Chapter 1418: The Manifestation of the Ancient Dao
Fragility and power—two diametrically opposed concepts seemed to find a strange unity in Qiao Sidao.
Even though his soul, before Li Fan’s intervention, was on the brink of collapse, flickering like a dying flame, the vast and intricate ocean of his memories caused even Li Fan’s expression to shift slightly.
"If my own soul were only this strong, it would be utterly incapable of containing such a multitude of memories..."
Setting aside the peculiar nature of Qiao Sidao's soul for the moment, Li Fan began by sweeping his consciousness across the countless scenes within those memories.
Most of the worlds derived from the "Era" device held little interest for him. Even the various techniques and divine abilities Qiao Sidao had personally experienced were of limited use to Li Fan at his current level.
However, the secrets of the ancient era and the Immortal World that Qiao Sidao had occasionally gleaned while infiltrating the Ten Great Immortal Sects under different identities proved to be far more valuable.
"I wonder how much of this information is actually true. Is it merely the lore of a simulated world, or does it stem from genuine clues left behind after the shattering of realms...?"
After surveying all the worlds Qiao Sidao had traversed through hundreds of billions of cycles, only two were worthy of Li Fan's closer inspection.
The Eternal Immortal Realm was a simulation of a perfect world where the civilization of cultivation had reached its zenith, unhindered by a world-ending calamity. Not only was the average lifespan exceedingly long—even mortals lived for several thousand years without cultivation—but it was also home to a magnificent creation known as the [Immortal Spirit Tower].
These towers dotted every corner of the world, ceaselessly releasing pure spiritual energy. Cultivation techniques, formations, alchemy, medicine... any knowledge one could possibly desire could be accessed and studied within the Immortal Spirit Towers, with no restrictions whatsoever.
It was within these towers that Qiao Sidao had accumulated enough experience to finally break free from the "Era" device.
Of course, it was merely a theoretical system from a simulation, not something that could be applied directly to reality.
With his current insight, Li Fan could instantly see the discordant elements in the knowledge Qiao Sidao had acquired.
"It appears correct on the surface, but it's fundamentally flawed. It might have worked in a simulated virtual world, but..."
Li Fan decided to test his theory with an exceptionally powerful formation from Qiao Sidao's memory.
The formation was called [Heaven and Earth Overturned]. Despite its simple name, once activated, it could genuinely invert the sky and the land of an entire world. All creatures incapable of flight would lose their grip on the earth and plummet uncontrollably toward the sky. They would either starve to death during their endless fall or smash into the world's boundary, shattered to pieces.
If it truly worked as described, the formation was indeed interesting. But when Li Fan ran it through the Dissociation Disk for analysis...
The result was that the formation could not be established at all.
"Perhaps in a possibility perfectly identical to the simulated world, this formation would function as intended. But in this present reality, where the Great Daos are incomplete and clash with one another, the operating environment is incompatible."
Although he couldn't use it directly, Li Fan felt no disappointment.
"It reveals a certain possibility. It doesn't conform to reality, but with the right modifications, it can be made to work."
"Qiao Sidao only ever existed within the virtual 'Era' device. His understanding of reality is based solely on what he saw there; he likely lacks the ability to make such adaptations. But I am different."
Within his sea of consciousness, the Dissociation Disk flickered with light.
Streams of formation data, like glowing rivers, were extracted from Qiao Sidao's memories and fed into the disk.
His soul felt as if it were being subjected to the torture of a thousand cuts. Qiao Sidao couldn't help but let out a muffled groan. If Li Fan hadn't been there to stabilize his soul, the process would have instantly torn it to shreds.
But Qiao Sidao was, after all, a being who had struggled and escaped from an endless cycle of reincarnation. After that initial sound, he remained silent, not uttering another peep. He even seemed to slowly acclimate to the torment, his expression gradually returning to normal.
It did not take much time.
Transformed by the Dissociation Disk, the countless formations in Qiao Sidao's memory were converted from illusory constructs into real arrays, compatible with the environment of the current world.
Li Fan then reversed the flow, transmitting the conclusions derived by the Dissociation Disk back into Qiao Sidao.
Keenly aware that the formations Li Fan sent him were different from what he had learned and known, Qiao Sidao's expression first went blank, then filled with an irrepressible excitement.
Qiao Sidao could still recall how powerful he had been within the "Era," having unraveled the greatest mystery of heaven and earth to break free. But the moment he arrived in the real world, the extreme contrast had been almost impossible for him to accept.
He was so fragile that it felt as if a gentle breeze could extinguish his soul. Qiao Sidao knew this was the difference between the "Era" and reality.
But now...
Through the changes between the two versions of the formations transmitted by this unfathomably mysterious senior, Qiao Sidao felt as if he could vaguely perceive the precise nature of that difference.
"Master one method, and a thousand will open up. Just give me some time, and I should be able to convert everything I've learned," Qiao Sidao greedily absorbed the knowledge from Li Fan, so engrossed that he momentarily forgot to offer his thanks.
Li Fan didn't mind. He could see that Qiao Sidao was in a state of enlightenment.
This soul had not disappointed him.
It would be of great use.
Li Fan turned his attention to Di Sanmo, resuming the conversation they had left unfinished in the previous life.
"What level of power is required to cross between possibilities?"
"And this energy contained within the Nanming Sacred Mountain, what exactly is it?"
As he spoke, Li Fan once again used the True-False Transformation, conjuring a small, bronze-colored sphere of energy and tossing it toward Di Sanmo.
Li Fan's two questions had already sent the long-lived beast from a state of utter shock to one of apprehension.
And when he greedily absorbed the incomparably pure energy, feeling a sense of revival spread through every corner of his body, Di Sanmo was certain. This person before him had undoubtedly reached that legendary step.
Perhaps his body was simply too old and decayed. The supremely pure and orthodox [Primeval Azure Origin] he had swallowed began to slowly leak away, leaving only a small residue behind.
But even that small amount was of monumental significance. At the very least, it would extend his life by another ten thousand years.
More importantly, he had witnessed with his own eyes how this senior could conjure the [Primeval Azure Origin] as if by magic.
This divine substance, once a finite resource, could now be inexhaustible...
In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through Di Sanmo's mind.
But in the end, they all coalesced into a single, unshakeable resolve.
No matter what, he had to stay by this senior's side!
For survival—both his own and that of his entire race—Di Sanmo had allied himself with different figures many times.
First, it was Di Yi. Later, the Imperial Beast Sect. And then, the Dharma Spreading Heavenly Venerate.
The hope Di Sanmo had seen in all of them combined did not compare to what he saw in the person before him now.
He was not one to hesitate.
Once a decision was made, he immediately translated it into action.
Now that Li Fan was asking, Di Sanmo held nothing back, telling him everything he knew.
"You should know, Senior, that according to the ancient memories passed down through our race, in the vast expanse of the primeval era, even a [Primeval Dao Manifestation] that had merged its body with the Dao could not easily leap between possibilities."
"A [Primeval Dao Manifestation], if I were to draw a comparison, is akin to a human cultivator at the [Nameless True Immortal] realm. But unlike human cultivators who seek enlightenment of the Dao, the great Primeval Dao Manifestations are born directly from the Great Dao itself, becoming its embodiment. Whether in terms of strength or their innate understanding of the Dao, they are inherently superior. With the exception of a few supreme experts, most Nameless True Immortals cannot match a Primeval Dao Manifestation." Even though he had decided to fully commit to Li Fan, Di Sanmo did not embellish the truth, simply recounting the memories from his lineage, word for word.
Li Fan listened without comment, gesturing for Di Sanmo to continue.
"The nature of a Primeval Dao Manifestation is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Certain powerful Great Daos within heaven and earth never evolved into manifested forms. And due to their innate nature, these beings have forever lost the chance to comprehend those Daos."
"Human cultivators, however, are different. Any Dao that exists in heaven and earth can be refined and mastered by them."
Di Sanmo's tone suddenly grew heavy.
"And this was the beginning of our race's calamity."
"In the original world of our race, the number of human cultivators was far from comparable to our own. Most humans were treated as pets or food. We monopolized the methods of cultivation; only obedient humans were allowed to practice, becoming our claws and teeth to help us suppress their own kind..."
Di Sanmo slowly recounted the hidden history of the beast race.
Nearby, Qiao Sidao, who was in the midst of his enlightenment, couldn't help but divert his attention to listen. This was a piece of history he had never encountered, not even in the countless cycles of the "Era." Hearing that the human race had been nothing more than food for beasts, he frowned slightly. He had been under Di Sanmo's care for a long time, yet he had never heard him speak of this.
Li Fan, on the other hand, remained completely unfazed.
"We are not a short-sighted or foolish race. From those human cultivators who submitted to us, we saw the terrifying potential hidden within the human form. Thus, we further tightened our control over them."
"According to the normal trajectory of history, it should have been theoretically impossible for human cultivators to rise in our homeland."
"And in reality, that's exactly how it was. The great variable came from outside our world's possibility!"
As Di Sanmo spoke these words, his tone was tinged with a sense of helplessness.
Li Fan, hearing this, seemed to understand something as a sharp light flashed in his eyes.
"Then one day, without warning, the great calamity befell our race."
"A [Nameless True Immortal] crossed between possibilities and descended into our spacetime. After witnessing the miserable state of humanity, he began a frenzied slaughter in retaliation."
"Initially, our race had thirteen [Primeval Dao Manifestations]. Yet in the battle against that Nameless True Immortal, most of them were killed or grievously wounded..."
Although Di Sanmo's tone was calm, Li Fan could sense the deep-seated fear hidden within.
"That Nameless True Immortal, though gravely injured himself, managed to retreat. But as he left, he plundered the remains of the five slain Primeval Dao Manifestations. If he were to refine the Great Daos contained within those remains, our race would surely face its final doom."
"The remaining [Manifestations] exhausted every avenue, yet could find no path to victory for our race. In despair, with no other choice, they could only resort to escape."
"However, as I said before, in the primeval era, crossing between possibilities was exceedingly difficult. We do not know how that Nameless True Immortal who suddenly appeared in our spacetime managed it. But according to our deductions and calculations, even if all eight surviving [Manifestations] sacrificed themselves, they could not enable the majority of our race to escape."
"After exhausting all resources in the world, there was only enough for one to escape!"
The image of Di Yi instantly flashed through Li Fan's mind.
"Myriad Forms Return to One?"
Di Sanmo nodded.
"Our entire race evolved from the Primeval Dao Manifestations. At that time, to preserve a sliver of hope, the only path was to melt down and revert to our ancient form."
"To ensure the integrity of the surviving race as much as possible in the future."
"Countless members of our race, whether willingly or by force, walked into that great furnace."
"In the end, they all fused to become [Di Yi]," Di Sanmo stated flatly.
"It is a pity that five of the most primal and powerful Primeval Dao Manifestations were already lost."
"Then, seven more sacrificed themselves and dissipated during the crossing of possibilities."
"Of the thirteen Primeval Dao Manifestations, only one remained. Since then, our race has never been able to reclaim the glory of the primeval era." Di Sanmo's voice was filled with a sense of melancholy.
"Seven Primeval Dao Manifestations just to jump a timeline?" Li Fan's eyes narrowed, unconcerned with Di Sanmo's emotions.
"That's an old reckoning from the primeval era. Ever since the great calamity, the power required to leap between possibilities has been steadily decreasing." Di Sanmo waved his hand, and countless illusions appeared over the ruins of the Nanming Sacred Mountain.
They were identical to what Li Fan had seen in the Fallen Immortal Realm.
"As the saying goes, one must be prepared for danger even in times of peace. After our escape, though we had found temporary safety and Di Yi had successfully separated the myriad forms of our race, the terror brought by that Nameless True Immortal still lingered in our hearts."
"Therefore, we have always been searching for a way to escape from possibility itself."
"And the [Primeval Azure Origin] was our discovery."
Li Fan stretched out his hand, and the bronze-colored energy sphere materialized once more.
"Primeval Azure Origin?" Li Fan mused thoughtfully.
"That is our race's name for it. In truth, human cultivators likely have a different term. We actually discovered this substance in the ruins of a human civilization. But I have integrated into human society for tens of thousands of years and have never found any records of it," Di Sanmo explained in detail.
"The divine mask that sealed the Primeval Azure Origin, as well as the key to open the restriction, were all things we found in those ruins."
"And these ruins are within the Xuanhuang Realm?" A gleam appeared in Li Fan's eyes.
Di Sanmo nodded. "In every possibility, the name and exact location may differ slightly. But in every one we have experienced, we have always been able to find it in this general region."
"It seems you have fled more than once," Li Fan said, his gaze fixed on Di Sanmo.
"In the face of infinite possibilities, time and the number of attempts hold little meaning."
Di Sanmo gazed at the now-empty expanse where the World Cracking Great Vortex once churned.
(End of this chapter)
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