Chapter 1539: Endless Life
Li Fan felt as though he could already see the final outcome for the members of the Immortal Sects.
"However, the Immortal Sects do not represent the Xuanhuang Realm," he thought. "As long as I am here, the Xuanhuang Realm cannot lose."
"The path to victory, however, will be a tragic one."
The character Li Fan was playing completed his final preparations just before the sects launched their surprise attack. Once again, besieged and on the brink of death, he erupted with power, achieving a breakthrough in the heat of battle.
This completely cemented the rumors of his "Sacred Body of Conquest."
By ascending from the Soul Transformation to the Dao Integration realm, his status underwent a complete upheaval in an instant. No one dared to joke at his expense any longer; instead, he was met with a veneer of universal respect.
Naturally, his terrifying rate of advancement, rivaling that of Jiang Yingshan, caught the attention of the Ten Great Immortal Sects' leadership. While Jiang Yingshan had the sect master of the Supreme Oneness Sect to shield her, Li Fan hailed from the common Verdant Valley, with no powerful backing to speak of. A covert investigation was, therefore, inevitable.
But Li Fan remained unconcerned, allowing the Ten Sects to conduct their inquiries as they pleased.
After the investigation concluded, all Ten Sects simultaneously extended an olive branch to him.
Faced with their offers of recruitment, Li Fan politely declined them all, stating his desire to continue fighting on the battlefields of the Taiyuan Realm.
He even ignored the generous terms that would have allowed him to withdraw from the front lines and return to the safety of the Xuanhuang Realm.
"I will not return until the enemy is vanquished."
"Countless comrades have sacrificed themselves on this battlefield. How could I possibly flee in fear of death?"
Li Fan declared with unwavering resolve, then turned and departed, leaving the cultivators from the Ten Sects to gaze at his righteous, awe-inspiring silhouette.
His choice left every cultivator present deeply moved.
They ceased all talk of recruitment. Instead, they gifted him an assortment of treasures and divine techniques, hoping to bolster his chances of survival in the decisive battle to come.
After all, what sect wouldn't want a warrior as loyal and righteous as "Li Ping" among their ranks?
He possessed formidable combat strength, honed in the crucible of life-or-death struggles, and a heart of unwavering loyalty. Most importantly, his history and path of growth were impeccable.
He would undoubtedly become one of the strongest pillars of any sect.
This was of paramount importance to the Ten Great Immortal Sects, who had already suffered grievous losses in the preceding battles.
Therefore, in their attempts to recruit him, the Ten Sects had spared no expense.
"The Great Dao Sect's [Its Dao as Me], the Heavenly Sword Sect's [Shatter Heaven Single Sword], the Primordial Unity Sect's [Unity in Myriad Forms], the Indeterminate Prison's [Fleeting Divine Movement]..."
Li Fan casually scanned the divine techniques gifted by the Ten Sects, a playful smile gracing his lips.
"While these fall short of the sects' most guarded secrets, they are top-tier techniques nonetheless. How very generous of them..."
"Well then, I can't let you down."
Within his mind, Li Fan swiftly deduced and refined these techniques.
Before long, enhanced versions of all ten techniques were complete. While fundamentally the same, Li Fan's optimizations had effectively doubled their power.
Any single one of these improved techniques was now on par with the ultimate arts used to protect the very foundations of the Ten Sects.
Li Fan waved his hand, and innumerable specks of ethereal text shot out from his mind like streams of light, materializing before him as they transitioned from the conceptual to the real.
They solidified into physical manuals, each containing a divine technique.
Li Fan arranged the manuals neatly and placed them in his room, under his pillow.
Then he pushed open the door and rejoined the battlefield.
A few days of peace passed before the cultivators of the Taiyuan Realm unleashed a tsunami of consecutive attacks.
Dao Integration cultivators, who had rarely appeared on the battlefield before and served mainly as anchors for their forces, now emerged one after another to join the fray.
A Dao Integration cultivator could only be countered by another of the same realm.
But on the side of the Xuanhuang Realm, the number of Dao Integration cultivators on the battlefield was clearly insufficient.
Thus, almost as soon as this final battle began, the Xuanhuang Realm was forced onto the back foot.
"Damn it! What are the sects thinking? Why haven't they sent more reinforcements?!"
"Five hundred years of cultivation, all to die on this battlefield today, my path to the Great Dao severed forever."
"If I had known, I never would have come to this forsaken place for such a meager reward. What a terrible mistake!"
...
Faced with desperation, the cultivators' reactions varied, but an overwhelming sense of negativity and despair prevailed.
The Ten Sects' plan to assault the Taiyuan Rebirth Furnace was a closely guarded secret. Consequently, the Xuanhuang cultivators on the front lines had no idea that most of their sect masters were already present.
In this seemingly isolated and helpless situation, it was inevitable that their morale would crumble.
Their overall strength was already somewhat inferior, and now their will to fight was plummeting.
The battle quickly began to spiral out of control.
"Brothers! Behind us lies the Xuanhuang Realm! There is no retreat! We can only fight to the death!"
At that moment, a clear, resonant voice echoed across the entire Taiyuan battlefield.
Countless eyes between heaven and earth turned toward the source of the voice.
A blinding flash of white light erupted, and from within the bloody mist of two instantly slain Dao Integration cultivators, Li Fan's furious roar resounded.
With a sharp blade in hand, Li Fan pointed toward the countless enemies arrayed before him.
He smiled with contempt.
"You fiends! Come and face your death!"
Such an arrogant display naturally ignited the fury of the Taiyuan Realm cultivators.
Li Fan's ability to instantly kill Dao Integration cultivators was undeniable proof of his power. But the cultivators of the Taiyuan Realm could be resurrected endlessly; they would not be so easily intimidated.
Just moments later, no fewer than twenty streaks of light shot across the sky from every corner of the battlefield, converging on Li Fan's position.
On the battlefield, there were no fair duels. There was only kill or be killed.
Soon, besieged from all sides, Li Fan appeared to be in a perilous situation.
However, with Li Fan stepping forward to draw their fire, the pressure on the other Xuanhuang cultivators dropped sharply. Inspired by his courage, they managed to regain some semblance of composure.
And at that moment, behind the main battlefield...
A group of figures was speeding toward the depths of the Taiyuan Realm.
Their leader was none other than Fang Dingge, the sect master of the Great Dao Sect.
He watched as Li Fan faced the siege of several enemies, unafraid and even holding his own. A glint of admiration flashed in his eyes.
"Is that... my Great Dao Sect's [Its Dao as Me]? If I recall, I only just taught him this secret art. How has he already achieved such mastery?"
The sect masters of the Ten Sects were, of course, well aware of Li Fan, the new star shining on the Taiyuan battlefield. Witnessing him single-handedly engage over a dozen Dao Integration cultivators and more than twenty Soul Transformation cultivators, they were all struck with amazement.
Although these Taiyuan Dao Integration cultivators were only in the initial stage of their realm, Li Fan's ability to hold them off was undeniable proof of his unparalleled combat prowess.
"This one's rise has been beyond our expectations."
"Our chances of success on this mission have just increased."
"I only hope he's still alive when we return."
Despite their immense admiration for Li Fan, they could not alter their plan just to save him.
Without a backward glance, the group pressed on toward their destination at top speed.
Under the cover of the Primordial Unity Sect's [Innate Primordial Grand Array], they slipped past the notice of the Taiyuan Realm's cultivators.
They drew closer and closer to their destination, the Tianyu Dao Palace.
Soon, a ninety-nine-story tower, perched on the precipice of a colossal cliff face, came into view.
"Everyone, the core of the formation is beneath this tower, deep inside the mountain."
"Once we enter the tower's core, this concealment array will likely fail. At that point, we'll have to fight our way through..."
As Fang Dingge issued his warning, the group had already infiltrated the Dao Palace.
Perhaps because the majority of their forces had been committed to the front lines, the defenses within the Tianyu Dao Palace were far lighter than anticipated.
However, the deeper they ventured toward the palace's core, the number of cultivators inevitably grew.
The Xuanhuang group's luck had run out.
With a piercing shriek of an alarm, thick, blood-red clouds instantly descended, shrouding the sky above the Dao Palace.
The Taiyuan cultivators fighting on the battlefield froze for a moment. Then, with striking unity, they attempted to withdraw and return to the palace.
Just then, golden chains materialized from the void, stretching across the sky.
Tens of thousands of figures charged forth from the Xuanhuang Realm.
"Cultivators of Xuanhuang, hear my command! Stall the enemy at all costs!"
"The masters of the Ten Sects are all here! They have located the Taiyuan Rebirth Furnace!"
...
As if prepared long in advance, a series of resounding announcements, like rolling thunder, swept across the battlefield.
Upon seeing the arrival of the Xuanhuang reinforcements and finally understanding the sect masters' plan, the cultivators realized they hadn't been abandoned. With victory seemingly within reach, their morale instantly soared.
In contrast, the cultivators of the Taiyuan Realm appeared panicked and bewildered.
After all, the strange phenomenon appearing above the Dao Palace was a clear sign that it was under attack.
If anything happened to the Rebirth Furnace, their ability to resurrect would be gone.
Their first instinct was to rush back and provide support.
But soon, as if they had collectively received some kind of notice, they instantly abandoned the idea. Instead, they turned back and launched even fiercer attacks.
In the distance, the sound of figures tearing through the air whistled, combining into a deafening symphony.
Countless figures, like a dark, oppressive cloud, flew toward them at astonishing speed.
"This... are all the Taiyuan cultivators attacking us at once?"
The terrifying sight shook everyone present to their core.
But the effect of the recent encouragement still lingered. They held firm to the belief that as long as the Ten Sects' masters made their move, they could turn the tide of battle.
Filled with resolute faith, the Xuanhuang cultivators clashed with the rolling black cloud of enemies.
Explosions, wails of agony, furious curses, the clash of steel...
All of it mingled with the thick stench of blood.
The war of conquest had reached its most ferocious moment.
At that very instant, beneath the Tianyu Dao Palace, they were but a single step away from the formation's core, as marked by the Xuanhuang Great Heavenly Venerate.
But as they looked upon the twelve figures standing before them, Fang Dingge and his group were overcome with a sense of utter despair.
Only moments ago, they had joined forces, using their own blood essence to unleash their most powerful techniques. They had slain these twelve Dao Integration cultivators.
But just as they were about to press forward, ecstatic, a storm whipped up in the clearing.
Amidst the turbulence, the twelve figures reappeared.
They seemed completely unharmed. In fact, their auras were even stronger than before.
Though Fang Dingge and the others wore grim expressions, they were only a step away from final victory. They could not give up now.
"Everyone, give it your all!"
Rings of seven-colored light erupted from Fang Dingge's body as he charged forward once more.
"The Dao is as I am!"
The dazzling array of divine techniques unleashed by the twelve Taiyuan cultivators was swept up and absorbed by the seven-colored glow.
Having withstood their combined assault, Fang Dingge's face was only slightly flushed; he appeared to have suffered no serious injuries.
The others seized this opportunity to unleash a storm of offensive techniques.
A massive sword shadow split into two, and the two became ten thousand.
They completely enveloped the twelve Taiyuan cultivators.
A sandstorm howled through the air, and every grain of sand seemed to imprison a god or demon. The storm roared, and the gods and demons howled. The figure of Xiahou Yan was hidden within this tempest of yellow sand.
Above the battle, the qi of yin, yang, and the five elements rotated like a great wheel.
It sealed off the battlefield from the rest of the Dao Palace.
All attacks from the reinforcing Dao Palace cultivators, as well as the restrictive power of the palace's formations, were blocked outside.
...
After an extremely bitter struggle, the twelve Dao Integration cultivators blocking their path finally fell.
"Quickly!"
Fang Dingge's aura was clearly in disarray. He sent the command with a deep, urgent tone.
The group flew forward at once.
But before they had gone more than a few steps, that familiar storm descended once again.
One, two, three, four...
The figures they had just slain with their own hands materialized once more out of thin air.
The remnants of their flesh and blood still lay on the ground nearby.
The twelve Taiyuan cultivators stood like an insurmountable wall, blocking the path of the Xuanhuang group.
Their faces were twisted in mockery.
Feeling the gazes of his comrades on his back, Fang Dingge steadied his mind, took a deep breath, and commanded, "Continue!"
"If they can revive, then we simply have to kill them faster!"
The image of a three-legged furnace quietly materialized in his hand.
A flash of heartache crossed his eyes as Fang Dingge gently tapped the furnace.
As milky-white flames shot out from the furnace, the twelve Dao Integration cultivators—resurrected again and even stronger than before—were unable to offer even the slightest resistance.
They were reduced to ash in the milky-white flames.
While the flames still lingered, the Xuanhuang group pushed deeper at top speed.
This sudden assault achieved excellent results.
They only needed to break through the final layer of protective seals to destroy the formation's core.
The group from the Ten Sects was filled with hope.
But at that moment, the storm of rebirth struck again.
This time, their regeneration took longer than before.
It seemed the Dao-Burning Furnace that Fang Dingge had summoned had triggered some unforeseen element within the formation.
When the twelve Taiyuan Dao Integration cultivators stood reborn once more...
The breathing of everyone from the Ten Sects inevitably grew ragged.
This time, it was not a simple revival.
Just from sensing their auras, the strength of these twelve was more than double what it had been the last time they appeared.
Furthermore, they were all now equipped with dazzling sets of armor and various treasures.
A single glance was enough to tell these were no ordinary items.
"Sect Master Fang..."
Fang Dingge gritted his teeth, his expression grim, and said nothing.
He simply released another gout of milky-white flame.
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