Chapter 354: Mysterious Yellow Reverse Refining Heart

Immediately, Li Fan, who was seeking answers about 'heart refinement,' had a sudden flash of insight, as if something occurred to him. His mind became clear, allowing him to analyze rationally, like an indifferent bystander.

"Is this my inner instinct?" he pondered. "Faced with such a desperate situation, some might choose to venture into the white mist, seeking a glimmer of hope amidst despair. Others might adopt a 'rather me than you' mentality, striking first and using treacherous means to eliminate others. And some would rather die than lay a hand on their companions. My subconscious response, however, is to first hide and lie low, waiting for others to finish fighting before reaping the benefits. This is the optimal strategy based on the current situation, and it's also related to my past experiences. Everyone makes different choices. In my opinion, these are simply a matter of personality, with no inherent superiority or inferiority. This is what is meant by a person's true nature."

"Heart refinement, heart refinement..." Li Fan pondered blankly, muttering to himself. He forgot the perilous tide of demonic sounds outside the outpost and the dire situation inside, where resources were nearing exhaustion. As if mesmerized, his mind was completely immersed, so much so that even several small-scale attacks from the demonic sounds failed to affect him. Time flew by as Li Fan sought understanding.

Thus, on the fiftieth day after the great tide erupted, Leng Yingyi still hadn't returned. To prolong their endurance as much as possible, after discussion, everyone decided to abandon most of Outpost Jiaxu. Only essential structures would be maintained. This would reduce the consumption rate of the Black Death Talismans by almost half. Although their usable area was significantly reduced, compared to gaining more time to live, being a bit cramped was a small price to pay.

However, the previously familiar individuals now clearly harbored more wariness towards each other. On the surface, they remained polite, but only they knew what thoughts truly lurked in their hearts. Undercurrents swelled, and hidden killing intent simmered.

When Li Fan noticed the atmosphere around him gradually turning awry, he slowly awoke from his trance, alerted by his body's instincts. With a quick glance, Li Fan understood the current situation. From ancient times to the present, scenarios where people trapped in desperate situations fight each other for survival are not uncommon. Even Li Fan himself, after realizing his current predicament, felt a rising killing intent. This killing intent was his own will. It wasn't a distracting thought; even the Xuanhuang Heart-Refinement Incantation couldn't dispel it.

Li Fan carefully pondered the thoughts continuously surfacing in his mind. "Survival is human instinct. To kill for life is to follow one's will."

"Follow one's will, follow one's will..." Suddenly, Li Fan paused, startled, repeatedly chanting the phrase silently in his mind. After a long time, a peculiar glint appeared in his eyes.

"Heart refinement, heart refinement. How can one refine the heart if always in favorable circumstances? To refine the Dao Heart, one must probably undergo tempering in adversity. Adversity, counter-flow..." Like a bolt of lightning piercing through mist, Li Fan instantly understood something. "To achieve immortality, one must go against the principles of heaven and earth. And to refine the Dao Heart... one must go against one's true self. Perhaps all this time, I've been cultivating incorrectly."

Li Fan's eyes slowly brightened. "Doing as one pleases and crushing all distracting thoughts, at best, only keeps one at the level of the Heart-Cleansing Incantation. To truly cultivate the Xuanhuang Heart-Refinement Incantation, one must temper their original heart. Resist one's own instinctive choices?"

Thinking of this, Li Fan felt a sudden enlightenment, and the knot in his heart completely disappeared. The Heart-Refinement Incantation instantly circulated several times faster than before. "It seems my accidental guess was actually correct. Refining the Dao Heart in reverse. This cultivation method is truly quite peculiar. Taking this Outpost Jiaxu crisis as an example, if I want to use it for heart refinement, I cannot act according to my instinctive thoughts. It would be best to do the opposite. The greater the divergence from one's true self, the more internal torment one experiences, and the more significant the cultivation effect of the Heart-Refinement Incantation. Then the best choice should be..."

Li Fan's thoughts raced, and he made a judgment in an instant. The increasingly unhindered circulation of the Heart-Refinement Incantation also corroborated his conjecture.

"However, is doing this worth it? The Xuanhuang Heart-Refinement Incantation, in the true evaluation, ranks even above the Cloudwater Illusionary Dream Art..." After a moment of contemplation, Li Fan made his decision.

Not long after, inside the council hall of Outpost Jiaxu, Li Fan gathered everyone and posed his question.

"'The feasibility of forcibly returning to the Eternal Immortal Stronghold? Master Li, why do you ask?'" asked He Chen, a Qingxuan guard, with some confusion. However, he quickly realized, thinking Li Fan wanted to send someone for help again. His expression turned somewhat grim, but he still answered truthfully: "In recent days, the demonic sound tide not only shows no signs of weakening but is even intensifying. With our current strength, if we were to attempt to cross the white mist during the demonic sound tide, I'm afraid..." He Chen repeatedly shook his head.

Another Nascent Soul cultivator from the Martial Arts Hall named Kong Yu also directly refused: "Absolutely not! I know Fellow Daoist Leng's strength. If even he failed to get reinforcements, we definitely wouldn't succeed. It would be better to wait until the demonic sound tide weakens before making a decision."

The others also offered their advice. "Let's wait a bit longer, maybe Captain Leng will be back soon?" "Yes, Master Li, it's better not to make such a hasty decision. As the saying goes, there's strength in numbers. Although our outpost is short on hands now, we can still barely look out for each other. If we split up again, should any emergencies arise, we might be overwhelmed!"

Even Nascent Soul cultivators assisting with the array construction at the outpost referred to Li Fan as "Master." Although Li Fan consistently stated that his array-making skills were ordinary and he didn't deserve the title of Master, strongly declining it, he couldn't change how these people addressed him. Over time, he simply acquiesced.

At this point, seeing that all the cultivators were against it, Li Fan thought to himself: "Actually, I agree with you, but unfortunately, I need to conduct an experiment. I can only do the opposite."

However, he didn't argue with them. Instead, he waited for everyone to quiet down, then gazed at them with a serious expression. When the cultivators began to avoid his gaze, Li Fan slowly spoke: "Everyone, let's be frank. Before the demonic sound tide, a normal round trip from Outpost Jiaxu to the Eternal Immortal Stronghold only took two or three days. Now, even with the terrifying tide making every step difficult, if everything went smoothly, the round trip would at most take a little over ten days. If he hasn't returned by now, the outcome is likely some unforeseen mishap, and he's probably met with misfortune. For cultivators like us, struggling against heaven for our lives, life and death are common occurrences; there's no need to shy away from this. Actually, Captain Leng specifically spoke with me before he left."

This statement was indeed not fabricated by Li Fan but was true. The Qingxuan Army cultivators present were all witnesses. So after Li Fan finished speaking, a hint of dimness flickered in their eyes. The hall fell silent, and no one refuted him.

Li Fan then continued: "Now, the supplies within the outpost are running low, and the demonic sound tide shows no sign of abating... An unavoidable question faces us: what will we do when supplies are completely exhausted? Perhaps, we won't even have to wait until then. Seeing the diminishing supply of Black Death Talismans, I fear that some have already been unable to suppress their killing intent in order to bid for that last shred of hope for survival."

Seeing Li Fan openly expose the dark thoughts in everyone's minds, some cultivators couldn't sit still and immediately stepped forward to declare their stance.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible! Master Li, rest assured, for us in the Qingxuan Army, duty is greater than life."

"Exactly! Master Li, since we are ordered to protect your safety, we will certainly do so. If anyone else wishes to harm you, they'll have to step over our corpses first!" Several Core Formation cultivators from the Qingxuan Army declared righteously.

The cultivators from other departments like the Martial Arts Hall and Heavenly Secrets Hall at the outpost also looked a bit tense upon seeing this scene. "Master Li..." Just as he was about to say something, Li Fan waved his hand, interrupting him.

With a slight smile, Li Fan said frankly: "There's no need for you to be like this. Even ants cling to life, let alone cultivators like us? Who among us, having cultivated to this realm, hasn't experienced countless trials and tribulations? The desire to survive is not a fault. However..." Li Fan paused slightly, drawing the attention of all the cultivators. His expression serious and righteous, he said: "We are all brethren of the Myriad Immortals Alliance. If we die fighting the Five Elder Association, it would be a fitting end, leaving no regrets. But if we were to perish in mutual slaughter, I fear I would die with my eyes wide open in regret. To prevent this from happening, I believe we should go to the Eternal Immortal Stronghold again for aid before our supplies are exhausted. As my brothers from the Qingxuan Army said, this demonic sound tide assault is unusually strong. I fear the Eternal Immortal Stronghold is currently preoccupied with its own affairs and cannot be relied upon to send reinforcements. In a desperate situation, it's better to fight for a chance than to sit and await death."

Li Fan's words resonated, but the cultivators present all showed strange expressions upon hearing them. Everyone understood the logic, but Leng Yingyi, the strongest person in Outpost Jiaxu, had already vaguely met with misfortune in this demonic sound tide. Who could guarantee they could accomplish what Leng Yingyi couldn't? Staying in the outpost meant they could prolong their meager existence for a while longer. Leaving the outpost to face the white mist and the great tide would likely lead to an immediate end of their lives and cultivation. "You, Li Fan, speak so righteously, but aren't you just trying to incite us to our deaths? Surely you're not going to risk your own life and go yourself, are you?" All the cultivators present thought this.

However, it wasn't yet time to openly fall out. They exchanged glances, and Kong Yu cleared his throat, intending to persuade him again. However, Li Fan's next words made them all stand up in shock.

"Captain Leng, in order to protect me, has likely already perished in the demonic sound tide. I already couldn't bear the thought. I also know that seeking aid is extremely perilous. If any more of you were to fall because of me, I would be even more ashamed to face everyone. Therefore, I have decided..." Li Fan suppressed his discomfort and uttered words that went against his Dao Heart. "To go alone to the Eternal Immortal Stronghold to seek aid. If I survive, I will certainly find a way out for all of you!" Li Fan declared resolutely, his face determined.

Kong Yu, He Chen, and the others had never imagined this young array master would make such a decision. They exchanged bewildered glances, doubting their own ears. But seeing Li Fan's determined gaze and expression, they no longer had any doubts, only profound shock.

In truth, as the array master constructing the Heaven-Profound Spirit-Locking Array, Li Fan, despite only having a Core Formation cultivation, held the highest status within Outpost Jiaxu. This was because all the cultivators present, whether from the Qingxuan Army or other departments like the Martial Arts Hall, were there to assist Li Fan in building the Spirit-Locking Array. If he had insisted on forcing them to send more cultivators for rescue, using the excuse that "the construction of the Heaven-Profound Spirit-Locking Array cannot be delayed, and my demise would inevitably impede the entire array's progress," then ultimately, nine times out of ten, everyone would have had to yield. But now, he had not only refrained from doing so, but had voluntarily taken on this almost certain-death mission, seeking a path to survival for everyone. Putting his own life and death aside, acting selflessly for others... Could such a person actually exist in the world? Even the ancient sages couldn't have been more admirable. They had been with him for so long, and yet they hadn't discovered this at all?! Indeed, only at the brink of life and death does one truly see a person's nature.

Recalling their own sordid thoughts, everyone couldn't help but feel inwardly ashamed. Feeling humbled, this time they genuinely tried to dissuade him. "Master Li, why go to such lengths! Although the situation is deteriorating, it hasn't reached the point where you need to fight to the death." "Yes, Master, please think twice. Dealing with both demonic sounds and white mist at the same time is far too dangerous! The chances are heavily stacked against you!"

Faced with the cultivators' clamoring dissuasions, Li Fan resolutely said: "My mind is made up; there's no need for further discussion. You have spent years in the Roaring Abyss and have extensive experience in surviving amidst demonic sounds and white mist. If you truly wish me well, why not tell me all the precautions I need to take on the way, so I have a greater chance of returning alive?" Li Fan said with utter ease.

The others feigned politeness and tried to persuade him for a while longer, but seeing that Li Fan's resolve truly could not be swayed, they could only sigh. While feeling a renewed sense of relief, they generously imparted all their survival experience from the Roaring Abyss. Li Fan listened intently, committing everything to memory. He then took supplies sufficient for one person to survive for twenty days in the white mist, and under the reluctant gazes of the others, he set off alone towards the Eternal Immortal Stronghold.

It's worth noting that perhaps moved by Li Fan's great righteousness, Qingxuan guard He Chen decided to accompany Li Fan before his departure. However, after praising his noble intentions, Li Fan still declined his offer. Under He Chen's gaze, filled with admiration and emotion, Li Fan put on his Black Death Talisman, discerned the location of the Broken Palm Immortal City amidst the vast white mist, transformed into a streak of light, and plunged in.

The other cultivators at Outpost Jiaxu watched Li Fan's disappearing figure, their faces showing various expressions.

"I never thought that in today's cultivation world, there would still be such a noble and upright person. We are truly ashamed."

"I've lived for three hundred and forty-eight years in vain. It's a great pity that I only met such a person today."

"If Master Li doesn't die, from now on, I will certainly follow his lead."

After a moment of silence, everyone expressed their heartfelt emotions.

"Hmph!" Only He Chen, with a look of disdain, glanced at the others and walked away, flicking his sleeve. Everyone's expressions were more or less awkward. They dispersed like birds and beasts.