Chapter 909: A Master Plan to Secure the World
The gray mildew developed an almost obsessive fixation on the golden power of aspiration.
Shedding its previous languid, dormant state, it became intensely aggressive.
Its relentless, unending assault sent a chill down Li Fan's spine.
If not for the ceaseless stream of spiritual energy from his Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven, the seven-colored divine seal might have been breached in that brief instant.
"Truly a bane capable of extinguishing worlds..."
A chill ran through Li Fan as his hands moved without pause, continually reinforcing the seal.
What had been a thin cocoon of light was now a thick, glowing sphere. Only after Li Fan had reinforced it to this degree did the gray mildew lose its connection to the golden power of aspiration and finally settle down.
It retreated back inside the dark gold skull, returning to its dormant state.
"It seems my guess was correct. This golden power of aspiration is indeed on the same level as the True Immortal Scripts represented by Chaos, Hunger, and this gray mildew."
"This means... perhaps the golden power of aspiration could be used to wield or replicate the three True Immortal Scripts."
...
Li Fan fell silent at the thought.
It was a tempting idea, certainly, but the consequences were something he might not be able to withstand.
The annihilation of the Xuanhuang Realm was a secondary concern. The real danger was attracting the attention of the True Immortals within the Immortal Ruins, or worse, the unknown entities beyond the High Wall.
If that happened, he might not even have time to activate [Truth].
Li Fan vividly recalled the end of his 115th life. As the True Immortal annihilated the Xuanhuang Realm with a single glance, [Truth] had activated automatically.
But the world hadn't immediately dissolved into unreality.
Instead, it had entered a bizarre state. A circular domain of absolute darkness had formed around [Truth], and beyond it, images of the Xuanhuang Realm's destruction flickered past at blinding speed.
It was clear that, in that moment, even the power of [Truth] had been affected, however slightly.
"Even if I were to attempt it, it would have to be through a clone with its memories wiped," he mused. "Or, I could arrange for someone else to do it. I'm sure there are plenty of people in the Xuanhuang Realm interested in power beyond the Longevity stage..."
Faces flashed through Li Fan's mind as he began plotting, already considering suitable candidates.
Meanwhile, a rather sensational event was unfolding within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance—though its impact was confined to a specific circle.
Namely, Lu Xichan, the former Chief Array Master of the Array Strategy Hall, had returned.
She had previously taken the fall and resigned to appease public outrage after the Alliance's defensive grand arrays were repeatedly compromised, and the mole responsible was never found.
Though much time had passed and the Alliance had still failed to find the true culprit—instead closing the case with a convenient scapegoat—the scandal had finally died down, allowing Lu Xichan to be reinstated.
However, rumor had it that her return was backed by the strong support of a certain Dharma Transmitter.
Consequently, the process went exceptionally smoothly. Even the factions within the Alliance that had long been at odds with her remained uncharacteristically and unanimously silent.
Upon her return, Lu Xichan immediately set major plans in motion.
She began summoning elite array masters from the Array Strategy Halls of every province to the Alliance headquarters, making little effort to conceal her objective.
Li Fan learned of her plans with almost no effort.
She intended to perform a complete overhaul of the Alliance's existing defensive grand arrays. Furthermore, she aimed to use formations to create a power on par with the techniques of a Heavenly Sovereign.
In this tense era of confrontation, no one dared to openly object, as Lu Xichan justified her actions under the righteous banner of resisting the Five Elders Council.
As a result, every array master of notable talent from every province was selected.
Including He Zhenghao.
Judging by the fervent prayers He Zhenghao offered to the Compassionate Immortal of the Red Dust, he was quite thrilled by the prospect.
He even fantasized that if he could leverage his exceptional talent in formations to perform a meritorious service...
He might be able to return to the Heng family in glory and finally hold his head high!
And Li Fan, in his role as the Compassionate Immortal of the Red Dust, perceived He Zhenghao's ambitions and was, of course, moved by a burst of benevolence to lend him a helping hand.
And so, in the days that followed, details of the [Xuantian Spirit-Sealing Formation] would begin to surface in He Zhenghao's mind with increasing frequency.
"If I'm not mistaken, the Dharma Transmitter backing Lu Xichan must be Mo Rubin. And his true intentions probably lie elsewhere..."
"His real target... is likely the Heavenly Profound Mirror."
Based on his experiences in past lives, Li Fan knew that Mo Rubin, as a Dharma King of the Xuantian Sect, should possess a method to restrain the Heavenly Profound Mirror.
However, thousands of years had passed, and the Heavenly Profound Mirror was no longer identical to the ancient Xuantian Treasure Mirror.
Mo Rubin alone might not be enough.
That was likely why he had sought out Lu Xichan—to leverage the power of formations to help control the artifact.
"In the 115th life, the Xuantian Spirit-Sealing Formation appeared first, which then led to Mo Rubin."
"In this life, Mo Rubin appeared first, and now he's pinning his hopes on a formation."
"But with my subtle manipulations, all roads will lead to the same destination."
Watching He Zhenghao's expression shift to one of sudden epiphany, followed by ecstatic delight, Li Fan allowed a faint smile to grace his lips.
In his opinion, a Heavenly Profound Mirror suppressed by the Xuantian Spirit-Sealing Formation and controlled by cultivators was far easier to deal with than one that had evolved into its ultimate 'Profound Net' form under the Heavenly Profound Spirit Locking Array.
"Once He Zhenghao gains credit for presenting the formation diagram, his status at the Alliance headquarters is bound to rise. Then, I can use him to... persuade all the brilliant array masters he meets to join the Mutual Aid Association."
"As for the Alliance finding out..."
Li Fan's eyes gleamed. "Hmph. Mo Rubin is well aware of He Zhenghao's membership in the Mutual Aid Association."
"With his keen eye, he'll immediately recognize that the exquisite Xuantian Spirit-Sealing Formation is far beyond the abilities of someone like He Zhenghao. He'll deduce its true origin—that I, a former Dharma King of the Xuantian Sect, am the one pulling the strings."
"If all goes as planned, he'll likely cover for me, perhaps even claiming the Mutual Aid Association as his own."
Li Fan's eyes flashed. "Such is the tacit understanding between brothers who once fought side by side in ancient times."
"If he acts as I predict, then it might be time for us brothers to finally meet again."
"Of course, that's all contingent on me tricking Senior Sister Zhao into giving me the Xuantian Sect's cultivation methods."
He hadn't yet decided what he would offer Senior Sister Zhao in exchange.
Getting the techniques for free would be ideal, but if that failed, he had plenty of things that were sure to pique her interest.
He was confident he could strike a deal.
Contemplating the future, Li Fan felt a surge of self-satisfaction.
He relished this feeling—of devising strategies from the shadows, of determining victory from a thousand miles away.
(End of Chapter)
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