Chapter 253: The Missing Ten Years

Every time Li Fan woke up from seclusion, he would glance at the "还真" (Still True) panel and calculate the time based on his physiological age. Anchored for one year equaled 20 years, and so on.

In the twelfth life, he had also checked the "还真" panel many times.

However, when the time suddenly leaped from the anchored 29th year to the anchored 39th year, Li Fan failed to perceive even the slightest anomaly. Even when he repeatedly looked back on the experiences of the twelfth life, he did not notice the "missing ten years" in himself.

Part of the reason for this was a certain mental inertia. After all, in the cognition of the vast majority of people, time is continuous and indivisible. How could it be anchored at 29 years one second and then at 39 years the next?

Another, even more important reason was that there seemed to be something present that distorted his perception, causing him to inadvertently overlook this point. This was what they called "seeing the strange as normal."

What exactly was going on? Who stole my time? Li Fan couldn't help but fall into deep fear.

Because of the unknown, there was fear. The Heavenly Physician was strong, but at least it had a concrete image. In this life, Li Fan was not its opponent. However, after countless cycles, one day he would grow to the same level and eventually defeat it.

But this unknown entity made Li Fan feel powerless for the first time. He didn't even know what it was, how it stole his originally allotted time, and what was even more terrifying, the various influences it exerted persisted even after "还真."

This meant that the entity was very likely something in the same realm as "还真." At the very least, its power was approaching that of "还真." This was the true source of Li Fan's fear.

"还真" had always been Li Fan's hope for longevity. It was the source of his confidence that he could remain calm in the face of any formidable opponent and overcome any crisis. No matter how great the danger, he only needed to silently invoke "还真." With the transformation between reality and illusion, everything would return to the starting point, and the crisis would naturally disappear.

But now, the absolute dominance of "还真" was being threatened...

He Zhenghao and his daughter, He Xinxin, on the side, also noticed that something was wrong with Li Fan's expression. He Xinxin was about to ask, but was stopped by He Zhenghao, who shook his head.

Fear echoed in Li Fan's heart, lingering for a long time. Fortunately, Li Fan's willpower was resilient. Having experienced numerous near-death situations, the current threat to his past time was only a threat, not a fatal one. Li Fan gradually calmed the fear in his heart.

Upon careful analysis, he soon noticed some abnormal phenomena in this incident.

With a serious expression, Li Fan asked He Zhenghao, "Friend He, I wonder about the origin of Xinxin's divination technique. Can you reveal some information?"

Although he said he was inquiring, his eyes carried an unmistakable hint of insistence.

After some hesitation, He Zhenghao had to explain, "My daughter's divination technique is called 'Dao Wang Tian Luo.'"

"It is a divination spell tailored based on her companion extraordinary item, the 'Dao Wen Compass.'"

"As for its specific quality, it can barely be considered half a celestial wonder."

Saying this, He Zhenghao's face couldn't help but show a trace of pride.

"Companion extraordinary item?" Li Fan's heart stirred.

There were relevant records in the "论奇物" (Treatise on Extraordinary Items). Some cultivators were born with extraordinary items that accompanied them from birth.

However, this situation was extremely rare, and the book only mentioned it briefly without delving into much detail. Individuals with a companion extraordinary item were nurtured by the laws of extraordinary items from the moment they were born.

The cultivation speed is extremely fast, and anyone who can safely survive and grow up is undoubtedly an exceptional talent.

Unexpectedly, He Xinxin belongs to this category.

No wonder she has already reached the Foundation Establishment realm at such a young age, Li Fan thought as he assessed the young girl.

Feeling Li Fan's gaze, He Xinxin inexplicably felt a wave of nervousness.

"Xinxin, could you explain the principles behind the 'Dao Wang Tian Luo' for Li Uncle?" He Zhenghao spoke up.

He Xinxin nodded in agreement. Trusting her father, she did not maintain much guard.

She then explained softly for Li Fan, "Life exists between heaven and earth, like living within a vast net. Every action will have an impact on the people, events, and things around you. Those who cannot transcend are inevitably influenced by other people and things. Interwoven and interacting, they form various phenomena in the world. Anything that has happened in the world leaves a trace. Observing these various traces left on the vast net allows us to understand the events in the world. This net is called 'Dao Wang Tian Luo,' and the traces are known as 'Dao Chisel Inscriptions.'"

In the girl's narration, Li Fan's doubts were gradually unraveled.

The theft of his ten years in Dao Yuanzhou occurred in the twelfth life. He Xinxin, only at the Foundation Establishment realm, no matter how gifted, couldn't possibly see through "还真" and deduce events that happened nearly a hundred lifetimes ago. Even the unknown entity that stole his ten years, with a very high position, should not be within He Xinxin's ability to deduce.

Yet, she still saw through it.

This was because...

An apple that had been bitten...

Was different from a whole apple.

Likewise, the creature that had its time stolen must be different from normal beings, carrying a unique aura, an imprint. Although Li Fan returned to the moment before the time theft through "还真," he was still not completely free from its influence. Li Fan's previous unawareness of this fact served as evidence.

He Xinxin's "Dao Wang Tian Luo" did not directly calculate "还真" or the unknown entity that stole time. Instead, by deducing Li Fan and sensing its influence, she could reconstruct the events that happened to Li Fan.

Li Fan even speculated that if He Xinxin were to deduce any cultivator in Dao Yuanzhou, she wouldn't be able to predict the same results as with him. This was something that a Foundation Establishment cultivator could perceive. Even with the extraordinary item "Dao Wen Compass" as a foundation, it wouldn't be possible.

If one had to draw a comparison, the unknown entity that stole time was like a black hole silently spanning the sky over Dao Yuanzhou. Every so often, it would devour a decade of time from the entire region. Under normal circumstances, it was impossible to directly detect its existence through ordinary observation or deduction methods. However, because of "还真," Li Fan escaped from this black hole. Yet, the influence of the black hole did not disappear. Thus, Li Fan was like the twisted light around a black hole. By using him, one could deduce the theft of time by "it" in Dao Yuanzhou.

(End of this chapter)