Chapter 1019: Distorting the Way of Heaven

Li Fan kept these thoughts to himself and did not express them directly to Qiaogong Jushi.

Instead, he deployed another Calamity Body to accompany Qiaogong Jushi.

This body was to be used by Qiaogong Jushi when refining Tianyang's new puppet body.

After deploying these two, Li Fan only had one half-loaded Calamity Body left within him.

The Red Dust Compassionate Immortal's plan in this world had been laid out for a considerable time, yet it had yielded only this much.

This demonstrated how rare the essence of original force was.

Qiaogong Jushi was about to return excitedly, leading the golden Calamity Body.

At this point, Li Fan inquired about the specific time required to craft an immortal puppet.

The answer made Li Fan's expression stiffen.

"I estimate ten years at the very least," Qiaogong Jushi said with some uncertainty.

"It might even take longer. After all, this is my first opportunity to refine an immortal puppet, so I'm not entirely sure."

Qiaogong Jushi's gaze wandered, avoiding Li Fan's eyes.

"Ten years..."

"I wonder if I'll even see an immortal puppet manifest in this world."

Li Fan shook his head slightly and dismissed Qiaogong Jushi.

It seemed that anything involving the "immortal" level of complexity would increase the time required by hundreds or thousands of times.

The same was true for the Terminal Disintegration Disc's deduction and deciphering of the restrictions left by the Dharma Transmission Celestial Venerable.

Of course, this wasn't to say that Dharma Transmission had already reached the immortal realm. Instead, Li Fan clearly saw the same operational logic and traces within these restrictions as those found in immortal-level grand formations.

"It seems Dharma Transmission also possesses an inheritance from the Immortal Realm. However, due to the lack of immortal spiritual energy, he took a different approach," Li Fan mused thoughtfully.

On second thought, this made sense. The Heavenly Profound Mirror was a relic from the Immortal Realm. How could restrictions capable of restraining an immortal artifact be ordinary mortal means?

Currently, among those Li Fan knew who possessed orthodox inheritances from the Immortal Realm, Xuan Tianwang was one, and Grand Master Tiandu was another.

Dharma Transmission Celestial Venerable had only been a guess before, but now, through the restrictions sealing the Heavenly Profound Mirror, it could almost be confirmed.

Among the countless figures throughout the history of the Xuanhuang Realm, there might only be these mere three individuals with true immortal inheritances.

This was even considering that an unknown calamity had befallen the Immortal Realm, causing the immortal path to collapse.

Xuan Tianwang and Grand Master Tiandu acquired them through opportune circumstances.

Imagine, if the calamity had not occurred, then perhaps there would be no true immortal orthodoxies in the mortal realm at all.

If it were a normal cultivation world with an ascension path and normal contact between the Immortal and Mortal Realms, it was almost certain such a situation would not arise.

"Or rather, the very existence of this situation already explains the problem," Li Fan murmured.

Li Fan's gaze grew grim.

The difference between immortals and mortals was like a chasm.

In his previous estimations, after both the Disintegration Disc and the Dao Transformation Stone completed their transformations, breaking the Dharma Transmission Celestial Venerable's restrictions would be instantaneous.

But in practice, it gave Li Fan the feeling of an endless, frustrating task, like chasing a mirage.

Although it seemed tantalizingly close to full decryption, after the Terminal Disintegration Disc operated for a long time, the progress showed no change whatsoever.

"This is clearly an immortal method specifically for sealing," Li Fan realized.

"Although the Myriad Souls Returning to Numbers and Empty Room Blooming are immortal-level formations, they offer no reference for me in this regard."

"I can only rely on the Disintegration Disc to brute-force it."

A wave of helplessness welled up in Li Fan's heart. He continued monitoring the Disintegration Disc's operation but temporarily shifted his attention.

In his spare time, Li Fan began to ponder how to quickly extract the Marrow of Heaven and Earth.

It was foreseeable that when he incited the collision between the Faceless True Immortal and the Immortal Ruin Immortal to create conditions for his 'Reversion to Truth',

the time left for Li Fan would certainly not be long.

It might only be a single instant.

According to his previous plan, if he wanted to maximize his gains, he would have to simultaneously extract the Xuanhuang's nascent transformations and accumulate power for his advancement to the Soul Transformation stage.

Possessing the Heavenly Profound Mirror's origin, Li Fan had been able to read numerous sealed documents from the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

Among them were the insights of many cultivators who advanced to the Soul Transformation stage.

Extracting the nascent transformations of heaven and earth was a lengthy and meticulous process.

Li Fan had also personally witnessed Zhang Zhiliang absorb the changes in Congyun Sea and advance to the Soul Transformation stage.

Clearly, this was not something that could be achieved overnight.

If just one nascent transformation was like this, how much more so for hundreds or thousands?

The only thing Li Fan could draw inspiration from was perhaps how Mr. Bai had, in an instant, gathered numerous Heaven and Earth Souls onto himself.

That ability was called 'Distortion'.

Ordinary cultivators advancing to Soul Transformation had to be cautious because extracting the Marrow of Heaven and Earth would inevitably lead to backlash from heaven and earth.

But if one were an incarnation of the Heavenly Dao, there would be no heavenly punishment when fulfilling their own needs.

"Distortion, seeing it is like seeing me..."

Li Fan suddenly remembered the ability of Dharma Transmission Jiang.

A flash of inspiration struck his mind. He seized this rare opportunity and swallowed a handful of Enlightenment Pills.

Throughout his past cultivation, scenes of comprehending the Heavenly Dao surfaced one by one in his mind.

The entire process of Heavenly Dao Bai using his Saint Embryo to descend, the Saint Embryo itself, and all the subtle changes that had occurred within him...

All the details completely resurfaced in Li Fan's mind.

It was fortunate that the Dao Transformation Stone had just completed its transformation; otherwise, its original mid-grade quality would not have been able to withstand such consumption.

"That's right, I was careless for a moment, allowing Heavenly Dao Bai to seize the opportunity and possess my embryo."

"But thinking about it in reverse, Heavenly Dao Bai's body is still my Saint Embryo. That is, another me."

"It's just that it was occupied by him."

"The incarnation of the Heavenly Dao is me..."

"I am the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao..."

Li Fan's eyes grew brighter, and his thoughts churned continuously.

As if enchanted, he kept repeating these two sentences.

If an outsider were present at this moment and witnessed this scene, they would probably think Li Fan had gone astray in his cultivation.

But in fact, Li Fan's mind was clearer than ever before.

"Just like when I used the Canghai Pearl to observe the evolution of heaven and earth's killing intent and comprehended a formless killing intent divine ability."

"Heavenly Dao Bai was born using my Saint Embryo, and through this, I had the fortune to be one with the Heavenly Dao."

Li Fan's gaze seemed to penetrate the sky of the Spiritwood Realm, reaching directly into the Xuanhuang Realm.

The myriad forms of life seen through the Heavenly Profound Mirror, the changes in the Xuanhuang Realm witnessed through multiple reincarnations...

All these insights lingered in his mind.

An inexplicable aura began to emerge from Li Fan.

Like a stone sculpture, Li Fan was frozen on the spot, lost in enlightenment.

It was unknown how much time had passed.

At the very moment he was about to achieve full enlightenment, Li Fan suddenly awoke with a jolt.

"No, that's not right. I don't truly want to become an incarnation of the Heavenly Dao."

"I merely want to borrow the authority of the Heavenly Dao..."

"That was close..."

Even with Li Fan's current mental fortitude, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

Because if he truly solidified his connection with the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, and this change happened to him, self-initiated,

it might not be reversible through 'Reversion to Truth'.

After all, 'Reversion to Truth' only altered the world, while Li Fan himself remained unchanged.

"Fortunately, I reacted in time."