Chapter 1332: Winning Over Mo Rubin
Yet, after a long and patient wait, the Dharma Transmitters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance saw no sign of a greater upheaval in the Xuanhuang Realm.
Could the venerable Heavenly Venerate have misjudged?
As unbelievable as it was, the Dharma Transmitters were eventually forced to accept this fact.
However, out of sheer reverence for the Dharma Transmission Heavenly Venerate, none of them dared to discuss the matter openly.
Sending a message to inquire directly was out of the question.
They could only conclude that the Heavenly Venerate, in his deep concern for all life in the Xuanhuang Realm, felt compelled to warn them of even the slightest disturbance. After all, a disturbance had indeed occurred.
What the inhabitants of the Xuanhuang Realm could not perceive was that, beyond the void, a vast reservoir of True Immortal power had quietly accumulated.
Li Fan stood before the now-filled depression, sensing a faint, almost imperceptible pull, and nodded in satisfaction.
The natural depression had become a near-perfect vessel for the True Immortal's power. Coupled with the concealing formations Li Fan had placed around its perimeter, the anomaly of the area was perfectly masked.
Li Fan was confident that even the likes of the Dharma Transmitters would never notice anything amiss if they were merely flying by, unless they made a point of investigating the area with meticulous care.
"With this accumulation, the Super Xuanhuang Realm project has a much higher chance of success."
The power stirred by the Immortal Ruins' True Immortal comprehending the Dao of [Hunger] was, naturally, different from pure immortal spirit energy and could not be directly absorbed by the Xuanhuang Realm.
However, Li Fan could use the Ascension Array as a conduit, transforming this immense power into the driving force for the Xuanhuang Realm's ascent. This would drastically reduce the consumption of True Immortal flesh. Otherwise, relying solely on the output from the Kun-Qian Bone Hand—even if he drained Ou Shangtian completely dry—it would be impossible to construct enough Ascension Arrays.
"Like a lake suspended in the sky, like the very ruins of the Immortal Realm." After staring for a long while, Li Fan finally tore his gaze away from the depression.
For the time being, he concealed the area with another formation.
"Next, I need to find a way to anchor the world's altitude."
"Otherwise, I'll have to take a dangerous gamble and force out the Heaven and Earth Immortal Soul before the Xuanhuang Realm begins its descent. In a situation that changes in an instant, anything could happen. It could all end in failure..."
"The production of True Immortal flesh and Source Power Essence also needs to be increased simultaneously."
To attempt the feats of a True Immortal with a mortal body was, naturally, to be beset by countless constraints.
Although Li Fan, with the accumulated knowledge of his many reincarnations, could find all sorts of strange substitutes for power, they were not immortal spirit energy itself. As he drew closer to his goal, everything became increasingly troublesome.
As for how to temporarily anchor the world at a higher position, Li Fan currently had no clue.
Setting aside the comprehending True Immortal in the Immortal Ruins, from an elevated perspective, the highest peaks in the entire Darkest Star Sea were likely the Realm Fragment Great Wall at the foot of the High Wall, and the depths of the Gloomy Sea of Darkness within the Xuanhuang Realm.
Of course, there were other naturally formed peaks in the Star Sea. But like the depression before him, they were beyond his current ability to study and comprehend.
"Next, a two-pronged approach."
"The foot of the High Wall and the Gloomy Sea of Darkness must be analyzed at the same time."
"The High Wall... perhaps that can be left to the Mysterious Immortal Boat. Given their ability to study and adapt True Immortal Scripts, their elders are certainly capable. As for the Gloomy Sea of Darkness..."
The face of Mo Rubin, a Law King of the Xuantian Sect, instantly materialized in Li Fan's mind.
"As it happens, through my exchange with the Immortal Boat, I've already mastered the [Manifest] character. Perhaps it's time to awaken Mo Rubin."
One of the effects of the [Manifest] character was to reveal the connections between all things. The Xuantian King's techniques were all inherited from the Azure Nether Pearl.
If possible, by stimulating it with the [Manifest] character, he might be able to follow the trail and find the Azure Nether Pearl, or even the Xuantian King himself.
"This Mo Rubin cultivates the [Myriad Tribulations Indestructible Devil Heart Immortal Art], allowing him to switch between multiple personalities almost at will. He is meticulous, cunning, and treacherous."
"However, the Xuantian King is his fatal weakness..."
Li Fan's figure flickered, returning to the Xuanhuang Realm in an instant and appearing beneath the Lecture Stage.
A great net woven from Source Power Essence sealed the slumbering Mo Rubin and the primordial soul of Ji Yuzhen.
Li Fan did not wake the female Law King, Ji Yuzhen.
Although he had absorbed most of her memories and undoubtedly understood her better, she gave him a feeling that was even more dangerous than Mo Rubin.
In comparison, Mo Rubin, with whom he had dealt for several lifetimes, was still a bit easier to handle.
With a flick of his finger, the phantom of a wooden sword unsheathed itself. Li Fan took Mo Rubin with him, traveling into the void outside the Xuanhuang Realm.
Then, he slowly retracted the golden net that sealed him.
Exposed to the cold, dead silence of the Darkest Star Sea, Mo Rubin instinctively sensed danger and slowly stirred awake.
The very instant he regained consciousness, Mo Rubin noticed Li Fan's presence, standing not far away.
"Hmm? I remember... before I fell asleep, I was..." Mo Rubin was dazed at first, but after a moment's thought, he hazarded a guess as to the culprit behind his current situation.
"What is your intention, fellow Daoist?" Mo Rubin asked, his words laced with caution as he sized up Li Fan.
A mirror-like boundary, hidden within the darkness, silently materialized and locked onto Li Fan.
This was a divine ability from within the Myriad Tribulations Indestructible Devil Heart Immortal Art, one that could reflect the figure on the other side of the mirror and replace them, absorbing them as a new devil heart.
Once enveloped by it, no one, regardless of their cultivation level, had ever escaped.
This was the confidence Mo Rubin derived from the legacy bestowed upon him by the Immortal Realm.
However, Mo Rubin soon realized something was wrong, and his expression changed slightly.
The mirror had indeed enveloped Li Fan.
But the other side of the mirror was empty; there was no reflection of Li Fan! It was as if the figure before him was nothing more than an illusion that didn't exist in the real world!
Yet, paradoxically, the unconcealed aura of life emanating from Li Fan was undeniable proof of his reality!
The Dao of [True False Transformation] ranked even higher than the True Immortal Script of [Creation]. It was naturally beyond Mo Rubin's comprehension.
At this moment, the Xuantian Sect Law King only knew that he had encountered an exceedingly difficult adversary.
After several more failed attempts to lock onto Li Fan, he decisively gave up, silently retracting the mirror boundary divine ability.
"There's no need to be so tense, Daoist Mo. If I truly intended you harm, why would I have awakened you in the first place?"
"The Myriad Tribulations Indestructible Devil Heart Immortal Art is not truly indestructible. I know at least three or four ways to break it," Li Fan said lightly, a faint smile playing on his lips.
These words struck Mo Rubin's ears like a clap of thunder.
The Myriad Tribulations Indestructible Devil Heart Immortal Art had been personally taught to him by the Xuantian King himself; very few knew of it. For Li Fan to reveal its secret in a single sentence...
"Who in the world are you, fellow Daoist?" Mo Rubin asked, his expression grave.
Li Fan didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked, "Do you know how long you've been asleep?"
Previously, his attention had been entirely captivated by Li Fan.
Now, prompted by the question, Mo Rubin quickly calculated with his fingers, and his body trembled violently.
"Ten thousand years have passed; the world is no longer what it was. If you are interested, fellow Daoist, perhaps you'll allow me to tell you the story of these years," Li Fan offered with utmost sincerity.
Mo Rubin considered this for a moment, then nodded.
And so, Li Fan slowly recounted the story: the fall of the Xuantian Sect and the rise of the Ten Great Immortal Sects in its place; the subsequent calamity that nearly destroyed the Xuanhuang Realm; the meteoric rise of the Dharma Transmission Heavenly Venerate; and the ensuing division of power between the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Council.
Mo Rubin's expression shifted continuously as he listened.
"Those vermin from the Ten Sects truly got what they deserved!"
From beginning to end, this was the only remark Mo Rubin couldn't help but make. The rest of the time, he listened with rapt attention.
With the keen sensitivity of his Devil Heart Immortal Art to the emotions of those around him, Mo Rubin was eighty percent certain that the man before him was telling the truth.
"The people of the Ten Sects, after all, inherited the legacy of the Xuantian Sect. And they possessed the true teachings of the Great Heavenly Master, so they were not so easily destroyed. Some among them had already broken through the world's boundary and left, long before the calamity truly erupted," Li Fan said, shaking his head slightly.
"Left?" Mo Rubin narrowed his eyes.
"Not just left the Xuanhuang Realm. They crossed the High Wall and went to the other side!" Li Fan declared with conviction.
Mo Rubin's reaction was stronger than ever before. "Outside the High Wall? That's impossible!"
Li Fan had anticipated this. "See for yourself, fellow Daoist!"
With a light wave of his hand, a vision appeared before Mo Rubin: a colossal, heaven-piercing sword erupted with infinite light, tearing through the fabric of the world as it soared into the unknown.
"This is the sight from when the Heavenly Sword Sect forged the World Splitting Divine Sword and departed. While I can't be certain they succeeded, such power suggests it was more than a simple escape from the Xuanhuang Realm, wouldn't you agree?" Li Fan asked.
Mo Rubin stared intently at the endlessly repeating scene.
"This World Splitting Divine Weapon is but a mortal artifact. How could it possibly cross the High Wall? Ridiculous!" Mo Rubin did not change his stance.
"The Divine Weapon was forged from [Taiyuan Essence Gold] and countless Sword Embryos, supplemented by innumerable celestial materials and earthly treasures..." Li Fan stated unhurriedly.
Mo Rubin cut him off. "Is that all? No matter the material, as long as it originates from within the Xuanhuang Realm, it cannot possibly have such an effect."
"And what if," Li Fan's voice deepened, "a wisp of pure immortal spirit energy was mixed in?"
"!!!" Mo Rubin's head snapped up, his gaze locked on Li Fan.
"Immortal spirit energy?" His tone and expression were utterly transformed.
After a long silence, Mo Rubin said grimly, "If the core of this World Splitting Divine Weapon truly contained immortal spirit energy... then it might indeed be possible to cross the High Wall with it..."
"And there you have it," Li Fan said, his tone unreadable.
Did the World Splitting Divine Weapon forged by the Heavenly Sword Sect truly contain immortal spirit energy?
Li Fan didn't know for certain either.
However, the forging of the divine weapon had been at the behest of Mr. Bai.
Mr. Bai, who had inherited the Great Heavenly Venerate's legacy and had even returned from the High Wall, could not possibly be ignorant of the fact that mortal materials alone were insufficient to cross it.
To fail would mean to crash headlong into the High Wall, with no chance of survival.
Given Mr. Bai's character, would he truly send people to their deaths for nothing?
Thus, after learning the true weight of the Great Heavenly Venerate's legacy from Sun Tianci in his previous life, Li Fan had formed a theory. Mr. Bai had likely diverted a portion of the immortal spirit energy obtained from detonating the immortal artifacts to the Heavenly Sword Sect, successfully aiding their plan to escape across the boundary.
This would also explain why the amount of immortal spirit energy gained from detonating the other nine immortal artifacts seemed so small compared to what was contained in the four that remained, like the Great Sun Golden Bell.
It felt less like the energy had been consumed and more like a portion had been given away.
It was even difficult to say whether members of other sects had joined the Heavenly Sword Sect aboard that World Splitting Divine Weapon all those years ago.
Faced with Li Fan's explanation, Mo Rubin remained silent for a long while before finally cursing, "Damned things! Caring only for their own escape, with no regard for the people of the Xuanhuang Realm!"
Mo Rubin had every right to be angry.
Back then, the Xuantian King, who had already attained a half-immortal body, could have easily escaped on his own.
But it was precisely because he wanted to bring his home, the Xuanhuang Realm, with him that he embarked on the long Floating Starry Sky plan, which led to all the subsequent tragedies.
Hearing Mo Rubin's words, Li Fan smoothly steered the conversation toward the Xuantian King.
"The Xuantian King was a man of noble character, like an eternal, shining sun, with no equal in this world. To say nothing of those rats from the Ten Great Immortal Sects, even in the ten thousand years that followed, no one has appeared to carry on his will. The Xuanhuang Realm has survived this long only because its inhabitants are struggling to save themselves," Li Fan lamented with a long sigh.
Hearing Li Fan praise the Xuantian King so highly, Mo Rubin's opinion of him slowly began to change. But it wasn't enough for him to completely let down his guard.
"To be frank, I wish to carry on the Xuantian King's will, to save the Xuanhuang Realm from this catastrophe and help it cross the High Wall, to escape this Darkest Star Sea."
"I have poured my heart and soul into this, wasting half my life. Now, as my end draws near, I look back only to find that in this vast Xuanhuang Realm, there is not a single person I can trust, not one to stand by my side," Li Fan's voice was tinged with a hint of desolation.
As Mo Rubin listened, he observed Li Fan closely and, to his shock, discovered that the man's life was indeed nearing its end.
His pupils contracted sharply.
Li Fan continued, "Through a stroke of fate, I uncovered the deeds of the heroes of the ancient Xuantian Sect. My heart surged with emotion, and I felt I had found kindred spirits."
"I searched for any possible trace of your survival, and finally, I found you, fellow Daoist, in your deep slumber..."
Li Fan looked at Mo Rubin, a gratified smile spreading across his face.
An indescribable wave of emotion washed over Mo Rubin.
But he was a cautious man. He suppressed the feeling and began to weigh the credibility of the other's words.
"The events of the Xuantian Sect happened more than ten thousand years ago. How could you know of them?" Mo Rubin asked.
"Within an annular mountain, amidst a sea of flowers, I found the shattered soul of Ji Yuzhen," Li Fan answered truthfully.
"Though it was merely a collage of countless memory fragments, I was still able to catch a glimpse of the Xuantian Sect's past."
Mo Rubin was shaken. "Ji Yuzhen? Is she still alive?"
Li Fan shook his head slightly. "Only a remnant of her soul is left."
Mo Rubin was about to say more but suddenly stopped.
After a moment of silence, he looked directly at Li Fan and said, "The Xuantian Sect suffered a terrible upheaval back then. My brothers died or were wounded. We all lost contact with one another."
"There may even be traitors among us..."
"To be honest, aside from the Xuantian King, I don't trust anyone."
Li Fan nodded in understanding. "In fact, one of the reasons I woke you is that I, too, wish to find the Xuantian King."
(End of this chapter)
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