Chapter 1445: Wanxing Tomb Swallows Bones

The primary culprits for the extinction of life in the Star Sea within the high wall were not only the Immortal Ruin but also numerous True Immortal Inscriptions.

All of these originated from the hand of Immortal Hogan.

During his contact with the true essence of the Star Sea's origin, Li Fan once sensed the Star Sea's immense hatred for Immortal Hogan.

Although True Immortals regard all living beings as mere ants, they do not engage in meaningless acts.

Imitating numerous True Immortal Inscriptions and allowing them to spread and wreak havoc throughout the starry sky, especially when he was fleeing in disarray from the Upper Realm...

Li Fan speculated that this must have been Immortal Hogan's attempt to achieve enlightenment through these means.

"First, use this method to create countless entangled karmic connections out of thin air. Once I can completely detach myself from these connections, that will be the moment of great enlightenment."

"Severing all ties with the outside world, then..."

Recalling the arrogant and unrestrained laughter, Li Fan became even more certain of his judgment.

"If I'm not mistaken, the 'Nothing' that the Immortal Hunters intend to hunt this time is likely the Immortal Hogan I am familiar with."

"However, it cannot yet be confirmed whether this Immortal Hogan is truly the Faceless Immortal who once saved King Xuantian's life."

Li Fan had once suspected that Immortal Hogan and the Faceless Immortal were actually the same person. This was because the Holy Emperor's clone, upon seeing the Faceless Statue, had sensed an aura very similar to what he perceived when observing Immortal Hogan. The same feeling had also surfaced in Li Fan's main body.

But strangely, such thoughts only arose in his mind upon their first encounter. Now, when Li Fan compared the two again, he felt somewhat uncertain.

The burly man named Qian was still explaining to the Immortal Hunters the precautions required for this hunt.

"Regarding Immortal Nothing, I cannot reveal too much to you."

"His infiltration methods are beyond imagination. He is also extremely sensitive to all connections between his existence and the outside world. If I were to give you his detailed information, so many people suddenly getting involved would inevitably trigger his alertness."

"What you need to do is assist me in weaving a large net. Patiently wait for him to walk right into it!"

Immortal Nothing was clearly stronger than the previous Immortals Xi and Yi. Upon hearing this, the newly promoted Immortal Hunters felt both excitement and a degree of apprehension. After all, their previous unsuccessful expedition had left them with some psychological trauma.

"Oh, by the way, my name is Qian Ruochang. You can call me Boss Qian. Hehehe..." Amidst meaningful laughter, the burly man revealed his name.

Afterwards, everyone was led directly to participate in this mission.

Traveling through the Dao Net, they quickly reached their destination.

"This is..."

"The Myriad Star Graveyard?"

Unlike the vibrant vitality of the various forces in the Shuo Star Sea, the starry sky ahead was filled with an aura of decay and deathly silence. Even from a great distance, everyone instinctively felt uncomfortable.

Li Fan had been in the Shuo Star Sea for some time now and was not unfamiliar with the area called the Myriad Star Graveyard.

While both were places where life had been extinguished, there were still some differences between the Myriad Star Graveyard and the Annihilation Zone. The Annihilation Zone was a doomed area caused by the Calamity of Dao Annihilation, where even the concept of existence had been erased.

As for the Myriad Star Graveyard, it was a destroyed star field caused by factors other than Dao Annihilation.

The forces in the Shuo Star Sea were not all indigenous inhabitants of this starry sky. Rather, they were refugees from countless star fields who had gathered here.

In the boundless Lower Realm Star Sea, apart from vast stretches of Annihilation Zones, the Myriad Star Graveyard and life-filled areas were intertwined. The Shuo Star Sea was one such life-filled area.

Although life had been extinguished in the Myriad Star Graveyard, the Dao Net could still cover it.

As for the Annihilation Zone...

Where the Great Dao did not exist, the Dao Net also had to stop.

"Boss Qian, Immortal Nothing isn't hiding here, is he?" someone couldn't help but ask.

Qian Ruochang smiled, "This godforsaken Myriad Star Graveyard, how could a True Immortal hide here? I brought you here to find something valuable."

Daoyuan's eyes showed surprise upon hearing this. "I've heard that in the Myriad Star Graveyard, where death qi has accumulated for millions of years, as the saying goes, 'things turn when they reach an extreme,' it's highly possible that immense vitality could be born from endless death qi..."

"You're quite knowledgeable, kid. But our target this time isn't vitality. It's this..."

As he spoke, Qian Ruochang had already led everyone deep into the Myriad Star Graveyard.

Although the Dao Net still covered this area, compared to ordinary vibrant star seas, it seemed fraught with obstacles. Their travel speed was more than a hundred times slower.

Sometimes, it was as if they encountered obstacles ahead, and everyone had to change their path.

At this moment, they suddenly stopped, and Qian Ruochang pointed gently to the front left.

Then he fiercely hurled the stone pillar he had been carrying on his shoulder.

All the newly promoted Immortal Hunters could, in that instant, feel the Dao Net being pulled by immense force, shaking violently and continuously.

The tremors caused were even more intense than those from Nangong Fusheng's previous arrival.

Everyone looked at Qian Ruochang, all with expressions of shock.

They hadn't expected this seemingly easy-going Boss Qian to possess such terrifying power.

Li Fan, however, was deep in thought. The cause of this phenomenon was not that Qian Ruochang's strength surpassed Nangong Fusheng's.

Instead, they had arrived at a weak point in the Dao Net.

The Dao Net, which relies on the power attached to the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, was greatly weakened in this Myriad Star Graveyard. The same amount of force would naturally cause greater disturbance.

The stone pillar flew out, constantly stirring in the dark, silent void.

Li Fan's senses were sharper than the others'.

In the pitch black, he seemed to see several floating, dead worlds accidentally colliding with the stone pillar. Under the immense force of the stirring, they completely vanished.

Only some almost negligible small black dots flew out from the shattered remnants of the dead worlds. They drifted along the huge stone pillar towards Qian Ruochang.

As Li Fan looked at these small black dots, a sense of familiarity spontaneously arose.

They were extremely similar to the black mist that appeared after True Immortal flesh and blood were decomposed by the Mortal Descent.

Li Fan, however, remained calm and composed, pretending not to know their danger and actively approaching to observe out of curiosity.

Upon close observation, Li Fan discovered the differences between these black dots and the black mist.

The black mist was a precursor to the Calamity of Dao Annihilation. Anyone whose strength reached a certain realm would inevitably feel an inexplicable sense of crisis upon seeing it.

But these black dots before him...

Li Fan observed for a long time, but only felt a bit of nausea and discomfort in his heart. There was no ominous warning that made his heart pound.

And what Qian Ruochang said next gave Li Fan the answer.

"These can be regarded as the corpses of cultivation worlds."

"Just like after a person dies, their flesh and blood quickly return to heaven and earth, leaving only bones to remain."

"These black dots are the most primordial and pure parts, like the bones of a world. They won't remain in the world for too long, so we must quickly collect them." As Qian Ruochang spoke, he extended the stone pillar again, constantly stirring.

In a short time, he collected fifteen black dots.

A seemingly simple action, yet it seemed to consume a great deal of energy. Qian Ruochang was already panting and dripping with sweat.

He had to stop to rest.

"You, eat this."

Qian Ruochang transferred one of the black dots through the air to Daoyuan.

Daoyuan's expression changed slightly, but he didn't hesitate much. Under everyone's stunned gaze, he suppressed his discomfort and swallowed the World Bone in one gulp.

It was evident from Daoyuan's expression what a torment it was to swallow a World Bone raw.

But once it entered his stomach, the effect was also clear.

"Why do I feel, Brother Dao, that you..."

"Have become somewhat fainter?"

"Yes, I do feel a bit blurry."

"This... If you hadn't reminded me, I would have almost completely overlooked Brother Dao! He's clearly standing right here, yet it's as if he doesn't exist at all!"

Everyone successively noticed the anomaly and exclaimed in surprise.

Qian Ruochang then smiled and said, "This World Bone is the cornerstone of a cultivation world's evolution. It's the lowest layer of the world's mechanism, the part closest to the Great Dao itself. After you swallow it, before the World Bone completely returns to heaven and earth, influenced by its power, you will be like ice melting into water, merging into the world."

"Your human nature is obscured by the world. In ordinary sensory perception, it naturally becomes difficult to distinguish you."

Qian Ruochang distributed the World Bones to everyone according to the previously determined assessment order.

Li Fan also received one early and swallowed it.

The moment the black dot was absorbed, various illusions appeared before Li Fan's eyes. These were scenes from the cultivation world's past, before the black dot was formed.

In the Lower Realm Star Sea, it wasn't a particularly special story.

A once prosperous and flourishing world, suddenly, one day, a rift appeared in the sky.

Several figures emerged from it.

That powerful pressure caused eight or nine out of ten living beings in the world to die tragically in an instant.

And those figures had no intention of restraining their power. Or rather, they simply had no time to worry about such "trifles."

They themselves...

Were also fleeing in panicked disarray.

From the rift, seventeen figures successively darted out.

Until the last one forcibly closed the rift, which finally ended this calamity.

He seemed somewhat lost amidst his panic.

As his gaze swept over the cultivation world below, which had been devastated by the True Immortals' power, he shook his head slightly.

With a gentle wave, he erased all the surviving beings on the land.

Not even their corpses remained.

The cultivation world itself also could not withstand such pressure, splitting apart and disintegrating.

As if he had done something insignificant, the last figure drifted away.

Li Fan awoke from the illusion.

This was one of the sources of the Myriad Star Graveyard and the numerous world corpses.

"The Lower Realm Star Sea was never a place for Immortals to reside. When they were forced to come here, it naturally caused an immense impact on the mortals who were the native inhabitants."

Li Fan felt no indignation or rage.

The weak are prey to the strong. Not to mention, when a doomsday calamity arrives, desperate individuals prioritize only survival.

As for anything else...

It wasn't important.

He composed himself, sensing the natural changes occurring in his body after swallowing the World Bone.

Just as Qian Ruochang had said, it was like ice melting into water.

Through the World Bone's connection with the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, he slowly seemed to "dissolve" into this starry sky.

"If I were to communicate with the Star Sea now, I probably wouldn't need the Grand Armor Divine Art to effectively connect with the Star Sea's original consciousness."

"Besides that, I can also feel a closer connection with the Dao Net..."

In Li Fan's divine sense, the miniature Dao Net shone brightly.

Originally just an illusory projection, now a part of it seemed to have gained true substance.

Even if only a small part, it almost brought about a qualitative change.

However, with others still present, especially Qian Ruochang, who was suspected to be close to the Nameless Realm, Li Fan temporarily refrained from detailed study.

"The Dao that Immortal Nothing has comprehended, his so-called karmic connections, are only targeted at living beings in the world. He has not yet transcended, hence he cannot sever his ties with heaven and earth. By using the World Bone and immersing ourselves in the Great Dao, we can significantly reduce the chance of him discovering us." As Qian Ruochang spoke, he also swallowed a World Bone himself.

After collecting enough for all the newly promoted Immortal Hunters, he did not stop.

Instead, he continued to explore deeper into the Myriad Star Graveyard.

"Hiding ourselves is only the first step of the hunt."

"The second is to prepare traps and weapons capable of severely injuring or even killing the prey." Qian Ruochang's voice subtly grew somber.

"True Immortals cultivate the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, seeking transcendence. The best weapon against them is something that can harm or destroy the Great Dao!"

Upon hearing these words, the Immortal Hunters present all changed their expressions.

Li Fan thought Qian Ruochang was about to speak about the Calamity of Dao Annihilation.

But unexpectedly, it was something else entirely.

He then changed the subject. "However, the Dao Net that we rely on also draws its power from the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. Such a feat, harming the enemy by a thousand while losing eight hundred oneself, requires extreme caution. But we can find similar substitutes within this Myriad Star Graveyard."

"As I just said, in the Myriad Star Graveyard, the corpses and flesh of cultivation worlds fully dissipate, returning to heaven and earth, leaving only their remnants."

"This power that catalyses and devours the flesh and blood of cultivation worlds is the weapon we need!"

"The Great Dao, from top to bottom, is truly one entity. And the mortal cultivation worlds are still manifestations of the Great Dao."

"This power, capable of returning the Great Dao from its evolved form back into nothingness, can likewise inflict severe damage upon True Immortals who cultivate the Dao!"

Qian Ruochang spoke volubly.

Upon hearing this, Li Fan became thoughtful and suddenly asked, "Boss Qian, according to what you're saying, isn't this power that eliminates the flesh and blood of cultivation worlds also capable of severely damaging the Dao Net?"

The other Immortal Hunters looked at Li Fan, all with strange expressions.

Qian Ruochang suddenly clapped his hands. "Exactly! But don't worry, the Dao Net differs from True Immortals in its comprehensiveness, and its ability to self-repair at any time."

"Since we are confident in using it as a weapon, we are not afraid of someone using it against the Dao Net!"

"Moreover, utilizing this mysterious power within the Myriad Star Graveyard is also a recent achievement of ours..."

Qian Ruochang's words suddenly stopped.

His gaze shifted to the front left, his expression turning from playful to solemn.

"Watch closely, that's what I meant by the power that digests the flesh and blood of worlds..."

Qian Ruochang fiercely hurled the stone pillar from his shoulder.

It seemed grand and imposing.

But as it shuttled through the void, it was so silent, causing no ripples.

After making a round, it simply returned.

However, Li Fan keenly noticed that the stone pillar seemed to have shrunk a little.