Chapter 1321: The Mystery of Controlled Immortal Ancestor |
As expected of the secret treasury that the Xuanshang Immortal Ark had preserved since ancient times, the treasures recorded in the Hidden Immortal Compendium of Hundred Tales were truly extraordinary.
As the only surviving land within the Darkest Star Sea, the Xuanhuang Realm could be said to contain the accumulated essence of the entire Star Sea. Having reincarnated for a hundred lifetimes, Li Fan had practically turned the Xuanhuang Realm upside down. Ordinary hidden treasures naturally found it difficult to attract his interest.
Yet as he strolled through this place, Li Fan still discovered many items that intrigued him.
For example, there was an immortal crane that appeared to be cast from bronze.
According to the records within the Hidden Immortal Compendium of Hundred Tales, this bronze crane had actually been forged from numerous fragments of immortal artifacts. Although it possessed none of the abilities of immortal artifacts, its material alone made it incomparably sturdy. No divine ability or spell could damage it in the slightest.
It might not truly be indestructible through countless calamities, but at the very least, even the catastrophe that destroyed the Darkest Star Sea had failed to leave any mark upon it.
'Limited by mortal materials, the Tianyang Immortal Puppets I forged in previous lives, even with the enhancement of source power essence, still failed to break through the mortal limit. The fact that Tianyang could delay Immortal Ancestor for a period of time was already due to the firmness of his fighting will. However, if this material were incorporated during the forging process...'
The thought flashed through Li Fan's mind.
Another example was a stream of seven-colored light.
However, the Seven-Colored Jade Void Light was refined by great divine ability cultivators from the seven streams of light that illuminated the world of the Chongyan cultivation realm. It was born from the evolution of the Heavenly Dao itself and contained the world's origin essence.
The stream of light preserved within the Hidden Immortal Compendium of Hundred Tales, however, was the remnant left behind after the natural end of an unknown cultivation world.
It could be regarded as the corpse of a cultivation world.
Li Fan had personally refined the Seven-Colored Jade Void Light before.
According to his understanding, although these two kinds of seven-colored light differed fundamentally in nature, they seemed to share a hidden connection.
'Perhaps it concerns the evolution from death to life within a world...'
Having already claimed the Fishing Pond as his own in this life, Li Fan naturally developed the idea of collecting both types of seven-colored light for detailed comparison.
There was also a figurine standing with its hands folded before it, its eyelids lowered.
The Xuanshang Immortal Ark had obtained it by chance. Despite all their research, they had failed to determine its purpose. Eventually, it had been placed within the secret treasury and gradually forgotten.
When Li Fan passed by the figurine, he clearly sensed a slight reaction from [Truth].
Although it was not as excited as when it encountered the Eternal Remnant Will, anything capable of eliciting a response from [Truth] was enough to demonstrate its extraordinary nature.
'It should also be related to the Projection of the Dao.'
Li Fan remained expressionless and did not linger on the figurine.
...
Li Fan patiently selected treasures within the Immortal Ark's secret treasury, while three elders of the Immortal Ark followed him the entire time.
They did not disturb him, merely watching his every move in silence.
"It seems the thief from back then truly caused the Immortal Ark tremendous losses. Even with the Severed Immortal Arm as an additional safeguard, fellow Daoists still cannot rest at ease."
Li Fan suddenly stopped and joked.
Gan Jingda, Nangong Lie, and Lu Yuzhi all stared at their noses and maintained inner calm, pretending not to hear.
"I wonder what exactly the Immortal Ark lost back then?"
Li Fan continued searching through the treasures as he casually asked.
"Hmph..."
The Immortal Ark elders mostly revealed expressions of indignation upon hearing this.
Zhong Daogong's voice drifted over from afar.
"The past is painful to recall. But so many years have already passed. Since fellow Daoist is interested, there is no harm in telling you."
"Among the several supreme treasures lost by the Immortal Ark back then, the most precious was an Ice Crystal Immortal Amber."
A trace of nostalgia entered Zhong Daogong's voice.
Seeing that Jian Daosheng, the chief of the Severed Immortal Tower, appeared to have personally experienced those events, he sighed.
"Even now, the dreamlike appearance of the Ice Crystal Immortal Amber occasionally resurfaces in my mind. I only regret that I was not more forceful back then and failed to stop it, ultimately leading to the tragedy."
The other elders also sighed in succession.
Li Fan asked curiously, "Ice Crystal Immortal Amber? The name alone sounds beautiful. But what exactly is it?"
Zhong Daogong replied, "The Ice Crystal Immortal Amber is actually a frozen cultivation world. To explain its origin, we must speak of an extremely rare celestial phenomenon that existed within the Star Sea during ancient times."
The curiosity on Li Fan's face deepened.
"I would be honored to hear the details."
"The Star Sea of that era was not as deathly silent as it is now. In addition to the countless vibrant cultivation worlds with their diverse scenery, many Star Sea phenomena would appear from time to time."
"Heavenly whales leaping, star horses galloping, yin-yang vortices..."
"When these phenomena erupted, they often covered entire star regions and affected dozens of cultivation worlds. Some merely manifested as wondrous sights upon the world's heavenly curtain, while others brought world-ending disasters."
"The Brilliant Crystal Wind was one of them."
"A freezing wind of unknown origin would suddenly descend, blowing from the starry sky toward the earth."
"Wherever the freezing wind passed, Soul Transformation cultivators, Dao Integration cultivators, and Longevity Immortals alike had no time to react before instantly freezing."
"All living beings, and even the world itself, would become ice sculptures beneath the touch of the Brilliant Crystal Wind."
With a light tap of Zhong Daogong's finger, a terrifying scene of a frozen world appeared above the secret treasury.
"The frozen cultivation world would remain isolated within the star sea forever, never to thaw again. Any living being who attempted to approach would be affected by the absolute cold, either suffering severe injuries and fleeing or becoming an eternal ice sculpture themselves."
Looking at the image above, Li Fan frowned slightly.
"I understand the meaning of 'Ice Crystal' now. But why is it called 'Immortal Amber'?"
Jian Daosheng answered his question.
"If it were merely a frozen world, the Xuanshang Immortal Ark would never have regarded it as a supreme treasure."
"In truth, although the probability of a Brilliant Crystal Wind occurring is low, considering the vastness of the Star Sea and the accumulation of countless ages..."
"The number of frozen worlds still in existence is not particularly small."
"The reason the one collected by the Immortal Ark was so valuable was because an extremely special existence was preserved within that frozen cultivation world."
Jian Daosheng's voice turned distant, as if he had returned to the past.
"The Brilliant Crystal Wind descended from the Starry Sky. The world should have become an ice sculpture instantly."
"Yet a phantom figure appeared within that world and attempted to block the freezing wind."
"But how could a mortal cultivator resist a Star Sea phenomenon?"
"It is said that when the Star Sea phenomena were at their peak, even True Immortals had to avoid them. Let alone ordinary cultivators like us."
"So the outcome was obvious. Trying to save the world was nothing more than a mantis attempting to stop a chariot, seeking its own destruction."
"However, it still managed to delay the freezing for the briefest instant."
"The world was no longer frozen in an instant. Instead, the living beings within gained a fleeting moment to react."
Jian Daosheng sighed.
"It was precisely this instant that created an entirely unique frozen world."
"Faced with a world-ending catastrophe, living beings displayed all manner of expressions. Some were terrified. Some were despairing. Some saw that figure and felt hope. Others found it impossible to believe."
"It truly captured the countless facets of sentient life."
"If that were all, it would merely be a somewhat rarer frozen world. It would not deserve the title of 'Immortal Amber.'"
Jian Daosheng continued.
"The reason it bears the word 'Immortal' is because of that phantom figure that attempted to stop the Brilliant Crystal Wind."
Hearing this, Li Fan could not help but speculate.
"Could it be that an actual True Immortal is truly sealed within that frozen world?"
Seeing Jian Daosheng shake his head, he replied, "Not exactly. If a True Immortal had truly been sealed inside, our Immortal Ark would never have dared keep it aboard. However, in terms of value alone, that figure may have been even more precious than a True Immortal. After all, before the immortal path was severed, every world had cultivators who ascended to immortality."
"But an incarnated Heart Demon is truly unprecedented and unimaginably rare throughout history."
Li Fan narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing this.
"A Heart Demon? Incarnated?"
During his previous life, while cultivating through possessing Zhao Xian, Li Fan had already experienced the torment of Heart Demons within the Star Sea.
As long as cultivation continued, Heart Demons would accompany a cultivator throughout their entire journey without end. Even if forcibly suppressed through external means, they would soon return, growing increasingly severe.
In his previous life, Zhao Xian had been unable to free himself from the constant interference of his Heart Demons, which hindered his advancement in cultivation. That was why the impatient Li Fan had directly used the Dao Pill technique to seize his body.
And this was with Heart Demons under the shattered laws of the Star Sea.
Even after being weakened severalfold, they could still have such a tremendous impact on cultivation. One could only imagine how terrifying Heart Demons had been when the ancient Star Sea laws remained complete.
No wonder ancient cultivators turned pale at the mention of Heart Demons and avoided them at all costs.
However, what Li Fan experienced through Zhao Xian's body had merely been the various illusions erupting from within the mind. He had never seen the true source behind those illusions.
"Heart Demons should be a type of law. How could they possess physical form?" Li Fan asked with genuine astonishment and disbelief.
"That is precisely why the Ice Crystal Immortal Amber is so extraordinarily precious. Without seeing it with one's own eyes, no one could imagine that such a wondrous object could exist in this world."
"After acquiring the Ice Crystal Immortal Amber, the entire Immortal Ark spent several decades debating its nature. Only in the end did we confirm that the shadow within that frozen crystal world was indeed a Heart Demon."
"We speculate that this Heart Demon was born from the Heart Demon laws of another cultivation world. We simply do not know why it left its original world and suffered such a calamity."
At this moment, Zhong Daogong added, "The Immortal Ark actually developed a reasonable theory regarding this matter."
"Heart Demons are formless and intangible. They are not constrained by space and can freely travel throughout the Star Sea. Unburdened by physical bodies, they can even appear directly within a cultivator's mind."
"Many cultivators who fall under the influence of Heart Demons lose clarity of mind and seem to become entirely different people. The invasion of a Heart Demon can essentially be regarded as the highest form of possession."
"Although this incarnated Heart Demon is exceptionally unique, it still cannot escape the fundamental nature of Heart Demons. Traveling across the Star Sea and seeking suitable hosts to parasitize is its instinct. That may be the reason it appeared within that frozen world."
"In fact, judging from the level of power it displayed when that world was frozen, its targets would not be limited to cultivators alone."
"Even the Heavenly Dao consciousness of an entire world could be corrupted by this incarnated Heart Demon."
"Tempting the Heavenly Dao of another world and replacing it entirely. Perhaps calling it a Heavenly Demon would be more appropriate."
...
As Zhong Daogong spoke at length, his words carried deep regret over the loss of such a treasure.
Li Fan, however, felt his thoughts stir.
The scene from his previous life resurfaced in his mind.
Under the world-destroying storm unleashed by the immortal formation, the shell of the Dharma-Transmitting Immortal Ancestor had gradually dissolved, revealing the transparent figure hidden within.
The moment Li Fan saw that transparent figure, a faint sense of familiarity arose in his heart.
It was not because he had seen this transparent figure before.
Rather, he had encountered the aura of beings similar to it.
That familiarity came from Tian Jue, Tian Yu, Tian Yin, and the Tian Yi (Heavenly Doctor).
Or rather...
It came from the Heavenly Law Realm.
"Heavenly Demon..."
Li Fan thought he might finally understand why the Immortal Ancestor had infiltrated this place all those years ago.
"Was the Heavenly Demon also one of the Venerables of the Heavenly Law Realm?"
"The Venerables of the Heavenly Law Realm uphold the Dao on behalf of Heaven. The Heavenly Demon is the manifestation of the Heart Demon Dao."
"However, due to its unique nature, the Heavenly Demon roams the Star Sea and rarely remains within the Heavenly Law Realm."
"Perhaps through sheer misfortune, it encountered an exceptionally rare Star Sea phenomenon and suffered the calamity of eternal freezing."
"If the Immortal Ancestor had not rescued it later, it might have remained frozen forever and become nothing more than another exhibit in the Immortal Ark's collection."
"But why did the Immortal Ancestor save the Heavenly Demon?"
"And why was he later corrupted by it in return?"
The figure of the Heavenly Doctor suddenly appeared in Li Fan's mind.
Judging from their interactions in his previous life, the Immortal Ancestor had clearly been under the Heavenly Doctor's control.
Previously, Li Fan had speculated that the Immortal Ancestor was a clone created by the Heavenly Doctor.
But now, it seemed their relationship might not be so simple.
"The Dharma-Transmitting Immortal Ancestor, Xuanyuan Goudan. Perhaps he truly is the reincarnation of the Xuantian King..."
"For the first half of his life, he was merely an ordinary mortal. Then suddenly he awakened, as though some consciousness had crossed over and possessed him."
Li Fan narrowed his eyes.
...
"No matter what, I finally understand why the Immortal Ancestor is controlled by the Heavenly Doctor."
"The Heavenly Demon hidden deep within his soul is responsible."
Li Fan then recalled that Heart Demons no longer existed in the current Xuanhuang Realm.
Perhaps this was not solely because of the new cultivation system established by the Immortal Ancestor.
With an incarnated Heart Demon like the Heavenly Demon present, ordinary Heart Demons naturally could no longer descend to interfere with cultivators.
His thoughts churned endlessly.
After listening to the explanations of the Immortal Ark elders, Li Fan could not help but sigh sincerely.
"In that case, it truly was an extraordinary treasure. For it to have been stolen is deeply regrettable."
"What did the thief look like? Is he still alive?" Li Fan asked.
"If you can provide enough information, perhaps our Great Qi can assist in tracking him down."
Zhong Daogong raised an eyebrow.
"Using True Immortal seal script?"
Li Fan shook his head.
"Not exactly. We rely on a world-protecting immortal artifact combined with the power of formations. The principles involved are too profound for me to explain clearly."
Although his explanation was vague, the power of Creation he had displayed earlier had already fully demonstrated the foundations of Great Qi civilization.
As such, the people of the Immortal Ark did not doubt his words.
After all, Li Fan had made no promises. He had only said "perhaps."
After discussing the matter among themselves and in order to avoid arousing Li Fan's suspicion, the elders of the Immortal Ark ultimately revealed the recorded appearance of the thief from back then.
As expected, it was the Immortal Ancestor.
However, the recorded image preserved by the Immortal Ark differed slightly from the Immortal Ancestor Li Fan had seen in his previous life.
His expression was far more vivid and lifelike.
As if they were two entirely different people.