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Chapter 1474: Bullying the Hunger Immortal with Borrowed Power

The Hunger Immortal had been meditating within the Immortal Ruins for a very long time. Judging by her reaction to the unfurling Immortal Realm and the wordless stone stele when she awoke in the previous cycle, it was clear she was not far from attaining the state of a Nameless True Immortal. Perhaps she was only a single step away.

But whether she was a Nameless True Immortal or not made a world of difference in her usefulness to Li Fan.

“If she doesn’t become Nameless, then no matter how close her power is, she cannot be easily transformed into a Dao Pillar for me. And without that, I cannot free up the power of Shou Qiu’s phantom,” Li Fan mused.

“Perhaps I can give her a little push...”

Countless scenes flashed before Li Fan’s eyes as he began a rapid series of deductions.

In the past, the Hunger Immortal in the ruins was a terrifying existence, utterly beyond his reach. Li Fan still vividly remembered the horrifying might she displayed when she destroyed the Xuanhuang Realm with a single glance.

Even though she was easily captured by the cat treasure, and even though she had been cruelly tormented by Evil Su Bai without her knowledge, the Hunger Immortal was not an opponent that Li Fan, at his mere half-immortal stage, could possibly confront.

But now, having mastered the power of Shou Qiu’s phantom, she suddenly seemed far less invincible.

“The Xuanhuang Realm is still of great use to me; I cannot allow it to be destroyed so easily.”

After weighing his options, Li Fan had already formed a plan.

In the Darkest Star Sea, points of light began to twinkle like nascent stars.

An avatar of Li Fan, formed from the Dao Net, returned to the vast, silent void.

This body was essentially a projection of the Dao Net, without physical substance. It could manifest wherever the Great Dao reached. Thus, he could remain seated in his grand preceptor’s chair while simultaneously appearing in the star sea beyond the High Wall, with no conflict between the two.

The body formed by the Dao Net projection concealed itself within reality, vanishing without a trace, like snow melting into water.

Li Fan’s true self rose to his feet, his gaze meeting that of his avatar beneath the High Wall from across the immense distance.

His divine sense, propagating through the omnipresent Land of Carefree Joy, instantly enveloped the Xuanhuang Realm, layer by layer.

His true self and his avatar, two identical projections of his divine sense and Dao Net, resonated with each other. The corresponding nodes within the two nets began to merge naturally.

“Rise!”

The colossal power of Shou Qiu’s phantom surged through him. Using the connected Dao Net projections as a rope, the avatar let out a low growl and gave a tremendous heave in the direction of the Xuanhuang Realm.

The Xuanhuang Realm, enshrouded by the Dao Net, trembled violently. Then, inch by agonizing inch, it was pulled free from the gravitational grip of the Immortal Ruins!

The plan to escape the Immortal Ruins, a feat that the combined might of every cultivator in the Xuanhuang Realm had once failed to achieve, was now being accomplished by Li Fan alone.

Such was the chasm that separated a Nameless True Immortal from mortal cultivators!

At this moment, countless immortal arrays materialized around the Xuanhuang Realm, casting it into a dense fog. The world blurred from solid to ethereal, its form indistinct. This was a measure Li Fan had taken to avoid startling the Hunger Immortal prematurely.

It proved effective. The Hunger Immortal, deep in her meditation, seemed to care for very little.

She remained utterly oblivious to the departure of an entire world.

Though the method of towing the world with the Dao Net seemed slow, that was only in relation to the immense size of the Xuanhuang Realm itself.

If one were to measure it in terms of a cultivator’s speed, it was equivalent to crossing the length of ninety-nine Xuanhuang Realms in a single breath.

It was deceptively fast, and soon, without much trouble, the world was free.

The Xuanhuang Realm had successfully escaped the pull of the Immortal Ruins.

All obstacles in its path were utterly ignored before the power of Shou Qiu’s phantom, a force comparable to that of a Nameless True Immortal.

Even the residual black qi from the Dao Annihilation, left behind by the spatial tremors of the experimental site, was dealt with by Li Fan.

The world’s velocity through the void accelerated. The journey was incredibly smooth, and after a little more than ten days, the Xuanhuang Realm arrived in a safe region of space.

Aside from the profound, dead silence surrounding it, there were no other drawbacks.

Perhaps sensing the change in its environment, the Xuanhuang Realm itself began to undergo a corresponding transformation. Tender shoots sprouted from withered trees, and new currents surged through the earth’s veins—a scene of vibrant revival.

It was like a patient on the brink of death suddenly infused with new life. The tables had turned.

The fragments of other cultivation worlds, which the Heavenly Doctor had implanted in great numbers, were once like malignant tumors consuming the body. Now, they were becoming nutrients for the Xuanhuang Realm’s rebirth.

The yellow light representing the Xuanhuang Realm’s own power sounded the charge for a counteroffensive. Spreading out from its original central territories, it rapidly expanded outward.

As the de facto master of the Xuanhuang Realm, Li Fan naturally witnessed all these changes.

“Previously, the Xuanhuang Realm had to divert a portion of its power to resist the pull of the Immortal Ruins. Now that it’s free, that power has been liberated.”

“Just like how I’m now able to call upon Shou Qiu’s phantom,” he mused.

The speed at which the Xuanhuang Realm was revitalizing itself was somewhat beyond Li Fan’s expectations.

He glanced at the Deduction Jade, who was still leisurely exploring the world.

The vacation Li Fan had granted her was long over, but he had not summoned her back, as if he had forgotten about the matter entirely.

After working nonstop for several millennia, the Deduction Jade was clearly not done resting. She, too, feigned ignorance and did not return to Li Fan on time. At first, she was quite anxious, but when so much time passed without any reaction from him, her worries gradually faded.

She spent her days wandering through mountains and rivers, exploring the various secret realms of the Xuanhuang Realm.

She was having the time of her life.

As expected of a creation from the ancient Immortal Realm, her keen spiritual senses allowed her to discover several hidden locations that even Li Fan had overlooked.

However, they were almost all abandoned or damaged, holding little value.

Therefore, Li Fan continued to let her enjoy herself, planning to settle the score with her once she had thoroughly explored the entire Xuanhuang Realm.

“If I could manipulate the power of Shou Qiu’s phantom with more finesse, I wouldn’t have to rely on this little girl,” Li Fan sighed, shaking his head.

A colossal force comparable to a Nameless True Immortal was more than sufficient for combat. But to use it for something as delicate as searching the Xuanhuang Realm...

The world would likely shatter and fall apart from the strain before anything could be found.

And Li Fan had no intention of destroying his own base of operations just yet.

Putting aside the dramatic changes occurring within the Xuanhuang Realm after its departure from the Immortal Ruins, Li Fan’s avatar cautiously approached, eventually arriving directly above the ruins.

Unlike a true immortal in the conventional sense, the avatar’s body was formed entirely from the projection of the Great Dao. It blended perfectly with the surrounding heavens and earth.

As long as he didn’t use the power of Shou Qiu’s phantom, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to detect him.

Still, he could not afford to underestimate the Hunger Immortal.

The Dao Net projection that formed his body was subtly different from the Dao of Silence that permeated this desolate star sea.

As if sensing something, the golden shackles on the Hunger Immortal began to emit a faint clinking sound.

And the avatar, in turn, felt a pulling force emanating from her.

It was her instinct, trying to devour this delectable meal and swallow him whole.

The avatar offered no resistance, allowing his body to float and accelerate towards the Hunger Immortal.

When he was only about ten meters away from her, a thought stirred in his mind.

“Just as I thought. Beneath this...”

“There is the aura of a Nameless True Immortal.”

The Hunger Immortal had concealed it well, blending it perfectly with the fluctuations of her own meditation.

If he hadn’t gotten so close, and if his Dao Net projection weren’t so incredibly sensitive to the Great Daos of the world, he might have actually missed it.

With the Hunger Immortal’s skeletal form in sight, the avatar suddenly accelerated.

He was upon her in an instant.

The Hunger Immortal finally sensed him, her eyes snapping open.

At that same moment, the power of Shou Qiu’s phantom descended upon the avatar’s body.

In a flash, taking advantage of the suction force the Hunger Immortal had yet to withdraw, the avatar pressed a finger against the center of her brow.

This was no enlightening touch of guidance. Instead, he channeled the immense, Nameless-like power of Shou Qiu, letting it surge into her along the very current of her own pull.

The Hunger Immortal’s withered, skeletal body instantly swelled up like a balloon being inflated.

It did not become full and fleshy like a normal body, but rather expanded into a grotesque, distorted form. The swelling was uneven across her frame, making her look like a terrifying monster from some lightless abyss.

Even her eyes were of different sizes; one was enormous, taking up half her face, while the other was compressed until only a shrunken pupil remained.

But both of them were fixed, staring deathly at the suddenly appeared avatar.

Her eyes held shock and confusion.

And a towering rage.

But soon, all of it dissolved into terror.

Because she finally realized that the colossal power being poured into her was far beyond her ability to consume.

If this continued, she was very likely to be, in a sense, “burst” from the inside out.

And it wasn’t just her immortal body at risk.

The Hunger Immortal felt that the Dao of Hunger she had painstakingly cultivated was being slowly occupied by his almost brutish power.

It was like a cuckoo invading another’s nest; not only had he forced his way into her home, but he was now trying to drive her out completely!

“Nngh...!”

Both terrified and furious, the Hunger Immortal naturally resisted with all her might.

The destruction of her immortal body was one thing, but the usurpation of her Dao was absolutely unacceptable.

The Hunger Immortal battled this unknown intruder for ownership of the Dao of Hunger.

However, she had not yet attained the state of Nameless. Though she was close, the Dao did not yet truly belong to her.

At first, she could rely on her long-cultivated familiarity with it to barely defend her territory.

But slowly, to her horror, she discovered that the Great Dao of Hunger was gradually siding with him!

From occupying ninety-nine percent of the house, she was driven into a corner.

It had only taken a few breaths.

The Hunger Immortal was stunned into a stupor.

She could see that his incredible efficiency was partly due to his immense power. But the primary reason was that his understanding of the Dao of Hunger was also exceptionally profound.

That was why he could so naturally contend with her for ownership of the Dao and achieve such a resounding victory!

“This... How is this possible?”

The impact of this discovery was no less devastating than having her body destroyed and her Dao stolen.

“But...”

“The remains of the Nameless Immortal of Hunger are right beneath me!”

“There is no place in the universe where this Dao is more concentrated than here.”

“Where did he comprehend it from?”

Unable to muster even a shred of resistance, the Hunger Immortal was filled with despair and confusion.

But for some reason, just when he was about to completely seize the entire Dao of Hunger, he seemed to get stuck, freezing at the final moment.

Despite this, the Hunger Immortal dared not make a move. She simply watched in silence.

All the while, she gathered her strength, preparing for a desperate counterattack.

In the Immortal Realm, battles to the death over a particular Dao were not uncommon.

And the outcome was always a fight to the end.

So, the Hunger Immortal held no false hopes.

But what she could not understand was that he truly seemed to have stopped just before the final step.

He could have driven her out of this house with a simple push.

Yet he chose not to.

After a long while, something even more unexpected happened.

That figure shook its head slightly.

And step by step, he simply walked out of the house!

The Hunger Immortal had regained complete control of the Dao of Hunger!

With most of her power restored, her heart leaped with joy.

Returning from the contest of Daos to reality, the Hunger Immortal watched the figure not far away with extreme vigilance.

The colossal power that had been poured into her had also inexplicably vanished.

The Hunger Immortal’s body returned to its normal state in the blink of an eye.

She retracted her golden chains. Staring at the unfathomably mysterious man before her, she attempted to communicate.

“Fellow immortal...”

“Why have you done this?”

After a long silence, a cold voice replied.

“This Dao is too weak. To merge with it would be worse than not merging at all.”

This answer was far beyond anything the Hunger Immortal could have anticipated.

She was momentarily stunned, her mind going blank.

The meaning of those words was not hard to grasp.

He found the Dao of Hunger to be too weak. Therefore, even with absolute certainty that he could use it to successfully become a Nameless True Immortal, he had willingly withdrawn.

But... how could that be possible?

Could such an arrogant being truly exist in this world?

The Hunger Immortal’s heart was filled with disbelief and shock.

One had to understand that the difference between a Nameless True Immortal and an ordinary True Immortal was like the difference between heaven and earth.

In the Immortal Realm of old, though True Immortals could freely establish their own domains in a corner of the star sea, enjoying endless energy and resources, they were still under the jurisdiction of the Immortal Realm. None dared to disobey the commands of the reigning Immortal Emperor.

They were like citizens of the Immortal Realm.

Only those who reached the state of a Nameless True Immortal were elevated to the rank of "official." Not only could they govern an entire star domain, but they could even argue face-to-face with the Immortal Emperor without fear of punishment.

The fundamental reason for this was that the source of a True Immortal’s infinite power was firmly controlled by the Immortal Emperor. A single edict could revoke a True Immortal’s access to the Infinite Sea.

Without the property of being "infinite," a True Immortal would be no match even for their own immortal servants and puppets.

Moreover, once a True Immortal had tasted the flavor of infinity, how could they possibly bear to part with it?

Thus, under the rule of the reigning Immortal Emperor, there were almost none who dared to rebel.

The greatest goal for all True Immortals was to merge with a Great Dao and ascend to the state of Nameless.

It was said that a Nameless True Immortal could, to a certain extent, break free from the control of the Immortal Realm and access the Infinite Sea on their own.

This was how they could achieve true freedom.

Therefore, regardless of a Dao’s strength or weakness, the temptation to become Nameless was nearly impossible for any True Immortal to resist.

But now, someone had arrived at the gate of the Nameless and refused to enter?

The Hunger Immortal gazed at the figure not far away, her heart trembling with shock.

“If you wish to merge, then merge.”

“However, your comprehension is still flawed in some aspects.”

While the Hunger Immortal was lost in her daze, the figure spoke again.

He then proceeded to explain his own insights into the Dao of Hunger, laying them out in detail.

The Hunger Immortal compared his words with her own understanding, and her heart filled with a mixture of shock and joy.

She was shocked that his comprehension was indeed superior to her own.

She was overjoyed because, with his additions, she was now just a hair's breadth away from taking that final step!

(End of Chapter)