Chapter 1347: Elevating the Heavenly Pattern of the World

Angry Squid

In the Xuanhuang sky, the situation changed dramatically. The power of the Star Sea's resurgence, along with the vistas revealed from a higher vantage point, were all previously untouchable secrets to the Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm.

It instinctively and continuously absorbed these energies. Corresponding changes quietly unfolded across the world. However, this process was destined to be as protracted as the Star Sea's own resurgence. It had only just begun, in its nascent stages, and virtually no one in the Xuanhuang Realm could discern these subtle shifts.

As the origin of these transformations, and especially still connected to the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, Li Fan naturally had a clear and comprehensive view of all the changes unfolding across the world.

This was a power of evolution diametrically opposed to the Xuanhuang World-Destroying Transformation. Yet, it was equally vast and surging, captivating all who witnessed it.

Li Fan also perceived the rapidly escalating favorability of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao. Wielding the might of the Star Sea's essence and offering the tangible benefit of generously imparting the Dao, Li Fan's blend of benevolence and authority caused the favorability to surge at a rate that far surpassed even that of the Saint Emperor from his previous life!

Only when the increase in favorability gradually slowed did Li Fan temporarily halt this "lesson." The Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao seemed reluctant to part ways. Li Fan, however, resolutely took his leave. He returned directly to the Grand Qi Minor World, severing the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao's perception.

As Li Fan's birthplace and the initial site of his preaching in this life, the sky of the Grand Qi Minor World remained unclouded by the Walls of Darkness that enveloped other minor worlds. Nevertheless, the Preaching Platform stood majestically, its immense size nearly encompassing all human habitats.

As living beings listened to the Saint Master's sermons, their thoughts and insights were simultaneously recorded on the Preaching Platform, becoming perceptible to Li Fan. It was as if billions of beings were simultaneously assisting Li Fan in his enlightenment of the Dao. Currently, however, all the diverse insights of beings in other minor worlds, except for those from the Grand Qi Preaching Platform, were channeled into the 'Cracks in the High Wall'. This was precisely why Li Fan chose to maintain Grand Qi's original state: to preserve the diversity of enlightenment thoughts.

Within the Preaching Sky, the simulated Heavenly Matrix, appearing as a silver eye, seemed motionless. In truth, it performed over a billion rotations every single moment. It observed the enlightened beings of Grand Qi, the mountains, rivers, and trees of the minor world, and the flowing water and white clouds within it. Compared to its initial creation, the silver eye had now become significantly more vivid. It no longer resembled a cultivator's creation; instead, it felt like a truly living entity.

"What exactly is a World Heavenly Dao?"

Intimidated by power yet reliant on strength—the Xuanhuang Realm's Heavenly Dao's somewhat pet-like disposition was still fresh in his mind. Li Fan couldn't help but ponder this very question.

He opened his left hand, and within a golden, spherical cage-like space, wisps of invisible intentions floated. These were the Heavenly Dao consciousnesses of minor worlds that had dared to resist when he recently erected the Walls of Darkness across various minor worlds. Li Fan had extracted and imprisoned all of them here, subsequently replacing them with the simulated Heavenly Matrix to maintain the normal functioning of each minor world.

"What I extracted wasn't the complete World Heavenly Dao. Rather, it appears to be the Heavenly Matrixes that developed unique dispositions within those minor worlds over long ages. Once extracted, each minor world reverted to its primitive state, operating purely by instinct. If my simulated Heavenly Matrix hadn't filled that void..."

"The temperament of a World Heavenly Matrix seems to be influenced by various factors, including the world's size and its resource conditions."

"For example, this wisp originated from a minor world fraught with calamities, giving it a deeply cautious and vigilant disposition towards the outside. Another wisp, from a mortal world roughly the size of Grand Qi, felt complete and 'upright,' almost 'more orthodox' than the Xuanhuang Realm's Heavenly Dao, if one disregards scale."

Li Fan discerned the various World Heavenly Matrixes held within the cage. Then, unhurriedly, he fed each of them, one by one, to the silver eye before him. Though he still didn't know precisely how World Heavenly Matrixes were born or what specific conditions they required, Li Fan was certain that their very gestation represented a formidable power.

It was almost visibly apparent: as the silver eye slowly devoured these minor world Heavenly Matrixes, the eye itself became increasingly vivid and lifelike. To Li Fan, it felt increasingly 'animated.' While it had previously resembled a living entity, it was now far more so, almost indistinguishable from a pet with a soul.

Before devouring the World Heavenly Matrixes, the silver eye had merely faithfully executed Li Fan's commands, monitoring and perceiving the thoughts of beings within the Grand Qi Minor World. But now, this silver eye would occasionally observe Li Fan covertly. The 'divine eye' undoubtedly conveyed a sense of eager deference. When Li Fan's gaze met its own, it seemed to be encouraged. Its 'eyeball' rolled around playfully, as if seeking attention or performing.

"Quite interesting," he thought. From its gaze, Li Fan discerned a craving for more World Heavenly Matrixes.

Li Fan remained unmoved, yet gently beckoned. The silver eye then actively floated closer. It brought its form closer to Li Fan's outstretched hand. In an instant, countless thoughts, both present and past, from the Grand Qi Minor World appeared categorized around Li Fan. The silver eye had also perfectly organized these into categories, making it convenient for Li Fan to review. With a mere thought from Li Fan, the silver eye would swiftly perceive his needs, then summarize, sort, and present the information accordingly.

"'Compared to before, it's undoubtedly much more intelligent and user-friendly,' he mused. 'No wonder in the ancient cultivation era, they often refined entire worlds into magical artifacts. This World Heavenly Matrix is virtually the ultimate version of an artifact spirit.' Li Fan gazed at the silver eye before him, lost in thought. 'It's a pity that even after devouring so many minor world Heavenly Matrixes, this silver eye still feels considerably inferior to the Xuanhuang Realm's Heavenly Dao. Using it as a replacement might be somewhat unrealistic. What exactly are the factors that influence its qualitative transformation?'"

If he could replace the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao's consciousness with his own creation, it would undoubtedly be a profoundly significant achievement for Li Fan. Only by thoroughly transforming the Xuanhuang Realm into a formidable stronghold under his control could it serve as a crucial bridgehead for exploring beyond the High Wall.

Li Fan pondered deeply, simultaneously perceiving the myriad thoughts transmitted by the silver eye. Suddenly, a piece of information, prominently highlighted by the silver eye, popped into his awareness. Li Fan's gaze sharpened. It was a synchronized perception of the experiences of Sun Erlang, Wang Xuanba, and Yue Zhenwei.

Previously, under Li Fan's subtle guidance, they had traveled to the Five Elders' Council territory, seeking the Nascent Soul Grotto-Heaven. However, after a series of twists and turns, they had inadvertently stumbled into the Land of Carefree Bliss. Trapped within a dream world teeming with man-eating demons, they had only just managed to find a way to shatter the world and successfully escape. Yet, they had not exited the Land of Bliss. To uncover the secrets of the Land of Bliss, they were compelled to continue to the remaining two dream boundaries.

"'After all this time, they should have made some discoveries,' he mused. 'The Land of Carefree Bliss...'"

With a thought, countless shifting lights and shadows instantly surged towards Li Fan. The recent experiences of Sun Erlang and his companions instantly surfaced.

After successfully navigating the first dream world, Sun Erlang and his companions initially believed the subsequent two worlds would be considerably easier. However, reality proved they had severely underestimated the perils of the Land of Carefree Bliss. The second dream world they entered was a terrifying, unheard-of apocalypse. Within a vast Star Sea, civilizations withered and vitality waned. A terrifying alien insect species had become the true rulers of this Star Sea. Wherever the swarms passed, they devoured all living beings on the land, leaving behind only hard, indigestible rock.

Upon their arrival, Sun Erlang and his companions found themselves confronted by a desolate land cloaked in deathly silence. Their mission: to survive for half a year amidst the siege of the insect armies still swarming the surface.

The second dream world diverged entirely from the first. There were no riddles; upon entry, mission prompts and methods for exiting the world automatically appeared in their minds. There were even mission rewards offered. Initially, Sun Erlang and his companions didn't anticipate the mission would be particularly difficult. However, after their first true engagement with the overwhelming insect swarm, they realized how gravely mistaken they were. Even though they had gained insight from the Saint Master's phantom and mastered numerous combat spells and divine abilities, they experienced a profound sense of powerlessness for the first time when faced with the sheer, overwhelming numbers of the insect swarm. The swarms simply couldn't be eradicated. No matter how many they eliminated with divine abilities, more would swiftly emerge from unknown subterranean depths, filling the void.

Having learned their lesson, the trio swiftly altered their strategy, opting for a fighting retreat. However, the insect swarms permeated virtually every corner of the world; no matter where they fled, an endless pursuit remained at their heels. In less than seven days, the trio was already on the brink of despair. Wang Xuanba, in particular, cursed vehemently, convinced the mission was utterly impossible to complete.

Fortunately, Sun Erlang had learned the Spirit Devouring technique from the Pig Demon statue in the previous dream world. During the arduous battle, he finally managed to gain initial mastery of it. He then sustained himself by feeding on the corpses of the insect swarms, using combat to fuel further combat. With an endless supply of resources and no fear of depletion, the trio's situation immediately improved significantly. Sun Erlang stabilized the situation.

Wang Xuanba then had the fortune of discovering a powerful magical artifact within the belly of an alien insect. It could summon a mechanical puppet reaching thirty zhang in height. Initially, the summoned puppet remained motionless. However, after some experimentation, Wang Xuanba uncovered its true function. His body transformed into ethereal light, entering the puppet. He then merged his consciousness with the colossal mechanical form. Using the puppet's formidable power, he began slaughtering the insect swarms.

While the situation appeared somewhat ameliorated, the relentless, unending sea of alien insects still plunged Sun Erlang and his companions into despair. After nearly three months of such grueling perseverance, their bodies and wills had been pushed to their absolute limits. Considering that they wouldn't truly die in the dream realm anyway, they all nearly gave in to the urge to surrender.

At the last moment, it was the meticulous Yue Zhenwei who discovered that although the insect swarms appeared to act instinctively, their movement patterns secretly conformed to a distinct underlying rule. It was as if something was secretly directing their every move. This discovery invigorated the trio. After confirming the high probability of Yue Zhenwei's discovery, the three decided to risk everything. Willing to use themselves as bait, they ultimately managed to lure out the true master behind the insect swarms.

They had initially expected this master to be a superior entity among the alien insects. However, the master's true appearance left Sun Erlang and his companions utterly astonished. For what commanded the insect swarms strikingly resembled a cultivator's construct: a purple-gold gourd, intricately carved with unknown talismans. And atop the gourd stood a wooden carved child. He pointed at Sun Erlang and his two companions, who were encircled by the insect swarms. The purple-gold gourd below emitted various eerie lights. Countless alien insects immediately turned frenzied, surging towards Sun Erlang and his companions with reckless abandon.

The trio realized that by defeating the wooden carved child and seizing control of the purple-gold gourd, they could command the insect swarms. Completing the half-year survival mission would then become effortless. Thus, they launched a desperate gamble. Wang Xuanba transformed into the mechanical puppet, drawing the insect swarms' attention. Sun Erlang, like a sharp arrow, charged straight towards the wooden carved child, heedless of his own safety. Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows, the weakest among them, Yue Zhenwei, delivered the decisive blow, ultimately shattering the wooden carving.

At the battle's conclusion, all three were on the verge of collapse, deeply mired in the boundless tide of insects. But as Yue Zhenwei grasped the purple-gold gourd in his hand, those ferocious alien insects all froze, as if instantly encased in ice. Subsequently, the survival mission held no further suspense.

Two months later, the second dream world was successfully completed. Upon exiting the dream realm, the trio not only found their injuries fully healed but also discovered that Yue Zhenwei had managed to bring out the purple-gold gourd. The gourd contained a staggering number of Star-Devouring Insects, almost ten trillion!

Of course, Yue Zhenwei, being merely at the Golden Core stage, could not yet fully unleash the artifact's true power. He could only command the weakest nine hundred million Star-Devouring Insects. As his cultivation realm improved, the number and strength of Star-Devouring Insects he could command would continuously increase.

Despite obtaining such a supreme treasure, Yue Zhenwei and his companions showed little joy. Instead, their hearts were filled with endless doubt and dread. Nine trillion Star-Devouring Insects—even in the true Xuanhuang Realm, such a force would be nearly world-destroying. Yet now, this immense power was actually wielded by a mere Golden Core cultivator. Though it was merely in a dream realm, it was uncertain whether it could be brought back to reality. Nevertheless, it still struck Yue Zhenwei and the others as utterly absurd. They had only spent such a short time in the dream realm, yet had already gained so much. It was truly difficult to imagine what kind of accumulated power those who had remained in the dream realm all along possessed.

Feeling uneasy, they rested for a short while before setting off towards the third dream. With a treasure like the purple-gold gourd and the assistance of nine hundred million Star-Devouring Insects, surely they would navigate the third world with ease, right?

However, upon entering the third dream world, reality dealt them yet another crushing blow. The moment they entered the dream world, they all transformed into immobile, speechless straw figures. All their spiritual power and treasures had vanished. They could only communicate simply, relying solely on the dream realm's inherent power.

This time, there were no attacks from demonic beasts or insect swarms. Nor were there any dream mission prompts. Just three straw figures, lying quietly on a black stone that resembled a mountaintop. They endured exposure to wind, sun, rain, and thunder. Unable to move, the trio initially spent each day pondering what the conditions for completing their mission might be. But as days turned into weeks, their mental fortitude began to crumble....