Chapter 1298: The First Transformation of the Mysterious Yellow Realm

"But how exactly should we go about it?" Elder Yin asked, his gaze intense, pinpointing the crux of the problem.

The strength of the several individuals present was actually quite similar.

Old Law Immortals, not to mention helping the Star Sea recover, were even powerless to reverse the crisis facing the Xuanhuang Realm.

As if a basin of cold water had been poured over them, everyone quickly calmed down and looked at Li Fan.

Li Fan sat upright on the preaching platform. As if he had long anticipated Elder Yin's question, he replied unhurriedly, "Do you all know that worlds are like people, and the Star Sea is no different?"

"If a person falls ill, one prescribes the right medicine for the symptoms, supplemented by stimulating acupoints and meridians."

"Worlds and the Star Sea, when afflicted by calamities, can also be treated in a similar manner..."

A human-shaped light diagram slowly appeared before everyone as Li Fan spoke.

All important acupoints and meridians were marked.

Li Fan gently waved his hand, and the light diagram instantly transformed. It expanded and diffused, eventually becoming a faintly glowing yellow cloud. The original acupoints and meridians from the human body also spread out across the cloud, following the laws of evolution.

Having just returned from the extraterrestrial space of Xuanhuang, everyone could clearly see that this cloud represented the Xuanhuang Realm. As they were intently observing, Li Fan pointed once more.

The cloud mass expanded again, a thousandfold, ten thousandfold.

The dazzling scene instantly enveloped everyone, and they became lost within it.

It was, remarkably, a brilliant Star Sea.

Everyone faintly perceived that what occasionally flickered and emitted unusual light in the Star Sea were precisely the acupoints and meridians from the human body and the world that they had seen earlier!

"From human to realm, from realm to domain. It makes perfect sense!" Elder Yin mused, lost in thought.

The others also seemed to be in a state of enlightenment.

Just as they wished to examine it more closely, Li Fan waved his hand, and the Star Sea instantly reverted, changing back to the scene of the Xuanhuang Realm.

"To restore the Star Sea, one must first restore Xuanhuang. And to restore Xuanhuang, one must revitalize these specific areas."

On the miniature scene of the Xuanhuang Realm, Li Fan marked out various locations.

"The Xuanhuang Realm has been devoured and plundered by cultivators for thousands of years, and it should have been completely depleted long ago. However, fortunately, the Dharma Transmission Heavenly Venerate has continuously collected fragmented realms in the Star Sea to nourish it. These fragmented realms are like medicine; though Xuanhuang has consumed them, it has not yet fully absorbed them..."

Those scattered markings emitted a ruddy and crystalline light, seeming to contain infinite vitality and energy.

Through Li Fan's discourse, everyone had already understood his meaning.

In short, his message was: Help Xuanhuang digest the medicinal properties!

Li Fan continued, "Xuanhuang has been weak for a long time, and there's a danger of it being too fragile to absorb tonics. Therefore, it needs to be guided and enticed, using acupoints to lead meridians, and points to cover broader areas..."

The sermon lasted for a full seven days and seven nights.

After Li Fan's figure dissipated, everyone remained immersed in the principle of the unity of man, heaven, and medicine that he had expounded, unable to control their emotions.

It was Elder Yin who was the first to awaken. "Fragmented realms are like medicine," he mused. "This analogy is truly ingenious. Absorb, digest, integrate into oneself. And those parts that cannot be absorbed will be completely discarded. These are what we call medicinal dregs..."

Artisan Qiao was absent-minded. He offered a few perfunctory words and then took his leave.

Bai Hua, on the other hand, frowned slightly. "Enticing Xuanhuang to digest the fragmented realms is not an easy task," she said. "Xuanhuang cultivators have been opposed to the Heavenly Dao for so many years. Any action involving the power of fragmented realms could potentially provoke the hostility of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, even if we are doing it for its own good."

"That's why we need to clear up this misunderstanding from the start and gain the trust of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao," Elder Yin said, looking at the place where Li Fan's figure had vanished.

When he left, Li Fan said he would help deal with this matter before his next sermon.

They just didn't know what method he would use.

As a fragmented realm spirit, Elder Yin understood far better than other cultivators just how difficult it was to resolve the Xuanhuang Realm's malice.

Seven days later, when Li Fan appeared again, he invited everyone to the sky above the Great Xuan Minor World.

Upon arriving here, Elder Yin felt as if he had fallen into a quagmire, every action facing immense resistance. The essence of his world spirit offered no help whatsoever in resolving this obstructive force. He couldn't even discern the source of this inexplicable resistance.

Bai Hua and Artisan Qiao also displayed extremely solemn expressions, indicating that they too had noticed the extraordinary nature of this place.

"Everyone, allow me to introduce someone to you," Li Fan said with a smile.

Then, a stooped, white-haired old man appeared before everyone.

The white-haired old man's strength wasn't particularly remarkable, but the coffin he carried on his back drew everyone's attention.

The faint, soaring resentment emanating from the coffin made Elder Yin and the others narrow their eyes involuntarily.

"This is Fellow Daoist Xu Ke, a former disciple of the Beast Taming Sect. Due to a mission, he has been hidden in a minor world, meditating in seclusion for thousands of years..." After briefly introducing Xu Ke's background, Li Fan signaled, and Xu Ke took down the coffin from his back.

It floated in the air.

As if sensing the temporary departure of its guardian, the sealed object inside the coffin instantly became more agitated. The coffin lid kept bouncing, as if whatever was confined within could break free at any moment.

"Do you all know what is sealed inside this coffin?" Li Fan asked.

Without waiting for a response, he directly announced the answer: "It is a wisp of Xuanhuang's will."

"However, this wisp of will is now filled with negative emotions such as resentment, madness, and paranoia. It has already transformed into a full-fledged Xuanhuang evil thought!"

"Today, we are going to purify this evil thought and then return it to Xuanhuang!" Li Fan said in a deep voice.

Xu Ke lightly coughed and added, "When this evil thought separated from the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao back then, it had intended to be completely severed from it. For the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, it was not as simple as merely cutting off a piece of flesh. It was more like an existence akin to an avatar."

"If we can return it to the Heavenly Dao and restore the missing part, it will definitely invoke the favor of Xuanhuang's Heaven..."

"Of course, the prerequisite is truly being able to completely purify the evil thought within it," Xu Ke said, looking at Li Fan.

Li Fan, however, was full of confidence. "It's merely a trivial evil thought," he declared. "With everyone's combined effort, how could it not be purified?"

Artisan Qiao had been listening for quite a while. After learning the true identity of the sealed object in the coffin, he became a bit impatient. "How exactly do we do it?" he asked. "I will cooperate fully!"

"What it hates," Li Fan said, "is merely that it didn't leave back then. Since that's the case, let's fulfill its wish and let it cross the high wall!" As Li Fan spoke, a whisk suddenly appeared in his hand.

He raised it high and then swept it fiercely towards the coffin.

The whisk's myriad white strands, like thousands of meteors, all plunged into the coffin.

The coffin, which had been violently shaking, leaped high and then became rigid in the air.

The whisk's white strands emitted a dreamlike silver light. Within the silver light, countless different scenes flashed.

All were dream scenes infused by Li Fan.

Although the dreams were all different, without exception, they all depicted scenes of great terror and great annihilation beyond the high wall.

In the dreams, the Xuanhuang evil thought, attached to Mister Bai, successfully crossed the high wall and escaped to the dark Star Sea.

Each time, it couldn't survive for more than three breaths of time, dying in various unspeakable, unknown calamities.

In just the blink of an eye, the Xuanhuang evil thought had already experienced tens of thousands of deaths in the illusion.

Seeing this, Artisan Qiao secretly muttered, "Isn't this a bit too outrageous? Although unknown, the outside of the high wall shouldn't be like this, should it? Even an ordinary-looking cat could swallow it whole? This Xuanhuang evil thought, in terms of strength alone, is probably not much weaker than an Old Law Immortal. Can it really be tricked?"

Xu Ke, who had coexisted with the Xuanhuang evil thought for thousands of years, acutely noticed that the struggles coming from within the coffin had indeed lessened. He couldn't help but show joy, exclaiming, "It's truly effective!"

At this moment, Li Fan's voice also came from above. "You all can also help portray dreams," he said. "No matter how bizarre or terrifying, it doesn't matter. As long as the Xuanhuang evil thought ultimately perishes."

The whisk's light surged, expanding to appear before everyone. At the end of the whisk's handle, a vortex faintly appeared.

Elder Yin and the others understood tacitly, and one after another, they projected the most terrifying dreams they could imagine into it with their thoughts.

Among these, the dreams depicted by Elder Yin were especially the most bizarre and terrifying.

Even with Li Fan's current experience, after observing them, he couldn't help but feel shivers down his spine.

In contrast, the illusions woven by Artisan Qiao, Bai Hua, and Xu Ke were much more ordinary.

Artisan Qiao's dreams mostly involved the destruction of worlds, and beings turning into puppets, making it hard to distinguish reality from illusion.

Bai Hua's dreams were related to the decay of life and all things falling into frozen silence.

Under the repeated baptism of different terrifying dreams, the Xuanhuang evil thought had already quietly undergone a qualitative change.

"The outside of the high wall is actually this terrifying?"

"If only I had known, I shouldn't have left the high wall then. Even if I could only barely survive, it's better than instantly losing my life!"

Such thoughts would accumulate within the Xuanhuang evil thought with the end of each dream.

Although each time felt like an almost negligible scratch, the speed of dream generation and reincarnation was too fast.

Every instant, hundreds of thousands of dreams disappeared and reappeared.

More importantly, these dreams were not just ordinary dreams as they appeared. Instead, they were top-tier illusion formations in the world, enhanced with a hint of Li Fan's insight into 'falsehood becoming truth'.

From the outside, one might wonder why those within the formation couldn't distinguish between dream and reality. But only by truly being inside the formation could one personally experience the formidable power of this 'falsehood becoming truth' illusion.

Li Fan looked at his masterpiece, and a hint of pride inevitably arose within him. "It has been transformed from the Cloudwater Illusion Dream Art," he mused, "but its effect is far stronger than the original."

"And it incorporates illusion array amplification... Even if it's not an Immortal Array, it surpasses one."

As the dreams continuously iterated, the Xuanhuang evil thought's descent also became faster and faster.

Initially, it would occasionally produce feelings of doubt and resistance.

Later on, all doubts vanished.

All that remained was endless regret and fear.

Looking at the Xuanhuang evil thought, finally trembling within the formation, Li Fan knew that this 'dish' was finally ready.

"Rise!"

Li Fan reached out his hand and grasped the giant whisk in mid-air.

Then he gently stirred it.

The myriad silver-white strands of the whisk also continuously stirred within the coffin.

Like sharp blades, they cut the Xuanhuang evil thought, which had completely given up resistance, into countless tiny pieces.

The sealed coffin also became illusory as the evil thought disintegrated.

Li Fan gently waved the whisk, and a part of the strands, coiling around a portion of the dismembered Xuanhuang evil thought, came before Elder Yin.

"Fellow Daoist, please!" Elder Yin first bowed, expressing gratitude to Li Fan.

Then he solemnly accepted the portion of the divided Xuanhuang evil thought before him.

Li Fan then separated another portion and sent it before Artisan Qiao.

Before long, as easily as slicing a radish, Li Fan completed the division of the Xuanhuang evil thought.

Everyone present received a share.

Li Fan himself also received a share, even a bit more than the others.

However, Elder Yin and the others naturally had no objections.

"Go!"

Manipulating the giant whisk, Li Fan's expression was solemn as he threw it towards the sky.

It tore through the firmament, opening a passage to the Xuanhuang Realm.

"Vast and deep azure, spirits return home."

Without Li Fan needing to do much more, from the moment the passage was opened, the Xuanhuang Realm's Heavenly Dao consciousness had already noticed the existence of its own will, which had been separated from it back then, within Great Xuan.

Within the passage, a tremendous roar continuously echoed, as if the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao consciousness was about to descend.

"Spirits return home!"

Li Fan pointed in mid-air.

The portion of purified and divided Xuanhuang evil thought before him flew towards the passage.

Its speed increased rapidly, and in an instant, it vanished before everyone.

Next, Elder Yin and the others followed suit.

In less than half a day, the Xuanhuang evil thought that had been scattered for many years finally completely returned to the Xuanhuang Realm.

The passage closed, and all unusual phenomena completely vanished.

Xu Ke looked at the sealed coffin, which had completely dematerialized and disappeared, and a sense of loss arose in his heart.

Artisan Qiao, on the other hand, was a bit worried. "Is that all?" he asked. "Won't it all be for nothing?"

Li Fan smiled faintly. "Rest assured, everyone," he said. "Xuanhuang will not suffer a loss, and those who contributed will be rewarded."

"However, the Xuanhuang Realm needs some time to digest this. Before the harvest, you all just need to wait patiently."

Li Fan's figure faded along with these words.

Only the group of people, each with a different expression, remained.

Elder Yin looked at Xu Ke and instead inquired about Mister Bai.

Xu Ke, who had originally been a bit lost, instantly became energized.

The two conversed happily, as if they were old friends.

Bai Hua and Artisan Qiao, on the other hand, seemed to clash a bit and went about their own business.

They were all waiting for the Xuanhuang Realm's gift that Li Fan had mentioned to arrive.

At the same time.

Within the Xuanhuang Realm.

Li Fan's true body concealed its whereabouts, secretly observing the changes in the Xuanhuang Realm.

If absorbing immortal spiritual energy caused changes on the Xuanhuang Realm's mountains, rivers, and surface, then after absorbing its lost will, the changes in the Xuanhuang Realm quietly occurred within the world itself.

Only cultivators extremely familiar with the operation of the Xuanhuang Realm's Heavenly Dao could perceive them.

"Analogous to us cultivators, it's like the strengthening of the divine soul and spiritual sense."

"The first beneficiaries should be the laws of the Xuanhuang Realm, which is to say, the Immortals of the Xuanhuang Realm..."

Li Fan sensed several vast consciousnesses sweeping across heaven and earth.

Some of them were quite familiar.

"Hmph, I'll let you taste a bit of sweetness first," he thought. "In the end, you'll have to spit it all out anyway!"

The vast consciousnesses searched several times but consistently failed to find the reason for the Xuanhuang Realm's inexplicable changes.

They could only give up.

Li Fan, however, sneered inwardly and paid them no mind.

He still carefully comprehended the changes in the Xuanhuang Realm. Changes that were entirely different from the changes of world destruction he had comprehended.