: to chant praises of the Saint Emperor's grace. These were hybrids, bred from fusions with strange beasts, possessing incredibly short lifespans and reproductive cycles. They were like leeks, harvested crop after crop, endlessly regenerating.
The second group, moderate in number, enjoyed far better conditions. They had ample time for rest and were even permitted to read various books. As pure-blooded You Clan, a select few were chosen to participate in experiments aimed at optimizing the race.
The third and final group was the smallest and most unique. They were the purest, most original members of the You Clan, still devoted to the great Gloomy Sea of Darkness and upholding their ancient traditions. Yet, living under the rule of the Great Qi, they naturally obeyed Li Fan's commands. They had even resolved the internal theological debate over who was greater—the Saint Emperor or the Gloomy Sea—by reaching a consensus.
The Saint Emperor was the incarnation of the will of the Gloomy Sea of Darkness. The Saint Emperor, the Gloomy Sea, and the High Ancestor of the You Clan formed an inseparable trinity. The doctrine was crude, but it effectively resolved any potential conflict from Li Ping's interference and brought complete stability to their society.
"We greet the Saint Emperor," the You Clan's chieftain declared upon seeing Li Ping, immediately falling to his knees and kowtowing.
Previously, Li Ping had never required them to kneel, so they hadn't. But since the birth of their new doctrine, a variety of formal rituals had emerged, which even their chieftain was obliged to follow. Li Ping had simply let them be.
"Open the passage to the Gloomy Realm," Li Ping commanded coldly, looking down at the kneeling figures.
The You Clan members rose to their feet. Amidst a mysterious and ancient chant, a gateway slowly materialized and opened.
Li Ping was the first to fly through.
Upon entry, he was instantly swallowed by an endless, profound darkness.
But Li Ping didn't hesitate for a moment, speeding in the direction his senses guided him.
Silently, he drew ever closer.
The target he sensed was, of course, the profound technique he had previously leaked to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance—through his identity as the master of the Spirit Element Sect—a technique designed to increase a cultivator's source power output.
When it came to exploitation, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was surprisingly efficient.
Li Ping could already perceive vast quantities of marked source power, highly condensed and compressed, being blasted into the Gloomy Sea of Darkness.
Counterintuitively, however, this terrifyingly vast amount of energy failed to create even the slightest ripple.
He couldn't tell if it was because the Gloomy Sea itself was simply too immense, or if something within was silently devouring the disturbances.
As he drew near, Li Ping couldn't help but slow his pace.
Despite having absolute confidence in his own power, caution was paramount.
He concealed his presence and drew closer, moving like a shadow.
Thump!
Thump!
A rhythmic, intermittent thumping echoed through the Gloomy Sea of Darkness, a place where sound should not have been able to travel.
It sounded like a great drum being beaten, and the rhythm caused even the Saint Emperor's heart to tremble in sympathy.
Li Ping's expression turned grave.
His physical vitality was now so perfectly harmonized that not even an attack from a Longevity cultivator could easily move him. Yet this simple thumping sound made it surge...
"This isn't an external force. It's the rhythm of the Gloomy Sea itself."
The Saint Emperor quickly reached a conclusion.
Instead of resisting the thumping, Li Ping stood still for a moment, perfectly synchronizing his own heartbeat with the rhythm of the Gloomy Sea.
He seemed to melt into the darkness, and the discomfort he felt vanished.
Only then did he press forward.
Soon, he "saw" the source of the thumping.
Or, more accurately, he perceived it.
It was like a punctured balloon, or perhaps more like the World-Cracking Great Vortex of the Xuanhuang Realm.
A "small tear" had appeared in the fabric of the Gloomy Sea ahead.
A torrent of compressed source power was being violently funneled through this tear. As the Gloomy Sea's own power naturally repelled the intrusion, a channel formed between the two opposing forces, through which some of the Gloomy Sea's power was siphoned away.
Li Ping watched from a distance, the gravity of the situation weighing on him.
"Ingenious."
After a long moment of observation, that was his assessment.
The power of the Gloomy Sea and the jet of compressed source power had achieved a state of perfect equilibrium.
The source power was not truly invading the Gloomy Sea, nor was the Gloomy Sea's full defensive response being triggered.
In this strange equilibrium, an exchange of source power for the Gloomy Sea's energy was being accomplished.
This was particularly impressive given that the Gloomy Sea was in constant flux.
It meant the Alliance had to constantly adjust its output of source power to match. If the balance were ever broken, they would instantly face the tempestuous wrath of the Gloomy Sea.
The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance must have maintained this apparatus for some time. It seemed their research into the Gloomy Sea of Darkness had reached a masterful level.
"The Alliance has some truly capable individuals," he mused.
After all, they had ruled half the Xuanhuang Realm for millennia; it was hardly surprising they possessed such hidden capabilities.
"Compared to the power that normally seeps into the Xuanhuang Realm, the energy being extracted here is far more placid."
"And much easier to utilize."
After observing for a while longer, Li Ping perceived the subtleties of the process.
"The question is, why is the Alliance going to such great lengths to extract this placid energy?"
But the unknown would not deter him from acting.
The Gloomy Sea of Darkness was essential for the stability of the Xuanhuang Realm. The Alliance's act of siphoning its power was an act against the natural order.
As the "incarnation of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao," Li Ping could not simply stand by and watch.
Yet he would not act rashly.
Firstly, because of the perfect equilibrium, shattering it rashly might provoke an even greater disturbance in the Gloomy Sea.
Secondly, simply stopping the extraction at this location would treat the symptom, not the cause.
What Li Ping wanted was a permanent solution, one that would put an end to the Alliance's thievery for good.
The Saint Emperor was a patient man.
After observing the site for over a month, he returned to the Great Qi.
He then brought nearly a hundred of the original You Clan members back with him.
"Abomination! What a desecration!"
The Saint Emperor could see the raw fury in the chieftain's frantic gestures.
The other members of the You Clan seethed with hatred as they watched thieves steal from the great Gloomy Sea they worshipped.
If Li Ping hadn't concealed their presence, their intense emotional turmoil would have likely erupted into uncontrollable fury.
"We are here to put an end to this."
"The desecrators must be punished."
Li Ping's thoughts echoed in the minds of the You Clan.
Instantly, they fell to their knees again, their faces etched with a resolve that defied death.
In a corner of reality, hidden from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, the You Clan members began an ancient ritual.
It was a method passed down through the ages, a way to communicate with the Gloomy Sea of Darkness.
What Li Ping wanted them to do was attract the attention of the Gloomy Sea's very essence in this region.
Despite the commotion, to the vast Gloomy Sea, this intrusion was nothing more than a pinprick on its skin.
As long as the equilibrium held, the Sea would never even notice.
This was how the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance had been able to steal its power continuously.
But with the You Clan's ritual to guide its attention, things would be very different.
Even if it didn't immediately expel the Alliance's device, the sudden shift in the repulsive force would be enough to shatter the delicate balance.
And since the change would originate from the Gloomy Sea itself, any resulting turbulence would be trivial against the backdrop of such a colossal entity.
As the ritual proceeded, Li Ping felt faint ripples spread through the Gloomy Sea of Darkness.
He instinctively suppressed his own aura, concealing himself as best he could.
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