Chapter 997: Heavenly Mystery Sees All Beings

Li Fan, like a child with a new toy, reveled in browsing information within the Heavenly Esoteric Mirror. He only regretted that the Dao Transformation Stone in his sea of consciousness was not of a high enough grade to record and save everything he saw and heard. These were all pieces of information that every cultivator considered top-secret, but now, to Li Fan, they were completely exposed.

What's more, it included every transaction detail for all goods circulated on the Immortal Alliance market since records began. The sheer volume was dazzling, overwhelming his senses. Even more valuable were the data records of all cultivators who practiced using Spiritual Enlightenment. The cultivation efficiency of every single cultivator was laid bare before him.

The Heavenly Esoteric Mirror was like a boundless ocean filled with treasures, and Li Fan lingered there, reluctant to leave. Unfortunately, the data contained within the Heavenly Esoteric Mirror was too vast. It was even constantly growing every moment. It was simply impossible to grasp it all. He could only choose to record some of the most important information first.

Li Fan knew that the information he was currently browsing was certainly under the Heavenly Esoteric Mirror's supervision. But it didn't matter; most of this information would not be used by him in this lifetime. Instead, it would prove useful in every subsequent reincarnation within the Xuanhuang Realm!

The Heavenly Esoteric Mirror was like an endless ocean, and Li Fan was like someone digging a canal by the shore, constantly drawing seawater into himself. Although the progress was slow, it was steady. Li Fan placed the small Heavenly Esoteric Mirror in his embrace, continuing to read the information. He then quietly left the bamboo forest grotto and returned to the Spirit Wood Realm.

He only slowed down his recording when the amount of browsed information reached a certain threshold, almost overloading the mid-grade Dao Transformation Stone in his sea of consciousness. He then began to browse the information recorded within about the Dao Transformation Stones currently existing in the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

"One fragment of the Mother Stone.""Three supreme-grade, sixteen high-grade.""Mid-grade, huh?""No mid-grade ones left?"

Li Fan initially thought he had made a recording error. However, after re-confirming multiple times, he found no mistake. After a moment's thought, Li Fan immediately understood the reason for this situation. Dao Transformation Stones inherently originated from the Mother Stone and could be upgraded to higher qualities through mutual fusion.

"It must be that the cultivators in the Myriad Immortals Alliance who possess the secret techniques of Dao Transformation Stones have long since collected all circulating and appearing Dao Transformation Stones," he mused. "Even if a new one appeared, it would immediately be acquired through various means. Damn it, no wonder I couldn't buy any even with contribution points."

Li Fan's eyes flickered as he checked the list of cultivators possessing Dao Transformation Stones. Upon seeing it, a sense of absurdity immediately surged within him. "The holder of the Mother Stone fragment was actually an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator..." As for the other supreme-grade and high-grade Dao Transformation Stones, the Heavenly Esoteric Mirror recorded their holders as also being Foundation Establishment or Golden Core cultivators. Anyone with discerning eyes would know these identities were undoubtedly disguised.

"Holding such a treasure, they were essentially guilty without committing a crime. These precious items were simply not something Foundation Establishment or Golden Core cultivators could possess," he thought. "Such identity disguises could indeed deter investigations from some ill-intentioned cultivators. But as long as they exist, there must be connections. Every single clue, every trace of what has happened, is faithfully recorded by the Heavenly Esoteric Mirror. How then could they escape my pursuit..."

At this moment, Li Fan simply stopped feigning innocence before the Heavenly Esoteric Mirror and pulled up all the detailed information of these twenty "shell" cultivators. From their initial entry into the Heavenly Esoteric Mirror to their current cultivation, all communication and transaction partners, including their recommenders, were laid bare. He then proceeded to retrieve data on these secondary suspects.

Like a massive net, it continuously wove and expanded. When the hierarchical relationship reached the fifth level, the number of associated cultivators in the net had surprisingly grown to over a hundred thousand.

"Among these, some can be directly excluded." Li Fan pressed his throbbing head, which was operating at full capacity, and rested for a moment. Then he resumed searching for his targets within the data. After repeated comparisons and eliminations, he finally narrowed the list down to less than a hundred individuals. Their cultivation levels ranged from Nascent Soul to Dao Integration.

"Investigating this by myself would still be quite troublesome," he thought. "First, I'll focus on and monitor their recent activities in the Heavenly Esoteric Mirror, then I'll have Mo Rubin help me investigate them covertly." After a moment's contemplation, Li Fan had a plan. Almost all of these hundred individuals held positions within the Myriad Immortals Alliance. It would be nearly impossible for him to investigate alone. Without special connections, he might not even meet them in his entire life. However, if the investigation came from a Dharma Inheritor, a top-down inquiry, it would certainly be much easier.

"The Dao Transformation Stones are too useful. If it weren't for the Taiyan Sect's Mother Stone already being digitized, I would be tempted to just brazenly go and seize them by force." However, recalling the wisp of white light that escaped during the destruction of the world in his 115th life, Li Fan calmed down and faced reality. Someone capable of successfully escaping the calamity of a True Immortal ending the world was clearly not someone the current Li Fan could contend with.

For the next period, Li Fan led a rather fulfilling life. The Terminal Disintegration Disk operated at maximum efficiency, absorbing the essence of the Myriad Souls Convergence Formation and continuously deducing new formation possibilities. The Dao Transformation Stone, meanwhile, categorized and integrated the information obtained from the Heavenly Esoteric Mirror, selecting the valuable parts. Li Fan himself, however, wandered aimlessly within the Heavenly Esoteric Mirror. He was like a transparent being; no one could see him, yet he could observe everyone—their conversations, cultivation, and transactions.

With the cover of the Heavenly Esoteric Mirror, cultivators were much more uninhibited than in reality. This allowed Li Fan to witness a more authentic portrayal of sentient beings. For example, friends who were calling each other brothers one moment would immediately curse each other after parting ways. For instance, countless cultivators, like the initial He Zhenghao, pursued dreams of overnight wealth. They sought various "investment" methods, only to end up losing everything. They would secretly vow never to be so foolish again. Yet, after accumulating another fortune, they couldn't resist the temptation and dived back in, ultimately meeting the same fate.

Furthermore, a significant number of cultivators, after attempting cultivation, felt that with their talent and cultivation speed, they would certainly struggle to achieve greatness in this lifetime. So they abandoned grand ambitions and simply took on the most basic and safe tasks. They earned enough to survive in the Heavenly Esoteric Mirror, then settled down there permanently. After all, within the Heavenly Esoteric Mirror's space, there were no natural disasters, no sickness, and no worries. Without various desires, they lived a carefree and comfortable life.

As Li Fan observed the varied lives of different cultivators, his own mindset subtly changed once again, almost imperceptibly.