275 Chapter 581-585: Desiring to Seize the Nascent World Cave (6.5k words)
Using the term "world" might be somewhat inappropriate.
A more suitable description would be "miniature world" or "cave realm," a lower-level existence.
Without a doubt, the newly born Five Elements Grand Cave Realm was formed here.
"The gate of the mysterious feminine is the root of heaven and earth," Li Fan murmured to himself.
Similar words were also found in the classics of the Xuanhuang Realm.
Heaven and earth nurture all things.
But where did heaven and earth come from?
Among the group of cultivators, there were no shortages of individuals filled with the spirit of exploration.
Apart from those cultivators who were previously mentioned, attempting to reestablish contact with other cultivation realms beyond the Xuanhuang Realm.
There was also a group of cultivators who specifically studied the birth of heaven and earth, the origin of living beings.
Li Fan had read some related books before.
These cultivators believed that heaven and earth, like humans, would continuously grow and evolve.
The initial Xuanhuang Realm likely existed as a miniature realm, much like a tiny cave.
After unimaginably long epochs, it eventually evolved into its current form.
These miniature realms could have been created by powerful cultivators or ancient true immortals out of thin air, or they might have self-generated from the void.
Cultivators still didn't have a clear understanding of the vastness of the entire "time and space" they were in.
But undoubtedly, the Xuanhuang Realm was just an insignificant part of the vast and endless time and space, like a drop in the ocean.
Even though not many cultivators truly cared about this fact, it couldn't change the nature of its existence.
In the endless time and space, what cultivators referred to as the "root of heaven and earth" was derived, forming the embryonic shape of a world.
That place was the origin of the world, the convergence of laws, and the beginning of creation.
Existing only in theory, no one had truly had the privilege of witnessing it.
Unexpectedly, today, after several lifetimes of information gathering through reincarnation and with his unwavering will, Li Fan finally entered this place.
Even though the various nascent laws contained here were too profound for Li Fan to comprehend at his current level, he couldn't suppress the feeling of being moved, as if he had touched upon the notion of "hearing the Dao in the morning and dying in the evening."
Colorful particles collided, revealing different scenes.
The crisscrossing lines that covered the entire space resembled a giant weaving machine, knitting the birth of the "world."
Immersed in the splendid scenery for a long time, Li Fan reluctantly returned to his senses.
Although upon closer examination, it seemed like a futile effort with no insights gained.
But his entire soul felt like it had soaked in hot water—extremely comfortable and unexpectedly elevated.
With joy in his heart, Li Fan did not forget the purpose of this journey.
"To seize the essence of heaven and earth and form the Yuan Ying."
Li Fan's gaze flickered.
In that instant, he really entertained the idea of "plundering this [root of heaven and earth] and turning it into his own Yuan Ying Grand Cave Realm."
If he could truly achieve this, coupled with the Dao Foundation he had already half-established with [Still True], he should be able to freely evolve his own Cave Realm domain like manipulating the ever-changing foundational miraculous item.
Hidden Dragon, Volcano, Dharma Eye...
As long as he possessed specific information, he could evolve them in an instant.
Unfortunately...
"The foundation is too shallow. It's not even comparable to an ant trying to swallow an elephant; it's more like an ant trying to swallow an ant," Li Fan self-deprecatingly said.
After observing for a while, Li Fan quickly dismissed his suicidal idea.
Trying to swallow an elephant as an ant would only lead to a dead end.
Perhaps, after a long time, Li Fan, who had achieved the Harmony Realm, would have a deep enough understanding of the principles of heaven and earth.
Returning here at the Golden Core Realm might provide him with some assurance of plundering.
Now...
Let's be more pragmatic and focus on the Five Elements Grand Cave Realm.
After staying here for some time, Li Fan had also discerned some clues.
Perhaps stimulated by the forcible relocation of the original Five Elements Grand Cave Realm, the root of heaven and earth was reweaving new Cave Realms among the crisscrossing lines.
"In that case, I just need to wait patiently."
Chapter 581: Seizing the Weak Nascent Grand Cave Realm
"A newly born Cave Realm is weak and easier to subdue."
"And there's no need to worry about the strength of the Cave Realm affecting one's actual combat power after advancement. The Five Elements Grand Cave Realm has all five elements, claiming to be a unified entity. It is continuously evolving."
Li Fan had an idea in mind and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Ignoring what might be happening outside, he immersed himself in observing the process of the Cave Realm's birth.
Initially, Li Fan thought that a person's birth required ten months of gestation.
The birth of a Cave Realm should be tens of times more difficult, he assumed.
However, it was apparent that attempting to use human reasoning to speculate about the heavens and the earth would inevitably lead to errors.
The speed at which the new Five Elements Grand Cave Realm was forming far exceeded Li Fan's imagination.
The frequency of collisions between particles became increasingly frequent.
It was as if a series of fireworks exploded before Li Fan's eyes.
Metal, wood, water, fire, earth...
Li Fan began to perceive the energy fluctuations of the five attributes being born in this space.
However, they were all bound separately and didn't roam freely.
Li Fan's eyes couldn't see the actual scene of the Cave Realm's birth.
He could only indirectly sense it through the changes in energy in the [Root of Heaven and Earth].
As the embryonic form of the Five Elements Grand Cave Realm was about to manifest, Li Fan couldn't help but feel a bit excited.
But at this moment, he discovered that the lines composing his body began to disintegrate towards the outside world.
Li Fan speculated that perhaps the "weaving" of the Five Elements Grand Cave Realm caused the [Root of Heaven and Earth] to lose some energy.
As a result, it attempted to draw everything from the outside to make up for its own deficiencies.
So, Li Fan, this invading foreign object, became the first target.
Whether to directly devour the Five Elements Grand Cave Realm here and ascend to the Nascent Soul realm or wait until the Five Elements Grand Cave Realm is fully formed and appears in the void of Tianlingzhou before devouring it?
Li Fan hesitated in his heart.
But soon, he made up his mind.
Although there was a risk of being disintegrated here, at least there was no interference from others.
Near the outer void of Tianlingzhou, there were still cultivators from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance patrolling.
Even if they were scattered, the fluctuations caused by the Golden Core advancing to the Nascent Soul realm would undoubtedly not escape their notice.
By then, even if Li Fan were eloquent, he probably couldn't fool them.
"It's worth a try."
"If it really fails accidentally, I can always come back next time."
So, Li Fan stopped resisting and allowed this space to absorb the lines of his body.
Like a thread being continuously drawn out, Li Fan's body visibly shrank.
However, he was unafraid and instead used the force of absorption to fly towards the location of the nascent Five Elements Grand Cave Realm.
"The top of the [Root of Heaven and Earth]."
Five distinct and colorful light clusters were gathering.
From the crisscrossing threads below, nodes exploded continuously, making the Five Elements light clusters clearer and more stable.
During this process, Li Fan, with only half of his body remaining, arrived in front of the light clusters.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 582: Unity of Birth and Annihilation
Perhaps it was because the [Root of Heaven and Earth] feared damaging the newly born Five Elements Grand Cave Realm. When Li Fan approached the vicinity of these five light clusters, the external suction suddenly decreased significantly. This prevented him from completely disintegrating in a short period.
At this moment, although Li Fan's body was reduced to half its original size, he still had all his limbs. He now resembled a child of seven or eight years old, a comical and bizarre sight. Fortunately, it didn't affect his specific actions.
Quietly gazing at the fluctuating five-color light clusters not far away, Li Fan didn't rush to use his secret techniques to devour them. Instead, he carefully observed.
The [Root of Heaven and Earth] continuously "wove" the energy and laws of the same attributes, separately "weaving" them onto the Five Elements Grand Cave Realms of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
The nascent and weak Cave Realms became increasingly perfect and resilient.
"If we consider this space as the womb nurturing life, then the current Five Elements Grand Cave Realm is like an embryo that has just taken shape," Li Fan thought.
As a current existence in the form of lines, Li Fan was much more sensitive to the fluctuations of the surrounding laws than when he was in human form.
Witnessing the initial formation process of the Cave Realm, waves of enlightenment passed through his mind.
In the previous life, when the "Five Elements Grand Cave Realm" was forcibly moved and eventually annihilated due to the imbalance of the five elements, Li Fan had personally witnessed the terrifying scene inside the black and white vortex, almost destroying everything.
Now, seeing the birth of the Five Elements, he found some similarities between the two scenes.
"Birth and annihilation..."
"Birth is the beginning of annihilation, and annihilation is the source of birth," Li Fan murmured as if realizing something.
"I used the principle of the Five Elements generating each other, an endless cycle, to drive the techniques of Ink Kill and Heaven Slaughter, creating the technique [Great Five Elements Extinction Sword]."
"And this principle of birth and annihilation..."
In an instant, his thoughts reached their peak.
Without any external assistance, Li Fan seemed to have entered a state of enlightenment.
Standing still next to the five-color light clusters like a statue, he was deeply immersed in contemplation.
However, his body did not have no reaction to the outside world.
When occasionally passing particles whizzed by towards the Five Elements Grand Cave Realm, about to penetrate Li Fan's path forward, his body seemed to anticipate it and made strange contortions, easily evading the particles' attacks.
After securing his safety, he instantly returned to his original state.
Observing Li Fan, he remained immersed in contemplation, unaware of all his actions.
Time passed.
Slowly, within the five-color light clusters, faintly visible and rich details emerged.
The sea, molten lava, trees...
Various postnatal creations of the Five Elements began to be born in the Cave Realm.
Like a fetus growing over ten months, transforming from a shapeless, curled-up mass into the appearance of a baby.
Diverse scenes began to evolve within the Cave Realm.
The radiant light enveloping the outskirts of the Cave Realm also started to shrink and withdraw, returning to the interior of the Cave Realm.
This light, like a natural and excellent supplement, accelerated the changes within the Cave Realm a thousandfold.
Rumbling sounds faintly echoed.
The Cave Realm itself began to "grow," expanding outward into its surroundings.
Continuously swelling until it touched other Cave Realms, it slowly came to a stop.
However, the inherent force compelling their growth did not disappear.
In the creaking compression sounds, the five Cave Realms merged, forming a natural formation that was difficult to distinguish.
The Five Elements Grand Cave Realm was about to officially take shape.
"Good!" At this moment, Li Fan finally woke up.
His face, composed purely of lines, didn't reveal any expression of joy.
But obviously, he had gained a lot this time.
"That supernatural technique isn't suitable to use here. I'll consider it after leaving!"
"Now, let's focus on the main task!"
Looking through the scenes recorded in the Dao Transformation Stone, which he missed due to his enlightenment, Li Fan nodded in approval.
"I guessed right. The Five Elements Grand Cave Realm has not completely separated from the [Root of Heaven and Earth] yet."
"Similar to a mother's natural instinct to protect her offspring, once I try to devour it, it will undoubtedly trigger the full force of the [Root of Heaven and Earth]'s attack."
"I'm afraid that even a cultivator with Dao Unity cultivation, in this domain where it has the advantage, would have to taste bitter defeat."
"So, my only chance is when the Five Elements Grand Cave Realm detaches from the mother but hasn't descended into the current world of the Tian Lingzhou Void!"
Li Fan understood this, without joy or sorrow, patiently waiting for that moment to arrive.
For another cultivator, facing an opportunity that would be regretted for a lifetime if missed might cause some unease, no matter how outstanding their mental fortitude. But for Li Fan, with the [True Unity], it was just an ordinary attempt among "infinite" tries. Therefore, there was no ripple in his heart.
Like an excellent hunter, patiently and quietly waiting for his prey.
After an unknown amount of time passed, the diverse scenes of distant Cave Realms seemed to be gradually becoming transparent.
In the [Root of Heaven and Earth], only the external circular outlines of the five connected Cave Realms remained, spanning the space.
Boom...
The Five Elements Grand Cave Realm began to violently shake.
The internal space of the [Root of Heaven and Earth] also trembled continuously.
It was as if the Five Elements Grand Cave Realm was struggling to break free from the mother's restraint and burst out.
In Li Fan's vision, the interwoven lines became somewhat distorted.
"Ding!"
A sound like the snapping of a string suddenly resounded.
Li Fan saw that around the Five Elements Grand Cave Realm, it seemed as if a broken line appeared out of thin air.
Even though it was fleeting, he was very sure it wasn't an illusion.
Sure enough, like a chain reaction, the breaking sound continued.
Above the Five Elements Grand Cave Realm, numerous broken lines fluttered in the wind, disappearing in an instant.
The shaking of the Cave Realm became even more intense.
"It's now!"
At this moment, Li Fan's body completely disintegrated.
The twisted and wriggling lines, like countless poisonous snakes, enveloped his Golden Core, rushing towards the location of the Five Elements Grand Cave Realm.
It seemed to have alerted the [Root of Heaven and Earth]. During the flight, the dissolution speed of his body's fine lines increased rapidly.
But it couldn't stop Li Fan from getting closer step by step.
When the Five Elements Grand Cave Realm finally completely separated from the [Root of Heaven and Earth]'s space, Li Fan's Golden Core displayed cracks.
It looked as if the Golden Core was about to break apart at any moment, but it remained condensed without dispersing. Instead, from the cracks, numerous menacing "tentacles" emerged.
Like seeing delicious food, eagerly reaching out, they rushed towards the nearby Five Elements Grand Cave Realm.
These tentacles were also the "Root of Heaven and Earth."
Not referring to the beginning of creation in this place.
Instead, it was the "Root of Heaven and Earth" that worldly cultivators condensed within their bodies based on the new laws of the Heavenly Lord.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 583: Entering the Yuan Ying Realm
It was unknown if it was a coincidence or if the Heavenly Venerate had indeed referred to and imitated the scene of the world's creation when creating the new laws.
In any case, to solve the problem of cultivators lacking spiritual roots and being unable to cultivate, a creation generated by human negative emotions, forcibly extracting the energy of heaven and earth, was also called the "Root of Heaven and Earth."
Although sharing the same name, the two were obviously not of the same nature.
If the [Root of Heaven and Earth] represented the beginning of creation and was sacred and solemn, then the "Root of Heaven and Earth" that plundered heaven and earth, enabling everyone to cultivate, seemed somewhat evil.
This might be inferred from the external forms they manifested.
Hundreds of thousands, even millions, of squirming tentacles were the roots of the Root of Heaven and Earth.
At this moment, they seemed to have developed a form of self-awareness, continuously extending and approaching the Five Elements Grand Cave Realm.
Automatically seeking the most suitable place to take root and invading.
The newly born Five Elements Grand Cave Realm seemed to sense its own crisis. The Cave Realm trembled, and various colored radiance bloomed, attempting to reject these invading "foreign entities."
However...
It was futile.
The protective effect of the Cave Realm's radiance against them was almost negligible.
They only lost a negligible small part.
The remaining black roots, like entering an unguarded territory, advanced unimpeded into the Cave Realm.
Like fine needles, they silently pierced into the Cave Realm.
The Cave Realm roared.
Strange sounds emanated from within, resembling the painful cries of agony.
But it couldn't stop the continuous entwining and tightening of the roots.
Radiance dissipated, darkness descended.
Watching the scene where the Cave Realm was being engulfed, Li Fan, who had been witnessing the scene all along, involuntarily felt a chill in his heart.
"The Heavenly Venerate's new laws are indeed peculiar."
"It doesn't seem like the right way."
He muttered to himself inwardly.
However, Li Fan was not one to be overly particular.
Regardless of how it appeared, the new laws were currently his only path of cultivation.
Casting aside all distracting thoughts, Li Fan stared at the Cave Realm enveloped in wriggling darkness.
Countless roots, like his own tentacles, faithfully transmitted the current situation of the Cave Realm to Li Fan's mind.
The strength was being devoured, and the struggling force grew weaker.
From those myriad tentacles, a peculiar and incomparably pure energy emanated.
It was life force energy, several times purer than the hidden life energy sensed by Li Fan's cultivation of the "Creation Oven Technique."
Vibrant vitality was extracted from the Cave Realm and continuously infused into Li Fan's body.
Li Fan only absorbed a negligible strand of it, and a certain feeling emerged in his heart.
Relying on this incredibly pure vitality, even if he were torn apart and reduced to minced meat, as long as some residual tissues remained, he could recreate a completely new body.
"Rebirth with a drop of blood, undying and indestructible..."
Originally, this was a divine technique that only powerful cultivators from ancient times could master. Now, through this clever method, Li Fan achieved something similar.
"The transmission..."
Li Fan couldn't help but marvel in his heart.
Next, sensing that the time was right, he finally took action, welcoming the final step of forming the Yuan Ying.
What remained of his body completely dissolved.
Transforming into a thick black liquid, it infiltrated the Five Elements Grand Cave Realm through the myriad roots.
In Li Fan's perception, he seemed to have been divided into myriad parts, like one becoming a billion. He was divided into countless existences yet still seemed like a whole.
With a unified goal—usurping the nest and completely taking possession of the Five Elements Grand Cave Realm.
It was a peculiar experience.
The "Cave Realm," originally existing on a level much higher than the human body, now seemed to have become an equal form of life.
The originally elusive "heaven and earth" now seemed like a tangible entity that could be attacked.
(End of this chapter)
As Li Fan continued to infiltrate, the Cave Realm's struggles weakened, eventually becoming imperceptible.
---
In the Tian Ling Prefecture, beyond the Five Elements Void.
"Hmm? Did something just happen?" A Foundation Establishment cultivator on duty suddenly looked up at the pitch-black abyss above and asked.
"Old Sun, I think you're having hallucinations again." Beside him, a casually-dressed cultivator scoffed indifferently.
"I've been advising you to take a break and rest. After fighting for so long, witnessing so many deaths, not going insane is already a blessing. Yet you volunteered to take on the guarding duty here..."
Old Sun ignored the other's ridicule, his gaze fixed on the black void, his expression becoming serious as if thinking of something.
After hesitating for a moment, he flew to the edge of the void, carefully investigating.
"Paranoid, always suspecting, is your brain damaged?" The nearby cultivator sneered quietly.
Stretching lazily and looking up at Old Sun, he seemed to be enjoying the show.
As expected, after patrolling for a long time, Old Sun didn't notice anything abnormal.
In the end, he could only return to the ground disappointed.
"How about that? I told you, it's just your hallucination." Seeing this, the cultivator mocked continuously.
"This ghostly place, not even birds dare to poop here! How could there be enemies? I don't know what those above are thinking, forcing a team to stay here on guard."
"They can go back and enjoy themselves. We can only suffer here! Ah, spit..."
Seeing Old Sun's lack of response, the cultivator could only shift his target and continue complaining.
Old Sun seemed accustomed to it, paying no attention.
Still, he occasionally looked up at the sky, his brows furrowed.
"Hmm? This Sun-named cultivator's spiritual awareness is surprisingly keen; he almost discovered me."
"Interesting."
Above the sky, Li Fan, hiding his figure, watched Old Sun with a hint of surprise in his heart.
At the moment when the Five Elements Grand Cave Realm descended into the Tian Ling Prefecture's void, he safely completed the devouring of the Cave Realm.
He finally successfully advanced to the Yuan Ying realm.
However, before he could examine his own changes, he was almost discovered by Old Sun below who sensed something unusual.
Fortunately, Li Fan reacted quickly, promptly concealing his figure.
Although they were now a realm higher than them and could easily subdue them with a wave of their hand, the situation was still sensitive for the Wan Xian Alliance. If anything unexpected happened here, it might cause a disturbance.
It was better to lie low and make a fortune quietly.
Shaking his head, Li Fan memorized Old Sun's appearance and was about to leave when he suddenly heard voices from below.
"Old Sun, have you heard? Zhang Debiao seems to have struck it rich recently."
"Isn't he responsible for the cleanup work after the war?"
"On the battlefield in Tian Ling Prefecture, he's taken all the benefits from those corpses scattered all over!"
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 584: The Power of Creation and Annihilation of the Five Elements
Old Sun frowned slightly, "Baseless rumors are better left alone."
"Anyway, they died as glorious warriors for the Immortal Alliance. How could those shameless people be allowed to desecrate their bodies?"
The lazy cultivator was a bit unconvinced, "Why call it baseless rumors? I saw it with my own eyes!"
"That Zhang Debiao guy, taking advantage of the Immortal Alliance's appointment, openly collected corpses with a group of people. The storage rings and usable magical treasures on their bodies were all quietly taken by them!"
"I even heard that the remaining golden cores and fragments of the Cave Realm inside the bodies were also dug out by these people!"
"You also came down from the battlefield. The battle in Tian Ling Prefecture was so intense; those corpses were almost all incomplete and deformed. How could they be collected neatly? They were directly burned to ashes, leaving only a bit of powder as evidence! Who would notice?"
"It's like turning a blind eye. Most cultivators are lone individuals. When they die, they die. Who would really care..."
The lazy cultivator rambled on without restraint, and Old Sun's face gradually darkened on the side.
Suddenly feeling a chill behind him, the lazy cultivator, seeing Old Sun's expression, inexplicably shivered. Subconsciously, he closed his mouth.
It wasn't until Old Sun's gaze finally moved away that the lazy cultivator, feeling relieved, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Accustomed to their usual interactions, he almost forgot the legend about the person in front of him.
Old Sun's name was Sun Qi.
Although, on the surface, he was like the other guards, a Foundation Establishment cultivator. He usually treated people very kindly, appearing honest and straightforward.
But Sun Qi was truly ruthless.
He was a local cultivator from Tian Ling Prefecture and was conscripted at the beginning of the great war. It was unknown whether it was luck or some other reason, but the number of Nascent Soul cultivators who fell in the war was countless. Yet, this small Foundation Establishment cultivator persisted tenaciously.
A person who carved a bloody path out of a mountain of corpses naturally had a chilling aura. He usually kept it hidden, but when he truly got angry, it would make people feel fearful. Seeing this, the lazy cultivator wisely chose not to provoke this senior.
Meanwhile, observing from above, Li Fan saw Sun Qi's gaze sweep over his hidden location.
His interest in this person grew even stronger.
Instantly activating the Undifferentiated Killing Intent, he locked onto the target.
Watching Sun Qi's expression change from suspicion to searching around in vain, Li Fan couldn't help but smile faintly.
For now, he ignored him. Li Fan silently flew to a collapsed mountain range, seemingly devoid of life, as if someone had rolled over it from the sky.
Following the routine, he delved deep underground and excavated a secret chamber.
After sealing it, Li Fan closed his eyes to examine his current state.
Name: Li Fan
Realm: Early Yuan Ying
Physical Age: 34/999 (Heaven Hated)
Mental Age: 1335/9999
Void Fusion Progress: 200%
Anchor Charging Progress: 0%
Current Anchor Points: 3
Current Usable Anchor Points: 1
Bound Items: "Thousand Mechanisms Jade Globe Gold Chapter," Tai Yan Boat, Halt Ruins Tablet (Damaged), Blood Essence of Ten Thousand People, Dao Stone
Cultivation Techniques: Profound Yellow Heart Refining Mantra, Cloud and Water Illusory Dream Technique, Body Transformation Dao, Profound Mystical Spirit Transformation, Furnace of Myriad Forms Technique, Creation Baking Technique, Sitting Mountain Secret
Mystic Arts: Chaotic, Contrary Five Elements Creation and Annihilation Sword, Life and Death Chain, Undifferentiated Killing Intent, Insect Binding, Single Sword of the Clouds, Overturning Heaven Palm
...
"Phew!"
Li Fan gently exhaled. He felt waves of immense and pure vitality surging from all parts of his body, nourishing his flesh.
Chapter 585: The Endless Spiritual Qi
The spiritual qi was continuous and endless.
In the dantian, where the original golden core was located, faintly visible were the contours of five interconnected Cave Realms.
"So, this is the Yuan Ying Realm. With a single promotion, the world turns upside down!"
To test the gap between the Yuan Ying Realm and the Golden Core Realm, Li Fan used his strongest mystic art.
With his hand as the brush, he wrote in the air.
At the same time, he sensed the changes in his body.
Even after writing the upper half of the character "chaos," he still had some strength left.
A continuous flow of spiritual power and vitality surged from the Cave Realms, supporting the consumption of the Chaos Seal, preventing his body from collapsing.
Li Fan continued writing, completing half of it in an instant.
In the underground secret chamber, the surrounding soil was influenced, rising and vibrating, densely packed like a human army.
Looking closely, the frequency of vibration of each particle was unexpectedly different.
Seemingly uniform but actually chaotic.
Li Fan squinted his eyes. Next, his hovering hand in the air suddenly stopped.
"I have a sense of it."
"Entering the Yuan Ying Realm, I no longer need to worry about bodily damage. Finally, I can use this killer move without reservation."
"But I still can't use it consecutively without reservations, or else..."
Li Fan felt the slight tremor of the Five Elements Cave Realm inside his body and a hint of seriousness flashed in his eyes.
"The power of the Chaos Seal is truly terrifying."
"As the caster with a Five Elements Cave Realm, I will suffer from such backlash. Ordinary Yuan Ying cultivators would likely have their own Nascent Soul Cave Realm immediately collapse with just a little contamination."
"I wonder if Nascent Soul cultivators can withstand it."
The Chaos Seal was a technique Li Fan comprehended in the White Mist Domain.
It was extremely mysterious, and as his cultivation increased, Li Fan felt the extraordinary power of the character "chaos."
"Even with my crude imitation, it has such power."
"I really don't know how terrifying the true Chaos Seal is."
"It seems to have exceeded the limits of power that ordinary cultivators can control. Could it be..."
Li Fan frowned, pondering in silence.
After a while, suppressing his thoughts for the time being, he focused on the "Contrary Five Elements Creation and Annihilation Sword" in the True Self Mystic Arts panel.
The "Contrary Five Elements Creation and Annihilation Sword" was a mystic art Li Fan comprehended based on the scene of weaving the Five Elements Cave Realm with the "Roots of Heaven and Earth." It combined the essence of the "Great Five Elements Annihilation Sword," possessing not only powerful destructive power but also the ability to create vitality out of nothing.
Li Fan casually picked up a crawling insect near him that had been affected by the aftermath of the Chaos Seal, struggling on the brink of death.
A gentle milky-white light surged from his palm.
After a moment, the insect bathed in the white light miraculously regained vitality.
Struggling to turn its body, it hastily flew out of Li Fan's hand.
Li Fan didn't pay attention to the creature that narrowly escaped death; he just muttered thoughtfully, "Resurrecting from near death is just a small trick. Other medical techniques can easily achieve this."
"The real power of the Contrary Five Elements Creation and Annihilation Sword lies in creation."
He took out a spirit stone from his storage ring, holding it in his left hand.
His right hand emitted a continuous brilliance.
After a short while, when the light dispersed, a spirit stone that looked exactly the same as the one on the left slowly appeared.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 585: What Comes After Sitting Idle
Of course, they only looked identical on the surface.
On the surface of the spirit stone, the restrictions jointly engraved by the Immortal Alliance and the Five Elders were something Li Fan couldn't imitate at the moment.
"At present, creation is limited to simple objects composed purely of spiritual qi, like spirit stones."
"If the structure is a bit more complex, I'm powerless."
Even so, Li Fan was extremely pleased because it meant a good start.
As his realm continued to climb and his cultivation improved, creating objects in the void might not be impossible.
Breaking through the Yuan Ying Realm marked a leap in strength.
However, there was a pressing matter before Li Fan now.
He couldn't cultivate.
Learning the "Sitting Idle Art" from He Zhenghao was only a Golden Core stage technique. As he entered the Yuan Ying Realm, the feedback on his cultivation progress, once like a gentle stream, was almost imperceptible now. It was clear that it was no longer beneficial to him.
Although he had the accumulated calamity-resisting cultivation, stabilizing the breakthrough realm, and he wasn't in a hurry to cultivate for a while, it couldn't be postponed for too long. Solving this issue sooner was better.
However, Li Fan had already thought of a countermeasure.
The intermediate plan was to obtain the opportunity to use the Yanfa Jade from the highest rewards given by the Supreme Immortal, Jiang Cheng, and deduce the subsequent parts of the "Sitting Idle Art."
However, in the previous life, during the process where Jiang Cheng was ambushed by the united forces of the Five Elders in order to find the hidden spy and execute the "Virtual and Real Heavenly Sovereign Plan," he was close to his deadline.
In this life, Li Fan couldn't guarantee that the same events would happen.
So, he prepared a contingency plan.
The "Guidance Law Jade Card," though extremely precious and only given to cultivators who had made significant contributions to the Immortal Alliance, was not the only priceless item.
With Li Fan's current wealth, if he was willing to spend a huge contribution, it was not impossible to acquire one.
However, firstly, it would attract attention, and secondly, it might expose his identity. Li Fan would probably have to go into hiding after obtaining the technique.
So, it was a last resort.
These were the middle and bottom plans.
As for the top plan...
It all depended on fate.
That was Li Fan comprehending it himself.
Having cultivated the "Sitting Idle Art" for several lifetimes, if it came to understanding the technique, Li Fan claimed to be the second, and there probably wasn't anyone who dared to say they were the first.
During the process of cultivation, with feedback cultivation in each fleeting moment, there were bits and pieces of insight floating in Li Fan's mind.
Accumulating bit by bit, regarding how to "sit idle and reap the benefits," Li Fan had already developed his own unique interpretation.
With the foundation he had built up, spending some time might not be impossible for him to comprehend the following parts of the "Sitting Idle Art" on his own.
In the end, the Yanfa Jade could deduce based on the person's cultivation and had to rely on endless possibilities for deduction.
Perhaps for martial arts, it had an extremely thorough analysis and insight.
However, for Li Fan, it was unknowable.
Li Fan himself couldn't expose all his secrets, clearly displaying them on a magical object that was subtly influenced by the Supreme Immortal, and required continuous deduction to keep himself safe.
"How it will turn out depends on the development of the situation."
"In this process, I might not be unable to play a hand again. The Immortal Alliance is looking for a spy; it's just the right opportunity..."
Li Fan squinted his eyes, calculating in his mind.
After a long time, he slowly stood up.
The examination of the changes in his body after breaking through the realm was temporarily complete.
Chapter 586: The Upper Limits of Age
As for the displayed upper limits of the physiological and psychological ages on the "Still True" panel doubling, in Li Fan's eyes at this moment, it was a trivial matter.
As long as his cultivation continued to progress, they would naturally increase, and Li Fan didn't need to worry about it.
Perhaps he would only pay attention to them again when facing the gap between the Combined Dao and Longevity Transcendent realms in the future.
Compared to the numerical limits on age, Li Fan was more interested in the two characters "天憎" (Heavenly Hated) marked at the end.
After some sensing, according to the explanation from "Still True," Li Fan learned that although the theoretical upper limit of the physiological age was 999 years, due to the hatred of the will of this world, the actual time a cultivator could survive was far less than that number.
This was consistent with the current situation of cultivators in the Xuan Huang Realm, as far as Li Fan knew.
However, he wasn't worried about this.
Because with his style of stirring up storms, in any life, he probably wouldn't live to the average lifespan of cultivators.
His real lifespan was actually his psychological age.
So, the most appropriate thing for Li Fan was to make the most efficient use of each life's time.
"Heavenly Hatred..."
Li Fan snorted coldly in his heart.
Without thinking much, he slightly opened his mouth.
Li Fan transferred all the items from his storage ring to his own Celestial Cave according to "Still True's" instructions.
He left only ordinary items in the ring to deceive others, then quietly left the underground secret room.
He didn't rush back to the Cong Yun Sect but stayed in the Tian Ling Prefecture to investigate the person he had heard about earlier, Zhang De Biao.
Yes, Li Fan had also set his sights on the idea of those cultivator corpses on the Tian Ling Prefecture battlefield.
It wasn't because he had any special preferences, but to unlock new "Still True" anchor points.
Li Fan had previously used a Golden Core fragment to complete the charging for one anchor point.
However, in the following attempts, no matter how he tried, "Still True" seemed to disdain the quality of the Golden Core. It remained indifferent to the fragments he purchased from the Tian Xuan Mirror.
Li Fan speculated that perhaps the next anchoring required a complete Golden Core.
However, which Golden Core cultivator would be willing to sell their own Golden Core?
There was no such trade item in either the Tian Xuan Mirror or the civilian market.
So, Li Fan had been unable to unlock new anchor points.
But now might be a good opportunity.
In the Tian Ling Prefecture battle, there were countless fallen cultivators.
Even if they weren't the main force in the war, the number of deceased Golden Core cultivators should be considerable.
Unlike Yuan Ying cultivators, Golden Core cultivators didn't have the support of a Cave Domain, making it impossible to reshape their bodies.
If vital parts of the body were suddenly injured, such as the head or heart, and they couldn't react in time to use spiritual energy to maintain their lives and provide timely treatment, they would die.
So, there was a good chance that among those corpses, there were possibilities of finding complete Golden Cores.
Zhang De Biao made a fortune from dead bodies. From his tone, one could tell he was a greedy person.
It shouldn't be difficult for Li Fan to buy some Golden Cores from him.
Li Fan's plan was set, but unexpectedly, he encountered difficulties with the first step.
He searched the Tian Ling Prefecture thoroughly but couldn't find Zhang De Biao.
According to the latest information, he was still in the Tian Ling City a few days ago.
However, these days, he seemed to have disappeared without a trace, and no one had seen him.
According to some gossip, Zhang De Biao had proudly told his confidant before that he had taken a big order.
No one knew whether he had gone to fulfill this big business.
(End of this chapter)
