Chapter 573

To Seize the Nascent Grotto-Heaven

Perhaps "world" isn't quite the right term. More fitting terms would be "small world" or "Grotto-Heaven," indicating a lower tier of existence. Undoubtedly, the nascent Grand Five Elements Grotto-Heaven was forming right here.

"The Gate of the Mysterious Female is the Root of Heaven and Earth," Li Fan murmured to himself. Similar phrases also circulated in the ancient texts of the Xuanhuang Realm. Heaven and Earth nourish all things. But where do Heaven and Earth come from?

The cultivation world certainly didn't lack individuals with an exploratory spirit. Besides the cultivators previously mentioned who had constantly sought to re-establish contact with other cultivation realms beyond the Xuanhuang Realm, there was also a group dedicated to studying the birth of Heaven and Earth and the origins of life.

Li Fan had once read some related books. These cultivators believed that Heaven and Earth, much like living beings, continuously grew and evolved. The original Xuanhuang Realm was very likely just a miniature Grotto-Heaven. After unimaginably long ages, it finally evolved into its current appearance. These miniature Grotto-Heavens, in turn, might have been created from nothing by powerful cultivators or ancient true immortals, or they might have self-evolved and emerged from the void.

Cultivators still weren't entirely clear about the true vastness of the "space-time" they inhabited. However, it was undeniable that the Xuanhuang Realm was merely an insignificant speck within the boundless ocean of infinite space-time. Even if few cultivators truly concerned themselves with this fact, it didn't change its fundamental nature.

Cultivators referred to anything that evolved into a nascent world in the infinite space-time as the Root of Heaven and Earth. It was the origin of worlds, the convergence of laws, and the dawn of creation. It existed only in theory; no one had ever truly been fortunate enough to witness it.

Yet, today, after gathering information across several reincarnations and with his own unyielding will, Li Fan had finally entered this place. Even though the various nascent laws contained here were far too profound for Li Fan to currently comprehend, he still couldn't suppress the feeling that surged within him, akin to the saying, "One may die content in the evening, if one has heard the Way in the morning."

As horizontal and vertical colored particles collided, various scenes emerged. The crisscrossing lines that permeated the entire space resembled a giant loom, weaving the very birth of a "world."

After a long time, entranced by the magnificent scenery, Li Fan reluctantly snapped back to reality. Though he realized that, upon deeper reflection, it was like trying to scoop water with a bamboo basket – he hadn't truly comprehended anything specific. Yet, his entire soul felt as though it had been immersed in warm water, not only incredibly comfortable but also inexplicably uplifted.

Amidst his joy, Li Fan also didn't forget the goal of his trip.

"Seize the essence of Heaven and Earth to form a Nascent Soul."

Li Fan's eyes flickered. In that instant, he was truly tempted to plunder this Root of Heaven and Earth and transform it into his own personal Nascent Soul Grotto-Heaven. If he could indeed do so, combined with his half-formed True Foundation, he would surely be able to freely and effortlessly evolve his own Grotto-Heaven Dharma Domain, much like how the adaptable Foundation Establishment artifacts could be changed at will. Hidden Dragon, Volcano, Dharma Eye... As long as he possessed the specific information, he could manifest them in an instant.

Unfortunately...

"My foundation is too shallow. 'A snake swallowing an elephant' doesn't even begin to describe it; it's more like 'an ant swallowing an elephant,'" Li Fan mused with a hint of self-mockery. After only a brief moment of further observation, Li Fan discarded that suicidal notion. An ant swallowing an elephant would only be seeking its own demise.

Perhaps much later, when Li Fan reached the Dao Integration realm and gained a sufficiently profound understanding of the principles of Heaven and Earth, if he returned here then, perhaps with a Golden Core realm, he might have a sliver of confidence in plundering it. As for now... It was better to be pragmatic and focus on the Grand Five Elements Grotto-Heaven for now.

Having spent some time here, Li Fan began to discern some clues. Perhaps because the original Five Elements Grotto-Heaven had been forcibly moved, thus stimulating it, the Root of Heaven and Earth was now weaving a new Grotto-Heaven amidst its crisscrossing patterns.

"In that case, I just need to wait patiently," he thought. "A nascent Grotto-Heaven is weak and easier to subdue. Furthermore, there's no need to worry about the Grotto-Heaven's strength affecting my actual combat power after promotion. A Five Elements Grotto-Heaven, possessing all five elements and forming a self-contained entity, would perpetually generate and continuously evolve."

With a plan now firm in his mind, Li Fan couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. He paid no mind to what was happening outside, simply immersing himself in observing the nascent Grotto-Heaven's creation process.

Originally, Li Fan had assumed that, just as human birth required ten months of gestation, the birth of a Grotto-Heaven would logically be dozens of times more arduous. But it was clear that attempting to infer the principles of Heaven and Earth based on human understanding would inevitably lead to misconceptions. The formation speed of the new Grand Five Elements Grotto-Heaven far exceeded Li Fan's imagination.

The horizontal and vertical particles collided with increasing frequency. It was like watching fireworks explode, scene after scene, right before Li Fan's eyes. Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth... Li Fan began to perceive the birth of five elemental energy fluctuations within this space. However, they were all bound within their respective confines, not scattering aimlessly.

Li Fan's eyes could not perceive the actual process of the Grotto-Heaven's birth. He could only indirectly sense it through the changes in energy within the Root of Heaven and Earth. As the rudimentary form of the Five Elements Grotto-Heaven was about to manifest, Li Fan's heart swelled with excitement.

But at this very moment, he discovered that the lines forming his own body had begun to unravel outwards. Li Fan speculated that perhaps the "weaving" of the Five Elements Grotto-Heaven had caused the Root of Heaven and Earth to lose some energy. Consequently, it sought to draw in anything from the outside that could replenish itself. Thus, Li Fan, an intruding foreign entity, became its primary target.

Should he directly devour the Five Elements Grotto-Heaven here and ascend to the Nascent Soul stage, or should he first leave the Root of Heaven and Earth, wait until the Five Elements Grotto-Heaven fully formed and manifested in the void of Tianling State, and then perform the devouring act? Li Fan found himself in a dilemma.

However, he quickly made up his mind. While there was a risk of being disintegrated here, at least there would be no external interference. In the outside world, near the void of Tianling State, cultivators from the Myriad Immortals Alliance were still patrolling. No matter how lax they might be, the fluctuations caused by a Golden Core cultivator advancing to the Nascent Soul realm would surely not escape their notice. At that point, even if Li Fan possessed a silver tongue, he likely wouldn't be able to talk his way out of it.

"I can try," he decided. "If I accidentally fail, I can always return next time."

With that, Li Fan ceased resisting, allowing this space to draw in the lines that formed him. Just as fine threads are continuously pulled from a ball of yarn, Li Fan's body began to shrink at a visibly rapid pace. However, he remained fearless. Instead, he utilized this absorbing force, letting it propel him towards the nascent Five Elements Grotto-Heaven.

Hovering "above" the Root of Heaven and Earth, five distinct, colored orbs of light were coalescing. From the crisscrossing threads below, nodes continuously exploded, causing the five elemental light orbs to grow clearer and more stable. It was during this process that Li Fan, with only half his body remaining, arrived before the coalescing orbs of light.