Chapter 852: World Source Power

Upon returning to Haixuan Island, Ji Shaoli naturally received numerous banquet invitations and requests for visits. He simply ignored them.

"With so many eyes and ears around, this clone is currently not suitable for going out. It's better to honestly seclude myself for a while."

"However, it's quite unexpected that the Myriad Immortals Alliance would release the rejected candidates for the Immortal Chosen program." Ji Shaoli frowned slightly, a hint of confusion flashing in his mind. If the Thirty-Three Immortal Chosen plan was truly very important, then at the very least, their identities should have been kept secret until the plan achieved its intended effect. Naturally, the rejected individuals should not have been released; instead, the true identities of the thirty-three Immortal Chosen should have been hidden. But the Myriad Immortals Alliance had no intention of doing so...

"It doesn't matter who they are," he mused. "As long as there are thirty-three qualified individuals, that's enough." Ji Shaoli's eyes narrowed. "Interesting. Let me see what the Myriad Immortals Alliance is really up to. It's time to put a little more pressure on them."

The clone of Ji Shaoli remained seated on Haixuan Island, unmoving.

In the Spiritual Wood Realm, Lin Ling, acting on Li Fan's orders, once again traveled to Jiushan State to make contact with the Council of Elders. The Council of Elders questioned why she had not replied during this period. Lin Ling, following Li Fan's prior instructions, informed them about the brilliant sphere's integration with the two strange powers of "restless mind" and "unruly will." Although the Council of Elders' representative remained outwardly composed, Lin Ling still keenly detected intense psychological fluctuations from them.

After sending another batch of supplies as a gesture of gratitude, the Council of Elders inquired about the "Thirty-Three Immortal Chosen" plan. Lin Ling gave vague answers, subtly deflecting their questions. Just as they were feeling a little disappointed, she dropped a bombshell: "To counter the Council of Elders' covetous gaze, the Myriad Immortals Alliance, in addition to the Immortal Chosen, has also developed many world-suppressing artifacts, including the Sky-Splitting Cannon. If you don't take action soon, you might regret it when it's too late." Lin Ling repeated Li Fan's words verbatim. Along with the message, she also transmitted an image.

A world-destroying black light pillar pierced through layers of white mist, annihilating everything in its path. The black light pillar gradually vanished, but the void it created remained unfilled by the white mist for a long time. Its residual power prevented anything from approaching. Even from a blurry image, the immense power of the Sky-Splitting Cannon was evident. No matter how composed the Council of Elders' representative was, they couldn't hide their visibly shaken expression. Taking a deep breath, they cupped their hands and indicated that a substantial reward would follow in the future. Then they hastily departed. Lin Ling watched their disappearing figure and pursed her lips before returning via the earth veins to report back.

Inside the Five Elements Grand Grotto-Heaven, Li Fan thought, "I wonder if the Myriad Immortals Alliance has actually created this world-suppressing artifact in this era. But whether it's real or fake, it makes no difference. The Council of Elders was already itching for action, only temporarily held back by the Immortal Alliance's clever maneuvers. Now that the brilliant sphere incident is resolved, and with the pressure from major deterrents like the Thirty-Three Immortal Chosen and the Sky-Splitting Cannon, I believe they will choose to strike first. We just need to wait." Having received Lin Ling's message, Li Fan shifted his attention after a moment's thought.

Inside his dantian, the seven-colored orb emitted a sacred, dazzling glow. "As expected, it is a supreme treasure formed by refining the heavenly light of an entire realm," he mused. "To fully control it will not happen overnight." Spiritual energy layered around the seven-colored orb, and numerous scenes flashed rapidly before Li Fan's eyes. There were cultivators soaring among white clouds, and mortals dwelling on the earth. These were scenes from the extinct Chongyan Immortal Cultivation Realm. "It's a pity that the world's time fluctuates so quickly. I can't discern the details," Li Fan thought with a hint of regret. So far, besides the Xuanhuang Realm, he already knew the names of three other immortal cultivation realms: Xiaoyao, Taiyi, and Chongyan. But that was all he knew. Beyond their names, he knew very little about the specific conditions within them. "If I could break free from the Immortal Ruins' shackles, I could certainly investigate," he considered. "However, Chongyan has been destroyed. As for whether the Xiaoyao and Taiyi realms still exist, it's hard to say." With his physical and spiritual energy surging, Li Fan slowly refined the seven-colored orb. He then redirected most of his energy back to devouring the Five Elements Grand Grotto-Heaven.

However, it wasn't long before Li Fan noticed something unusual. The rate at which the Roots of Heaven and Earth proliferated had nearly doubled compared to before! At this rate, it would take less than a year to completely devour this Five Elements Grand Grotto-Heaven! "Hmm?" During this period, Li Fan had not gone out. The only variable lay with the newly acquired seven-colored orb. While feeling surprised, Li Fan secretly pondered and researched the specific reasons for this change. Before long, he discovered the possible reason. As his spiritual energy refined the seven-colored orb, a mysterious power was also nurturing and transforming his spiritual energy. With the augmentation of this power, the Roots of Heaven and Earth proliferated wildly, as if they had received some potent supplement. Furthermore, as Li Fan's refinement of the seven-colored orb progressed, this proliferation rate continued to increase, making even Li Fan, the instigator, feel a bit apprehensive. Like dark clouds driven by a gale, Li Fan was eroding the Five Elements Grand Grotto-Heaven at an unimaginably terrifying speed.

"If it weren't for the excessive number of monsters in the Xuanhuang Realm, I could even claim the Xuanhuang Realm for myself using this method in just over ten years," Li Fan mused, this premonition surfacing in his mind. "What exactly is this mysterious power...?" Li Fan carefully perceived it. Only after a full seven days did he suddenly realize: "The power of world origin? The seven-colored heavenly light of the Chongyan Realm was derived from the Heavenly Dao, containing world origin. After being refined into a magic treasure, it naturally retained this. In ordinary combat or evasion, this special attribute wouldn't manifest. However, when it came into contact with the Roots of Heaven and Earth, a new cultivation method specifically for devouring heavens and lands, it reacted! Like a catalyst, it significantly enhanced the power of the Roots of Heaven and Earth, accelerating the rate at which it devoured the Grotto-Heaven." He continued, "Strictly speaking, the dissipation of world origin would have a certain impact on the power of the seven-colored orb. It merely advanced the timeline, which would ultimately be a net loss. But for me... it doesn't matter at all!" Li Fan understood. He then once again accelerated the process of refining and extracting the power of world origin. "Since the power of world origin is beneficial for advancement during the Nascent Soul stage," he wondered, "what about the Spirit Transformation, Dao Integration, or even Longevity stages? Will it still be helpful?" As he looked at the increasingly vigorous multitude of tentacles, Li Fan couldn't help but ponder. To devour a world by utilizing the power of another world—this seemingly impossible feat had become possible due to the appearance of the fishing pond, a supreme treasure.