Chapter 763: Heavenly Profound Derivation of Immortal Arts
Chapter 763: Heavenly Profound Derivation of Immortal Arts
Shuo Feng was remarkably efficient.
He summoned a female cultivator clad in a long, lavender gown, and shortly after giving his instructions, the matter was settled.
Li Fan soon learned that he had been appointed a mid-level guest elder of the Xuan family.
His initial merit level in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was raised to thirty-five.
Along with this came a brand-new privilege: once every century, he could use the Tianxuan Mirror, free of charge, to deduce and enhance one of his divine abilities.
"A privilege unused is a privilege wasted," Shuo Feng remarked, stretching his body with a cacophony of cracking joints. "Brother Li, this is the perfect chance to elevate the power of your [Drawing Silk and Cutting Life] divine ability. While it's already formidable in practice, it certainly hasn't reached its peak. There's always room for improvement." He spoke up, noticing Li Fan seemed a little stunned.
"Once you've taken another step forward, we'll have a truly satisfying battle!" he declared. Among cultivators of his generation, few could consistently match his pace of cultivation. More often than not, he would leave them far behind after a short time, rendering them incapable of putting up a fight. A worthy opponent like Li Fan was a rare find indeed.
Li Fan, however, could even manage to surprise him on occasion, which made Shuo Feng exceptionally pleased to have found him.
"The Tianxuan Treasure Mirror is merely a branch, a lesser version of the main Tianxuan Mirror," Shuo Feng explained with a smile. "Its functions, while extraordinary to the average cultivator, are considerably weaker when compared to the true might of the main mirror."
"For the same divine ability, the results deduced by the Treasure Mirror versus the main mirror aren't what you'd call worlds apart, but there is a definite, qualitative gap between them."
"But..." The smile on Shuo Feng's face suddenly vanished.
"That's just the difference between the Treasure Mirror and the main mirror *for now*," he continued. "But after a while..."
"...who knows what will happen."
"It's possible that, by then, every sub-mirror in the world will be indistinguishable from the original." Shuo Feng's expression grew inscrutable, his gaze distant as if lost in thought, and his demeanor turned solemn.
Li Fan, however, caught the underlying meaning in Shuo Feng's words.
His heart began to pound in his chest.
So, the privilege that came with merit level thirty-five was the chance to use the *main body* of the Tianxuan Mirror to deduce the future stages of a divine ability!
Didn't that mean he would finally have another chance to see the true Tianxuan Mirror?
The last time he'd seen it was during the training for the construction of the Heavenly Profound Spirit Locking Array.
In that vast, monochromatic space of black and white lines, Li Fan and the other trainees had watched up close as a "Newborn Tianxuan Mirror" was brought into existence and encapsulated.
"In this lifetime, the Tianxuan Mirror has already completed its initial metamorphosis. I wonder what other changes it has undergone," Li Fan mused, his mind racing with possibilities.
Shuo Feng had already snapped out of his reverie and added a word of caution, "As for that deduction function in the [Sitting and Discussing Dao] section..."
"It's best you avoid it from now on."
"Even I only dared to try my luck with it back when I was young and headstrong. I've sobered up a lot since then; I'm not willing to throw my resources away for nothing," Shuo Feng admitted, a rare note of wistfulness in his voice.
Li Fan was taken aback. "Why do you say that? Is there truly something in this world that even you can't afford, Brother Shuo?"
Shuo Feng waved a dismissive hand. "When it comes to divine abilities, there's a difference between what's theoretically possible and what's practically achievable."
"When the Treasure Mirror and the main Tianxuan Mirror perform deductions, they operate within a practical upper limit. For instance, your [Drawing Silk and Cutting Life], when cast by someone at the Nascent Soul stage, can, at most, harm a Soul Transformation cultivator. It might even have a slight effect on a Dao Integration expert."
"But before a Longevity Celestial Venerable, it would be utterly useless. That is the hard limit for the vast majority of divine abilities in this world."
"No matter how brilliant a genius one might be, no one in the Xuanhuang Realm with a cultivation level below the Longevity stage can create a divine ability capable of threatening a Longevity Celestial Venerable."
"That is the practical reality of things."
Shuo Feng paused, his gaze drifting toward the sky.
After a moment's silence, he resumed, "And yet, theoretically speaking, could such a thing even exist? A divine ability, cast from a realm below Longevity, that could actually affect a Longevity Celestial Venerable?"
"I'm certain it must," Shuo Feng said, a flicker of yearning in his eyes.
"But that would be something approaching the level of a true immortal art from the legends. Never mind us—even the Tianxuan Mirror would find it exceedingly difficult to deduce such a technique. It would have to devote the majority of its deductive power, and even then, success would likely hinge on a sliver of sheer luck."
"The deduction feature in [Sitting and Discussing Dao] is precisely that—a system with no upper limit. If something is theoretically possible, there's a chance it can be deduced. That's why the contribution points required for each attempt are an unimaginable sum, and the cost only grows higher the deeper you go."
"And as for the results..."
Shuo Feng let out a slightly mocking laugh. "In all the years since the [Sitting and Discussing Dao] section was established, it has attracted countless gamblers who've thrown themselves at it, heedless of the cost, many to the point of bankruptcy. The total number of attempts the Tianxuan Mirror has run is simply incalculable."
"And yet, I have never once heard of anyone succeeding."
Li Fan was stunned into silence, shaking his head. "I had no idea there was such a catch. If I'd known, I never would have tried my luck."
"That time I was nearly cut down by your sword, Brother Shuo, I learned I'm certainly not a man blessed with great luck," Li Fan lamented.
The memory of their first encounter brought a smile to Shuo Feng's face, and he burst into hearty laughter.
"By the way, Brother Shuo, do you happen to carry a Tianxuan Treasure Mirror on you?" Li Fan suddenly asked.
"There's a rumor going around that the Immortal Alliance is pushing for all cultivators to generate their own Treasure Mirrors. Have you heard anything?"
A shadow passed over Shuo Feng's face.
"The Tianxuan Treasure Mirror..."
"Heh," he chuckled darkly. "I was probably the very first person in the entire Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance to be saddled with one of those things."
"Let's not speak of it! The mere thought is infuriating!"
"Brother Li! Another round!"
With that, streams of sword light erupted from his body, slashing toward Li Fan with vicious precision.
Each blade of light was tinged with a palpable resentment.
Li Fan's focus sharpened instantly. Not daring to be careless, he braced himself for the onslaught.
——
Within Longevity Valley.
Fang Zaiji, who had been dispatched to the outside world to recruit disciples, had now returned, his mission complete.
A group of children, no older than five or six, stood huddled in the square before the sect's main hall.
They glanced around timidly, their small faces etched with fear.
More than a few burst into loud sobs, setting off a chain reaction of wails.
The scene quickly devolved into chaos.
"Mister Fang, are these the 'promising sprouts' you brought back?"
Xu Bai asked, surveying the crying children.
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