Chapter 986: The Right Choice
Chapter 986: The Right Choice
"How is the statue any different from the true being himself?"
Daoist Baihua's words sent a jolt of alarm through Li Fan.
In that instant, the Faceless Immortal statue, which had stood perfectly still, seemed to stir.
It cast a shadowy, mocking gaze upon Li Fan...
But when he looked again, the illusion vanished in an instant.
It was once more nothing but an ordinary stone sculpture.
The implications of Daoist Baihua's words were so terrifying that Li Fan, seized by a chilling dread, was tempted to activate [Truth] on the spot.
But Grand Preceptor Li was no longer the same minor Foundation Establishment cultivator he once was—the one who had been tracked down by the Heavenly Doctor through a clone and forced into a humiliating retreat by activating [Truth].
Li Fan's eyes narrowed as scenes from his current life flashed through his mind.
A sense of reassurance settled over him.
Li Fan had already confirmed that the Faceless Immortal statue was connected to the same being who had once saved the Xuantian King, and that the statue itself possessed a fraction of the True Immortal's power. He had realized this as soon as the images of the believers' prayers flooded his mind.
It could connect with believers, bestow cultivation out of thin air, and absorb the golden power of faith...
For all of this to be the work of a mere statue, without the sustaining power of the Faceless Immortal, seemed utterly implausible.
At the time, however, Li Fan had been willing to take the risk.
He lacked the courage to confront a True Immortal directly, but he certainly had the audacity to exploit the lingering power left in its wake.
"I've still underestimated the power of a True Immortal," he thought. "Wherever its power reaches, its presence is absolute..."
Li Fan had fallen into a mental trap, trying to gauge the abilities of a True Immortal from the perspective of an ordinary cultivator.
Previously, he had seen the statue as little more than a formation that amplified sensory perception, a conduit through which the True Immortal could perceive events unfolding in its vicinity.
Now, however, that conclusion had been overturned.
This statue was, for all intents and purposes, the True Immortal's very presence!
At this realization, even Li Fan, whose mental fortitude far surpassed that of ordinary people, felt an immense, formless pressure weighing down on him.
After all, scheming behind someone's back was one thing; courting death right under their nose was another entirely.
But after a moment of consideration, Li Fan withstood the pressure and resisted the urge to activate [Truth] rashly.
There were three reasons.
First, even if the statue was the True Immortal's presence, Li Fan had, from the moment he unearthed it to this very day, never exposed his secret of possessing [Truth]. To a True Immortal, he was likely nothing more than a slightly more powerful Nascent Soul cultivator, leveraging the name of the "Red Dust Compassionate Immortal" for his own gain. A being in the Longevity stage might not even warrant a True Immortal's notice, let alone Li Fan himself. Would a human ponder why one ant in a colony grew stronger than the rest? The fact that the Faceless Immortal could supposedly perceive everything, yet Li Fan was still alive and well, was the best proof he had not yet drawn its attention.
Second, this wasn't the first appearance of the faceless statues in the Xuanhuang Realm. During the Xuantian Sect's rule, they had been scattered across the entire world. When the Ten Great Immortal Sects later rebelled and destroyed the Xuantian Sect, countless statues were demolished, with only the last one being saved by Mr. Bai. Throughout all this, the Faceless Immortal remained utterly indifferent, never once revealing its power to enact punishment. This suggested a profound disinterest in the affairs of the Xuanhuang Realm. Perhaps, unless one displayed power on the level of an immortal, one was simply unworthy of being "seen." So, no matter how much of a stir Li Fan was causing, to the True Immortal, it was likely less than nothing.
The final point, and the primary reason Li Fan ultimately decided against an immediate retreat and chose to observe further, was the most crucial.
It was the existence of the Immortal of the Annihilation Zone and the [High Wall].
The Immortal of the Annihilation Zone had sat in deep, prolonged meditation in the Immortal Ruins, seeking enlightenment for nearly ten thousand years.
In his 115th life, when Li Fan charged into the Annihilation Zone with the Medicine King Cauldron, he had been able to disrupt the Immortal's meditation, causing it to open its eyes.
If there truly was an existence of equal power in the Xuanhuang Realm, not far from the Annihilation Zone...
How could the Immortal of the Annihilation Zone have meditated in peace for so long?
Li Fan refused to believe the principle—that one does not suffer a threat to sleep soundly on one's own doorstep—would cease to apply at the immortal level.
Furthermore, there was the High Wall.
Regardless of whether the High Wall was built by the Immortal of the Annihilation Zone or constructed by those outside it...
Its ability to filter and block phenomena at the immortal level was a confirmed fact.
Perception would surely be affected on either side of the wall. It could not possibly be the same as being physically present.
"If that Faceless Immortal were to detect an anomaly and cross the High Wall..."
"It would likely trigger the alarm of the Immortal of the Annihilation Zone immediately."
"When two tigers meet, a fight is inevitable. I would have ample time to activate [Truth]."
In that brief moment, Li Fan weighed his options and made his decision.
"The situation seems perilous, but the sheer gulf in power between myself and the Immortal means I'm not in as much danger as it appears."
"As long as [Truth] remains hidden."
"But then again, if I didn't possess [Truth] myself, I would never have imagined that such a treasure, capable of turning reality into illusion and reversing everything, could exist in this world."
...
Reining in his thoughts, Li Fan looked at the terrified Daoist Baihua and smiled faintly. "My dear Daoist Baihua, you only know half the story."
"Under normal circumstances, how could a True Immortal possibly be interested in the mundane affairs of the mortal world?"
"I am here to handle the many affairs of the Xuanhuang Realm and relieve the True Immortal of such trivialities."
As Li Fan spoke calmly, his Calamity Body, brimming with golden faith power, slowly emerged from within him as if to corroborate his words.
It then gently pointed a finger at Daoist Baihua's forehead.
The moment the golden Calamity Body appeared, Daoist Baihua's figure began to shake violently, like the surface of a lake buffeted by a hurricane.
Li Fan could sense a maelstrom of emotions radiating from her—terror, greed, awe, and more.
"Just as I thought..."
With that thought, Li Fan slowly controlled the Calamity Body, infusing a single sliver of the golden faith power into Daoist Baihua.
As the golden faith power entered her, Daoist Baihua let out an irrepressible moan.
Her previously indistinct features cleared as if clouds parting before the sun, revealing a face of devastating beauty.
Her noble air had vanished, replaced by a dazed look in her eyes as she stared, utterly captivated, at the finger of the golden Calamity Body touching her brow.
An overwhelming wave of pleading and desire radiated from her.
The sentiment of the scene was palpable, beyond what words could describe.
Even Li Fan felt a flicker of emotion.
He felt as if he were watching a peerless peony, its beauty eclipsing all other flowers in the world, as it slowly unfurled before him, shamelessly displaying its splendor.
"Hmph."
But faced with Daoist Baihua's plea, Li Fan steeled his resolve in an instant and withdrew the golden Calamity Body.
Ignoring the look of hollow resentment in her eyes, Li Fan shot her a cold glance—a clear warning.
Then, he said slowly, "It seems the True Immortal's gift is quite beneficial for you."
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