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Chapter 1460: The World-Destroying Li Bu Ren

A single, tiny chess piece, yet it could evolve into a fragment of an immortal domain.

At its core, this was because the so-called chess piece was, in reality, a superposition of countless True Immortal Scripts. These scripts were one of the very methods True Immortals used to interpret the Great Dao.

Once, after acquiring such an immortal domain chess piece, the Mysterious Immortal Boat had transformed it into the vessel's external armor. But now, as Li Fan relentlessly channeled his power, the piece he threw forth anchored itself to the projection of the Dao Net in his mind, unfurling and flowing into the shape of a human body.

However, at this stage, it was still an empty shell. A miniature Dao Net, a fragment of an immortal domain—both were external objects. The connection to Li Fan's true self was far too faint.

Therefore...

Li Fan’s main body pressed a finger firmly against the center of his own brow.

The force seemed to pierce through his entire being. A portion of his soul, along with flesh, blood, and bone, was blasted out.

It formed a thin, crimson afterimage that hovered outside his physical form.

Fighting off a wave of dizziness, Li Fan directed this part of himself to fly into the body forged from the Dao Net projection and the immortal chess piece.

This creation was more than a mere clone. It drew inspiration from the Artificer's previous work on the Sacred Punishment Divine Puppets and Tianyang’s transformation into an immortal puppet.

It was less a clone and more a perfect fusion of a clone and the Body Transformation Dao.

Furthermore, because the materials used were so immensely powerful, Li Fan worried about the clone losing control, leading to a repeat of the Saint Emperor Li Ping incident. From the very beginning of the forging process, Li Fan had set the fundamental tone for this powerful creation.

It would possess no emotions of its own. It would only follow Li Fan's commands with absolute obedience. Should it encounter any obstacle, it was to kill. If it faced an unbeatable foe, it was to temporarily withdraw, shadow them from a distance, and find a way to overcome them...

In short, the clone-puppet was designed to be an unfeeling machine, built for a single purpose. Its sole mission was to uncover the secrets within the High Wall. It even had a directive to self-destruct upon completing its task.

The Dao Net projection was a reflection of the Great Dao of heaven and earth. The True Immortal Scripts were a tangible depiction of that Dao. The two were inherently linked. The fleshy afterimage that Li Fan had separated from himself was saturated with his own understanding of the Dao. Using this as the binding agent, he slowly fused the three components into a single crucible.

"The clone's mind reflects the Dao Net, and its body is formed from the Great Dao itself. From the moment of its birth, it has already achieved a minor mastery of Mind-Manifested Soul Transformation and Fleshly Body Nascent Soul."

"In terms of raw combat power, it's likely far superior to me..."

As this mighty puppet gradually took form, a powerful alternate self began to pull at Li Fan from the other side. It was like a reflection in water reaching out, trying to drag him under.

Like a child wielding a greatsword. Had he created this clone-puppet before his journey into Shuo Xinghai and his contact with the Dao Net, it would have surely broken free of his control and turned the tables on its master.

But now...

Li Fan's expression was serene as he issued a series of Dao Net commands.

The Dao Net projection within the clone-puppet immediately began to flash with light, as if responding to Li Fan's actions.

The puppet was gradually subdued, its overwhelming aura completely withdrawn. It stood silently in place.

Li Fan's actions seemed effortless, but they were backed by the cumulative research on the Dao Net that Shuo Xinghai had amassed over countless years. He had simply adapted it for his own use, applying it to the Dao Net projection within his mind.

Compared to the colossal Dao Net that spanned the entirety of Shuo Xinghai, the one in Li Fan's consciousness was minuscule. But it possessed the fundamental properties of a "Dao Net."

Supported by such a powerful physical form, it would be no difficult task for this clone-puppet to contend with a True Immortal.

"What's even more brilliant is that the clone-puppet has no immortal spirit energy within it; it is a creation of the laws of the Great Dao. If it deliberately conceals itself, it can hide within the fabric of heaven and earth, like ice melting into water, leaving no trace. Like an ordinary object, it can strike the High Wall without being treated as a special entity and will be allowed to pass through."

To single-handedly guide and manipulate a miniature Dao Net was no simple feat. Even with the current strength of Li Fan's spiritual sense, he had to devote eighty to ninety percent of his focus just to keep the clone-puppet in check.

"Releasing it for a moment wouldn't be a major issue. I just need to bring it back under the Dao Net's control in time. During its freedom, it will still act according to its preset mission parameters. But I can't let it remain in a free state for too long..."

"Otherwise, aberrant thoughts will inevitably arise!"

Li Fan understood this clearly.

Strings of Dao Net commands were woven into threads, binding the clone-puppet securely.

It stood like a colossal beast, tethered by Li Fan's invisible strings.

"Heaven and Earth are inhumane; they treat all of creation as straw dogs."

"You, too, need not consider the myriad things of this world. You need only act on my command."

"I shall call you..."

"Li Bu Ren!"

With a final command, all the threads vanished into the Dao Net within the clone's mind, hidden from conventional detection.

Li Fan felt a strange connection form between himself and the figure before him—Li Bu Ren.

It was more distant than a pure flesh-and-blood clone.

But it was far more intimate than a puppet controlled by sheer will.

Li Bu Ren's face was like ice that had been frozen for ten thousand years, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

His eyes were a perfect reflection of Li Fan's truest thoughts—a profound indifference toward all of creation. Even Li Fan himself felt a slight tremor in his heart when their gazes met.

Li Bu Ren's aura was imperceptible, as if he were a part of the world itself. Though he bore the weight of the Great Dao, he could be as light as a fleeting swan's feather.

If you weren't looking at him, you wouldn't notice him even if he stood right before you. But once you did, the sight would be impossible to forget. A primal dread would surge from the depths of your soul, becoming a terrifying shadow that would never fade.

Li Fan had no desire to linger in the presence of this pure instrument of destruction.

"Go," he said, his voice flat.

Li Bu Ren's form transformed into a sword of light, vanishing from the Xuanhuang Realm in an instant.

Three breaths passed.

He had already traversed the entire Dark Star Sea and arrived at the foot of the High Wall.

As a being shaped from the Dao, journeying through the Dao was like a fish swimming in water.

His speed was dozens of times faster than even Li Fan's sword escape technique.

Facing the invisible High Wall before him, Li Bu Ren showed no hesitation.

He crashed into it head-on.

From the moment he set out to the moment of impact, Li Bu Ren remained as still and unchanging as a statue, as if this life-or-death matter had nothing to do with him.

"He didn't appear on the outside..."

"It seems the theory of a space *within* the wall is true!" Li Fan's main body, still in the Xuanhuang Realm, collaborated with the power of the dreamscape outside the wall to search and verify, quickly obtaining the preliminary answer he sought.

A moment later, the view from Li Bu Ren's perspective slowly began to materialize.

"Thankfully, the High Wall cannot completely sever the connection between the laws of the Dao."

Li Fan strained to sense his clone-puppet's experience.

Because Li Fan had suppressed Li Bu Ren's self-awareness to its lowest possible level, the clone had no psychological reaction to passing through the High Wall.

He simply acted as Li Fan's "camera," observing the scenery within the wall on his behalf.

It was a wondrous world with no "sky."

What appeared overhead was a reflection of the ground below.

But as Li Bu Ren stood on the earth, the mirror in the sky did not reflect his image.

This was not due to Li Bu Ren's inherent stealth.

It was because...

Li Bu Ren did not belong to this world!

Sensing the invasion of an outsider, this world underwent a sudden, drastic change.

With a faint tremor, the sky and the earth began to move, closing in on each other.

They converged and contracted, intending to crush this sudden intruder to dust.

Li Bu Ren simply extended his right hand upward.

In the blink of an eye, his arm swelled into a celestial pillar, forcibly propping up the collapsing heavens and earth.

The mirror sky continued to press down, but it couldn't advance an inch. A grinding sound filled the air. Where the sky met the pillar, the immense pressure caused it to shatter layer by layer.

But behind the shattered mirror was not an escape to the outside world.

It was yet another layer of mirror!

Li Bu Ren supported the world with his right arm while his body detached from it, swiftly roaming the space in search of an exit.

But this place seemed boundless.

Even with Li Bu Ren's terrifying speed, he flew for the better part of a day without finding any boundary.

It was as if the world's edge expanded outward as he moved.

But as he flew, Li Bu Ren committed every detail of the world's scenery to his mind, and he found no repetition.

Li Bu Ren returned to his sky-supporting right arm, then gripped the pillar with his left hand.

He exerted a slight force.

As if grabbing a giant club, he yanked it violently. The pillar tilted, instantly tearing a gash in the sky.

Gripping the pillar with his left hand, Li Bu Ren swung it relentlessly.

Amidst a deafening roar, the mirror sky was smashed to smithereens in an instant.

He even took a deep breath, swallowing all the shattered mirror fragments that rained down from above.

The Dao Net projection in his mind flickered, having already analyzed the composition of the mirror sky.

"The Dao serves as a curtain, blinding the eyes of all beings."

"The exit is straight ahead."

Li Bu Ren offered a simple conclusion, without any extraneous thought.

Like a giant from a creation myth splitting the heavens and the earth, Li Bu Ren wielded the massive pillar as his body expanded at a terrifying rate.

In a mere moment, he had already surpassed the overturned mirror-sky.

He then paid it no mind, continuing to grow toward the heavens beyond the heavens.

Using his head as a hammer, he shattered layer after layer of mirrors.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

When the final illusory curtain was broken, Li Bu Ren leaped out.

His body had returned to its normal size as he warily surveyed his surroundings.

"No signs of life."

"No fluctuations of Dao energy."

"Temporarily safe."

Looking back at where he had just emerged, he saw only a transparent, glass-like sculpture. Because it had been pierced and shattered, he couldn't make out its original form.

Surrounding it were sixteen other sculptures.

"There should be eighteen in total here."

"One has disappeared."

"Of the remaining sixteen, five have been shattered. The rest are completely intact."

Li Bu Ren made his analysis with his usual calm.

He flashed over to the nearest intact transparent sculpture.

"Beyond a certain distance, it's impossible to see clearly. I must approach the statue to make out its features and the world within it."

"This is not a restriction imposed by a formation..."

"It is one of the Dao principles of this place."

Li Bu Ren observed dispassionately, the miniature Dao Net seemingly materializing in his eyes. He reached out into the empty air, gently stroking it.

A new light suddenly appeared within the Dao Net.

It was a law of the Great Dao that had not been in the miniature Dao Net before.

Now, it was perceived and captured by Li Bu Ren.

And integrated into his own Dao Net projection.

A moment later, the light in Li Bu Ren's eyes faded.

In his vision, the eleven transparent sculptures that had been blurry were now perfectly clear.

They were depictions of many different people.

Or rather, immortals!

"Each sculpture contains a certain Great Dao of heaven and earth."

"It should be the Dao cultivated by the immortal of the sculpture."

Li Bu Ren moved closer to the sculpture before him, sensing an aura of the Dao related to 'Protection' from it.

However, since this principle was already recorded in his Dao Net projection, Li Bu Ren ignored it.

He merely pressed his eyes close, peering into the scene within the transparent sculpture.

If Li Fan's true self were here, his heart would have pounded in his chest, and he would have been struck with awe and terror.

But Li Bu Ren didn't even frown as his gaze met the pair of wide, staring eyes within: "A corpse."

"The corpse of a True Immortal."

Li Bu Ren withdrew his gaze and moved to the other transparent sculptures.

He observed each one up close.

Inside every sculpture, he saw the corpse of a True Immortal.

"The Daos they cultivated are all different."

"They are not the same True Immortal."

"But in the place I came from, I saw no True Immortal corpse..."

Stopping before the last transparent sculpture, Li Bu Ren did not hesitate.

He threw a punch straight at the sculpture's face.

The sculpture didn't move an inch.

It didn't even vibrate in the slightest.

Li Bu Ren's punch, powerful enough to tear the Xuanhuang Realm asunder, was like a clay ox entering the sea—completely nullified.

But Li Bu Ren was relentless.

He delivered punch after punch.

Symbols formed by twisted True Immortal Scripts appeared on his skin like tattoos.

"It appears to be undamaged."

"But with every strike, I draw a small portion of the sculpture's Dao principle aura into my own body."

"It weakens as I grow stronger."

"It's working."

Li Bu Ren punched without pause, without rest.

The once-transparent sculpture became even more "faint."

It transitioned from a glass-like state to one that seemed composed of water.

Finally, under Li Bu Ren's steady bombardment, it burst apart with a great roar.

Yet, strangely, the True Immortal corpse that Li Bu Ren had seen inside did not fall out with the shattering of the sculpture.

There were only scattered fragments on the ground.

It was just like the scene he had created when he first broke free.

"What I saw was not a true immortal's corpse."

"Rather, it was the condensation of the True Immortal's comprehension of their Dao principle before death."

"Though the True Immortal has fallen, these comprehensions were preserved in this manner by someone, through some method."

Li Bu Ren picked up one of the fragments and placed it in his mouth.

After chewing it thoughtfully, he delivered his judgment.

"This is beneficial to me."

Then, he opened his mouth wide and devoured all the fragments of Dao comprehension in the area.

(End of Chapter)