Chapter 1423: The Nameless Immortals Must Be Slain
Chapter 1423: The Nameless Immortals Must Be Slain
The encounter between the Heavenly Profound Mirror and the Dharma Spreader was, in a sense, inevitable.
It was just as Li Fan, once his power had grown to a certain point, was destined to meet the Dharma Spreader and the Hunger Immortal.
Although its primary power wasn't for combat, it was still an immortal artifact made manifest in the mortal world. Had it only been the Dharma Spreader, Jing Xuan might have been able to hold its own. But it never anticipated the presence of the Heavenly Doctor behind him.
The two powerhouses joined forces and subdued the Heavenly Profound Mirror.
For Jing Xuan, it was by no means a pleasant memory.
After a flash of blurred light and shadow, the Heavenly Profound Mirror transformed, becoming the foundational and supreme artifact of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
In its days of measuring the heavens and the earth, the Heavenly Profound Mirror was not without its gains. As its analysis of the Xuanhuang Realm deepened, it evolved several new abilities it hadn't possessed before.
For example, division and derivation.
Derivation was the counterpart to division. If division was replication, then derivation was mutation. The various derived bodies born from the Heavenly Profound Mirror—the Profound Azure Mirror, the Terminal Stone Disk, the Dissociation Disc, and so on—appeared on the surface to be specializations of certain functions. But only Jing Xuan knew that in their respective domains, the abilities of these derived bodies even surpassed its own.
In the process of evolving these derived bodies, Jing Xuan was also able to study them to advance its own corresponding abilities. This process of study was completed the very instant a derived body was born. Therefore, the existing derived bodies were indeed useless to the Heavenly Profound Mirror itself.
Beyond these two great abilities of division and derivation, the Heavenly Profound Mirror's most important enlightenment was the supreme path of "Establishing the Dao Within, Projecting the Dao Without."
Jing Xuan was convinced that its comprehension of such a great Dao was not merely due to measuring the Xuanhuang Realm. It was also thanks to the secret guidance of that woman before her departure.
Establishing the Dao Within meant constantly strengthening the part of one's existence that depended on the Dao. The Great Dao is omnipresent; all things exist in accordance with it. If one cannot pursue the ethereal goal of merging with the Dao to become a Nameless True Immortal, one could settle for the next best thing: mastering a part of it. The birth of every living being is a fusion of various Daos. By completely mastering the foundation of one's own existence, even if their power remained inferior to a Nameless True Immortal, the gap would not be insurmountably vast. Moreover, there were exceptionally gifted beings in the world who could rival a Nameless True Immortal simply by comprehending their own inherent Dao!
Projecting the Dao Without, on the other hand, was the transcendence that came after establishing the Dao within. Compared to the infinite Great Daos of heaven and earth, one's own existence is ultimately limited. But if one could cross the boundary between "self" and "other," it would be like a fish leaping over the dragon gate—from then on, the possibilities would be limitless.
The manifestation of "Establishing the Dao Within, Projecting the Dao Without" on the Heavenly Profound Mirror was the dual existence of the artifact and its human form, coexisting and complementing each other. Unimpeded, either the Heavenly Profound Mirror's main body or its human avatar could walk a supreme path to enlightenment. Furthermore, once one side achieved a breakthrough, it could even nourish the other.
...
Li Fan wasn't particularly interested in the gossip about the Xuantian King and his childhood sweetheart.
What did capture his interest was the Heavenly Profound Mirror's method of enlightenment, which gave him much to think about.
"The ancient Dao Forms of the demon beast clans could be seen as the most extreme case of[Establishing the Dao Within]."
"And this philosophy, in truth, shares a similar principle with 'Foundation Establishment Through Oneself,' as both are entirely centered on the self. However, under normal circumstances, the difficulty of establishing a Dao is far greater than that of Foundation Establishment."
"As for Projecting the Dao Without..."
Li Fan's eyes narrowed slightly as he couldn't help but think of the <
When cultivated to its peak, this technique used the primordial soul as a catalyst to achieve the heaven-defying effect of[Dao Fusion].
"All Great Daos of heaven and earth originate from the Primal. This is perhaps the theoretical foundation for why Projecting the Dao Without and Dao Fusion are possible."
"Whether relying on oneself or external objects, the essence is the same: to merge the self with more[Daos]."
...
Li Fan studied hungrily, absorbing the Heavenly Profound Mirror's millennia of insights, which instantly became nourishment for his own future path to enlightenment.
Although it seemed to offer no immediate help in terms of power or cultivation realm, Li Fan had a premonition that in an era where the path of immortality was broken, this method would surely be of great use.
"The Xuantian King's childhood sweetheart seems to have received his inheritance. Not only is her cultivation speed terrifying, but overnight she has also gained insights that ordinary cultivators could never hope to attain. Truly, when one person attains the Dao, even their chickens and dogs ascend to the heavens!"
As Li Fan assimilated all of the Heavenly Profound Mirror's insights on establishing and projecting the Dao, his process of replicating its spirit made a quantum leap.
He continuously eroded its control over all of its functions. It wouldn't be long now before Jing Xuan, the artifact spirit, would exist in name only.
Staring at the figure before it—a figure that looked more and more like himself, growing ever more vivid and agile—Jing Xuan's face turned deathly pale, and it gave up the struggle.
The methods employed by this True Immortal who had suddenly appeared were simply too profound. It couldn't comprehend them at all!
Jing Xuan even felt that this True Immortal's power probably surpassed that of its own creator!
At this point, Jing Xuan had resigned itself to its fate, with not a single thought of resistance remaining.
Witnessing Li Fan subdue the Heavenly Profound Mirror—an artifact the Dharma Spreader had failed to completely suppress for millennia—with a mere turn of his hand, both Di Sanmo and Dharma Transmitter Zhou fell silent, their hearts filling with an even deeper reverence.
Dharma Spreader, Mirror Holder, Illusionary Truth Sage—the three de facto rulers of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance had all been subjugated by Li Fan. The Alliance had quietly changed masters.
Sensing the Dharma Spreader and the Heavenly Doctor still speeding through the Star Sea, Li Fan smiled faintly.
In the face of absolute power, so-called backup plans and schemes were nothing but nonsense.
Li Fan had no intention of flaunting his new status as the master of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
The affairs of the Alliance would continue as before. The fabricated Jing Xuan would continue to maintain the balance of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance in an orderly fashion.
First, Li Fan ordered the cultivator named Qin Zhuang, who was imprisoned in the deepest part of the Gloomy Prison, to be brought to him.
Previously, Li Fan had tried to use a downgraded immortal array to peer into the secrets within Qin Zhuang's mind, but he had failed, thwarted by an unseen interference.
Now that Li Fan had reached the realm of a demi-immortal, he wanted to try again!
Before long, the skeletal Qin Zhuang was brought before Li Fan.
At first, Qin Zhuang's expression was one of contempt and ridicule.
But after seeing Li Fan, it shifted to one of shock and uncertainty.
Li Fan wasted no words, simply placing a finger on Qin Zhuang's brow.
Within the illusion array, inconsistencies that had not been present before now appeared in Qin Zhuang's experiences.
Flashes of what seemed to be Qin Zhuang's past memories flickered intermittently.
"Are you kidding me? You want me to go into the Annihilation Zone? Don't talk to me about missions. There's no way I, Qin Zhuang, am going!"
"The Ancestor himself gave the order? Well... let me think about it."
...
"Your objective this time is to search for someone of the[Holy Merchant]bloodline within the Annihilation Zone. According to the information provided by Grand Elder Ji, the infant's relatives all died in an internal power struggle among the Holy Merchants. Before their deaths, his parents sent him back to the Annihilation Zone. If we can find him, we will have a legitimate pretext to interfere in the internal affairs of the Holy Merchants."
"However, the Annihilation Zone is fraught with danger. Beneath the crumbling ruins, remnants of a past civilization seem to persist. To be safe, we must perform a small procedure on your mind. Don't worry, everything will be restored to normal when you return."
...
Inside the illusion array, a middle-aged cultivator with a square face was speaking to Qin Zhuang with a stern expression. Suddenly, as if sensing something, the middle-aged cultivator's gaze abruptly shifted away from Qin Zhuang.
It met Li Fan's, who was outside the illusion array, locking eyes across the void.
As if touched by frost, Qin Zhuang's memories instantly turned pale and blurry.
Li Fan also noticed that Qin Zhuang, who had maintained his life force despite all the torture from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, was now beginning to decay unstoppably.
His soul and body were both failing.
"Hmph, I still triggered the restriction," he muttered.
Having finally found a way to peer at the information beyond the Great Wall, Li Fan was not about to let Qin Zhuang die so easily.
He pointed another finger.
This time, however, it was not an illusion array, but a phantom representing the power of the entire Xuanhuang Realm.
Even though the enemy's method of stripping away life force was something Li Fan had never seen before—neither a divine ability nor an array...
Brute force overcomes all. Under the infusion of such immense power, it was enough to temporarily preserve Qin Zhuang's life.
Within the illusion array, Qin Zhuang's memories, though faded from color to an intermittently flickering gray, continued to play out.
Li Fan's brow furrowed as he quickly scrutinized them.
After a full seven days and nights, every last retrievable memory in Qin Zhuang's mind had been extracted. With nothing of value left, Li Fan finally stopped sustaining his life.
Like ashes left after a fire, Qin Zhuang's skeletal body crumbled into countless gray particles that drifted through the air.
Li Fan keenly sensed that these particles seemed to be trying to transmit some kind of signal to the outside world.
With a flicker in his eyes, he had already sealed them within an immortal array.
He observed them carefully for a while, and only after ensuring there were no surprises did he begin to slowly digest what he had just witnessed.
"Perhaps Qin Zhuang's memories were already edited. The environment he grew up in left him completely ignorant of the fact that powerful beings could come from outside his possibility."
"In his worldview, the Darkest Star Sea inside the Great Wall is located within the so-called Annihilation Zone."
"Within the Annihilation Zone, the place where the Dao Annihilation Calamity once descended, almost all regions have vanished. To stray into it is to never return. Only within the small spaces supported by crumbling ruins does a small amount of life persist."
"What we see as the Great Wall, they call the crumbling ruins."
Li Fan fell into silent contemplation.
Outside the Annihilation Zone, in the endless starry sky, life seemed to still thrive. As the place where the Dao Annihilation Calamity had struck, all cultivators avoided the Annihilation Zone like the plague, let alone considered exploring it.
If the Ancestor had not personally entrusted him with the mission, Qin Zhuang would never have risked his life.
In Qin Zhuang's memories, Li Fan saw the Ancestor's face.
"As expected of the Heavenly Sword Sect, it's Situ Yao."
"And that Grand Elder Ji..."
A glint appeared in Li Fan's eyes. This was also an old acquaintance of his.
It was none other than the cultivator named Ji Zhaoxuan, whom he had possessed in the Fallen Immortal Realm instance,[Heavenly Sword Sect's Sword Forging].
"Outside the Great Wall, numerous factions stand side by side."
"The place where Qin Zhuang lived is no longer called the Heavenly Sword Sect. It has been renamed the[Sword Domain]. And that place, the Holy Merchants, suspected to be Jiao Xiuyuan's home..."
"The Shang Immortal Boat?" Li Fan wasn't entirely sure.
Because from Qin Zhuang's memories, the Holy Merchants were the most preeminent power among all the factions outside the Great Wall.
They possessed an endless stream of profound and wondrous treasures, often producing a single item capable of instantly turning the tide in a battle between two major powers.
But for some unknown reason, the Holy Merchants' interactions with the outside world grew increasingly infrequent.
They even began recalling treasures they had previously sold.
This caused the other factions, which had long coveted the Holy Merchants' technology, to start getting restless.
...
Although many powers rose outside the Great Wall, there was one point of consensus among all of them.
The former path of immortality led to the descent of the Dao Annihilation Calamity.
To prevent the calamity from continuing, cultivators abandoned the cultivation methods of the past.
And "Immortals" became the target of a universal hunt.
"The Nameless Immortals must be slain?"
Li Fan was lost in thought.
In Qin Zhuang's memories, there was awe for Immortals, but not fear.
This was because the major powers outside the Great Wall each had their own unique methods for dealing with Immortals.
And the[Cat Treasure]Li Fan had seen before was precisely a creation of the Holy Merchants!
As for the white ring, Falling into the Mortal Dust...
Li Fan deduced from Qin Zhuang's memories that it likely came from a place called[Tianji].
Although Tianji, like the Holy Merchants, excelled in the art of creation, their methods were more "traditional," closer to the artifact refining techniques of past cultivators.
Outsiders speculated that Tianji might be a coalition of cultivation sects that had fled from various places in the past.
However, all the cultivators of Tianji steadfastly denied this.
"Besides relying on external items, the reason the factions outside the wall can contend with, and even hunt, Nameless True Immortals..."
"...is because they have a trump card specifically designed to counter them."
"Each faction's method is different, but the principle is largely the same."
"A weakened, targeted Dao Annihilation Calamity..."
A Nameless True Immortal is one with the Dao.
If their own Great Dao were to be implanted with this weakened version of the Dao Annihilation Calamity, it would be like a maggot clinging to a bone, impossible to remove. Not only would their strength be greatly diminished, but they would also have to constantly worry about being targeted by the true Dao Annihilation Calamity.
...
"A version of the Immortal-Mortal Miasma for Nameless True Immortals?"
"Or perhaps, a specialized Ink Death?"
Li Fan now had a rough understanding of the situation outside the Great Wall.
Though the picture wasn't perfectly clear, its general outline was beginning to form.
What puzzled Li Fan was that although the existence of the Dao Annihilation Calamity was widely known in the living lands outside the Great Wall, there was no particular sense of dread.
They even dared to use the Dao Annihilation Calamity as an offensive weapon.
It was as if they had some special confidence that the Dao Annihilation Calamity would not affect them.
"Is this truly the case, or is it just a facade?"
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