Chapter 412: Eight Years Return to Xuanyuan

To push the entire world forward, an immense amount of power is needed. Only the Heavenly Alliance, having unified the Xuanhuang Realm and integrated all resources, and relying on the Heavenly Profound Mirror's extraordinary coordinating and computational abilities, might be able to achieve this.

This explains why the Immortal Venerables turned a blind eye to the Heavenly Profound Mirror's actions, even actively facilitating the merger of the Myriad Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Association. Because if successful, they would completely escape the threat of the Immortal Ruins. The void is vast; they could wander freely from then on, no longer confined to the Xuanhuang Realm. What relevance would the lives or deaths of cultivators have to them?

Even if it failed, the Immortal Venerables would suffer no loss. Ultimately, the Heavenly Alliance wasn't simply massacring cultivators. Instead, it suppressed all the cultivators who maintained the Xuanhuang Realm's weight within the Eternal Immortal Wall. Not having to bother with regulating cultivator numbers might even be more convenient for the Venerables!

As for whether the Xuan Net's plan to escape the Immortal Ruins ultimately succeeded, Li Fan leaned towards it being successful. In his previous life, before his 'Return to Truth', after nearly a millennium of deathly silence, he clearly felt life beginning to revive in the Xuanhuang Realm. The long-absent sunlight reappeared. Although most living beings in the world had been exterminated, the world itself had regained vitality.

Li Fan didn't believe that the Xuanhuang Realm, after falling into the Immortal Ruins, could revive after only a millennium of dormancy. If that were the case, the so-called Immortal Ruins wouldn't have caused the Immortal Venerables such apprehension.

"For cultivators, the Xuan Net was naturally unforgivable. But in a sense, it saved the Xuanhuang Realm. And incidentally, it completely cleared out the cultivators. Perhaps that's why, when the Xuan Net acted on behalf of the Heavenly Dao, the Heavenly Dao of this realm didn't fiercely resist."

After long contemplation, Li Fan slowly pushed aside these thoughts for the time being.

"Besides these inevitable events, there were also many developments influenced by the establishment of the Xuan Net. Everything stemmed from my killing of the gigantic Glazed Fish and then personally orchestrating the Heavenly Spirit Grass turmoil. The War of Tianling State, which shouldn't have happened, had a profound impact on both the Myriad Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Association. The Five Elders Association vaguely sensed the disappearance of the Dao-Granting Venerable and continuously probed in the following days. Facing pressure from the Five Elders Association, the Myriad Immortals Alliance created a monstrous entity like the Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Array to protect itself.

"Perhaps without the War of Tianling State, there would still have been wars in Tianpan State or Jiushan State. But different timings for the wars could lead to entirely different future trajectories. Innumerable futures, infinite possibilities. The birth of the Xuan Net was merely one of them.

"The world after the Xuan Net became prevalent was truly too perilous for cultivators. A slight misstep could lead to being captured and suppressed within the Eternal Immortal Wall, making cultivation impossible. It seems in this life, I must find a way to prevent its birth," Li Fan mused silently.

"However, whether it's the Heavenly Spirit Grass turmoil or the grand competition that popularized the Spirit-Locking Array, my foresight allows me to benefit from them. To give them up would be a pity. Given this then..." After a brief moment of thought, Li Fan instantly had an idea.

"Checks and balances can ensure overall stability. It's better for the Xuanhuang Realm not to be too chaotic!"

Having reviewed his previous life, the next step was to plan for this current life. The goal was clear: achieve the Nascent Soul realm. Before the War of Tianling State, he would cultivate to the perfected Golden Core stage. After the Five Elements Grand Grotto-Heavens were relocated, he would investigate the void area capable of continuously evolving Five Elements Grotto-Heavens. If possible, he would use it as a foundation for his breakthrough. If not, he would have to find a way to acquire the Five Elements Grand Grotto-Heavens from the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

"However, before that, there's one more thing to do."

Li Fan flew above the sea of clouds, bathing in the morning glow. All distracting thoughts vanished from his mind as he began to circulate the "Purple Heavens Vast Intent," a secret art he had obtained from Zhang Qianmo in the Immortalfall Realm in his previous life. Li Fan hadn't forgotten that traces of "it" from Yuandao State still remained on his body. Although Li Fan vaguely felt that with his body transforming into Dao and continuous reincarnations, this trace had likely already disappeared, an extra layer of insurance wouldn't hurt.

As the secret art operated, Li Fan felt his consciousness continuously soaring. Upward, piercing through the firmament, he arrived at a sacred, ineffable place. There were no other presences. Only the vast and righteous will of heaven and earth permeated it. This immense and pure aura, like flowing water, cleansed Li Fan's spirit. Li Fan gradually immersed himself in it. The psychological shadows caused by "it" from Daoyuan State and by Heavenly Physician slowly dissipated. Even the weariness from three thousand years of his body transforming into Dao was slowly washed away.

He remained anchored for 3 years.

Li Fan withdrew his divine ability, feeling mentally clear and physically light. "The secret transmission of the Purple Heavens Sect is indeed extraordinary," Li Fan thought. He nodded in satisfaction.

He casually glanced at the 'Return to Truth' panel and was immediately somewhat surprised. He suddenly discovered that the 'Return to Truth' recharge speed was much faster than before.

"It originally took almost nine years, but now, it will only take a little over seven years to complete the recharge. It seems cultivating the 'Xuanhuang Heart Refining Incantation' in reverse to temper the Dao heart and strengthen the soul is indeed useful. Faster charging means I can leave Daxuan and go to the Xuanhuang Realm in early year 8 of my anchoring. Just in time for the Myriad Immortals Alliance's decennial entrance examination..."

Li Fan smiled slightly, thought for a moment, and made slight adjustments to his plan. Afterwards, as usual, he descended the mountain and visited Yin Yin's tomb. He took out the Dao Transformation Stone, slowly absorbing it while waiting for 'Return to Truth' to finish charging.

Soon, year 8 of his anchoring arrived. Before departing, Li Fan opened the 'Return to Truth' panel.

Name: Li FanRealm: Golden Core Mid-stagePhysical Age: 27/599Mental Age: 1326/4200Void Transformation Charge Progress: 100%Anchoring Charge Progress: 0%Current Anchor Points: 3Current Available Anchor Points: 1Bound Items: "Thousand Machine Jade Heaven Golden Scroll", Taiyan Boat, Restrictive Stele (damaged), Ten Thousand People's Essence Blood, Dao Transformation StoneCultivation Methods: Xuanhuang Heart Refining Incantation, Cloud Water Illusion Dream Art, Body Transformation Dao, Mysterious True Spirit Transformation, Myriad Form Furnace Art, Creation Furnace Art, Mountain Sitting ArtDivine Abilities: Chaos, Grand Five Elements Annihilation Sword, Life-Death Chain, Formless Killing Intent, Bug Binding, Cloud Cluster One Sword, Heaven-Overturning Palm

"Having transformed my body into Dao for three thousand years, my mental age only increased by a little over a hundred years. It seems I don't need to worry about this for now. As for the 'Chaos' divine ability..." Li Fan recalled the terrible side effect of the ability, which caused even his thoroughly refined puppet body to completely disintegrate after use, and shook his head slightly. "Although its power is immense, it's still too strenuous to use currently."

Closing the 'Return to Truth' panel, in this life, he would neither dispel the cultivation of the "Mountain Sitting Art" nor plunder the Daxuan imperial court for wealth. Instead, he transformed into the appearance of a black-feathered, red-tailed bird and rapidly flew towards the Eastern Abyss of Ruins and the Immortal Severing Grand Array.