Chapter 1313: The Floating Crossing Array, Complete
Chapter 1313: The Floating Crossing Array, Complete
Countless black and white lines sprang to life, abandoning their original paths to surge toward Li Fan. Like a mass of writhing tentacles, they sought to entangle and bind him.
This space, known as the Root of Heaven and Earth, was the very place where the Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven was conceived.
Black and white lines crisscrossed and intertwined, resembling a colossal loom weaving the fabric of the Xuanhuang Realm. It was not just the Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven; the world’s primordial mountains, rivers, cave-heavens, and blessed lands were all born from this place.
This was the origin of the world, a convergence of laws, the genesis of creation.
When Li Fan first witnessed this magnificent spectacle, he could only marvel at the wonders of creation and seize the rare opportunity to comprehend the various nascent fragments of law drifting within the Root of Heaven and Earth.
But now, returning after more than a hundred lifetimes, Li Fan saw many things he had been unable to perceive before.
For instance, though faint and almost completely integrated into the fabric of the space, there were still traces affecting its fundamental operations...
Traces of human intervention.
Under normal circumstances, any cultivator who came here and suffered such an attack would find their own body, also composed of countless lines, swiftly disintegrate and dissolve, vanishing completely within this space.
But at this moment, an inexplicable, immense power resided within Li Fan, holding the lines of his form firmly in place.
No matter how the Root of Heaven and Earth tried to absorb him, he remained as unmovable as a mountain!
The anchor that pinned Li Fan so securely in place was, of course, the smattering of understanding he had gained of the True False Transformation.
Almost any creation originating from the Xuanhuang Realm would find it nearly impossible to resist this method of attack, which sought to return all things to their source.
But the True False Transformation came from [Truth]. It was far beyond the ability of the Xuanhuang Realm's Root of Heaven and Earth to analyze and deconstruct.
Instead, specks of gray imprints traveled along the countless lines embedded in his body, spreading into the depths of the Root of Heaven and Earth.
These were not the world-destroying True Immortal Scripts, but rather countless strands of Li Fan's divine sense. He intended to use this attack as a conduit to probe the mysteries of this foundational space.
Innumerable images flashed before his eyes in an instant.
Within the void, a bright light flickered, unmoving. Each pulse of light and shadow represented the weaving of billions upon billions of lines.
From nothingness, a world was being born in the darkness.
Boom!
Just as Li Fan’s mind was immersed in the spectacle, the profound vision suddenly shattered. The Root of Heaven and Earth had sensed his intrusive intent. All the lines connected to him instantly faded and dissolved into nothing.
Li Fan's connection to the Root of Heaven and Earth was severed.
Furthermore, the lines that had been ceaselessly weaving creation before his eyes slowly receded into the void, becoming impossible to perceive.
The light abruptly intensified; he had been expelled from the Root of Heaven and Earth and was back in Tianling Province of the Xuanhuang Realm.
"What a pity."
"Its instinctual crisis response is quite swift."
Though he said this, he felt no real regret. Li Fan narrowed his eyes, recalling the "man-made traces" he had just glimpsed.
Probing the depths of the Root of Heaven and Earth was merely a feint. Li Fan's true purpose was to draw its attention, allowing him to better sense those hidden imprints.
The imprints were of varying ages.
If he could barely discern the newer traces with his current power, the older marks were almost impossible to distinguish.
He could only sense their presence instinctively, relying on the faint familiarity of an aura he had encountered once before.
The age of the imprints was relative.
Even the "new" traces were several thousand years old.
"The Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven was the handiwork of the ancient One Beginning Sect. To counter a world-ending calamity, they guided the generation of laws within the Xuanhuang Realm's Root of Heaven and Earth."
"With the five elements complete, their primordial energies circulate, forming a world unto itself. Each Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven that is born is a great drain on the Xuanhuang Realm, much like a mortal woman giving birth. Logically, producing one should be the limit. But the guidance left by the One Beginning Sect within the Root of Heaven and Earth never dissipated, so this process of gestation never stopped..."
Li Fan's eyes flickered, having already deduced the origin of the newer traces.
He pointed a finger into the air before him. Despite feeling a powerful repulsive force, Li Fan relied on his own strength to forcibly squeeze his way back inside.
It was as if he had kicked a hornet's nest. The countless black and white lines within the Root of Heaven and Earth instantly erupted into a frenzy, surging toward him as if they would not rest until he was destroyed.
This time, Li Fan did not act as a living target. His figure flickered, evading the attacks as he used his finger as a blade, severing the imprints left by the One Beginning Sect one by one.
Buzz... Buzz... Buzz...
The Root of Heaven and Earth vibrated and hummed in unison. It seemed to understand Li Fan's intentions, and the once-furious lines grew gentle.
They returned to their original positions, and tranquility was restored.
In that fleeting moment, Li Fan had destroyed all the traces the One Beginning Section had branded d on the root of heaven and Earth. From this day forward, the Xuanhuang Realm would no longer give birth to new Five Elements Great Cave-Heavens.
After all, Li Fan planned to facilitate the birth of a Super Xuanhuang Realm. The creation of Five Elements Cave-Heavens was an undeniable drain on the world's power. Naturally, he would not stand by and let it continue.
It was not just the Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven; Li Fan would prevent the birth of any other unnecessary grotto-heavens, helping the Xuanhuang Realm accumulate its strength.
The repulsive force from the Root of Heaven and Earth had completely vanished, allowing Li Fan to more carefully observe the faint, ancient traces.
"Just as I thought. They're identical in nature to the ancient immortal array that guarded the Nine Stars Red Pearl."
The ancient imprints were like congenital birthmarks, almost perfectly fused with the space of the Root of Heaven and Earth. If Li Fan had not been fortunate enough to have seen something similar before, he might have mistaken them for the natural features of the place itself.
Part of the imprint had already delved deep into the space itself, so Li Fan could not discern the full, original appearance of the immortal array here.
However, when compared with the existing deduction data of array formations in the Final Dissociation Disc, the vast majority of it matched perfectly.
"I've finally found you," Li Fan's eyes gleamed.
The Floating Starry Sky Grand Formation, according to his previous deductions, was composed of four sub-arrays.
Through his past reincarnations, Li Fan had already confirmed three of the four.
They were the golden chains used to lock onto and capture cultivation worlds beyond the Star Sea; the Tian Beast's Eye, which served as an observation post; and the Gloomy Sea of Darkness, which acted as a power source to escape the pull of the Immortal Ruins—also known as the Spirit Gathering Immortal Ascension Array.
The last one, however, had remained elusive despite his exhaustive searches throughout the Xuanhuang Realm.
Even in his last life, when the immortal array brought about the world's destruction, Li Fan had been unable to pinpoint its likely location.
He never expected that in this life, by revisiting an old place to absorb an anchor point, he would have such an unexpected and delightful discovery.
"This part of the Floating Crossing Array must have been modified by the Xuantian King, built upon the foundation of the world-protecting immortal array of the past."
"Unlike the other array sites, the modifications here are remarkably minor. It's almost untouched."
"With the Root of Heaven and Earth constantly weaving creation, the Xuanhuang Realm gained the ability to continuously repair itself and even grow stronger as it journeyed through the Star Sea."
"This kind of self-generated growth is different from the method used by the Dharma Spreader and the Heavenly Doctor, who patched things together with external realm fragments. There would be no bizarre phenomena caused by conflicting world laws, no side effects from the fusion process..."
A vision suddenly materialized before Li Fan's eyes.
In the endless dark void, the Xuanhuang Realm moved slowly forward like a colossal star-faring vessel.
The Tian Beast's Eye was responsible for observation and navigation. The golden chains scouted externally, gathering resources. The Gloomy Sea of Darkness provided an endless supply of power. And the Root of Heaven and Earth was responsible for repairs and growth.
It was a perfect design for survival in the Star Sea.
"Floating across the starry sky, floating across the starry sky."
"With this grand array, one could indeed traverse the Star Sea and ignore all calamities. The Xuantian King was truly a genius of unparalleled brilliance!" Li Fan praised with genuine admiration.
"It's just a pity..."
"That such a remarkable figure would meet an untimely end just as he was about to ascend." Li Fan's eyes narrowed.
The disappearance of the Xuantian King was one of the greatest mysteries in the history of the Xuanhuang Realm. Even after so many reincarnations, even after the world-destroying array had stripped away all veils of secrecy, Li Fan had still not managed to glimpse the truth.
He could only vaguely guess that the formal process of ascension might harbor immense risks.
"Though the Xuantian King is no longer present, this Floating Crossing Array can be of use to me."
"I had previously suspected that after his mysterious disappearance, the Xuantian King might be hiding within the final section of the array. But now it seems..."
Thanks to the "sterilization" Li Fan had helped with, the Root of Heaven and Earth had already chosen to forgive and forget his previous act of devouring the Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven.
However, it had not generated much goodwill either.
It simply allowed Li Fan to wander through this world of converging laws.
The space seemed boundless, but this was merely an illusion created by the intertwining of laws and the immortal array.
As a master of formations, Li Fan did not get lost within it.
Before long, he had thoroughly searched the entire interior of the Root of Heaven and Earth.
Just as he had thought, he found no trace of the Xuantian King's possible existence.
"In my last life, I never saw Mo Rubin in the end, even when the array destroyed the world."
"If he were in the Xuanhuang Realm, with his power, he could have definitely put up some resistance. Could it be..."
Li Fan's brow furrowed slightly.
Mo Rubin had no reason to abandon his long-held goal and simply flee the Xuanhuang Realm. Therefore, it was highly likely that he had gone to the Tian Beast's Eye, located at some unknown point outside the Xuanhuang Realm.
"The Tian Beast's Eye, capable of acting as the reconnaissance array for the Floating Crossing mission, should have an observation range far wider than I imagined. Perhaps not just the void outside the world..." A flicker of realization passed through Li Fan's mind.
"The Floating Starry Sky Grand Formation is almost one with the Xuanhuang Realm. This Tian Beast's Eye might be able to reverse its gaze and observe the Xuanhuang Realm itself. However, Mo Rubin probably doesn't know its precise location, and searching for it randomly in the Star Sea carries certain risks. That's why in my 119th life, when I pretended to cooperate with him, he didn't choose that path. But in my last life, hunted by the Sage Emperor's clone and with almost nowhere to run, he was forced to make that choice."
Li Fan knew about the Tian Beast's Eye thanks to an unfortunate soul from Nine Mountains Province who was randomly teleported there through a formation. That person had even run into the Heavenly Doctor, who was drawn by the aura. Fortunately, with his wits, he managed to deceive the Heavenly Doctor and gain his trust. It was a blessing in disguise, as he obtained the Heavenly Doctor's secret manual, the Heaven Mending Record.
The probability of being randomly teleported to the Tian Beast's Eye was far too small for Li Fan to try it himself.
However, Nine Mountains Province was formed from the corpse of the Tian Beast. There was bound to be some connection to the distant Tian Beast's Eye. Perhaps he could use this connection to locate it.
"The Floating Starry Sky Grand Formation is also extremely important for my plan to sublimate the Xuanhuang Realm in this life."
"Although the grand array is now shattered, if I were to repair and reactivate it..."
During the Xuantian King's era, the Floating Starry Sky Grand Formation only covered a small portion of the original Xuanhuang Realm.
Compared to the current Xuanhuang Realm, which was a fusion of many worlds, that was just the central core region.
"I can expand the array and, in doing so, take control of the Xuanhuang Realm without anyone ever knowing."
The Final Dissociation Disc was currently swamped with tasks and couldn't be spared.
Li Fan relied solely on his own understanding of the Dao of formations to perform the deductions.
In his sea of consciousness, the Floating Crossing Array radiated from the center, gradually enveloping the glowing orb of the Xuanhuang Realm, eventually transforming it into a colossal star-faring vessel.
"When I expand and rebuild the formation, I can integrate the world-destroying immortal array I comprehended in my last life."
"When the Xuanhuang Realm finally completes its transformation, no matter how powerful that descending immortal soul is, even if it exceeds my estimations, with the array as its cage, it will have absolutely no chance of escaping my grasp," Li Fan mused to himself.
It had to be said, standing on the shoulders of giants made the work much easier.
With the foundation laid by the Xuantian King, Li Fan's plan would require less than half the effort.
Or rather, without the Xuantian King's arrangements, it would be utterly impossible for Li Fan to construct a brand-new Floating Starry Sky Grand Formation with his current cultivation in the Dao of formations.
"I still have too little information about the four arrays."
Naturally, the figure of Mo Rubin appeared in Li Fan's mind.
After the battle with the Sage Emperor in his last life, Li Fan had seen most of Mo Rubin's tricks.
As long as he made arrangements in advance, Li Fan was confident he could handle him.
The time had come to settle the score for being played by Mo Rubin in the past.
However...
Before seeking out Mo Rubin for revenge and information, Li Fan first made his way to the location of another Xuantian Sect Law King.
Dongyong Prefecture, the Annular Mountain.
The sky was filled with flowers of spiritual energy, a sight of breathtaking beauty.
But Li Fan knew that hidden within these exquisite flowers were the memories of one of the former Law Kings of the Xuantian Sect, Ji Yuzhen.
Or perhaps... it was more accurate to say...
Fragments of her divine soul.
The technique Ji Yuzhen cultivated was the Boundless Heavenly Pivot Separating Spirit Art.
Even the Xuantian King, Xuanyuan Hong himself, had praised this divine art as something he had rarely seen in his life.
Ji Yuzhen seemed to have perished, but in truth, a sliver of life remained, hidden within these endless soul flowers.
At the end of his last life, amidst the storm of the world-destroying array, this place was one of the last shining beacons of resistance in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's territory.
"My previous memory-probing technique must have had some flaws."
"There are still true secrets hidden within Ji Yuzhen's memories."
A sharp glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes as a plain white ring suddenly appeared in his hand.
It was the Falling into the Mortal Dust.
With a gentle toss, the white ring instantly enveloped the entire Annular Mountain.
It descended silently, transforming everything it covered into pure spiritual energy.
The great Annular Mountain disintegrated inch by inch.
The soul flowers, which had been fused with the mountain and hidden within, nearly impossible to detect by ordinary means, slowly drifted out.
(End of Chapter)
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