Chapter 1552: Hard to Escape the Fate of Fusion

"And there's Su Bai..." Li Fan narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning to the distance. Su Bai had indeed been reborn as destiny willed. However, without the influence of the Great Heavenly Venerate Xuan Huang, his fate had undergone a significant change.

Before the dramatic transformation and sublimation of Xuan Huang, Su Bai had also been living in Ningyuan City, caring for orphans in a dilapidated temple. However, the great battle between Zhang Qianmo and the New Law cultivators, which would have devastated Ningyuan City, never occurred. Thus, Su Bai continued to live as an ordinary mortal. It wasn't until the advent of the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm that all living beings in the world found themselves back on an equal footing.

Su Bai's exceptional talent was undeniable. Even with the transformation of Xuan Huang, he possessed the potential for enlightenment. To protect the orphans in the crumbling temple during the profound changes in the world, Su Bai, who initially had no desire to cultivate, began to proactively practice cultivation as if fated to do so. His adaptability to the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm far surpassed that of ordinary people. If Li Fan had not intentionally suppressed him, Su Bai would likely have reached the Nascent Soul stage by now.

It was important to note that the "Nascent Soul" stage in the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm was in no way comparable to the Nascent Soul stage of the former Xuan Huang Realm. Currently, no true Grand Cultivators had emerged in the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm. Even Li Fan, the "father" of Xuan Huang, was unsure of the ultimate power top experts born in this realm could achieve.

"Theoretically, a Dao-integrator in the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm was, in a sense, a weakened version of an unnamed True Immortal," he mused. "And within the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm, anyone who could practice Qi cultivation was essentially a seed of a True Immortal. As long as I conferred the title, they could instantly achieve immortality! The cultivation process from Qi refining to Dao integration was merely a process of comprehending and proving the nameless Dao."

Less than half a year had passed since the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm was first created. Su Bai had already covered roughly half the journey, and this was while being suppressed. How could Li Fan not be amazed?

"Continue to grow like this. The day you integrate with the Dao will be the day my new experiment begins," Li Fan said with a faint smile.

The Xuan Huang Realm truly lived up to its reputation as one of Lanke Daoist Temple's core experimental grounds. Besides Su Bai's unparalleled lead, the progress of other cultivators also exceeded Li Fan's expectations. With a thought, Li Fan decided to relax some of the restrictions on the monsters and spirits of the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm, putting more pressure on them.

"Simply cultivating quickly isn't enough. Only those who can survive the crucible of life and death are truly useful." Soon after, Li Fan watched as invisible souls drifted up one after another into the sky of the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm, nodding with satisfaction.

The transformation and sublimation of the Xuan Huang Realm were all-encompassing. The process for cultivators after their demise, in particular, was personally designed and modified by Li Fan. It could be said that at least a tenth of his energy during the hundred years of alchemy refinement was spent on this. Referencing the bizarre changes in the future where Xuan Huang Realm would return to the Dao of Heaven, he advanced the process even further.

Only Li Fan could perceive that the invisible souls of these deceased cultivators slowly floated together into a transparent net suspended above the nine heavens. Every scene experienced by the cultivators during their lives flickered within the net. Even their insights and thoughts were absorbed by it. All these life experiences and thoughts were categorized, organized, and then transmitted through the net into the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm.

"It's not just living beings slowly adapting to the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm. At the same time, the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm is also adapting to the living beings within it," he thought. "Through mutual struggle and competition, I can forge my ideal 'Immortal Ark'."

It was foreseeable that cultivators in the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm would find cultivation increasingly difficult. The Dao of Heaven in this world was not static but constantly changing. The method of systematically exploring cultivation based on ancestral experience would become completely useless. To progress, one would have to slowly discover their own path.

Besides facilitating the "transformation of all living beings," the transparent net above the nine heavens had another purpose. The foundation of the Primeval Immortal Realm was the scattered points occupied by the Immortal Ruins and Immortal Territory chess pieces on Mount Shangfang. However, as Li Fan nourished it with his vital blood containing the Great Dao of Longevity, the colossal Xuan Huang Immortal Realm that had grown from the ruins had long surpassed its previous "foundation" on Mount Shangfang.

Therefore, while the Primeval Immortal Realm appeared to be a formidable power, it was in fact precarious and constantly at risk of collapsing. This transparent net served as a temporary stabilizing force. "Even if, by accident, the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm were to fall from Mount Shangfang, the net would act as a buffer, preventing it from immediately disintegrating. Of course, ultimately, a new foundation must be established and fully stabilized on Mount Shangfang," he considered. "But that would only happen once the Ink Kill Shadow Cloud fully matured."

"Beyond Mount Shangfang lies the Infinite Sea." At the four corners of the transparent net stood four colossal Immortal Ascension Platforms. Though long prepared, they had not yet been activated.

"One must consider that the moment the mountains and seas resonate in unison, and True Immortals are recreated, it will surely draw the attention of certain powerful beings," he mused. "The Three Sages: Lianshan, Guihai, Taiyi... And even other transcendent cultivators."

Strictly speaking, the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm, as a spiritual pill, had not yet been fully refined, for it had not officially connected to the mountains and seas. It was still in a state of isolation and confinement, which was why Li Fan's earlier act of reducing the Celestial Physician's spiritual essence went unnoticed by Black Celestial Physicians outside the primal possibilities. However, once the first True Immortal was born in the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm and connected to the mountains and seas, it would be like an eggshell breaking; its isolation would cease. All potential dangers would then rush in.

This was also why Li Fan both hoped Su Bai would grow quickly, to serve as experimental material, yet still had to suppress his growth rate.

The four Immortal Ascension Platforms stood majestically at the four corners of the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm, like the legendary Gates of Heaven. Once these gates opened, the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm would undergo enormous, unforeseen changes. Even Li Fan could not fully predict what the future held.

"However, what's certain is that most powerful beings, like Duke Shouqiu, were likely in the Eternal Void Realm. Even if they were drawn by the activity of the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm, as long as it didn't endanger the mountains and seas, those powerhouses probably wouldn't bother," he considered. "After all, it didn't concern the final outcome.""So, those I needed to guard against were Black Celestial Physician, Evil Su Bai, and others who had intricate connections with the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm."

Having personally crafted the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm, Li Fan now felt no fear, even anticipating future confrontations with these transcendent powerhouses. Within him, the countless overlapping projections of the Xuan Huang Immortal Realm generated by the Heaven-Sitting Art, along with the divine ability of True-False Transformation, provided his greatest confidence.

"The True-False Transformation carries the risk of being seen through by other powerful beings, so it cannot be easily used," he mused. "However, my past knowledge and learnings are extremely diverse. Any one of them, combined with this immense power of feedback, would be sufficient to contend with them," Li Fan stated proudly.

During the hundred years spent refining the Grand Pill of Xuan Huang, Li Fan also comprehensively organized the numerous divine abilities and Great Daos he had learned, known, and comprehended in the past. His ultimate goal was to forge a unique path of transcendence, entirely his own.

"Theoretically, the True-False Transformation was the most suitable for me. However, the Great Dao of True-False was on the same level as the mountains and seas. Now that Huanzhen was in a deep slumber, without its guidance, his past comprehension was simply not enough to transcend," he pondered. "Therefore, I still needed to find a ladder. The Great Dao of True-False encompassed everything in the mortal world. The more I knew about everything, the closer I would get to the Great Dao of True-False."

Li Fan pondered, and one by one, the divine abilities he had mastered and become familiar with in previous reincarnations—abilities that could serve as references for comprehending the Great Dao of True-False—surfaced in his mind.

"Firstly, there's the Dao of Formations. Initially, I held it in slight disdain, but through Chengdao's guidance, my perspective changed. The Three Sages had used the Xuan-Yuan-Shi-Ling Grand Formation to open up the mountains and seas and create the Immortal Realm. Its ability to transform the mountains and seas already demonstrated the extraordinary nature of formation arts. Unfortunately, the Immortal Array Disintegration Disc vanished during the Three Daos' integration. Although some traces of its spirituality seemed to have merged into my body, my talent in formation arts ultimately could not compare to that immortal artifact specifically designed for analyzing formations," he reflected. "However, with my current abilities, recreating the Immortal Array Disintegration Disc was not impossible."

"Secondly, there's Profound Sound. This is a system entirely different from True Immortal Inscriptions, using musical principles to analyze the Great Dao of the mortal world. Xuan Tianwang and the Grandmaster—one can reverse the flow of the River of Time, altering the past and influencing the future; the other can avoid calamities and escape misfortune. The Profound Sounds of these two figures served as a stepping stone. Through them, I could deduce more principles related to the Great Dao of musical harmony. However, without more Profound Sounds for reference, it would require a vast amount of time to deduce them," Li Fan murmured, shaking his head slightly.

Although very confident, he also had a clear understanding of his own comprehension abilities. Deducing unknown Profound Sounds from scratch solely by himself would be a thankless and arduous task. Fortunately, he had already made preparations. Guiding the transmission of knowledge to seek out Xuan Tianwang was one such measure.

"Thirdly, there's the power of Ink Kill and the Myriad Phenomena Dao Net. Once the new Ink Kill emerges, I can directly devour and analyze all accessible Dao laws. This method is undoubtedly among the most efficient ways of comprehending the Dao. The only drawback is..." Li Fan sighed softly in his heart: "The primal possibilities are already a neglected world, abandoned by countless strong practitioners who fled, leaving their Great Daos incomplete. Even if I devour and analyze all of the primal possibilities, the scope of knowledge gained would be extremely limited. It would be inevitable to travel to other possibilities to seek knowledge.""Ideally, I could follow Black Celestial Physician into that vast world of the Other Shore," Li Fan's eyes gleamed with a dangerous light.

After much thought, he continued.

"Fourth, there's Duke Shouqiu's inheritance. Sitting on the mountain, gazing at the sea, the mountains and seas remain unmoving. Although slightly weaker than the Great Dao of Longevity, it already possesses the power to calmly observe the mountains and seas. I personally received this inheritance from Duke Shouqiu's phantom and had detailed exchanges with Chengdao regarding its insights. In this Dao, I was quite strong."

"Fifth, the Great Dao of Reversal. Ever since absorbing the power of the Heavenly Demon, I've felt a further advancement in this Dao. This is my only means of survival after losing Huanzhen, so its priority in Dao comprehension should be paramount. After all, life is unpredictable; even with a thousand schemes, unexpected events were unavoidable." Before Li Fan's eyes, the surging River of Time seemed to reappear, and a primal sense of his own insignificance welled up within him.

Being in the River of Time felt different from observing the mountains and seas. Though both experiences evoked a sense of his own insignificance, being in the River of Time filled him more with a constant feeling of helplessness and weakness, as if caught in a storm where life and death were unpredictable. Facing the mountains and seas, however, implied being silently submerged and assimilated.

"Sixth, there's the Great Dao Incarnation Art I learned in the Shuo Xing Sea in my previous life. Although this art was only proposed by a True Immortal, its conceptual level is quite profound. It allows all Great Daos to return to one's self, enabling the physical body to achieve sainthood. It can complement the Creation Furnace Art. Theoretically, by carrying the Great Dao within oneself to its extreme, one could even transform into mountains and seas... and it could also form an excellent synergy with his Myriad Phenomena Dao Net."

"Seventh, there's Sun Piaomiao's Scripture of Refining Dao and Medicine King. Although this divine ability is extremely profound and ranks highly among all I've learned, Sun Piaomiao is too mysterious a person. While I must be wary of any hidden methods he may have left behind, there's no need to delve deeply into exploring it. It was more suitable as a tool."

Li Fan's heart was devoid of joy or sorrow. Unhurriedly, he began to sort through the various divine abilities he had known from the past.

He considered the Heavenly Xuan Mirror's principle of establishing the Dao within oneself and practicing it outwardly, the Dao-as-Me of Jiang, the Transmitter of Law, the physician's Dao from the Celestial Physician Immortal Scripture and the Heaven-Mending Record, Situ Xing's Dao of Carving, the Devouring and Imperial Law Great Dao of the Giant Rat Immortal, the path of transcendence demonstrated by Ziyi, and the possible paper-folding and rubbings technique of Xuan Tianwang's childhood sweetheart, among others.

Regardless of the origin of these divine abilities, as long as they offered Li Fan any enlightenment, he accepted them all without hesitation. It was like a grand stew; as long as the chef's skill was high enough, it could still create an unparalleled delicacy.

"Ultimately, all Great Daos were surpassed by the single phrase: 'When the true becomes false, the false also becomes true.'""The True-False Transformation might be the path of transcendence I have painstakingly sought, and the one most suited to me."

"However..." At this point, a slight hesitation arose in Li Fan's heart. Because Huanzhen had suddenly fallen into a deep slumber. Because Huanzhen had lost contact at certain critical moments in the past, for whatever reason. And even more so, because...

"Even if I mastered the True-False Transformation, could it truly resolve the crisis of the mountains and seas merging?" he wondered. "After all, even Huanzhen itself seemed to be collecting more potential answers for salvation. If Huanzhen's True-False Transformation alone could turn the tide, then the mortal world of mountains and seas wouldn't be in its current state."

As he thought this, Li Fan's thoughts naturally converged once again on the integration of the three Daos: the mountains and seas, longevity, and Huanzhen. Subsequently, his personal experience of the three Daos' integration resurfaced in his mind. The power of longevity, which had been gradually dissipating within his body and becoming incredibly thin after a hundred years of alchemy and constant draining of his vital blood, now showed signs of rising and thickening once more.

Fortunately, Li Fan woke up in time, instantly pulling himself out of that immersive sensation. "Truly a lingering specter!" A shadow of gloom passed over Li Fan's brow. Without hesitation, he once again spat out mouthfuls of fresh blood, scattering it towards Xuan Huang. This action once again alleviated the trend.

"The integration of the three Daos was indeed not so easily suppressed," he acknowledged. "But the most fundamental issue is the confusion in my heart.""It seemed there was no better path than the method of integrating the three Daos," Li Fan realized.

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