Chapter 1400: The Fruit of a Past Deed
Chapter 1400: The Fruit of a Past Deed
“In that additional simulation, I didn't seem to possess the extraordinary treasure, [Truth]. Beyond that, it was no different from what I had personally experienced.”
Recalling the countless images that had just flashed through his mind, Li Fan's expression grew solemn.
As the Dao Annihilation's black miasma swallowed the falling Xuanhuang Realm, with nowhere left to run, he hadn't even attempted to activate [Truth]. He had simply resigned himself to death.
“And yet, the version of me in the simulation showed no surprise at the absence of [Truth]. It was as if that version of me had never possessed such an extraordinary treasure. The moment I started that additional simulation, a new branch reality must have formed, one that excluded [Truth] from the very beginning...”
“How interesting. So even in a simulation run by [Truth], if it's a secondary one running parallel to a primary simulation, it cannot simulate its own existence within that offshoot?” A thought stirred, and a spark of insight flashed through Li Fan's mind. He felt he was on the verge of understanding something profound.
But the inspiration was as fleeting as a candle flame in the dead of night, instantly extinguished by the boundless darkness. When Li Fan tried to grasp it again, the thought was gone, completely out of reach.
Realizing he might have just let a crucial secret about [Truth] slip through his fingers, Li Fan froze for a moment, a wave of melancholy washing over him.
But he quickly composed himself.
He let out a long breath, gathering his thoughts, and turned his focus back to the events of that branch simulation.
“The plan for the Xuanhuang Realm's ascension went almost entirely as I expected. There were no major oversights in the preparations, nor did any unexpected enemies appear.”
“The sole obstacle to the Xuanhuang Realm's final ascent was that it remained just a hair's breadth from that ultimate, qualitative transformation. This, right here, is the very origin of the chasm that separates mortal from immortal.”
“So what, precisely, is needed to trigger that final transformation?”
In an instant, countless plans flashed through Li Fan's mind.
“The Immortal-Mortal Transformation Seal Character? Or should I use the Immortal Realm's chess pieces again? Or... could I use the remnants of the ancient immortal formation as a base and attempt to restore the Floating Starry Sky Grand Array?”
Each approach branched into endless possibilities. The vast majority of things related to the "immortal" realm were complete enigmas, far beyond what the current Li Fan could possibly deduce. He thought until his head throbbed, yet he couldn't settle on the most viable plan.
It felt as if any of them could succeed, yet at the same time, as if every single one was doomed to fail.
“Is it possible... that even in this lifetime, I am still destined to fail at Dao Integration and ascension?”
“If nothing else works, I'll just have to try every single method. I'm bound to find the correct path to ascension eventually.” The disheartening thought crept into his mind.
The moment that thought took root, it was like a great dam bursting, unleashing a torrent that washed away everything in its path. Li Fan's psychological defenses crumbled completely.
His mind was seized by a storm, his thoughts thrown into a relentless, roaring chaos.
Li Fan stopped trying to figure out the key to the Xuanhuang Realm's ascension. Instead, his mind shifted to how he would end this lifetime and what his strategy would be for the next.
He laid out the plans meticulously.
But for some unknown reason, a persistent unease lingered within him.
Theoretically speaking, anything that happened in a simulation could be replicated in another. For Li Fan, there was no such thing as true, irreversible loss.
Except for the changes within Li Fan himself.
Each time [Truth] initiated a simulation and returned to its anchor point, the entire world was reset.
Even Li Fan's physical prowess and cultivation base were reset. He had to rely on [Truth]'s inheritance function to restore his power to what it was at the end of the previous simulation.
And yet, within every reset, there existed one variable that always pushed forward.
And that was the state of Li Fan's own heart and will.
This was reflected on the [Truth] panel as his maximum psychological age and the default recharge progress.
But neither of those two metrics had changed in a very long time...
An unprecedented indecision gripped Li Fan.
The seconds ticked by, one after another, yet Li Fan remained unable to make a final decision.
Only ten hours remained until the point in the branching simulation where he had initiated the Xuanhuang Realm's ascension. With an inscrutable expression, Li Fan took a step and arrived at the very beginning of everything.
He was in the Great Xuan Kingdom, in the very house this mortal body had once called home.
Even after "Li Fan" had mysteriously vanished, the study remained spotless, exactly as he had left it. Evidently, his aunt still harbored some faint hope for his return.
Li Fan lay on the bed and closed his eyes.
It felt as if he had been transported back to the very moment he first arrived in this world.
Time seemed to stand still, then, like cracking ice, it began to flow again, silently.
The experiences of a hundred lifetimes, a kaleidoscope of myriad lives, flashed through his mind once more in a single, breathless instant.
He was searching for a way to break the impasse, a solution hidden somewhere within that flood of memories.
Day bled into night, and still Li Fan lay there, silent and motionless on the wooden bed.
It was as if he were in a deep, profound sleep.
It was true. Li Fan could run simulation after simulation, using a process of elimination to methodically identify the key to that final, qualitative transformation.
This was, by far, the safest and most reliable approach.
Theoretically, there was nothing wrong with this approach.
Yet, every time he resolved to take that path, certain images would inexplicably flash through his mind.
He saw Mo Rubin's dogged persistence at the breach in the High Wall, his willingness to risk death for a single glimpse of the truth. He saw the Heavenly Doctor in the illusion, sacrificing his own enlightenment on the High Wall for the sake of the Tianfa Realm.
“Once lost, forever lost.”
In the darkness, Li Fan's eyes suddenly snapped open.
The words escaped his lips in a low, constant whisper.
With [Truth] at his disposal, there truly shouldn't be anything in the world that could be "once lost, forever lost." Not unless the very nature of that thing ranked higher than [Truth] itself.
And clearly, the transformation from mortal to immortal was hardly of a high enough caliber to qualify.
“The only thing that can be truly lost forever... exists within my own heart.”
“[Truth] can influence everything in the world, but it is powerless to reverse the changes within me.”
As if he'd had a revelation, Li Fan's gaze seemed to pierce through the darkness, a light slowly kindling within them.
“Losing this unknown quality... it might not stop me from reaching the True Immortal realm. But for the path that lies beyond... the consequences could be profound!”
As he lay lost in thought, the first rays of dawn touched the earth, banishing the night. And with the arrival of the light, Li Fan finally, completely understood.
He finally understood the source of that deep, gnawing anxiety within him.
“But why? Why would this be the case?” he wondered. “Is it because I've grown too reliant on [Truth]? Or is it something else entirely?” He frowned, his mind filled with confusion. “The path beyond the True Immortal realm is still so far away. And from what I know, reaching the stage of a Nameless True Immortal simply requires the complete mastery and refinement of a Great Dao. How could this possibly be related...?”
“And yet... it seems I have no better option than to test every possibility through brute force.”
...
After some time, Li Fan stepped out of the house, his eyes fixed on the sun rising above the horizon.
Lost in thought, he took a step and left the small world of Great Xuan behind, beginning to wander through the vast expanse of the Xuanhuang Realm.
The scenery around him flickered and shifted with every step, and Li Fan imprinted it all upon his mind.
He started from the Cong Yun Sea in the east and traveled westward. As his thoughts raced, the world around him seemed to blur, the scenery flickering past at an ever-increasing pace.
Li Fan was deep in a meditative state, almost an epiphany, and he wasn't consciously altering his own speed. The reason he "walked" faster and faster was due to his unique relationship with the Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm. It viewed him as a second parent, and its favor towards him was immeasurably high.
Thus, without any prompting from Li Fan, the Xuanhuang Realm's Heavenly Dao began to proactively assist him, as if trying to curry favor, lightening the burden of his journey.
Even if the Heavenly Dao had no idea why Li Fan was suddenly wandering aimlessly across the world.
It might have even mistakenly assumed he was making the final preparations before initiating the world's ascension.
Li Fan, of course, noticed the Heavenly Dao's fawning attentiveness, but he paid it no mind.
In the past, when the Great Heavenly Venerate Wuming had walked the earth to heal the Xuanhuang Realm's many wounds, the world had offered him the very same convenience.
A single step could cross vast distances as the world itself contracted before him, a feat akin to shrinking the earth to a single inch. However, now that the various anomalies across the land had been resolved, the Xuanhuang Realm had not offered such assistance for a very long time.
“What a treacherous bastard,” Li Fan cursed inwardly, recalling the Xuanhuang Realm's true face from the branch simulation.
“I have my own supreme movement techniques. What need have I for this crude assistance of yours?”
With a flick of his will, the phantom of the Wooden Sword emerged, hovering protectively at his side. He was about to fly off, to shake free of the Heavenly Dao's meddling and use his remaining time to think in peace.
But then, Li Fan froze. He stared at the phantom of the Wooden Sword beside him. And his mind replayed the sensation of the world bending to his will, of the Xuanhuang Realm granting him this "convenience."
A strange, subtle expression slowly dawned on his face.
“My supreme movement technique,” he mused, “is a fusion of my understanding of the sword's unstoppable advance, the True False Transformation, and... the teachings of the Xuantian King, taken from the soul memories of the Dharma King, Ji Yuzhen. The core of the Golden Lock Across the Sky Array... the A Thousand Miles in a Moment Array!”
“And that array,” he continued, his thoughts racing, “the Xuantian King obtained it from the Immortal Realm...” He quickly searched his memories for the details.
He recalled the Xuantian King's gentle voice speaking to Ji Yuzhen: “The Golden Lock Across the Sky can span all the heavens. Even if a target lies at the farthest end of the Star Sea, once locked, the chains will reach it in an instant. As I told you before, this is possible because it contains the A Thousand Miles in a Moment Array. This array was originally inscribed upon the Ascension Platform in the Immortal Realm. When I fled, I took the entire thing with me...”
BOOM!
The Xuantian King's voice echoed in his mind like peals of thunder rolling across the ages, piercing through the mists of uncertainty and illuminating everything.
“Wait a minute! Could it be...?”
A brilliant light flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the phantom of the Wooden Sword. He resumed his slow, deliberate walk across the Xuanhuang Realm.
Just as he expected, it wasn't long before the Heavenly Dao, sensing his renewed movement, resumed its fawning assistance. Without Li Fan exerting any effort at all, the world began to move for him.
The world around him once again became a blur of rapid motion. This time, however, Li Fan closed his eyes, focusing instead on the subtle changes occurring in the very fabric of the Xuanhuang Realm around him.
“This sensation...”
“There's no mistaking it!”
“This is the essence of the A Thousand Miles in a Moment Array!”
He came to a dead stop, his heart pounding with an excitement he could barely contain.
His thoughts raced. “The Golden Lock Across the Sky Array, as part of the greater Floating Starry Sky Grand Formation, was damaged. But using it always came at an immense cost. The farsighted Xuantian King, preparing for any eventuality, made three copies of it long ago. The A Thousand Miles in a Moment Array itself isn't what's important. The real key is...”
A brilliant light erupted in Li Fan's eyes, and his gaze swept across the world.
“The Ascension Platform! The inscriptions! The *complete* inscriptions!”
His body trembled with excitement at the sheer possibility of this guess.
“The Ascension Platform... it must have been where the Immortal Realm received cultivators from the lower worlds. For it to bear the name 'Ascension,' it couldn't have just contained the A Thousand Miles in a Moment Array. There must have been other powers inscribed upon it. The Xuantian King was fleeing for his life back then. He had only just entered the Immortal Realm and wouldn't have had the means to carefully separate a single array from the whole structure in such a short time. Therefore, it is highly, highly likely that the three copies he left behind weren't just of the array, but of the *complete inscriptions from the Ascension Platform!*”
“This... this could be the final piece of the puzzle!”
Though he wasn't a hundred percent certain, Li Fan had undoubtedly found the most promising candidate for that final push—the key to tipping the scales.
After all his years of experience, Li Fan never dared to underestimate anything that originated from the Immortal Realm.
“Now, the most crucial question is, where exactly are the three inscribed replicas left by the Xuantian King hidden?”
Li Fan had destroyed the Xuanhuang Realm on more than one occasion. The objects that survived the world-ending array had never included these inscriptions.
By that logic, the inscriptions shouldn't be located within the Xuanhuang Realm.
If not for the Xuanhuang Realm's fawning assistance, which had sparked this faint realization in him, Li Fan might have gone searching for clues outside the world entirely—in the Eye of the Tian Beast, or even within the Realm Fragment Great Wall at the foot of the High Wall.
But now, the Xuanhuang Realm's careless gesture had revealed another possibility.
“The inscriptions from the Ascension Platform... they might be hidden within the Xuanhuang Realm itself!”
“Through the subtle, pervasive influence of these inscriptions, the Xuanhuang Realm itself must have subconsciously learned the A Thousand Miles in a Moment Array. It might even explain what I suspected in the simulation—that some of the Xuanhuang Realm's innate, immortal-like qualities are also a direct result of the Ascension Platform's influence!”
Li Fan suppressed the urge to tear the Xuanhuang Realm apart to find what he was looking for. Calming himself, he began to communicate with the Heavenly Dao again, casually, almost unintentionally, bringing up the matter of its fawning assistance.
The Heavenly Dao seemed quite pleased with itself for its actions and quickly fell into Li Fan's verbal trap.
It explained everything, down to the last detail.
“Just as I expected!”
“It learned it spontaneously, without even knowing how!”
Suppressing his impatience, Li Fan continued to probe for more details.
Thanks to Li Fan's continuous enhancements, the Xuanhuang Realm's Heavenly Dao had reached an unprecedented peak of self-awareness.
And so, under Li Fan's guidance, it slowly began to pinpoint the source of this "inexplicable knowledge."
Following the Heavenly Dao's guidance, Li Fan teleported, arriving instantly at his destination. He was deep beneath the surface of the Xuanhuang Realm, perhaps as far as five hundred thousand kilometers down.
Even the surging earth veins were absent here. The space was filled with nothing but the pure, concentrated power of the Xuanhuang Realm itself.
Li Fan surveyed his surroundings. The architectural style felt strangely familiar, like that of an ancient magical array.
A single stone slab was embedded in the very center of the array.
(End of Chapter)
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