Chapter 1538: Initial Generation Becoming an Immortal Puppet

Angry Squid

After serving as the Grand Heavenly Venerate of Xuanhuang for ten thousand years, theoretically, Yi Yutong could have ended this mission.

However, finding a suitable successor was not easy.

When the probability became sufficiently low, it was indistinguishable from impossible. Yi Yutong searched painstakingly for over six thousand more years, almost scouring the entire Xuanhuang Realm. Yet, she never found anyone who met the succession requirements.

It was then that Yi Yutong truly understood why King Xuanti had been so overjoyed and lost his composure upon discovering her.

After a long fruitless search, Yi Yutong gradually became resigned. During her leisure time, while patiently handling Xuanhuang affairs, she indulged in the beauty of nature. In her heart, she prepared herself to live and die with this realm.

Until...

The great war between the Xuanhuang and Taiyuan Realms erupted, a rift appeared across the sky, and the image of a True Immortal of Xuanhuang breaking through in battle and turning the tide emerged before the world.

As one of the people in the Xuanhuang Realm with the deepest understanding of "Immortals," she recognized the unique aura of a True Immortal almost the instant that being revealed their strength.

This was followed by an overwhelming surge of doubt in her heart.

The Immortal Path was clearly broken; even a genius like King Xuanti could only achieve the Half-Immortal realm. How could a new True Immortal possibly appear in this world?

Later, after that True Immortal radiated immense light, they vanished like a fleeting meteor. Only then did relief fill her heart.

However, at the same time, an uncontrollable urge arose within her.

"If I possessed the strength of a True Immortal, perhaps I could disregard the various constraints of this Grand Heavenly Venerate position. After all, the Immortal Realm has long been destroyed..."

Once this thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed.

Thus, she took an immense risk, leaving the Xuanhuang Realm for the first time in her life and venturing into the Taiyuan Realm.

It must be known that the vast majority of her power came from the blessings of the Grand Heavenly Venerate of Xuanhuang. Outside the Xuanhuang Realm, she would be no different from an ordinary Dao Integration cultivator. Yi Yutong was keenly aware of how many Dao Integration cultivators had perished on that land. Even with the war now subsided and no threat from Taiyuan cultivators, it was impossible to say what dangers an unfamiliar land might hold.

But Yi Yutong still went.

She not only visited and paid respects at the site where the Xuanhuang True Immortal perished but also gazed in awe at the astonishing sword mark.

Upon her return, Yi Yutong indeed gained subtle insights.

The lingering aura of that Xuanhuang True Immortal felt deeply familiar to Yi Yutong.

This sense of familiarity came from King Xuanti, whom she had encountered in the first half of her life, and also from the Faceless Idol she had worshipped since childhood.

"So that's how it is. I was wrong."

"Since Immortals still exist in this world, it means the Immortal Path has not been severed. The ultimate destination of becoming an Immortal has always been there. Only the Immortal Realm was destroyed; merely one of the paths leading to the destination..."

Relying on this sense of familiarity, Yi Yutong seemed able to faintly touch the boundary of Immortality.

While painting, her consciousness, following the connection of familiarity in her heart, drifted out of the Xuanhuang Realm.

In a trance, she saw a vast and continuous landscape of mountains and seas!

Li Fan slowly closed Yi Yutong's book, a serious expression on his face.

She actually glimpsed the scenery of the Boundless Sea and Mount Shangfang during her enlightenment.

This was clearly beyond Yi Yutong's talent. The only possible explanation was that she was affected by the so-called "familiarity" invading her.

Just like Li Fan, who occasionally saw a standing figure with its back to him, gazing from a mountain to the sea.

This sight was not something he had personally witnessed.

Rather, it was a change that occurred after he cultivated the 'Shouqiu Essays' and entered the Dao path inherited by Lord Shouqiu.

"So, the source of Yi Yutong's enlightenment regarding the mountains and seas is..."

Currently, Yi Yutong had transformed into a Heavenly Pillar, an existence akin to an artifact.

Li Fan used her as a medium, completely taking over her mind. He meticulously investigated the source of her familiarity.

"It's not King Xuanti."

"It's the Faceless Immortal..."

After a period of discernment, Li Fan reached a conclusion.

After all, in previous cycles of reincarnation, Li Fan had been deeply entangled with both of them.

Especially the Faceless Immortal; Li Fan had even fallen into their trap at one point, losing his own face just like Yi Yutong's unjustly deceased parents.

But the current Li Fan was no longer who he once was. He had already met powerhouses capable of traversing the Eternal Silence Void Realm, such as Lord Shouqiu, Ziyi, and Emperor Taitian.

Why would he fear this mere Faceless Immortal?

"The connection is so close, indicating that it is still within the primal possibility. Neither is a transcendent powerhouse..."

Li Fan's eyes flickered, his mind swirling with thoughts.

Ultimately, however, he suppressed these various thoughts for now. He would deal with other matters in the Xuanhuang Realm first.

Reviewing Yi Yutong's memories, her account to Li Fan was indeed a mix of truth and falsehoods.

The First Grand Heavenly Venerate had indeed exhibited a tyrannical temperament, but this was a side effect of the separation of immortals and mortals. As the symptoms worsened, the First Venerate tried his best to seclude himself, no longer meeting with the world. He began searching for a successor early on.

The fact that the First Venerate's lineage was able to escape was precisely the result of his intentional indulgence.

It was precisely out of consideration for the First Grand Heavenly Venerate's past accomplishments that King Xuanti did not eradicate his descendants entirely, even though they committed numerous evil deeds, when it came time for reckoning.

"Knowing that ascending to immortality was hopeless, the First Venerate later abandoned the idea of returning to being an immortal."

"He simply granted his immortal body to the succeeding Xuanhuang Heavenly Venerate, to serve as a trump card in emergencies."

"Immortal artifacts, an immortal body, and the power of Xuanhuang. These established the Grand Heavenly Venerate of Xuanhuang's supreme status in the Xuanhuang Realm."

"The current location of the First Venerate's immortal body..."

Li Fan found the answer in Yi Yutong's memories. The next moment, he instantly teleported to the corresponding location.

"So, it's here."

Space and time shifted in Li Fan's mind, connecting this location to its appearance ten thousand years later.

It was precisely Tianling Continent, where the Yishi Sect built the Five Elements Great Grotto Heaven.

However, at this point in time, the space known as the Root of Heaven and Earth had not yet been occupied by the Yishi Sect.

And the First Venerate's immortal body lay quietly within it.

Whisps of immortal power emanated from the immortal body, nourishing the Xuanhuang Realm.

With Yi Yutong's memories, Li Fan faced no obstacles and smoothly broke through multiple restrictions.

He arrived before the First Venerate's immortal body.

"Not weak. No wonder it was entrusted with such an important task by the Immortal Realm," Li Fan observed from afar, commenting dispassionately.

Judging by the aura emanating from this body, although it hadn't reached the Nameless Realm, it was stronger than the Two Immortals Xiyi he had encountered earlier in Shuoxing Sea.

"A True Immortal's shell, and a body completely devoid of self-awareness. It's truly the best material for refining a puppet." Li Fan couldn't help but be tempted.

The First Venerate's immortal body had lain quietly in the Xuanhuang Realm for ten thousand years, untouched by anyone.

This was certainly because successive Grand Heavenly Venerates were willing but powerless.

Even without self-awareness, the spontaneous protective power of its immortal spirit meant that not just anyone could breach its defenses.

However, it couldn't stop Li Fan.

"Perhaps King Xuanti also possessed this ability, but given Xuanyuan Hong's character, he might not have been willing to do so."

Li Fan, however, didn't care.

In his view, everything in the world could be used by him, and without any psychological burden.

This "world" referred not just to the Xuanhuang Realm.

But the entire world of mountains, seas, and the mortal realm!

Although he intended to make the most of it, Li Fan did not let his guard down.

He meticulously examined the First Venerate's immortal body once more, then set up a formation on the spot. Only after ensuring no issues would arise did he begin refining the immortal puppet.

This time, Li Fan thoroughly absorbed the advanced experience of refining puppets and clones from previous cycles. He adopted a state that was between a clone and an independent puppet.

The immortal puppet still possessed its own independent consciousness, but Li Fan also had the ability to fully control it.

Furthermore, every thought that arose in its mind had to be under control. When necessary, Li Fan could temporarily freeze the immortal puppet's thoughts and seize control of its body.

It could even, with a single thought, eradicate the immortal puppet's consciousness, create a new one, and restart everything. These were all integrated functions.

This immortal puppet refinement truly represented the culmination of Li Fan's abilities.

With his current Half-Immortal realm, the refinement required considerable effort.

Fortunately, with the support of immortal power from the Taiyuan Realm's ancient immortal defense formation, the refinement of the First Venerate's immortal puppet was finally completed successfully.

As the puppet's consciousness slowly awakened, the immortal power that had been naturally emanating to nourish the Xuanhuang Realm was involuntarily withdrawn.

Almost instantly, the Xuanhuang Heaven and Earth seemed like a vibrant flower that had withered and lost its color.

It had become subtly different.

If it had been in a flourishing state before, now, deprived of the First Venerate's immortal body's nourishment, it rapidly declined from prosperity.

Although this change was still extremely subtle at present, noticeable only by a few individuals throughout the entire world, it was expected to become increasingly apparent and even accelerate over time.

"No wonder Su Bai didn't take the First Venerate's immortal body with him when he wanted to escape the high wall. Without the immortal body's support, it's hard to say whether the Xuanhuang Realm would even survive until ten thousand years later."

While Li Fan was still pondering, the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao's consciousness, having just detected the cosmic anomaly, descended in a hurry.

One could sense its shock and fury.

But upon seeing Li Fan, it instantly froze, then transformed into resentment and fawning.

"Very good. It seems you learn quickly."

Li Fan nodded with satisfaction.

He allocated a small portion of the immortal power drawn from the Taiyuan ancient immortal formation and set up an immortal array here to supply the Xuanhuang Realm.

Given the infinite nature of immortal power, even distributing a portion would have no substantial effect on Li Fan. And as the Xuanhuang Realm served as his foundational anchor in the River of Time, Li Fan would not stand by and watch it fall into turmoil.

The Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, freshly nourished, instantly turned its worry into joy. It then went on its way, elated.

It had no idea how terrifying it was that its entire fate and lifeline were now controlled by Li Fan.

Li Fan, however, did not pay much attention to the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao.

He was trying to peer into the First Grand Heavenly Venerate's life through the few residual memories within the immortal puppet's body.

It must be said that the First Grand Heavenly Venerate indeed possessed some remarkable methods.

The separation of immortals and mortals using this two-part division was indeed quite thorough.

Even after Li Fan thoroughly cleansed the body, he only found a few of the most profound memory fragments.

These few memories occupied an extremely significant part of the First Grand Heavenly Venerate's life. They were deeply imprinted within his very essence, unable to be erased even by the separation of immortals and mortals.

"Is this the Calamity of Dao Annihilation...'" The First Venerate watched with his own eyes as the distant Immortal Realm silently collapsed. The resplendent heavenly palaces instantly plunged into a pitch-black stillness.

And this deathly silence was rapidly spreading towards his location.

Countless immortals, like ants, vanished within this terrifying calamity. They couldn't even cry out for help or wail. They simply disappeared entirely.

Despair filled the First Venerate's heart. Not even the thought of escape arose.

Because he knew there was no escape.

Just as he closed his eyes, awaiting death, a figure, appearing somewhat slender yet actually incomparably majestic, suddenly appeared between heaven and earth.

All the immortals frantically retreated.

Only he, facing the great tide of Dao Annihilation, met it head-on.

A single person, like a mountain. Like a dam.

He stood there, and the terrifying, surging tide in front, devouring everything, could not advance an inch!

An extremely distinct boundary line sliced the vision into two halves.

Beyond the boundary line lay death and nothingness.

And on this side, where the First Venerate stood, represented vitality and light.

Like all the saved immortals, the First Venerate gazed blankly at the standing figure ahead, unable to regain his composure for a long time.

It was only much later that the First Venerate learned the name of this peerless powerhouse.

Lord Shouqiu.

"Something Lord Shouqiu couldn't accomplish, could Emperor Tianluo achieve it?"

The First Venerate seemed to be arguing with someone.

Even as the other party tried hard to persuade him, the First Venerate's heart remained filled with uncontrollable rage.

"No self-awareness! And yet, he still draws a crowd to follow him..."

"No wonder even Lord Shouqiu had to leave."

"The Immortal Realm is beyond saving."

Once this thought arose, it echoed like thunder in the First Venerate's heart, never to be appeased.

"I heard that Emperor Tianluo is thoroughly investigating matters concerning resistance to the Immortal Governance. Especially regarding the many True Immortals who fled to the lower realms..."

At this moment, a friend's voice reached the First Venerate's ear.

"This is the Lan Ke Daoist Temple."

"Since you've come seeking refuge, feel free to choose any cultivation world."

The First Venerate's divine sense swept through countless divided cube-like spaces, then suddenly, upon seeing one of them, it abruptly stopped.

"If I'm not mistaken, that person seems to be..." In this world, the First Venerate surprisingly discovered an extremely familiar figure.

Once, when he followed Lord Shouqiu's footsteps, he had distantly glimpsed this figure standing beside the Immortal Emperor.

"Shhh..." The person beside him let out a soft chuckle that implied more than words could say.

The First Venerate could only swallow his words.

"Indeed, my choice was correct."

"Then I'll choose this place. It's always safe where these great figures reside."

"He's dead."

"Such a powerful figure actually died."

"And died in the mortal realm."

The First Venerate looked at the slowly forming, another illusory Xuanhuang Realm.

His heart was filled with shock and bewilderment.

The other party's demise was certainly unexpected.

But the birth of this illusory world equally astonished him.

"Though illusory, it is real."

"It doesn't require a foundation in reality."

"Even if the Calamity of Dao Annihilation arrives, it can float upon it like a wooden boat!"