Chapter 1421: Recreating the Deduction Jade
The Heavenly Wonder, the Deduction Jade, was almost completely fused with her flesh. Separating it through ordinary means would have been next to impossible. However, Li Fan was not only a master of medicine but also a wielder of the True-False Transformation. He opted for the most direct, brutal, and effective method.
Casting aside all concern for the consequences, he began by destructively excising the flesh that had melded with the Deduction Jade. Throughout this process, he used his True-False Transformation to create new flesh and blood out of thin air, filling the void and sustaining the little girl's life force.
The physical body was the relatively easy part. The far more difficult and perilous task involved her soul.
After being one with the Deduction Jade for so long, even the little girl's soul was saturated with its oppressive imprint.
Li Fan's divine sense moved like a scalpel, with absolute precision, carving away and separating the imprints inch by inch. As the True-False Transformation filled the gaps, he simultaneously used the Limitless Fullness and Emptiness technique to transfuse wisps of a pure, refined soul nutrient solution into her.
The entire procedure demanded perfection; not a single mistake could be afforded. Otherwise, while the Heavenly Wonder itself might remain unscathed, the little girl would have her soul scattered in an instant.
Yet, Li Fan felt not a shred of tension. This was, after all, his first time attempting such a "medical" feat.
Besides, no one else in the world had witnessed his conversation with the Deduction Jade.
If, by some misfortune, he failed...
Li Fan's mind was clear of all distractions, completely immersed in the task.
Gradually, as Li Fan extracted a blood-red, circular jade artifact, the little girl entered a mystical state, suspended "between truth and falsehood."
At a glance, she appeared no different from before the "surgery," aside from being somewhat weakened.
In reality, however, if Li Fan were to cancel the True-False Transformation maintaining her form, the adorable creature before him would instantly collapse into a puddle of flesh and blood.
"The boundary between truth and falsehood..."
Li Fan carefully observed the creation of truth and falsehood born from his own hands. Having completed a full practical application on a living being, he felt his comprehension of the True-False Transformation ascend to a new level, unseen but palpable.
He could not yet make it permanent. Only a minuscule portion of what was created from thin air would remain. But Li Fan could simply repeat the process, compensating with quantity.
Even so, by the time Li Fan had completed this exquisitely delicate separation surgery, a feat unparalleled in the world, the reborn little girl had shrunk considerably.
Previously, she had the appearance of a five or six-year-old.
Now, she was no bigger than a child of three or four.
When the little girl awoke, she stared at her new body, her eyes wide with astonishment.
Though she had lost the support of the Heavenly Wonder, Li Fan had left a remnant of a Xuanhuang Realm shadow's spiritual energy when crafting this new form. The little girl now possessed no cultivation, but in terms of the sheer depth of her foundation, she likely surpassed every cultivator in the Xuanhuang Realm at or below the Longevity stage.
"Do you remember your original name?" Li Fan asked slowly, his left hand caressing the Deduction Jade.
The flesh clinging to this Heavenly Wonder had vanished, revealing its true form.
On the circular jade body was a gash, as if cleft by a sword, taking up nearly a tenth of its surface. At first glance, it appeared broken and incomplete.
The little girl hesitated for a moment before answering in a clear, crisp voice, "I don't remember."
The heaven-defying abilities Li Fan had displayed only served to confirm her earlier belief. The man before her was undoubtedly a True Immortal descended to the mortal world! She no longer dared to show any of her usual playfulness, becoming instead remarkably reserved.
Such a stark change in demeanor did not escape Li Fan's notice. But seeing that she seemed intent on leaving her past behind, he didn't press the matter. "In that case, from this day forward, you shall be called Li Ningqing."
Although she was now separate from the Deduction Jade, thousands of years of symbiosis and the fragmented memories of the Immortal Realm had left a profound mark on her.
Li Ningqing instinctively bowed, her small face a mask of solemnity. "Thank you, Master, for bestowing this name."
Li Fan gave a slight nod and said no more, turning his full attention to studying the Deduction Jade in his hand.
Li Ningqing stood respectfully by his side, not daring to disturb him.
But old habits die hard. After standing for only a short while, Li Ningqing found herself growing restless.
She lifted her head and began to sneak furtive glances at Li Fan.
As Li Ningqing had said, there were indeed very few memories of the Immortal Realm left within the Deduction Jade.
The fact that fragments concerning "Creation" still existed was solely because this True Immortal Script was so exceptional that as it was imprinted into memory, it had also subtly influenced the Deduction Jade's physical form. Only thus could it have endured the erosion of time and survived.
But even in these few remaining fragments, Li Fan saw scenes that were of value to him.
Lights and shadows flickered as a figure paced back and forth, seemingly troubled by an exceedingly difficult matter.
"Foolish, utterly foolish."
"To ignore such a calamity..."
"No, perhaps they already have other plans and simply can no longer spare us a thought. It seems we must rely on ourselves. Otherwise, the tragedy of the Qianhuan Star Domain is a living example of our fate."
...
An unknown amount of time passed.
The luminous figure had long since vanished.
Only the Deduction Jade remained, lingering alone in its original spot.
A whistling wind began to rise, as if some great terror was descending.
A strange power suddenly enveloped the Deduction Jade.
The Deduction Jade shot into the sky, becoming a meteor, flying uncontrollably in a certain direction.
And all around it, thousands of other brilliant lights streaked across the firmament, just like the Deduction Jade.
It was just that their positions relative to each other seemed to be different.
...
In the star sea of the lower realm.
After flying for an unknown duration, a figure suddenly reached out and caught the Deduction Jade.
The figure examined it closely, then shook its head slightly.
Then, it tossed the Deduction Jade into the Xuanhuang Realm.
...
These memory fragments were buried deep within the Deduction Jade. Even when it had transformed into a wonder and been absorbed by Li Ningqing, she would not have perceived them without a specific trigger or catalyst. Only a thorough, almost destructive search like Li Fan's could awaken these ancient, preserved memories.
"It seems the Deduction Jade came to the Xuanhuang Realm from the Immortal Realm a long, long time ago, and was subsequently devoured and absorbed by this world."
The figure that had intercepted the Deduction Jade was no stranger to Li Fan.
It was the very same True Immortal from the lower realm he had seen in the memories derived from the flesh and blood of the Qiankun Bone Hand!
"In the Immortal Realm, the signs of the Dao Annihilation Calamity appeared early on. Even with the 'official' construction of the Immortal Heaven Pillars to maintain order, it's likely that many True Immortals still chose to weather the calamity using their own methods. Whether they succeeded or not is another matter."
"In the face of disaster, everyone displays their own unique skills. This is nothing new in the history of the Xuanhuang Realm."
Li Fan mused to himself.
What intrigued him more was the scene of the meteor shower, with countless artifacts fleeing in different directions.
"At that point in time, it was still the ancient era for the Xuanhuang Realm. But in the star domain of the Immortal Realm where the Deduction Jade was, the great calamity seemed to have already descended."
"I wonder what else was among those points of light, besides immortal artifacts like the Deduction Jade."
"Did some great power intervene, preserving the seeds of the Immortal Realm in this manner?"
Beyond these, the Deduction Jade's past memories held nothing else of particular note.
The rest were simply the cultivation techniques it had ceaselessly deduced over the past years.
With a single thought, Li Fan swept through them. For him, who had already achieved a semi-immortal state, these techniques were of little significance.
He had gone to considerable trouble to extract the Deduction Jade, primarily because of its former status as an immortal artifact.
In his sea of consciousness, the Immortal Dissociation Disc emanated pinpricks of immortal spiritual energy.
Li Fan first attempted to have the Deduction Jade absorb this immortal spiritual energy.
But like Li Fan himself, the Deduction Jade was completely unable to utilize this mystical energy. After circulating through its body once, the immortal spiritual energy emerged completely intact.
The Dissociation Disc reabsorbed the immortal spiritual energy.
"Just as I expected. The immortal spiritual energy must have a unique identity tag."
"It can only be used by its designated owner."
Li Fan recalled the process by which the Dissociation Disc had officially ascended to become an immortal artifact.
"Left behind by the Xuanhuang Great Heavenly Venerate, absorbed and transformed by the Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm, and then forcibly separated just before reaching the peak of the Immortal Domain."
A glimmer of understanding dawned in his mind.
"It seems the key might lie in the transformation by the heavens and earth of the Xuanhuang Realm. The mechanism behind this is likely similar to the ancient immortal arrays, existing since the creation of the Xuanhuang Realm. Even the Heavenly Dao itself might not be aware of it."
"If I want to elevate the Deduction Jade to an immortal artifact..."
Li Fan had no intention of pushing the Xuanhuang Realm to ascend once more.
With his past experience, the trouble would be manageable. But with his current power, he had far more convenient methods.
Temporarily setting the Deduction Jade aside, Li Fan looked at Li Ningqing, who had snapped back to attention and immediately lowered her head.
"You have not been outside for a long time. I'll give you a period to go and amuse yourself."
"Although you have no cultivation, this body alone is enough for you to roam the Xuanhuang Realm without worry," Li Fan stated faintly.
Li Ningqing was overjoyed and bowed hastily in gratitude.
"One year is the limit."
"After one year, heed my call," Li Fan added.
Li Ningqing paid it no mind, her head already spinning from the prospect of a year-long vacation.
Thank the heavens, she had never had such a long, continuous break in her entire life.
Compared to that detestable Dharma Transmitter Heavenly Venerate, her new master was truly a great benefactor!
Li Ningqing couldn't help but think.
In the midst of her excitement, her vision blurred. Li Fan had already sent her out of the Myriad Immortals Alliance Headquarters.
Li Fan's voice echoed faintly in her ears: "Walk far. See much. Don't let anything interesting pass you by."
"Rest assured, your master has your back."
Li Ningqing's heart settled, and she felt a surge of anticipation for her journey through the Xuanhuang Realm.
"Master is so kind. I'm sure Jing Xuan would be thrilled to meet him too."
Sensing the little girl's cheerful pace, Li Fan also nodded slightly.
"I hope you can uncover some of the secrets still hidden within the Xuanhuang Realm."
Having been fused with the Deduction Jade for so long, Li Ningqing had developed a peculiar connection to it.
She might possess a similar affinity for other ancient artifacts from the Immortal Realm, just as she had instantly sensed the immortal spiritual energy the moment Li Fan had brought it out.
Even though he had already ascended to the immortal realm, Li Fan would not let his guard down regarding the Xuanhuang Realm, this former experimental ground of the immortals.
"However, my focus now should be on what lies beyond the wall. The exploration of the Xuanhuang Realm can be left to others."
Having dealt with the matter of the Deduction Jade, Li Fan finally arrived before the lineage of the Mirror Holders.
There, he saw the main body of the Heavenly Profound Mirror.
It was an ancient, green bronze mirror.
Seated in a circle around the bronze mirror were three Mirror Holders.
They stared at the sudden appearance of Li Fan, flanked by Transmitter Zhou and Emperor Sanmo, and their expressions changed drastically.
Without a word of nonsense, Li Fan waved his hand and suppressed them.
His figure drifted forward until he stood before the Heavenly Profound Mirror.
He keenly sensed the restrictions placed upon the mirror's main body.
It was unmistakably the handiwork of the Heavenly Doctor.
"Jing Xuan."
A meaningful smile touched Li Fan's lips. He then lifted his finger and tapped the mirror's surface three times.
The restrictions upon it shattered, inch by inch.
A violent tremor simultaneously shook the entire space of the Myriad Immortals Alliance Headquarters.
A figure floated out from the ancient mirror.
It stared at Li Fan, its expression a mixture of extreme gravity and tension.
"Greetings, Senior." Being privy to all matters within the Myriad Immortals Alliance, how could it not know of the heaven-shaking upheaval currently taking place at the headquarters?
While secretly trying to contact the Dharma Transmitter Heavenly Venerate, Jing Xuan's human avatar also ceased its experience of "human" life and began to flee towards a natural, hidden cave from its memories.
Jing Xuan believed its actions were silent and unseen.
Little did it know, everything was within Li Fan's grasp.
Li Fan reached forward slightly, his five fingers seeming to pass through time and space, and squeezed gently.
Jing Xuan's expression changed dramatically. It felt as if a hand were closing around its throat, and its face flushed crimson.
A mortal man, millions of miles away, was plucked from thin air by Li Fan and brought into his hand.
He casually tossed the man aside.
Transmitter Zhou and Emperor Sanmo were both bewildered.
Only Jing Xuan, and its human avatar, were filled with utter horror.
"Dishonest."
"You deserve a beating."
Li Fan flicked his finger again, tapping the mirror.
This time, with extreme force.
Jing Xuan's two bodies, as if struck by lightning, collapsed limply to the ground.
The space of the Myriad Immortals Alliance Headquarters trembled as if the apocalypse had come.
Most terrifying of all, a crack appeared on the main body of the Heavenly Profound Mirror from that single strike.
It was as if Li Fan cared nothing for the life or death of this incredibly mystical immortal artifact!
A bone-deep chill seized Jing Xuan. It was about to open its mouth to beg for mercy when it saw Li Fan reach out, grab it, and shove it back into the Heavenly Profound Mirror.
But at that moment, Jing Xuan did not feel the familiar sensation of being a fish back in water.
Instead, it keenly perceived that, for some unknown reason, a sliver of alienation had formed between itself and the Heavenly Profound Mirror!
After a frantic search, Jing Xuan discovered the cause.
Aside from the sealing technique cast by that True Immortal, another version of itself was now materializing within the Heavenly Profound Mirror!
From that blurry figure, Jing Xuan seemed to see itself!
"This is..." A cold dread rose from the depths of Jing Xuan's heart.
The well-informed Jing Xuan had already realized that the True Immortal was seemingly forging a new artifact spirit, intending to replace it!
"This shouldn't have been so easy. But my human body also fell into his hands."
Jing Xuan's heart pounded with a mixture of terror and dread. As if seeing its own future fate, it cried out, "Senior, spare me!"
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