Chapter 1542: Passing Down the Law from Ancestors

"Seek fortune and avoid disaster; turn adversity into opportunity."

"If it were just within a certain range, perhaps I could explain it as a talent. But even risks that Huanzhen couldn't detect, I often manage to sense beforehand and issue warnings..." Li Fan's expression was grave; he couldn't help but feel suspicious. "Could it be that this spiritual perception is greatly connected to my own infinite spirituality? What kind of talent is this? Is it related to my identity as a 'transcendent'?" Inevitably, a series of questions arose in Li Fan's mind.

The first stage of the New Law was called "Building Foundations with Myself." Logically, as Li Fan's cultivation and knowledge grew, he should have been getting closer to achieving this goal. However, as more and more mysteries about himself were uncovered, Li Fan found himself seemingly drifting further from establishing his own foundation. This was true even without considering Huanzhen's influence. He was almost lost in this mental storm of self-doubt when, deep within his soul, an extremely familiar fluctuation emanated. Like a timely rain after a long drought, it instantly helped Li Fan regain clarity.

It was Huanzhen, who had been heavily injured and asleep for a long time! The fluctuation was fleeting and extremely faint. Yet, it was like a sudden clap of thunder, instantly shattering the confusion in Li Fan's heart. "I was too focused on appearances," he realized. "Whether it's a talent or a 'cheat,' as long as I can use it, that's enough. I'm still struggling to survive in the River of Time; what's the point of delving into its essence? It would only add to my troubles." "Perhaps there will truly be a day when I confront this deepest mystery. But by then, I should be capable of complete understanding and pure self-awareness." Huanzhen's appearance was like a calming antidote. The self-reflection triggered in Li Fan by the Sky Devil finally began to subside completely.

One must know that Li Fan, who had cycled through many lives and experienced countless dramatic changes in the mountains and seas, possessed an unyielding will. Yet, he was still affected by the Sky Devil. "So this is the way of the Sky Devil," he mused. "As long as one has not transcended the mortal Dao, they will inevitably be plagued by inner demons. The strength of these demons is even closely tied to oneself. The more secrets one holds, the stronger the inner demons can become..." The Sky Devil truly was a unique creation, completely different from any other living beings Li Fan had encountered. The Nameless and Transcenders were powerful, yes, but to Li Fan, their strength was merely numerical. The Sky Devil, however, was a "mechanism monster." It could be considered strong, and it could also be considered weak. As long as one's heart was firm and sincere, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could avoid its troubles. But if one's state of mind had flaws or vulnerabilities, even those in the Nameless realm would find it difficult to evade its influence.

"And the Sky Devil in this state..." It seemed that once he shook off the inner demons, he would be immune to their influence for a long time. Li Fan once again began to study the transparent tissue extracted and separated from Xuanyuan Tuo's body. It was like the amniotic fluid surrounding an infant in the womb, providing protection and nourishment. It protected the still-sleeping Celestial Physician. It was precisely Li Fan's action of separating it from the Celestial Physician that had triggered the Sky Devil's instinctive attack. "The Sky Devil should also be one of the Venerables of the Celestial Law Realm." "However, there's no consciousness of the Sky Devil within this transparent tissue." "Furthermore, if I recall correctly, the true Sky Devil should still be frozen and stored within the Profound Immortal Vessel at this moment."

He used the Transformation of Truth and Illusion to simulate the Celestial Physician's life aura, then slowly approached. The transparent tissue very quickly enveloped this "Celestial Physician" once more. "Interesting," Li Fan murmured. "It seems the Celestial Physician's Heavenly Soul Reincarnation was able to succeed largely thanks to the Sky Devil's assistance." "This 'nurturing bed'..." Li Fan shifted his perspective, examining it as the Great Celestial Venerable Xuanhuang. The protective shell formed by the transparent tissue was like a mirror. When viewed by the forces of the Xuanhuang Realm, it reflected only scenes from the Xuanhuang Realm.

Suddenly remembering something, Li Fan re-examined the sleeping Celestial Physician. Just as he had anticipated. "It's not complete." "Or rather, it's only a part of the Celestial Physician." "Heavenly Soul Reincarnation projected consciousness, but the Celestial Physician's original body is still hidden somewhere." "That makes sense. Although the Celestial Physician possessed Chuanfa, he later still had his own body. This is why, for a long time, I was fundamentally perplexed about the relationship between these two. They seemed like the same person, yet also like a main body and a clone—full of contradictions." "Such complex experiences; how could one possibly sort them out without personally observing them through memory?" Li Fan shook his head slightly.

"In the original historical timeline, the Celestial Physician sensed the crisis in the Celestial Law Realm, forcibly regained control of his body, and upon returning, witnessed the Celestial Law Realm completely ravaged." "Although the Heavenly Soul Reincarnation plan was halfway successful, his homeland had already been destroyed. The Celestial Physician was devastated." "Yet, even so, he didn't give up. Instead, he conceived a strategy of 'resurrection through borrowed corpse.' However, this was even more difficult than the Heavenly Soul Reincarnation and couldn't be completed by him alone, let alone with Xuanyuan Tuo's unstable self-awareness still present." "Thus, the Celestial Physician needed help." "The Sky Devil, who had long ago departed from the Celestial Law Realm, became his only aid." "Fortunately, thanks to the nurturing bed left by the Sky Devil, and its subtle connection to the main body, the Celestial Physician was able to accurately locate it within the vast starry sky and find the elusive, deeply hidden Profound Immortal Vessel." "It took considerable effort to rescue the Sky Devil. Following that, the Sky Devil and Celestial Physician joined forces to completely suppress Xuanyuan Tuo's consciousness. The Sky Devil acted as Chuanfa, and the Celestial Physician returned to his own body." "The two combined their strength, aiming to save the Celestial Law Realm from ruin." "It could be said that for the next ten thousand years in the Xuanhuang Realm, it was a one-act play starring these two. The Ten Immortal Sects, the One Mind, True, and Worry-Free Celestial Venerables — they were all just supporting roles in this grand drama." "Unfortunately, with me here now, this grand drama is destined not to play out."

Li Fan gazed at the Sky Devil's nurturing bed and the sleeping Celestial Physician before him, his vision seemingly piercing through ten millennia of time. He saw the future that was originally set for them. The feeling he had just experienced while influenced by the Sky Devil, caught in a mental storm, bore a strange resemblance to falling into the turbulent River of Time. Li Fan had a premonition that mastering the way of the Sky Devil might increase his safety when traveling backward through time. Although he didn't know why the so-called Sky Devil had an inexplicable connection to the path of reversal, it didn't stop Li Fan from absorbing and refining it for his own use.

The refining process was not complicated. In fact, it was remarkably simple. Li Fan merely used a bit of the power of Truth and Illusion, disguising himself as the Celestial Physician. He then smoothly and successfully dissolved the Sky Devil's nurturing bed. There was not the slightest resistance. "This Sky Devil is rather interesting," Li Fan mused. "Though seemingly heartlessly departed, it left behind a portion of its power to help the Celestial Law Realm overcome difficulties when necessary." "And it could even selflessly sacrifice itself to protect others..." "A true example of 'cold on the outside, warm on the inside.'"

As Li Fan slowly absorbed the transparent Sky Devil's nurturing bed, the Xuanhuang world in his eyes gradually became more "vibrant" and "alive." If, in the past, Li Fan had merely perceived the Grand Dao of Heaven and Earth, now he could vaguely see the world seemingly coming alive, pulsating with its own emotions. And this was not limited to just the Xuanhuang Grand Dao. Li Fan's gaze extended beyond Xuanhuang. He looked at the sea of stars, the high wall, and even the entire primordial possibility. All were the same. This did not mean that the Sky Devil's ability could now rival that of a Transcendent. Rather, it was like a key, opening a door for Li Fan. The reason he could perceive so many magnificent and vibrant scenes was still because Li Fan himself was strong enough. After all, Li Fan had once truly leaped beyond the primordial possibility and faced the mountains and seas directly.

"Wielding the way of the Sky Devil is like gaining a perceptive mind, allowing me to fully grasp the emotional shifts of the cold heavenly Dao," Li Fan mused. "This is immensely beneficial for any path of cultivation." "However..." Within the mortal realm, the emotions of the Grand Dao were all apparent. But what about beyond the mortal realm? Once he entered the domain of the Mountains and Seas, the Sky Devil's heaven-defying ability instantly became ineffective. The Infinite Sea below, the Mountain above. These two endlessly vast behemoths exuded a bone-chilling, unapproachable aura. Even with the full power of the Sky Devil, all he could perceive were the Mountains and Sea themselves. Moreover, Li Fan noticed, even when merely observing the Mountains and Sea from afar within the mortal realm, the Sky Devil's Grand Dao was still subjected to the backlash of their extreme cold. The nurturing bed of the Sky Devil, which had been incredibly warm and radiated life-sustaining energy, gradually cooled down. It became equally bone-chilling. In that instant, Li Fan felt as if his very soul was freezing. Fortunately, he had anticipated this and promptly cut off his long-distance observation. It took a while for the Sky Devil's nurturing bed to slowly recover from its rigidity.

Li Fan, however, frowned deeply. He recalled the content of the prophecy left by Sun Piaomiao. The prophecy stated that the Mountains and Sea, in their interactions, also exhibited various emotions similar to humans: Joy, anger, sorrow, and fear—all of them. "A prophecy is just a prophecy, after all," Li Fan thought. "What an observer perceives may not represent the true Mountains and Sea." Li Fan's heart was alert, reminding himself of this.

After spending half a day thoroughly absorbing the Sky Devil's nurturing bed and transforming it into his own power, Li Fan reconfirmed his earlier judgment. As a newly born "linear creature" within the River of Time, his adaptability seemed to have subtly almost doubled, even without adding any new anchor points. If before he found every step difficult, now he could at least manage to pace slowly. Li Fan couldn't immediately grasp the principle behind this. The nurturing bed left by the Sky Devil had been completely absorbed; if he wanted further answers, he would likely need to make a trip to the Profound Immortal Vessel. But there was no rush. The Profound Immortal Vessel's historical trajectory for the next ten thousand years was all in Li Fan's mind. The dramatic changes in the Xuanhuang Realm would not affect them.

Having finished these miscellaneous tasks, Li Fan finally turned to Xuanyuan Tuo, who had been waiting by his side. After personally witnessing the foreign object extracted from his own soul, Xuanyuan Tuo was completely convinced. Knowing that he was no match for this mysterious True Immortal, he made no futile attempts to resist. After all, from the other's actions, there seemed to be no malice, Xuanyuan Tuo mused to himself. Therefore, when Li Fan was afflicted by the Sky Devil's storm and his mind was shaken, Xuanyuan Tuo remained standing quietly nearby, not seizing the opportunity to escape. "Do you know who the ancestor of your Xuanyuan clan is?" Li Fan asked. Xuanyuan Tuo hesitated for a moment, then slowly replied, "King Xuantian." He hadn't originally known the answer to this question. It was only later, by chance, that he encountered the Heavenly Profound Mirror and learned about the Xuanyuan clan's origins.

Li Fan nodded. "In the past, Xuanyuan Hong and I were close friends. Otherwise, I wouldn't have intervened to save you." Hearing Li Fan's casual words, Xuanyuan Tuo's heart trembled. King Xuantian was his ancestor from countless generations ago. And this person before him was King Xuanyuan's closest friend. So, the seniority... Xuanyuan Tuo felt a moment of awkwardness. "Then, how should I address you?" "Just call me 'Grand-Ancestor,'" Li Fan said with a smile. "Grand... Ancestor..." Xuanyuan Tuo began, then hesitated. But looking at Li Fan's expression, he paused for a moment and finally obediently uttered the title. "Xuanyuan Hong departed hastily, with many matters left unsaid. What was originally a great opportunity became a disaster for your Xuanyuan clan," Li Fan sighed, shaking his head.

Xuanyuan Tuo's heart violently shook. Almost instantly, he thought of the mad uncle in his village from his childhood, Xuanyuan Sheng. Xuanyuan Tuo's expression turned solemn. "Please enlighten me, Grand-Ancestor." Judging by appearance alone, Li Fan looked much younger than Xuanyuan Tuo. Yet, Xuanyuan Tuo addressed him as an ancestor, which seemed quite peculiar. However, Xuanyuan Tuo didn't mind and used the title very naturally. He seemed to quickly accept his status as a junior. What followed, the murmuring sounds Li Fan chanted, further solidified his choice. Because this ethereal and mysterious sound was identical to what he had occasionally heard in his ears in the past! "Youngster, do you know what this mysterious sound is?" Li Fan chanted a section, then stopped to ask. Xuanyuan Tuo naturally did not know. "This is a message from your Xuanyuan ancestor, guiding you to travel there!" Li Fan stretched out a hand, pointing towards the heavens beyond.

Xuanyuan Tuo looked in the direction Li Fan pointed, feeling somewhat bewildered for a moment. Just a message? It had almost brought calamity leading to the extermination of the Xuanyuan clan. Xuanyuan Tuo found this hard to accept. If the Xuanyuan ancestor was still alive, why would a mere message be so complicated? Xuanyuan Tuo looked at Li Fan. After a moment of silence, Li Fan slowly recounted the concepts of the Eternal Silence Void, the River of Time, and the Spark of Salvation. To prove the truth of his words, Li Fan even brought Xuanyuan Tuo to briefly step into the River of Time. Xuanyuan Tuo, a cultivator at the Dao Integration realm, had never seen such bizarre sights, not even in his dreams. Every small droplet that splashed around him gave him a chilling sense of destruction. The waves that surged occasionally threatened to completely engulf him at any moment. When they returned to reality from the River of Time, Xuanyuan Tuo's face had turned incredibly pale. "Grand-Ancestor, you..." He now understood that the person before him was by no means just a mere True Immortal!