Chapter 1417: The Heavenly Dao Array

Chapter 1425The Grand Dao Formation Reaching Heaven

Like a bolt of lightning, Li Fan's words forcibly split open the Preacher's long-sealed mind. Naturally, the Preacher followed Li Fan's guidance, allowing his thoughts to wander.

“Precisely so! All things are like me, heaven and earth are like me, and the Grand Dao itself is like me…” At this moment, Preacher Jiang was like a mayfly that had lived in confusion since its birth, suddenly catching sight of the blue sky. Yet, in the heart of this tiny creature, there was no inferiority, shock, or fear. Instead, an unbidden ambition to swallow the heavens arose.

“The Grand Dao is like me, the Grand Dao is like me…” Preacher Jiang murmured as if in a trance. As his eyes gradually shone with light, various light and shadow effects began to flicker within this Guixu Realm.

This was Li Fan’s doing; to facilitate Preacher Jiang’s enlightenment, he directly employed his powers to forcibly relocate a completed minor world from the Xuanhuang Realm to this very spot.

Under the influence of the immortal formation, Preacher Jiang lost himself and became engrossed in his enlightenment. Indeed, with his supreme characteristic of "all things are like me," he could continuously perceive and assimilate everything in the world, even the myriad Grand Daos of heaven and earth.

However, Preacher Jiang was currently too weak. The gap between him and the Grand Dao of Heaven and Earth was even greater than that between a mayfly and the blue sky. For him to assimilate the Grand Dao with his own being, even if he possessed infinite lifespan, was wishful thinking. Before he could achieve that goal, the Great Calamity of Dao Annihilation, which would engulf the mortal realm, would already have descended.

If Preacher Jiang’s mind were still clear, he would never have made such an unwise move. But having entered Li Fan’s immortal formation, he was already beyond his own control.

Li Fan didn't care whether Preacher Jiang could successfully attain the Dao. What he cared about was that Preacher Jiang was indeed "comprehending the Dao with his own being" at that moment.

By leveraging the immortal formation's mystical characteristic, which approximated "all things are like me," Li Fan was subtly able to synchronize with Preacher Jiang's thoughts, ideas, and perceptions at that moment.

Under normal circumstances, such close-range resonance between two different beings would undoubtedly trigger mutual awareness, even wariness. However, Li Fan used the immortal formation to block Preacher Jiang’s perception of him, thus achieving a one-way connection to Preacher Jiang.

Although there was still some difference from Preacher Jiang's true thoughts, for Li Fan, it was akin to having a clone constantly undergoing epiphanies, helping him comprehend the Grand Dao of the world.

Moreover, Li Fan believed that with the Disassembly Disc's deductions and iterations on the bewildering illusion formation, the difference in their comprehension would likely be further reduced in the future.

His form in the Guixu Realm gradually dimmed. Before finally departing, Li Fan extended his hand forward.

The vast Guixu Realm, compared to Li Fan’s body, grew smaller and smaller. It finally rested in Li Fan’s palm, like a brilliant pearl.

Although the extent was small, during the time Preacher Jiang was comprehending the Dao, Li Fan could clearly perceive that his own level of Dao comprehension was slowly but steadily increasing.

Li Fan was very satisfied with Preacher Jiang's mystical innate quality. Thus, he decided to carry this "Dao comprehension machine" with him long-term.

“It can almost be seen as a controllable, yet weakened, version of the Immortal Heavenly Pillar.”

“Moreover, while the speed of comprehending the Grand Dao is far from matching the Nameless True Immortal, its precision might not be much weaker. In fact, it might even surpass it!”

Li Fan pondered, then spoke with a dawning realization: “Because Preacher Jiang isn't comprehending by relying on his own talent or cognition. Rather, he is undergoing the comprehension process relying on his innate characteristic, which, in a sense, can be seen as a particular Grand Dao itself.”

“Using Dao to comprehend Dao—it's marvelous beyond words!”

“The only regret is that his strength is indeed a bit too weak. However, if he were too strong, he might notice something amiss and break free from my methods. There's no such thing as perfection in this world. I'll just have to wait until my strength advances further, and then find a way to help him improve his.”

He sealed the Guixu Pearl, containing Preacher Jiang, deep within his body.

Li Fan then carefully pondered the bewildering illusion formation that the Disassembly Disc had deduced based on Preacher Jiang's characteristics.

“This characteristic must have come from an extraordinary immortal artifact. Once mastered, analyzing the Grand Dao from scratch would no longer be an unattainable feat.”

“Unfortunately, too much time has passed, and it has completely merged with Preacher Jiang, making separation impossible. But my replication using a formation achieves eighty or ninety percent of the effect.”

“This formation should be named…”

After a moment of thought, Li Fan slowly uttered: “Tongtian: The Grand Dao Is Like Me!”

Li Fan acutely realized that this Tongtian Grand Formation was by no means only suitable for Preacher Jiang. Instead, all things in the world could serve as tools to aid his Dao comprehension.

“However, it also requires careful selection.”

“The Dao comprehended by Preacher Jiang is the closest to the origin of the Grand Dao. But for others, no matter how remarkably talented they may appear, their comprehension will inevitably deviate from the Dao’s origin due to limitations in their cultivation and strength. These deviations, in turn, would become blemishes that pollute my own understanding.”

As Li Fan pondered, the Disassembly Disc had already presented the initial iterated version of the Tongtian Grand Formation, capable of covering an entire realm.

Although the immortal spiritual energy within the Disassembly Disc was endless, the amount that could be utilized at any one time had an upper limit. So far, Li Fan had not found a way to increase this limit.

To fully set up this Tongtian Grand Formation, approximately thirty days of preparation would still be required.

Li Fan personally undertook the task of setting up the formation.

Under his will, an announcement swiftly spread throughout the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

The Heavenly Venerate is benevolent, offering universal salvation and education without discrimination. All who believe they possess talent may proceed to the various prefecture cities of the Immortal Alliance for testing. Those who meet the criteria, regardless of birth, past, age, or gender, may enter the Myriad Immortals Alliance headquarters to gain an opportunity to open the Heavenly Venerate’s Secret Treasury. Furthermore, they will have the chance to personally listen to the Heavenly Venerate preach the Dao.

As soon as the news was released, the world was shaken.

Everything described in the Myriad Immortals Alliance's announcement seemed too good to be true, suspiciously like a hidden scheme.

Yet, looking back, although the Immortal Alliance occasionally engaged in dubious activities, they had never dared to act recklessly in the name of the Dao-Preaching Heavenly Venerate. Thus, the public initially maintained an attitude of skepticism.

Nevertheless, there are always those in the world who cannot resist temptation, unafraid of death when profit is involved. And when these individuals genuinely entered the Heavenly Venerate’s Secret Treasury, emerged with abundant rewards, and reappeared before the public, facts spoke louder than words; greed and temptation completely overwhelmed reason.

Every day, a large number of cultivators confident in their talents headed to the Myriad Immortals Alliance's prefecture cities to participate in the tests. The Immortal Alliance headquarters even listed the number of talents recommended each year as the most crucial assessment metric for each prefecture. The Heavenly City Lords of each prefecture spared no effort, employing every means at their disposal for this purpose.

They scoured mountains and seas, searching for all kinds of geniuses within their prefectures, not even letting mortals slip by. Some Heavenly City Lords even engaged in fierce battles over a promising talent.

When the entire Myriad Immortals Alliance operated around a single consciousness, the efficiency of their work was immeasurably higher than Li Fan working alone.

Batch after batch of heaven's chosen prodigies were continuously sent to the Gou Realm, which Li Fan had created.

Unless special circumstances arose, their original bodies would remain there permanently from that point onward.

Meanwhile, replicas assembled from flesh and blood with simulated personalities would reappear in the public eye, serving as both motivation and deception.

Li Fan floated in mid-air, observing the Gou Realm, which was gradually gaining momentum, and nodded slightly.

Between heaven and earth, True Immortal Seal Characters floated one by one. Corresponding to these characters were ninety-nine Dao Essence Symbols.

In front of the assembled prodigies, an illusory figure of the Dao-Preaching Heavenly Venerate sat in a meditative posture, expounding the Dao, imparting knowledge, and resolving their doubts.

This illusory figure was naturally not the Heavenly Venerate himself, but one created by Li Fan.

To reap a harvest, one must first sow.

And foreseeably, the gains these prodigies in the Gou Realm would bring to Li Fan would far outweigh his investment, proving to be immensely profitable.

“Currently, the comprehension enhancement brought by the beings in the Gou Realm is still not as great as that from Preacher Jiang alone. However, I expect that as their understanding continuously improves, this gap will quickly narrow.”

Satisfied with the efficiency of his subordinates in the Myriad Immortals Alliance, Li Fan naturally decided to bestow rewards.

With Li Fan's current reserves, even a small fraction would be enough for them to benefit endlessly. This time, however, Li Fan chose an improved version of the Taijia Divine Art, capable of connecting with the Star Sea.

He did not directly impart the Taijia Divine Art. Instead, he created a formation and bestowed it upon the members of the Myriad Immortals Alliance, granting them the opportunity to enter the formation and mentally connect with the true essence of the Star Sea's origin.

Cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm had never escaped the Immortal Ruins' pull nor witnessed the true power of the Star Sea with their own eyes. Yet, this Taijia Divine Art allowed them to comprehend the Dao of the Star Sea even while remaining in Xuanhuang.

In this life, Li Fan had not prompted the Xuanhuang Realm's sublimation. On the surface, Xuanhuang still appeared to be just an ordinary cultivation world within the Star Sea. The intricacy of the Star Sea's laws far surpassed those of the Xuanhuang Realm's heaven and earth.

Even a few breaths of comprehending the Dao of the Star Sea proved immensely beneficial to Xuanhuang Realm cultivators.

And just as Li Fan expected, all who experienced it were nothing short of amazed and became utterly engrossed.

After the brief experience concluded, they yearned for the next opportunity.

Consequently, they became even more determined to earn merit and gain Li Fan's rewards.

Merely handing over control of the formation to Di Sanmo, Li Fan chose to be a hands-off manager.

First, he went outside the void and suppressed and sealed the Preacher and the Heavenly Doctor, who were on their way back.

Li Fan then unsheathed the phantom of his wooden sword and entered the underground river in the fissure-filled depression beneath the high wall.

Following his previous memories, Li Fan once again arrived before the quietly floating Azure Nether Pearl.

After ten thousand years of continuously releasing vitality, the Azure Nether Pearl was now on the verge of destruction.

It was merely sustained by a phantom image.

Though it no longer possessed the power of an immortal artifact, it still held great significance for Li Fan.

He did not approach, nor did he extend his divine sense closely; he observed carefully from a distance.

“A creation of the Spirit Witch Realm…” Li Fan muttered to himself.

“My original plan was to reverse the flow, transmit vitality into the Azure Nether Pearl, and forcibly pull this treasure back from the brink of destruction. Then, I would use the Truth-Falsehood Transformation to gradually ‘repair’ it.”

“Now it seems a bit difficult still.”

Li Fan had a premonition that if he made even the slightest move, the extremely fragile Azure Nether Pearl would instantly turn to ashes and vanish.

“The only method is to directly apply the Truth-Falsehood Transformation, overlaying it to first reverse its state of imminent destruction.”

However, to perform the Truth-Falsehood Transformation, he needed at least sufficient observation samples. Not to mention knowing everything about the essence of its existence, there needed to be a "target" for the technique.

Just like when Li Fan had previously recreated Jinggu Cangyuan.

The current situation, however, was that the Azure Nether Pearl was simply too fragile. Li Fan couldn't even observe the process up close. He could only watch from afar.

After a long standoff, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck Li Fan.

“I cannot interfere through external influences. I can only hope for changes within the Azure Nether Pearl itself.”

“In the past, the cultivation techniques of the Xuantian Sect's Twelve Dharma Kings all originated from this Azure Nether Pearl.”

“And within the Xuantian Sect, there was a secret technique capable of stripping away and seizing all cultivation gained by sect members through their practiced techniques, called 'Usurping Heaven.'”

“I recall that in Zhao Ruoxi’s dream, she once mentioned that the Grand Dao Sect had obtained this secret technique after annihilating the Xuantian Sect.”

Li Fan’s eyes narrowed. “It seems that to acquire the Azure Nether Pearl, I might first need to visit the Council of Five Elders.”

“That works. There’s also another Eternal Remnant Will there, which I can collect at the same time.”

With a plan formed in his mind, Li Fan soared out of the Star Sea Depression, but did not head directly to the Council of Five Elders.

Instead, he first went to Myriad Immortals Island.

Beneath Myriad Immortals Island lay buried the bones of countless fallen Preachers from ancient times, suppressing the so-called Nether-Connecting Tunnel.

The Nether-Connecting Tunnel, continuously emitting eerie power, was merely a piece of indigestible mutated tissue formed during the Xuanhuang Realm's process of devouring and integrating other worlds. Power at the level of a cultivation world was no longer regarded by Li Fan.

Instead, Li Fan found the countless bones of the Preachers more interesting.

“There's no aura of the Eternal Remnant Will here.”

“But within the Council of Five Elders’ Soul-Crushing Disc, there seems to be an Eternal Remnant Will preserved.”

“The Council of Five Elders once raided Myriad Immortals Island precisely to seize the Preachers' bones buried beneath it…”

Past memories slowly flowed through his mind, and with a single thought from Li Fan, Myriad Immortals Island began to vibrate violently.

Then, under the horrified gazes of countless cultivators, the island slowly ascended.

“It seems the key still lies with that Soul-Crushing Disc.”

After collecting the Preachers' bones, which emitted a chilling aura, Li Fan didn't detect any genuine reaction.

He gazed towards the location of the Council of Five Elders and sped away.

Without Li Fan's power supporting it, Myriad Immortals Island plummeted back onto the sea surface.

But having lost its suppression, all sorts of eerie powers began to emerge from the Nether-Connecting Tunnel below.

As the cultivators of Myriad Immortals Island fled in disarray, receiving Li Fan’s orders, lights continuously flickered within the teleportation formations.

Squads of black-clad cultivators emerged from them, cordoning off the area and handling the aftermath.

Li Fan did not use his Wooden Sword Escape Technique. Instead, he intentionally slowed down, circling through the territories of the five Longevity Heavenly Venerates of the Council of Five Elders.

In the past, once one stepped foot there, they would be powerless to control themselves and fall under its influence.

But now, their defiance of the principles of heaven and earth could no longer affect Li Fan in the slightest.

As the saying goes, having attained True Immortal status means transcending beyond heaven and earth.