Chapter 954: Thousand Realms' Lingering Dark Soul

Yin Shangren’s originally dull and broken eyes suddenly filled with hope.

“I understand!” he exclaimed, as if a realization had dawned on him. “The Xuanhuang Realm’s only Dual Venerable, possessing both ancient and new Dao, such a benevolent and perfect person… must also be incredibly intelligent!”

Yin Shangren’s voice grew louder and louder. “So that’s it, so that’s it… Back then, after he successfully defied principle and was damaged by the Immortal-Mortal Miasma, he didn’t perish on the spot. Instead, his strength gradually declined. This period was enough for him to set up numerous contingency plans! All my doubts and confusions can probably be answered through these contingencies! It must be so!”

Upon hearing this, Li Fan’s heart stirred. “Mr. Bai’s contingency plans?” He recalled his experiences in the Fallen Immortal Realm; every scene was related to Mr. Bai’s past experiences. Clearly, this was a form of guidance. The Fallen Immortal Realm must ultimately conceal the true objective Mr. Bai wished to convey.

Perhaps… Li Fan thought of the 115th cycle, when Mr. Bai achieved a degree of resurrection merely by leaving traces in the world. Who was to say that the true “Su Bai” couldn’t genuinely be reborn thousands of years later, through some method?

While Li Fan was deep in thought, Yin Shangren before him grew increasingly manic. “Yes! He’s still waiting for me! I must go after him!”

The central fissure in his body, formed by his cultivation of the My Foundation Establishment Method, became more pronounced. Another body, hidden within Yin Shangren, seemed to stir, eager to crawl out. And in Li Fan’s ears, the faint patter of rain began to sound.

Initially, it was subtle, almost a figment of his imagination. But soon, the rain intensified, pouring down like a tempest, deluging the land! In this illusory downpour, the stone floor of the laboratory softened, turning muddy. Li Fan remained outwardly calm, but in reality, he had already floated into the air, retreating slightly further to escape the muddy expanse.

He watched the countless arms writhing and extending from the ground, his pupils contracting slightly. Yin Shangren’s body also began to twitch strangely. His voice became intermittent and indistinct. A moment later, those pale arms surged towards Yin Shangren like fish swimming underwater. The instant they touched Yin Shangren’s body, they forcefully plunged into his flesh. At the point of contact, the arms dissolved, then drilled into Yin Shangren’s body.

*Pfff…*

A clear sound, like a bursting bubble, echoed. Then, thousands of pale arms continued to rush towards Yin Shangren. In an instant, Yin Shangren’s body began to writhe eerily, as if water were boiling. Even the surrounding space became somewhat distorted.

Li Fan watched this heart-stopping scene with a solemn expression. He was now well-traveled and experienced, his strength comparable to a Dao Integration expert. But the strange phenomena occurring to Yin Shangren were something he had never witnessed, nor even heard of, throughout his years of轮回 (reincarnation) experiences.

Li Fan closed his eyes, and the bizarre scenes before him vanished instantly, replaced by utter stillness, as if they had never existed. Even the clamor in his ears disappeared. His spiritual sense could not perceive anything either. When he opened his eyes again, the terrifying scene immediately returned.

The “water” boiled even more intensely, yet Yin Shangren, at the center of the phenomenon, looked increasingly peaceful. Like an enlightened monk who had suddenly attained the Dao, all pain and confusion vanished from his face. In this spectacle, the only unchanging element was Mr. Bai’s rib, hidden in Yin Shangren’s chest. It was strikingly prominent, yet it acted like a tether, firmly connecting the increasingly ethereal Yin Shangren to the real world.

Yin Shangren cast a reluctant glance at the rib, then his eyes hardened. He hurled it towards Li Fan. As Li Fan caught the rib, the sound of rain in his ears suddenly intensified again. Then, as if reaching a critical point, all sound ceased. In the absolute silence, a light emanated from Yin Shangren’s body. The light, as it shone, appeared to carve an opening in space.

Li Fan narrowed his eyes, trying to discern the scene within the white light. But try as he might, he could only make out numerous figures floating in mid-air, without distinct features, varying in height, seemingly urging Yin Shangren on. The light grew increasingly dazzling, eventually completely obscuring Li Fan’s vision. When the white light faded, Yin Shangren had completely disappeared.

Li Fan pondered for a moment, then went to Yin Yin Island’s underground secret chamber. He found that the corpses previously stored there had also vanished. In this cycle, Yin Shangren had not chosen self-immolation. Li Fan’s casual words had captured his attention, preventing Yin Shangren from taking the extreme path of self-destruction. Instead, he had…

“Chosen to return?” The scene in the white light, for some reason, made Li Fan think of this word.

“The Rain of Corpses…” Yin Shangren was odd in every way. Li Fan had investigated records related to the great rain of countless falling corpses, but aside from Yin Shangren’s connection, he had found no other clues.

“It’s not a [common] 'Weirdness,' but it’s utterly bizarre.”“Even as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, without using the Chaos Formula, I would find it hard to kill him.”Li Fan recalled every scene from his interactions with Yin Shangren, his brow furrowed.

“Could it be…” A conjecture surfaced in Li Fan’s mind.

The Heaven-Mending Record meticulously described and explained the mechanisms of the world’s heavenly Dao. The book mentioned that, just as cultivators can absorb spiritual energy to cultivate and advance their realms, the world itself can grow stronger and elevate its status by plundering and consuming other worlds. Heavenly Doctor called this the “world’s feasting.” But just as humans leave food scraps when they eat, a world’s feasting also leaves behind indigestible matter. This could be due to a law from another world being incompatible with the native world, or it could be an “alien object” that is detrimental to the world’s development and naturally rejected. These “phantoms” of old worlds would not integrate into the new world; they could only exist forever in the cracks.

“Phantoms” are different from “Weirdness.” Weirdness is a product of world fusion; strictly speaking, they are still a part of the native world. Although they may seem incompatible with the native world’s laws, they are actually slowly integrating into the new world over time. If a span of millions of years passes, and the time frame is long enough, Weirdness might fully integrate into the native world. But “phantoms”… they are beings utterly rejected by heaven and earth. Even if the world were to be destroyed, even at the end of time, there would be no day when the world would reconsider them.

Connecting this to the ghostly figures he had just seen, Li Fan mused, “Could those be the collective world phantoms left behind after the Xuanhuang Realm swallowed numerous other cultivation worlds?”

“The phantoms of old worlds don’t wish to exist forever only in the cracks of the world. They also hope for a day to make a comeback.”“But as the defeated, they can only resort to clandestine schemes. Perhaps Yin Shangren was chosen by these phantoms through an accident that occurred years ago.”“No wonder ordinary methods couldn’t kill him. But the Chaos Formula could destroy him…”“Because he is equivalent to a fragmented world rule.”

Li Fan continued to analyze, based on the Heaven-Mending Record’s accounts. “For some reason, Yin Shangren previously still retained the mark of the Xuanhuang Realm; his transformation wasn’t complete. He was a half-human, half-phantom existence. But just now, he completely embraced the phantoms.”

“Hmm… As an existence on par with the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, it indeed possesses the ability to glimpse various profound mysteries.” Li Fan would not be surprised by any action from Yin Shangren, who had become somewhat fanatical. Even Yin Shangren’s obsession with Mr. Bai might not be without the subtle influence of the world phantoms behind it.

“Hmph, mere insignificant worms. Nothing to fear,” Li Fan sneered, not taking them to heart at all. It wasn’t arrogance on Li Fan’s part; these phantoms could only truly pose a threat to the Xuanhuang Realm if the realm itself suffered heavy damage and was close to destruction. Only when the Xuanhuang Realm was weakened to its extreme would the world phantoms have a tiny chance to turn the tables. But then again, by that time, even if the world phantoms managed to achieve victory and reoccupy the Xuanhuang Realm, their fate would still be ultimate destruction. In essence, phantoms are like a virus that only erupts and takes over a body when it’s on the verge of death. By the time they erupt, everything else already ceases to matter.

“It’s just a pity about Yin Shangren. His comprehension was even greater than mine. I was originally hoping he could help me deduce the Primal Chaos Golden Elixir method.” Li Fan shook his head slightly.

Looking at the island before him, Li Fan’s gaze sharpened, and he instantly destroyed all the monsters Yin Shangren had cultivated on it. In the underground chamber, Yin Shangren’s collections were stored in the Five Elements Cave Abode. On the entire island, besides Li Fan, the only survivor was the bizarre little dog with hands for feet and a belly full of roaming eyes. This creature’s spiritual sense was remarkably keen; the moment Li Fan harbored murderous intent, it immediately scampered to his feet, sticking out its tongue, trying hard to appease him. Li Fan smiled and spared the dog’s life, also taking it into the Five Elements Cave Abode.

Leaving Yin Yin Island, Li Fan pondered his gains on the return journey. “As the Xuanhuang Realm’s only Dual Venerable, cultivating both ancient and new Dao, Mr. Bai’s strength is undoubtedly extraordinary.”

“He might even be the reincarnation of the ancient Xuan Tianwang…”“No wonder Di Sanmo placed him in the central position of the Museum of Divine Treasures, and no wonder the Eternal Remnant Thought on his skull held such immense attraction for Huan Zhen.”“Eternal Remnant Thought must contain the obsessions from his lifetime. I wonder what Mr. Bai’s obsession truly was?”“It couldn’t be to save the Xuanhuang Realm, could it?” Li Fan couldn’t help but wonder.

Now that he knew the true value of the skull, Li Fan began to scheme how to acquire Mr. Bai’s cranium. “The Eternal Remnant Thought cannot be brought into Huan Zhen; it can only be absorbed on the spot.”“However, fortunately, I don’t truly need to take Mr. Bai’s skull. The goal is merely the Eternal Remnant Thought attached to it…”“As long as I get close to the skull, Huan Zhen can complete the absorption.”“Of course, the entire process cannot alert Di Sanmo…”“It would be best to find an excuse to get him out of the Museum of Divine Treasures…”

After much thought, his plan circled back to colluding with Mo Rubing. “Di Sanmo should probably show some respect to the Law Spreader.” Li Fan sensed subtly that the number of cultivators undergoing Divine Descent had now reached a considerable figure, becoming a major headache for the Myriad Immortals Alliance. Mo Rubing must surely be aware of this by now. Through perceiving the experiences of his followers, Li Fan discovered that there were indeed several different factions within the Myriad Immortals Alliance’s investigation teams.

“It seems it’s time to initiate contact with them.” Li Fan’s eyes narrowed slightly, and various commands, channeled through the Thought God-Demons, influenced the minds of his followers.

Back in the Spirit Wood Realm, Li Fan quietly waited for things to unfold. While waiting, he took out the Heaven-Mending Record to study it again.

“The Heaven-Mending Record is indeed profound.”“In the past, I would have been completely unable to uncover Yin Shangren’s origins. Even within the entire Xuanhuang Realm, few cultivators might know about the existence of world phantoms.”“This highlights the importance of having a renowned master to guide one.”Rereading the Heaven-Mending Record, new insights welled up in Li Fan’s heart. It truly was a book that offered fresh perspectives with every read.