Chapter 1414: Mysterious Secret of the Xuantian Sage Envoy

Since Li Fan had already activated the Simulated Myriad Beings Grand Array, he couldn't possibly stop so easily just because of a few pleas from Jing Xuan.

Having gained a general understanding of Jing Xuan's character from his previous reincarnations, Li Fan might spare his life for safety's sake. However, he was certainly not going to let Jing Xuan remain the spirit of the Sky-Profound Mirror.

In the past, when the Precept Master acquired the treasure mirror, he chose to keep its spirit, merely installing a controller to restrain it. This was undoubtedly due to insufficient power. Li Fan, however, was different.

Not only was he empowered by an immortal array, but he also understood and controlled Jing Xuan's human clone.

This human clone was essentially a bespoke replica of Jing Xuan himself, free from the constraints of an immortal artifact.

Jing Xuan himself had once described this body as: "Possessing both the weight of an artifact and the spirit of a human. Perfect and flawless, almost a true immortal."

This was a method, or rather a path, of escape that Jing Xuan had painstakingly conceived during the thousands of years he was sealed by the Myriad Immortals Alliance. The subtlety of this path lay not just in the human body before him, but in the underlying "principles" that continuously generated human bodies. As long as the Sky-Profound Mirror's core remained, even if the human body was destroyed, it could quickly regenerate.

When Li Fan had conversed with Jing Xuan previously, the latter had spoken in a convoluted and obscure way.

However, upon his own inspection, the method was now laid bare.

"Broadly speaking, its mechanism is similar to Zhang Qianmo's Grand Vow method, except that Zhang Qianmo's Grand Vow avatar relies on the Great Dao of the Profound Yellow Realm."

"Whereas Jing Xuan's clone exists solely based on the Sky-Profound Mirror itself!"

"Although the Sky-Profound Mirror no longer possesses any immortal spiritual energy, its status as an immortal artifact persists. Moreover, it retains a vast amount of knowledge from the immortal realm, which further solidifies this status. The significance of this single artifact is not inferior to that of a whole realm; it may even surpass it."

While Li Fan's expression remained unchanged, he couldn't help but inwardly marvel.

Admiration, however, did not halt his actions.

To Jing Xuan's utter horror, Li Fan drew out a wisp of the Sky-Profound Mirror's essence.

Emperor Sanmo and Precept Master Zhou, who were observing calmly, certainly had no idea what Li Fan had produced.

But how could Jing Xuan not know?

As he watched the familiar aura swirling around Li Fan's hand, Jing Xuan's face turned ashen, as if he had seen a ghost.

He frantically racked his brain, trying to recall when he could have possibly split off this wisp of origin. No matter how hard he thought, he found no answer.

Despair and a sense of bleakness gradually enveloped him.

What was once a voluntary gift from the Sky-Profound Mirror had now become the final thread tying him into a self-made trap.

Jing Xuan had once proudly declared that no one in the Profound Yellow Realm could truly harm him. While this was true in the past, Li Fan had now ascended to the half-immortal realm!

Building upon the old Sky-Profound Spirit Sealing Array as its core, the Disintegration Disc instantly deduced an advanced, immortal-grade version, firmly seizing control of the Sky-Profound Mirror's true form.

Li Fan tackled the problem from both the mirror spirit and human clone aspects, employing a two-pronged strategy. Using the Sky-Profound Mirror's essence as a natural access point, he utilized the Simulated Grand Array to create a brand new "Jing Xuan," gradually usurping the original's control over the mirror.

Such a cunning maneuver, a complete transformation of control, would be utterly inconceivable to ordinary mortals. Even for Star Sea Supremes like the Celestial Doctor and the Precept Master, it would likely exist only as a theoretical concept.

Yet, Li Fan accomplished it with ease. While part of this achievement was certainly due to the Immortal Array Disintegration Disc, more crucially, Li Fan, in his half-immortal state, managed to counteract the top-down suppression exerted by the Sky-Profound Mirror's "immortal artifact" status.

They were evenly matched, with no insurmountable gap between them. No matter how stringent the defenses, how could they withstand a full onslaught of diverse methods?

Even without the Disintegration Disc's assistance, Li Fan believed he could still achieve his goal, albeit with more time.

The analysis and replication of Jing Xuan proceeded. Li Fan also uncovered some hidden residual restrictions within the Sky-Profound Mirror's main body, which he effortlessly removed.

Even if Jing Xuan had previously refrained from subtle actions, the current anomalies within the Myriad Immortals Alliance could not be concealed from Li Fan.

"The Precept Master and Celestial Doctor are already returning to the Profound Yellow Realm. It's a good chance to capture them all in one go and suppress them," Li Fan thought, casting a casual glance upwards. He didn't give it much thought.

After encountering the Black Celestial Doctor and Evil Su Bai, two counterparts from beyond the realm of possibilities, Li Fan concluded that it would be safest for all beings in the Star Sea if they simply remained where they were.

While waiting for the analysis to complete, Li Fan reflected on his recent process of separating the Dharma Jade and replicating Jing Xuan.

"With my current methods, completely replicating a person remains somewhat challenging."

"However, creating something eighty to ninety percent similar should be feasible. These unavoidable imperfections, stemming from my current power level, might even prove to be an advantage now, as possibilities continue to collapse and converge."

"The true Celestial Doctor cannot cross the great wall. What about a Celestial Doctor-like entity created by me...?"

Li Fan's eyes glinted as he formulated and refined his exploration plan.

Time flowed indistinguishably within the Sky-Profound Mirror's space.

As expected of a truly complete immortal artifact, one that had merely shed its immortal spiritual energy, the difficulty of replicating its spirit proved somewhat greater than Li Fan had anticipated.

It took a full thirty-six hours for Li Fan to initially create the simulated Jing Xuan.

At present, it couldn't fully activate all functions of the Sky-Profound Mirror like a naturally born spirit. However, basic manipulation, querying, and even defending against enemies were now possible.

The first thing Li Fan did after gaining control of the Sky-Profound Mirror was to examine the complete Profound Origin Primordial Spirit Grand Array.

Li Fan had long coveted this complete immortal-grade grand array, which possessed the power to re-establish earth, fire, water, and wind, and to create heaven and earth from the void.

"Hmm? What a shame."

"The Sky-Profound Mirror doesn't contain all nine complete array diagrams either," Li Fan sighed inwardly.

After some investigation, while he did make discoveries, the Sky-Profound Mirror only contained two additional grand arrays beyond the Xuanji, Myriad Spirits Returning to Numbers, Desolate Fall, Empty Room Blooming, Immeasurable, and Primordial Square arrays that Li Fan had already mastered.

"Dao's Genesis, Endless Life" and "Ascension, Fluctuations of Life and Death"!

Li Fan was not a greedy person. After so many reincarnations, he had only managed to collect three array diagrams. Now, suddenly gaining two new ones was more than enough for him to assimilate for some time.

He meticulously studied these two array diagrams.

"Dao's Genesis, Endless Life" elucidated the mechanism by which vitality was simulated, nurtured, and evolved within the array, and how myriad forms of life then circulated throughout the world.

"Life force, born from nothing. Manifesting only because the Dao exists..."

"Marvelous."

Li Fan's eyes flickered, a sudden realization dawning on him.

After a long while, he reluctantly turned his gaze to the other array diagram.

"Ascension, Fluctuations of Life and Death."

"In a world, if only life force were to evolve, it would be utterly abnormal. Life and death intertwine, coexisting; only then does it align with the Great Dao. This 'Fluctuations of Life and Death' Grand Array seems to expound the principles of life and death..."

Li Fan observed carefully, noting that the principles embedded within it bore some resemblance to the Reversing Life and Death Array he had once encountered. However, it was clear that the sophistication of this grand immortal array vastly surpassed that of any mortal formation.

"It's not merely about the flow of life and death within a world. It also involves the world itself, and even the Star Sea beyond it?"

The more Li Fan pondered, the more astonished he became.

When "Ascension, Fluctuations of Life and Death" was activated, it could effortlessly drain the life force of an entire cultivation world, transforming it into a single white feather. Conversely, it could then re-export boundless vitality from that same feather, allowing a single plume to give birth to a world.

The same principle applied even to the Star Sea.

By himself, Li Fan couldn't fully comprehend these two array sets. Even a partial understanding left him with a headache.

The reason was that at the level of the Profound Origin Primordial Spirit Grand Array, these were no longer mere formations. They integrated the profound principles of the Great Dao; one could not master them by simply understanding the array without comprehending the Great Dao itself.

Fortunately, Li Fan possessed the Immortal Array Disintegration Disc.

"Though I don't fully understand the underlying principles, I can still make use of it for now."

"I'll practice as I learn."

Li Fan now possessed five of the nine array diagrams.

With more than half now in his possession, it was possible that the Disintegration Disc could deduce the remaining parts on its own, given enough time. However, the required computations were simply too immense.

Furthermore, Li Fan relied on the Disintegration Disc for almost all his daily activities, leaving him unable to allocate sufficient computing power to this arduous task.

Consequently, Li Fan only allowed the Disintegration Disc to dedicate a minuscule portion of its processing power to the gradual deduction. Perhaps, like a cultivator's sudden enlightenment, it might one day surprise Li Fan with a breakthrough.

Li Fan then attempted to search the Sky-Profound Mirror for clues regarding the remaining array diagrams of the Profound Origin Primordial Spirit Grand Array.

"It appears the Sky-Profound Mirror has undergone several upheavals, resulting in some memory loss."

Only after a meticulous inspection confirmed that this was not a subtle trick by the Sky-Profound Mirror, but genuine internal damage within its core, did Li Fan feel relieved.

"The first upheaval occurred while it was still in the immortal realm. It seems the Sky-Profound Mirror was also contested and changed hands multiple times, a result of incessant refining." Based on the ancient markings within the Sky-Profound Mirror's structure, combined with its preserved memories, Li Fan began to reconstruct its history.

"The second upheaval was its voluntary transformation from an immortal artifact to a mortal one, undertaken with Xuanyuan Hong's help after he brought it back." Li Fan gazed thoughtfully at the image of King Xuantian in the Sky-Profound Mirror's memory.

"The third upheaval..."

The ensuing discovery truly astonished Li Fan.

It concerned why the Sky-Profound Mirror ended up in the Precept Master's hands after the fall of the Sky-Profound Sect. The scenes Li Fan witnessed also resolved a long-standing mystery.

Previously, within Daoist Master Yixin's illusion array, Zhao Ruoxi, then Sect Master of the Great Dao Sect, had mentioned a Xuantian Holy Emissary who escaped the pursuit of the Ten Immortal Dao Sects, vanishing with the Sky-Profound Treasure Mirror.

The Ten Sects spared no effort, even pledging longevity in exchange for the mirror, yet ultimately failed to locate it.

Yet, Li Fan had never encountered any mention of this Xuantian Holy Emissary in his interactions with Mo Rubin or within Ji Yuzhen's lingering soul.

Consequently, Li Fan had long believed that the so-called Xuantian Holy Emissary was merely a figment of Zhao Ruoxi's dream, a fictional character with no real existence.

But...

As Li Fan watched the rapidly flashing scenes, his expression grew subtle.

The Xuantian Holy Emissary did, in fact, exist.

However, she was not one of the Twelve Dharma Kings of the Xuantian Sect.

In fact, she had never even appeared at any official Xuantian Sect event.

A familiar mountain village appeared.

It was a village located not far from the Fishing Pond.

An unremarkable middle-aged woman awoke from her sleep to inexplicably find a mirror placed by her bedside.

Receiving some unknown information, she suddenly burst into tears, clutching the Sky-Profound Mirror and weeping bitterly.

Faintly, she murmured "Ah Hong."

This was the name of King Xuantian, Xuanyuan Hong!

"No wonder Xuanyuan Hong always maintained a distant attitude towards Ji Yuzhen and the other female Dharma Kings, never showing any formal affection."

"So he already had a childhood sweetheart!"

"For normal cultivators, extended periods of cultivation would naturally lead to a separation between the immortal and mortal realms."

"But King Xuantian rose too swiftly. And he possessed a supreme treasure like the Fishing Pond..."

"Protecting his childhood sweetheart would have been incredibly simple!"

Images flickered rapidly.

When King Xuantian handed the Sky-Profound Treasure Mirror to the woman, he also seemed to have imparted a suppression method.

One purpose was to prevent the Sky-Profound Treasure Mirror from retaliating against its master; the other was to prevent its aura from leaking, which could bring deadly peril to the woman.

The treasure mirror's perception of external scenes was blurry and indistinct.

It could only clearly sense that the woman in contact with it experienced a rapid surge in her power within a short time.

In merely three years, she had already transformed from a mortal into a Dao Integration cultivator.

One day, in an unknown secret chamber, the woman performed a secret technique on the Sky-Profound Treasure Mirror.

"Ah Hong told me you are of extraordinary origin, from the immortal realm."

"But the immortal realm has been destroyed. Although you transformed from immortal to mortal with Ah Hong's help, an unseen connection persists. If Ah Hong were still here, it wouldn't be an issue."

"But now Ah Hong is in peril... I must go find him."

"This journey is fraught with peril, a path of no return. I am unwilling to bring you along to your demise."

"You remain in the Profound Yellow Realm."

"Remember, the immortal path is no more. Since you have transformed from immortal to mortal, do not seek to re-ascend the immortal path."

"Not returning to your immortal artifact form doesn't mean there is no future path. Your Great Dao lies in measuring heaven and earth."

"This Profound Yellow Realm conceals too many mysteries. Even Ah Hong himself, back then, didn't fully unravel them. If you can fully discern all the secrets of this realm..."

"The Great Dao awaits!"

"I've shown you the path, which is a kindness I bestow upon you."

"This journey is perilous, so I need your assistance!"

The figure gently pressed upon the treasure mirror.

Without revealing the method, another identical shadow suddenly drifted out from the Sky-Profound Treasure Mirror!

"From this moment forth, your name is Tian Xuan."

"Xuantian... I am taking with me."

The voice faded into the distance, its owner vanishing without a trace.

The restrictions it had been subjected to simultaneously vanished into thin air.

The now-liberated Sky-Profound Mirror began to follow the woman's instructions, measuring heaven and earth and seeking out the mysteries within the Profound Yellow Realm.

Then, one day, it encountered the Precept Master Tianzun.