Chapter 1467: True Orthodoxy

Ignoring all other thoughts, the Hunger Immortal immediately immersed herself in the other's guidance. Based on her years of solitary cultivation, insights for enlightenment often appeared like fleeting sparks. If not grasped quickly, they would soon vanish into the vast ocean of thoughts. Not expecting the other party to kindly offer guidance a second time, the Hunger Immortal seized the moment and devoted herself to enlightenment.

It must be said that after ten thousand years of solitary meditation, the Hunger Immortal had indeed achieved an extraordinary comprehension of the Path of Hunger. Soon after she resumed her meditative posture, faint, mysterious fluctuations of aura began to emanate from her body. They were identical to the nameless marks beneath her!

"It seems helping her attain the Nameless status is easier than I thought," Li Fan mused inwardly.

Although Li Fan had long ago discerned the character "Hunger" on the Immortal Ruins, with his aptitude and even the insights gained from multiple reincarnations, his comprehension of the Path of Hunger could never surpass that of the Hunger Immortal at this moment. The reason he could guide the Hunger Immortal to sudden enlightenment with just a few words was because Li Buren, using the immense power of the Tomb Guardian, relayed his real-time observations of the nameless Dao marks beneath the Hunger Immortal to her. His elevated perspective went straight to the core, naturally proving far superior to the Hunger Immortal's self-contained cultivation. Li Buren's guidance was like giving her a strong push from behind.

For the Hunger Immortal, who was already on the verge of breakthrough, she could have achieved true immortal status entirely on her own, without anyone's help. It would simply have taken more time. Perhaps the Hunger Immortal would gradually realize this later. But for now, immersed in the process, she had not yet fully comprehended this truth, remaining solely focused on her enlightenment.

Li Buren stepped aside, observing in secret. The body, which had become plump after being infused, withered again after the Hunger Immortal began her enlightenment. It became like a skeletal frame. Clearly, she had entered the state of comprehending the Path of Hunger. While on the Path of Hunger, she instinctively desired to devour all surrounding things. The immense suction force, which had temporarily vanished due to Li Buren's appearance, suddenly reappeared from the Hunger Immortal, even more violent than before!

Throughout the entire starry sky, only the Immortal Ruins land and Li Buren, standing upon it, remained unmoving. Everything else instantly began to slide uncontrollably towards the Immortal Ruins, which had transformed into a central vortex. Within the Profound Yellow World, the recently revived vitality, due to this mighty suction force, instantly became precarious like a candle in the wind, on the verge of destruction. Fortunately, Li Fan manifested a projection of the Dao Net, protecting the entire world. He then pulled the Profound Yellow World towards the boundary of the Star Sea again, attempting to move it away from the Immortal Ruins.

"Compared to before, this sudden burst of suction is much stronger.""So, the Hunger Immortal was intentionally holding back before..."

Li Fan gazed remotely in the direction of the Immortal Ruins, his brow slightly furrowed. This seemed to confirm his conjecture.

"Clang... clang..." Clear metallic sounds abruptly echoed in the silent starry sky. It was the golden chains tightly binding the Hunger Immortal, tightening even further. While clamping down on the Hunger Immortal, they also seemed to control her extreme hunger and her desire to devour everything in the world.

"Only by experiencing the most extreme hunger can one truly comprehend the Path of Hunger.""An ascetic, masochistic method of cultivation..."

The golden chains constricted tightly, even digging into her shriveled flesh and rubbing against her bones, producing an eerie creaking sound. But the Hunger Immortal remained motionless throughout. She merely silently endured her desires and the pain she suffered. The Path of Hunger was like a ferocious beast trapped in a cage. Although roaring to break free, it remained firmly bound within this body. This method of control, where desire was aroused but not satisfied, actually caused the Hunger Immortal's enlightenment efficiency to gradually increase!

Li Buren took in all the changes happening to the Hunger Immortal. Attempting to put himself in her place, he slowly began to grasp something significant.

"The deeper one is tormented by the Dao, sinking into it, the more one can comprehend its principles.""This method of enlightenment...""It's somewhat similar to the reversed cultivation of Dao Heart in the Profound Yellow Immortal Heart Spell. Could it be a continuous lineage method originating from the Immortal Realm?"

As Li Buren began to observe and ponder, he noticed the difference in time flow rates between inside and outside, caused by the reappearing suction force from the Immortal Ruins. In the instant before he could react, three months had already passed in the Profound Yellow World. Outside the high wall, thirty years had already slipped by in a flash! Moreover, this speed difference was constantly increasing!

Fortunately, during these thirty years, nothing occurred that required the power of the Tomb Guardian's phantom to resolve. Qian Ruochang and Wuxian from the Shuo Star Sea visited several times to report on the progress of their cooperation. Li Fan merely feigned death, responding faintly with "Understood," and said no more. Qian Ruochang and Wuxian did not dare to disturb him, prudently retreating.

He had just been in thirty years ago, and in an instant, he arrived thirty years later. Countless scenes experienced by his true body slowly emerged in his mind, as if in slow motion. The enormous difference in temporal perception made even Li Buren uncomfortable, causing a faint sense of dizziness. His Dao Net body even showed a subtle distortion that only he could perceive, like a distorted image seen through a bubble.

Li Buren first tried to curb the changes in time flow caused by the immense suction force. But this was not an attribute of the Path of Hunger. Rather, it was an axiomatic phenomenon inherently existing in the mortal realm. Even with the power of the Tomb Guardian's phantom, it couldn't be completely eliminated. He could only try his best to reduce the Immortal Ruins' suction force's impact on the outside world.

In Li Buren's eyes, the massive vortex formed by the Immortal Ruins was devouring everything in the world. And what he had to do was build a dam outside the vortex, preventing anything from entering it, just like the high wall separating the inside and outside of the experimental field!

"Stabilize!" Li Buren silently chanted in his mind.

His Dao Net body, like a myriad of stars, shone brightly once more. Like a colossal stone, it stood before towering waves. But contrary to common sense, not a single splash of water occurred. Instead, as had happened in the Abyssal Star Sea, all the blocked suction force gathered at the foot of the high wall. With Li Buren's command, the True Immortal suction force that had ravaged the Abyssal Star Sea for ten thousand years was easily confined within a ninety-nine-zhang radius around the Hunger Immortal.

Li Buren had a premonition that he could continue to compress and push the "second high wall" inward. However, that might affect the Hunger Immortal's ultimate enlightenment. Therefore, he stopped when appropriate. The suction force, like surging waves, solidified without dissipating, gathering and coiling beneath the high wall. Li Buren vaguely felt as if he saw the scene of the Tomb Guardian gazing at the mountains and seas. He couldn't help but be slightly stunned.

Li Buren finally somewhat understood today the reason for this strange phenomenon: the suction force from the Immortal Ruins being blocked and gathered by the high wall.

"The power of immortals comes from the Infinite Sea.""And the high wall, which is the power of the Tomb Guardian's phantom, partially comes from the mountains that accompany the Infinite Sea.""Mountains and seas inherently share the same origin. They are not entirely opposite, hence they can attract each other to a certain extent.""Therefore, in a sense, the anomaly occurring at the periphery of the Abyssal Star Sea is a projection of what the Tomb Guardian saw in the past."

Standing at the edge of the second high wall, various insights sprouted in Li Buren's mind. Without the Immortal Ruins' suction force at work, the time flow rate within the Abyssal Star Sea finally returned to normal. However, the beings within the Star Sea were completely unaware of this drastic change. Only Li Fan slightly raised his head, looking towards the center of the Abyssal Star Sea. Having once been connected to the true essence of the Star Sea, he could faintly feel its joyful emotions. This joy not only stemmed from the disappearance of the Immortal Ruins' threat but also seemed to come from its synchronization with the outer Star Sea.

Li Fan temporarily ignored it and looked at his "Huanzhen" panel. The moment the time flow rates inside and outside the high wall became consistent again, the number representing the mortal realm's lifespan limit subtly changed in a flash. However, the extent of the change was not much. It only reduced from 7.36 million years to 7.23 million years.

"This isn't an impact caused by my setting up the second high wall. It should be that the time flow rate of the environment I'm in has changed.""In other words, the time difference between inside and outside the high wall is insignificant to the lifespan of the entire mortal realm.""But how exactly is the lifespan displayed by Huanzhen calculated?"

Li Fan was a little puzzled. Self-puzzling over such questions was destined to be fruitless. So Li Fan decisively chose to directly consult Huanzhen. And with the precedent of previous teachings, Huanzhen did not respond with silence this time. A massive stream of light and shadow data instantly flooded into Li Fan's mind. His glabella throbbed, and Li Fan instinctively performed a selective viewing. It seemed that, knowing Li Fan's current capabilities were insufficient to fully accept the casually transmitted imagery, this segment of light and shadow was itself reduced. He couldn't see the specifics, only a blurry general direction.

"This is...""Using my current strength as a fixed template, and assuming immortality, it simulates the maximum possible value."

It was a bit convoluted, but Li Fan quickly understood what Huanzhen wanted to convey. He carefully gazed at the constantly fleeting light and shadow before his eyes; over seven million years passed by in a blur, like a fleeting glimpse, lasting only thirty-three breaths of time. Ultimately, all light was extinguished, and even darkness failed to remain. It directly vanished from Li Fan's mind. When Li Fan tried to recall the specific content of the image he had just glimpsed, he found that no memory at all remained. He only vaguely remembered that Huanzhen had once shown him a simulated scene.

"The annihilation of the mortal realm, then.""The so-called lifespan limit is measured and calculated from my perspective, as Huanzhen's vessel.""There are endless possibilities in the future, but the current simulation and deduction yield results based on my current strength as the primary perspective.""In this deduction simulation, although I won't die, my cultivation strength won't make any progress either. I can only silently watch the changes in the mortal realm, like a bystander..."

Li Fan narrowed his eyes. He couldn't help but recall the changes in the mortal realm's lifespan panel when the Black Sky Physician had previously broken through the high wall and arrived. The number rapidly increased from over seven million years until it seemed infinite.

"In that simulation by Huanzhen, although I didn't die, I still fell into the hands of the Black Sky Physician.""Even the bones of the Nameless True Immortal could sneak in with Huanzhen. The Black Sky Physician must also be able to do it. Therefore, my fate must not have been good. Perhaps I became an existence like the Evolution Jade...""Yet, with Huanzhen's assistance, the Black Sky Physician was almost able to save the mortal realm from its calamity."

Understanding the reason, Li Fan couldn't help but let out a cold snort. His convictions remained unchanged. Sacrificing him alone to save the mortal realm was absolutely impossible.

"The mortal realm only has meaning because of my existence. If I pass away, even if the mortal realm endures countless eons, what does that have to do with me?""Moreover, in Huanzhen's deduction, even if the Black Sky Physician gained Huanzhen's power, the mortal realm's lifespan limit still had a specific number.""Not infinite!""Even if this number is extremely vast, unimaginably vast, it will still ultimately face the day of annihilation.""Since the ending doesn't change, whether it's seven million years or seventy billion years...""There is no difference."

He wasn't sure if it was the inexplicable influence of the scene Huanzhen had just demonstrated, but Li Fan felt that his spirit had invisibly risen significantly. He could even calmly ignore the colossal number in his memory representing the mortal realm's possible lifespan. It was as if he had truly experienced that long period of time, only to ultimately meet a destructive end. Moreover, a resolute thought surged uncontrollably from the depths of his heart: Huanzhen, only in his hands, could truly change the mortal realm's fated destruction, to completely break free from the destiny of Dao Annihilation.

This confidence came without any basis, and it was slowly fading with the passage of time. When Li Fan himself had fully recovered, he felt that his previous thought was a bit too arrogant and conceited. But upon careful reflection, he vaguely guessed that he must have seen something in that seven-million-year simulated light and shadow. That was why such a thought emerged from his heart. Li Fan's mind was then put at ease.

When he wanted to verify his guess with Huanzhen, Huanzhen once again fell silent. But Li Fan was not annoyed. "Silence, not denial." Having spent so much time with Huanzhen, Li Fan could roughly guess the emotions it sometimes expressed. Silence was sometimes an answer.

Having confirmed himself as Huanzhen's rightful inheritor, Li Fan was in a good mood. Coming back to his senses, he looked again at the Immortal Ruins. As Li Buren transformed his body into a wall, blocking the Immortal Ruins' suction force, he was also sensing the extremely subtle power changes generated by the Hunger Immortal's enlightenment.

"Because of the time flow rate changes caused by this power, the Hunger Immortal's previous enlightenment lasted for ten thousand years in the Profound Yellow World.""This breakthrough definitely won't take that long.""Moreover..."

Li Buren observed that due to the "second high wall" he had personally constructed, the enlightenment suction force accumulated beneath this high wall partially counteracted the Hunger Immortal's influence on the outside world. This greatly reduced the time difference between inside and outside the second high wall.

While waiting for the Hunger Immortal to emerge from her seclusion and for him to complete his harvest, Li Buren first looked at the Immortal Ruins land beneath him. Aside from the widespread ruins, the most striking feature was the colossal character for "Hunger."

"The origin of this 'Hunger' character's evolution...""It precisely comes from the remnants of the previous nameless True Immortal who achieved Dao through hunger, located beneath the Hunger Immortal."