Chapter 1435: Infinite Immortal Power

A furious squall:

Though the light within clearly contained an infinite ocean of all possibilities, the immortal power radiating from Li Fan’s fingertips at this moment was fragile, like a flickering candle in the wind. It shimmered erratically, wavering uncontrollably.

What startled Li Fan even more was that after ninety-nine breaths, the spark of immortal power on his fingertip suddenly extinguished without warning. It was as if an unknown, invisible entity had aimed at it and gently blown it out.

“Only the external manifestation of the immortal power mysteriously disappeared. This body... or rather, the skin, still contains immortal power.” Li Fan concluded this after subtly sensing his internal state.

He tried again.

This time, Li Fan was no longer content with merely forming a single point of immortal power. Instead, he attempted to construct an immortal formation using it. Of course, to avoid detection from the Shuoxing Sea, Li Fan did not intend to cause a large stir. He simply used the Immeasurable Chaos Square Array, designed to observe and analyze everything.

It was no different from the formation deployed by the Immortal Disintegration Disc. In fact, Li Fan felt an even stronger sense of control, as if it were an extension of his own limbs. There was no need for the Disintegration Disc to intermediate the process; all information gathered and analyzed by the Immeasurable Chaos Square Array appeared directly in Li Fan’s mind, as if he had pondered it himself.

Li Fan looked out from the manor into the city. What he saw now was not a bustling City of Bliss, but merely a colossal vortex spinning at an extreme speed. Countless star-like fragments of thought floated, swirled, and settled within this vortex. Occasionally, a few would suddenly emit a distinct blue light during their movement, then, defying the vortex’s own power, slowly sink from its upper edge to its very bottom.

Li Fan faintly discerned a massive, predatory shadow lurking there. As the blue light points from above drew near, the shadow would abruptly swallow them. Seemingly aware of Li Fan’s prying gaze, the predatory shadow slowly turned its head towards him. The shadow rippled, appearing to contort into a meaningful smile.

While maintaining the operation of the Immeasurable Chaos Square Array, Li Fan also silently kept track of time in his mind. As expected, at the ninety-ninth breath, the grand formation constructed by immortal power dissolved like melting ice, vanishing instantly. The connection pathway between Li Fan’s body and the immortal formation felt blocked, unable to provide further support, forcing him to let the array dissipate. The vortex scene Li Fan witnessed also vanished with it.

“That devouring shadow…”“It must be Scholar Zhu.”“It seems the selection of suitable sentient thoughts happens synchronously with the operation of the City of Bliss.”“The triennial Bliss Ceremony, those thought-fruits, are more like a pretense,” Li Fan vaguely understood.

Although he had struck a sort of cooperative deal with this formerly nameless true immortal, there was absolutely no trust between them. Scholar Zhu had simply made an investment—a last-ditch effort—after Li Fan demonstrated a certain potential. He didn't care about Li Fan's identity or background, or how he managed to infiltrate the City of Bliss undetected and replace Ma Tiande. Nor did he care about Li Fan's true objectives. As long as Li Fan could help him escape the Dao Net, Scholar Zhu was willing to provide support.

“Perhaps he doesn't even truly expect me to free him. As long as I can join the Immortal Hunt and cause some trouble or variables for the Governance Council and the Dao Net, thereby increasing his chances of escape, this deal will be worthwhile…”

While Li Fan was contemplating, a sudden sense of rejection emanated from the body.

“Get out! Get out of me!”“Get out, get out, get out, get out, get out!”“Ant! How dare you profane!”

The feeling of repulsion grew stronger, and the voice echoing in Li Fan’s ears became louder, like an unbearable thunderclap. What made it even stranger was that it was Li Fan’s own voice. His own furious shouts directed at himself seemed truly bizarre.

Finally, Li Fan was forced to detach himself from the immortal skin.

Returning to his original body, Li Fan carefully examined the supreme treasure in his hands. It was truly an invaluable treasure, capable of granting a mortal the power comparable to a true immortal in an instant.

“According to the visions that appeared in my mind after donning the immortal skin, its owner’s cultivation must have been nearing the Nameless realm.”“However, before they could unite with the Great Dao, the Tribulation of Dao Annihilation, which destroys all, descended.”“The Immortal Realm shattered, and true immortals, even Nameless true immortals, perished in the calamity. The manifestation of Dao giving birth to life, and the destruction of Dao leading to extinction. This scene, where creation and apocalypse coexisted, suddenly inspired this being, prompting them to take the final step!”“It’s a pity their breakthrough came at the worst possible time. The immortal domain could have barely sustained itself a little longer. But their ascension was equivalent to directly pulling out a crucial, most vital supporting pillar at a critical moment…”“In an instant, the heavens collapsed, the earth crumbled, and the Great Dao itself was crushed.”

The later memories became blurred, even somewhat frantic. Contradictory memories from different periods appeared simultaneously. Li Fan could only barely deduce that, although this Nameless True Immortal escaped the tribulation at the time, they were ultimately captured, nailed into the Dao Net, and served as a crucial node connecting to the Great Dao.

“Unlike Scholar Zhu.”“This nameless one truly perished.”“And the day of their death was the day the Dao Net was completed.”“The Great Dao they had united with did not return to heaven and earth but was captured and utilized by a mysterious force, existing as some of the most stable nodes of the Dao Net…”

Li Fan tried to reconstruct the scene from the fragmented memories. The creation of the Dao Net was a magnificent event. Yet, it was accompanied by the resentful curses of the Nameless True Immortal.

“There were three more Nameless True Immortals, like the owner of this immortal skin, who were sacrificed to build the Dao Net.”“A total of four major nodes, plus that invisible giant hand, initially stabilized the Dao Net.”

Li Fan took a deep breath.

Even after death, a mere layer of skin left behind could grant a mortal the power of a true immortal. The immortal skin even retained thoughts and memories, clearly demonstrating the owner’s immense power. Yet, such a powerful being was cruelly used as raw material for the Dao Net’s living stakes. After death, not even their name or life story remained.

“Nameless ants die.”“Before a great tribulation, those who cannot seize dominance are little different from mortals,” Li Fan sighed inwardly.

After one round of possession, the immortal skin visibly thinned and took on an eerie pallor. This was also why it forcibly expelled Li Fan. However, after some study, Li Fan discovered that the immortal skin had not been consumed. It rapidly, almost visibly, regained its healthy color and plumpness.

Nevertheless, Li Fan still could not immediately put it on again. Only after waiting for the time it takes an incense stick to burn did Li Fan sense that he could use the immortal skin once more.

“This is not due to the inherent nature of the immortal skin itself.”“Rather, it’s a restriction imposed by other entities. Unless my strength can surpass theirs, I must abide by this rule,” Li Fan realized.“It must be a restriction set by the powerful beings of Shuoxing Sea who built the Dao Net. After all, the skin of a Nameless True Immortal, which can casually grant any living being the power of a true immortal in an instant, is definitely a major weapon.”

Li Fan donned the immortal skin again.

This time, he wanted to test if his adaptability could increase the effective duration of wearing the immortal skin. As the immortal power imbued him once more, Li Fan's consciousness immersed itself, and he seemed to glimpse that infinite ocean again.

“They say the Immortal Realm is boundless.”“This place is thousands, even tens of thousands of times vaster than the Immortal Realm.”

Even upon this second viewing, Li Fan felt a slight loss of self.

“Immortal power originates here. No wonder it possesses an infinite nature.”

As he contemplated, Li Fan also thought of the Star Sea. The power of the Star Sea, though lower in energy level than immortal power, also possessed an infinite nature.

“Does this mean the fundamental energy source of the Star Sea also originates from here?”

Li Fan suddenly thought of a crucial question. Had the infinite nature of the Star Sea existed since ancient times, or did it only emerge after the destruction of the Immortal Realm? Li Fan gazed at this infinite ocean, silent for a long time. Recalling the appearance of the Immortal Realm he had seen in true immortal memories, Li Fan vaguely had a speculative answer.

“Infinity was probably an inherent characteristic of the Immortal Realm.”“It’s just that, due to the Immortal Realm’s destruction, this characteristic was passed down to the lower realm’s Star Sea.”“Scholar Zhu once said that the bliss of the Immortal Realm far surpassed that of the City of Bliss. This must have been due to this infinite power. There was no need to worry about energy consumption; all that remained was pure enjoyment. If not for the sudden arrival of the Tribulation of Dao Annihilation, the Immortal Realm might have remained ‘blissful’ forever.”

Since achieving the Nascent Soul stage with the Five Elements Great Caverns, Li Fan had profoundly understood the various benefits of not worrying about consumption. The Five Elements Caverns were merely Xuanhuang phantoms. While they surpassed ordinary cultivators, they were clearly incomparable to the nature of infinity.

“This is also the most crucial distinction between immortals and mortals.”“An endless supply of energy means no more concerns about consumption. Any spell or divine ability can be infinitely amplified in its destructive power…”Even a mortal’s ordinary punch, though harmless to the Xuanhuang world when delivered once, could, if repeated enough times, reduce the Xuanhuang world to dust.

“Ultimately, even the weakest force, when multiplied by infinity, will become unimaginably powerful.”

Li Fan’s thoughts were temporarily interrupted by the disappearance of the immortal power. The disparity between immortal and mortal power caused a faint sense of loss in Li Fan’s heart. While waiting for the restriction to disappear, Li Fan suddenly thought of another question.

“Infinity is indeed wonderful. But what is the cost?”

The existence of infinite power itself somewhat contradicted Li Fan’s original understanding. He could comprehend the might of immortal energy, but the infinity of immortal power was something he simply could not fathom.

“What exactly is that infinite ocean?”“It seems like something beautiful that exists only in fantasy…”“Are there truly no negative effects?”

His natural worries vanished upon re-contacting the infinite immortal power. Nothing could be worse than knowing the predetermined apocalypse for the entire mortal world. Li Fan cast aside all other distractions and immersed himself in the study of the immortal skin and immortal power.

Time passed quickly.

This time, the duration of wearing the immortal skin was exactly the same as the first time, not a single bit off. However, Li Fan did not draw a conclusion yet. As soon as the cooldown period passed, he continued to don the immortal skin. This process repeated.

Three years flashed by.

Li Fan finally confirmed that the usable time of the immortal skin was indeed fixed each time and did not increase with "proficiency." However, his three years of research were not without gains.

The immortal power at his fingertip lit up again like a flame. This time, as Li Fan observed the immortal power within "himself," he felt a faint, inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if it were a part of his own body. Here, "his own body" did not refer to the immortal skin, nor to Ma Tiande. It referred to the core that commanded all thoughts and actions: the divine sense that reflected the Great Dao.

“The reason I'm stuck at the Half-Immortal realm is that the Immortal Realm’s destruction prevents me from receiving immortal energy infusion.”“And the remaining immortal energy in the world seems to have specific ownership identifiers. It cannot be stolen.”“Only by leveraging the process of ascending to immortality through the Xuanhuang World can these identifiers be somewhat cleansed. The Immortal Disintegration Disc’s infinite immortal energy came this way.”“But what immortal artifacts utilize cannot be applied to true immortals.”

Li Fan’s mind stirred, and immortal power surged throughout his body like a tide. It seemed to form a small, miniature infinite ocean. The owner of this ocean was once that nameless true immortal, whose origins were unknown, and who had become a living stake in the Dao Net.

But now…

This miniature infinite ocean was gradually acquiring Li Fan’s imprint.

“A complete change of ownership is still a long way off.”“It’s just that it has a bit more of my imprint.”“But I’ve only been interacting with it for three years. If I had more time…”

Li Fan’s eyes gleamed, and the immortal power covering his body instantly vanished due to the immortal skin’s restriction.

“Could immortal power also be inheritable?”

Immortal power originates from the obscure, unknowable infinite ocean. That infinite sea cannot be directly accessed or invoked by an individual. Not even a true immortal.

“In the past, the process of immortal energy infusion on the Ascension Platform must have been the key to an individual being able to access the infinite ocean.”“If every true immortal needs a unique identifier to invoke infinite power, then perhaps by mastering these unique identifiers, one could control immortal power.”

Li Fan suddenly realized that, to some extent, the infinite ocean and the Dao Net bore some similarities, much like the miniature infinite ocean now manifesting on Li Fan resembled the miniature Dao Net reflected in his divine sense.