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Li Fan was startled upon hearing this: "How could this be? Could it be that the Xuanhuang Realm has some connection to the legendary Immortal Realm?"

Ai Tianjue's tone was enigmatic as he said, "Hehe, it's hard to pin down, hard to pin down indeed! The history of the Xuanhuang Realm is quite intriguing. Once we extract more from Lan Yu's mind, those old geezers might change their minds."

"Whether this will be a blessing or a curse for my Immortal Ark remains to be seen."

After saying this, Ai Tianjue fell silent for a moment before he began formally instructing Li Fan.

Li Fan's repeated calls of "Teacher" were not in vain. Without the restriction of incompatible cultivation methods, the knowledge passed down between master and disciple here was truly profound.

Li Fan had been under Ai Tianjue's tutelage for five years, earning his recognition and being taught the **[Jade Void Internal Scene Weeping Spirit Technique]**. This profound technique was the core cultivation method of Ai Tianjue himself.

"Reversing Kan and Li, altering Heaven and Earth, the Jade Void profound technique is wondrous. Refining true emptiness within the Azure Sea, weeping spirits transform into divine powers..."

Li Fan nodded in understanding.

The essence of the technique was to construct an internal world within one's own soul.

The Jade Void Internal Scene Weeping Spirit Technique was an exceptional divine power passed down through the Immortal Ark from ancient times. It was said to have been exchanged by the Xuan Merchant Immortal Ark with a supreme treasure for this exquisite technique from a sect in a great immortal realm back when the ancient immortal paths were still open.

Over time, everything within the internal world would move according to one's will.

This technique emphasized discarding all foundational methods and wholly devoting oneself to the true immortal script. Unlike Ai Tianjue's somewhat "traditional" approach, Chi Gongdao was an unequivocal radical within the Immortal Ark.

Li Fan bowed respectfully and took his leave, thinking to himself, "A teacher treats others with genuine care, and a student serves the teacher with sincerity. This is the true legacy that has sustained the Xuan Immortal Ark for thousands of years. The so-called Immortal Axis Institute and Severed Immortal Tower are merely superficial changes. The real essence lies in these master-disciple relationships."

This method of instruction was actually a common teaching technique within the Immortal Ark.

Cultivating within the internal world, weeping spirits in practice. Weeping, that is, crying.

Although Li Fan did not have a direct master-disciple relationship with Elder Chi, he had gained Chi's appreciation through his unique insights into the true immortal script.

Thus, his status within the Severed Immortal Tower and the entire Immortal Ark was exceptionally elevated.

The people of the Xuan Merchant Immortal Ark often travel through the sea of stars, moving between various cultivation realms, making it difficult to find a permanent place for tranquil cultivation.

However, the Weeping Spirit Technique perfectly resolves these two issues.

Holding a glowing scroll, Ai Tianjue slowly recited the contents of the **[Jade Void Internal Scene Weeping Spirit Technique]**.

Ai Tianjue nodded slightly, showing a look of approval. "After you return, you must recite daily and not neglect it. You have reached the most critical stage in your cultivation of the Weeping Spirit Technique. Once your internal world takes shape, with your heart following your thoughts, you may catch up to me in less than half a year."

Ai Tianjue was one of the top experts in the Severed Immortal Tower, deeply versed in the true immortal script, and his abilities were beyond question.

After spending most of the day reciting the Weeping Spirit Technique, Ai Tianjue finally finished. He exhaled deeply, and the sweat on his forehead evaporated instantly.

The teaching effect of **[Sentient Awakening]** is closely related to the qualifications and comprehension abilities of both the teacher and the student.

Moreover, Chi Gongdao possesses a unique secret technique, allowing him to precisely find truly valuable world-destroying relics imbued with immortal power from the vast sea of artifacts, which can be utilized by the cultivators of the Immortal Ark.

It is said that nine out of ten dual-immortal-powered relics in the Severed Immortal Tower were discovered by Elder Chi Gongdao.

Unlike other cultivation methods, which slow down as one's realm increases, the Weeping Spirit Technique initially progresses slowly because it requires genuine emotional connection with one's internal world. However, the further one progresses, the faster the cultivation becomes.

Although it had been a long time since Li Fan last cried, for someone like Li Taishi, who could turn false into true, simulating the emotional fluctuations of his crying was not difficult.

And the body of Zhao Xian, which Li Fan inhabited, was by no means lacking in potential. Combined with Li Fan's extensive experience from countless reincarnations, his progress in the **[Weeping Spirit Technique]** was rapid.

Ai Tianjue further advised, "Although the mainstream view in the Immortal Ark is that researching the true immortal script is fundamental, you must remember that your realm and strength are the basis for exploration and comprehension. Without a solid foundation, even if you achieve great heights by chance, there is always the risk of falling from such heights..."

The Weeping Spirit Technique does not require seclusion. Even half a day's effort can deepen the emotional connection with the internal world. The more sensitive and emotionally intricate the practitioner, the more suited they are for this cultivation.

"Do you have any questions?" Ai Tianjue asked. Rather than a mere technique, it resembled a divine ability, known as **[Sentient Awakening]**.

Li Fan, still with his eyes closed, seemed to be immersed in Ai Tianjue's teachings.

Chi Gongdao.

Even though Ai Tianjue's reading was only a word-by-word recitation without detailed explanation, the rhythmic, almost doctrinal quality of his voice naturally brought to Li Fan's mind many of Ai Tianjue's insights into the **[Weeping Spirit Technique]**.

It is said that this technique was also scavenged from the remnants of the star sea, significantly reducing the difficulty of teaching in the Immortal Ark. Once introduced, it was widely praised and became popular in the Immortal Ark.

According to Li Fan's evaluation, among the elders of the Severed Immortal Tower, he was the one who restored the true immortal script the most and with the highest accuracy.

He turned to visit another elder.

One must admit, Chi Gongdao's research on the true immortal script had insights that others could not match.

Ai Tianjue rambled on, almost appearing verbose.

However, this was exactly the level of dedication that every teacher in the Xuan Merchant Immortal Ark strived for.

Weeping Spirit does not mean crying during cultivation but rather emulating the smooth, natural feeling that arises from crying.

Leaving Ai Tianjue's room, Li Fan did not immediately depart from the Severed Immortal Tower.

Instead, he followed behind, silently reciting.

"Student understands completely," Li Fan responded solemnly.

It was unclear how fast Ai Tianjue's other disciples were progressing in their cultivation, but the fact that he always had private lessons with Li Fan indicated the importance Ai Tianjue placed on him.

**Whhoooosh...**

As Li Fan pushed open the door of the small building, a gust of cold wind accompanied by low whispers rushed towards him.

Having grown accustomed to it, Li Fan ignored it directly and walked straight to Chi Gongdao, quietly sitting down in front of him.

Before him appeared a pen seemingly made of flesh and hair.

Li Fan reached for the pen, and as he got closer, the hairs on the pen seemed to come to life, quickly growing longer and tightly binding his right hand.

In his consciousness, incomplete patterns of true immortal script emerged, and his hand began to move in sync.

Drops of blood flowed from the pen's tip, congealing like ink, leaving indelible marks in the air.

To be honest, the first time Li Fan came here, he almost gave himself away by nearly writing the complete true immortal script. Had he not reacted in time, the Immortal Ark might have already been obliterated by the world-destroying power of the true immortal script.

The pen danced like a dragon and snake, red blood splattering.

Before long, a distorted, incomplete true immortal character appeared.

It was exactly half of the character **[Hunger]**.

"Hungry, oh so hungry!"

The pen in his hand suddenly roared, the binding hairs tightening further. Some of the hairs even tried to wriggle into Li Fan's body, attempting to devour his flesh and blood.

Li Fan squinted his eyes, refraining from using his physical or spiritual power to expel them. Instead, he felt the hunger of the hairs as they devoured his flesh. The hairs were not overly greedy; they merely sampled him before quickly retracting. The pen then flew out of his hand, disappearing back into the darkness.

Moments later, eerie chewing sounds filled the air.

Occasionally, there was the crunch of bones being gnawed.

Chi Gongdao's voice sounded, "Not bad. Compared to last time, the flavor is even purer."

"Zhao boy, you are truly a genius. If it weren't for Ai Laoge refusing, I would have taken you as my disciple no matter what."

Li Fan did not respond to this, but instead said seriously, "Elder Chi, I feel that my understanding of this character has reached a bottleneck. I'd like to try a new one."

Chi Gongdao chuckled darkly, "Hehe, greedy. I like that!"

Whoosh!

Seven more pens, also made of flesh and hair, flew out of the darkness and appeared before Li Fan.

"Choose one yourself!"

Li Fan closed his eyes, sensing the aura from each pen.

"That one."

After a long time, Li Fan made his choice, reaching out for the one on the far left, which had the dullest flesh.

Flesh roiled, black hair wrapped around him.

Guiding Li Fan's hand, it began writing in the void. With a flourish, a blood-red true immortal character slowly emerged.

Li Fan focused his mind, comprehending the character, while the other six pens had disappeared without a trace.

**[Solitude].**

"Alone, through the ages, only this body."

When Saint Tai Li Fan once crossed the star sea, he had encountered this true immortal character.

At that time, even the black sword in his body, which had merged with his Dao foundation, had shown signs of separation.

Now, Li Fan once again felt that power from the crimson character before him.

However, the surrounding space subtly restrained the power of **[Solitude]** and other true immortal characters.

In Li Fan's perception, time seemed to pass both slowly and quickly.

When the character **[Solitude]** was finished, he still felt a lingering fascination.

This process of inferring the power of the true immortal script without seeing the actual characters was indeed captivating.

The pen entwining his hand had already returned to the darkness.

Chi Gongdao's sinister laughter echoed in Li Fan's ears again, "Zhao boy, do you want to experience more? If you turn away from Ai Tianjue and come to me, I'll personally teach you all the true immortal scripts I've deduced..."

Li Fan's expression remained unchanged, "No need to trouble you, elder. If I need anything, I'll trade my insights for it as usual."

With that, without waiting for Chi Gongdao's response, he turned and left. The small building fell silent for a moment before Chi Gongdao's voice echoed again, "Such determination, I like it even more..."

"Jie jie jie jie..."

Chi Gongdao coveted Li Fan's talents, yet he didn't realize that just this brief experience had allowed Li Fan to surpass him in understanding **[Solitude]**.

After all, with the innate advantage of having seen true immortal scripts and having personally experienced the aftermath of the **[Solitude]** character's attack, it was understandable that Li Fan had quickly outshone his teacher.

"Let's see if I can continue deciphering on my own. If I fail, I'll leverage the talents of the Immortal Ark."

"After all, the more true immortal script power I master, the better."

Li Fan returned to his residence, organizing his gains from Ai Tianjue and Chi Gongdao.

He awaited their next summons.

His life on the Xuan Immortal Ark was simple and monotonous, yet fulfilling.

...

**Xuanhuang Realm.**

The cultivators of the Myriad Immortals Alliance continued to pay close attention to the departing rainbow lights.

Although the frequency had decreased, the Myriad Immortals Alliance still occasionally released images from the dark star sea.

Various dangers and calamities made the cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm exclaim in excitement.

"Just looking at it is enough. Every time, they manage to turn calamities into blessings, thanks to the protection of the Celestial Lord. We might not be so lucky."

"No wonder the Immortal Alliance was reluctant to send people to the star sea earlier. It's extremely dangerous. We haven't even seen the Xuan Shang Immortal Ark yet, and already several Dao Integration experts have perished. How many will actually return safely in the end?"

"The Immortal Ark may be good, but it's not our home!"

...

Amidst the discussions, Shenghuang Li Ping had already noticed some discrepancies.

Having truly traversed the star sea himself, he found that although the images released by the Myriad Immortals Alliance looked real, they were flawed compared to the actual experience of long journeys through the star sea.

"The Myriad Immortals Alliance is faking it?"

"It seems the true Departure Rainbow Light has likely met with misfortune."

Li Ping sighed regretfully.

At this moment, the Holy Dynasty had once again gathered enough Empty Bright Crystals. Li Ping planned to personally go beyond the Xuanhuang Realm to comprehend the Dao further and familiarize himself with the battlefield environment where he would later contend with the Transmission and Heavenly Medicine factions.

Unnoticed by anyone, the Holy Emperor had already flown to the border of the Xuanhuang Realm.

This time, Li Ping refused the offer of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao to accompany him. After all, he was not going far, only operating around the Xuanhuang Realm.

With layers of rainbow light separating, he began to break free from the pull of the Immortal Ruins, flying into the dark void. "Perhaps, it's not necessary to rely solely on the Empty Bright Crystals."

"The creations and laws of the Xuanhuang Realm—maybe their characteristics can be replicated with spiritual power."

Gazing at the colorful, enchanting lights around him, Li Ping mused.

The Xuanhuang Realm gradually turned into a small dot, almost invisible.

Li Fan turned his gaze toward the location of the Immortal Ruins.

There, darkness prevailed.

The ruins of the former Immortal Realm passage devoured all prying eyes.

Flashes of vague images passed through his mind. For some reason, Li Ping felt a faint sense of familiarity with the mysterious Immortal Ruins. Although fleeting, the Holy Emperor captured it.

"Immortal Ruins..."

Li Ping shook his head, suppressing the thought after a while.

His immediate priority was to address the issue of the Xuanhuang Realm being usurped and its fate altered.

As for how to escape the Immortal Ruins after accomplishing this...

Ever since he learned from Mo Ruzhen that the uniqueness of the You Clan stemmed from the bloodline of the First Xuanhuang Great Celestial Lord, Li Ping had been attempting to replicate this bloodline en masse using Maobao's abilities.

Maobao's three major abilities discovered so far were item duplication, biological mimicry, and essence transformation. Li Ping first made Maobao mimic a member of the You Clan.

Then, he transferred the recorded biological data to an ordinary human using essence transformation.

By taking this indirect approach, he managed to clone this transformed human's flesh.

Perhaps due to some restrictions being bypassed through Maobao, the clones indeed possessed some of the You Clan's bloodline abilities.

Although the efficiency of generating Source Power Essence was about one-fifth of that of ordinary You Clan members, the advantage was that there were no restrictions. With the Holy Dynasty's advanced flesh factory technology, they could be produced almost limitlessly, given sufficient resources.

This temporarily solved the energy shortage problem for both the Holy Dynasty and the Dark Sea.

Deep in the Dark Sea, the Spirit Gathering Ascension Array continuously operated, accumulating energy.

Within a century, they would likely gather enough power to break free from the Immortal Ruins.

Until then, Li Ping's task was to resolve the "legitimacy" issue of the Xuanhuang Realm.

Returning his thoughts to the present, Li Ping instinctively looked at his shoulder.

Maobao was still lying there.

However, it had turned its head away, not looking at Li Ping.

It seemed that replicating the bloodline of the First Xuanhuang Great Celestial Lord was extremely taxing for it.

For most of this time, it had been in a deep sleep.

Cat Bao had also become somewhat distant with Li Ping. Li Ping had a premonition that if their relationship continued to deteriorate, Cat Bao might leave at any moment. After all, there wasn't any special bond or master-servant mark between them; it was all dependent on the allure of source energy essence. 

He squeezed out a ball of golden light and placed it on Cat Bao's head. 

Deep in the void, Li Ping began to comprehend the laws of the surrounding star sea. As for the remaining disasters in the star sea... Cat Bao's occasionally raised tail guided Li Ping safely through. Coupled with his previous long-distance travel experience, the journey was relatively uneventful.

"If the battleground is chosen outside the Xuanhuang Realm, the assistance from heaven and earth will undoubtedly be greatly reduced. The key to victory, besides Cat Bao's various magical abilities, might also lie in harnessing the ubiquitous disaster power in the star sea."

Beyond the void of the Great Qi Small World, there was a sealed relic of the First Sect and a terrifying annihilation wind disaster. While sealing it, Li Ping also conducted research on this disaster. Compared to the various types of disaster forces in the darkest star sea, the annihilation wind disaster purely obliterated everything.

Li Ping suspected that even the star sea disasters would gradually decay under the blowing of the annihilation wind disaster. "After all, so-called star sea disasters are nothing more than true celestial spells. Although they are beyond our comprehension as mere mortals, if the annihilation wind disaster can neutralize them, then in some sense, these disaster forces can be turned into something usable. But we need to find the appropriate method…"

An idea flashed in Li Ping's mind. Ignoring Cat Bao's warnings, he flew towards a dangerous area in the void not far away. Covered in the golden light of source energy essence, he took all necessary precautions. Li Ping quietly perceived the mysterious changes happening to the source energy essence on its surface. 

In Cat Bao's bewildered gaze, Li Ping felt the surrounding area suddenly darken again. Unlike the previous darkness in the star sea due to the absence of light and dead silence, this time, Li Ping felt a profound darkness as he gradually lost his connection with the world and drifted away from everything in the star sea.

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Not only were his connections severed, but even the ties within Li Ping's body to the Xuanhuang Realm and other mysterious unknown entities began to fade. The Faceless Saint Emperor, who had always been concerned with the Xuanhuang Realm, suddenly felt a wave of detachment, finding the Xuanhuang Realm and its myriad beings less significant. The long-held concerns were about to be completely let go. 

A slight touch on his shoulder instantly pulled Li Ping out of that state. Only then did Li Ping realize that despite encountering the disaster of the True Celestial Script, which gradually severed all connections to the world, Cat Bao remained steadfastly on his shoulder without any intention of separating.

With the protection of the source energy essence, Li Ping's figure flashed, instantly escaping the area covered by the disaster. 

"This True Celestial Script seems to be particularly effective against me."

"Is it 'Solitude' or perhaps 'Isolation'?"

Li Ping gazed at that area, pondering. He condensed another ball of golden light and placed it on Cat Bao's head. This time, Cat Bao unceremoniously took a bite and then lazily went back to sleep.

...

In the underground chamber of the Sun family, Li Fan sensed that his connection with the Holy Emperor's clone had completely vanished, feeling a bit regretful.

"The last sensation that came through was the power of the True Celestial Script?"

"Isolation?"

"Unexpectedly, I've managed to completely break free with its help."

But after a moment, Li Fan felt at ease again. 

For someone at the Saint Emperor's level, trying to control him in real-time like a pawn was unrealistic. Plus, with the assistance of the mysterious Cat Bao, if Li Ping couldn't sever ties with Li Fan's true self completely, Li Fan would doubt if the Saint Emperor could truly force out the real power of the Transmitting Law and Heavenly Doctor.

As for the safety of the Saint Emperor's avatar, or rather Li Ping, Li Fan wasn't worried. After all, if the Saint Embryo didn't fall to the [Isolation] rune, then the more powerful and fortuitous Saint Emperor Li Ping would surely have no problem escaping.

"Since the general plan is set, let's watch him perform."

"No matter what, the gains in this life have been more than sufficient."

"So much so that it's almost overwhelming."

While Li Fan was lost in thought, a somewhat familiar voice suddenly spoke up.

"Senior, when can we go out and take a look? It's really getting a bit boring."

Li Fan turned his gaze, his eyes deep. It was the voice that originally belonged to Sun Luyao. But now, both his actions and expressions were indistinguishable from the real one. Through continuous attempts and thanks to the harvest from the Saint Embryo in the immortal boat, Li Fan had finally created a fairly convincing Sun Luyao persona. 

This Sun Luyao himself didn't even realize he was a fabricated existence. His consciousness and memories were restored to the time when Li Fan had eradicated the wind disaster within him and promised to take him out on a journey to seek other possible immortal artifacts.

"What's wrong, senior?" Sun Luyao looked at Li Fan with a hint of fear in his eyes.

"Hehe." Li Fan gave a gentle smile.

"Nothing, I just thought of something happy."

"Since you've said so, let's go out today."

Sun Luyao was overjoyed: "Great!"

Using the same method, after creating a fake Sun Luyao and an illusory mirror, Li Fan took his main body and left the underground chamber.

"Senior, where are we going first?"

"I haven't sensed any signs of potential immortal artifacts nearby," Sun Luyao said after inspecting the area.

"Some preparatory work," Li Fan replied simply.

Flying rapidly, they arrived at the entrance of a small world and leapt into the spatial passage. "Huh? This small world is full of plants?" Sun Luyao said curiously as he observed the scene before him.

It resembled a tropical rainforest, with towering, dense vegetation competing for sunlight. Occasionally, some vines slithered in the shadows like pythons, quietly wrapping around other towering trees, with sharp wooden spikes piercing into them. In no time, the trees withered and fell, making room for sunlight. Within a few breaths, the abundant sunlight drew other trees to grow at a visible speed, filling the gap.

"Senior, this small world seems to be in a relatively primitive stage of life development, so it probably doesn't have the immortal artifacts we're looking for," Sun Luyao observed intently but still dutifully gave his advice.

"We're not looking for immortal artifacts. I'm going to teach you a formation. Once you learn it, setting it up will be your task," Li Fan said calmly.

Sun Luyao's spirit was lifted upon hearing this: "Thank you, senior! I won't disappoint you!"

"Watch closely, this formation is called…"

"Primordial Spirit Void!"

Li Fan flew into the sky of this small world. Radiant lights descended, blocking the sunlight. The original dimness of the primitive jungle small world now plunged into true darkness.

In the eyes of the pseudo Sun Luyao created by the Boundless Mirror, the light Li Fan scattered was a series of extremely intricate formation units. Even with his foundation as an immortal artifact, deciphering them proved to be exceedingly difficult.

As the formation gradually took shape, a feeling both familiar and inexplicably terrifying surged within Sun Luyao.

"This is…"

Sun Luyao's face turned pale as he finally recalled after a while. It was the same sense of hanging by a thread he experienced every time he faced the Annihilating Wind Disaster!

His intuition told him that if he stayed here until the formation was complete, it would spell his doom!

The Boundless Mirror trembled slightly, quickly transforming into a beam of light and flying to Li Fan's side.

Li Fan paid no attention and continued to perfect the formation.

"It's a pity, first, the materials are lacking. Second, this is only a partial effort, unable to fully unleash the power of the Spirit Void Formation."

"However, it should suffice for condensing some protective layers."

Ten days later, the Primordial Spirit Void Formation was complete. With a world-destroying beam of light descending, the small world was utterly annihilated.

Li Fan, along with the Boundless Mirror, had already returned to the Xuanhuang Realm.

"Did you learn the formation just now?"

The pseudo Sun Luyao didn't respond for a long time. The impact of the Primordial Spirit Void Formation had destroyed the structure maintaining the pseudo Sun Luyao's [True Nature].

"Useless trash," Li Fan coldly snorted.