Chapter 1331: The Dark Sea Basin
Chapter 1331: The Dark Sea Basin
"The mark must have been left by Xu Ke," Bai Hua recounted, still visibly shaken. "But I searched the entire area and found no trace of him. The residual power of the True Immortal was growing too intense—I couldn't withstand it any longer. In the end, I had no choice but to come back through the teleportation array."
The principles of the A Thousand Miles in a Moment Array were, in fact, different from those of a common teleportation array, though the effect was identical. Bai Hua had fallen into the habit of calling it a teleportation array, and Li Fan saw no reason to correct her.
He began to follow the traces he had left on the others, sensing their current locations and conditions.
Xu Ke and Qiaogong were, indeed, still alive.
In fact, Qiaogong was in a better state than Xu Ke. Xu Ke's aura flickered erratically, a clear sign that he was struggling to survive the aftershocks of the True Immortal's power. Qiaogong, on the other hand, was surprisingly stable, as if completely unaffected by the turbulent stellar forces.
As for Yin Shangren...
The mark Li Fan had left on him had vanished completely.
"Something is definitely off," Li Fan mused. "With his current strength, he shouldn't have been able to detect my technique. And even if he had some faint suspicion, given the role I've played, he should have regarded it as a form of protection, not something to be actively removed."
Sending these individuals, blessed with great fortune and survivors of the ancient calamity, to scout ahead had been Li Fan's plan all along. This sudden eruption of reverberating star power had merely accelerated the process.
Li Fan decided to let them be for now. He would question them in detail once they returned.
He understood their personalities well enough to know they wouldn't cause any major trouble.
"Rest assured," Li Fan said, "they are all unharmed. In fact, each has found their own unique opportunities."
At Li Fan's words, Bai Hua’s expression turned somewhat complicated.
Ignoring whatever thoughts were crossing Bai Hua’s mind, Li Fan handed her another cluster of Source Power Essence. "Stay away from the teleportation array for now," he instructed. "Wait until the storm subsides."
"However, under the constant barrage of the True Immortal's residual power, the array requires periodic maintenance. If it gets damaged, we'll have to make the trip all over again, introducing unnecessary complications. I'm leaving this task to you."
Along with the Source Power Essence, he passed her a wealth of information on maintaining the A Thousand Miles in a Moment Array.
Bai Hua nodded in understanding and quickly became engrossed in the profound knowledge of the formation. Even though it only covered the array's basic structural units and not its core principles, she was utterly captivated.
After giving Bai Hua her instructions, Li Fan gazed out at the Darkest Star Sea.
"The shockwave from the reverberating star power will reach the Xuanhuang Realm in about half a month," he thought. "Just like in my past life, the entire world will be plunged into violent tremors."
"It would be a terrible shame to let such immense power go to waste."
Having witnessed the Darkest Star Sea from a higher-dimensional perspective, and having seen with his own eyes a small world attempt to ascend only to fall and shatter, Li Fan now had a new understanding of the True Immortal's residual power—the power that had accumulated beneath the High Wall, held back by the Realm Fragment Great Wall.
"The power of the True Immortal, radiating from the Immortal Ruins as he comprehended the Dao of 'Hunger,' was blocked by the High Wall during its outward expansion. Over eons, it pooled at the foot of the wall. This accumulation of the power's potential energy created what is, in relative terms, a highland."
"But because it's merely a raw accumulation of power, it cannot maintain a stable state."
"On one hand, it will naturally flow toward lower ground. On the other..."
Li Fan’s eyes narrowed, as if he could once again see the magnificent vista beneath the High Wall.
"Logically, this power should have gradually dispersed back into the Darkest Star Sea. But for some unknown reason, the continuous Realm Fragment Great Wall formed beneath the High Wall, trapping it."
"This created a peculiar state of equilibrium. And now, that equilibrium has been shattered."
"The True Immortal's power is cascading down like a torrential flood, flowing into the basin of the Darkest Star Sea and raising its overall elevation..."
A flash of understanding crossed Li Fan's mind.
The rapid revitalization of the Star Sea in his past life was likely accelerated by this very event.
"What I must do now," he resolved, "is find a way to intercept this flood and store it for later."
"It will be needed when the time comes for the Xuanhuang Realm to make its own ascent."
This was, without a doubt, a monumental undertaking.
Achieving perfection in just half a month was impossible. Li Fan could only do what he could.
The Xuanhuang Realm's location was quite unique.
It was located just outside the Immortal Ruins. Due to the presence of the Dao-comprehending True Immortal within, on a topographical map of the entire Darkest Star Sea, the Xuanhuang Realm was situated near the highest peak.
Indeed, its proximity meant that it was already situated on relatively high ground.
It was like the rising foothills surrounding a great mountain that juts up from the plains.
"Therefore, it's as if the world is protected by an invisible barrier. The impact the Xuanhuang Realm will have to face will be naturally diminished."
"My task is to create a basin, then divert and collect as much of the True Immortal's power from the surrounding expanse as I can."
Li Fan nodded slowly.
Li Fan had personally experienced the journey of ascension. To climb higher, to approach the state of an immortal, one simply had to continually generate energy, elevating the space one occupied.
But as for how to create a basin...
Li Fan was currently clueless.
However, when he had gazed down from the heights of the Realm Fragment Great Wall and from the control core of the Darkest Star Sea, he had indeed seen places that were lower than the surrounding regions.
"I'll go take a look first," he decided.
Moving with decisive speed, Li Fan first went to Ou Shangtian and generated some more of the True Immortal's flesh.
Looking at Ou Shangtian, whose face was now as pale as burnished gold, Li Fan frowned slightly.
"It seems the search for the True Immortal's skeletal remains has become an urgent matter."
Li Fan pushed the thought aside for the moment. The Source Power Essence transformed into a suit of golden protective armor. The phantom of the Wooden Sword emerged, and in an instant, he had left the Xuanhuang Realm and was speeding through the Darkest Star Sea.
As he flew swiftly toward the target location from his memories, he focused on sensing the changes in elevation.
After the Wooden Sword passed through a certain region of the star sea, Li Fan seemed to sense something.
He turned back, hovering in the void to observe more closely.
"This place," he concluded, "is indeed a natural basin."
"However, if I hadn't already witnessed the topography from a higher-dimensional perspective, I doubt I would have ever noticed anything special about this place."
"It looks no different from any other part of the Star Sea."
Frowning, Li Fan sent out threads of his divine sense, spreading them to explore every corner of the region.
The results were just as he had perceived.
Despite its lower potential energy, the basin showed no discernible difference from a normal region of space.
He remained there for the better part of a day, still at a complete loss.
Then, a realization suddenly struck him.
Controlling his physical and spiritual energy, he flicked a finger, sending out a beam of sword qi.
It was merely an attack simulating the power of a typical Soul Transformation cultivator, yet as the beam of sword qi whistled through the void, it tore a visible rift in space.
The rift vanished in an instant, sealing itself almost immediately.
But not before Li Fan had seen it clearly.
"So that's how it is."
"This basin... it's more fragile," Li Fan realized.
It wasn't just space itself.
Rather, all the conditions that sustained this region of space had significantly weakened compared to a normal area of the Star Sea.
"To this place, the Xuanhuang Realm is like the Immortal World is to the Xuanhuang Realm."
"That might be a slight exaggeration, but it effectively illustrates the difference between them."
"A Dao Integration cultivator from the Xuanhuang Realm would likely be akin to a True Immortal here. They could destroy worlds with a single glance, and it would be utterly effortless."
Li Fan felt the fragility of the basin.
"Its potential energy isn't that much lower than the Xuanhuang Realm's, yet the physical manifestations of that difference are so pronounced," Li Fan mused silently.
"If it were lower, as low as it could possibly go, what would happen then?"
The question surfaced in his mind, unbidden.
Li Fan's thoughts began to drift.
But this place was already one of the lowest points in the Darkest Star Sea.
There was no ready answer to his question.
The date of the reverberating star power's impact drew closer, and Li Fan's thoughts returned to the present.
"With my current understanding, I still can't figure out the exact reason these basins form."
"But that doesn't stop me from using them."
Back when he was an official in the Great Xuan, Li Fan had personally surveyed the land, designed blueprints, and built water conservancy projects to benefit the people.
As he saw it now, the project of diverting the True Immortal's power into this basin was essentially no different from building a reservoir.
"This basin is a natural reservoir."
"What I need to do is channel the True Immortal's power here!"
"First, I must prevent the basin from absorbing the power I divert into it. Otherwise, it will just cause the basin to rise and disappear..."
"Source Power Essence does not dissolve in the power of a True Immortal. It's the perfect material."
A sharp glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
An endless stream of Source Power Essence, like a long bolt of cloth, burst forth from his body.
It was just a thin layer, meant to act as insulation.
Under Li Fan's control, it quickly spread across the entire basin.
Golden light radiated outwards, and the Source Power Essence dissipated into the darkness, seeming no different than before.
But Li Fan knew that, compared to moments ago, a fundamental change had occurred here.
"Next, I need to expand the inflow of this basin as much as possible."
"And at the same time, I must continuously reinforce the insulating layer at the bottom of the basin."
"I'm running low on Source Power Essence. It seems I'll have to trouble the You Clan for a while."
With a thought from Li Fan, the You Clan members being raised in the Great Xuan small world all sensed something.
They awoke from their slumber in unison.
Then, they knelt and began to pray with devout piety, forgoing all food and water.
As the supply of Source Power Essence slowly replenished, Li Fan once again viewed the area from a higher-dimensional perspective.
The basin's boundaries were irregular, and its scope was not large.
Given its current size, when the residual power of the True Immortal swept through, the amount it could collect would be extremely limited.
"How should I channel the flow?"
After some thought, an idea came to Li Fan.
The phantom of the Wooden Sword flickered continuously.
Over the next few days, Li Fan set up a series of ascension arrays throughout the vast expanse of space surrounding the basin.
The consumption of True Immortal flesh was too fast, forcing Li Fan to return to the Xuanhuang Realm once more.
Ou Shangtian was on the verge of death; even the Kun-Qian Bone Hand was showing faint cracks. It was clear he wouldn't be able to generate any more True Immortal flesh for some time.
Nevertheless, Li Fan had finally gathered enough materials.
The arrays were set up according to his plan.
Feeling the imminent arrival of the reverberating star power, Li Fan waited in silence.
"For now, I haven't found a way to anchor the state after ascension."
"But a short-term burst, creating a series of peaks to alter the flow of the True Immortal's power, is achievable."
"According to my precise calculations, all the True Immortal power from this vast expanse of space will be diverted here."
*Hummm...*
Amidst Li Fan's anticipation, the reverberating star power, like a surging tide or a terrifying storm, arrived on schedule.
With a look of resolve, Li Fan activated the ascension arrays one by one.
In the Darkest Star Sea, in the space not far from the Xuanhuang Realm, a strange spectacle appeared.
It was undetectable to ordinary people.
Only a peerless expert, ascending to a great height and looking down, might be able to glimpse it from above.
A series of low peaks suddenly rose up.
They stood in the path of the surging tide of True Immortal power.
Although these peaks soon collapsed after rising, they had, for a moment, genuinely collided with the great tide of True Immortal power.
The low peaks crumbled with a roar.
And the tide of True Immortal power, after repeated impacts, changed its course.
It began to converge furiously toward the basin Li Fan had designated.
*Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh...*
At first, it was just a gentle breeze.
But as more and more of the diverted True Immortal tide flowed in, the howling power here became even stronger than at the initial point of eruption beneath the High Wall.
Li Fan had to retreat into the phantom of the Wooden Sword, relying on the profundity of [True False Transformation] to evade the influence of the True Immortal's power.
Watching the basin slowly fill, even with Li Fan's temperament, he couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.
"What a True Immortal can do, I can now do as well!"
"Even if it's a bit more troublesome, as long as I have mastered the method, I can replicate it countless times in the future!"
Just as it had been contained beneath the High Wall by the Realm Fragment Great Wall, a vast amount of True Immortal power now piled up in the basin.
Due to the insulation of the Source Power Essence and the natural particularity of this place, the potential energy of the space itself did not rise. The power simply continued to accumulate.
It was as if another Immortal Ruins was slowly taking shape before Li Fan's eyes.
The phantom of the Wooden Sword flickered, growing dim then bright again.
The suction force it was subjected to grew stronger and stronger, as if he were truly facing the True Immortal of the Immortal Ruins.
Li Fan frowned and piloted the phantom out of the basin's range.
The moment he left the basin, Li Fan felt the immense suction force from within instantly diminish by more than half.
It was as if the two were not in the same world.
The convergence of the True Immortal tide continued.
Finally, once the basin was completely full, the overflowing tide began to sweep across the other regions of the Star Sea.
However, with such a large reservoir, the storm's power had already been significantly weakened.
Especially since this reservoir was positioned in front of the Xuanhuang Realm, the inhabitants of that world barely felt any of the turbulence.
In this life, the members of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, who had also received a warning from the Dharma Spreading Heavenly Venerate, looked at each other in confusion.
"The tremor the Heavenly Venerate spoke of... it hasn't arrived yet, has it?"
"This must be just the prelude. The main event is still to come!"
Comments