Chapter 1382: Dust Abyss The Way of Life and Death

Li Fan's expression was somewhat grim. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Fellow Daoist, do you know how terrifying it is to dream the same dream for an entire lifetime? This eerie little figure is to blame for everything! I want to completely escape these nightmares, which is why I came to your Qianli Hall."

"Yet, it is an ancestral heirloom. My ancestors' dying wish was to safeguard this item properly..." Li Fan's face showed a conflicted expression.

Hearing this, Jiao Xiuyuan frowned and remarked, "While ancestral teachings are significant, your own life is more important. This item is indeed exceptionally sinister, an ill omen. But rest assured, Fellow Daoist, our Qianli Hall is always fair; we won't drive down the price because of it."

Li Fan hesitated for a moment, then slowly stated, "It can be sold. However, it would be best to uncover the secrets behind this figure. Otherwise, it will be difficult to account for it to my family."

"May I examine it closely?" Jiao Xiuyuan asked tentatively upon hearing this.

Li Fan seemed hesitant, but he eventually handed over the mechanical figure. The previous search had drained the figure's energy, so it remained unresponsive even in Jiao Xiuyuan's hands.

Jiao Xiuyuan scrutinized it, his brow furrowing intermittently.

"Can you discern anything?" Li Fan inquired.

"Observing this puppet's appearance, it seems to originate from Chenyuan, an ancient world of immortal cultivation. Lore has it that cultivators from that realm possess true immortal bloodlines, are born with three eyes, and have numerous innate divine abilities... What's peculiar, however, is that I've never encountered the material of this puppet before." Jiao Xiuyuan's expression was one of curiosity.

"Chenyuan Realm?" Li Fan feigned complete ignorance.

"It's an ancient secret, and that realm was destroyed long ago. It's normal that you wouldn't know." Jiao Xiuyuan waved a hand, not intending to elaborate, his focus remaining on the mechanical figure.

Meanwhile, Li Fan subtly manipulated the illusion array.

The mechanical figure suddenly seemed to open its third eye, emitting a brilliant beam of light that shot directly towards Jiao Xiuyuan. Both Jiao Xiuyuan and Li Fan simultaneously gasped in surprise. By the time they reacted, the golden light had vanished, as if it had been an illusion.

"Fellow... Fellow Daoist, are you alright? Was that golden light just now not an illusion?" Li Fan asked, his voice filled with uncertainty and alarm.

Jiao Xiuyuan nodded with a grave expression. "I saw it too. So it was targeting me..."

Jiao Xiuyuan's remark seemed to serve as a reminder.

Li Fan suddenly recalled something and blurted out, "Right! Before, whenever I considered selling this mechanical figure, I'd feel restless and unable to make a decision. It was only when I came near your Qianli Hall, Fellow Daoist, that my resolve finally hardened."

Li Fan's expression turned somewhat horrified. "Could it be that you, Fellow Daoist, truly have some mysterious connection to this mechanical figure?"

Jiao Xiuyuan did not respond this time, instead meticulously examining the three-eyed puppet. He seemed to discover something, as his expression grew increasingly serious.

"This thing... it might be alive."

After a prolonged silence, Jiao Xiuyuan spoke, his words startling.

"Huh?" Li Fan appeared startled, staring at the puppet in disbelief.

"It appears that, through some unimaginable supernatural method, a living Chenyuan Realm cultivator was sealed and transmuted into this object. Though transformed into an object, it still retains all the magical power and divine abilities it once possessed as a powerful cultivator with a true immortal bloodline!" Jiao Xiuyuan stated his assessment.

"This... this can't be, can it? To transform a living being into an object—even the Venerable Celestial of Dharma Transmission couldn't achieve such a feat. Furthermore, didn't you say, Fellow Daoist, that the Chenyuan Realm has already been annihilated?" Li Fan asked, clearly skeptical.

"Beyond Xuanhuang?" Jiao Xiuyuan first muttered. Then, as if to confirm his words, he produced a green bottle from seemingly nowhere. With great reluctance, he poured a single drop of thick green liquid from it and fed it to the mechanical figure.

"This bottle contains pure life essence. An inanimate object would certainly not react to it. However, if it retains any life attributes, it will instinctively absorb it."

As if to confirm Jiao Xiuyuan's words, the moment the green liquid drew near, the mechanical figure's two normal eyes snapped open. It swiftly absorbed the liquid. Li Fan still couldn't detect any living aura from it, yet he watched with his own eyes as the figure gradually came to life.

The figure's target, as expected, remained Jiao Xiuyuan. Its third eye emitted a golden beam, which, like a chain, tightly coiled around Jiao Xiuyuan.

"Fellow Daoist, are you alright?" Li Fan asked, highly agitated, yet he made no move to help, merely observing from a distance.

Jiao Xiuyuan, bound by the golden chain, was immobile, and his expression appeared frozen. He offered no response.

"Don't worry, such a minor trick can't possibly harm me!" The voice still belonged to Jiao Xiuyuan, but it now originated from a different corner.

Li Fan looked towards the sound's origin and saw a withered yellow branch growing from the ground in the corner, appearing at some unknown moment. The branch continuously extended and transformed. Shortly after, another Jiao Xiuyuan suddenly stepped out from it!

"You... are you human or ghost!" Li Fan shivered in fright, his face contorted with fear.

"Hehehe, it's merely a small cloning technique," Jiao Xiuyuan calmly stated.

No sooner had he spoken than the Chenyuan Realm mechanical figure's third eye unleashed another golden beam. It locked onto Jiao Xiuyuan. Still powerless to resist, Jiao Xiuyuan was captured once more.

"Fellow Daoist!" Li Fan stammered, his legs trembling, almost wanting to flee.

"Don't panic!" another voice declared, appearing once more. A third Jiao Xiuyuan materialized within Qianli Hall. His fate was unchanged; he, too, was bound by the golden chains.

"Let's see how many more you can ensnare!" With a hint of irritation, ten voices emerged simultaneously.

Inside Qianli Hall, branches sprouted everywhere. Ten identical Jiao Xiuyuans appeared in succession. Faced with such a bizarre spectacle, the three-eyed figure was momentarily dumbfounded. After a brief pause, it finally launched golden chains to ensnare its targets. However, it only managed to emit three simultaneously, seemingly reaching its limit. As if utterly drained, it reverted to its prior dormant state.

"Still a bit too green to catch me, your Elder Jiao!" Jiao Xiuyuan scoffed triumphantly. Seven voices echoed, one after another.

After speaking, six of the figures transformed back into withered branches, which then shriveled and receded into the ground. Only one remained, staring at the six versions of himself still bound in the hall. He slowly approached and touched one of the golden chains.

"This thing..." It seemed to be a mere illusion, as Jiao Xiuyuan's hand passed directly through it.

Upon seeing this, Li Fan, driven by curiosity, attempted to touch it as well. He, too, found he could not touch it.

"It appears to be formed by the innate divine ability of a Chenyuan Realm cultivator. Truly remarkable." After trying for a long time without being able to grasp its physical form, Jiao Xiuyuan couldn't help but exclaim.

"Fellow... Fellow Daoist Jiao. It seems this mechanical figure's target is truly you? Could it be that the infant who appeared in our ancestors' dreams, generation after generation, was you? And did this mechanical figure come to our world specifically to pursue you, Fellow Daoist Jiao?" Li Fan's expression revealed a hint of apprehension, and his tone grew increasingly alarmed. "But that doesn't quite make sense. Fellow Daoist, you don't seem very old. The timeline doesn't match either. Could you be a descendant of that infant?" Li Fan scrutinized Jiao Xiuyuan, his expression uncertain.

"I believe I am that infant myself," Jiao Xiuyuan admitted candidly.

"What?" Li Fan's eyes widened instantly.

"Old Jiao, I've lived far longer than most. It's just that for the majority of that time, I existed in a state of ignorance, merely acting on instinct," Jiao Xiuyuan explained calmly. "In fact, I still possess some hazy memories of my early childhood. They've been buried deep in my mind, almost completely forgotten. However, after this incident, some of them have begun to resurface." Jiao Xiuyuan's tone grew somewhat distant and thoughtful.

"Fellow Daoist Jiao, are you truly an outer-realm cultivator?" Li Fan stared intently at Jiao Xiuyuan, as if trying to uncover something extraordinary. His expression was a mix of curiosity and excitement.

"I suppose... so," Jiao Xiuyuan replied, hesitating before finally nodding. "I have no recollection whatsoever of what transpired before I emerged from that sphere. But since the puppet tracking me originates from beyond the Xuanhuang Realm, I presume my home world does too. No wonder I instinctively sought to cultivate the art of myriad transformations. Was it to evade capture?" Jiao Xiuyuan's tone was peculiar.

Li Fan, meanwhile, sighed with amazement, staring in disbelief and saying, "It's truly unimaginable how you, Fellow Daoist, survived from infancy all alone until now and even established the Qianli Hall enterprise."

Jiao Xiuyuan waved a dismissive hand. "Actually, it wasn't that difficult. In fact, ever since I gained memory, as long as I acted on my impulses, I've encountered almost no difficulties. All problems would resolve themselves naturally. Running a business, of course, is an exception." He suddenly, and somewhat incongruously, lamented, "Earning money is truly difficult!"

"I originally intended to resolve my own misfortune, but I didn't mean to implicate you, Fellow Daoist Jiao. If not for me, this puppet, having lost its power, likely wouldn't have sought you out." Li Fan's face showed a contrite expression.

Jiao Xiuyuan, however, took it in stride. "What's destined cannot be avoided. Besides, this time, I might have gained a blessing in disguise."

Li Fan was slightly surprised. "How so?"

"Living in the Xuanhuang Realm for too long, I was inevitably influenced, leading me to follow this path of defying the natural order. It certainly helped a great deal. Indeed, if not for the Celestial Venerable's new Dharma, I might have lost my life when I was young. However, some techniques from my homeland were sealed away because of this, making them difficult to recall. If not for today's events..."

Jiao Xiuyuan's expression grew somewhat distant. He seemed to be recalling crucial information buried deep in his mind, his brow furrowing intermittently. His eyes grew increasingly bright. Li Fan also subtly sensed an extraordinarily profound aura emanating from Jiao Xiuyuan, rising and falling erratically.

Jiao Xiuyuan seemed to realize something, looking around him. A trace of astonishment gradually flickered in his eyes.

"Freeze!"

Just as he was on the verge of seeing through the illusion array, Li Fan spoke with cold detachment. The scene before Jiao Xiuyuan's eyes dramatically shattered.

"Fellow Daoist Jiao, Fellow Daoist Jiao! Why are you spaced out? Are you selling this promised small Medicine King Cauldron or not?!" An impatient urging voice reached his ears.

Jiao Xiuyuan paused, and a flood of information instantly surged into his mind. It turned out he had finally managed to unearth several high-quality small Medicine King Cauldrons from the ruins of the former Medicine King Sect. Not only could they serve as storage artifacts, but they also came with their own spiritual energy space, capable of cultivating various spiritual plants and herbs, making them exceptionally valuable.

"Sell, of course I'll sell it..." Jiao Xiuyuan instinctively responded.

Just then, he suddenly recalled that a highly skilled diviner had informed him that a fiery meteor would soon fall back to Xuanhuang. The meteor was very likely the true Medicine King Cauldron that had carried away the entire Medicine King Sect in ancient times. At that time, the remaining small Medicine King Cauldrons in the world would serve as keys to enter the true Cauldron. The true Medicine King Cauldron contained all the essences taken by the Medicine King Sect. As keys, the value of these small Medicine King Cauldrons would undoubtedly skyrocket!

"Not selling!" His heart pounded at the thought of the immense profit he would soon acquire, and he instantly changed his mind.

"Fellow Daoist Jiao, why are you reneging on your word?" The cultivator facing him grew anxious.

Jiao Xiuyuan, however, promptly collected all the small Medicine King Cauldrons and closed his doors to visitors. In his mind, he began to scheme how to drive up the price of the small Medicine King Cauldrons as much as possible.

"Hmm?" Jiao Xiuyuan vaguely felt as though he had forgotten something extremely important. But confronted with immense commercial prospects, he decided to temporarily set that thought aside.

Outside the illusion array, in the true Xuanhuang Realm.

Li Fan gazed at the several golden chains before him, his expression contemplative. Everything that had just occurred had taken place within the illusion array. Yet, truth and falsehood were intertwined; the evolution of the three-eyed figure was genuinely real. It had indeed received a substantial infusion of life force, which briefly brought it to life. However, this life force did not originate from the green bottle Jiao Xiuyuan had produced, but rather from the power of the immortal array. The stimulation it received was real, and thus, the golden chains emitted by the three-eyed puppet were also real. Now suspended in the air, they bore a resemblance to the golden threads wielded by the Celestial Physician. In essence, however, they were fundamentally different.

The Celestial Physician's golden threads were the result of his comprehension and mastery of the laws of heaven and earth, embodying the "power to manipulate and alter laws." As for the golden light emitted from the puppet's third eye... "It is a law itself." "It truly appears to be an innate divine ability of a Chenyuan Realm cultivator."

Li Fan was not particularly interested in this mysterious three-eyed race. No matter how powerful they once were, they had now been reduced to the fate of being refined into puppets. Li Fan was far more interested in this heaven-defying method of transmuting life into objects, and the forces behind it.

"Mao Bao, Luo Fanchen, and this three-eyed puppet. Beyond the wall, life transmuted into objects, laws transmuted into objects... They truly utilize the path of external objects to its absolute extreme." Li Fan's heart was heavy, yet he also felt profound awe for this unknown civilization beyond the wall. "Compared to the white circle, the method of forging this puppet is relatively crude. Perhaps this is a breakthrough point."