Chapter 401: Unfortunate Yet Fortunate

The actions of ancient cultivators truly rivaled the feat of seizing stars and plucking the moon.

Considering the countless grotto-heavens and minor worlds in the Xuanhuang World, Li Fan couldn't help but exclaim. It was precisely this accumulation from yesteryear that built the Xuanhuang World's profound foundation. This enabled it to endure thousands of years of plunder by cultivators.

"Upon the death of a cultivator in this realm, their 'Dao' returns to heaven. This is a coping mechanism that the world itself spontaneously developed after sensing a threat," Li Fan mused. "This method of recycling has also significantly slowed the rate at which 'weight' is lost."

"However..."

Li Fan pondered slightly. The so-called 'weight' was merely Li Fan's placeholder term, given his limited information, for the Xuanhuang World's ability to resist the allure of the Immortal Ruins. Currently, it appears that after cultivators perish and their Dao returns to heaven, their 'weight' is far less than it was during their lives.

"Perhaps when a grotto-heaven collapses, the energy returning to heaven and earth is intangible. And for heaven and earth to recondense that energy into a tangible object with 'weight' would take an immense amount of time, spanning years and months."

"When the rate at which grotto-heavens are created is less than the rate at which they disappear, the world operates at a deficit. This would then impact the safety of the Xuanhuang World."

"Therefore, the number of cultivators must be controlled to maintain balance."

"This is one possibility."

"Another possibility is..." Li Fan's brows furrowed. "Not all of a cultivator's essence returns to heaven after their demise. A portion simply vanishes..."

"This thought is unsettling upon deeper consideration, yet in the Xuanhuang World, it's almost commonplace."

Li Fan recalled the scenes recorded by the Medicine King Cauldron after it broke through the world's boundaries years ago. Having left the world's protection, the Medicine King Cauldron, attempting to traverse the void, was like a moth drawn to a flame, inevitably plummeting towards the Immortal Ruins.

"The Immortal Ruins..."

The most intense fear is the fear of the unknown. Why did the Immortal Realm passage from back then transform into this all-consuming entity? Does the Immortal Realm of old still exist? If the Immortal Realm no longer exists, what caused its destruction?

The more he thought, the more an instinctive fear welled up in Li Fan's heart.

A moment later, Li Fan took a deep breath, suppressing his myriad distracting thoughts. For now, these matters were too distant for him. He would only need to consider these questions after he achieved the status of an Immortal Heavenly Venerate. Storing these thoughts deep within him for the time being, Li Fan then pondered his own situation.

"Although the world I transmigrated to is constantly on the brink of collapse," he thought, "upon closer reflection, this situation is actually better for me. After all, even the lofty Immortal Realm cultivators are, in essence, no different from ordinary beings in the Xuanhuang World—they are all in the same sinking boat."

"On this sinking vessel that is the Xuanhuang World, even the Immortal Heavenly Venerates must act with some apprehension. They cannot be completely reckless. In a world completely controlled by a grand powerhouse, where they could, with a single thought, refine or obliterate all beings without any burden, that would truly be an eternal damnation. Even with the aid of Reversion, one could only lament powerlessness."

"It's a blessing in disguise!"

As Li Fan thought this, his heart gradually calmed.

"The Heavenly Profound Spirit Lock Array is akin to the nuclear deterrence that existed in the world before my transmigration. Until the Council of Five Elders finds a way to break it, large-scale wars are unlikely to occur. There will only be occasional minor skirmishes."

"However, it also confirms the disappearance of the Dao-Imparting Heavenly Venerate. It's truly hard to say what the future holds."

Li Fan summoned the Reversion panel.

Biological Age: 884/899.

"As the saying goes, 'only from a height can one see afar.' Previously, I could at most live for 50 anchored years before being forced to revert. 50 years of foresight might be sufficient for mortals, but in this unpredictable Xuanhuang World, it's somewhat inadequate."

"Perhaps in one life, I could try doing nothing, simply observing the changes in the Xuanhuang World. With time's accumulation, I might even uncover more valuable information."

Having sorted through his thoughts, and to avoid raising suspicion, Li Fan took out the jade token given to him by guide Bingyin and resumed his tour of the Museum of Divine Artifacts. In fact, at this point in his current life, Li Fan could have simply reverted. However, the Museum of Divine Artifacts was an important location for the Myriad Immortals Alliance, and gaining entry was quite difficult. Since he was already here, he might as well broaden his knowledge. Li Fan had long been curious about the head of the first cultivator infected by the Immortal-Mortal Miasma located at the center of the museum.

According to guide Bingyin, the Museum of Divine Artifacts was divided into several major sections, each categorized by the nature of its exhibits. The section Li Fan was currently in was the first area any cultivator visiting the museum was required to tour.

The Beautiful Era.

"What is this?" Li Fan asked with interest, gazing at the enormous orb of light floating before him.

The orb was composed of several regions displaying different scenes. The images flickered rapidly, making it difficult to discern anything beyond fleeting glimpses. Not only were there buildings of diverse styles, but also numerous figures flickering within. However, it was clear that each region presented a distinct landscape and architectural style.

"These are eras," Bingyin explained, proving himself a very competent guide. "They are scenes from various historical periods of the Xuanhuang World, deduced and materialized with a Dao Transformation Stone as the core."

"This desolate area, strewn with ruins, represents the former Wasteland Era."

"This region, filled with bloodlust and murderous intent, is the Great Dark Era."

"Here, where many figures are flickering, is the Great Plague Era. Hmm, it seems to have simulated up to the Great Migration period, when cultivators forcibly relocated mortals."

As Bingyin spoke, the mentioned era's region would zoom in, allowing Li Fan to barely make out the rapidly changing details within.

"Dao Transformation Stone..." Li Fan stared at the orb for a moment, then couldn't help but ask, "And what is the meaning of this so-called 'Beautiful Era'?"

Bingyin smiled. "The Dao Transformation Stone is a wondrous artifact from the ancient Taiyan Sect, possessing the ability to deduce heavenly secrets and predict the future. Its deductions are indistinguishable between truth and falsehood, being extremely illusory yet close to reality."

"Perhaps for us external observers, the many different spatiotemporal worlds simulated within these eras are merely illusory existences. However, for the countless beings within them, everything they experience is undoubtedly real."

"And when we project a wisp of our divine sense, or even a sliver of our soul, into it, we can personally experience these events that truly occurred in history."

After first explaining the background of the eras' creation, Bingyin continued, "We once conducted an experiment using a million blank souls with their memories wiped. We placed them into different periods, extrapolated for five hundred years, then tallied the final results and ranked them. And our era, the era controlled by the Myriad Immortals Alliance, undeniably ranked first. Whether it was the cultivators' survival rate or their overall cultivation realm, it far surpassed all other periods."

"The name 'Beautiful Era' is well-deserved!" Bingyin said proudly.