Chapter 1317: Luring the Enemy with True Immortal Power
The name of the array was a perfect reflection of its function.
The A Thousand Miles in a Moment Array could shrink the vastness of the horizon to a mere hand’s breadth. Once complete, it would connect the Xuanhuang Realm with the edge of the Star Sea. Even without the power of the Wooden Sword streaking across the void, one could travel between the two points in an instant through the formation.
It might sound like an ultra-long-range teleportation array, but it was not.
The Darkest Star Sea was saturated with the residual power of True Immortals. Furthermore, the Xuanhuang Realm was situated on the very edge of the Immortal Ruins, subject to an immense gravitational pull that subtly warped time and space. The distance was too great, and the variables too numerous, to use conventional teleportation.
Instead, the A Thousand Miles in a Moment Array employed the most primitive method of travel. It simply shortened the distance between the starting point and the destination to almost nothing, making the journey a single step.
The Great Xuan Small World itself was not large enough to house this colossal immortal array. Therefore, on the Xuanhuang Realm side, Li Fan had established the formation in the void outside the small world, concealing it with another layer of arrays.
Here, at the edge of the Star Sea, as Li Fan completed the final stages of the setup, a profound and mystical fluctuation suddenly descended, threatening to sweep across the surrounding space.
With a flick of his fingers, Li Fan contained it within the surrounding concealment formations.
The golden light of the grand array dimmed, and a two-way passage between the Xuanhuang Realm and the edge of the Star Sea was born in silence.
"As expected of an immortal-grade array. Even with the aid of the Final Dissociation Disc, setting it up was quite draining." The Source Power Essence he had accumulated was completely depleted, and for a moment, Li Fan felt a brief wave of exhaustion.
"This Source Power Essence is still a far cry from true immortal spiritual power in terms of quality," Li Fan mused. Within a few breaths, his internal energy was replenished and surging once more.
He sent a sliver of his divine sense into the A Thousand Miles in a Moment Array and activated it.
His vision blurred for an instant, and the next moment, he was back in the void outside the Great Xuan, within the Xuanhuang Realm.
Only then did Li Fan leisurely return to the Wooden Sword’s phantom.
"I have established a transmission array here. From now on, traveling back and forth will no longer be so troublesome," Li Fan announced casually.
Upon hearing this, Master Yin and the others felt a jolt run through their minds. With their experience, they could naturally comprehend the divine marvel that was a transmission array spanning the entire Star Sea.
The ultra-long-range transmission arrays connecting the various provinces within the Xuanhuang Realm often required more than a dozen formation masters to work tirelessly for over half a year to complete. To say nothing of this magnificent array that linked the edge of the Star Sea to the Xuanhuang Realm. And yet, the Saint Teacher had accomplished such a feat with a mere wave of his hand...
At first, the four of them were half-believing, half-doubting.
However, when Li Fan invited them to try it and they stepped through the formation, once again feeling the familiar aura of the Great Xuan Small World, all their doubts vanished, replaced by an overwhelming sense of shock and profound respect for Li Fan.
"With a single array, the endless Star Sea becomes a thoroughfare. Saint Teacher, your methods are truly comparable to those of a True Immortal," Qiaogong praised, filled with admiration.
"This array... this array..." Master Yin murmured, utterly astounded.
Li Fan's voice pulled them back to the present. "From now on, this will be our transit and supply station for exploration."
"Whether it's the Relic Sea or the Realm Fragment Great Wall, their sheer vastness far exceeds that of the Xuanhuang Realm. Finding a suitable remnant realm will not be an easy task."
"Master Craftsman Qiaogong inquired, "Saint Teacher, if you would be so kind as to enlighten us, what is the mystery in this? Isn't it just a matter of finding any remnant realm to act as a catalyst for the Xuanhuang Realm's consumption?"
Li Fan smiled faintly and extended a hand toward the distant Relic Sea.
Swoosh!
A relic was drawn from the sea, flying rapidly toward their position.
They could vaguely make out that the relic was a blue and white Daoist robe. Ravaged by the ages, it was tattered and torn, the bloodstains upon it having long since turned black.
"Hm?"
The approaching robe was still some distance away when the expressions of Qiaogong and the others shifted slightly.
In their senses, the distance between them and their companions was rapidly increasing as the relic drew nearer. It was as if the world had suddenly expanded, and their own bodies had shrunk countless times over. Even their spiritual sense transmissions to one another became faint and barely audible.
"The power of a True Immortal!" They finally realized that this effect was caused by the True Immortal's power lingering on the relic robe.
As the robe grew closer, the gap between them continued to widen.
Though they stood right next to each other, they could no longer see one another.
It felt as though they had been isolated by the entire world.
Amidst the endless emptiness, Li Fan's voice boomed like thunder from the heavens.
"In the Darkest Star Sea, though the myriad realms have been shattered, the culprit behind their destruction—the power of the True Immortal Scripts—still remains, scattered everywhere."
"The various calamities we encountered on our journey to the heart of the Star Sea were all manifestations of this residual immortal power."
"This endless sea of relics and remnant realms also retains this power."
"Contained within this robe is the character for[Separation]."
Boom!
Their vision snapped back to normal. The relic robe changed its trajectory and flew back into the Relic Sea.
And above their heads, an incredibly profound and complex "character" flickered in and out of existence.
"A True Immortal... Script?"
They stared blankly at the character above, able to faintly sense the terrifying power it contained.
"Separation..." Recalling the experience of being detached from everything in the world around them, they used their hands as brushes, attempting to learn and copy it.
But the character suddenly dimmed and vanished into the air.
Even the memory of it in their minds grew hazy. No matter how hard they tried to recall it, they could not reproduce its form.
"There is too much residual True Immortal power in the Star Sea. Acting rashly might trigger a resonance among these remnants. To study the True Immortal Scripts, a special method is required." Li Fan lightly tapped his finger, and a technique instantly flew into their minds.
It was the very method Li Fan had learned from the Mysterious Immortal Boat in his past life, a universal technique used by the Dao Proving Academy, the Immortal Pivot Academy, and the Broken Immortal Tower to research, teach, and pass down the True Immortal Scripts.
The Method of Analogs.
Every True Immortal Script was a projection of the power of the Dao. Even an approximation, not the genuine article, contained immense destructive force. If it were to erupt inside the Immortal Boat, it would surely cause irreparable damage. To study the scripts in peace without triggering their power, several generations on the Mysterious Immortal Boat had painstakingly created this method.
Each stroke of the character, even the very process of writing it, was deliberately modified to be similar yet distinct. A dot was not truly a dot, a horizontal stroke was not truly horizontal, and a downward stroke was not truly a downward stroke. When combined, it looked like a character, but in essence, it was not.
It was like the clumsiest of imitations. A True Immortal Script copied using this method possessed the form but had its power reduced by a factor of tens of millions.
Consequently, the influence of the True Immortal Script during research became negligible. At the same time, when a true and complete script was reproduced, the sudden surge in energy fluctuation served as an excellent indicator of success.
To truly unleash the power of a True Immortal Script, one only needed to erase all the modifications upon activation.
It was thanks to this wondrous method that the inhabitants of the Immortal Boat were able to study and pass down the True Immortal Scripts for generations.
On the Immortal Boat, only those who became disciples of a powerful elder were qualified to learn this method.
Yet now, Li Fan imparted this marvelous technique to Master Yin and the others for free, with no strings attached.
Both the Method of Analogs and the character for[Separation]left them utterly shaken.
If everything Li Fan had taught them before was still within the realm of the[Mortal], then this[Separation]character was, without a doubt, the power of a True Immortal.
In the current world of cultivation, to master such immense power and not hoard it jealously, but to teach it to others without reservation...
Whatever speculations Master Yin and the others had about Li Fan's motives, at this moment, they were all conquered by this selfless magnanimity.
"He is truly worthy of the title 'Saint'," they all sighed in their hearts, a thought shared among them.
Li Fan's lesson continued.
Using the Method of Analogs, he once again wrote the character for[Separation]and stated frankly, "I have not seen the original[Separation]script itself. I only reverse-engineered the source of the True Immortal Script based on the residual power from the relics that contain it."
"It's like blind men touching an elephant; there are bound to be inaccuracies. The smaller the error, the closer one gets to recreating the original power of the True Immortal Script. I have deciphered this[Separation]character to a 98% similarity. However, it has been a long time since I've been able to make any further progress," Li Fan said with a profound sigh.
The group stared at the character Li Fan had written, their hunger for knowledge insatiable.
They did not look down on it for being a mere approximation.
As they studied, a strange, faint ripple emanated from the distance.
Master Yin and the others did not notice it, but a sharp glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
"They're finally here."
With a wave of his hand, he concealed the Wooden Sword’s phantom and the A Thousand Miles in a Moment Array. He himself, however, sped toward the source of the fluctuation.
Before long, two figures met head-on.
Li Fan looked at the figure before him. It was the First Elder of the Broken Immortal Tower, Zhong Daogong!
Zhong Daogong’s expression was solemn. He looked at Li Fan, a trace of confusion in his eyes.
He had been on the Immortal Boat when he sensed a familiar power fluctuation suddenly erupt and then vanish nearby, so he had come to investigate.
He had assumed it was a burst of residual True Immortal power from a relic, but he never expected the source of the power to be a cultivator!
How many years had it been since he had seen a cultivator from outside the Immortal Boat?
Zhong Daogong did not dare to be careless. "If I may ask, fellow Daoist, for what reason did you lure me here...?"
Li Fan, however, chuckled. "Fellow Daoist, you must have misunderstood something. I was merely teaching my disciples about the True Immortal Scripts, and I didn't expect to attract your attention."
"I never thought there were still cultivators surviving at the edge of the Star Sea," Li Fan added, his tone filled with pleasant surprise and curiosity.
Hearing this, Zhong Daogong’s eyes narrowed as he sized him up, pondering.
He keenly noted Li Fan's use of the phrase "edge of the Star Sea." At the same time, the claim of teaching True Immortal Scripts sent a shock through his mind.
Unsure of the other party's intentions, Zhong Daogong refrained from attacking directly and continued to probe. "From your words, fellow Daoist, it seems you've come from the depths of the Star Sea? Could it be that there are still surviving civilizations within the Darkest Star Sea?"
Li Fan sighed. "The journey was filled with nothing but void. I, too, had thought there were no other survivors in the Star Sea. I never expected to encounter another cultivator at the end of my path..."
The two exchanged words, each probing the other.
After a round of verbal sparring, Zhong Daogong only knew that the other party had come from the depths of the Star Sea, but he remained completely in the dark about the form, scale, and strength of the other's world.
It was clear that this cultivator, capable of crossing the Star Sea, was no pure or naive soul.
Zhong Daogong studied Li Fan carefully once more.
Unable to see through him, Zhong Daogong suppressed the urge to strike and capture him.
"Fellow Daoist, you mentioned just now that you were teaching your disciples about the True Immortal Scripts. I wonder..." Zhong Daogong changed the subject, continuing his probing.
To his surprise, Li Fan did not hide anything this time, speaking generously, "The civilizations of the Star Sea have been annihilated, and the residual power of True Immortals runs rampant. To survive, one must naturally make use of these forces."
"After thousands of years of research, we have made some small gains. Survival is not as difficult as it was in the beginning."
Li Fan's words aligned perfectly with the philosophy of the Mysterious Immortal Boat. Zhong Daogong nodded, offering no rebuttal.
"It seems, fellow Daoist, that your homeland's research into the True Immortal Scripts has reached a remarkable level. It is shameful to admit, but we too have studied the power of True Immortals for thousands of years. Yet we would not dare to cross the Star Sea so easily as you have. We can only huddle in our corner," Zhong Daogong said.
Li Fan smiled faintly. "Fellow Daoist, you need not be so modest. I can sense on you..."
"...the scent of a True Immortal Script," Li Fan finished, his tone enigmatic.
Zhong Daogong's expression shifted.
Before Zhong Daogong could speak, Li Fan used his hand as a brush and wrote the character for[Separation]in the air.
"Fellow Daoist, what do you think of this character?"
The shimmering character floated in the void.
This time, Zhong Daogong could no longer hide the shock in his heart. His figure shot backward as he stared at Li Fan with utmost vigilance.
"Who are you? How do you know our Mysterious Immortal Boat's Method of Analogs?"
"The Method of Analogs?" Li Fan feigned a look of confusion, then realization dawned.
"You mean, the Method of the Seeming but False?"
"This is naturally a method our ancestors painstakingly researched over generations to analyze the True Immortal Scripts."
Li Fan looked at Zhong Daogong with great interest. "Could it be that you, fellow Daoist, also know this method?"
He knew it, and then some. Zhong Daogong's expression was a whirlwind of uncertainty.
His mind raced, trying to recall the list of personnel on the Immortal Boat who had been taught this method.
Not a single one showed any sign of having left the boat.
"Could it truly be a coincidence?" Zhong Daogong was no longer so sure.
He stared at the "Separation" character Li Fan had written.
"It's... even more advanced than the Immortal Boat's research?!"
Upon discovering this, Zhong Daogong was once again plunged into profound shock.
It was not just because the other party's research on the True Immortal Script for[Separation]surpassed that of the Immortal Boat.
It was because he had so easily displayed the incredibly precious True Immortal Script to a stranger. He knew full well that every True Immortal Script was an absolute secret on the Immortal Boat.
Even as the First Elder of the Broken Immortal Tower, he was not authorized to leak them at will.
"This can only mean that in this person's homeland, research into the True Immortal Scripts has reached a certain height. The character for[Separation]is no longer a secret worth guarding," Zhong Daogong couldn't help but think.
An idea began to form in Zhong Daogong's mind.
"Fellow Daoist, would you be interested in being a guest at my humble abode?" Zhong Daogong asked.
Hearing this, Li Fan immediately showed a hesitant expression.
Zhong Daogong fully understood Li Fan's hesitation and so he said frankly, "If you are worried, we can also speak right here in the void of the Star Sea."
"My main desire is to have a detailed exchange with you, fellow Daoist, on the findings of our research into the True Immortal Scripts."
(End of Chapter)
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