Chapter 1003: Transmission of the True Dao of the Law Practice

"No need to worry..."

As he spoke, Hermit Qiaogong suddenly fell silent, seemingly recalling a catastrophe in the immortal realm many years ago. "Then again, it's hard to say, because the path to seek the Dao Root is extremely perilous. Even ordinary immortals, if they are not nameless True Immortals who are one with the Dao, inevitably face the risk of falling," Hermit Qiaogong sighed.

Once these words were spoken, a long silence fell between the two once more. Li Fan seemed to be processing the conversation, his brows furrowed in thought.

After a while, he came back to himself and asked, "What you just mentioned, about those who disbelieve suffering a backlash – does that refer to the consequences of seeking another Dao Root?"

"Precisely," Hermit Qiaogong nodded. "Not only will it alert the originating immortal, but it will even cause a tremor within the Dao Root itself."

"Because, based on the information currently available, each Dao Root is quite pure, independent, and exclusive. Of course, perhaps beyond the realm of nameless True Immortals, there exist even more unimaginable realms where various Dao merge. However, that is purely baseless speculation, without a shred of evidence."

"And the theory of Dao Root consequences I mentioned earlier is a conclusion reached by our Heavenly Secrets Realm through studying and analyzing the Ancestor's body. It was a consensus among everyone back then, so it should be accurate." A hint of sadness flickered in Hermit Qiaogong's eyes.

"I observe that the 'Myriad Beings Spiritual Essence Art' you created also seems to bear the shadow of this Dao Root consequence," Li Fan remarked, seizing the opportunity.

"Haha, you've noticed it too. Not only the 'Myriad Beings Spiritual Essence Art,' but even the cultivation method in this Xuanhuang Realm that defies the principles of heaven and earth to achieve longevity, actually implicitly aligns with the true meaning of the Dao Root," Hermit Qiaogong said, lowering his voice and speaking with a profound tone.

"Transmitting Dao Heavenly Venerate, this person... although he hasn't reached the immortal realm, he has used this method to establish control over downstream cultivators, which is truly formidable and awe-inspiring."

"Even though he isn't an immortal, he already possesses some of an immortal's authority. As I mentioned before, you either become his follower and cultivate his methods, or you kill him directly." Hermit Qiaogong clearly held Transmitting Dao Heavenly Venerate in great reverence, as he whispered.

Li Fan frowned at this. "So, if Transmitting Dao Heavenly Venerate were to die suddenly for some reason, it might even affect all cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm?"

Hermit Qiaogong shrugged. "That possibility can't be ruled out. That's why I say this person is incredibly formidable. I even suspect he's an immortal reincarnated. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to apply the theory of Dao Root with such mastery."

Li Fan's brows furrowed deeply. This was something he had never considered before. It seemed the difficulty of dealing with Transmitting Dao Heavenly Venerate was far greater than he had anticipated.

"By the way," Li Fan suddenly interjected after a moment, "I noticed your two Guardian Golden Golems of Creation look exactly like Transmitting Dao Heavenly Venerate. Is there some mystery behind that? Could it be that the Ancestor of puppets in your Heavenly Secrets Realm also looks like that?"

Hermit Qiaogong quickly shook his head. "Fellow Daoist, you misunderstand. The Ancestor's appearance is incomplete and unidentifiable. The reason I designed the Golden Golems of Creation to resemble Transmitting Dao Heavenly Venerate is likely just because it better aligns with the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao."

Fearing Li Fan wouldn't understand, Hermit Qiaogong proactively explained, "Fellow Daoist, observe my Heavenly Secrets Puppet: besides being crafted with source energy, it also incorporates numerous components. However, the Golden Golems of Creation are composed solely of pure source energy."

"Although they are formed from source energy accumulated through cultivating the 'Myriad Beings Spiritual Essence Art,' they are ultimately influenced by Transmitting Dao Heavenly Venerate within the Xuanhuang Realm. Therefore, to maintain their structural stability, they were crafted in his likeness."

These few words dispelled Li Fan's surprise and doubt. If it was confirmed that Transmitting Dao Heavenly Venerate was an immortal reincarnation, then Li Fan might need to be even more discreet in the Xuanhuang Realm going forward. However, from the current situation, even if he wasn't a true immortal, he wasn't far from it.

"In that case, what is your attitude towards joining our Myriad Worlds Alliance?" Li Fan asked again after a prolonged silence.

Hermit Qiaogong didn't hesitate. "Of course! With the path to immortality severed and ascending to become an immortal or seeking the Dao Root long since vanished into illusion, having the chance to pledge allegiance to this..."

"True Immortal of Mortal Compassion..." Hermit Qiaogong reverently recited the name.

"...is an immense honor. You must understand, with calamities spreading across the starfield, a surviving True Immortal is absolutely the patron countless cultivators dream of," Hermit Qiaogong said, his eyes filled with longing and yearning.

"If we can leverage the True Immortal's power, the various plans that stalled back then due to insufficient conditions should finally be successfully implemented." This last sentence revealed Hermit Qiaogong's true reason for wanting to join the Myriad Worlds Alliance.

To avoid arousing Li Fan's suspicion, Hermit Qiaogong quickly explained, "When we researched the Ancestor's puppets back then, we gained so much. The Heavenly Secrets Puppet is merely the most basic type we envisioned."

"As you can see, what drives it is source energy, which is the Fruit of Dao. But if we could use the power of the Flower of Dao to create a puppet..."

Hermit Qiaogong's eyes gleamed with aspiration. "We would undoubtedly be able to create true immortal puppets whose power far surpasses ordinary cultivators."

"While they wouldn't be comparable to actual immortals, I believe they should be able to contend with Longevity Realm cultivators without much trouble."

Hermit Qiaogong was full of confidence. As he spoke, he looked once more at the golden wish power that consistently circled Li Fan's fingertips. This was the so-called power of the Flower of Dao.

Upon hearing this, Li Fan nodded slowly. He retracted the golden wish power back into his Calamity Body, storing it away.

"In that case, come with me to pay respects to the statue of the True Immortal of Mortal Compassion!"

Hermit Qiaogong felt a blur before his eyes and found himself in a circular hall. In front of him, a stone statue with an indistinct face stood prominently. And the aura he sensed from the statue was remarkably similar to the lingering aura he had felt from the Ancestor many years ago! That was the power of an immortal!

Hermit Qiaogong's heart was now devoid of doubt. Willingly, he followed Li Fan in sincerely reciting the alliance oath.

Almost the instant the oath was completed, Li Fan felt the most devout power among all the initiates connect with him. It was even stronger than the power from Dao Xuanzi, whom he had previously assessed as "one who seeks the Dao with utmost sincerity."

"Perhaps truly witnessing the power of an immortal makes one even more devout, unable to harbor thoughts of resistance," Li Fan mused silently. However, to follow the path of an existing True Immortal in the world, to become a mere lackey... That was clearly not something Li Fan would do. Of course, for one or two lives, leveraging their power... there would be no harm in that.