Chapter 1311: Transmission of the Law Accused as a Mystery

Angry Squid:

As expected of the Xuan-Shang Immortal Ark's secret vault, passed down from antiquity, the "Records of a Hundred Tales" truly contains many remarkable items.

As the only remaining sanctuary in the Pitch-Black Star Sea, the Xuan-Huang World has accumulated the essence of the entire star sea. Li Fan, having undergone a hundred reincarnations, could be said to have turned the Xuan-Huang World inside out. Thus, ordinary hidden treasures rarely caught his eye.

However, as he walked through the vault, Li Fan still noticed quite a few items that piqued his interest.

For instance, there was a seemingly bronze-cast immortal crane. According to the "Records of a Hundred Tales," this bronze crane was actually forged from numerous fragments of immortal artifacts. Although it didn't possess the special abilities of an immortal artifact, its material composition made it incredibly durable. No divine ability or spell could damage it in the slightest. Even if it wasn't truly indestructible through eons, the catastrophes that devastated the Pitch-Black Star Sea certainly caused it no harm.

“Limited by mortal materials, the Sky-Yang Immortal Puppets I refined in previous lives, despite being imbued with essence power, still couldn't break past mortal limits. Their ability to hold off the Dharma Incarnation for a time was already a testament to Sky-Yang's resolute fighting will. However, if this material were mixed in during the refining process...” A thought flashed through Li Fan's mind.

Another example was a seven-colored stream of light. It looked remarkably similar to the Seven-Colored Jade Void Glimmer that Zhong Shengtong had fished out of the fishing pond. However, the Seven-Colored Jade Void Glimmer was created when a mighty cultivator gathered and refined seven streams of light from the radiant world of the Chong-Yan cultivation realm. It was an evolution of the Heavenly Dao, containing the world's origin. The stream of light in the "Records of a Hundred Tales," on the other hand, was a remnant of an unknown cultivation realm after its natural demise. It could be considered the corpse of a cultivation realm.

Li Fan had personally refined the Seven-Colored Jade Void Glimmer before. In his perception, although the two types of seven-colored glimmer were fundamentally different, they seemed subtly connected.

“Perhaps it involves the evolution of worlds from death to life...” Li Fan, who had already claimed the fishing pond for himself in this life, naturally conceived the idea of collecting both types of seven-colored light for a detailed comparison.

Yet another item was a plain, standing figurine with lowered eyelids. The Xuan-Shang Immortal Ark had acquired it by chance, but despite extensive research, its function remained unknown. It was thus placed in the secret vault, slowly forgotten by the world. As Li Fan passed by this figurine, he clearly detected subtle stirrings from Huan Zhen. While not as intense as encountering an Eternal Remnant, the fact that it elicited a reaction from Huan Zhen was enough to signify the figurine's extraordinary nature.

“It should also be related to a projection of the Dao,” Li Fan thought, his expression unchanged, his gaze not lingering on the figurine.

Li Fan patiently selected items within the Immortal Ark's secret vault, constantly accompanied by three elders of the Ark.

They did not interfere, merely observing his every move in silence, their eyes fixed on him.

“It seems the thief from back then truly caused significant losses to the Immortal Ark. Even with the Immortal Severing Arm as an extra safeguard, you all still don't feel at ease,” Li Fan remarked playfully, his footsteps suddenly halting.

Gan Jingda, Nan-Gong Lie, and Lu Yu-Zhi, the three elders, kept their eyes downcast, pretending not to have heard him.

“I wonder what exactly the Immortal Ark lost back then?” Li Fan asked casually, continuing his search for treasures.

“Hmph hmph...” Upon hearing this, most of the Immortal Ark elders showed expressions of resentment.

Zhong Dao-Gong's voice drifted from afar: “The past is too painful to recall. But after so many years, there's no harm in telling you if you're interested, fellow Daoist.”

“Among the precious treasures the Immortal Ark lost back then, the most valuable was an Ice Crystal Immortal Amber,” Zhong Dao-Gong said, his tone tinged with nostalgia.

Jian Dao-Sheng, the chief of the Immortal Severing Pagoda, appeared to be an eyewitness to the events of that year. He suddenly sighed, “Even now, the dreamlike, hazy appearance of the Ice Crystal Immortal Amber occasionally flashes in my mind. I only regret not being more forceful and stepping forward to stop it back then. It led to a tragedy.”

The other elders also sighed in agreement.

Li Fan asked curiously, “Ice Crystal Immortal Amber? The name sounds beautiful. But what exactly is this object?”

Zhong Dao-Gong replied: “The Ice Crystal Immortal Amber is, in fact, a frozen cultivation realm. Its origin involves an extremely rare celestial phenomenon from the ancient times of the star sea.”

Li Fan's expression grew more curious, and he humbly requested, “I'd like to hear the details.”

“Back then, the star sea wasn't as desolate and lifeless as it is now. Besides countless vibrant cultivation realms with diverse landscapes, many strange stellar phenomena frequently appeared.”

“Such as Sky Whale Leaping, Star Horse Rushing, Yin-Yang Vortexes...”

“When these phenomena erupted, they often covered an entire star region, affecting dozens of cultivation realms. Some merely displayed unusual sights in the world's celestial canopy, while others caused world-ending catastrophes to cultivation realms!”

“The Wind of Radiant Crystals was one such phenomenon.”

“A sudden, unknown wind of ice descended from the starry sky to the earth. Wherever the cold wind passed, cultivators at the Spirit Transformation, Dao Integration, or Longevity stages were instantly frozen without even a moment's reaction time. All living beings in the world, and even the world itself, were transformed into ice sculptures under the blowing Wind of Radiant Crystals.” Zhong Dao-Gong lightly tapped his finger, and above the Immortal Ark's secret vault, the terrifying scene of a frozen, wind-swept world appeared.

“The frozen cultivation realm remained isolated in the star sea from then on, never to see a day of thawing. Any living being attempting to approach it would also be affected by the absolute cold, either suffering severe injury and fleeing, or likewise becoming an eternal ice sculpture.”

Li Fan looked at the image above and frowned slightly: “I understand the 'Ice Crystal' part. But what does 'Immortal Amber' signify?”

It was Jian Dao-Sheng who explained Li Fan's confusion: “If it were merely a frozen realm, the Xuan-Shang Immortal Ark wouldn't have considered it such a supreme treasure. In fact, while the probability of the Wind of Radiant Crystals occurring is low, considering the vastness of the star sea and the accumulation of countless eons...”

“The number of existing world-ice sculptures isn't particularly small.”

“The one the Immortal Ark collected back then was so valuable because there was a unique existence within that frozen cultivation realm,” Jian Dao-Sheng said, his voice distant, as if returning to the past.

“The Wind of Radiant Crystals blew down from the starry sky. The world should have instantly turned into an ice sculpture. However, a ghostly figure appeared in that realm, attempting to block the wind of ice...”

“But how could a stellar phenomenon be stopped by mortal cultivators? It is said that when the stellar phenomena were at their most violent, even True Immortals had to retreat, let alone us mortal cultivators.”

“So, the outcome was obvious. The act of saving the world was merely like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, doomed to self-destruction. Yet, it did manage to obstruct it for a tiny fraction of a second... The world wasn't instantly frozen, but its living beings were granted a fleeting moment to react.”

Jian Dao-Sheng's voice was full of emotion: “It was this instantaneous change that created an entirely unique ice sculpture. In the face of the world-ending disaster, living beings displayed varied expressions. Some were terrified, some despairing, some found hope upon seeing that figure, and some were in disbelief... It truly captured the myriad expressions of sentient beings.”

“If that were all, it would merely be a slightly rarer frozen world. It wouldn't warrant our Immortal Ark bestowing upon it the name 'Immortal Amber'.”

Jian Dao-Sheng continued: “The reason we bestowed upon it an 'immortal' name was primarily because of that ghostly figure that attempted to block the Wind of Radiant Crystals.”

Hearing this, Li Fan couldn't help but speculate: “Could it be that a True Immortal is truly sealed within that frozen world?”

Jian Dao-Sheng shook his head: “No, that's not the case. If a True Immortal were sealed within, our Immortal Ark probably wouldn't dare to keep it on board. However, from a sheer value perspective, that figure might be even more precious than a True Immortal. After all, before the path to immortality was severed, people from all realms ascended to become immortals.”

“But a materialized inner demon—that is truly unprecedented and rare throughout eternity!”

Upon hearing this, Li Fan's eyes narrowed slightly: “An inner demon? Materialized?”

In his previous life, when possessing Zhao Xian for cultivation, Li Fan had already experienced the torment of inner demons in the star sea. As long as cultivation continued, inner demons would ceaselessly accompany one's entire cultivation journey. Even if forcibly suppressed with external aid, they would soon return, growing more intense. In his previous life, Zhao Xian's advancement was affected because he simply couldn't escape the inner demons' interference. It was then that an impatient Li Fan directly took over his body using the Dao Pill art.

This was merely an inner demon under the shattered laws of the star sea.

Even when weakened by several folds, it could still have such a significant impact on a cultivator's practice. One can only imagine how terrifying inner demons would have been when the ancient star sea laws were intact.

No wonder ancient cultivators spoke of inner demons with dread and shunned them at all costs.

However, what Li Fan experienced through Zhao Xian's body were merely various illusions arising from within. He never saw the true source that caused these illusions.

“An inner demon should be a type of law. It can actually materialize?” Li Fan exclaimed, appearing utterly astonished and incredulous.

“That's precisely why the Ice Crystal Immortal Amber is so incredibly precious. Unless one saw it with their own eyes, no one could imagine such a strange object existing in this world.”

“After collecting the Ice Crystal Immortal Amber, the Immortal Ark spent decades in discussion. They finally confirmed the illusory figure in the ice world was an inner demon. It was speculated that this inner demon had evolved from the inner demon laws of another cultivation realm. What remained unknown was why it left its original world and suffered such an unwarranted calamity.”

Zhong Dao-Gong suddenly spoke again: “Regarding this point, the Immortal Ark actually had a reasonable conjecture. Inner demons are formless and intangible, unbound by space, and can traverse the star sea at will. Unhindered by physical form, they can even appear directly within a cultivator's mind. Many cultivators have been affected by inner demons, losing their sanity and seeming like completely different people. The invasion of an inner demon can be seen as the most supreme form of body snatching.”

“Although this materialized inner demon is very special, it still cannot escape the inherent characteristics of inner demons. Traversing the star sea and searching for a suitable host to parasitize is its instinct. Perhaps this is why it appeared in that frozen world.”

“Furthermore, judging by the power it displayed when the world was frozen, it could infect not only cultivators. Even the consciousness of a world's Heavenly Dao could be eroded by this materialized inner demon.”

“To bewitch and replace the Heavenly Dao of other worlds. Perhaps 'Heavenly Demon' would be a more fitting name.”

Zhong Dao-Gong spoke eloquently, his words tinged with regret over the loss of the treasure.

Li Fan, however, felt a stir in his heart.

A scene from his previous life emerged in his mind: under the world-ending storm of the immortal array, the Dharma Incarnation's body gradually dissolved, revealing the transparent figure within.

The moment Li Fan saw this transparent figure, a faint sense of familiarity simultaneously welled up within him.

It wasn't that Li Fan had seen this transparent figure before.

Rather, he had encountered the aura of its 'kind'.

The familiarity came from Tian Jue, Tian Yu, Tian Yin, and Tian Yi.

Or rather...

From the Heavenly Law Realm.

“A Heavenly Demon...”

Li Fan perhaps now understood the reason why the Dharma Incarnation had infiltrated this place back then.

“Is the Heavenly Demon also a member of the Heavenly Law Realm's Venerables?”

“The Venerables of the Heavenly Law Realm act on behalf of Heaven to uphold the Dao. And the Heavenly Demon is the manifestation of the inner demon's path.”

“However, due to its inherent characteristics, the Heavenly Demon would roam the star sea and often not be in the Heavenly Law Realm. It even had the misfortune of encountering an extremely rare stellar phenomenon and suffering the curse of eternal freezing.”

“If not for the Dharma Incarnation's later intervention to rescue it, it would probably have remained eternally frozen, becoming a collector's item for the Immortal Ark.”

“But why did the Dharma Incarnation save the Heavenly Demon? And why was it later eroded by the Heavenly Demon?”

Suddenly, the figure of Tian Yi appeared before Li Fan's eyes.

Judging by their interactions in the previous life, the Dharma Incarnation was clearly under Tian Yi's control.

Previously, Li Fan had speculated that the Dharma Incarnation was a clone refined by Tian Yi.

But now, it seemed their relationship might not be so simple.

“The Dharma Incarnation, Xuanyuan Gou-Dan. Perhaps a reincarnation of King Xuan Tian...”

“For the first half of its life, it was merely a mortal. Then it suddenly awakened, as if some consciousness had traversed space and possessed it.” Li Fan's eyes narrowed.

“Regardless, I finally know why the Dharma Incarnation was controlled by Tian Yi. It was the Heavenly Demon wreaking havoc deep within its divine soul.”

Li Fan then considered that inner demons no longer existed in the current Xuan-Huang World.

Perhaps it wasn't solely due to the Dharma Incarnation's new law.

With the Heavenly Demon, a materialized inner demon, present, there naturally wouldn't be any more minor inner demons descending and interfering.

His thoughts swirling, Li Fan listened to the Immortal Ark elders' account and couldn't help but genuinely exclaim, “So, that truly was an extraordinary treasure. For it to be stolen just like that is utterly detestable.”

“What did that thief look like? Are they still alive now?” Li Fan asked.

“If there's enough information, our Da Qi might be able to help track this thief.”

Zhong Dao-Gong raised an eyebrow and asked, “True Immortal Sigils?”

Li Fan shook his head: “Not exactly. It's the power of a world-protecting immortal artifact combined with array formations. In short, it's profound, and I can't elaborate further.”

Although he spoke vaguely, the power of creation he had previously displayed had fully demonstrated the depth of Da Qi civilization. Thus, Li Fan's statement did not arouse suspicion among the Ark members.

After all, Li Fan hadn't made any guarantees, merely stating “perhaps.”

The Immortal Ark elders discussed among themselves and, to avoid arousing Li Fan's suspicion, still displayed the thief's appearance from that year.

It was indeed the Dharma Incarnation Venerable.

However, the recorded image preserved by the Immortal Ark subtly differed from the Dharma Incarnation Li Fan had seen in his previous life.

The expression was much more vibrant, as if they were two different people.