Chapter 1402: The Xuanhuang Realm Ascends to an Immortal Domain
Chapter 1402: The Xuanhuang Realm Ascends to an Immortal Domain
All the shifting patterns on the stone slab smoothed out and vanished within.
It now resembled an ordinary, unremarkable slab of mortal stone.
But having witnessed its divine power firsthand, how could Li Fan be deceived by its current mundane appearance?
"The key is how to activate its power," Li Fan mused, his mind turning.
The slab in his hand no longer responded to any external stimuli. Whether he prodded it with spiritual power, source power essence, the flesh of a True Immortal, or even the menacing aura of the Annihilation Wind, it remained utterly unchanged.
In fact, Li Fan could faintly sense that, faced with the various forces he used to test it, the stone slab genuinely possessed no power to resist.
If these forces were to press on and actually touch the slab, it would likely be shattered in an instant.
"This..." With the success of his Dao Integration and ascension in this life hanging in the balance, Li Fan's gaze flickered. He ultimately decided against the reckless approach of trying to provoke a reaction by destroying it.
"Could it be that this slab, in its normal state, is exactly as it appears now—a completely ordinary object? And that its various wondrous properties are only activated when placed within that unknown formation?"
Li Fan couldn't help but glance toward the strange formation in the distance, which seemed to have dissipated into the world after the slab was removed.
"I went through so much trouble to retrieve it. Am I really going to put it back?"
An uncertain expression flickered across Li Fan's face.
At that moment, he found himself missing the Cat Treasure.
"If I had the Cat Treasure's replication ability, I wouldn't be in such a dilemma."
Placing the slab back in its original position was out of the question. Given the Little Tian Beast's near-death state, it would be impossible for it to pass through the formation again to retrieve it.
"From the looks of it, the slab and the formation are mutually activating; one cannot function without the other. While I can't replicate the slab, I can replicate the formation."
"Even if I can only reproduce a small part of it..."
Setting aside the stone slab that Xuantian King had replicated from the Immortal Realm's Ascension Platform, Li Fan focused his full attention on studying the mysterious formation buried a million li beneath the Xuanhuang Realm.
Without the slab's power, the formation was concealed, but it had not truly vanished.
At the very least, compared to the "formlessness" of the High Wall, Li Fan could still vaguely sense the formation's presence.
With a thought, thousands of golden threads shot out, plunging into the area enveloped by the formation. They became Li Fan's myriad tendrils, aiding his perception and analysis.
In his sea of consciousness, the Dissociation Disc flared with a brilliant light.
This wasn't a sign of overload. Instead, it had faintly sensed a completely new type of formation and, in a rare display, was bursting with emotions of longing and excitement.
Li Fan stood motionless, synchronizing everything he perceived with the Terminal Dissociation Disc.
Simultaneously, based on the feedback from the Terminal Dissociation Disc, he adjusted his method of observation.
This process repeated itself again and again.
Even though its core was already capable of deducing immortal arts, the Dissociation Disc still struggled immensely to analyze this formation.
Time ticked by, second by second. In the branch simulation, only three hours remained before Li Fan was supposed to attempt his Dao Integration.
In truth, Li Fan could ignore the outcome of the branch simulation; he wasn't in a rush to break through within these twelve hours.
But that would also mean inviting more unforeseen variables.
Within the time covered by the branch simulation, everything unfolded as if Li Fan had experienced it himself. The actions of the Dharma Spreader, the Heavenly Doctor, the Tiandu Grandmaster, the Hunger Immortal, and others were all within his grasp. This allowed him to focus single-mindedly on elevating the Xuanhuang Realm without worrying about external interference.
But if time dragged on beyond the scope of the simulation...
Anything could happen. Too many variables would make it like walking on thin ice.
"If I hadn't vaguely sensed some quality of 'a chance lost is a chance lost forever' during my attempt to ascend, I wouldn't need to be so cautious. After all, with [Truth] to turn the tide, I could at least ensure my own survival even if something went wrong."
"If my only goal were to become a True Immortal, then it wouldn't matter. After a thousand or a hundred attempts, I would eventually succeed."
"But what I seek is Longevity!" Li Fan's eyes were deep and profound, betraying no hint of emotion.
"True, genuine Longevity! The True Immortals who died like ants when the Great Calamity arrived; even the Nameless True Immortal whose leg bone was sealed and forged into an immortal pillar..."
"None of them are my final goal!"
"Carefree Longevity, free from all constraints. That is what I have strived so hard for, all this time!"
Realizing the deepest desire of his heart, the thought solidified, and all the apprehension and unease within Li Fan vanished.
The myriad distracting possibilities dispersed like smoke. At this moment, only one pure, unyielding will remained in his mind: to seek the Dao, ascend to immortality, and attain Longevity.
In that same instant, the Terminal Dissociation Disc sensed its master's will. Its radiance surged to an unprecedented brilliance.
It no longer held back, no longer cared about its limits. It began deducing without reservation. Countless formation unit data flickered rapidly, and cracks began to appear across the Dissociation Disc's surface.
Li Fan, however, remained indifferent to the impending collapse of the Disc that was risking its existence for him.
His mind was entirely focused on comprehending the formation.
Through a hundred lifetimes, from He Zhenghao's "Mountain and River Vein Formation Diagrams" to Zhang Zhiliang's "Infinite Method," from the Myriad Immortals Alliance's "Heavenly Profound Spirit Locking Array" to the ancient Xuantian Sect's "Floating Starry Sky Grand Formation," and even the immortal array, "Mysterious Origin Primal Spirit"...
From ancient times to the present, from mortal to immortal, Li Fan had witnessed countless formations. With the supreme treasure, the Terminal Dissociation Disc, by his side, constantly innovating day and night, his mastery of the Dao of formations had long surpassed all others in the Star Sea.
Although he had never encountered this strange type of formation before, it still fell within the category of a "formation."
Through his joint deduction with the Dissociation Disc, Li Fan slowly began to understand the nature of this formation's existence.
Li Fan's eyes glinted as he made a connection to the "Dao Refining Medicine King Scripture" passed down by Sun Piao Miao. He mused, "What is a formation?"
"Long ago, in the Cong Yun Sea, Zhang Zhiliang once said that formations are systematized laws. But in my view, formations are shortcuts that connect numerous laws."
"The reason we cultivators can move mountains and fill seas with our mortal bodies is that we can invoke the power of the world's laws. The most basic formation can be seen as such a tool."
"As for more profound formations, immortal formations... they link, merge, and alter the laws of heaven and earth, turning the rotten into the miraculous at will!"
Countless sparks of inspiration exploded in Li Fan's mind, seeming to push him into a mysterious and unfathomable state.
"The laws of the Great Dao in this world have existed since antiquity, eternally circulating. The reason ordinary formations require a power source is that to invoke laws through them, one must first initiate a connection."
"But this formation before me..."
A strange light flashed in Li Fan's eyes. "It uses the Dao as the formation!"
"It bypasses the connection process, using the inherent flow of the Great Dao itself to power its operation!"
"Moreover, the Great Dao has no physical form. If the delicate balance of this 'formation of Dao' were to be broken, the formation would simply dissolve back into the Great Dao, vanishing from the world!"
Li Fan's thoughts raced faster and faster.
Before him was no ordinary formation. It was a supreme divine art, forged by plucking the laws of the Great Dao from the world and then kneading and reshaping them through unfathomable means!
Upon realizing this, Li Fan felt as if he were facing a part of the Great Dao itself, and his mind couldn't help but tremble.
At that moment, the Dissociation Disc, which had been prying into the "Dao Formation," had been operating in a state of prolonged overload. It finally reached its limit.
Countless cracks appeared one after another, spreading like fissures across the earth in an instant.
Ting!
With a clear, crisp sound, the Dissociation Disc that had accompanied Li Fan for so long disintegrated!
It scattered into countless specks of starlight that lingered within his soul.
Without the aid of the Dissociation Disc, Li Fan's vision instantly blurred.
He could no longer peer into the truth of the "Dao Formation."
However, there was no trace of dejection on his face.
His gaze shifted from the Dao Formation to the stone slab nearby.
"If this formation is a manifestation of the Great Dao, then this slab is the key that activates the different Daos."
"In truth, this slab is nothing special in itself. It's just that the patterns engraved upon it happen to correspond to the 'Daos' woven into the Dao Formation."
The surging aura around him completely subsided, becoming calm.
"A true master is not born different, but is skilled at using the tools at hand."
"Even if I cannot fully comprehend the essence of the Dao Formation for now, that doesn't prevent me from..."
"Using it!"
"Using the Dao as the formation..." Li Fan murmured these words softly.
His figure flickered, and in an instant, he left the depths of the earth and appeared beneath the sky of the Xuanhuang Realm.
"Using the Dao as the formation," Li Fan repeated silently in his heart.
"Transforming the mortal into the immortal." Then, with a peculiar expression, he looked toward the stone stele standing in the small world of the You Clan.
On the stele, the characters representing the Immortal-Mortal Transformation, accelerated by Li Fan's multiple methods, were just a hair's breadth away from being fully revealed.
Taking a deep breath, Li Fan used his finger as a brush. Without imbuing it with any energy, he simply began to trace the characters.
With a slight pressure, he left only a shallow imprint on the stone slab.
And even this mark seemed as if it could fade away at any moment.
At this moment, Li Fan's concentration was absolute. Even though the characters for the Immortal-Mortal Transformation were incomplete, it didn't stop him from copying them meticulously.
While tracing the True Immortal script, Li Fan was also observing every subtle change in the world around him.
To his slight disappointment, even after he had completely transcribed all the currently known characters for the Immortal-Mortal Transformation onto the slab, no phenomenon occurred.
"Could it be that it must be complete?" Li Fan couldn't help but frown.
Looking at the remaining members of the You Clan in the small world, Li Fan considered whether he should throw them all into the Nameless True Immortal's leg bone at once to fully manifest the characters.
"Or perhaps... it must be done somewhere else." After a moment of contemplation, Li Fan decided against it for now.
Instead, carrying the slab, he went to the center of the Star Sea.
"Ascend!"
With a single thought from Li Fan, the flesh and blood of the True Immortal blazed fiercely, becoming an infinite source of power for the ascension formation.
Holding the stone slab in one hand, Li Fan watched as the Star Sea rapidly shrank in his vision.
But what was truly strange was that no matter how high his vantage point climbed, the stone slab he held aloft never changed in size!
At first, compared to the entire Star Sea, it was but a negligible speck.
But as Li Fan's position continued to rise, in the contrast between the changing and the unchanging, the slab grew to a scale that could rival the entire Star Sea!
"The Great Dao projects itself from above. Mortals and immortals alike can glimpse a part of it, but the scenery each sees is different. The level of one's realm makes no difference to the Great Dao itself. The Dao one perceives will not change significantly."
"The only thing that can influence it to some degree is one's own comprehension of the 'Dao'."
"As it is with the Great Dao, so it is with the Key of the Dao."
Ascending to the mortal limit, the energy within Li Fan's body was draining at a terrifying rate. Only by borrowing the power of the Daoist acolyte Qiu Shui's infinite star sea could he maintain this state, even for a short while.
And holding the stone slab consumed twice the power.
If not for the aid of the Star Sea, Li Fan probably wouldn't have been able to remain at this height for even a moment.
Steeling his mind, Li Fan, with extreme difficulty, continued his unfinished task on the stone slab.
With his hand, he inscribed the characters of the Immortal-Mortal Transformation!
It still left only a faint mark.
But what was different from before was...
Li Fan's actions actually elicited a response from a corresponding symbol within the stone slab.
Or perhaps, a resonance!
Just as it had been stimulated by the "Dao Formation" before, patterns began to appear rhythmically on the slab. However, it wasn't an endless variety of shifting patterns, but just a single one.
Hum...
As the slab underwent this astonishing change, a corresponding phenomenon was born within the Star Sea.
A muffled sound suddenly echoed from the center of the Star Sea, like the sound of a pen piercing through paper.
A profound and mysterious principle of the Great Dao, summoned by the stone slab, descended upon the center of the Star Sea!
It was as if someone had given him a gentle lift while he was already standing on a mountaintop.
Li Fan felt the entire vista of the Star Sea contract in his vision. Countless lines curled and converged into a single point. His spiritual power, his flesh and blood, even his very soul—everything felt as if it were being scorched by a blazing fire, searing hot and boiling.
Like forging gold in fierce fire, like sifting sand in great waves.
It was a process of refinement, of purification.
However, the cost of this refinement and extraction was far too terrifying.
Even though Li Fan practiced the New Method, allowing him to endlessly regenerate his flesh and blood through his grotto-heaven, and even with his mastery of the "Limitless Fullness and Emptiness" technique, granting him inexhaustible source power and an indestructible soul, he still couldn't last long against this level of consumption.
Li Fan felt the changes within his body with a sense of alarm and made a decisive choice.
The shadow of the Wooden Sword unsheathed itself, carrying the stone slab as it plummeted at the speed of light.
The phenomenon in the Star Sea paused for a moment. Then, in absolute silence, a thunderous roar as if the heavens were collapsing erupted, echoing endlessly, refusing to fade.
At the same time, like ripples from a large stone splashing into water...
Shortly after Li Fan's departure, a tide of black qi was born from the center of the Star Sea.
Li Fan was, of course, aware of the consequences of attempting to ascend in this special region at the heart of the Star Sea.
But he also knew that the black qi of the Dao Annihilation Calamity would not spread quickly.
It would not affect his plan to elevate the Xuanhuang Realm in this lifetime in any way.
He had a compelling reason to act here.
"The center of the Star Sea, the apex of the mortal realm's potential."
"The combination of these two conditions creates the highest point achievable within the Star Sea, aside from that of a True Immortal."
"It is one step closer to the Great Dao itself."
"It was precisely this extra step that finally allowed the function of the stone slab, the 'Key of the Dao,' to manifest properly." Back in the normal Xuanhuang Realm, Li Fan caressed the slab in his hand.
All the marks on it had long since faded.
Just as the Dao comes and goes, leaving no trace.
But the suspicion in Li Fan's heart had been verified.
"The Dao Formation is a formation created through supreme means, by extracting and fusing strands of numerous Great Dao laws."
"The stone slab is the key to activating the laws within the Dao Formation."
"If one were to say that True Immortal script is the materialization of the Great Dao, then the 'Dao Formation' is the result of deconstructing countless True Immortal scripts and integrating them into the workings of a formation."
"Strictly speaking, it is remarkably similar to compressing and expanding True Immortal script to form fragments of an immortal domain."
The texture of the slab in his hand was exceedingly strange. It felt like metal, yet also like wax; cool to the touch, yet with a hint of softness. But when he truly squeezed it, he could feel its indestructible quality.
Li Fan stroked it gently, closing his eyes to feel it.
"This Key of the Dao existed in the Ascension Platform of the past. It's likely that the process of ancient cultivators successfully ascending involved the corresponding laws engraved within this key."
"Activating the Key of the Dao is no simple task. Perhaps the ancient Immortal Realm had a simpler method. But the most primitive, most fundamental way is to inscribe upon it the True Immortal script that represents the law itself."
"The True Immortal script causes the engravings within the Key of the Dao to resonate. The engravings on the key, in turn, will invoke the Great Dao law that corresponds to that True Immortal script..."
A perfect cycle formed in Li Fan's mind.
"It's like using the correct password to log into an account and gain the right to use the Key of the Dao."
"And then using the Key of the Dao to invoke the corresponding power of the law."
"In the fragile lower Star Sea, there's actually little difference between the destructive power manifested by True Immortal script and the Great Dao itself. But certain special Great Dao laws are different."
"And the Key of the Dao just so happens to contain one of them."
Li Fan's eyes snapped open, sharp and brilliant.
"Dao Integration and ascension are to be achieved today."
...
The final moments of the branch simulation had arrived.
Li Fan proceeded step by step, following the memories from the simulation to catalyze and push the Xuanhuang Realm toward its dramatic sublimation.
However, armed with foreknowledge, Li Fan made a few subtle, precautionary adjustments.
Among the eighteen bronze men besieging the Tiandu Grandmaster, besides the hidden Annihilation Wind and Corrupting Green Intent, Li Fan had also quietly placed an "A Thousand Miles in a Moment Array" at the core of each one.
The destination it connected to was the center of the Star Sea.
If the Grandmaster dared to manifest and managed to suppress the Annihilation Wind and Corrupting Green Intent, the array would immediately activate, teleporting him near the rolling black qi that was a prelude to the Dao Annihilation Calamity.
Given the sensitivity that the black qi showed toward 'immortal-grade' power in the previous life, Li Fan believed the Grandmaster would have no chance of survival.
Amidst the rumbling of the Xuanhuang Realm, numerous grotto-heavens and blessed lands, like organs of the world, began to evolve. Each area enveloped by a ring of light contained a new law of heaven and earth that had emerged during the Xuanhuang Realm's ascension.
The moment these grotto-heavens and blessed lands descended, a black shadow would just happen to slip silently into each one.
Hiding within, it would comprehend the laws.
These black shadows were all strands of Li Fan's divine sense. Besides directly experiencing and comprehending the nascent laws of the Xuanhuang Immortal Domain, their greater purpose was to induce and detonate the Xuanhuang World-Ending Transformation within the grotto-heavens at the critical moment.
Combined with the countermeasures he had previously planted in the Xuanhuang Realm, even if the world successfully transformed into an immortal domain, it would be thrown into utter chaos at his command.
He didn't need to be able to contend with the Xuanhuang Immortal Domain directly; instead, he would use its own power against it—turning its own weapons back on itself.
Everything unfolded exactly as it had in the branch simulation.
After the grotto-heavens finished evolving, four great heavenly pillars rose from the four corners of the Xuanhuang Realm. At the same time, Li Fan continuously performed hand seals. In the center of the Xuanhuang Realm, a phantom image of the Faceless True Immortal Stele appeared in sync.
Five peaks stood side by side, propping up the heavens—a magnificent spectacle.
Next, the Great Heavenly Venerate Wuming appeared.
The Great Sun Golden Bell, the Primordial Five Elements Wheel, and the Void Azure Lamp—these three immortal artifacts were successively integrated into the Xuanhuang Realm by him.
However, something that not even the Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm noticed was that strands of a strange power accompanied these immortal artifacts into the world's body.
"Strange" was not an adjective, but the literal name of the existence: "Weirdness."
The inspiration came from the World Destruction Arrow, which preserved and refined the disharmonious power created when worlds merged.
Now under Li Fan's control, it acted like a targeted drug, silently following the fused immortal artifacts and being injected into the Xuanhuang Realm.
With the enhancement of the three immortal artifacts' power, the overall balance between the Xuanhuang Realm and the power of cultivators shifted.
But it did not affect Li Fan.
In fact, by harnessing the power of the Weirdness, Li Fan could even, to some extent, command the power of these newly integrated immortal artifacts.
However, Li Fan did not reveal this. He continued to feign a slight inability to bear the pressure, his form dipping slightly downward.
All preparations were complete.
Next, Li Fan held the edict jade tablet and, across the vast land of the Xuanhuang Realm, began to paint with sweeping strokes.
He wrote the two characters for "Creation" in a single, fluid motion!
Having experienced this once before, Li Fan's brushstrokes were even smoother this time.
Before long, a sacred power of creation began to permeate the world.
The four immortal pillars soared upwards again, reaching for the heavens. The grotto-heavens and blessed lands shimmered with iridescent light, their inherent laws growing ever more sacred. The living beings of the land reaped the benefits without effort; their souls and bodies grew stronger by the day...
Everything that had happened in the branch simulation played out once more.
And Li Fan, long prepared, activated the "Sitting Heaven Technique," transforming the seemingly endless feedback of power into a phantom of the Xuanhuang Realm within his dantian.
Because he had been receiving the full feedback of the world's elevation from the very beginning of its transformation, by the time the Xuanhuang Realm could advance no further, the phantom within Li Fan's dantian had already amassed power equivalent to thirty-six times the total strength of the Xuanhuang Realm at its ascension threshold.
Despite having experienced it once, Li Fan was still somewhat shaken by this outcome.
The feedback from a complete, start-to-finish ascension was far, far greater than that from merely assisting midway.
"This isn't the limit yet."
"The greatest feedback will come after the Xuanhuang Realm officially ascends to an immortal domain."
"I truly wonder what kind of scene will unfold then..."
As these thoughts crossed Li Fan's mind, the Xuanhuang Realm's journey of ascension reached its end.
Next, if there were no other external interferences, its fate would be the same as in the branch simulation.
It would plummet violently, then be swallowed by the endless qi of Dao Annihilation.
Sensing its impending doom, the Xuanhuang Realm, in a state of terror and panic, frantically sent pleas for help to Li Fan.
After all, Li Fan was the one who had orchestrated this entire transformation, and he was the only lifeline it could currently rely on.
Without the slightest hesitation, Li Fan made an exorbitant demand, asking the Xuanhuang Realm for immense authority.
It was practically a contract of enslavement; the power he demanded far exceeded that of a Great Heavenly Venerate.
Faced with this deal—buying the very rope that would hang it—the Xuanhuang Realm, despite its thousand resentments and unwillingness, was forced by the threat of annihilation to agree.
The transaction between Li Fan and the Xuanhuang Realm was completed in an instant.
Just as the sublimated Xuanhuang Realm was about to begin its fall.
Li Fan made his move.
To right the toppling heavens, to turn the tide against all odds.
The potential of the Xuanhuang Realm had already reached the apex of the mortal world.
Utilizing his newly acquired authority, Li Fan—his form, spirit, and will all one with the Xuanhuang Realm—had no need to ascend again.
A phantom of Li Fan stood tall, his form mirroring the heavens and the earth. He once again donned the mysterious black and gold robe, a crown of starlight shining upon his head.
Only this time, Li Fan no longer concealed his face.
Instead, he deeply imprinted his visage into the mind of every living being in the Xuanhuang Realm, whether they were conscious or not.
Even the Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm was deeply ingrained with the majestic image of Li Fan, their savior.
He had become a giant who touched the sky, yet in his eyes, the stone slab he had been holding remained the same size.
Li Fan understood instinctively. With a thought, he began to draw upon the residual immortal spiritual qi lingering in the world.
He divided it into three streams.
One stream was used to inscribe the characters of the Immortal-Mortal Transformation onto the stone slab.
The second stream surged into Li Fan's body. Still a mortal vessel, he could not utilize the immortal spiritual qi. As it entered him, it was absorbed by the starlike fragments of the Terminal Dissociation Disc scattered throughout his soul.
The countless fragments shone like a galaxy. Within each one, nurtured by the immortal spiritual qi, a new Terminal Dissociation Disc seemed to be taking form.
As for the last stream, Li Fan directed it toward the Little Tian Beast, which was on the verge of death, still healing and deep in slumber. The immortal spiritual qi seemed to be a great tonic for it. Even unconscious, as the qi approached, it instinctively raised its head, craving it with greed.
What surprised Li Fan somewhat was that the Daoist acolyte Qiu Shui, also a living being, recoiled from the immortal spiritual qi as if it were poison, something countless creatures yearned for.
The Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm had a thousand complaints about Li Fan's profligate use of the already scarce immortal spiritual qi.
But under Li Fan's tyrannical authority, it dared not show the slightest hint of displeasure.
Because as Li Fan wrote on the stone slab, a vortex suddenly materialized in the sky of the Xuanhuang Realm.
Within it seemed to lie an endless vista, and it anchored the Xuanhuang Realm, which had been on the verge of falling.
"Condense!"
A low shout echoed in Li Fan's heart.
Countless ant-like members of the You Clan were absorbed by the Nameless True Immortal's leg bone.
The characters for the Immortal-Mortal Transformation were finally complete.
And on the stone slab, Li Fan wrote the final stroke.
(End of Chapter)
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