Chapter 360: Gains and Losses

Though suddenly freed, the crisis was far from over.

The lifespan-draining white mist continued to consume Li Fan's vitality, even more ferociously than it had in the maze. Amidst the vast white mist, Li Fan re-located the Severed Palm Immortal City. The next moment, he activated the Purple Cloud Escape Technique to its maximum, speeding towards it.

As Li Fan gradually moved away from the maze containing the Chaos Character Stone, a strange fluctuation, eerily similar to the one previously emitted by the scattered stones, faintly emanated from behind him. Even the boundless white mist seemed to ripple subtly.

"Hm?"

Without turning his head, Li Fan could sense that the chaotic stone maze was gradually disappearing, or rather, becoming hidden. However, Li Fan couldn't spare a thought for it at the moment. There was still a considerable distance between his current location and the Eternal Immortal Fortress.

With the relentless consumption by the lifespan-draining white mist, Li Fan's physiological age was rapidly increasing. The closer he got to the Roaring Abyss, the faster his lifespan was devoured. Li Fan watched the constantly fluctuating numbers on his "Still True" panel, as a long-forgotten sense of weakness surged through him. The instantaneous aging made him feel as if he had reverted to his former self, the wizened Grand Tutor of Da Xuan.

The Eternal Immortal Fortress was within reach, yet Li Fan calculated that with his remaining lifespan, it would be impossible to cover the remaining distance. A decision flashed through his mind. Without the slightest hesitation, Li Fan took out the Life-Transforming Longevity Fruit from his storage ring and swallowed it in one gulp. A vast surge of life force erupted from within his abdomen. In an instant, it flowed like a surging river, spreading throughout his entire body. The sensation of aging and weakness abruptly vanished, and Li Fan's physiological age limit increased from 599 to 899.

Li Fan felt invigorated. Not daring to delay, he shot through the vast white mist like a streak of purple lightning, charging straight towards the Severed Palm Immortal City.

"Although the Purple Cloud Divine Thunder Escape technique, which I obtained from Senior Brother Zhang, is far faster than any other escape technique I've seen in the Myriad Immortals Alliance, it's still too slow! Without the Purple Cloud Thunder Control True Art cultivation method to complement it, it's ultimately not as effective. Normally it's fine, but at a critical life-or-death moment like this, the importance of an escape technique's speed becomes acutely apparent."

As his age rapidly increased, Li Fan slowly transformed from the image of a young scholar into that of a middle-aged man. His mind, however, remained remarkably calm; he paid no attention to the fading of his life.

"If the opportunity arises, I must certainly find a superior escape technique. Besides the Derivation Art Jade, Zhong Shentong's Seven-Colored Divine Light also seems like a good option. To be able to exceed Nascent Soul stage speed at the Foundation Establishment stage..."

As Li Fan reflected on Zhong Shentong's exploits, he drew closer and closer to the Eternal Immortal Fortress.

"Who goes there, you wretch?!"

A furious roar erupted from within the Greenstone Severed Palm, piercing through the white mist and striking directly at Li Fan. Li Fan's escape speed immediately faltered. He cursed inwardly, instantly committing the person's voice to memory. His expression remained calm and composed as he methodically shouted, "I am Li Fan, a Core Formation Array Master under Dean Ji. I am responsible for assisting in the construction of the Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Array outside the Roaring Abyss. Help!"

Simultaneously, he pulled out a broken finger made of greenstone from his robes. It was precisely this token, left to him by Leng Yingyi, that allowed Li Fan to accurately pinpoint the Eternal Immortal Fortress's location, even amidst the dual assault of the vast white mist and the overwhelming demonic sound tide.

"What?" The voice revealed a hint of surprise and panic.

Li Fan accelerated again, flying towards the torn wrist area of the severed palm. His earlier cry for help had indeed been effective. An entrance had indeed been opened there. Li Fan plunged inside with lightning speed.

The influence of the surrounding white mist instantly vanished, and Li Fan's physiological age finally stabilized at 842/899. He was on the verge of death, his natural lifespan almost expended. An omnipresent weakness permeated his entire body. Li Fan couldn't even control his flight trajectory and plummeted straight to the ground. He slid for a considerable distance before slowly coming to a halt.

"Cough, cough..." Li Fan was about to speak but instead coughed up a mouthful of blood and fainted.

A white-haired cultivator, looking as if he could perish at any moment, appearing in the Eternal Immortal Fortress in such a striking manner, naturally immediately drew widespread attention. Coincidentally, the Eternal Immortal Fortress had been isolated by the great tide for some time, which fueled many rumors in secret. There were all kinds of speculation. Some even swore that this demonic sound tide was entirely a conspiracy orchestrated by the Council of Five Elders. They claimed that now the Council of Five Elders had shifted to offense, and the Myriad Immortals Alliance was retreating steadily. They feared the Eternal Immortal Fortress would soon change hands. Fortunately, Shang Shaojun, the master of Severed Palm Immortal City, intervened and promptly suppressed these increasingly outrageous rumors. He had the rumor-mongers hung above the city center and flogged them day and night as a warning to others.

In utter darkness, although Li Fan's body was in a coma, his consciousness was exceptionally clear. This was a highly contradictory state, just as he simultaneously felt the vigor of newfound strength and the debility of aging. It was, indeed, real. The weakness stemmed from his current body nearing the end of its life in this world, its ultimate demise not far off. The strength, however, originated from his divine soul.

After enduring numerous hardships and narrowly escaping death, Li Fan finally arrived at the Eternal Immortal Fortress. He had effectively completed the objectives of the "Reverse Dao Heart Cultivation" operation. The stifling oppression and indignation he felt suddenly dissipated. An unprecedented surge of nourishment also entered the Heart-Refining Millstone. Drops of cool energy nourished his divine soul. A feeling of growth comparable to breaking through a cultivation realm emerged in Li Fan's mind. Moreover, the growth of his divine soul wasn't a one-time occurrence. Instead, it continued like a gentle, ceaseless stream afterward.

"For every action, there is a reward. This is a reward for the Reverse Dao Heart Cultivation operation. And perhaps only when those individuals within Outpost Jiaxu are truly rescued will the entire, complete reverse cultivation process truly conclude. Even if there's a special bonus for the first attempt, the effects of this Xuanhuang Heart-Refining Mantra are truly formidable."

Li Fan carefully felt his divine soul continuously strengthening. It even gave him the illusion that he could discard his body and exist solely as a divine soul.

He didn't know how much time had passed. Sensing someone approach his unconscious body, Li Fan's mind stirred, and he slowly controlled his body to awaken. The sensations of his body once again took precedence, and a wave of powerlessness immediately washed over him. He coughed lightly and struggled to sit upright.

"Fellow Daoist, you're awake?!" A member of the Azure Mystic Army rushed over to support Li Fan. "Fellow Daoist Li Fan, we've already verified your identity with the Array Strategy Hall. What exactly happened? You should be at Outpost Jiaxu right now, so how did you return to the Eternal Immortal Fortress? And in this condition..." He seemed to be bursting with questions, firing them off like a volley of cannonballs.

Li Fan, however, noticed that the moment he regained consciousness, a shadow abruptly appeared in a corner of the room. Although it was almost imperceptible, Li Fan could clearly sense it after his divine soul had strengthened.

Li Fan, without changing his expression, slowly recounted his experiences.