Novels online

Chapter 1525: The Vitality that Swallowed the Ruomu Tree

Left with no other choice, He Zhenghao could only concede to Li Fan's demands.

"The Heavenly Profound Mirror is the ultimate treasure of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. No matter how powerful this man is, he surely can't damage it," He Zhenghao nervously reassured himself. With trembling hands, he led Li Fan into a hidden chamber deep within the Government Hall and activated the Heavenly Profound Mirror's sub-body for the Cong Yun Sea.

Amidst a flicker of faint light, an ancient mirror manifested out of thin air.

"Just as I thought... so familiar," Li Fan mused, dwelling on the subtle sensation that had resurfaced within him. Without a moment's hesitation, he stepped forward. His form dissolved like smoke, vanishing into the mirror's surface.

He Zhenghao was left behind, utterly dumbfounded.

Though Li Fan had entered the Heavenly Profound Mirror, the mirror itself seemed completely unaware of his intrusion.

Functions that were normally locked behind tiers of authorization were now laid bare before him, neatly categorized and completely unrestricted.

He could freely access everything within it—items, resources, divine abilities, and cultivation techniques.

He could even command the mirror's immense deductive and computational power.

If not for the fragmented memories in his mind—memories of things far surpassing the mirror—Li Fan might have believed he was its human incarnation.

"I wonder if this is a convenience granted by my previous simulations," he mused.

For the next three months, Li Fan resided within the Heavenly Profound Mirror, poring over its endless collection of texts and secret histories.

Though the volume of information was immense, everything he read sparked a strange sense of déjà vu. Often, a mere glance was enough to trigger spontaneous bursts of insight in his mind.

The more he absorbed, the more his shattered memories began to coalesce into clear, coherent recollections.

His reading pace accelerated exponentially.

Eventually, he no longer needed the mirror to seek answers.

"To achieve Longevity by reversing the logic of heaven and earth... This is clearly a flawed path of cultivation, one eternally shackled by the Dharma Spreader. Perhaps that was the ultimate source of my conflict with him..."

Li Fan felt no rush to begin cultivating.

Even without formal cultivation, three months of intense study had caused his body to grow stronger on its own.

"The Dharma Spreader's method relies on external power. It presumes the human body is frail, that one must borrow from the outside world to defy fate and rewrite destiny."

"But my body already contains such immense power. I have no need for a method that reverses the natural order."

Li Fan sat cross-legged within the mirror's space, his eyes closed in deep contemplation. With each breath he took, specks of green light pulsed from his body, surging like a gentle tide.

The light emanated from within but did not disperse, instead pooling around him, casting his silhouette in an ethereal, verdant glow.

When Li Fan next opened his eyes, his outward appearance was unchanged, but within his dantian, a brilliant, star-filled cosmos had taken shape.

The only difference was that every star in this personal galaxy blazed with the majestic green light of immense vitality.

"Strictly speaking, this isn't cultivation in the conventional sense. It is a process of realizing my true self, of unlocking my innate potential."

"It's said that every human body holds a secret reservoir of potential, but a mortal's reserves cannot compare to the infinite vitality I possess. They are worlds apart," Li Fan mused, carefully observing the phenomenon within his dantian. "A single point of green light in this cosmic sea might hold more life force than millions of creatures combined."

When one becomes powerful enough, every gesture can warp the very fabric of the Great Dao.

Moreover, Li Fan instinctively felt that he possessed an exceptional ability to command the laws of the Xuanhuang Realm.

It was just like how he had summoned the Crimson Flame with a mere thought.

As Li Fan's body gave birth to this boundless cosmos, the Crimson Flame—the first to pledge its allegiance—reaped immense rewards. Infused with endless vitality, its crimson hue intensified into a blazing, incandescent white. It shed its humanoid form, becoming a pure, dancing flame.

"From a humanoid form to a pure flame... it might seem like a regression, but in truth, it has transcended the shackles of the Xuanhuang Realm. While it remains one of the world's Heavenly Spirits, a part of its essence now exists beyond this plane."

"As it is for the Crimson Flame, so it is for me."

A wave of understanding washed over Li Fan.

"And this vitality is the cause of it all."

Li Fan naturally intended to investigate the strange phenomenon within him, but three short months of knowledge gleaned solely from the Heavenly Profound Mirror were clearly insufficient to unravel the true mysteries of this vitality.

"Besides, what I've seen is only the part of the mirror that connects to the outside world. A core part remains sealed. I would have to enter the Myriad Immortals Alliance Headquarters, where the mirror's main body resides, to see the rest."

For now, Li Fan had no intention of walking into such a dangerous situation.

The Xuanhuang Realm was not vast, but it concealed countless secrets. He decided it was best to start elsewhere, to continue piecing together his lost knowledge.

Li Fan sifted through the endless phantoms of his memories, searching for the most suitable destination for his current needs.

Suddenly, his thoughts froze on the image of another ancient mirror.

"The Immeasurable Mirror?"

"Sun Luyao... Sun Luyuan..."

Information about the Sun family flooded his mind.

"The direct lineage of the Mirror Holders. Approaching them won't be as simple as dealing with He Zhenghao. My current body is strong, but not strong enough to ignore a combined assault from multiple Dao Integration cultivators."

After a moment of thought, Li Fan summoned He Zhenghao.

He Zhenghao arrived in a state of both elation and terror. The source of his conflicting emotions was the vast quantity of resources that had been inexplicably allocated to him through the Heavenly Profound Mirror.

It was ten times the usual amount; He Zhenghao would have sworn on his life that the Alliance headquarters would never be so generous.

Yet, he couldn't bear the thought of returning what he had received.

Wealth bred confidence. As he distributed the vast resources, his subordinates assumed it was a result of his connections at headquarters. Their respect and admiration for him grew, stemming from the very depths of their hearts.

He Zhenghao was finally tasting what it felt like to be the true master of a province.

But this beautiful dream was on the verge of shattering, now that Li Fan had summoned him.

"How does it feel, receiving ten times the usual resources?"

He Zhenghao's body trembled. He didn't dare to answer.

Li Fan spoke calmly, "Don't be nervous. It’s just a string of numbers. Ten times is nothing. If you dare to ask for it, I can easily procure a hundred times that amount for you."

He Zhenghao trembled even more violently, stammering that he wouldn't dare. He knew that everything came at a price, and now was the time for his benefactor to collect.

"If you have any instructions, Senior, I will do my utmost to fulfill them."

"The top ten provinces in each performance review are summoned to the Alliance headquarters for rewards," Li Fan stated calmly. "Make that your goal. The next review is in five years. Tell me whatever you need to achieve it."

He Zhenghao’s face paled at the words.

There was no logic in a thief stealing something only to parade it down the main street. You were supposed to quietly enjoy your spoils, not enter them into a public competition!

Climbing the ranks required a massive influx of resources. To leap from the bottom ten all the way to the top ten...

It would never hold up under scrutiny!

But one look from Li Fan told He Zhenghao everything he needed to know. If he agreed, and the plot was exposed, he would die in five years. If he refused, he would die today.

There was no other choice. He Zhenghao gritted his teeth and agreed.

Since he was already in for a penny, he might as well be in for a pound. He Zhenghao threw caution to the wind, and with a grand wave of his hand, submitted a list requesting several times more resources than before.

To his shock, Li Fan agreed without batting an eye.

In less than half a day, a mountain of supplies began to materialize within the Cong Yun Sea's Heavenly Profound Mirror sub-body.

He Zhenghao watched, a mixture of awe and terror churning within him.

In addition to the materials needed for administrative affairs, Li Fan also provided a detailed list of every grotto-heaven, large and small, and every impending World Birthing Change within the Cong Yun Sea and its neighboring provinces.

With this information, producing a hundred Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation cultivators within five years would be no problem at all.

He Zhenghao wiped the cold sweat from his brow, feeling not a shred of excitement.

"Oh, and one more thing."

"Take me on a trip to Source Dao Province. Plant this somewhere underground—anywhere will do," Li Fan said, handing him a small sapling.

It looked like an ordinary sapling, but strangely, He Zhenghao could feel no trace of life force coming from it. In fact, he could barely even perceive its existence.

There was no sensation as he held it in his palm.

If not for the occasional flicker of green light across its surface, he felt he might simply forget it was there.

He Zhenghao didn't dare to delay Li Fan's request.

He set off for Source Dao Province immediately.

Before long, he was within its borders. He found a fortuitous spot where the earth's ley lines converged and planted the sapling.

Only then did he hurry back.

Through the part of himself he had separated, images of Source Dao Province began to surface in Li Fan's mind.

"This place... it seems fraught with great danger."

"But for me, it also feels like a source of immense nourishment."

"I'll need to wait for the right moment. First, I'll plant a hidden seed and see what grows."

The sapling took root among the ley lines and began to grow with unrestrained, ferocious speed.

As it grew, it drew no power from the ley lines. Instead, it radiated its own vitality outward.

And this was with Li Fan doing his utmost to suppress the outpouring of life force.

The Xuanhuang Realm appeared vibrant and full of life, but in reality, it was terminally ill.

To this dying world, the vitality radiating from the sapling was like the fragrant aroma of a life-saving elixir to a man on his deathbed.

It immediately drew the attention of certain sacred beings within the Xuanhuang Realm.

The very first to notice was an ancient tree with withered, yellow leaves, its branches grotesquely laden with the bodies of cultivators!

Barely the time it takes for an incense stick to burn after the sapling was planted, Li Fan sensed that his extension in Source Dao Province had been targeted.

Furthermore, the aura it emanated felt strangely familiar.

"Hm?"

A stooped, frenzied figure flashed through his mind. A moment later, the owner of that very figure appeared before the sapling.

"The Ruomu tree?"

The appearance of the Ruomu tree triggered another of Li Fan’s lost memories.

And as the Ruomu greedily reached for the sapling, a glint of ice flashed in Li Fan's eyes.

"Since you desire it so badly, I will grant your wish."

Having only cultivated from scratch for three months, Li Fan wasn't certain if he was a match for this ancient tree of the Xuanhuang Realm.

But since it wanted to devour a part of him, he had a plan.

A flare of green light suddenly ignited in Li Fan's pitch-black eyes.

Like an erupting volcano, an endless torrent of vitality burst from the sapling buried deep beneath Source Dao Province.

It surged toward the Ruomu tree.

The ancient, wizened Ruomu, sensing this massive influx of vitality, instinctively reacted with delight.

It absorbed the energy with insatiable greed.

But it soon discovered that no matter how much it absorbed, the sapling's vitality did not diminish in the slightest.

In fact, the flow only seemed to grow stronger.

Its delight quickly turned to dread.

Its withered, yellow leaves regained their vibrant green. Fueled by the overwhelming vitality, countless new shoots began to sprout from the sky-piercing tree.

However...

...the sheer number of these new shoots was far too great!

They sprouted in dense clusters from every inch of the Ruomu's trunk and branches.

They filled every available space.

In just half a day, the combined mass of these new growths had already surpassed that of the original Ruomu tree!

And they showed no signs of stopping.

Even after the panicked Ruomu had fled far from the mysterious sapling...

...an endless tide of vitality continued to pour forth from the essence it had already absorbed.

The Ruomu felt its own body growing heavier and heavier.

These new green growths were seizing control of its body!

But the Ruomu was utterly helpless. It could find no way to resist.

Strictly speaking, the new growth was also a part of the Ruomu tree.

But it was growing so rapidly that it had spiraled far beyond the tree's control.

Once mature, this new growth began to suppress the original tree.

It was like a body's metabolism, where old cells are naturally replaced and discarded.

The Ruomu realized with terror that it was about to die!

Not from a lack of vitality...

...but from an overabundance of it.

This was a manner of death it had never conceived of, and it filled the Ruomu with an unparalleled dread.

It struggled to do something, anything, but found itself powerless before this incomprehensible tide of vitality.

"What is that thing? Where did it come from?" the Ruomu wondered, its ancient mind filled with confusion.

Just as the new growth was about to completely consume the original tree, it suddenly stopped.

Even so, the Ruomu had already lost its sovereignty over the ancient tree of the Xuanhuang Realm.

It could only cling to a desperate existence in a remote corner of its own body.

With the situation now settled, a hazy figure wreathed in green light appeared in that space.

Knowing this was the culprit who had usurped its body, the Ruomu stared with silent intensity, not daring to make a sound.

The visitor was, of course, Li Fan.

Taking over the Ruomu had been far easier than he'd imagined. It was the first time he had ever unleashed the vitality within him without restraint.

The sheer power of its potential astonished even Li Fan, whose memories were still incomplete.

The Ruomu, the supposed master of the Xuanhuang Realm's vitality, was nothing compared to the immense life force contained within him.

If he hadn't realized what was happening and pulled back in time, the Ruomu would likely have ceased to exist.

Li Fan glanced at his new body.

His brow furrowed slightly, and he shook the branches, causing the countless cultivator 'fruits' hanging from them to drop to the ground.

Though still in a deep slumber, they had been affected by the overflowing vitality. Not only had their past injuries from being harvested for Golden Cores completely healed, but their latent potential had also been greatly stimulated. In the future, reaching the Nascent Soul or Soul Transformation realms would be as easy as drinking water, provided they had sufficient resources.