Chapter 404: Pavilion Master Emperor Sanweng

"Quickly devour this Eternal Remnant and then truly make your escape!""Placed in the center of the Divine Relic Museum, this skull must be extraordinary. Swiftly absorb its remnant to surely uncover its hidden secrets!""Hurry, act now!""Take it and leave; no one can stop you!"

Amidst Huanzhen's increasingly loud urgings, various thoughts surged forth, one after another. They whispered constantly in Li Fan's ear, tempting him. For a moment, Li Fan was truly swayed and nearly acted on the impulse. However, with immense willpower, he ultimately suppressed the urge.

He recalled the scene when he had absorbed the Eternal Remnant of Daoist Master Tianyang. First, he felt the surrounding space become somewhat illusory. Then, Tianyang's skeleton decomposed into sparkling white light, which was gradually absorbed by him. His mind vibrated violently, and he lost consciousness. After seemingly experiencing Tianyang's long life firsthand, the prompt from Huanzhen finally arrived. Only then was the Eternal Remnant fully absorbed. Based on these past experiences, Li Fan quickly made a judgment.

Absorbing an Eternal Remnant would cause considerable commotion. Not only would the vessel of the remnant disappear, but the white light representing the Eternal Remnant would also precisely pinpoint Li Fan as the perpetrator. The absorption of an Eternal Remnant was not instantaneous. It required a certain amount of time. Furthermore, during this process, one might briefly lose consciousness due to the impact of the remnant owner's lingering imprint.

After realizing these points, Li Fan quickly made his decision. He could not absorb the Eternal Remnant from this skull! Acting recklessly and forcibly absorbing it would be no different from seeking his own demise!

Do not be fooled by the empty space around the skull, which looked completely unguarded. What kind of place was this? The headquarters of the Myriad Immortals Alliance. The Divine Relic Museum, home to countless treasures. The most central area within the museum. Could there truly be no hidden protective measures here? That would be utterly ridiculous.

Li Fan was convinced that if he were to be blinded by greed and foolishly force the absorption of the Eternal Remnant, the next moment would see countless mechanisms and restrictions activate, leading to his capture and study. Perhaps there was a slim possibility that this skull indeed had no defenses. But... Li Fan would not gamble. Because once he failed, it would mean eternal damnation.

Moreover, regarding the Eternal Remnant itself, based on previous prompts from Huanzhen: each time he started anew, if Li Fan found the vessel of an Eternal Remnant again, he could absorb it and reuse it. Its essence was no different from the Dao Transformation Stone in Yi Yin's tomb; both were simply repeatable items. What ultimately made Li Fan abandon the idea of absorption was the fact that the Eternal Remnant could not be bound to Huanzhen at all. After returning to his original timeline, he wouldn't be able to bring it back. Taking such a high risk would inevitably be a fruitless endeavor.

Having sorted through all the known information, and considering it rationally, Li Fan should have completely abandoned the idea of absorbing this Eternal Remnant. However, its allure to Huanzhen was incredibly strong. The high wall built by his reason was simply no match for it. The Xuanhuang Mind-Refining Millstone spun frantically as Li Fan desperately suppressed the surging desires. Therefore, he asked docent Bingyin to take him to a resting place, away from the skull.

Bingyin nodded in understanding and kindly helped Li Fan walk. To mask his own unusual state and also to divert his attention, Li Fan initiated a conversation. "Senior Bingyin, I just heard you say that the museum director specifically placed that skull in the central position?"

"Yes, it's quite strange. There are countless treasures in the museum, and I don't know why the director favors it so much," Bingyin replied.

"It seems perhaps the director can also sense the remnant contained within it," Li Fan mused inwardly, while outwardly asking, "May I ask which senior member of the Myriad Immortals Alliance the director is? I seem to have never heard of him."

Bingyin chuckled. "It's normal that you wouldn't know. The director keeps a low profile and rarely makes public appearances. Even we docents find it difficult to meet him." He added with a touch of pride, "However, if we're talking about seniority, I doubt there are many in the current Myriad Immortals Alliance who would dare claim to be above the director."

"Oh?" Li Fan couldn't help but feel a little curious.

Bingyin lowered his voice a few degrees. "The director has existed since the distant primordial era. That was a long time ago, before humanity flourished. Almost nothing in the world escapes his divine perception. He is said to be omniscient." Bingyin's admiration was evident.

Li Fan, however, found Bingyin's description somewhat familiar.

"He is a symbol of longevity and wisdom. We respectfully call him Immortal Elder Disan," Bingyin slowly stated. Li Fan's expression shifted slightly, and he thought to himself, "Disan... Morus?" Bingyin, however, did not notice Li Fan's change and continued to eloquently expound on how learned and wise the old director was.

After they arrived at the resting room, Bingyin still seemed to have more to say. However, seeing Li Fan's poor physical condition, he wisely stopped. "Feel free to rest here," he said. "The Divine Relic Museum is vast; you can't finish visiting it in a short time. This place is specifically designed for visitors to rest, so you don't have to worry about being disturbed." After giving instructions and seeing Li Fan gradually recover, Bingyin left behind a control jade token and departed with peace of mind.

Li Fan manipulated the jade token, activated the restriction, and completely sealed off the resting room. Deep within the enclosed space, the eerie skull was now out of his sensory range, and his trembling body finally slowly calmed down. As if after a great battle, Li Fan felt utterly drained. His already aging body was now even worse for wear.

"Eternal Remnant..."

Now calm, Li Fan pondered the reason for Huanzhen's unusual behavior. Humans feel hunger because they need to eat and replenish energy essential for survival. Since Huanzhen also exhibited a desire to "eat," it could only mean that something useful to Huanzhen could be obtained from an Eternal Remnant.

Setting aside the skull in the Divine Relic Museum for now, what exactly did Huanzhen need from Daoist Master Tianyang's remnant?

"Special: Eternal Remnant (Tianyang) (Uses remaining: 1)"

Li Fan looked at the information on Huanzhen's panel and made a decision. He took out materials from his storage ring and set up the necessary ritual for entering the Fallen Immortals Realm, intending it as a diversion.

Li Fan then used up the last remaining use of the Eternal Remnant, activating Huanzhen's simulation function.

After a bout of dizziness, "Tianyang, it's time for your medicine..." his master Guangyangzi's voice rang in Li Fan's ears.