Chapter 1001: Heavenly Mechanism Realm Remnants

At that moment, a figure with an indistinct face appeared before him.

"Interesting. Who exactly are you?"

Upon hearing the question, the Spirit Origin Cult Master nearly choked.

You suddenly attacked, dragged me here, and then you ask who I am? I'd like to ask *you* that!

The Spirit Origin Cult Master snorted coldly, refusing to answer.

"So confident. It seems you're not afraid of a soul-search?"

"A being created from cultivation and matter is indeed different from ordinary living creatures."

"But, have you seen *this*?"

The opponent's tone was chilling, and a multi-colored orb of light suddenly materialized in their hand. Within the orb, the Spirit Origin Cult Master suddenly sensed something that sent shivers down his spine—something buried deep in his memory, something he could never forget.

"Are you insane?!" The Spirit Origin Cult Master's voice was filled with terror.

But seeing the other party unmoved, even attempting to bring the multi-colored orb closer and closer.

"Let's talk this through, please. Let's talk." The Spirit Origin Cult Master instantly relented.

"It seems you're quite familiar with this 'Oblivion Art'," Li Fan said calmly.

"Fellow Daoist, did you also flee here from another cultivation realm?" the Spirit Origin Cult Master asked tentatively.

Li Fan didn't answer, instead offering an enigmatic smile. The Spirit Origin Cult Master, however, had already made up his mind. After all, as the potential sole haven in this star sea, the Xuanhuang Realm was currently relatively safe, showing no signs of contamination by the Oblivion Art.

"This item is extremely dangerous. Fellow Daoist, it would be better to put it away. Although cultivators in this realm seem skilled at handling various calamities, a silent outbreak might still prove overwhelming."

"It's not that I'm aligned with the Xuanhuang Realm cultivators; it's simply that there's nowhere else to go but here," the Spirit Origin Cult Master hastily explained, seemingly worried Li Fan might misunderstand.

Hearing his words, Li Fan appeared to be deep in thought. He then finally put away the multi-colored orb, and as the deadly aura of danger vanished, the Spirit Origin Cult Master's heart, which had been pounding, finally settled.

"To dare carry such an item around, he's truly a formidable individual," the Spirit Origin Cult Master thought, a shiver running down his spine.

Recognizing the situation, he immediately declared, "Since we are both wanderers in distress, feel free to ask me anything you wish! I will tell you everything I know, without holding anything back!"

There was no other choice; his life was in the other's hands. The Spirit Origin Cult Master felt a bitter pang in his heart.

"Which cultivation realm are you from?" Li Fan asked directly, wasting no words.

"I am Qiaogong Jushi, from the Heavenly Mechanism Realm," the Spirit Origin Cult Master introduced himself.

"How did you return from the dead?" Li Fan asked the crucial question.

Qiaogong Jushi readily explained, "Strictly speaking, it's not a true resurrection. My original body vanished many years ago; my consciousness merely resides within this Heavenly Mechanism Puppet I created."

"As fellow Daoist knows, this Xuanhuang Realm is truly perilous. One never knows when they might encounter a hidden menace..."

Qiaogong Jushi paused, darted a glance at Li Fan, then continued, "For my own safety, I had to back up my consciousness periodically. This way, even if I encountered an accident, I could achieve resurrection through prior preparations."

"It's just that the calamity I faced this time seems to have been quite severe," Qiaogong Jushi said with a bitter smile.

Li Fan nodded upon hearing this but offered no explanation. He continued, "This Heavenly Mechanism Puppet, I observe it seems to be crafted from cultivation energy? That's quite incredible..."

Qiaogong Jushi replied, "Fellow Daoist truly has sharp insight. However, in our Heavenly Mechanism Realm, we generally refer to cultivation as 'Source Power'." A hint of reminiscence flickered in Qiaogong Jushi's eyes: "The fundamental energy that propels a cultivator's realm advancement is what we call Source Power."

"Our Heavenly Mechanism Realm has a unique environment; it was established upon the body of a shattered Immortal Realm puppet, which we refer to as 'the Ancestor.' It's precisely by continuously studying the Ancestor's mysteries that we developed various artifact-refining techniques far superior to those in other cultivation realms."

"Source Power is one of the most significant discoveries in our Heavenly Mechanism Realm during this process. Although cultivators throughout the world practice countless strange and varied cultivation methods, all can be extracted, purified, and then converted into the most universal Source Power through specific means."

"With components as bone and Source Power as flesh, we can forge puppets that bear some resemblance to the Ancestor."

Qiaogong Jushi spoke with fluency and confidence. Li Fan continuously observed and monitored the other party, concluding that Qiaogong Jushi was likely not lying during this explanation.

"Your Heavenly Mechanism Realm truly possesses great fortune, to actually occupy an Immortal Realm puppet."

"In comparison, our Myriad Prosperity Realm seems rather unremarkable," Li Fan stated calmly.

"The Myriad Prosperity Realm? I haven't heard of it," Qiaogong Jushi said, shaking his head with a touch of regret.

Li Fan didn't seem to mind. "In those days, cultivation realms were as numerous as stars in the sky. But now they have all turned to dust; there's no need to dwell on them!"

These words also elicited a sigh of emotion from Qiaogong Jushi. After a moment, Li Fan inquired, "Was your Heavenly Mechanism Realm also destroyed by the Oblivion Art?"

Though unsure how much time had passed, Qiaogong Jushi still appeared to have lingering apprehension. "Yes. Initially, we managed to hold on for a while, relying on the artifact techniques we developed. But the infectious power of that blight was simply too strong."

"Even the Ancestor's remains couldn't escape its erosion. On the day our defenses collapsed, in despair, we had no choice but to scatter and flee for our lives."

"Speaking of which, does your multi-colored orb seem to seal the blight?" Qiaogong Jushi suddenly asked, as if recalling something important.

Li Fan sneered, "It took refining an entire cultivation realm to acquire this treasure. However, it can only hold it back for a time, and I must constantly replenish its energy day and night."

"Furthermore, what's sealed inside is only a minuscule portion."

"With disaster looming, no one can expect to remain unaffected."

Hearing this, Qiaogong Jushi fell silent. Soon after, he couldn't help but retort, "Actually, I feel that if it weren't for the Immortal Ruins above us, the Xuanhuang Realm might actually survive this calamity."

"I've observed traces of calamities descending upon this realm as well, but they seem to have raged for only a short period before being eliminated by some unknown means. The Xuanhuang Realm truly produces many capable individuals; one has to admire them."

"Hmph, no matter how extraordinary they are, they ultimately can't escape the fate of being buried in the Immortal Ruins. They're merely clinging to life now!" Li Fan said coldly, with a hint of disdain in his voice.

Qiaogong Jushi seemed to hesitate, about to speak but stopping himself.

"Oh? Do you have some profound insight, fellow Daoist?" Li Fan asked, glancing at him.

Qiaogong Jushi couldn't help but say, "Based on my observations from over three hundred years ago, the Xuanhuang Realm was already very close to the Immortal Ruins. Yet, despite such immense power, the Xuanhuang Realm still hasn't disintegrated..."

"I surmise there's a power, close to that of the Immortal Ruins, protecting Xuanhuang."

"Therefore, I don't believe escaping the Immortal Ruins is necessarily impossible."