Chapter 1324: A Glimpse into a True Immortal's Memory
The scene was entirely different from what had transpired when the Immortal Boat elders came into contact with the ancient character.
Ou Shangtian's already youthful body showed no signs of age regression. Deep within him, the [Qiankun Bone Hand] thrummed with a faint, almost imperceptible vibration, absorbing and assimilating all the power emanating from the ancient character.
Li Fan wasn't sure if "absorb and assimilate" was the right way to describe it. In his perception, the ancient character and the Qiankun Bone Hand seemed to have entered a state of resonance.
As a result, the power of the True Immortal's script, which should have acted upon Ou Shangtian's body, was entirely channeled into the wonder that was the [Qiankun Bone Hand].
Meanwhile, the other wonder within Ou Shangtian's body, the [Book of Ten Thousand Deaths], remained completely still.
Stirred by the power of "Antiquity," the Qiankun Bone Hand began to undergo a subtle and mysterious transformation.
On the surface of the once-bare, stark white bone, faint traces of dark red flesh and blood began to appear. They were mere threads, almost impossible to notice, but Li Fan, who had watched the entire process unfold, caught the anomaly immediately.
The birth of this flesh made the Qiankun Bone Hand appear even more mystical, as if it had been instantly filled with a spiritual essence and had come to life. Without any manipulation from Ou Shangtian, its bony fingers actually twitched on their own.
Li Fan placed his hands on Ou Shangtian's head, and the boy sank back into a heavy sleep.
A golden light surged from Li Fan's hands, coalescing into a sharp scalpel that descended toward Ou Shangtian's arm.
The flesh did not tear. The golden scalpel passed directly into Ou Shangtian's body, materializing beside the Qiankun Bone Hand.
As if sensing the approach of an external enemy, the Qiankun Bone Hand began to tremble violently. It even seemed ready to disregard its host's life, showing an inclination to break free and escape.
But how could Li Fan possibly let it have its way?
Countless fine threads extended from the small golden scalpel, transforming into chains that locked the Qiankun Bone Hand firmly in place.
The scalpel's blade flickered, a blur of light and shadow, as it swiftly and meticulously scraped away every inch of the newly formed flesh from the bone.
A sharp, resentful howl seemed to echo in his ears, but Li Fan's expression remained unchanged. He wove a net of Source Power Essence, gathering all the flesh and sealing it tightly within.
Freed from the influence of the new flesh, the Qiankun Bone Hand once again grew quiet and peaceful.
However, Ou Shangtian looked as if he had suffered a severe internal injury, his face alarmingly pale.
With a casual wave, Li Fan sent a stream of spiritual energy to nourish Ou Shangtian's body. Then, holding the ball of seemingly lifeless flesh writhing within the net of Source Power Essence, he vanished and reappeared beneath the Lecture Stage.
On the stage above, the projection of the Dharma Spreader continued its unending lecture.
But down below, in the massive excavated cavern, Li Fan had already begun his research on the flesh.
"The appearance of the Qiankun Bone Hand is identical to the White Bone Pioneer Realm. According to the realm's master, the Dao Integration cultivator Zimiiao, the White Bone Pioneer Realm was created in imitation of an illustrated codex he once saw that depicted the [Remains of a True Immortal]..."
"Which means... this could very well be the flesh of a True Immortal?"
Li Fan's eyes narrowed as he stared at the dark red tissue within the golden net.
Having escaped from True Immortals several times and even witnessed one being devoured whole by the cat treasure, Li Fan's reverence for them had long since vanished.
And now, through a stroke of luck in this lifetime, the charging progress of [Truth]'s "Fantasy Becomes Truth" function had more than doubled, allowing him to activate it three times in a row.
With his safety guaranteed, Li Fan began his attempt to study the True Immortal's flesh.
First, he could confirm that this mass of True Immortal flesh did not possess its own "consciousness." Its ability to move seemed more like a biological, instinctual reaction.
"However, the amount of flesh gathered right now is still small. If there were any more, things might get complicated." On this point, Li Fan remained extremely cautious.
This piece of flesh was more than enough for his research. When he ran out, he could simply go and take more from Ou Shangtian.
Li Fan began by conducting a rough analysis of the True Immortal flesh's composition.
The small scalpel of Source Power Essence sliced off a tiny piece. Then, the golden light spun rapidly, transforming into a grinder that pulverized the small sample.
"No immortal spiritual power." This was what Li Fan had expected, so he felt no disappointment.
"The tissue and blood have separated. The tissue's vitality is clearly inferior to that of the True Immortal's blood. This blood... it seems to hide some kind of special energy..."
Li Fan's eyes lit up. He sent a wisp of his spiritual sense, attempting to probe the isolated blood.
But the moment it touched the True Immortal's blood, his spiritual sense felt as if it had slammed into a scorching-hot iron gate. It reeled from the impact, dizzy and disoriented, and was instantly vaporized by the searing heat contained within the blood.
"Hmm?"
Although it was just a detached wisp of spiritual sense, the shock and burning sensation it experienced were perfectly synchronized with Li Fan's own consciousness.
His head felt as if it had been struck by a sledgehammer, and a raging fire erupted within his very soul.
It was a torment nearly equivalent to having his soul scattered. Had an ordinary cultivator been caught off guard by this, they would have likely been reduced to ashes on the spot.
But Li Fan was no ordinary man.
Bolstered by the Limitless Fullness and Emptiness technique, his soul circulated and regenerated, making it virtually indestructible.
Even though it felt like he was in the deepest pit of hell, Li Fan slowly managed to endure it.
Even with his current level of tolerance, after enduring this counterattack from the True Immortal's blood, his forehead was beaded with cold sweat and his muscles were spasming uncontrollably.
The searing heat in his soul gradually faded. Once everything had calmed down, Li Fan let out a long breath, dispelling all discomfort.
"The chasm between immortal and mortal..."
"A True Immortal cannot be touched."
That was the feeling his recent ordeal had left him with.
Even a single drop of its blood asserted the celestial abyss that separated immortals and mortals.
However...
This small warning, far from making Li Fan back down, only piqued his interest further.
The more it tried to keep him out, the more Li Fan wanted to see what lay inside.
Soul-burning backlash?
With the unity of the five elements and the indestructibility of his soul from the Limitless Fullness and Emptiness technique, he had more than enough power to withstand the backlash and forcibly peer into the secrets of the True Immortal's blood.
Endless agony?
Li Fan had come too far on his journey; he could now treat such things as if they were nothing.
With a thought, he instantly split his consciousness into thousands of strands of spiritual sense. Like soldiers charging fearlessly into death, they all surged toward the True Immortal's blood within the golden net.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The backlash from the True Immortal's blood continuously reverberated within Li Fan's soul, like a colossal hammer striking him again and again.
Thousands of impacts brought thousands of counterattacks. It felt as if Li Fan's soul had been set alight, countless sparks flaring into a raging inferno.
The pain was beyond words.
Even with the aid of the Heart Cleansing Mantra and his own transcendent willpower, he was on the verge of collapsing, unable to hold on.
Li Fan first glanced at the [Truth] panel.
The charging progress for Fantasy Becomes Truth remained at 400%, not decreasing due to the backlash. This meant that the counterattack from a single drop of blood was not yet enough to threaten him at his current level of power.
His safety was assured. Li Fan did his best to maintain the Limitless Fullness and Emptiness technique while focusing all his attention on the wall of fire that was the True Immortal's blood.
Under the relentless assault of countless strands of spiritual sense, its defenses seemed to be showing faint cracks.
The stalemate lasted for an unknown amount of time until, finally, Li Fan broke through the defenses of the True Immortal's blood.
The backlash vanished into thin air, and his soul was instantly filled with a cool tranquility.
A light emerged from the True Immortal's blood, enveloping Li Fan's consciousness.
Then, a vision of light and shadow materialized before him.
It was as if everything was shrouded in a luminous mist; none of the surrounding scenery was clear.
An angry voice boomed from a tall figure in the distance.
It was fragmented, and he could only make out the gist of it: "...Qionglang Star Domain... Annihilation... guard..."
"...Find the target."
"Your subject... receives the order," a deep voice rumbled, seemingly from his own body.
The vision shifted again.
The next moment, he was already within the Xuanhuang Realm.
Standing high in the heavens, he looked down upon the countless living beings of the world.
Yet, his body's attention did not seem to be on the Xuanhuang Realm below.
It was focused on the starry expanse beyond.
As if waiting for something.
An unknown amount of time passed before a streak of light suddenly shot in from beyond the heavens.
His body's gaze locked onto it instantly.
But he did not interfere, allowing the light to land within the Xuanhuang Realm.
Only when the light had completely dimmed and settled did the figure descend to the mortal world to investigate.
"Not the one."
"But it's not bad. In the old days, it could have hoped for ascension. A pity..."
His body seemed accustomed to this outcome, its tone devoid of joy or sorrow. It shook its head slightly, sighed, and then returned to the skies of the Xuanhuang Realm.
Silently observing, waiting for the next target to arrive.
...
The scene suddenly froze, then, like a fading photograph, it rapidly paled and dissipated.
Li Fan snapped out of the vision and returned to the present.
Although the experience within the True Immortal's memory consisted of only a few brief scenes...
To Li Fan, it felt as long as if he had lived through a dozen lifetimes.
And this sense of immense time was truly reflected in his physical body.
His hair now flowed freely, unknowingly having grown to his waist, and it was streaked with black and white.
His face, hands, and the skin all over his body had become slightly wrinkled.
Li Fan looked at his age on the [Truth] panel.
His mental age had not changed.
But his physiological age limit had been drastically cut down to just 50 years.
He was still a man of thirty, yet he was now nearing the end of his life.
"Is this the price for prying into the secrets of a True Immortal?"
After trying and confirming that the life-extending treasures of the Xuanhuang Realm could not increase this new, reduced lifespan limit...
A chill ran down Li Fan's spine.
"For an ordinary cultivator, this would have been a dead end."
"Fortunately, I have [Truth]. A 50-year lifespan makes little difference to me."
"I still have 20 years in this lifetime, which is enough to complete my plans."
Li Fan's composure returned, and he couldn't help but recall the scenes he had witnessed in the True Immortal's blood.
"The True Immortal to whom this blood belonged was likely sent to the Xuanhuang Realm to find a specific target..."
"The use of the word 'subject' is quite interesting."
"And that streak of light from beyond the heavens..."
Li Fan's eyes narrowed.
Combining this with the information he had previously uncovered from the ancient immortal array of the Xuanhuang Realm and the Nine Stars Red Pearl...
A conjecture began to form in Li Fan's mind. "The ancient Xuanhuang Realm was also capturing things."
"But unlike its later practice of capturing other cultivation worlds, its target back then was..."
"People?"
Li Fan's eyes flickered with thought.
"'But it's not bad. In the old days, it could have hoped for ascension...'"
Li Fan repeated the True Immortal's words to himself several times.
"A streak of light that 'could have hoped for ascension' was not the target he was waiting for. What exactly..."
Suddenly, for some reason, Li Fan's thoughts turned to himself.
Although the True Immortal's memory was hazy and had happened countless years ago...
Li Fan was overcome by a chilling sense of having narrowly escaped a great disaster.
By the time he came to his senses, his back was drenched in cold sweat.
This was by no means a sign of cowardice.
It was an instinctual fear and relief that washed over him belatedly, after he realized the implications.
"This..."
His pounding heart slowly calmed.
Li Fan temporarily left the space beneath the Lecture Stage, flashing back to the sky above the small world of the Great Xuan.
A sea of clouds stretched for thousands of miles, shielding him from the sight of the mortals on the ground.
Li Fan mulled over his recent premonition.
"Although it's a bit hard to believe..."
"My intuition tells me that all those years ago, the target of that True Immortal in the Xuanhuang Realm... could it really have been me?!"
"Or rather, not me. But [Truth]!"
Li Fan closed his eyes, trying to hide the turmoil and shock that roiled within him.
"[Truth]... [Truth]..."
As he spoke the word, the surrounding scenery once again became ethereal and indistinct.
Only by isolating himself from the real world did Li Fan feel a slight sense of security.
"[Truth] involves the Great Dao of the real and the fake, the tangible and the illusory."
"Whether it's worldly wonders or True Immortal scripts, even that mysterious symbol that created the Xuanhuang Great Heavenly Venerate—they are all just partial projections of the Great Dao."
"But only [Truth] stands above them all."
"You could almost say it is the Great Dao of [True and False] and [Real and Illusory] itself..."
Li Fan's thoughts raced as he calmly analyzed the situation.
"To make a True Immortal refer to themselves as a 'subject,' the tall figure in the memory must have been of extraordinary status."
"Qionglang Star Domain... Annihilation."
Li Fan tried to deduce the possible truth from these few words.
"It seems the Immortal World was already facing a crisis at that time."
"Annihilation..."
"With the power of a True Immortal, perhaps they could deduce that one of the solutions to the Immortal World's crisis was [Truth]."
"Is that why they decided to lie in wait in the Xuanhuang Realm?"
"But for some reason, my arrival here was delayed by tens of thousands of years."
...
Long after he had left the True Immortal's memory, the lingering feeling of having narrowly escaped disaster finally began to fade from Li Fan's mind.
Without that strange emotion influencing him, Li Fan looked back at his own conjectures and found them almost absurdly laughable.
"What is the real truth?"
His mind now calm, Li Fan flashed from the sky back to the underground cavern.
He stared at the remaining True Immortal's blood within the golden net, pondering for a long time.
"I cannot try to peer into it again in this lifetime."
"I'll wait until the next life and see if I can find more clues."
"Even if my guess is confirmed, it doesn't really matter. The Immortal World suffered a great calamity, and the True Immortals who might have been 'hunting' me have all vanished long before I arrived!"
A sharp glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes, his mental state once again becoming unshakably firm.
Although he could no longer peer into the memories within the True Immortal's blood in this lifetime...
It didn't stop him from continuing his research on the True Immortal's flesh.
"Next, let's see just how resistant True Immortal flesh is to the power of the True Immortal's script."
(End of Chapter)
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