Chapter 887: The Third True Immortal Character
Chapter 887: The Third True Immortal Character
Everything was proceeding exactly as Li Fan had planned. He had successfully obtained two copies of the ashen mold.
The entire process, though fraught with tension, concluded without a hitch.
"I was lucky to have a treasure like the Seven-Colored Jade Void Radiance," he mused. "It acted as a perfect container, sealing the ashen mold within. Any ordinary method would have surely failed to control it."
"Had this mold escaped, it would have undoubtedly unleashed a world-ending catastrophe."
Yet, holding such a terrifying object, Li Fan's face showed not a trace of fear.
He observed the different reactions of the ashen mold within the three spheres of light.
The largest portion, having witnessed the fate of the piece that was lured out, had retreated into quiescence.
It lay dormant inside the skull, just as it had been when Li Fan first discovered it.
But with a continuous supply of power from Li Fan's Cave-Heaven, its efforts were utterly futile.
The ashen mold in the third sphere was the smallest in quantity. Perhaps because it had just been split off, it was the calmest of the three. Even its color lacked the deep, profound gray of its predecessors.
"This is..."
This clarity allowed Li Fan to finally discern the true appearance of the ashen mold.
It was composed of countless lines, arranged with a distinct horizontal and vertical order, almost like...
Some form of script.
Li Fan's eyes narrowed.
In a flash, his mind conjured the image of the colossal character he had seen sprawled across the lands of the Immortal Ruins.
The form hidden within the ashen mold bore a striking resemblance to it!
Although the two differed vastly in scale, when Li Fan analyzed and compared them from a calligraphic standpoint...
He discovered that some of the "strokes" were almost perfect matches!
Because he couldn't see the entire character, Li Fan couldn't be certain which word had formed this terrifying, world-devouring mold.
But he could declare with absolute certainty that this character, much like [Hunger] and [Chaos], was one of the sources of turmoil plaguing the myriad realms!
"The three are different, though," he contemplated.
"I've never seen the true character for 'Chaos,' only a copy transcribed by that mysterious figure."
"The complete 'Hunger' character led to the formation of the Immortal Ruins, its influence rippling out to affect the endless void and who knows how many cultivation worlds."
"And this new character... it has no single, complete form. Instead, it manifests as countless spots of ashen mold, eroding world after world."
A cascade of characters flashed through Li Fan's mind.
He tried to find one that corresponded to the calamity wrought by the ashen mold.
But none seemed to fit.
"Of course. What I'm seeing are merely the surface phenomena."
"They are just the external effects created by the True Immortal's characters."
"It's like when I saw the Xuanhuang Realm being pulled toward the Immortal Ruins..."
"The gravitational pull was just an outward manifestation. The true essence, the core of it all, could only be understood by seeing the True Immortal's character itself: the word [Hunger]..."
"So what, then, is the true nature of this ashen mold?"
Li Fan gazed silently at the three spheres of light before him, falling into a long, deep contemplation.
An unknown amount of time passed before he finally stirred from his thoughts.
It was obvious that he couldn't unravel this mystery through mere speculation, not even with his profound insight.
"Perhaps if I cultivated more of this ashen mold and observed its proliferation, I might discover something."
"However..."
After a moment's deliberation, Li Fan decided to shelve that idea for the time being.
Even if the Seven-Colored Jade Void Radiance possessed a natural ability to contain the ashen mold, it didn't necessarily mean the radiance was on a higher tier than the mold itself.
After all, the most Li Fan could do was seal it.
As time passed, the mold showed no signs of disappearing or weakening on its own, while the seven-colored radiance was constantly being eroded.
If anything, he was simply using the power of a world's Heavenly Dao origin to delay the mold's inevitable eruption.
"It's the same principle that allowed the Xuanhuang Realm to withstand the pull of the Immortal Ruins for nearly ten thousand years."
"And even though I have the Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven, meaning my seven-colored radiance is in virtually no danger of being depleted..."
"...for the sake of caution, three sealed spheres are more than enough."
"Besides, my objective has been achieved."
He carefully stored the spheres of light in the deepest recesses of his personal Cave-Heaven, suppressing them under layer upon layer of power.
"With this in my possession, even a Longevity expert will fall prey to my calculations."
As for the consequences of using the ashen mold...
Worst case scenario, the Xuanhuang Realm would be destroyed, and he could simply restart with [Truth]!
However, Li Fan had no intention of using this ultimate trump card lightly.
His power had grown immensely, and the weakness of his spiritual soul had been remedied. He could now face a Longevity Heavenly Venerate and exchange a few blows.
Furthermore, with the Seven-Colored Jade Void Radiance protecting him, he shouldn't find himself in a situation like before, where he was unable to even activate [Truth].
As long as he couldn't be killed instantly, he could always reset.
Under these conditions, gaining more experience fighting against those in the Longevity realm seemed like an excellent idea.
Li Fan's mind was already racing, searching for the most suitable candidate.
"I'll start with an Ancient Law Longevity cultivator."
Unfortunately, any Ancient Law Longevity cultivator who had survived to this day was an impossibly ancient and powerful monster.
For a moment, Li Fan couldn't think of a single soft target.
...
While Li Fan was stirring up new plots in the Spirit Wood Realm, events were unfolding in the outside world.
The manifestation of the Dharma Spreader Heavenly Venerate, jointly summoned by the thirty-three chosen cultivators, had struck once more!
This time, the Heavenly Venerate's manifestation appeared deep within the territory of the Five Elders Council!
It materialized over Yongliang Province, right next to Nine Mountains Prefecture!
But unlike its performance in Nine Mountains Prefecture, where it had crushed all opposition with unstoppable force, this time was different. As the manifestation appeared in the heavens and opened its eyes...
The countless beings of Yongliang Province certainly felt a dreadful sense of impending doom.
But at that critical moment, the phantom of a scholar materialized, placing itself directly in the path of the Heavenly Venerate's manifestation.
He tilted his head back slightly, his lips moving as if he were speaking.
And slowly, to the astonishment of the cultivators in Yongliang Province, the manifestation of the Dharma Spreader Heavenly Venerate in the sky began to slowly close its eyes again!
Rumble...
With a faint tremor, the phantom of the Heavenly Venerate dissolved into nothingness.
A world-ending catastrophe had been averted just as quickly as it had begun.
The scholar's figure also faded away, leaving countless cultivators to bow towards the heavens, expressing their profound gratitude.
"It seems that within a region blanketed by the reversed logic of a Longevity Heavenly Venerate, trying to contend with a Longevity realm cultivator is still a bit of a stretch."
"No wonder the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance hasn't managed to gain any substantial advantage over the Five Elders Council after all these years."
"The power of a Heavenly Venerate is simply too immense."
"It's less a battle against their cultivators and more a direct contest of power against five Longevity experts."
"There's simply no chance of victory."
These were Li Fan's thoughts after viewing the footage sent from the Five Elders Council.
But then, he frowned.
The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance always planned its moves with care, never acting without purpose.
They must have known that the Dharma Spreader's manifestation stood no chance in the Five Elders' territory.
And yet, they had done it anyway.
"Could they be... experimenting with something?"
Li Fan's interest was suddenly piqued.
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