Chapter 1379: Infinite Return

In fact, the moment Li Fan saw his own face reflected in the fishing pond water, thousands of thoughts instantly flashed through his mind.

“Could this body, which I possessed after transmigrating, be the reincarnation of that true immortal who descended to the lower realms back then?”

“Did I awaken Huanzhen not because of my transmigration, but because I possessed this body and seized a treasure originally belonging to it?”

Irrepressibly, this thought wildly spread through Li Fan’s mind.

But...

As if sensing Li Fan's thoughts, Huanzhen seemed to subtly emit a hint of mockery.

This made Li Fan slightly pause, before he abruptly snapped back to reality.

“No, that's not right. The original body I replaced was simply too ordinary. How could it have possessed any true immortal's potential?”

“Without my intervention, he likely would have failed to achieve any scholarly distinction in his entire life. He would have died a weak, pedantic scholar.”

“And even I, without Huanzhen…”

Li Fan recalled the end of his first life after transmigrating.

“Though surrounded by children and grandchildren, I was ultimately just a mortal, living and dying in obscurity.”

“I was able to establish my foundation using a part of Huanzhen, and combined with the connection and interaction I’ve had with it over countless reincarnations…”

“I absolutely cannot be some true immortal’s reincarnation, nor was Huanzhen captured by a true immortal’s trap.”

“That leaves only one possibility…”

“Even in memories, the fishing pond reflects my original appearance?”

After ruling out the potentially chilling answers, Li Fan didn't feel any better; instead, his heart grew even colder.

He suddenly looked up, gazing at where the fishing pond was located in reality.

“Attaining the Dao of the Unnamed, integrating with the Dao. The fishing pond, regardless of time or location, represents that true immortal.”

“Does the recent phenomenon mean that that Unnamed True Immortal, using the fishing pond's water, also saw me?”

Li Fan’s heart skipped a beat.

The more he thought about it, the more alarmed he became.

For instance, could this be a trap set by that true immortal in collaboration with the Unnamed, and his possession of Huanzhen had already been exposed?

Even worse, Huanzhen’s charging wasn’t complete, making it impossible to activate! If that Unnamed True Immortal attacked, even with supreme escape techniques, he would likely be unable to escape this calamity!

Li Fan couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

He had originally thought he had largely understood the Star Sea within the high wall, and that as long as he didn’t provoke those beings, there would be no danger.

Yet, he never imagined that merely researching true immortal flesh and blood could create so many unexpected complications!

Although his experiences in the previous life seemed to indicate that even if Li Fan died, Huanzhen could still activate itself.

But...

For one, Li Fan had never truly died or experienced Huanzhen's self-activation. For another, Li Fan was unsure if Huanzhen's self-activation would even work when its charge was below 100%.

Cold sweat trickled down.

Facing what seemed like the greatest crisis in history, Li Fan chose not to sit idly by and await his fate.

In a flash, Li Fan thought of many possible countermeasures.

“Go to the center of the Star Sea, and with the momentum of ascending and falling, attract the black qi of the Calamity of Dao Annihilation…”

“Go to the flaw in the high wall, strike the high wall, and draw attention from outside the wall.”

“If captured into the fishing pond, then find a way to locate the Cat Pearl.”

But no matter which method, before an Unnamed True Immortal, it seemed like a futile struggle.

“If it were merely a true immortal, these clever tricks might still work.”

“But the Unnamed realm…”

Recalling the fear and reverence for the Unnamed in the memories of that true immortal who descended to the lower realms, Li Fan felt a surge of powerlessness.

“I can still only rely on Huanzhen.”

Li Fan ultimately did only one thing: his wooden sword phantom unsheathed, he swiftly flew towards the Profound Immortal Vessel at the edge of the Star Sea.

He infiltrated silently, retrieving the puppet hidden in the first layer of the secret treasury.

In his previous life, he had helped reconstruct the entire defensive system of the Immortal Vessel, so Li Fan moved as if in an uninhabited realm, successfully retrieving the puppet, one of Sun Piaomiao's relics, without alerting anyone on the Immortal Vessel.

To Li Fan’s surprise, even though it had already consumed it once, Huanzhen still showed a desire to consume the puppet.

After eagerly feeding it to Huanzhen, and seeing the charge progress increase to 150, Li Fan couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

“The effect has diminished, but judging by Huanzhen's reaction, it can apparently still consume it one more time.”

“In that case, the Tri-forked count might be the same.”

“An item that can allow Huanzhen to continuously devour it three times…”

“What is the origin of these items left by Sun Piaomiao?”

Li Fan frowned deeply.

Suddenly, an idea abruptly emerged in Li Fan's mind.

“The Tri-forked Tree can inexplicably give Huanzhen one extra simulation.”

“And this puppet, might also be related to the power of simulation.”

Before Li Fan's eyes, the scene of the immortal realm he had glimpsed not long ago reappeared.

“Before I transmigrated, I heard that if the time scale is stretched to immeasurable lengths, the smallest particles that constitute all things in the world, after countless permutations and combinations, will recreate everything that once was. This is a return, and also destiny.”

“True is false, false is true. Every simulation by Huanzhen can be seen as another return of all things.”

“The infinitude of the time scale implies the infinitude of energy…”

Li Fan’s thoughts drifted again to the unfathomable unknown realm beneath the floating oceans of the immortal world.

“Perhaps, this puppet is the key to leverage that infinite power.”

“Or perhaps, it’s a projection of the Great Dao related to infinite power.”

At this moment, Li Fan was completely lost in his own contemplations, unable to pull himself out.

It wasn't that he had forgotten the deadly crisis of being pursued by the Unnamed True Immortal.

It was that if Li Fan had already huffed and puffed his way to the Profound Immortal Vessel, and the Unnamed True Immortal still hadn’t appeared…

Then from now on, They wouldn't come again.

It was merely a false alarm; nothing had happened.

When Li Fan slowly emerged from his deep contemplation, he felt little relief from surviving a disaster.

“Where the power of a true immortal reaches, it is as if they are personally present.”

“The Unnamed realm, presumably, is even more profound.”

“In the memories of that true immortal who descended to the lower realms, they met my gaze but showed no reaction.”

“Either it means that even an Unnamed True Immortal cannot glimpse or detect Huanzhen within me. Or it means…”

“The situation of that Unnamed Fishing Immortal, is probably not looking good.”

At the end of his last-but-one life, when the Cat Pearl suddenly appeared and easily captured the Hunger Immortal, Li Fan had two conjectures.

Either the Cat Pearl was a creation of the Unnamed Fishing Immortal, used to capture true immortals who were about to attain the Dao of the Unnamed, achieving a form of consumption.

Or, whoever fishes will also be fished. The Cat Pearl was actively thrown into the fishing pond by an unknown force from beyond the high wall. This was done specifically to follow clues and seek out the Unnamed Fishing Immortal when They revealed any trace of themselves.

Considering everything that was happening now, it seemed things were developing towards Li Fan’s second conjecture.

Even though Li Fan had exposed such a huge flaw, the Unnamed Fishing Immortal still hadn't appeared. This was precisely the sign of extreme caution!

Li Fan took a deep breath.

Within this short period, the true immortal's blood had led to too many developments.

They were still far beyond Li Fan’s current scope of control.

Neither a true immortal nor an Unnamed True Immortal was something he could contend with.

Li Fan's desire to merge with the Dao grew stronger.

“After merging the Celestial Soul with the Dao of Heaven and Earth, I would at least transform from a completely defenseless ant into a fierce wolf capable of a vicious bite.”

“Moreover, I have a premonition. Once I touch the immortal level, Huanzhen will also undergo unprecedented changes!” A sharp glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes.

This premonition was also a hint of comfort that Huanzhen seemed to convey after sensing his wild thoughts, or perhaps a form of encouragement or guarantee.

It reassured Li Fan considerably.

“It seems in this life, I should try to avoid any more complications.”

“It would be best to merge with the Dao as soon as possible!”

As he mused, Li Fan had already made up his mind.

“The second layer of the secret treasury is protected by Heavenly Star Radiant Lotuses. Since I haven't found a way to break through yet, I won't force it.”

“I’ll first clear out the first layer of the secret treasury.”

As the saying goes, a thief never leaves empty-handed.

Since he had already come to the Thousand Tales Immortal Record secret treasury, how could Li Fan return empty-handed?

He meticulously selected again, moving away all the useful items.

Before the Immortal Vessel's inhabitants could discover it, he gracefully departed.

Not to mention the Profound Immortal Vessel, which soon after discovered the innocent theft of its secret treasury, plunged into turmoil again, and almost descended into a second split.

Meanwhile, after Li Fan returned laden with spoils, the first thing he did was recreate his two Supreme Enforcers.

Arriving at the edge of the Star Sea, Li Fan, holding his liquid longsword, performed the Grand Armor Divine Art, improved by the Immortal Vessel elders.

In this life, as no cultivators had interacted with the Star Sea consciousness for ten thousand years, and with the accumulated goodwill from the Grand Armor Realm as a foundation, Li Fan's communication with the Star Sea was far smoother than in his previous life.

Even regarding the power being distributed, not only did it not feel any anger, but it was also surprised that an ant-like being such as Li Fan could unleash such divine abilities.

Incidentally, the infinite power of the Star Sea infused this time was subtly different from the previous life.

Under the dual mighty effects of the 'Equalization' chant and the 'Form of Living Beings',

The new Autumn Water slowly came into being.

“Thank you, Great Master, for granting me life!”

It was still a naked sword spirit, kneeling gracefully.

However, this iteration of Autumn Water had vibrant, intelligent eyes. It seemed more like a true living being!

Li Fan nodded slightly, bestowed the name he had already prepared, then rushed back to the Xuanhuang Realm without delay.

Eternal Legacy, true immortal flesh and blood, black star stones, bronze immortal cranes…

Plus the ancestral combat memories.

The crucial materials were now all present.

During the process of refining Heavenly Sun, Li Fan also had Autumn Water continuously infuse it with the infinite power of the Star Sea.

On the puppet’s form, its aura surged. Had Li Fan not concealed it with an immortal array, it would likely have long since alarmed the many beings within the Xuanhuang Realm.

After much effort, the Supreme Heavenly Sun once again appeared.

In this life, although there were no combat insights from ancient desolate gods, it gained an endless infusion of Star Sea power.

Heavenly Sun, like the Autumn Water Sword, became dotted with starlight, appearing utterly divine.

At this point, with the two great Supreme Guardians in place, Li Fan could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“Even if a true immortal were to reappear, I would have nothing to worry about.”

After observing Heavenly Sun and Autumn Water spar, Li Fan thought this to himself.

Li Fan sat upright on the Grand Profound preaching platform.

Treasure after treasure, obtained from the Immortal Vessel's secret treasury, were arranged like stars across the sky.

“Some treasures, possessing the power to nourish worlds, can be integrated into small worlds.”

“When the small worlds return to Xuanhuang, they will serve as supplements for Xuanhuang’s sublimation.”

“As for those divine weapons and sharp artifacts, they can be distributed to the beings exploring the Carefree Dream Realm. They are almost all realm-level magic treasures, which can greatly accelerate their exploration speed.”

With a thought from Li Fan, streaks of starlight flew towards different small worlds.

Feeling the increasingly shining countless points of light in his sea of consciousness.

Waves of enlightenment surged into Li Fan’s mind.

“Alchemy, it is the transformation of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth; medicine, it is to save all beings from their ailments. The Great Dao is formless, stands alone and unchanging, circulates ceaselessly. Through alchemy, it merges; through medicine, it manifests. Heaven and Earth? They are but a single alchemical formula…”

“The Dao Refining Medicine King Scripture is truly extraordinary!”

If, in his previous life, Li Fan’s advancement of Xuanhuang’s sublimation was merely like carrying out a methodical task,

Then now, Li Fan had a sense of refining the Xuanhuang Heaven and Earth into a supreme elixir.

“First, use a gentle flame to slowly bake it.”

“Currently, the auxiliary ingredients are still a bit scarce.”

As Li Fan’s eyes flickered, he resumed some of the preparatory work he had done in his previous life.

In addition, he also quietly diverted a small amount of the vital energy abundant in the Star Sea fissures and depressions.

By controlling the speed of the massive vital energy infusion, only a few individuals vaguely noticed Xuanhuang Realm's inexplicably rapid transformation.

But how could they truly find Li Fan, the true mastermind behind all these changes?

Of course, Li Fan also didn't forget to sow seeds in advance, before Xuanhuang's sublimation.

For example, the ancient Immortal-Mortal Miasma.

It was hidden within an underground cavern in Qiling State.

In his previous life, Li Fan had already confirmed that this Immortal-Mortal Miasma, as a part of Xuanhuang’s foundational power, would continuously grow stronger as the Xuanhuang Realm's power increased.

However, due to the rush of activating Huanzhen, he barely got to see the true Immortal-Mortal Miasma at the immortal level.

This life, he would naturally make up for that regret.

Aside from the Immortal-Mortal Miasma, Li Fan also applied his knowledge by analogy, collecting various items from across the Xuanhuang Realm that could cause immense harm to cultivators, and even to the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao itself.

For example, the Sky-Scorching Arrows crafted with mysterious power as their core.

They first appeared in the life where the Xuan Net replaced the heavens, and were capable of influencing and distorting the Heavenly Dao consciousness over a large area.

Another example was the Myriad Xuanhuang World-Annihilation Transformations.

In his previous life, Li Fan had already confirmed that the World-Annihilation Transformations had remarkable effects against Ink Kill.

This time, to hunt Ink Kill as effectively as possible, he naturally needed to plan ahead.

Various forces of cosmic change were intermingled within spheres of light. Li Fan quietly integrated them into the Xuanhuang Heaven and Earth, just like the remnants of other cultivation worlds transplanted by the Heavenly Physician.

Normally, such grafting and integration of foreign objects would inevitably cause rejection from the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, unleashing various calamities, and slowly merging together amidst destruction and rebirth.

But the ingenuity lay in the fact that the Xuanhuang World-Annihilation power Li Fan implanted originally stemmed from the Xuanhuang Realm itself.

Therefore, the Xuanhuang Realm would not detect this sudden "extra flesh" on itself.