Chapter 1264: Heavenly Sovereign, Earthly Soul

“Because I couldn’t let the Myriad Immortals Alliance detect my plan, I could only snatch a little time each time. Originally, it would have taken much longer to accumulate everything, but now…”

Derivation Jade looked at Li Fan. “Your method has been a great help!”

Li Fan, however, said, “Forty years is still too long. Moreover, to avoid revealing any flaws, while you sleep, you must also allocate a small portion of your power to deal with the supervision of the Law Protection Hall. Is there any way to shorten the required time further?”

“Are you really going to help me?” Derivation Jade seemed somewhat surprised.

However, seeing Li Fan’s serious expression, Derivation Jade pondered for a moment, then flew to his side and whispered in his ear, “As I said earlier, deducing cultivation techniques means cultivation to me. The reason I need fifty years of sleep to grow is to sort out and absorb the gains from my cultivation. If there’s a way to skip this step, I might only need to rest for five years… no, ten years should be enough!”

“I faintly recall a treasure called ‘Immortal Sound Jade Dew’ existing in the world. If I could consume some more…”

A faint trickle of drool was visible at the corner of Derivation Jade’s mouth.

“Immortal Sound Jade Dew?” Li Fan frowned slightly upon hearing this.

“Are you sure this is from the Xuanhuang Realm?”

Thanks to the Holy Emperor’s close connection with the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao in this life, Li Fan learned more secrets of the Heavenly Dao. The Souls of Heaven and Earth, born to fulfill their heavenly duties, are manifestations of the Xuanhuang laws.

Li Fan said, “Aren’t you afraid that I’m someone from the Myriad Immortals Alliance? That everything I’m saying is just to deceive you…”

Li Fan smiled, offering no rebuttal.

Indeed, Li Fan currently held no ill will towards Derivation Jade. He simply planned to help it break free from the Myriad Immortals Alliance’s control. In this process, he would use the pretext of a successful escape to make Derivation Jade acknowledge him as its master.

“Uh… I don’t know,” Derivation Jade was instantly bewildered by Li Fan’s words.

The light and shadows twisted for a moment, and the simulated personality resumed its original form, tirelessly taking over Derivation Jade’s work.

Heavenly Dao Bai not only inherited the characteristics of the Grand Heavenly Venerate Xuanhuang’s mark but also possessed the traits of the Souls of Heaven and Earth. Thus, with every move, it could merge various authorities of the Souls of Heaven and Earth, achieving the unity of heaven and man.

Li Fan’s mind became completely clear.

In this state, Heavenly Dao Bai could be described as incredibly powerful.

“After Xuanhuang undergoes its transformation, it will become the Soul of Heaven and Earth.”

Li Fan had already tasted the benefits of the array path dominating several generations; if he could achieve the same with cultivation techniques, his future actions would be much more convenient.

The premise was successfully making Derivation Jade acknowledge him as its master.

“Of course, the Disjunction Disk and Derivation Jade are both tools. To truly achieve enlightenment and find the path to transcendence, I must still rely on myself.”

Heavenly Dao Bai, which Li Fan had coincidentally birthed using the Holy Embryo, was among these.

A perfect plan.

According to the ‘weak perish, strong survive’ rule Li Fan had previously discovered, by then, the Myriad Immortals Alliance’s Derivation Jade would mysteriously disappear. The one in Li Fan’s possession, after merging, would complete its sublimation and breakthrough.

Having undergone hundreds of reincarnations, and possessing the origin of the Heavenly Profound Mirror while controlling the Creation Stone Tablet, Li Fan could be said to know almost every natural treasure in the Xuanhuan Realm.

Fiery Red and Ink Kill, for example, were merely Souls of Heaven and Earth with single attributes.

“With her current abilities, her help to me is already limited. But if she could advance further and deduce immortal techniques…”

Derivation Jade observed for a while, and after confirming there would be no mishaps, it contentedly spread its limbs into a large ‘X’ shape, floating in the air and falling into a deep sleep.

Thus, for the first time in history, two identical Heavenly Oddities would appear in the Xuanhuang Realm.

“But I can assure you, Immortal Sound Jade Dew truly exists in this world,” the little loli declared confidently.

“Then you should rest well for now. If I get any news, I’ll contact you again.”

Before finding a way to break free from the shackles of the transmitted cultivation system, it was worthwhile to continue along the current path. After all, with the advantage of continuous reincarnation and rebirth, cultivating step-by-step was far easier than pioneering something from scratch.

“Relying solely on ordinary Souls of Heaven and Earth certainly won’t be enough.”

And with decades more experience in derivation, the Derivation Jade retained by Li Fan should be slightly stronger of the two.

“In this life, I’ll use the Holy Emperor to probe the true strength of Transmission and Heavenly Doctor. In the next life, by taking this step, I’ll strive to narrow the gap between us. Perhaps even achieve an equal footing!”

Under extremely special circumstances, the Xuanhuang Realm would spontaneously evolve Souls of Heaven and Earth with composite attributes.

However, this Immortal Sound Jade Dew was indeed something he had never heard of before.

If it could be used as a material when advancing to the Dao Integration stage, it would certainly greatly increase his combat power.

But…

Just this one wouldn’t be enough.

Li Fan vaguely understood that identical Souls of Heaven and Earth might not produce the same effect in new cultivation methods. But the Xuanhuang Realm had more than just one Grand Heavenly Venerate Xuanhuang.

Nor was there only one Venerate mark.

It was just that Mr. Bai was the last Grand Heavenly Venerate Xuanhuang, the closest to the current era, and thus the easiest to “summon.”

“What if I could summon all the past Grand Heavenly Venerates Xuanhuang in the form of Souls of Heaven and Earth and materialize them as resources for my advancement to Dao Integration…”

A faint glint flickered in Li Fan’s eyes.

“Under normal circumstances, the Xuanhuang Realm’s ability to support one Grand Heavenly Venerate’s Soul of Heaven and Earth is already its limit. The scenario I’m envisioning is theoretically impossible to achieve.”

“But there *is* a way. In each reincarnation, I’ll summon one Grand Heavenly Venerate Soul of Heaven and Earth, find a way to seal and preserve it. Once they are all gathered, I’ll simultaneously refine and consume them.”

The Dao Transformation Stone flowed with light, and potential future scenarios constantly evolved in Li Fan’s mind.

“Feasible.”

“But it must be planned carefully and executed slowly.”

“Compared to seeking breakthroughs in the depths of the dark star sea, this method is more reliable. Both can be pursued in parallel.”

“Speaking of which, in a sense, the Holy Emperor of this life can also be considered half a Grand Heavenly Venerate Xuanhuang. If he falls, I wonder if he can leave a mark between heaven and earth?”

Just as Li Fan’s main body was planning the future in the Derivation Jade’s space, the Faceless Holy Emperor of Great Qi finally found traces of the possibly hidden Xuan Tian Sect’s Dharma King among the clues recorded on the Creation Stone Tablet.

“When Xuan Tian King was present, a mysterious power enveloped the Xuan Tian Sect members, influencing and distorting the Creation Stone Tablet’s records. But even after Xuan Tian King disappeared, this veil didn’t immediately dissipate. This was one of the reasons why the Ten Immortal Sects always rigorously guarded against the Xuan Tian Sect, fearing its resurgence.”

“However, as time passed, especially after the great calamity where ‘laws cannot be cultivated together’ descended, this concealing power seemed to have been affected in some way. It eventually faded away.”

Li Ping arrived outside the ruins of Zixiao Sect.

His gaze pierced through layers of obstructions, reaching beneath the ground.

He saw a figure sleeping there.

“Xuan Tian Sect’s Dharma King, Mo Rubing.”

The Faceless Holy Emperor recalled Mo Rubing’s past deeds before Xuan Tian King persuaded him to join the Xuan Tian Sect.

Mo Rubing was hailed as the most exceptionally talented disciple of the ancient Immortal Sect, Nine Refining Monastery, in a millennium.

He was an unparalleled genius with the highest potential to ascend to immortality.

Nine Refining Monastery’s cultivation techniques were renowned in the ancient Xuanhuang Realm for their unique and bizarre nature.

The profound meaning of its foundational technique, the Nine Revolutions Immortal Soul, was said to involve refining nine reincarnated immortal souls from one’s different experiences in the mortal world. Once the technique was perfected, one would devour all nine immortal souls to condense a supreme immortal soul, breaking the shackles of immortal law and ascending to immortality.

At that time, Mo Rubing had already completed the refinement of the first eight immortal souls. He was just one step away from successfully completing the last one.

But at this most critical moment, he suddenly witnessed the scene of Xuanyuan Hong breaking through the heavenly tribulation and ascending.

His Dao heart was greatly shaken, and his ninth immortal soul was damaged.

After much effort, he finally calmed himself and repaired his immortal soul. But then he received news that Xuan Tian King, who had clearly ascended, had surprisingly returned to the lower realm.

The Immortal Realm had suffered a great calamity, the path to immortality was obscured, and ascension was no longer possible.

Mo Rubing could no longer maintain his Dao heart; he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and his ninth immortal soul disintegrated instantly.

The first eight immortal souls also suffered varying degrees of damage.

Furthermore, the injuries to Mo Rubing’s immortal souls tended to worsen over time.

Because the path to immortality was severed, Mo Rubing, who had always made ascension his goal, completely lost the motivation to cultivate.

The former genius was utterly disheartened. Even the persuasions of his sect elders were useless.

Mo Rubing became dispirited and grew weaker by the day.

Until Xuan Tian King, Xuanyuan Hong, stood before Mo Rubing.

The scene gradually blurred, and thoughts returned to reality.

The Faceless Holy Emperor did not immediately awaken Mo Rubing but first observed him carefully.

“The aura of his cultivation technique no longer seems to be the Nine Revolutions Immortal Soul. It should be a technique Xuan Tian King brought down from the Immortal Realm.”

“I don’t sense any severe injuries on him. Rather than healing, it seems more like…”

“Waiting?”

Li Ping pondered. With a gentle flick of his hand, a subtle, non-hostile energy ripple, like a breeze, pierced through space, reaching directly to where Mo Rubing resided.

Mo Rubing’s eyelids twitched, on the verge of being startled awake from his slumber.

“Hmm?” At that moment, Li Ping seemed to sense something, and his arm, poised for another gentle wave, suddenly halted.

The surrounding tranquility allowed Mo Rubing to fall back into slumber.

However, unlike before, Mo Rubing unconsciously shifted his posture. Consequently, his expression and demeanor also changed.

The Faceless Holy Emperor gazed intently, vaguely discerning some clues.

“This is the effect of the Nine Revolutions Immortal Soul. Even though he no longer cultivates this technique, as the foundation of his cultivation, it inevitably affected him. While it might not lead to the splitting of personalities, it could cause him to act according to completely different principles at times…”

The Nine Revolutions Immortal Soul of Nine Refining Monastery was feared by cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm at the time precisely because each immortal soul was cultivated from scratch with a brand new consciousness. Moreover, an immortal soul could only be successfully refined when the experiences it underwent differed sufficiently from the previously condensed immortal souls.

Evidently, the further one progressed, the greater the difficulty of cultivation. Some Nine Refining Monastery cultivators even went so far as to commit numerous extreme crimes to create suitable cultivation environments just to successfully refine an immortal soul.

“In comparison, Mo Rubing, relying solely on his own comprehension, nearly succeeded in condensing all nine immortal souls—he was indeed an extraordinary genius. What a pity…” The Faceless Holy Emperor shook his head with a sigh.

Now that he knew Mo Rubing’s characteristics, the Holy Emperor naturally became more vigilant.

Such a presence, akin to a madman, might appear calm and consistent on the surface. Yet, in an instant, they could make a decision completely different from before.

The Holy Emperor continued to emit subtle energy fluctuations, slowly rousing Mo Rubing.

After a good while…

“Who are you?”

It was impossible to discern exactly when Mo Rubing opened his eyes.

However, Li Ping was certain that when Mo Rubing spoke those words, he had already been observing him for some time.

“Your aura feels somewhat familiar. That’s why I didn’t directly attack,” Mo Rubing continued.

Li Ping, however, keenly sensed a mirror-like fissure quietly forming between them.

At this very moment, Li Ping’s figure vanished into thin air.

Only his voice echoed.

“What exactly happened in the battle that led to the downfall of the Xuan Tian Sect?”

“And is Xuan Tian King truly dead or alive?”

Mo Rubing put away his minor techniques, revealing an interested expression: “I do know some things. But why should I tell you?!”

After saying this, his expression instantly darkened: “You want to deal with Senior Brother Xuanyuan? You’re asking for death!”

The sky above Zixiao Sect seemed to suddenly darken.

Mirrors appeared one after another, sealing off the space.

“Face your inner self! Let me see why you resemble Senior Brother Xuanyuan!”

Mo Rubing spoke seemingly nonsensical words.

And reflected in the myriad mirrors, the hidden figure of the Faceless Holy Emperor slowly became visible.