Novels online

Chapter 1334: The Revival of the Gloomy True Immortal

Mo Rubin didn't respond to Li Fan's suggestion immediately, instead falling into a long, thoughtful silence.

His gaze settled on Li Fan's salt-and-pepper hair. Perhaps moved by the sincerity in Li Fan’s words, or the undeniable truth that his life was nearing its end, Mo Rubin finally nodded. "Very well."

Li Fan nodded, a pleased expression on his face. "Excellent! With your assistance, fellow Daoist, our efforts will be twice as effective!"

"In that case, let us return to the Xuanhuang Realm at once!"

The phantom of the Wooden Sword emerged from its sheath, and Li Fan gestured for Mo Rubin to step inside.

Mo Rubin was initially unconcerned, but his expression shifted the moment he stepped within the phantom's bounds and felt its incredible speed.

He looked at Li Fan in a new light.

And when he witnessed the phantom shielding them, allowing them to ignore the pull of the Immortal Ruins and descend safely into the Xuanhuang Realm, Mo Rubin could no longer contain his astonishment. "It seems, fellow Daoist," he remarked, "that you are truly one of the most powerful figures of this age."

Li Fan shook his head with a wry smile. "I may be unparalleled in this era, but my power doesn't span the ages. Besides, what use are myriad abilities when one's life still comes to an end? Such powers are ultimately no match for the will of heaven."

They had now descended upon the Xuanhuang Realm. Mo Rubin's divine sense swept silently across the world, and even he, the worldly-wise Dharma King of the Xuantian Sect, could not hide his astonishment. The provinces had expanded countless times over, and a towering barrier of white mist now stood between heaven and earth.

After a long moment, he remarked with a sigh, "If I hadn't sensed the lingering traces of the Floating Starry Sky Grand Array, I would never have connected this vast, magnificent world with the Xuanhuang Realm I once knew."

"To think the world could change so drastically in a mere ten thousand years!"

Li Fan nodded. "When a world is on the brink of annihilation, the pace of change accelerates a thousandfold. I have watched it unfold—as swift as lightning, as fast as light. It is the Heavenly Dao’s attempt at self-preservation..."

As he spoke, Li Fan conjured an illusion with a wave of his hand.

Within the sphere of light, the Xuanhuang Realm was in turmoil. Heaven and earth were overturned, yin and yang were in disarray, stars dimmed, mountains trembled, plants withered, and beasts fled in terror—a clear vision of an impending apocalypse.

On the precipice of survival, the Xuanhuang Realm responded with a host of cataclysmic changes: world-spanning ice, silent heat death, the accelerated turning of ages, heavenly punishments and earthly calamities...

Mo Rubin was utterly transfixed.

Just as Mo Rubin was absorbed, Li Fan coughed lightly and dispelled the illusion.

A profound sense of loss washed over Mo Rubin.

He had the distinct feeling that the vision truly held the principles of the world's evolution—an unimaginable treasure for any cultivator. But Li Fan had shown it for only a moment, not nearly long enough for Mo Rubin to grasp its deeper meanings.

Yet, his pride as a Dharma King of the Xuantian Sect—an awakened senior from a bygone era—prevented him from brazenly asking Li Fan to show him again.

Perhaps once we find Brother Xuanyuan and our rapport has grown... he thought to himself.

"Of course, the Xuanhuang Realm's current state isn't solely due to the Heavenly Dao's own changes," Li Fan added candidly. "The Dharma Spreading Heavenly Venerate has also been working from the shadows."

"The Dharma Spreading Heavenly Venerate was likely one of the venerables from the old Tianfa Realm. After its destruction, he now seeks to use the Xuanhuang Realm—the last surviving world in this Star Sea—to resurrect his own, a kind of possession on a cosmic scale..."

"This Dharma Spreader has spent millennia contemplating the Dao in the Star Sea. His power is unfathomable, perhaps reaching the very pinnacle of mortal cultivation. I am no match for him!"

"We must proceed with caution and be wary of him," Li Fan advised with a sigh. "He will not spare anyone or anything that threatens his plan to resurrect the Tianfa Realm."

"This Dharma Spreader isn't a bad sort, by nature. It’s a pity he is fated to oppose the Xuanhuang Realm." Observing the incongruous fragments of other worlds now embedded within the Xuanhuang Realm, Mo Rubin found himself believing more of what Li Fan had said.

"What a shame..." In truth, Mo Rubin had held a certain fondness for the figure who had, at least in name, brought ruin to the Ten Great Immortal Sects.

However, upon seeing how the Xuanhuang Realm had been dismembered and reshaped, and hearing Li Fan’s quiet account, that faint fondness vanished in an instant.

"Rest assured, we will keep a low profile. We won't clash with this Dharma Spreading Heavenly Venerate until we've found Brother Xuanyuan." Mo Rubin's eyes scanned the landscape, as if searching for some unseen trace.

After a moment, he frowned. "It seems the Floating Starry Sky Grand Array is even more damaged than I thought. I can only sense a faint residual presence; controlling it is out of the question."

"Partly it was the passage of time, and partly it was the great wars that erupted when the Ten Great Immortal Sects used the Floating Starry Sky Grand Array to capture other cultivation worlds," Li Fan explained slowly. "The array sustained increasing damage, but the sect cultivators lacked the skill to repair it. In the end, it was ruined completely..."

"At least, that's what my investigations have shown," Li Fan added with a shrug, meeting the sharp glint in Mo Rubin's eyes with utter frankness.

"Those incompetents from the Ten Sects? How could they possibly control the Floating Array?! Unless..." A dangerous, volatile aura suddenly radiated from Mo Rubin.

Li Fan took a slight step back and chimed in, "It must have been one of the Dharma Kings who betrayed the sect and gave the control method to the Ten Sects."

Mo Rubin's brow furrowed deeply, but he remained silent.

After a long pause, he shook his head. "Not necessarily. They might have been captured by the Ten Great Immortal Sects and forced to confess under torture."

Li Fan was somewhat surprised by Mo Rubin's attitude.

He knew, after all, that the Xuantian King had entrusted the control methods for the array's various sub-systems to different Dharma Kings as a precaution.

Mo Rubin was responsible for the Gathering Spirit Immortal Ascension Array in the Gloomy Sea of Darkness, while Ji Yuzhen was in charge of the Golden Lock Across the Sky Array.

Sensing Li Fan's unspoken question, Mo Rubin explained why he was defending them. "Brother Xuanyuan once told me that control over the Golden Lock Across the Sky Array was held by Ji Yuzhen and Luo Yichen..."

"Of the twelve of us, anyone could have turned traitor," Mo Rubin declared with conviction, "but never those two."

Li Fan grew thoughtful. "In Dharma King Ji's memories, she was deeply in love with the Xuantian King. As for Luo Yichen..."

Mo Rubin nodded. "Indeed. It was only after she fell for Brother Xuanyuan that she slaughtered her thousands of male consorts, dedicating her heart to him alone."

Li Fan shook his head more vehemently. "To entrust the same critical task to two women in love with him... a most unwise decision!"

"You're overthinking it, fellow Daoist," Mo Rubin said with a dismissive chuckle. "The two of them were the best of friends."

Li Fan didn't press the matter.

After some discussion, the two decided on the first place to search for traces of the Xuantian King.

The Gloomy Sea of Darkness.

Their journey was almost identical to one Li Fan had experienced before. After some effort, with Li Fan feigning shock and awe along the way, the two finally reached the central core of the Gathering Spirit Immortal Ascension Array.

Mo Rubin was first struck with awe and terror at the sight of the True Immortal's corpse in the depths of the Gloomy Sea of Darkness, and the faint, stirring will to survive that emanated from it.

But as he recovered his composure, he froze. "Hm? It seems someone was here not long ago!"

Li Fan was inwardly startled. He had done his best to conceal his tracks on his previous visit, yet Mo Rubin had still detected something.

Despite his surprise, he kept his composure, his face instead showing a hint of excitement. "The Xuantian King?" he asked quickly.

Mo Rubin didn't suspect the man beside him.

After all, the array seals here were based on the immortal array, the Gathering Spirit Immortal Ascension Array, which was beyond the capabilities of any ordinary person to breach.

"But there are indeed signs that someone has been here. Though they didn't manage to reach the True Immortal's corpse at the very core..."

"The people from the Ten Great Immortal Sects died here. They must have been lured in and then killed by the True Immortal's will to survive."

"Could it have been Elder Cui?"

Cui Zhiyuan was the other Dharma King who shared control of the Gathering Spirit Immortal Ascension Array with him.

He considered this possibility, but upon re-examining the traces of the array's activation, something still felt wrong.

"It doesn't seem like they disarmed the wards. It's more like... they forced their way through without damaging the array itself. Brute force over finesse..."

"And afterward, they even modified the array to seal the True Immortal's will and prevent outsiders from intruding."

Mo Rubin pondered for a long time, but the intruder's identity remained a puzzle.

Li Fan, of course, saw his confusion but didn't feel inclined to tell him about the Dharma Spreading Heavenly Venerate's past actions.

After wrestling with the puzzle for a while, Mo Rubin finally decided to set it aside. His priority was to search for any traces of the Xuantian King within the Gloomy Sea of Darkness.

The central core of the Gathering Spirit Immortal Ascension Array, shaped like a circular observation chamber, suddenly lit up within the Gloomy Sea of Darkness. Waves of imperceptible energy radiated outwards, spreading rapidly through the gloom.

After a considerable time, Li Fan sensed the waves returning.

Mo Rubin's face was impassive as he awaited the full results of the search.

Evidently, the Xuantian King was not in this part of the Gloomy Sea of Darkness.

Seeing Mo Rubin's brow furrow once more, Li Fan offered some comfort. "Let's just proceed to the next location."

Mo Rubin shook his head. "I never expected to find Brother Xuanyuan so easily."

"I just feel that something isn't right with this Gloomy Sea of Darkness."

Li Fan's interest was piqued. "What do you mean?"

"The Gloomy Sea of Darkness was created upon the corpse of a True Immortal. Although the immortal is truly dead, they were a True Immortal after all. Their methods far exceed the imagination of us mortals."

"Take the 'will to survive' that spontaneously manifests when it senses living creatures. And the gloomy power accumulated here... it seems to have undergone a subtle change compared to the past," Mo Rubin said, his expression turning grave.

Li Fan followed Mo Rubin's gaze into the endless dark.

Mo Rubin continued in a low voice, "When a True Immortal falls, their gloomy power is left without a master. But since this power is generated from the True Immortal's corpse, things would have remained quiescent. The problem is that a sliver of the True Immortal's will to survive has been awakened..."

"Perhaps under the influence of this will to survive, the gloomy power itself has begun to change."

Li Fan feigned immense shock. "The power of a True Immortal is that terrifying? What specific change are you referring to, fellow Daoist?"

Mo Rubin replied, "It's not yet clear. But one thing is certain: it will inevitably evolve in a way that favors the True Immortal's revival. Even if it ultimately fails, the tendency will persist."

"Do you remember the corpses we saw on our way here? Their life essence was drained completely, turned into nourishment for the reviving True Immortal... Perhaps when this Gloomy Sea of Darkness senses a life form useful for the revival, it will launch a similar attack."

"Fortunately, after being converted by the Gathering Spirit Immortal Ascension Array, the gloomy power is far less influenced by the True Immortal's remains than its will is. Things are not as dire as I first imagined."

Li Fan nodded in grave agreement. "The energy accumulated in this Gloomy Sea of Darkness is already immense. If it were to erupt, it could probably devour the entire Xuanhuang Realm in an instant, turning it into fuel for the True Immortal's revival..."

Mo Rubin cast a deep look into the Gloomy Sea of Darkness and nodded. "If left unchecked, that day may very well come."

Li Fan asked curiously, "If—and I'm just speaking hypothetically—if the entire Xuanhuang Realm were used as nourishment, could it truly resurrect the immortal's corpse?"

Mo Rubin turned and looked at Li Fan, remaining silent for a long time.

There was no malice in Li Fan's eyes, only a pure curiosity about the unknown.

After much thought, Mo Rubin said, "From an energy perspective alone, the current Xuanhuang Realm should be sufficient. After all, it has been stitched together with so many other cultivation worlds, even if they were just the broken remnants after their own apocalypses..."

"Though the living beings of those worlds were destroyed, their origins remain."

"But even if it were revived, it would likely be just an empty shell, a walking corpse. It would possess no true consciousness of its own..."

Li Fan nodded slowly. "The body of a True Immortal... that is still an extraordinary existence. If one could possess it, wouldn't that mean, in a sense, achieving the status of a True Immortal in this day and age?"

Mo Rubin just smiled at Li Fan's wild speculation, not taking it seriously.

Having found no clues in the Gloomy Sea of Darkness, their next destination was the Tian Beast's Eye.

"The Tian Beast's Eye not only surveys the Star Sea but also oversees the Xuanhuang Realm. It exists independently, connected only by a profound and mysterious link. If the Tian Beast were still alive, we could reach it directly. But now that the beast has fallen in battle, getting there will take some effort," Mo Rubin explained.

With that, he and Li Fan traveled to Nine Mountains Prefecture.

Gazing at the nine mountain ranges that dominated the landscape, a flicker of sorrow crossed Mo Rubin's eyes.

Then, just as before, he located the white jade flagpole—an immortal artifact—in the underground ruins.

"This is..."

"An immortal artifact?"

Li Fan feigned complete astonishment.

Mo Rubin was dismissive. "Its immortal spiritual power is depleted. It's nothing more than the empty shell of an immortal artifact."

"But using it to travel to the Tian Beast's Eye won't be difficult."

Using the white jade flagpole as the central core, Mo Rubin began to set up an array.

"In my search for the Xuantian King, I also came across some fragments of immortal artifacts. But they were all like this flagpole, their immortal spiritual power completely dissipated. Some were even shattered, as if they had suffered some great catastrophe."

"What kind of cataclysm did the Xuantian King witness in the Immortal World? For it to be so devastating that not even the Immortal World itself could escape?" Li Fan asked, his voice filled with wonder.

Mo Rubin's hands paused in their work, and he seemed to be lost in memory as well.

(End of Chapter)