Chapter 1355: Immortal Array Traps Heavenly Doctor

Li Fan gathered his thoughts, tightly clutching the "Northern Chill" Immortal Realm copper coin, attempting to discover its function.

"Surely it's not just a simple currency, is it?"

Li Fan always had a faint feeling that this immortal coin held other secrets.

He first tried to infuse and activate it with Essence of Source Energy. However, the Essence of Source Energy was merely the closest form of spiritual power in the lower realm, not equivalent to true immortal spiritual power. Facing the Northern Chill Immortal Coin, a genuine creation of the Immortal Realm, it naturally proved ineffective. Surging waves of Essence of Source Energy merely struck the coin's surface, unable to penetrate it.

Li Fan withdrew the Essence of Source Energy, pondered for a moment, and then arrived in the void outside the Xuanhuang Realm. Ascending the formation, he attempted to observe it again from an ascended dimension perspective. Indeed, it appeared different from what he usually saw. As his personal 'momentum' continuously elevated, the side of the copper coin with changing imagery flashed slower and slower, revealing more of the complete panorama simultaneously.

And...

Above the panoramic sky of the Northern Chill Immortal Realm, a blurry shadow faintly appeared! Its appearance was unclear, but just one glance caused the spiritual energy within Li Fan's body to boil uncontrollably. In an instant, he could no longer maintain his elevated momentum and fell back to his original mortal state. However, the boiling of his internal spiritual energy did not cease. Li Fan frowned slightly, wanting to use greater power to forcibly suppress this unusual boiling. But this decision was like fighting fire with fire. As if ignited by an unnamed flame, it burned fiercely and ceaselessly until all his spiritual energy and body were incinerated. Only then did it end.

Soon after, with a surge of inexplicable fluctuations, Li Fan's body reappeared in the void. In a breath, his physical and spiritual energy were full once more.

"Not only my spiritual energy and body, but even my soul was almost affected.""Fortunately, I was decisive and promptly severed the connection between my soul and body."

After checking the state of his new body, Li Fan's expression turned solemn. "Just a glimpse of that figure...""Is this the punishment for a mortal daring to glimpse the face of a True Immortal?""If not for my extremely strong life-saving abilities, any Hedao cultivator in the Xuanhuang Realm today would likely not have survived this punishment.""That figure was certainly no ordinary True Immortal. The Realm of No Name..." Li Fan mused thoughtfully.

Temporarily sealing the Northern Chill Immortal Coin, Li Fan was not in a hurry to merge the Immortal Realm fragments. Instead, after suppressing it within the Grand Awakening Small World, his true body slowly headed towards the Profound Immortal Vessel. At the same time, he remembered to halt the preparations for the Juntian Ritual, so as not to arouse suspicion from the Profound Immortal Vessel.

En route, Li Fan sensed the changes that had been occurring in his body recently. Although the changes were minimal, Li Fan's control over himself was already at a level of complete clarity, so he naturally perceived them distinctly. He touched his face: "My appearance is actually transforming towards that of the Thousand-Eyed Desolate God... Is this the price for using the Desolate God's power?""I haven't even directly participated; I've only been influenced by the former Juntian Ritual."

A look of interest flashed across his face. Playing his part fully, Li Fan first returned to the Profound Immortal Vessel's original location. Finding no trace of the Profound Immortal Vessel, he stood there for a moment. Only then, by using the mutual senses of the Juntian Rituals, did he locate the Immortal Vessel's new hiding place. The Immortal Vessel's entrance was tightly shut, and no elders came out to greet him.

Li Fan showed an anxious expression, directly releasing his aura as a signal. After waiting for a while, seeing that the Immortal Vessel still hadn't responded, he prepared to force his way in. At that moment, Zhong Daogong's somewhat weak voice finally came through: "Don't worry, we're fine.""It's just inconvenient to meet right now..."

Li Fan first breathed a sigh of relief, then hearing Zhong Daogong's words, his expression couldn't help but show some indignation: "After the Juntian Ritual, we are already united. You still don't trust me?"

Zhong Daogong sighed, explaining: "Not so, not so. Have you truly not noticed the changes in yourself?"

Li Fan's face showed astonishment. After observing himself, his body trembled violently: "What on earth happened?"

Only then did Zhong Daogong slowly recount the entire mysterious encounter with the immortal puppet. Li Fan's expression kept changing, as if he wanted to speak but hesitated.

"Fortunately, the puppet was also severely wounded. At the last moment, it only snatched the final chess piece and an Immortal Realm copper coin, causing no further damage to the Immortal Vessel. Otherwise, I would truly be responsible for an unforgivable failure.""The main thing is, we underestimated the power that immortal puppet could unleash. We never expected that there would still be beings in the Star Sea capable of contending with a Desolate God." Zhong Daogong coughed lightly.

After a long silence, Li Fan said: "Even if I had been here, I probably would have fallen into the trap. After all, it was an immortal puppet, immune to True Immortal Inscriptions and possessing genuine True Immortal flesh and blood...""Could it be that the Star Sea hides a civilization that completely surpasses both the Immortal Vessel and the Grand Awakening?" Li Fan feigned shock.

"It's likely so," Zhong Daogong said, changing the subject. "Now that civilization has collected all the chess pieces, they will probably focus all their energy on recreating the former Immortal Realm. They won't bother us for a while.""They didn't even leave any tracking methods? To lose such a treasure like that, it's quite disheartening.""Even if we couldn't defeat them, we should have at least tracked them, investigated their true strength, and caused some trouble. At the very least, let them know that our Profound Immortal Vessel is not to be trifled with." Li Fan snorted.

Zhong Daogong did not refute Li Fan, his expression unchanged as he said: "We were simply outmatched. The Profound Immortal Vessel has always prioritized survival over emotional disputes. Besides, none of us has yet comprehended your astonishing escape technique."

Li Fan was speechless.

"This Thousand-Eyed Desolate God is one of our Profound Immortal Vessel's ultimate trump cards. Although it can unleash immortal-level power, it requires extensive preliminary preparations. Furthermore, afterwards, one must face the backlash from the Desolate God...""The reason we can't meet you temporarily is that, as part of the Juntian Ritual, you haven't been affected by the Thousand-Eyed Desolate God. You act like an anchor, slowing down our gradual transformation." Zhong Daogong briefly explained to Li Fan."Your detachment benefits our recovery."

Li Fan nodded, acknowledging this explanation. "Do you need any help? I recall that there was a Dao Venerable in Grand Awakening who once researched changes resulting from being affected by True Immortal power..."

Zhong Daogong paused, seemingly hesitating for a moment. In the end, he still declined Li Fan's kind offer: "Don't worry. After all, we have considerable experience dealing with the power of True Immortal Inscriptions over the years."

Li Fan felt a bit regretful: "Alright. I was also concerned about the Immortal Vessel's safety, which is why I risked so much to come here. After all, I'm secretly performing the ritual...""Currently, the ritual has covered thirty million people, and if all goes well, that number could still increase three to five times." Li Fan reported his achievements.

A hint of joy finally appeared in Zhong Daogong's tone: "That's good. This will surely minimize the backlash from the Star Sea.""It's just a minor interlude, with no significant impact. We must prioritize the bigger picture; there can be no mistakes with the ritual. You should return as soon as possible!"

As he spoke, it became clear that he was implicitly ordering Li Fan to leave.

"It seems they are still suspicious of me after all. Being in a very weakened state, they dare not let me enter.""However, they are constrained because the Juntian Ritual still requires me to find sacrifices, so they haven't openly turned hostile."

Li Fan understood this perfectly and was about to cup his hands in farewell.

A colossal, wave-like surge of anomalous energy suddenly arrived from the distant high wall. Its sweeping speed was too fast, and Li Fan, wanting to conceal his true abilities from the Immortal Vessel, merely pretended not to react in time. Carried by this impact, he was dragged for several thousand miles across the Star Sea before barely managing to stabilize himself. Meanwhile, the Profound Immortal Vessel, which was in a concealed state, was directly forced out of its hidden form by this strange and powerful surge. It rocked ceaselessly, like a small boat tossed in a raging storm.

"What happened?" Li Fan, somewhat disheveled, returned near the Immortal Vessel, gazing towards the high wall from which the impact originated, and asked, filled with shock and uncertainty.

The Profound Immortal Vessel's crew was also inexplicably surprised. "Such an anomaly, according to our Immortal Vessel's records, seems to have only occurred three times...""We have no clue about its origin either.""It's a pity. If we weren't in a state of serious injury and recovery right now, we would certainly trace its source."

Following this anomaly, the other elders of the Immortal Vessel emerged one after another. All appeared to be low on vital energy and somewhat weak.

Li Fan sensed the receding fluctuations and noticed that their power greatly diminished as they propagated through the Star Sea. It seemed as if the True Immortal remnants scattered across the Star Sea were hindering its passage.

"I'll go take a look!" Li Fan cupped his hands towards the Immortal Vessel, volunteering."Don't worry, if I can't find the source, I'll return immediately!"

Without waiting for the Immortal Vessel's crew to respond, Li Fan conjured the phantom of a wooden sword and sped towards the direction from which the anomaly originated. Rapidly traversing the Great Wall of Shattered Realms, following the residual energy fluctuations in the Star Sea, he was about to reach the source. However, Li Fan's expression couldn't help but turn solemn. For he astonishingly discovered that this terrifying anomaly seemed to emanate precisely from the flaw in the high wall! This discovery made Li Fan's heart skip a beat. He couldn't help but accelerate his flight.

A few breaths later, when Li Fan arrived at the flaw in the high wall, he found Mo Rubin, who should have been comprehending the wall's secrets, now reduced to only half a head and unconscious. The wooden sword and enlightenment phantom he had left behind were still present. They seemed unaffected by the recent fluctuation.

"No wonder I didn't notice...""What's going on? Does the high wall also retaliate and harm people? Could it be that Mo Rubin truly comprehended something?"

Li Fan's thoughts raced. After a quick examination, he found that Mo Rubin had only suffered extremely severe injuries but had not perished. This brought him some relief. Just as he was about to examine the flaw in the high wall again, his expression suddenly shifted. For he faintly sensed a familiar aura rapidly approaching.

"Heavenly Physician?!""Did he also sense that anomaly and come here?"

Li Fan pondered for a moment and quickly made a decision. There was no need to engage in a direct confrontation with the Heavenly Physician yet. If he were to discover Li Fan's secret plan to sublimate the Xuanhuang Realm, it would certainly add unforeseen variables. The wooden sword phantom flickered, swiftly carrying Mo Rubin's half-head, and fled the scene.

"Strange, the Profound Immortal Vessel previously mentioned observing this inexplicable fluctuation several times.""If this fluctuation was caused by Mo Rubin comprehending the flaw in the high wall, wouldn't that mean someone else had done so before?"

Connecting this to the Heavenly Physician's swift arrival, Li Fan faintly understood. "The Heavenly Physician had also discovered the flaw in the high wall long ago?""And had even comprehended it more than once, gaining insights?""Truly not to be underestimated. Even with an immortal formation now, it's still like this." Li Fan felt an inexplicable shock in his heart.

He continued flying past the Great Wall of Shattered Realms, arriving at an empty, uninhabited part of the Star Sea. Only then did Li Fan begin to heal Mo Rubin. Under the infusion of vast amounts of spiritual and soul energy, Mo Rubin gradually awakened from his severe injuries and coma. His body's flesh and blood also slowly regenerated.

"Ugh..." Mo Rubin opened his eyes, a little dazed, and after seeing Li Fan's concerned expression, he remained slightly blank for a moment. Then he abruptly turned his head, looking around.

"Huh? Wasn't I at the base of the high wall?""You were severely injured. Fortunately, I found you in time," Li Fan explained simply.

As if a missing memory segment was triggered in Mo Rubin, his body suddenly jolted as if struck by lightning. "What exactly happened? You looked utterly miserable just now. To be injured to such an extent..." Li Fan stared intently at Mo Rubin.

Mo Rubin opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"While you were unconscious, a strange fluctuation swept across the Star Sea.""And this strange fluctuation has been recorded three identical times before...""Do you know what this means?"

Li Fan's words immediately brought an expression of disbelief to Mo Rubin's face. After a long period of contemplation, he slowly began: "Actually... I'm not entirely sure about the specifics.""I only remember that at the time, I was comprehending the high wall's secrets and seemed to suddenly understand something.""I can't describe exactly what I comprehended.""I just felt that in that instant, it was like a fish leaping out of the sea or a bird soaring through the blue sky. It was as if I witnessed a scenery completely different from anything before..." Mo Rubin's tone was somewhat distant. He frowned, trying to recall his feelings from that time in detail. "Then, I lost consciousness and fainted."

Li Fan couldn't help but ask: "You didn't even put up any resistance?"

Mo Rubin shook his head.

"That strange fluctuation rapidly diminishes as it spreads through the Star Sea. Its intensity when I encountered it near the Immortal Vessel was already terrifying. One can only imagine what kind of earth-shattering power it must have been at the origin point of its eruption from the high wall. If what Mo Rubin says is true, could it be the high wall's self-defense mechanism triggered by enlightenment?" Li Fan secretly mused.

At this point, Mo Rubin also reacted: "You brought me away... Does that mean someone went to investigate the flaw in the high wall?""Correct. And that person's strength is formidable, likely superior to both yours and mine," Li Fan said with a heavy tone.

Mo Rubin's expression continuously shifted. "No, I must return to the flaw in the high wall immediately. I have a premonition that my previous insights are fading like a tide. If I can't use the high wall's aura again to retain those insights, all my previous efforts might be in vain!" he declared resolutely. With that, he disregarded Li Fan's reaction and directly rushed towards his destination. To do so, even knowing a powerful, unknown enemy lay ahead, was completely out of character for Mo Rubin. It clearly showed how immense the allure of the high wall's secrets was to cultivators. It had even reached a point where it could, to some extent, influence one's mind.

Li Fan pondered for a moment, then decided to follow. The phantom of the wooden sword enveloped both of them, and an immortal formation composed of Essence of Source Energy concealed their auras.

"Actually, returning now is a good opportunity. The other party, upon checking and finding no one, will instinctively try to track for a while. They surely won't expect us to return..."

As they spoke, the two had already returned to the flaw in the high wall. The Heavenly Physician's figure was indeed absent. Mo Rubin was about to step forward when Li Fan suddenly reached out and stopped him. After careful observation, he discovered that there were strands of silk, adhering like a spiderweb, in the void ahead. They clung to the invisible high wall, heavily obscuring the location of the flaw.

This sight made both Li Fan and Mo Rubin involuntarily take a deep breath. "This..."

Both of them had truly experienced the transcendent nature of the high wall. Mo Rubin, in particular, had been comprehending Dao beneath the high wall for months on end. He knew very well that merely staying beneath the high wall for an extended period was an extremely difficult feat for someone of his strength. Let alone leaving his own energy or traces on the high wall.

"Such a figure has emerged in the Star Sea?"

After his initial shock, Li Fan quickly regained his composure: "It's just a temporary measure. Those golden threads are naturally fading.""We just need to wait."

Mo Rubin said in a deep voice: "The key is, I can't wait.""I suppose the person who set this up has also had an enlightenment experience like mine. They know they only need to block me for a short period...""Moreover..." Mo Rubin looked around: "That person probably hasn't gone far and is waiting for us to take the bait nearby."

Although he said this, Mo Rubin was already involuntarily moving closer to the flaw in the high wall, which was encircled by golden threads. The aura he could no longer suppress indicated that his rationality was gradually being overwhelmed by desire.

Frowning and deliberating for a long time, Li Fan finally let out a long sigh: "Alright. I'll risk my life to accompany a true gentleman.""I'll hold them off!""You must act quickly; I might not be able to delay them for long!"

Before his words had even finished, golden threads flew out from within Li Fan's body. In the void, they wove into an exquisitely profound and beautiful pattern.

"Let the Heavenly Physician test the true quality of my Misty Grand Formation of Xuanhuang Sentient Beings!" Li Fan inwardly snorted. While he didn't want to prematurely clash with the Heavenly Physician, he certainly didn't fear him either. Especially with the dual enhancement of his escape technique and immortal formation, Li Fan was confident he could suppress the Heavenly Physician in a short time!

Mo Rubin, having received Li Fan's promise, no longer suppressed himself. "Demonic Heart, Immortal Intent!" He let out a low roar. Instantly, tens of thousands of faces, like vast dark clouds before a downpour, emerged from within Mo Rubin. They all displayed different expressions. Like moths drawn to a flame, they surged towards the golden threads left by the Heavenly Physician. And under the cover of tens of thousands of demonic souls, Mo Rubin's true body quietly approached the high wall.

"Hum..." A sound like the vibration of a zither string suddenly resonated in the Star Sea. Before the demonic soul army even approached the Heavenly Physician's golden threads, large numbers of demonic souls melted away like ice and snow directly struck by sunlight. However, they didn't completely vanish, leaving only blurry silhouettes. Upon closer inspection, each of these silhouettes had a fine golden thread mark inside. The golden threads connected these demonic souls, and they instantly turned against Mo Rubin. They clashed with the demonic souls controlled by Mo Rubin.

"A mere mortal path, dares it contend with immortal arts?" Mo Rubin let out a low growl. His eyes instantly plunged into a strangely silent darkness. An invisible mirror quietly appeared in the field under his gaze. It reflected all the demonic souls controlled by the Heavenly Physician's golden threads. The mirror burst forth with a black light, solidifying from illusion. Then, the demonic souls in the mirror once again manifested Mo Rubin's own face! Even though they were still controlled by golden threads within, they were forced to be possessed by Mo Rubin. Thus, relying on the cover of his undying demonic souls, Mo Rubin successfully breached the outer defense left by the Heavenly Physician.

Just as the flaw in the high wall was within reach, Mo Rubin suddenly found his instincts stirring. Transparent fine needles, unnoticed, had pinned themselves onto his body. At first, there was only one. Then one became two, and two became four. As if possessing self-awareness, they instinctively multiplied, quickly filling all of Mo Rubin's acupoints. The slightly contorted expression on Mo Rubin's face seemed to gradually freeze.

Li Fan, who was setting up his formation while observing, witnessed this scene and considered whether to offer help. However, he realized he had still underestimated Mo Rubin, the Dharma King of the ancient Profound Heaven Sect. In the instant he was stilled, all the invisible fine needles were quietly tainted with a trace of deep black. Like a muddy swamp, it continuously eroded upwards. If observed under magnification, one would find that the blackness was precisely Mo Rubin's demonic souls manifesting! However, compared to the demonic souls Mo Rubin had unleashed before, these were even more irrational. Their eyes held nothing but frenzied destruction, as they relentlessly gnawed at the sealing needles. When one of the fine needles was devoured by a demonic soul, it was consequently pulled from his body. It then flew towards other needles, helping to corrode them. Consequently, the sealing needles disintegrated at an accelerating pace. In just a few breaths, Mo Rubin had completely broken through all of them.

"The Myriad Calamities Indestructible Demonic Heart Immortal Art, truly worthy of being an immortal realm cultivation method personally chosen by the Profound Heaven King for Mo Rubin. It is indeed extraordinary!" Li Fan, who had witnessed Mo Rubin's charge throughout, couldn't help but praise inwardly.

Having forced back the sealing needles, the final defense left by the Heavenly Physician now stood before Mo Rubin. And Li Fan, having successfully deployed his formation, also sensed the Heavenly Physician's aura not far away.

"No matter if you are the strongest in the Star Sea, you must still enter my Grand Formation of Xuanhuang Sentient Beings!" A fierce glint burst forth in Li Fan's eyes. Gazing at the figure with flowing white hair not far away, Li Fan seemed to recall the first time he had met this peerless expert from the Heaven Law Realm.

Essence of Source Energy was continuously drawn out, and the Terminal Disintegration Disc simultaneously operated at its maximum capacity. All the information about the Heaven Law Realm collected during his countless reincarnations over a hundred lifetimes flashed through his mind in an instant.

"Let me give you a taste of the wonderful world I've custom-made for you!""Formation, activate!"

Amidst Li Fan's furious roar, an invisible fluctuation instantly enveloped the fleeing Heavenly Physician. A hint of bewilderment flashed across his face. Then the Heavenly Physician felt his vision go black and lost consciousness.

When he regained consciousness, he was disoriented for a moment. Then, an incredibly innocent voice awakened him."Venerable! Venerable!"

The Heavenly Physician looked towards the source of the voice. It was a very cute little girl. Though she appeared to be only in her early teens, she had already reached the Nascent Soul cultivation stage.

"Su Xiaomei." Information about the girl instantly appeared in the Heavenly Physician's mind. "Two worlds merged, and two heavenly dao consciousnesses were separately attached to the mother and daughter.""Extraordinarily gifted, born without the hindrance of immortal-mortal miasma, a perfect physique countless beings could only dream of."

"Immortal-mortal miasma?" The Heavenly Physician suddenly felt a sense of incongruity. However, after a brief dizziness, he recalled what had truly transpired over the past ten thousand years.

In the life-and-death battle between the Heaven Law Realm and the Xuanhuang Realm back then, the Heaven Law Realm ultimately managed to secure the final victory. The Heaven Law Realm successfully devoured the Xuanhuang Realm, gaining the resources of an entire cultivation world, which allowed it to temporarily move away from the Immortal Ruins. However, the cost was extremely heavy. All the Venerables of the Heaven Law Realm, except for him, such as Tianjue, Tianyin, and Tianyu, had perished in battle. And at the final moment of despair, the cultivators of the Xuanhuang Realm had offered the Xuanhuang Realm as a sacrifice, launching a fatal blow. Heavenly and earthly laws, such as the immortal-mortal miasma and the impossibility of cultivating different laws simultaneously, were subtly implanted into the Xuanhuang Realm like poison. Even the most fundamental principles of cultivation for cultivators had subtly changed.

Because he had fallen into a coma due to severe injuries, he hadn't noticed in time. By the time he awoke from his slumber, the Heaven Law Realm had undergone cataclysmic changes. Due to the impossibility of cultivating different laws simultaneously, cultivators slaughtered each other. After the great war, the already dilapidated Heaven Law Realm nearly had its legacy severed. Fortunately, after a period of intense fighting, the surviving cultivators eventually acquired enough cultivation methods to practice. The slaughter ceased, but the cultivators lost all trust in one another. They survived on a wasteland, wary and isolated from each other.

During this period, the surviving cultivators in the Star Sea also discovered this remnant land of the Heaven Law Realm. Their original homeworlds had been destroyed in the Star Sea catastrophe, so they came here one after another to settle down. Over the past ten thousand years, the entire Star Sea had also been in flux. The gravitational pull of the Immortal Ruins constantly drew in everything in the Star Sea. The Heaven Law Realm, which had narrowly escaped back then, now, as the last haven in the Star Sea, had inevitably arrived at the edge of the Immortal Ruins. It was precarious, constantly at risk of complete destruction.

When the Heavenly Physician awoke, this was the scene he beheld. Although deeply shaken, he immediately implemented remedial measures. Through various methods, he finally persuaded several Longevity Realm experts on the Heaven Law Realm's land to temporarily unite. They formed a loose alliance. Gathering the Heaven Law Realm cultivators and supporting mortals in their cultivation. The Heaven Law Realm slowly regained vitality, but the Longevity Realm experts each harbored their own schemes. Facing the Heaven Law Realm, a giant vessel on the verge of sinking, they had all begun to contemplate their own escape.

The Heavenly Physician was determined to save such a Heaven Law Realm.