Chapter 1493: The Scroll Beckons the Immortals
While the Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm was, in a sense, crafted by Li Fan's own hands, he was markedly different from a "Creator God" in the truest sense of the term.
The manifestation of the Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm hinged on a single, critical factor: channeling the power of the Infinite Sea. Li Fan had only accomplished this thanks to the Divine Blessing bestowed by [Truth].
If this continent truly had a creator, it could only be [Truth].
Li Fan was merely its favored agent, the one who wielded its authority.
Quickly adjusting his perspective, Li Fan began to contemplate the possibilities that the Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm now offered.
"I had only intended to build a simple facade, a convincing front," Li Fan mused. "I never imagined that with the aid of [Truth], I would actually bring a genuine immortal realm into existence. This is more than enough to deceive the True Immortals of Shuo Xinghai... perhaps even more."
Li Fan's focus instantly shifted to the thirteen Heavenly Scars and the five great world consciousnesses.
As vast entities of consciousness born alongside the Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm, they might seem as docile as house pets under Li Fan's command, but that was only because he held a critical leash: the power to sever their connection to the Infinite Sea at will.
Tyrannical, capricious, and contemptuous—that was the true, fundamental nature of these primordial beings.
"In theory, the combat strength of each one should be no less than that of a Nameless True Immortal. But since they operate purely on instinct, it's hard to say how much of that power they can actually wield."
"Still, their numbers alone make them more than a match for the True Immortals of Shuo Xinghai."
Li Fan gazed into the distance once more, waiting for the fish to take the bait.
Ever since fifteen years ago, when the Nameless Immortals witnessed the power Li Fan had casually displayed and heard news of his intent to re-establish the Immortal Court, Shuo Xinghai had shown all the necessary respect due to a powerful being.
They no longer questioned Li Fan's siphoning of the complete Great Daos from their star sea. They had even deliberately loosened the constraints of the Dao Net in the space around the High Wall, allowing Li Fan's absorption to proceed more smoothly.
Li Fan had no real intention of draining Shuo Xinghai's Daos completely and hastening the Dao Annihilation. He was merely replenishing the withered Dao principles within the Darkest Star Sea.
Now, with the creation of the Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm, despite being a nascent continent, it was backed by the Infinite Sea. The myriad Dao laws that evolved naturally within it already surpassed those of the surrounding Darkest Star Sea.
Thus, Li Fan no longer needed to draw power from Shuo Xinghai.
In the tenth year, he sealed the "path" and ceased all absorption of Shuo Xinghai's Daos. Naturally, Li Fan had no charitable intention of letting the bounty of the Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm spill over to benefit Shuo Xinghai.
Isolated by the High Wall, the outside world remained oblivious to the birth of this new immortal continent.
However, Li Fan's deliberate cessation was, in itself, a clear signal: the Immortal Court was rising again.
Over the next five years, emissaries from the Nameless Immortals paid several visits. While they never spoke of the Immortal Court, they did present him with a list prepared by the leadership of Shuo Xinghai.
"A Nameless True Immortal will lead the delegation, accompanied by six other True Immortals."
"That's no small display of force."
"They're all from the established True Immortal factions. Not a single one from the Immortal Hunt. It seems my instant suppression of that fellow Wei was enough to frighten them off." Li Fan chuckled softly.
The list did not specify the Dao that the leading Nameless True Immortal had mastered.
"Kindness, Reverse, Chaos..."
"I wonder if it will be one of them."
Li Fan withdrew his gaze. Looking down at the Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm below, he made a subtle grasping motion with his fingers.
In an instant, the fleeting lights and ephemeral scenes of the primordial world were drawn from the landscape, converging into the palm of his hand.
They coalesced into a vivid, flowing scroll.
The scroll gradually solidified, shifting from ethereal to tangible.
"Thirteen," Li Fan called out softly.
Amid a cascade of radiant light, a silver figure materialized before him.
The figure's silhouette was in constant flux, lacking a solid form, yet one could discern a faint resemblance to Li Fan. It was clear this Heavenly Scar was deliberately emulating him.
"I have a task for you. Take this scroll and deliver it to our neighbors."
"The moment it unfurls will mark the official re-establishment of the Immortal Court."
Thirteen bowed its head in acceptance.
Then, like a bolt of lightning, it flickered once and vanished from the Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm in an instant.
Leaving the Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm for the first time, Thirteen was initially excited. But when it witnessed the barren starry sky beyond the High Wall, its curiosity slowly morphed into disappointment and disdain.
If the Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm, suffused with infinite immortal energy, was a grand palace, then the Shuo Xinghai before it wasn't even a lowly thatched hut. At best, it was a crudely built nest, fit only for beasts.
Not wishing to linger for a moment longer, it focused only on completing its task and returning. Thirteen shot forward recklessly, streaking toward the location Li Fan had indicated.
It met no resistance until it suddenly felt as if it had plunged into a great net.
It was as if, in that single moment, a billion threads had adhered to every inch of its body. Thirteen felt an immense resistance from all around.
"Who goes there!"
Perhaps having already detected that Thirteen came from Li Fan's direction, Shuo Xinghai did not immediately attack the sudden intruder. Instead, they first inquired with great caution.
"By order of the Great Master, I deliver the scroll of the Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm."
"The day this scroll unfurls is the day the Immortal Court is rebuilt."
"Those on the list may come to bear witness."
The defiant Thirteen raised the scroll Li Fan had given it high above its head. Annoyed by the surrounding resistance, it deliberately boomed its message.
Its voice was like a monstrous tidal wave, or a ferocious gale, rising abruptly within the Dao Net.
Countless Dao strings quivered violently. The indestructible Dao Net, for a moment, swayed like a reed in the wind.
Hearing the cries of alarm echoing from all corners of the star sea, Thirteen felt a surge of pride.
But in the next moment, the storm subsided. Just as suddenly as it had come, it was quelled.
It was as if some existence had instantly suppressed the turmoil within the Dao Net.
"Hmm?"
At that moment, Thirteen sensed several auras similar to its most powerful siblings and reined in its arrogance.
Moreover, beyond the Dao Net, another gaze seemed to have fallen upon it.
The sensation was identical to being watched by the Great Master.
"No wonder the Great Master invited these people to the ceremony," Thirteen realized, and ceased its impudence.
It simply cupped its hands, bid farewell, and transformed back into a silver bolt of lightning, streaking away.
Across the vast Shuo Xinghai, not a single being could stand to block its path. They could only watch as it came and went like a tempest.
A profound silence fell.
Everyone's attention focused on the scroll Thirteen had left behind.
Even though the scroll remained rolled, they could still feel the extraordinary aura emanating from it.
This was especially true for the True Immortals of Shuo Xinghai.
For a fleeting moment, they thought they saw a vision of the Immortal World that had long since been shattered.
The Dao Net glowed, recovering from its disarray and obscuring the gleaming scroll from the sight of outsiders.
Within the shielded, circular space, one figure after another appeared beside the scroll.
They watched it silently, entranced, not speaking a word.
A pair of large, translucent blue hands descended from the heavens, landing on the scroll.
With a slight exertion of force, they attempted to unroll it.
The translucent hands flared with blue light, yet the scroll did not budge in the slightest.
"This scroll... has the weight of oceans and mountains."
"It seems the Reclusive Emperor's claim of re-establishing the Immortal Court was not an empty boast," a wave of thought emanated from the blue hands, its tone unreadable.
Another figure stepped forward and tried as well. The result was the same.
"This feeling... it's almost identical to when the Immortal Emperor of old carved out the nascent Immortal Realm from the Upper Mountain."
"These are indeed the methods of a reigning Immortal Emperor."
"Could it be? Has one of the former Immortal Emperors truly returned?" the figure retreated, their voice laced with disbelief and uncertainty.
No one could answer their question.
"If that is the case, then we must investigate this in person."
"This Reclusive Emperor's power is unfathomable, and his intentions are unclear. I will lead the delegation."
"Even if he harbors some treacherous design, I can at least ensure everyone's safe return. After suffering so many calamities, we truly cannot afford any more losses," another voice echoed from the void.
The True Immortals standing by the scroll offered no objection to his words.
Even knowing what they did of Li Fan's methods, the True Immortals still tacitly agreed that the owner of this voice could come and go as he pleased. The extent of their belief in his power was plain to see.
"Though few of the so-called 'Reclusive Emperors' are ever good news, in our current situation, it is best not to make an enemy of him. If he truly still wields the power to create an immortal realm, then perhaps cooperation is not out of the question," a voice finally spoke. After a period of silence, it was the only True Immortal among them to show their true face.
This individual was dressed in white robes, and perched on his shoulder was a small, entirely black cat.
The contrast in colors was stark.
The small cat appeared to be sleeping, but its ears twitched from time to time, as if listening for something.
This white-robed True Immortal seemed to hold great authority among the others. Once he had spoken, the rest simply nodded in agreement.
"Let us wait, then."
"It shouldn't be more than a few days."
Having reached a consensus, the immortals simply waited by the scroll.
For beings like them, centuries could pass in an instant. Waiting a few days was no more than taking a brief nap where they stood.
Li Fan did not make them wait long.
On the ninth day after the scroll's arrival in Shuo Xinghai, a powerful fluctuation surged from it.
A fierce wind stirred from nothingness.
It seemed intent on slowly blowing the scroll open.
Amidst the violent gale, even the True Immortals seemed to struggle to maintain their footing, and they retreated one by one.
Only the point of nothingness, the figure with the black cat, and the pair of blue hands remained unmoving.
However, as they stared intently at the unfurling scroll, their auras grew more solemn than ever before.
"The aura of the Infinite Sea."
"And it's fresh."
"How many years has it been... to finally see it again."
...
Their tones were strange, a mix of caution and nostalgia.
The more of the Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm the scroll revealed, the stronger the wind it unleashed became.
This was no ordinary wind.
Rather, it was the pressure of the Infinite Sea's power, which Li Fan channeled through [Fantasy Becomes Truth]—a transcendent might bearing down on the mortal world.
Only an expert like Shou Qiu Gong, who could stand unmoving on a mountain peak by the sea, could withstand it.
Li Fan had tested it himself. Without the state of [Fantasy Becomes Truth], even by channeling the power of several of Shou Qiu's phantoms, he couldn't endure. He had lasted only a few breaths before being overwhelmed.
Among the three figures, none seemed to possess strength close to that of Shou Qiu Gong.
When the scroll was ninety percent unfurled and the pressure reached its peak, all of them had retreated to varying degrees.
The extent of their retreat revealed their relative strengths.
The weakest was the point of nothingness.
Though it could nullify all external influence, this immunity seemed to fail against a pressure from beyond the mortal world. It could only retreat inch by inch.
Performing slightly better were the translucent blue hands. They grew increasingly transparent, seeming to merge completely with their surroundings. However, it appeared they were not using the environment to resist the Infinite Sea's majesty, but rather to help the Shuo Xinghai Dao Net survive the pressure.
By diverting a portion of their power, they were forced to move away.
The strongest of the three was undoubtedly the white-robed figure.
In the gale born from the Infinite Sea, the black cat on his shoulder had awakened.
Its two emerald-green eyes, like gemstones, were fixed on the scroll. It licked its lips, its tail twitching gently.
Cat and master were as one, barely forced to move by the immense wind.
When the scroll completely unfurled, a miniature vista of the Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm was instantly revealed before them.
The sight of such vibrant, boundless life left them all, so accustomed to the dead silence of the star sea, momentarily dazed.
"If this Reclusive Emperor can replicate this divine ability..."
"Combined with our methods, perhaps resurrection might be possible."
The speaker was not one of the three True Immortals.
It was the black cat on the white-robed figure's shoulder.
Yet it did not seem to be the cat's own words, for as it spoke, its green eyes suddenly dimmed.
After the sentence was finished, the green light flared once more, but the cat seemed confused, unaware of what had just happened.
It was as if some other entity had borrowed its body.
"Since the scroll has opened, I will go first and test his true strength."
The others all nodded slowly, their gazes still fixed on the scroll.
...
Within the Primordial Desolation Immortal Realm.
While the True Immortals of Shuo Xinghai observed the scroll, Li Fan was observing them through it.
He was concealed within the Infinite Sea via the power of [Fantasy Becomes Truth], and thus remained undetected.
The strength of the other True Immortals who appeared in Shuo Xinghai was within his estimations, nothing too concerning.
Until the white-robed figure with the black cat appeared.
The instant he saw the black cat, Li Fan's heart skipped a beat.
The image of Cat Treasure leaping forth and devouring the Hunger Immortal flashed before his eyes.
However, after a moment of instinctual alarm, Li Fan realized this black cat was not the Cat Treasure he had seen before.
Li Fan had once carved all sorts of wooden statues of Cat Treasure and knew its form intimately.
Thus, after a brief moment of shock, he spotted the clear differences between the two.
He breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"If that truly was Cat Treasure on his shoulder, I might have had to change my plans. Thankfully, it's not."
Using the Hunger Immortal as a benchmark, Li Fan now had a rough estimate of the power Cat Treasure had displayed back then.
It was no weaker than the strongest of the Nameless True Immortals.
But it was still inferior to a single phantom of Shou Qiu Gong.
The Li Fan of today could face Cat Treasure without fear.
The key was the unknown power behind Cat Treasure.
(End of Chapter)
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