Chapter 1171: Encountering the True Immortal Character Again

“Is it dead?” Li Fan, still reeling from the shock, breathed a sigh of relief.

Yet, a lingering sense of unease told him that things were not that simple.

As expected, when several streaks of sword light from Holy Embryo Li Fan touched the corpse ahead, they vanished into the darkness in an instant, like candles extinguished. There was no sound of impact or collision.

The massive, withered corpse, resembling a primordial beast hidden in the void, devoured everything that attempted to approach it.

A spell once again illuminated the surrounding space. This time, he could see much more clearly.

The mummified corpse generally resembled a human, but its size was exceptionally vast. Standing over thirty *zhang* tall, its palm alone was larger than Li Fan. It seemed to have drifted in this void for a long time, as its clothing had already decayed.

However, upon closer inspection, Holy Embryo Li Fan was even more shaken to realize that the mummified corpse before him… appeared to be a recently born infant. Its hair was sparse, and its teeth had not yet emerged. An ornament resembling a longevity lock hung around its neck, and a rotted red string was tied around its ankle. Its terrified posture, with outstretched hands, made it look as if it were startled and desperately reaching for its parents.

“To be so immense in its juvenile form is incredible. I can barely imagine its size as an adult.”

Li Fan suddenly recalled the Eternal Immortal Fortress beyond the Roaring Abyss. That fortress, shrouded in white mist, was also known as the Severed Palm Immortal City. This was because the entire fortress was constructed from the enormous severed palm of an ancient Celestial Venerable, which had drifted out of the white mist.

“Perhaps there’s a connection between the two,” Li Fan mused inwardly. After all, he had not yet encountered any records of such colossal native beings within the Xuanhuang Realm’s archives.

Although the giant was deceased, an ominous mysterious power still emanated from its body, threatening to pull everything nearby into its grasp.

“This mysterious power must be the culprit behind its demise and the source of my profound unease.”

Holy Embryo Li Fan pondered for a moment, a glint of resolve in his eyes. Although he was reluctant to try again, he still swung his sword at his soul, severing a portion of his consciousness to create a clone.

“Ah…”

With his soul severely weakened, even his ability to withstand pain drastically diminished. Li Fan couldn't bear it and let out a pained cry. His face turned ashen, and he gasped for breath.

Without hesitation, he bypassed the mummified giant and continued deeper into the Star Sea. Meanwhile, the clone left behind, after recovering for a moment, actively drifted forward to make contact. As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated." It was clear that for a considerable time to come, the Abyssal Star Sea would be an area Li Fan needed to navigate. Thus, instead of merely avoiding its dangers, it was better to proactively confront them and ascertain their true nature. Since his main body was safely in the Xuanhuang Realm, with Huan Zhen as a safeguard, he wasn't afraid of any unbearable consequences.

The severed clone, still some distance from the mummified giant, suddenly found its vision plunged into darkness. It completely lost all perception of the outside world. Its consciousness remained, but it felt as if it had been confined within a cage. Around it was absolute, unending darkness. There was no sound, no light, no passage of time. It felt as though it was the only being left in existence. Even the connection to the Holy Embryo and his main body grew increasingly distant and faint.

Meanwhile, the sensations experienced by the Holy Embryo and the main body were also quite peculiar. Although the clone was clearly a part of him, the sense of unfamiliarity intensified. More critically, the boundless solitude engulfing the clone slowly began to seep in, eroding him through the connection between the main body and the clone.

It was then that Li Fan realized that once enveloped by the darkness, the clone's state appeared to be permanently fixed. It was as if solidified, unable to make any movement. It couldn't even self-destruct.

Holy Embryo Li Fan's expression shifted slightly, and he sent several streaks of sword light towards the clone's location. He sought to sever the connection between the clone and himself. But it was futile. Just as before, when the sword lights struck the mummified giant, all attacks vanished without a trace. After several attempts, he was forced to give up.

Frowning slightly, he assessed the invasion of the boundless solitude and felt a slight easing of his worry. The spatiotemporal distance still imposed some limitations on this exceedingly mysterious entity. The rate of erosion on his main body was very slow. Based on the current conditions, his soul's safety would not be threatened for at least a century.

However, the Holy Embryo's situation was not as promising, due to its proximity. It was estimated it could only last for just over thirty days before succumbing. The time units here referred to the absolute time each entity experienced.

“However, as I continue to move further away, the situation will steadily improve.”

“While still unavoidable, it will buy enough time. As long as I can witness the true nature of the immense power that caused this upheaval in the Xuanhuang Realm, even death would be acceptable.”

“Moreover, the main reason my true self can perceive the clone is through me. If I disappear, my true self will be safe.”

With this thought, Holy Embryo Li Fan stopped being distracted. He urged his last remaining stone puppet to full power, speeding relentlessly deeper into the Star Sea. As he fled at high speed, he also pondered the mysterious power he had just encountered, which enveloped the mummified giant. While the mysterious power assailed Li Fan, he used the opportunity to observe it.

“This sensation isn't unfamiliar.”

A flash of insight struck Holy Embryo Li Fan, and he had a strong suspicion.

“True Immortal Script! Another one!”

According to Daoist Baihua, the calamities encountered by the various realms within the Abyssal Star Sea were not identical. Some experienced "nihility," others "chaos," and some "hunger." And what Holy Embryo Li Fan now encountered in the void was unmistakably another form of True Immortal Script, one that caused immense catastrophe.

“Is this 'isolation,' or 'loneliness'?”

Without seeing the physical manifestation of the True Immortal Script, Li Fan had no way of knowing the truth. He could only speculate based on the external manifestations of the True Immortal Script's power.

“The True Immortal Scripts wreak havoc across the realms. While these are likely not their true forms, but mere imitations, they still bring about utter destruction for countless cultivation worlds throughout this starfield.”

“Among these True Immortal Scripts, the character for 'hunger' resonated particularly with the path of the immortals from the Immortal Ruins. Inspired, he meditated in the ruins of the Immortal Realm passage, attempting to comprehend the true meaning of 'hunger'.”

“For him, it might have been merely a moment of epiphany. Yet, it gave rise to the terrifying existence of the Immortal Ruins, causing the entire Star Sea to fall into ruin…”

“This is the power of an Immortal, transcending the mundane.”

The Holy Embryo's thoughts churned.

“And now, not far ahead, there actually exists something comparable in power to the immortals of the Immortal Ruins.”

“What could it possibly be?”