Chapter 1484: Creating the Primordial Immortal Realm

Just three simple words, devoid of any further explanation, sparked endless contemplation in Li Fan.

"Illusion and Reality" (幻亦真) clearly referred to the principle of "when truth becomes fabrication, fabrication also becomes truth." The key lay in the preceding two words: "Divine Blessing."

"Divine… Blessing…" Li Fan carefully savored the term displayed on the Return-to-Truth panel. The core meaning revolved around "Divine."

The ability "Illusion and Reality" was a divine power granted to Li Fan by Return-to-Truth, and it could certainly be seen as a form of protection. Who, then, did the "Divine" part refer to? Was it Return-to-Truth itself? Did this imply that, in Return-to-Truth's own perception, it considered itself divine?

"What is a god?" Li Fan inevitably recalled the fable left by Sun Piaomiao, along with the legends of the Creator God, and the mountains and seas.

"Over the years, I've searched almost every corner of the Xuanhuang Realm. Yet, the book Liu Ruchen mentioned remains elusive. It left no trace, as if it had simply vanished into thin air."

"The probability of it naturally perishing in the annals of history is low. It was either taken by someone specifically or carried away with other resources when the Ten Immortal Sects fled..."

"Almost all the remnants of the Ten Sects are in the Shuoxing Sea." Li Fan's gaze once again shifted towards the neighbor beyond the high wall.

For Li Fan, gaining "Illusion and Reality: Divine Blessing" was akin to acquiring the support of an unnamed True Immortal-level combatant, available at any moment. It might even be far more powerful than that.

Suppressing his surging excitement, Li Fan waited until roughly twenty-four hours had passed and he sensed that "Illusion and Reality" could be used again. He immediately calmed himself, activated the ability once more, and returned to the Infinite Sea. He no longer marveled at the incredible nature of Return-to-Truth's Divine Blessing. Instead, his priority was to discover the true utility of "Illusion and Reality."

"Though but an insignificant mortal being, I can deceive the heavens and cross the sea. During the period of divine blessing, I am on par with the Infinite Sea..."

Li Buren's consciousness drifted through this boundless ocean, attempting to draw its infinite power into reality. Being on par with it meant this "drawing" process required no acknowledgement of external pressure. It was as if the ocean itself were acting.

His true body initiated the draw in the real world. He scattered the remaining fragments of the Immortal Realm around the Primordial Celestial Pillar. It was as if heaven and earth were being reborn, recreating earth, fire, water, and wind. The Immortal Realm fragments rejoined the Great Dao, arrayed around the Celestial Pillar. Observing this incomplete world, Li Fan integrated his Ink-Slaying Myriad Manifestations Dao Net into it. What was lacking would be made whole. What overlapped would be tamed. At the center of the Myriad Manifestations Dao Net resided the power of Wuji. Any element unwilling to submit to the Myriad Manifestations Dao Net was instantly dispersed and then re-evolved using the principles Li Fan himself had comprehended.

Amidst a swirling mist, a nascent world began to form. It was devoid of any living beings; only the Celestial Pillars of Primordial, Hungry Immortal, and Wuji stood erect. Li Fan's indistinct figure hovered above these pillars.

"Once the cosmos is established, myriad forms shall emerge."

The Dao Net, concealed beyond the nascent world, emitted endless variations of light. All the Great Daos began to manifest within this newly formed realm. This wasn't a solitary deduction but a direct replication from primordial possibilities, ensuring the evolution unfolded without any deviation. Amidst the shimmering lights and shadows, in a short time, a primeval world had taken shape. Five illusory figures guarding mounds, along with numerous celestial pillars, supported the lofty skies of this primeval realm.

With the world now formed, the infinite immortal power channeled by Li Buren surged downwards through the pathways of the Dao Net.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

The terrifying cacophony that unfolded in the primeval world was akin to the descent of Dao Annihilation itself. The nascent firmament was entirely engulfed by ominous clouds. Under immense pressure, cracks began to appear. The world itself trembled violently, the sky swayed, and the earth shook, as if on the verge of collapse.

Yet, the benefits of this influx of infinite immortal power were readily apparent. The newly formed barren land, as if parched for eons, eagerly and greedily absorbed the Infinite Sea's power. The distance between heaven and earth expanded with every passing moment. On the land, mountains rose, rivers, seas, lakes, forests, and plains emerged, transforming it from a barren and desolate expanse into a diverse landscape. In the sky, the cracks caused by the strain were being repaired by the power drawn from the Infinite Sea.

Guided by an intuition, Li Fan chose not to entirely eliminate these heavenly fissures. Instead, he preserved all thirteen tangible scars, channeling immense additional power from the Infinite Sea into each. Thanks to Li Fan's deliberate nurturing, as the sky grew higher and the earth expanded, each of the thirteen heavenly fissures accumulated an immense amount of energy, nearly equivalent to that of the entire primeval world. Li Fan observed that with such vast energy accumulation, these heavenly fissures seemed to subtly awaken with a nascent sentience.

After long deliberation, Li Fan decided against injecting a wisp of his divine consciousness into them to gain control of these fissures. The infinite immortal power accumulated within the heavenly fissures already surpassed his controllable limits. Attempting to forcibly dominate them would likely result in a backlash. Instead, Li Fan merely refined and separated each connection channel between the heavenly fissures and the Infinite Sea. By controlling these channels, he effectively placed reins upon them. Regardless of how they might evolve in the future, with the reins in hand, he had no fear of them spiraling out of control.

Inspired by this, when Li Fan perceived that consciousness was slowly beginning to emerge within this primeval world, he intentionally divided it into five distinct regions: east, west, south, north, and central. Each region was then connected to a different channel from the Infinite Sea. Like a great river branching into streams, the primeval world's collective consciousness was similarly fractured. The faint sense of unease Li Fan had felt vanished.

"It appears the primeval consciousness, if fully born, would be too potent, posing a risk of losing control," Li Fan mused inwardly.

Standing beyond the heavens, Li Fan quietly observed this primeval world continue its evolution. An endless torrent of immortal power poured down from the Infinite Sea. Under an ineffable, immense pressure, the primeval world continuously grew, yet simultaneously became incredibly condensed and solidified.

"Outwardly forged by the pressure of the Infinite Sea, yet inwardly possessing the infinitely adaptable Ink-Slaying Dao Net capable of devouring all Three Thousand Great Daos..."

"I doubt even my full power could inflict significant damage upon this continent."

"Furthermore, it's still visibly in its growth phase, seemingly without limit. As long as the Infinite Sea continues its ceaseless infusion, it can grow forever..."

Li Fan watched the transformations with silent astonishment. He also felt that with the birth of this continent within the high wall, it was as if a solid stone pillar had been added. Even the entire experimental space had become considerably more "stable."

Within the Infinite Sea, Li Buren found himself in a tremendously turbulent vortex, yet remained utterly unaffected. After attempting to draw the Infinite Sea's power into the real world, he discovered that no matter how much he intensified the draw, the Infinite Sea would always generate corresponding adjustments. Furthermore, this did not attract the attention of the Infinite Sea itself.

Li Buren gradually loosened his restraint, continuously escalating the draw. The vortex he now inhabited encompassed every observable region of the Infinite Sea! Although he could command the Infinite Sea at will, thanks to the properties of "Illusion and Reality," the primeval continent in the real world had, after all, limited capacity. The output capacity of the exit channel was limited, so the mobilized power gathered there, forming a vortex that could only be described as a supreme miracle.

"The time has come."

Immersed within the thundering vortex, yet utterly unaffected, as if transcending its boundaries, Li Buren observed silently. Suddenly, a realization struck him.

"The duration is significantly shorter than last time."

"It seems Return-to-Truth had to exert considerable effort to conceal the commotion I caused."

Li Buren, pensive, expertly returned along the vortex channel. With the channeler gone, the primeval continent's nutrient supply was severed. The rapidly expanding world instantly came to a standstill. Subsequently, the thirteen heavenly fissures and the five world consciousnesses all simultaneously unleashed roars of discontent. Li Fan's vague silhouette stood amidst the world. With a cold snort, he suppressed all their clamorous protests.

In the ensuing silence, these nascent entities finally understood the source of their sustenance. One after another, they began to implore Li Fan, seemingly trying to curry favor. Li Fan remained silently unresponsive. He merely waited for the next activation of "Illusion and Reality."

During the silent waiting period, Li Fan used his hand as a blade, carving magnificent, continuous structures into the earth and sky. Their designs were inspired by the Immortal Realm Li Fan had once glimpsed. Benefiting from his prior practice with the wooden cat carving, Li Fan was able to almost perfectly replicate these celestial structures.

Days passed, and when the cooldown for "Illusion and Reality" ended, Li Fan was not in a hurry to reactivate it. Instead, he took the time to observe and summarize the attitudes displayed by the thirteen heavenly fissures and the five world consciousnesses during that period. Among the heavenly fissures and world consciousnesses, Li Fan specifically withheld the connection to the infinite immortal power from the entity that had protested most fiercely. When the vast, infinite power once again surged forth, these two, however, could only watch as their counterparts reveled in abundance while they received nothing.

These nascent entities possessed little complex consciousness. The disparity — others having, they not — instinctively filled them with immense rage. Their roars echoed throughout the world, even drowning out the sound of the infinite immortal power being channeled. Li Fan, however, merely offered a cold smile and severed all connections to the Infinite Sea once more. The heavenly fissures and world consciousnesses, which had been greedily absorbing the power, instantly froze.

It took them considerable effort to understand why Li Fan had cut off the infinite immortal power. For the sake of their own sustenance, they united and swarmed the two instigators, teaching them a harsh lesson. It must be said that these entities, naturally evolved and born from the world itself, possessed formidable power. The primeval continent itself bore the scars of this intense conflict. Fortunately, the outcome was favorable. Outnumbered, the troublemakers dared not utter another sound. They could only gaze enviously as their counterparts continued to feed contentedly.

When "Illusion and Reality's" duration once again ended, and Li Fan cut off their supply, these primeval consciousnesses still grumbled, but their commotion was far less than before. Notably, those who had been deprived of sustenance this time remained utterly silent.

The next time, Li Fan switched the target of deprivation. The two who had learned their lesson and behaved well were granted the opportunity to connect and draw from the Infinite Sea. The heavenly fissure that was cut off, however, felt both terrified and enraged, utterly confused as to what it had done wrong. Unbeknownst to it, Li Fan had simply chosen it at random.

The next time, there was universal joy; everyone received their share. The heavenly fissures and world consciousnesses celebrated profusely.

And yet again, after a long wait, the infinite immortal power still did not arrive. The primeval consciousnesses gathered outside the high-rise structures where Li Fan's figure stood, yet dared not cause trouble. They simply waited in silence.

Subsequently, the infinite immortal power was reconnected for all of them.

Day after day, year after year, Li Fan continued to "train" these primeval consciousnesses using this consistent method. In the blink of an eye, fifteen more years had passed. Li Fan realized that this primeval continent had reached its maximum growth. While it could still draw infinite immortal power, it could no longer be further enhanced.

Li Fan sat high above the clouds, observing the vast continent spread beneath him. As he slowly raised his hand, a pair of colossal palms simultaneously enveloped the primeval land. With strokes like dragons and snakes, the forms of living beings were etched onto the earth. After an eruption of dazzling light, the incredibly complex characters disintegrated into a myriad of fragments. On the primeval continent, countless beings formed from stones, vegetation, mountains, lakes, and seas emerged like bamboo shoots after rain. Though their consciousness was nascent, they instinctively recognized the one who had granted them life. Kneeling, they collectively cried out, "Thank you, Great Master, for the gift of life!"

Li Fan waved his hand once more, bestowing access to the Infinite Sea upon every living being. Naturally, the scale of infinite immortal power these later-born beings could summon was far inferior to that of the thirteen heavenly fissures and the five world consciousnesses. Combined, their total capacity barely equated to that of just one of the greater entities.

"This is the essence of authority." Li Fan sensed that all Infinite Sea access rights within this primeval world were under his complete control. A single thought could grant, another could deprive. "Perhaps the ruling Immortal Emperors of old wielded power over life and death in a similar fashion?" Li Fan mused, a faint understanding dawning upon him.

As the primeval continent grew lively, Li Fan once again silently recited "Illusion and Reality." This time, the divine ability's target was no longer the Infinite Sea. Instead, it was the primeval world unfolding before him. After the Divine Blessing was activated, Li Fan felt as if he had become an intrinsic part of the primeval world. Not only could he clearly perceive everything occurring within the world, but he could also distinctly sense the subtle communications between the various world consciousnesses. It was as if he had become one of them, yet they remained utterly oblivious to this inexplicably added "sibling."

After listening for a while and discovering no rebellious sentiments among these world consciousnesses, Li Fan nodded slightly in satisfaction.

"This 'Illusion and Reality' divine ability is truly effective."

"Moreover..." Li Fan silently gauged the duration of the Divine Blessing. "As expected. The duration varies depending on the target."

"When applied to this primeval continent, it can last almost indefinitely. Even if this world eventually perishes with time, the effect of 'Illusion and Reality' will persist."

"This primeval Immortal Realm is already an extraordinary creation. Yet, the disparity between it and the Infinite Sea remains immense..." The fleeting arrogance Li Fan felt as a "creator" vanished in an instant. The harsh reality brought him back to sobriety.