Chapter 1283: First Test of the Spirit Void Array
Chapter 1283: First Test of the Spirit Void Array
Li Fan was stunned. "How could this be? Is it possible the Xuanhuang Realm has some connection to the legendary Immortal World?"
Ai Tianjue chuckled, his tone unreadable. "Heh, it's a mystery, a real mystery! The history of this Xuanhuang Realm is rather fascinating. Once we've pried more information from Lan Yu's mind, perhaps those old fools will change their tune."
"I just don't know whether this will be a blessing or a curse for our Mysterious Immortal Boat."
Ai Tianjue fell silent for a moment before commencing Li Fan's formal lesson.
Li Fan didn't call him "teacher" for nothing.
Without the restriction of the "Law cannot be cultivated together," the techniques passed down between master and disciple here were truly profound arts.
After five years under Ai Tianjue's tutelage, Li Fan had earned his master's approval and was finally taught the [Jade Void Inner Scenery Spirit Weeping Technique].
This profound art was the very foundational technique that Ai Tianjue himself practiced.
Holding a luminous book, Ai Tianjue slowly recited the tenets of the [Jade Void Inner Scenery Spirit Weeping Technique].
Li Fan silently recited the words after him.
It was only a recitation, word for word, with no detailed explanation. Yet as the sound of Ai Tianjue’s voice, with a cadence as profound as the Dao itself, reached his ears, Li Fan found his master’s many insights into the [Spirit Weeping Technique] arising spontaneously in his mind.
This method of teaching was, in fact, a common instructional technique used throughout the Mysterious Immortal Boat.
It was less a cultivation technique and more of a divine ability, known as [Sentient Awakening].
Rumor had it the technique was scavenged from the remnant realms of the Star Sea. It greatly eased the difficulty of passing down legacies and, upon its introduction, received widespread acclaim, quickly sweeping through the Mysterious Immortal Boat.
The effectiveness of [Sentient Awakening] was inextricably linked to the aptitude and comprehension of both teacher and student.
Ai Tianjue was one of the most powerful experts in the Broken Immortal Tower; his ability to study even the True Immortal Seal Characters with such depth left no doubt about his capabilities.
The body of Zhao Xian, which Li Fan inhabited, was by no means lacking in aptitude. Combined with Li Fan's own vast knowledge, accumulated over countless reincarnations, his progress with the [Spirit Weeping Technique] was astonishingly rapid.
The Jade Void Inner Scenery Spirit Weeping Technique was a supreme divine ability passed down through the generations on the Mysterious Immortal Boat. It was said that back in ancient times, before the path to immortality was severed, the Xuanshang Immortal Boat had traded a supreme treasure with a great cultivation sect to obtain this wondrous art.
The people of the Xuanshang Immortal Boat spent their years traveling through the Star Sea, moving between different cultivation realms. With no fixed home, it was difficult for them to truly calm their minds for cultivation.
The Spirit Weeping Technique, however, perfectly solved both of these problems.
The essence of the technique was to construct an "Inner Scenery"—a world within one's own divine soul.
Within this Inner Scenery, one cultivated through "spirit weeping." And "to weep" is to cry.
Spirit weeping did not mean one had to literally cry during cultivation. Rather, it involved emulating the natural, effortless flow of emotion that arises from the heart during an instinctive cry.
Over time, everything within the Inner Scenery would move in accordance with one's will.
Unlike other techniques where cultivation slows as one's realm advances, the Spirit Weeping Technique started out very slow. It required the cultivator to experience and build a true emotional connection with their Inner Scenery. The further one progressed, however, the faster their cultivation became.
The Spirit Weeping Technique required no secluded cultivation; even just half a day's practice could deepen the emotional bond with the Inner Scenery. In fact, it was best suited for those with active minds and a sensitive, emotional nature.
Li Fan couldn't recall the last time he had actually cried, but for Grand Preceptor Li, who could turn illusion into reality, simulating the emotional turbulence of weeping was a simple matter.
He had no idea how quickly Ai Tianjue's other disciples were progressing, but the fact that the elder always tutored him privately was proof enough of the high regard in which he was held.
After the better part of a day, Ai Tianjue finally concluded his recitation of the Spirit Weeping Technique. He exhaled slowly, and the beads of sweat on his brow vanished in an instant.
Li Fan, however, remained with his eyes closed, seemingly still immersed in his master's lesson.
"Is there anything you do not understand?" Ai Tianjue inquired.
"I have understood everything, teacher," Li Fan replied, his voice deep and steady.
Ai Tianjue nodded slightly, a look of approval in his eyes. "Return and recite this every day; do not let your practice slide. Your cultivation of the Spirit Weeping Technique has reached a critical stage. Once your Inner Scenery takes form and your will moves in perfect accord with your thoughts, you may even catch up to me in less than half a year."
Li Fan nodded in assent.
Ai Tianjue added, "Although the prevailing view on the Immortal Boat is that studying the True Immortal Seal Characters is the fundamental path, you must remember this: your realm and strength are the bedrock of all exploration and comprehension. Without a solid foundation, even if by some stroke of luck you soar to the heavens, you risk a fatal fall at any moment..."
Ai Tianjue went on and on, his words becoming almost repetitive.
Yet this was simply the way of every master on the Mysterious Immortal Boat.
Li Fan bowed deeply and took his leave, thinking to himself, *A master treats his student with sincerity, and a student serves his master with earnestness. This is the true legacy that has sustained the Mysterious Immortal Boat for millennia. Institutions like the Immortal Pivot Academy and the Broken Immortal Tower are just the outer shell; the real heart of it all lies in these bonds between master and disciple.*
After leaving Ai Tianjue's residence, Li Fan did not depart from the Broken Immortal Tower right away.
Instead, he turned to pay a visit to another elder.
Chi Gongdao.
Although Li Fan was not a formal disciple of Elder Chi, he had earned the man's appreciation by submitting numerous unique insights on the True Immortal Seal Characters.
Unlike the more "traditional" Ai Tianjue, Chi Gongdao was an unapologetic radical.
He advocated abandoning all foundational cultivation techniques to devote oneself completely to the study of the True Immortal Seal Characters.
It had to be said that Chi Gongdao's research into the True Immortal Seal Characters was in some ways unparalleled.
In Li Fan's estimation, among all the elders of the Broken Immortal Tower, Chi Gongdao had restored the greatest number of True Immortal Seal Characters, and with the highest fidelity.
Furthermore, Chi Gongdao possessed a secret art he never shared: the ability to precisely locate truly valuable World Extinguishing Relics within the boundless Relic Sea, just at the moment their True Immortal power was on the verge of dissipating, making them harnessable by the Immortal Boat's cultivators.
It was rumored that eight or nine out of every ten relics with dual True Immortal power in the Broken Immortal Tower's possession had been discovered by Elder Chi Gongdao.
As a result, his standing within the Broken Immortal Tower, and indeed the entire Mysterious Immortal Boat, was quite extraordinary.
Whoosh...
As Li Fan pushed open the door to the small building, a gust of frigid wind rushed out, carrying with it a chorus of low whispers.
Accustomed to it by now, Li Fan ignored the phenomenon and walked straight to Chi Gongdao, sitting down quietly.
A brush that appeared to be fashioned from flesh and hair immediately materialized before him.
Li Fan reached for it. Before his hand could make contact, the hairs on the brush sprang to life, rapidly extending to wrap themselves tightly around his right hand.
The image of a fragmented True Immortal Seal Character surfaced in his mind, and his hand began to dance in response.
Droplets of blood trickled from the brush's tip, congealing like ink and leaving an indelible mark in the air.
To be honest, the first time Li Fan had come here, he had nearly exposed himself, almost writing out a complete True Immortal Seal Character.
If he hadn't reacted in time, the Mysterious Immortal Boat would likely have been annihilated by the world-ending power of the character.
The brush moved like a serpent, spraying crimson blood.
In a short while, a broken, twisted True Immortal character appeared before them.
It was one-half of the character for [Hunger].
"Hungry... so... hungry...!"
A roar suddenly erupted from the brush in his hand, and the coiling hairs tightened their grip. Many of them even began to squirm like worms, attempting to burrow into Li Fan's arm and devour his flesh.
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, making no move to expel them with his spiritual power. Instead, as his flesh was being consumed, he focused on the sensation of hunger emanating from the hairs.
They were not greedy. After a small taste, the hairs swiftly retracted. The brush flew from his grasp and returned to the darkness.
A moment later, a bizarre chewing sound began to echo through the room.
It was occasionally punctuated by the distinct crunch of splintering bone.
Chi Gongdao's voice followed. "Not bad. The flavor is even purer than last time."
"Zhao, my boy, you truly are a genius. If that old fool Ai hadn't snatched you up, I would have taken you as my student, no matter what."
Li Fan didn't respond to the compliment, instead stating gravely, "Elder Chi, I feel I've reached a bottleneck in my comprehension of this character. I'd like to try a new one."
Chi Gongdao let out a strange laugh. "Heh heh, greedy. I like it!"
Whoosh!
Seven more brushes, all made of flesh and hair, flew out from the darkness and hovered before Li Fan.
"Take your pick!"
Li Fan closed his eyes, sensing the distinct auras radiating from each brush.
"This is the one."
After a long moment, Li Fan made his choice, reaching for the one on the far left—the one whose flesh appeared the dimmest.
Flesh roiled and black hair coiled around his arm.
It guided Li Fan's hand, writing in the empty air.
With wild, dancing strokes, a blood-red True Immortal character slowly took shape.
Li Fan focused his mind, comprehending its essence. The other six brushes had vanished at some point, unnoticed.
"Solitude."
"The solitude of a single being in the eternal cosmos."
Li Fan's Holy Embryo clone had encountered this very True Immortal Seal Character during its journey across the Star Sea.
At the time, even the Black Sword, a Heaven's Wonder that had fused with his foundation, had shown signs of being separated from him by the character's power.
Now, once again, Li Fan felt that same power emanating from the crimson character before him.
However, there were faint restrictions present in the surrounding space, suppressing the power radiating from [Solitude] and the other manifested characters.
In Li Fan's perception, time seemed to both stretch into an eternity and fly by in an instant.
When the character for [Solitude] was complete, he was left wanting more.
This process of reverse-engineering a True Immortal Seal Character by observing its displayed power, without seeing the character itself, was utterly fascinating.
The brush that had coiled around his hand had already returned to the darkness.
Chi Gongdao's cackling laugh echoed in Li Fan's ears again. "Want to try another, my boy? Just come over to my side, leave that old fossil Ai Tianjue, and I guarantee I'll teach you everything I've deduced about these True Immortal Seal Characters..."
Li Fan's expression remained unchanged. "Thank you for the offer, senior, but I'll decline. If I have need, I will exchange my insights for the opportunity, as before."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and left.
The small building fell silent for a moment before Chi Gongdao's voice whispered once more, "Such a firm will. I like him even more..."
"Jie jie jie jie..."
Chi Gongdao coveted Li Fan, but what he didn't know was that with a single, direct experience, Li Fan's understanding of the [Solitude] character had already surpassed his own.
After all, with the inherent advantage of having personally witnessed the true True Immortal Seal Character and having been directly assailed by the aftershocks of its power, it was only natural that the student had already surpassed the master.
"First, I'll see if I can continue the restoration on my own. If I fail, I'll leverage the talents of these geniuses on the Immortal Boat."
"After all, the more power from the True Immortal Seal Characters I can master, the better."
Li Fan returned to his own residence and began to organize the insights he had gained from both Ai Tianjue and Chi Gongdao.
Then, he waited for their next summons.
His life on the Mysterious Immortal Boat was just that simple, plain, and monotonous.
...
Xuanhuang Realm.
The cultivators of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance remained intensely focused on the rainbow light from the Li Realm.
Although the frequency had slightly decreased, the Alliance's official channels still periodically released images from the Darkest Star Sea.
The various dangers and calamities depicted left the cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm thrilled and on the edge of their seats.
"It's exciting to watch, but they only survive because they're blessed by the Heavenly Venerate. We wouldn't be so lucky."
"No wonder the Alliance was reluctant to send anyone into the Star Sea before. It's just too dangerous. They haven't even seen a shadow of the Xuanshang Immortal Boat, and they've already lost several Dao Integration cultivators. How many will make it back alive in the end?"
"The Immortal Boat may be a paradise, but it's not our home!"
...
Amidst the public discussion, Saint Emperor Li Ping had already noticed something was amiss.
He had, after all, truly traversed the sea of stars. The images released by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, though they appeared authentic, had flaws.
Compared to a genuine journey through the Star Sea, there were numerous discrepancies.
"The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance is faking it?"
"It seems the real expedition on the rainbow light has likely met with disaster."
Li Ping sighed with a hint of regret.
By now, the Saint Dynasty had gathered enough Clear Void Flowing Crystal once more. He intended to venture beyond the Xuanhuang Realm again, both to continue his own enlightenment and to familiarize himself with the battlefield where he would eventually confront the Dharma Spreader and the Heavenly Doctor.
Unseen by anyone, the Saint Emperor had already soared to the edge of the Xuanhuang Realm.
This time, Li Ping declined the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao's offer to accompany him. He wouldn't be traveling far, merely exploring the vicinity of the Xuanhuang Realm.
As layers of rainbow light peeled away, he began to break free from the Immortal Ruins' pull, flying out into the dark void.
"Perhaps I don't need to rely solely on this Clear Void Flowing Crystal."
"It is a creation of the Xuanhuang Realm, a manifestation of its laws. Its properties might be replicable with spiritual energy."
Gazing at the multicolored, dreamlike light surrounding him, Li Ping fell into thought.
The Xuanhuang Realm gradually shrank into a tiny, almost invisible speck.
Li Fan turned his gaze toward the Immortal Ruins.
It was a region of absolute darkness.
The remnants of the former passage to the Immortal World devoured any gaze that dared to peer into it.
A few blurry images flickered through his mind. For some unknown reason, Li Ping felt a faint, inexplicable sense of familiarity with the mysterious Immortal Ruins.
Though the feeling was fleeting, the Saint Emperor seized upon it instantly.
"The Immortal Ruins..."
Li Ping shook his head, pushing the thought aside after a long moment.
The immediate priority was to resolve the issue of the Xuanhuang Realm being usurped, its very essence replaced.
As for how to escape the Immortal Ruins after that goal was achieved...
Ever since learning from Mo Rubin that the You Clan's unique abilities originated from the bloodline of the first Xuanhuang Great Heavenly Venerate, Li Ping had been trying to use the Cat Treasure's abilities to mass-replicate this bloodline.
The Cat Treasure had three known abilities: item replication, creature simulation, and essence transfusion.
First, through great effort, Li Ping had the Cat Treasure simulate a member of the You Clan.
Then, he used its essence transfusion ability to transfer the recorded biological data into an ordinary human.
Through this roundabout method, he then replicated the flesh and blood of this infused human.
Perhaps because the process was mediated through the Cat Treasure, some kind of restriction had been broken.
The resulting clones actually possessed a portion of the You Clan bloodline's abilities.
Although their efficiency in generating Source Power Essence through prayer was only about one-fifth that of an ordinary You Clan member, the advantage was that there were no limits. With the Saint Dynasty's current advanced bio-fabrication technology, they could be produced almost infinitely, as long as resources were sufficient.
This temporarily solved the energy shortage problem for both the Saint Dynasty and the Gloomy Sea of Darkness.
Deep within the Gloomy Sea, the Spirit Gathering Immortal Ascension Array ran continuously, accumulating energy.
He was confident that within a century, it would gather enough power to break free from the Immortal Ruins.
Before that, Li Ping's mission was to first resolve the issue of the Xuanhuang Realm's "orthodoxy."
His thoughts returned to the present, and Li Ping subconsciously glanced at his shoulder.
The Cat Treasure was still perched there.
But it had turned its head away, refusing to look at him.
It seemed that replicating the bloodline of the first Xuanhuang Great Heavenly Venerate had been an extremely difficult task for it.
For the past several days, it had spent most of its time in a deep slumber.
And it had grown somewhat cold towards Li Ping.
Li Ping had a feeling that if their relationship continued to cool, the Cat Treasure might leave at any time.
After all, there was no master-servant bond between them.
Their connection was based entirely on his luring it with Source Power Essence.
He squeezed out a ball of golden light and placed it on the Cat Treasure's head.
Now deep in the void, Li Ping began to comprehend the laws of the surrounding Star Sea.
As for the residual calamities in the Star Sea...
The occasional twitch of the Cat Treasure's tail pointed him in a safe direction.
Coupled with his previous experience of long-distance travel, he encountered no danger along the way.
"If the final battle takes place outside the Xuanhuang Realm, the world's assistance will be diminished by more than half."
"My keys to victory, aside from the Cat Treasure's many divine abilities, might lie in harnessing the calamitous powers that permeate this Star Sea."
Beyond the void of the Great Qi's small world, the ruins of the One Beginning Sect and the terrifying Annihilation Windstorm were sealed away.
While sealing it, Li Ping had also been studying this calamity.
Compared to the various calamitous forces within the Darkest Star Sea, the Annihilation Windstorm was a power of pure, absolute obliteration.
Li Ping suspected that even the calamities of the Star Sea would gradually decay if exposed to the Annihilation Windstorm.
"Ultimately, the so-called Star Sea calamities are nothing more than the magical techniques of True Immortals."
"Though they are beings beyond the comprehension of us mortals."
"Since the Annihilation Windstorm can erase them, then in a sense, it should also be possible to harness the power of these calamities for my own use."
"But I need to find the right method..."
A flash of inspiration struck Li Ping. Ignoring the Cat Treasure's warning, he flew towards a dangerous region in the nearby void.
He enveloped himself in a dense layer of golden Source Power Essence as a precaution.
Li Ping silently perceived the strange changes affecting the surface of his protective barrier.
As the Cat Treasure watched him with an expression that seemed to say he was an idiot, Li Ping felt the surroundings grow dark again.
This was different from the darkness of the Darkest Star Sea, which was born of silence and the absence of light.
This time, Li Ping felt a bone-chilling darkness as he was slowly stripped of his connection to the world, gradually distancing himself from everything in the Star Sea.
Not only were his external connections being severed, but even the link between him and the Xuanhuang Realm within his own body was fading.
Even the threads connecting him to other mysterious, unknown existences were slowly disappearing.
The faceless Saint Emperor, whose heart had always been tied to the Xuanhuang Realm, suddenly felt a wave of detachment wash over him.
He felt that the Xuanhuang Realm, and the countless beings within it, were not so important to him after all.
The burden he had carried for so long was about to be completely laid down.
A slight touch on his shoulder instantly pulled Li Ping out of that state.
Only then did he realize that even as he was assailed by the calamity of a True Immortal Seal Character, and as all his connections to the world faded away...
The Cat Treasure remained firmly perched on his shoulder.
It showed no sign of separating from him.
Protected by the Source Power Essence, his figure flickered, and Li Ping instantly escaped the area covered by the calamity.
"This True Immortal Seal Character seems particularly effective against me."
"'Solitary'... or perhaps, 'Solitude'?"
Li Ping gazed at that region of space, lost in thought.
He condensed another ball of golden light and placed it on the Cat Treasure's head.
This time, the Cat Treasure unceremoniously swallowed it in one gulp, then lazily went back to sleep.
...
Sun Family Estate, Underground Chamber.
Li Fan's divine sense felt the connection with his Saint Emperor clone completely sever.
He couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.
"That last sensation... was it the power of a True Immortal Seal Character?"
"'Solitude'?"
"To think he would unexpectedly use its power to completely break away from me."
A moment later, however, Li Fan felt a sense of relief.
For a being as powerful as the Saint Emperor had become, trying to control him like a chess piece was unrealistic to begin with.
And with the help of a mysterious creation like the Cat Treasure...
If the Saint Emperor still couldn't sever the ties with his original self, Li Fan would have started to doubt whether he was truly capable of forcing the Dharma Spreader and the Heavenly Doctor to reveal their true strength.
As for the safety of his clone...
Or rather, Li Ping's safety, Li Fan was not concerned.
After all, even his Holy Embryo clone hadn't perished under the power of the [Solitude] character. The Saint Emperor Li Ping, who was even stronger and had countless fortuitous encounters, would surely not be trapped by it.
"The general path has been set. Let's just see how he performs."
"Regardless, the gains from this lifetime have been more than enough."
"So much so that I'm almost overwhelmed."
As Li Fan's mind was wandering, a familiar voice suddenly spoke up.
"Senior, when can we go out and have a look? It's getting really boring being cooped up in here."
Li Fan turned his gaze, his eyes dark and profound.
It was the voice that had once belonged to Sun Luyao.
But now, its every action and expression was almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
After continuous experimentation, and especially thanks to the insights his Holy Embryo clone had gained on the Mysterious Immortal Boat, Li Fan had finally created a passable fabricated personality for Sun Luyao.
This Sun Luyao didn't even realize he was a construct.
His consciousness and memories had been restored to the point just after Li Fan had cleared the windstorm from his body and promised to take him on a journey to find other possible immortal artifacts.
"What is it, senior?" Sun Luyao seemed a little frightened by Li Fan's gaze.
"Heh heh." Li Fan offered a kindly smile.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking of something pleasant."
"Since you've asked, we'll head out today."
Sun Luyao was overjoyed. "That's wonderful!"
Using the same method as before, Li Fan created a fake Sun Luyao and a fake Immeasurable Mirror, then brought their "real" versions out of the underground chamber with a wisp of his divine sense.
"Senior, where are we going first?"
"I don't seem to sense any traces of possible immortal artifacts in the immediate vicinity," Sun Luyao asked after a brief inspection.
"We need to make some preparations," Li Fan answered simply.
He flew at high speed to the entrance of a small world and leaped into the spatial passage.
"Huh? This small world is filled with plants?"
Sun Luyao looked at the scene before him with curiosity.
It was like a tropical rainforest, with towering, dense vegetation all competing to reach for the sunlight.
Vines could be seen slithering like pythons in the shadows, silently wrapping themselves around other giant trees, their sharp wooden thorns piercing into the bark.
Before long, the trees would wither and fall with a crash.
This cleared a large patch of canopy space.
In just a few breaths, the abundant sunlight attracted other trees, which grew at a visible rate to fill the gap.
"Senior, this small world seems to be in a rather primitive stage of life. There shouldn't be any immortal artifacts here for us to find," Sun Luyao commented, still captivated by the sight, but dutifully offering his advice.
"We're not looking for immortal artifacts. I'm going to teach you a formation. Once you've learned it, you'll be in charge of setting it up," Li Fan said coolly.
Sun Luyao's spirits lifted. "Thank you, senior! I will not fail you!"
"Watch closely. This formation is called..."
"The No Beginning Spirit Void Array!"
Li Fan flew into the air above the small world.
Beams of light rained down, completely eclipsing the sun.
The already dim primeval jungle world was plunged into true darkness.
In the vision of the Immeasurable Mirror's spirit, Sun Luyao, the light Li Fan cast was composed of strings of incredibly profound formation units.
Even with his foundation as an immortal artifact, he found them extremely difficult to analyze.
As the formation gradually took shape, a feeling that was both familiar and terrifying crept into Sun Luyao's heart.
"This is..."
Sun Luyao's face turned pale. It took him a long moment to realize what it was.
It was the same feeling of imminent doom he had experienced every time he faced the Annihilation Windstorm!
His intuition screamed at him that if he stayed here until the grand array was complete, his death would be upon him!
The Immeasurable Mirror trembled slightly, transforming into a streak of light and flying to Li Fan's side.
Li Fan paid it no mind, continuing to perfect the formation.
"A pity. The materials are lacking, and it's only a wisp of my divine sense. I can't bring out the full power of the Spirit Void Array."
"However, it's more than enough to condense a few protective layers."
More than ten days later, the No Beginning Spirit Void Array was complete.
With the descent of a world-destroying beam of light, the small world was utterly obliterated.
Li Fan's divine sense, however, had already returned to the Xuanhuang Realm with the Immeasurable Mirror.
"Have you learned the formation?"
The fabricated personality of Sun Luyao did not respond for a long time.
The structure that maintained his fabricated "true self" had been destroyed by the backlash from the No Beginning Spirit Void Array.
"What a useless piece of trash," Li Fan scoffed.
(End of Chapter)
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