Chapter 1402: Heavenly Profound Engraving Demon Sound

While shocked by this unknown power, the Heavenly Physician also felt a deep apprehension towards the original body of this physique. So, taking advantage of Xuanyuan Tuo's severe injuries and unconsciousness, the Heavenly Physician gradually began to tamper with his body.

Knowing that Xuanyuan Tuo was protected by the mysterious power of the murmuring sound, the Heavenly Physician did not resort to ordinary methods. Instead, he relied solely on the connection between them—a dual soul within one body formed by the Heavenly Soul Reincarnation method—to slowly infiltrate Xuanyuan Tuo, using himself as a catalyst. In a sense, he was Xuanyuan Tuo, and Xuanyuan Tuo was him. However, the mysterious power enveloping the Xuanyuan clan's bloodline allowed Xuanyuan Tuo, who should have lost his independent consciousness, to still retain control of his body.

The stronger Xuanyuan Tuo became, the stronger the Heavenly Physician became alongside him.

As his injuries gradually healed, Xuanyuan Tuo slowly awakened and escaped from the Sea of Gloom. The mysterious disappearance of six Longevity Realm experts naturally caused a huge commotion. But the Ten Sects, with their deep foundations, were not crippled by this loss, though it was significant. It was not enough to make them collapse.

Xuanyuan Tuo had a vague premonition that he would soon face the Ten Sects' true trump card. But for some reason, Xuanyuan Tuo seemed to have overestimated the Ten Sects. Until he achieved the Longevity Heavenly Venerate realm, the Ten Sects never organized a strong counterattack. They merely consolidated their forces and fortified their territories, allowing the Myriad Immortals Alliance to encroach upon the smaller sects and factions on their periphery.

And when Xuanyuan Tuo finally attained longevity, the laws of the Xuanhuang world were permanently altered. The old laws ceased to exist, and the new laws became the only method of cultivation for cultivators in the world. Xuanyuan Tuo's long-held ideals and ambitions were finally realized. Anyone in the world who wished to cultivate faced no obstacles.

Although he had foreseen that as the number of cultivators increased, the resources required to advance in the new law would eventually become a bottleneck for their cultivation, Xuanyuan Tuo already had a countermeasure in mind. He absorbed the power of the Golden Mandate, enabling him to control the Xuanhuang world and continuously generate various rare items, grotto-heavens, and even the very essence of heaven and earth. Internally, the Xuanhuang world continuously evolved, thriving endlessly. Externally, he would merge with and absorb the surviving immortal cultivation realms in the Star Sea to supplement resources.

As the number of new law cultivators grew, Xuanyuan Tuo's strength would also continuously rise. Even if the immortal path was severed, he could reach the peak of the Star Sea. At that time, he would repair the array left by the ancient Xuantian Sect, and take the Xuanhuang world to first escape the reach of the Immortal Ruins. After reaching a relatively safe area for a period of time, he would then use the power that overturns the principles of heaven and earth—which arises when a Longevity Heavenly Venerate achieves enlightenment—to continuously transform the Xuanhuang world.

According to Xuanyuan Tuo's calculations, only a double-digit number of Longevity Heavenly Venerates, working together, would be needed for the construction of the Xuanhuang world. By coordinating and activating the power of the ancient arrays, they might be able to leap over the high wall!

Xuanyuan Tuo, also known as the Law-Imparting Heavenly Venerate, while continuously accumulating and improving his own strength, was also secretly observing cultivators in the Xuanhuang world who could take on great responsibilities. He did not focus on innate talent, but only on their character and moral integrity! If they passed the test, the Law-Imparting Heavenly Venerate would secretly intervene to help them comprehend the law of overturning principles and directly achieve the Longevity Realm!

Xuanyuan Tuo indeed identified several young people worthy of trust. But before he could act, a catastrophe suddenly descended upon the Xuanhuang world: "Cultivation of Laws is Incompatible!" Such an anomaly in heaven and earth was truly somewhat beyond Xuanyuan Tuo's expectations. He controlled the Dao of the Golden Mandate, and the principles of the Xuanhuang world should have been entirely within his grasp. Yet, such a change occurred inexplicably...

Xuanyuan Tuo understood that the Heavenly Dao of Xuanhuang must have been unexpectedly activated, unleashing a power capable of countering the Dao of the Golden Mandate. The Great Heavenly Venerate of Xuanhuang! This name instantly appeared in Xuanyuan Tuo's mind. Towards this newly ascended Great Heavenly Venerate of Xuanhuang, Xuanyuan Tuo bore little ill will. He even wanted to proactively seek him out for a discussion. Unfortunately, this Great Heavenly Venerate, relying on the power of the Heavenly Dao of Xuanhuang, had remained very well hidden.

As for Xuanyuan Tuo, he still had to divert his energy to deal with the mess left by the Myriad Immortals Alliance after the "Cultivation of Laws is Incompatible" catastrophe descended. The Ten Great Immortal Sects had deep foundations, and their disciples practiced various cultivation methods. Order still existed, preventing them from collapsing instantly. While the Myriad Immortals Alliance saw an extremely rapid increase in the number of cultivators, most of them cultivated the Heavenly Net Divine Art imparted by Xuanyuan Tuo. This comprehensive and all-encompassing cultivation method, personally derived by Xuanyuan Tuo, became a death warrant for the members of the Myriad Immortals Alliance when the catastrophe arrived!

The Myriad Immortals Alliance had only been established for a short time. It was originally a loose alliance formed by new law cultivators, and apart from Xuanyuan Tuo's exceptionally high prestige, others found it difficult to command respect. With the catastrophe's arrival, the Myriad Immortals Alliance descended into terrible infighting. The Myriad Immortals Alliance, which the Ten Sects regarded as a major threat, thus collapsed on its own, even before the Ten Sects attacked!

Through this event, Xuanyuan Tuo profoundly understood the importance of underlying strength. Although the Myriad Immortals Alliance seemed powerful when it first rose, its insufficient accumulation meant its ability to withstand risks was too poor. It would break at the slightest turbulence. Xuanyuan Tuo tried to salvage and preserve the vitality of the Myriad Immortals Alliance while also trying to locate the Great Heavenly Venerate of Xuanhuang. However, he had founded the new law, and if he didn't possess the power of the Golden Mandate, he and the Heavenly Dao of Xuanhuang would be irreconcilable. The Great Heavenly Venerate of Xuanhuang naturally held an irreconcilable grudge against him.

"A deep misunderstanding of me. This is judging by actions, not by intentions," Xuanyuan Tuo murmured with a slight pang of regret. But as a peerless expert, his pride would not allow him to proactively step forward and explain anything. Even the Great Heavenly Venerate of Xuanhuang could not stop the Law-Imparting Heavenly Venerate, who had successfully overturned the principles!

However, not long after, two more unexpected events occurred that Xuanyuan Tuo had not anticipated. The first was that Xuanyuan Tuo, already the strongest being of his era, would occasionally experience a terrifying sense of dread. His inner premonitions were filled with unease and sorrow. After a thorough investigation, Xuanyuan Tuo was shocked to discover that these emotions did not originate from himself, but from another existence within him—another consciousness that he had failed to detect for a long time!

The second event was that the catastrophe of "Cultivation of Laws is Incompatible" had not yet passed when a calamity named "Immortal-Mortal Miasma" quietly descended upon the world. The arrival of the Immortal-Mortal Miasma was also accompanied by the demise of the unnamed Great Heavenly Venerate of Xuanhuang! This event astonished Xuanyuan Tuo even more than discovering the existence of another consciousness within him, because he understood that this was an act of overturning principles, initiated by the Great Heavenly Venerate of Xuanhuang at the cost of his own life. While achieving the status of two Heavenly Venerates, representing both old and new laws, he simultaneously suffered a backlash and perished.

Xuanyuan Tuo simply could not comprehend the other party's actions. But Xuanyuan Tuo knew that someone capable of embodying both old and new Heavenly Venerates simultaneously was certainly not incompetent or foolish. There had to be a reason for his actions. Xuanyuan Tuo was utterly perplexed.

It was not until later that he discovered that even after the Immortal-Mortal Miasma was dispelled or overcome by cultivators, it would still linger in the bloodlines of their descendants. As a part of the laws of heaven and earth, it prevented mortals from cultivating. But if mortals could overcome this suppressive force and embark on the path of immortal cultivation, it would be equivalent to completing a small-scale overturning of principles. While it wouldn't reach the level of influencing the principles of heaven and earth, if the time span was extended, countless mortals would continuously embark on the path of cultivation. The birth of every single cultivator was equivalent to shaking the foundation of the Law-Imparting Heavenly Venerate's teachings.

"Unable to kill me, yet largely offsetting the accumulation that each cultivator practicing the new law brought me. Originally, every cultivator born within the new law system would become part of the foundation of my cultivation. With continuous accumulation over time, one day I would be propelled towards an unknowable, sacred realm! But now... He severed my path!"

Even a clay figure has a temper. Xuanyuan Tuo, upon realizing this, erupted in furious anger. But since the Great Heavenly Venerate of Xuanhuang was already dead, where could Xuanyuan Tuo direct his rage?

Just as Xuanyuan Tuo was experiencing unprecedented mental instability, his consciousness was suddenly pulled into a completely dark space, and he lost control of his body. Across from him, a weathered old man with a full head of white hair floated. Even though their appearances were not the same, when Xuanyuan Tuo looked at him, it was as if he were staring into a mirror!

"Heavenly Physician!" Inexplicably, Xuanyuan Tuo called out the other's name.

The Heavenly Physician did not engage in excessive talk with him. Instead, blood and tears streamed from his eyes. As if in a trance, he endlessly repeated, "Go back to the Heavenly Law Realm, go back to the Heavenly Law Realm!" Xuanyuan Tuo immediately understood that this was the reason for his constant unease over the recent period. Xuanyuan Tuo tried to communicate with him, but the Heavenly Physician, whose heart was set on the Heavenly Law Realm, simply could not hear anything.

Xuanyuan Tuo tried to suppress him, but was horrified to discover that the other party was almost like his own copy, with strength nearly identical to his own. Moreover, boosted by an incredibly powerful obsession to return home, he was even slightly stronger than Xuanyuan Tuo! He gradually gained control of the body! The appearance of the body, previously the Law-Imparting Heavenly Venerate's, slowly transformed into the Heavenly Physician's original appearance!

As if sealed in a dark room, Xuanyuan Tuo could only vaguely sense what was happening outside. He saw that when the Heavenly Physician finally returned to the Heavenly Law Realm after countless hardships, all living beings in the Heavenly Law Realm had already been massacred. That tragic scene was so devastating that even Xuanyuan Tuo found it difficult to accept.

His homeland suffering such a catastrophe, the Heavenly Physician descended into madness. A terrible storm raged within his mind, severing Xuanyuan Tuo's connection with him. Xuanyuan Tuo accumulated power, attempting to regain control of the body.

After an unknown period of time, a transparent figure, besides the Heavenly Physician, also appeared there. What filled Xuanyuan Tuo with an endless sense of crisis was that this transparent figure seemed to be without consciousness or awareness, yet it could attach to and erode his consciousness. This was a bizarre power Xuanyuan Tuo had never encountered before. Though he resisted with all his might, he ultimately could not stop its gradual erosion.

Before this transparent body completely occupied Xuanyuan Tuo, the ethereal murmuring sound reappeared in Xuanyuan Tuo's mind. With the help of this miraculous power, Xuanyuan Tuo was barely able to maintain his consciousness.

In the dark space, time passed unheeded. After another unknown length of time, Xuanyuan Tuo finally sensed that the moment had arrived. The body seemed to have entered a peculiar space. And in this place, the mysterious murmuring sound became clearer than ever before. Relying on his long-accumulated power, Xuanyuan Tuo launched a sudden counterattack, briefly gaining control of the body for a moment.

Although it was only for an instant, after understanding the current situation, Xuanyuan Tuo still devised a countermeasure. The space where the body currently resided seemed to be inside an immortal artifact. It was precisely because of this that it resonated with the immortal-tier power of the murmuring sound. Xuanyuan Tuo softly chanted, imprinting the murmuring sound from his mind within the immortal artifact's internal space. Relying on this mysterious murmuring power—a heaven-defying ability that could influence future reality through past memories—Xuanyuan Tuo was confident that he could utilize the future individuals who would continuously enter this immortal artifact's space to find a way out of his predicament.

After imprinting the murmuring sound, Xuanyuan Tuo once again lost control of his body and was sealed again within an boundless, dark consciousness. Time passed unheeded. During this time, he still attempted several counterattacks. However, the power suppressing and sealing him inexplicably grew stronger, making it seem as though he would never be able to turn the tables again. But Xuanyuan Tuo never gave up, because the murmuring sound he had previously implanted was continuously gathering energy for his counterattack. It would just take a bit longer for him to fully escape.

The narrative returns to the present.

As Li Fan watched the scenes evolved from the Law-Imparting body's memories within the illusion array, his expression subtly changed several times. Even though he believed he already understood the story of the Law-Imparting Heavenly Venerate and the Heavenly Physician very well, he had not anticipated that the truth would be so convoluted, and... fate is truly capricious.

However, what concerned Li Fan the most were the various strange phenomena of the Xuanyuan clan. Not just the extremely mysterious murmuring sound, but also the mad uncle Xuanyuan Sheng, whom Xuanyuan Tuo had met in his youth.

"Goudan, you must know that everything in this world has already happened countless times..." Li Fan narrowed his eyes, carefully pondering this sentence. "Was it the meaningless babbling of a madman, or did it hold true meaning?" What was described in these words made it hard for Li Fan not to associate it with Huanzhen. And in Xuanyuan Tuo's memories, it was uncertain whether Xuanyuan Sheng truly died on the night he disappeared.

"The Xuanyuan clan reveres Xuanyuan Hong's memorial tablet. This should be a contingency left by King Xuantian."

"King Xuantian, actually possessed that murmuring sound, such a heaven-defying ability?"

"Or perhaps, that is the true might a Half-Immortal should possess?"

Although Li Fan had already ascended to Half-Immortal, his immortal-tier abilities were limited to array formations. In other respects, there was no qualitative difference from the mortal cultivator stage.

"Imprinted within the Sky Profound Realm?" Li Fan's gaze pierced through the Dark Star Sea, and saw into the Xuanhuang world. He had entered the Sky Profound Memorial Hall more than once, and had experienced various illusions of the Law-Imparting Venerate's experiences.

"Seemingly experiencing the past of the Law-Imparting Venerate. But in reality, being eroded by the murmuring sound..."