Chapter 1265-1268 (7.5K + words)

Chapter 1265: The Tale of Xuanhuang Islands

"Senior, it seems like I can't take it anymore!" The pained voice of the Infinite Mirror spirit, Sun Luyao, faintly came from the mirror.

"Hmph, you won't die." Li Fan, as if not hearing it, not only did not stop the Infinite Mirror's exploration but also cast a spell to control it, directing it to emit a faint light towards the Rift Vortex.

After speaking, many patterns appeared on the surface of the Infinite Mirror. Perfectly matching the cracks on the mirror, within the serene-colored light, these wounds slowly began to heal.

"Ah..." Sun Luyao's voice sounded contradictory, as if he was both in pain and relief.

Li Fan only squinted, focusing on the fragmented scenes continuously flashing within the profound light of the Infinite Mirror.

"Let me see what happened here back then."

In fact, the Primordial Yellow Stone Tablet recorded the departure of the demonic beast clan toward the rift.

However, when a powerful force capable of destroying heaven and earth erupted from the Southern Dark Mountain, the Primordial Yellow Stone Tablet lost its monitoring ability for this place.

Only when the energy disturbance slowly subsided and this place returned to a visible state did the once sacred mountain of the demonic clan and the entire demonic beast clan disappear. Only a terrifying hollow wound remained, unhealed for thousands of years.

Li Fan, this time using the Infinite Mirror, was indeed trying to find out whether the demonic clan successfully escaped through the rift. However, more importantly, he was attempting to decipher the method of the rift.

Space was pierced by an unimaginably powerful force, even breaking through the high wall barrier, connecting to the outer space.

In that instant, it was as if a seal had been stamped in the fabric of time and space, leaving an imprint.

Even as time passed, a fleeting thousand years, this imprint still lingered within time and space, never dissipated.

By studying and deciphering this rift imprint, perhaps it could reproduce the only two cases in the history of Xuanhuang Realm where successful escapes to the Dark Star Sea occurred.

Like intermittent black-and-white footage, Li Fan glimpsed scenes where Emperor Yixian revealed his true form and made a final mobilization to the demonic beast clan.

He also saw that many demonic beasts were watching from afar, not following the departure together.

The scene flickered, and the gigantic python coiling around the Southern Dark Mountain roared thunderously. It writhed, emitting a radiant glow, as if something was breaking out of its body.

On the other hand, Emperor Yixian, the Lord of the Myriad Beasts, coldly watched without intervening. It wasn't until the exhausted python fell onto the sea surface, creating towering waves, that Li Fan clearly saw what was inside its body.

It turned out to be a key, enlarged many times!

On the main body of Emperor Yixian, which was wriggling like a grayish flesh mass, ripples suddenly stirred. After a moment, a face with an emotionless expression emerged from its body.

This face seemed to possess a magical charm.

Not only in Emperor Yixian's main body, but also in the other heads and faces that were originally restless, they instantly calmed down and became motionless.

Around the Southern Dark Mountain, countless demonic beasts that had been observing bowed their heads, avoiding eye contact. They didn't dare to look directly at that face.

Even thousands of years later, traversing through the river of time and peeking at its image through the rift imprint, Li Fan, upon seeing that face, suddenly felt an instinctive fear as if facing an otherworldly being.

"This is..." The body composed only of divine senses momentarily became somewhat unstable under the pressure of that divine face. After all, this was an image from thousands of years ago, and Li Fan's strength was not comparable to ordinary people. After a brief adaptation, the invisible pressure quietly dissipated.

In the rift imprint, the subsequent scenes once again unfolded before Li Fan's eyes.

After Emperor Yixian's true body revealed the divine face, the enormous key, gleaming with an ancient bronze metallic sheen, instantly shrank in size.

Under Emperor Yixian's control, it flew directly towards the towering Southern Dark Mountain.

The tip of the key pointed towards the peak of the Southern Dark Mountain.

Dazzling light points manifested from the point of contact.

Unified radiance spread instantly from the small point, covering both the key and the Southern Dark Mountain.

As if achieving some kind of authentication, after a moment, the key and the sacred mountain, bathed in light, became ethereal and faintly invisible.

Around the sacred mountain, including Emperor Yixian, numerous demonic beasts were enveloped in waves of white light, transforming into threads of light that flew into the Southern Dark Mountain through the bronze key.

Then...

As if a terrifying light of a cosmic explosion erupted from it.

It obscured all probing gazes.

Even though Li Fan endured the piercing pain in his divine soul to continue observing the white light, all he could see was an endless radiance.

At this point, the Infinite Mirror had truly reached its limit.

In an instant, it lost its spirituality, unable to even maintain a floating state and fell from the sky. The Infinite Mirror spirit, Sun Luyao, also completely passed out, silent once more.

Deep in thought, Li Fan put away the Infinite Mirror.

In his mind, scenes of the just witnessed spectacle kept replaying.

"Previously in the Falling Immortal Realm, Emperor Yixian explained the principle of Southern Dark Mountain being able to successfully breach the rift. Claiming it to be the end of the world, the corner of the sea, accumulating energy that had roamed freely since the inception of Xuanhuang Realm..."

"Now it seems, it's not as simple as He described. Relying solely on the power of Xuanhuang Realm itself, it's difficult to breach the rift, let alone the sporadic roaming energy."

"The ancient bronze key and that divine face should be the key to their successful breach."

Li Fan suddenly remembered the secret he had heard from the Holy Emperor in this life from the Duyi Sect.

"Duyi Sect found a mysterious power from the rift cracks of the Heavenly Sword Sect, which can be used to monitor Xuanhuang Realm. Once implanted, even passing down laws is futile against this mysterious force. And here, the second rift location, also has the appearance of a mysterious entity transcending Xuanhuang Realm itself."

"Although Xuanhuang Realm is extremely special even among many ancient cultivation realms, these two locations seem to touch upon something crucial."

While contemplating, Li Fan's figure flickered, carrying the Infinite Mirror, and left the Rift Vortex.

"The principles of the world never deviate from their origins. Using the title of 'Xuanhuang Grand Celestial' to supervise and inspect Xuanhuang Realm indicates that Xuanhuang Realm, in the eyes of the immortal realm, undoubtedly has its unique utilitarian value."

"Just like the myriad islands in the Congyun Sea, only those with special products are assigned cultivators by the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals to guard them and build island protection arrays."

"Change the perspective, simplify the matter. The so-called 'Xuanhuang Grand Celestial' is equivalent to guarding Xuanhuang. And Xuanhuang Realm is like one of the islands in the lower realm's starry sea."

"The mysterious power discovered by the Duyi Sect to refine the Insightful Divine Eyes and the Southern Dark Mountain opened by Emperor Yixian with the ancient bronze key are probably part of the 'Island Protection Array' for Xuanhuang Realm."

"Not originating from the power of Xuanhuang Realm itself but built from the upper realm."

"However, with the occurrence of the Immortal Realm Cataclysm, this protective array has also been influenced."

"The 'Floating Cross-Star Array' that Xuantian King deduced based on the many scriptures he obtained in the Ascension Channel might have been built and modified on the foundation of this protective array. Otherwise, it's hard to imagine how a semi-immortal body, relying solely on Xuanhuang resources, could construct an immortal-grade array capable of traversing high barriers."

"And..."

Li Fan's flying speed became faster and faster, connecting various clues from the past in an instant.

"The Floating Cross-Star Array can span endless voids, locking onto other cultivation realms deep in distant star seas."

"My array proficiency, under the influence of the Final Dissolution Disc, has vaguely reached the limit of mortal standards. And the Xuan Yuan Shi Ling Array, I already know three of its aspects. Even if it is an immortal-level formation, I have just scratched the surface. Even so, how the Floating Cross-Star Array precisely locks onto those realms in the boundless star seas using the golden chains remains a puzzle."

"I used to think that it was due to my insufficient mastery of formations, causing the frequent failures in deducing the Final Dissolution Disc. King Xuan Tian, a scholar of both heaven and man, with a semi-immortal body and a formation level surpassing this peculiar item..."

"Now, thinking about it, perhaps I overlooked an important factor."

A glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes.

"If the cultivation realms being locked and Xuanhuang Realm share some common factors? By relying on this mutual resonance, the golden chains of the Floating Cross-Star Array can accurately lock onto them one by one."

"That is, they all have the existence of a protective array!"

"Bai Hua once said that even the original Xuanhuang Realm is like a giant in many cultivation realms. Her hometown, the Wansheng Realm, is only the size of a single state."

"Let's compare Xuanhuang Realm to the myriad islands in the Congyun Sea. It's like the larger islands I visited, such as the Luli Island. It is a larger-scale existence. And the other worlds and caves captured by it are like the smaller ones in the star seas."

"Well... perhaps later, as these worlds were gradually drawn towards the Immortal Land, Xuanhuang Realm also captured some along the way. After the destruction of the Ten Immortal Sects, they were handed over to the Transmission Sect and Celestial Healers, patched up, and finally created the splendid scene of Xuanhuang Realm today."

"If my speculation is correct, then those initially captured areas by Xuanhuang Realm definitely had protective arrays."

Thinking this way, Li Fan seemed to realize something, and his thoughts paused slightly.

At the beginning, Xuanhuang Realm simply captured and assimilated, rather than disassembling and reorganizing like it does today.

So, those initially swallowed regions should be on the periphery of Xuanhuang Realm.

"At the edge of the world, at the corner of the sea."

"Moreover, from Emperor Yixian's words, it seems to vaguely reveal that Xuanhuang's demonic beasts came from the outside..."

"Ah, I see."

Li Fan suddenly realized.

"It seems that the ancient bronze key used by Emperor Yixian doesn't unlock the protective array belonging to Xuanhuang Realm itself..."

Li Fan's thoughts quickly turned.

In fact, to verify his speculation, there might be a simple method.

In that small world where he found the golden skull and the "Not" mantra, there was a clear memory of the golden chains of the Floating Cross-Star Array breaking through the boundaries and locking onto the world.

All he needed to do was to investigate it further.

Thinking of this, Li Fan changed direction, heading straight for the target location.

On the way, Sun Luyao also gradually woke up.

"Senior, where are we going?"

Without any complaints about Li Fan's extreme labor exploitation earlier, Sun Luyao just asked with some confusion.

"Going to an interesting place. Take advantage of this interval to rest well. In the next step, I may need your assistance." Li Fan said indifferently.

Upon hearing this, the virtual image of Sun Luyao in the mirror swayed uncontrollably.

"Senior, I feel very weak right now..." After a moment of silence, Sun Luyao gathered courage to speak.

In response, a thick golden substance materialized.

Sun Luyao's attention was immediately captivated as if he had discovered a priceless treasure.

He knew that this was the magical substance Li Fan used earlier to attract and eliminate the wind disaster from the Infinite Mirror.

It had a fatal, irresistible instinctive allure for him. Moreover, his intuition told him that this substance was a great supplement for him.

So, Sun Luyao quickly closed his mouth and greedily swallowed the essence of the source power.

After a moment, his spirit shook, and the feeling of weakness disappeared.

"Hmph."

After savoring the wonderful taste, Sun Luyao thought about pleasing Li Fan and asking for more.

However, a cold snort from Li Fan brought him back to reality.

Without daring to make further requests, he just hoped to receive some rewards after completing the upcoming tasks.

Not long after, traversing a lengthy void passage, Li Fan finally returned to the desolate world filled with ashes.

"Go!"

At Li Fan's signal, the Infinite Mirror once again emitted waves of dim light.

Compared to the previous attempt at the vortex of the rift, this time the exploration and analysis were undoubtedly much smoother.

Effortlessly, the images unfolded within the dim light, revealing a vibrant world.

A thriving world.

A great river nurturing countless living beings.

After death, these beings were reborn in the river, achieving a perfect cycle.

...

"Not these, go deeper."

Just as Sun Luyao was immersed in the secondary scenes, Li Fan's voice came.

Sun Luyao's mind shook, increasing the intensity of the Infinite Mirror's probing.

The scenes of vitality became fragmented and ethereal.

The river turned into starlight, dreamy and elusive.

Beneath all appearances, intersecting lines suddenly appeared on the surface of the Infinite Mirror.

"Ah!"

However, at the moment of seeing these lines, as if triggering some prohibition, Sun Luyao felt an irresistible scorching sensation rushing towards him.

It was as if he were being roasted by flames, and the Infinite Mirror seemed like it could melt at any moment.

"Senior, save me!"

Unable to endure the pain, Sun Luyao couldn't help but cry out.

Li Fan, however, remained indifferent, pouring down the golden essence of the source power, forcing Sun Luyao to endure the intense pain and continue the exploration.

In Sun Luyao's agonizing screams, the foundation hidden beneath the ruins of the world slowly became apparent.

Unlike the small world that had already become ruins, these lines, despite intermittent disruptions and seemingly impacted by some force, were enveloped in a layer of decay.

However, they still retained their original form.

As more and more lines were probed, a rudimentary formation took shape in Li Fan's mind.

At the same time, within the space of the End Dissolution Disc.

The disc temporarily halted all other tasks, recording and analyzing these fragmented formation lines.

"Save me..."

Unfortunately, as the remnants of this vast formation were too massive, with less than a tenth of the exploration progress, Sun Luyao was already on the verge of death.

Chapter 1266: Stealing the Power of Darkness

Li Fan was helpless and had to temporarily stop driving the Infinite Mirror.

He threw out another cluster of essence of source power to rescue the spirit of the Infinite Mirror from the brink of death.

The essence of willpower stored on him was generated by the hundred or so Yous in the secret chamber under the Sun Family's blood pool, who prayed day and night during this period.

Drawing out the wind disaster lurking in the Infinite Mirror had consumed a portion of it.

Earlier, to repair the injuries of the Infinite Mirror and Li Fan's own divine fragment, some more had been used.

There wasn't much left now.

Li Fan estimated the rate of consumption of the source power essence, "Just enough. No need to go back again."

"But..."

Li Fan casually glanced at the center of this silent little world.

It seemed that the appearance of the essence of source power had caught the attention of the hidden golden skull there. A strange feeling, as if being stared at by a monster, surged in Li Fan's heart.

"Hmph, even if you had a great background in your life, now you are just a skull. You dare to act recklessly in front of me..." Li Fan stood with his hands behind his back, and a trapping formation instantly generated with a slight movement of his mind.

Locking the space where the golden skull was located, sealing it.

"Deal with you in the next life."

This time, Li Fan had no intention of probing into the situation of the golden skull.

The immediate priority was to explore this protective formation, return to the Xuanhuang Realm, follow the causes and effects, and find the traces of the hidden protective formation.

Under the influence of the essence of source power, Sun Luyao slowly woke up from his faint.

"Rest a bit and continue."

However, Li Fan's indifferent words struck him like a thunderbolt.

But he had no thought of defiance in his heart.

Because Sun Luyao knew that the life and death of the Infinite Mirror were within Li Fan's thoughts.

Moreover, wiping him away directly, then finding another cultivator's consciousness to replace him, was not an impossible task.

"This time, although it was a bit painful for you, it was more of a kind of tempering. As the saying goes, 'forge iron into steel through a thousand trials.' You're just an ordinary person who, by chance, became the spirit of the Infinite Mirror. You've seen the current performance of the Infinite Mirror. Just analyzing something casually makes it almost die. How can it be called a divine tool?" Li Fan said in a deep voice.

These words made Sun Luyao feel extremely ashamed.

"This essence of source power, even for an immortal, is something one can't easily obtain. Using it on you can be considered a waste. But I still did it..." Li Fan said with a deep tone.

"There is great terror between life and death, and there are also great opportunities. Comprehend it well!"

Saying that, Li Fan manipulated the Infinite Mirror again, analyzing the remnants of the formation hidden beneath the ruins of the world.

Sun Luyao felt himself rapidly weakening again, but with the encouragement from Li Fan earlier, he struggled to rally his spirits and tried to maintain his clarity of mind.

"I must not let Senior down!"

Every scene since Sun Luyao's contact with Li Fan flashed in his mind.

Li Fan's help along the way was undeniable, and Sun Luyao had never been able to contribute anything himself. Now that there was finally an opportunity for a return, Sun Luyao was determined not to disappoint Li Fan.

Moreover, Sun Luyao knew that what Li Fan said was indeed true.

In the trials of life and death, his original consciousness was constantly strengthening. The growth in these days surpassed the decades he spent hiding in the Sun Family's secret chamber.

In the midst of Sun Luyao's excited thoughts, the somewhat shaky gloominess became stable again.

Li Fan nodded slightly after seeing this.

...

Great Enlightenment of the Holy Dynasty.

Sitting on the Holy Emperor's throne, Li Ping had completed the replication and implantation of the aura of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao for ten clusters.

However, due to the long uninterrupted work, Cat Bao's emotions had somewhat collapsed, and it had completely gone on strike.

Even with the temptation of many essences of source power, Cat Bao just pretended not to see, sleeping soundly.

Helpless, the Holy Emperor could only temporarily stop.

He looked towards the central four states of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.

"Is the departure rainbow light of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance ready?"

Due to the previous harvest of the true meaning of the star sea origin, the sentient consciousness of the Xuanhuang Realm, which had tasted the flavor, became restless. It instinctively wanted to attach itself to it and hitch a ride.

However, Li Ping dissuaded it.

The premonition in the Holy Emperor's heart told him that the journey of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance would not go as smoothly as his previous one.

In addition to the Holy Emperor's premonition of the dangers on the journey, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance could not emulate him at all. The most important reason was that all the explorers organized by the Immortal Alliance this time were composed of Dao Integration cultivators. However, they lacked the strength to truly impress and suppress the others.

"Blue Feather from Dao Source State."

"Golden Sun from Flowing Light State."

...

The list of Dao Integration cultivators for this expedition was not a secret.

The Holy Emperor sighed slightly as he looked at these names.

"Although the death of dozens of Dao Integration experts is undoubtedly a good thing for the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao and the Holy Dynasty, it's a pity..."

Regretful as he was, the Holy Emperor would not act with undue kindness to intervene in this matter.

He could only wait for them to leave.

Moreover, among them, there might be someone with extraordinary luck who could survive in the perilous star sea, and eventually achieve success in enlightenment.

Even if the Holy Emperor stopped them, it would only be seen as obstructing the path and end up in an endless situation.

Five days later, a seven-colored rainbow light slowly flew out of the sky under the gaze of all the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators.

Compared to the last time, this time seemed much more familiar.

Different colors separated in turn and finally entered the pitch-black star sea.

Li Ping watched them leave and mourned for them in his heart for a moment.

Another seven days later, the expression of the Holy Emperor changed.

He flashed and arrived in the secret space where the Yous resided.

Now, under the rule of the Holy Dynasty, the Yous could generally be divided into three groups with different missions.

Among them, the largest number consisted of those who, from birth to death, only needed one thing every day, which was necessary and must be done—praising the grace and virtue of the Holy Emperor. This group of people was created by integrating different beasts, with extremely short lifespans and life cycles. Truly like chives, cut after cut, they continued to grow.

As for the second type, the Yous with a medium number, their treatment was relatively better. They had ample rest time every day and could even read different books. As the native Yous, some of them would be selected and drawn out to participate in the optimization experiments of the ethnic group.

As for the third type, the smallest and most special group, they could be considered the purest and most primitive Yous, still adhering to the belief in the great Dark Sea and maintaining the traditions that had lasted for a long time. However, since they lived under the rule of the Great Enlightenment, they naturally had to obey Li Fan's orders. Even the internal dispute about who was greater between the Holy Emperor and the Dark Sea had reached a unanimous opinion.

The Holy Emperor was the incarnation of the will of the Dark Sea. The Holy Emperor, Dark Sea, and the ancestor of the Yous were three in one and inseparable. Although the theory was a bit crude, it effectively resolved the possible conflicts caused by Li Ping's intervention and stabilized the ethnic group completely.

"I have seen the Holy Emperor." The You Clan Chief saw Li Ping and immediately knelt down, bowing in salute.

Before this, because Li Ping had not forcibly required it, these Yous did not need to kneel and bow when they saw him. However, since the birth of the new theory, various standard etiquette had emerged within the You Clan, and even the chief had to follow. Li Ping naturally went along with them.

"Open the You Realm channel," Li Ping ordered coldly as he looked at the kneeling Yous below.

The Yous stood up, and amidst mysterious and ancient chants, a door slowly opened.

Li Ping flew in first.

Upon entering, he was instantly engulfed by endless darkness.

However, Li Ping didn't hesitate at all and rushed towards the direction of the sensing.

Silently, he got closer and closer.

The target of the sensing was, of course, the profound technique he had revealed to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance through his identity as the leader of the Lingyuan Sect, which could increase the output of cultivator's source power.

Surprisingly, the efficiency of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance in exploiting this aspect was unexpectedly high.

Li Ping could already sense that a large amount of marked source power, condensed and compressed, was rushing into this dark sea.

However, contrary to intuition, such a formidable and terrifying energy could not stir up the slightest ripple in this place.

It was unclear whether it was because the Dark Sea itself was too vast or there was something within it silently devouring these ripples.

As he got very close, Li Ping couldn't help but slow down.

Even though he had absolute confidence in his own strength, caution was still the priority.

Concealing his breath, he stealthily approached.

Dong!

Dong!

In the originally silent dark sea where sound couldn't propagate, there unexpectedly appeared rhythmic intermittent muffled sounds.

Like the sound produced when a drum was violently struck, it made the heart of the Holy Emperor vibrate along with it.

Li Ping became serious.

His blood and energy had now reached a state of harmony. Even an attack from the Longevity Realm might not be able to shake him. However, now, because of these simple muffled sounds, a commotion was surging...

"It's not caused by external forces but the intrinsic movement of the Dark Sea itself."

The Holy Emperor quickly made a judgment.

Without resisting these muffled sounds, Li Ping stood still for a moment, aligning the beating of his heart with the intrinsic movement of the Dark Sea.

As if completely merging into the darkness, his discomfort disappeared.

Only then did Li Ping continue forward.

Soon, he "saw" or rather sensed the source of these muffled sounds.

It was more like feeling.

Like a burst balloon or the great vortex at the crack boundary of the Xuanhuang Realm.

In the dark sea ahead, a "small opening" appeared.

The surging compressed source power forcefully poured in through this gap. Under the natural repulsion of the dark sea itself, a bit of dark power was absorbed through the channel formed by the mutual confrontation of the two forces.

Li Ping stopped from a distance, observing with a deep sense of gravity.

"Clever."

After a while, he gave such an evaluation.

The power of the Dark Sea and the compressed ejected source power had formed a perfect state of balance.

Source power did not truly invade the Dark Sea, and likewise, the counterattack from the Dark Sea was not completely triggered.

In this strange equilibrium, a call between source power and the power of the dark sea was achieved.

After all, the Dark Sea was ever-changing.

This means that the output of source power from the side of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance will also change and adjust accordingly. If the balance is disrupted, it will instantly face the backlash of the surging waves of the Dark Sea.

The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance must have maintained this device for quite some time, indicating that their research on the Dark Sea has reached a profound level.

"Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, they have capable individuals," Li Ping couldn't help but sigh. After all, ruling half of the Xuanhuang Realm for thousands of years, possessing such a trump card is not surprising.

"Compared to the usual overflow of the Dark Sea's power to various places in the Xuanhuang Realm, these extracted dark powers are more gentle."

"And easier to utilize."

After observing for some time, Li Ping also sensed some clues.

"But I wonder, why did the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance go to such lengths to extract this gentle dark power."

But the unknown did not hinder Li Ping's actions.

As the Dark Sea, maintaining the stability of the Xuanhuang Realm, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance extracting its power was undoubtedly a bold move. Li Ping, being the "Incarnation of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao," naturally could not stand idly by.

However, he didn't act rashly.

Firstly, because if this perfect balance were to be broken, it might lead to even higher turbulence in the Dark Sea.

Secondly, just stopping this extraction behavior would only be a temporary solution.

What Li Ping wanted was a permanent solution, to eliminate the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's thieving behavior.

The Holy Emperor's patience was abundant.

After observing for a full month, he first returned to the Holy Dynasty.

He brought nearly a hundred original Dark Tribe members to this place.

"Outrageous! Such blasphemy!"

From the performance of the Dark Tribe chief, the Holy Emperor could see his inner anger.

Other beast tribe members, seeing their great Dark Sea being stolen by thieves, also harbored extreme resentment.

If it weren't for Li Ping's cover, with such intense emotional fluctuations, they would probably have erupted in anger long ago.

"This visit is to resolve this matter."

"Blasphemers shall be executed."

Li Ping's thoughts were conveyed to the minds of the Dark Tribe members.

This group of Dark Tribe members knelt down immediately, their faces filled with resolute determination to sacrifice their lives.

In a corner unnoticed by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, this group of Dark Tribe members began an ancient ritual.

It was a method passed down through the ages, a way to communicate with the Dark Sea.

What Li Ping wanted them to do was to attract the attention of the original source of the Dark Sea.

Despite the commotion here, it was like poking a small hole in the body compared to the vast Dark Sea.

As long as the balance was not broken, it would not pay attention.

This allowed the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance to continuously steal the dark power.

But if there was a ritual of the Dark Tribe as a guide, everything might change.

Even if it didn't immediately expel the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, the sudden change in repulsive force was enough to disrupt the balance.

And because it was a change in the Dark Sea itself, with this giant entity as the foundation, even if there was some turmoil, it would be negligible.

As the ritual progressed, Li Ping felt the Dark Sea creating subtle ripples.

Instinctively, he concealed his breath as much as possible, hiding himself.

Chapter 1267: Encounter with the True Immortal Characters Again

As the Dark Sea exhibited anomalies, the kneeling Dark Tribe members seemed to sense something. Their facial expressions became increasingly manic and devout.

Like a gust of wind, from all directions of the Dark Sea, it converged near the small hole pierced by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.

The pressure sharply increased, and invisible ripples spread from the opening. Under the successive accumulation of majestic forces, the stable state at Li Ping's perception and the opening was instantly shattered.

The compressed source power, in retreat, seemed on the verge of being completely expelled from this Dark Sea.

However, at this moment, Li Ping actually saw that this lightless sea unexpectedly brightened up.

It was not an illusion caused by the natural rhythm of the Dark Sea but an actual birth of light.

The golden abacus stabilized the chaotic source power of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. With the movement of the abacus beads, the source power output suddenly increased, restoring the balance.

The waves of the Dark Sea surged, creating waves of foam. But every time, they were perfectly resolved by the calculations, invocation, and adjustments of the golden abacus.

What made Li Ping marvel even more was that the golden abacus was not just controlling the source power. More importantly, strands of golden light spread outward with the continuous fluctuation of the abacus beads.

Although it didn't fly out for long before being completely engulfed by the darkness, under the influence of these golden lights, the raging waves of the Dark Sea gradually calmed down.

The unknown existence that was awakening, under the soothing of the golden light of the abacus, fell back into a slumber.

Simultaneously, an eyeball silently descended above the opening of the Dark Sea.

Or rather, it was born from the golden abacus, extremely bizarre.

The eyeball endowed life to the abacus and carefully investigated the anomalies within the Dark Sea.

The gaze was cold, devoid of any emotions. It rotated and surveyed, as if trying to find the cause of the imbalance in the extraction device of the Dark Power.

The Holy Emperor's heart tightened, protecting himself and the hundreds of Dark Tribe members.

After a few rounds of inspection without finding any suspicious existence, the eyeball gradually disappeared.

During this time, with the precarious repair of the golden abacus, the Dark Sea had returned to a balanced and tranquil state.

Standing not far from the opening, Li Ping contemplated for a while and ultimately postponed the plan to destroy the device of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.

It wasn't that Li Ping feared a direct confrontation with the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance at this moment, but he sensed a familiar aura from the suddenly appearing eyeball.

The aura of a cultivator who theoretically had completely disappeared from the Xuanhuang Realm.

It was this doubt that made the Holy Emperor temporarily change his decision.

"If it's just a similar aura, it's fine. But if he is still alive and hiding within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, assisting in stealing the power of the Dark Sea..."

A hint of doubt flashed through the Holy Emperor's mind.

However, until this matter was clarified, it was better to temporarily avoid direct confrontation.

Thinking like this, Li Ping returned to Daqi with the Dark Tribe members.

After establishing a mental connection with the stone tablet, he began to browse the information recorded on the creation stone tablet.

"King Xuan Tian..."

"Completely illogical."

Scenes appeared before Li Ping's eyes.

King Xuan Tian, from an ordinary cultivator at the beginning, experienced numerous adventures, and eventually became the last ascender of the Xuanhuang Realm.

Shortly after breaking through the void and becoming part of the eternal legend of the Xuanhuang Realm.

His reappearance shocked the world.

Later, there was the founding of the Xuantian Sect and the subsequent joint extermination by the Ten Sects.

The scenes were sporadic, and at certain crucial points, they seemed forcibly erased.

However, even with this incomplete personal history, it was enough to be full of ups and downs, captivating.

"From the synchronized memories of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao and the records of the creation stone tablet, the eyes that appeared in the Dark Sea are almost identical to King Xuantian."

"The strangeness lies here."

Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao personally verified that King Xuantian had fallen. So, where did the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance find his eyes?

"The detailed records of the Ten Sects besieging the Xuantian Sect back then are also blurry. Whoever could conceal the original power of the Xuanhuang Realm must be a formidable existence."

The more he thought, the more puzzled he became.

This apparent savior of the Xuanhuang Realm had too many mysteries surrounding him.

Most crucially, his cultivation realm was a significant puzzle.

A half-immortal body that could disappear at will was hard to believe. Especially now that Li Ping himself had vaguely reached the limit of the Xuanhuang Realm, making it easier to understand his strength.

Only the existence of True Immortals or above might be able to erase King Xuantian without a sound.

But if such beings truly appeared, it would inevitably cause a great disturbance, possibly even affecting the entire Xuanhuang Realm.

However, according to the memory of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, such an event did not occur.

Perhaps that True Immortal deliberately concealed his aura while in action...

Then another problem arose.

In the eyes of True Immortals, ordinary people were like ants.

Even if King Xuantian was only a half-immortal, he couldn't escape this judgment. If a True Immortal killed him, why bother hiding it?

"Perhaps some clues can be found from the surviving Law Kings of the Xuantian Sect back then."

The Faceless Holy Emperor flipped through the creation stone tablet, trying to find some traces.

At the same time, in the Ashen Small World, Li Fan's divine consciousness slightly furrowed.

Since personally experiencing the difficulties of the Xuantian Sect's Law Kings, to avoid any further troubles in this life, he had unilaterally blocked the Holy Emperor's memory of Mo Ruxin.

Unexpectedly, under various coincidences, the Holy Emperor began to show signs of entanglement with Mo Ruxin again.

"If the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance can lock onto Mo Ruxin's sleeping place from various clues, the Holy Emperor should be able to do the same. This has become interesting."

"The eye of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance is definitely not King Xuantian himself. Otherwise, when Mo Ruxin took control of the transmitter's body and learned the secrets of the Immortal Alliance, he should have already discovered this."

Li Fan activated the Infinite Mirror to analyze the protective barrier formation while contemplating.

"However, considering his death within the Dark Sea afterward, it can be speculated that the eyeball must have some inexplicable connection with King Xuantian. It might even be a part of King Xuantian's authority?"

"Mo Ruxin discovered the existence of this eye of the alliance, sensed its connection with the Dark Sea, and thus ventured into danger, eventually perishing without a trace."

"Authority..."

"Xuanhuang Grand Celestial, Protect the World Barrier Formation!"

Li Fan's eyes flashed with brilliance. In the yet-to-be-formed array model extended by the disintegration disc, a point of light suddenly erupted.

Even though he still couldn't see its full appearance, Li Fan instantly understood the meaning behind this point of light.

"Similar to the Xuan Yuanshi Spirit Array, this unknown protective barrier array is also composed of several different subordinate arrays. Each array has its own independent control core."

"This point of light is where this core is located!"

In the analysis of the infinite dim light, the traces of the array remnants hidden deep beneath the Ashen Small World finally revealed the corresponding "core."

However, the place that should have been the central hub of the array, with the densest lines, was now completely empty.

As if someone had directly dug it away.

Just as the Infinite Mirror was about to continue exploring the empty core area, a sense of crisis suddenly surged into Li Fan's heart.

It made him instantly stop the actions of the Infinite Mirror.

Li Fan squinted his eyes and looked at the area of nothingness.

An eerie and seemingly unreal aura lurked within.

It's not that nothing exists!

It's just that its existence surpasses the range that ordinary people can sense!

"True... Immortal... Seal... Characters!"

Li Fan spoke each word slowly, and at the same time, his vigilance reached its peak.

Different from the [Hunger], [Nothing], and [Chaos] he encountered before, and also distinct from the remnants of power in the Abyssal Star Sea.

It didn't even exist in the records of the Profound Immortal Boat.

A completely new, unknown, and mysterious power that didn't attack anything else, only targeting the core of the protective barrier array.

Now, having achieved their goal, they lay quietly on the "corpse" at the heart of the protective barrier array.

Chapter 1268: Ineffective Power of the Immortal

Similar to the situation when encountering the Hunger Technique for the first time.

The moment the True Immortal Seal Character appeared in Li Fan's sea of consciousness, he understood its meaning.

Return!

Unlike curses like scorn and chaos, it seemed more like a command!

"A complete True Immortal Seal Character..."

While Li Fan's mind was shaken, he quietly remembered the appearance of the "Return" character.

"Return? Return to where? Or return to its original state?"

Li Fan squinted his eyes, carefully savoring this mysterious power.

Meanwhile, on the side of the Infinite Mirror Spirit, it had already completed the exploration of the areas outside the central core of the protective barrier array.

"Elder, there..." Sun Luyao stared blankly at the area of nothingness.

An invisible connection was instantly established, as if linking the "Return" character with the Infinite Mirror.

Li Fan could clearly sense the sudden fear and confusion in Sun Luyao's heart.

Even the main body of the Immortal Artifact, the Infinite Mirror, unexpectedly trembled without warning. In the escalating tremors, as the spiritual being, Sun Luyao, there was a tendency to be "thrown out" of the Infinite Mirror!

"Elder, save me!" Sun Luyao instinctively cried out.

Li Fan naturally was the first to notice the changes in the Infinite Mirror.

Without directly confronting the power of the "Return" technique, only the part that overflowed and was affected, the "Infinite, Hongmeng Jianfang" array, which Li Fan had worked hard to repair, showed signs of collapsing.

Not only that, the Immortal Artifact, the Infinite Mirror itself, began to gradually "disintegrate."

In Li Fan's perception, the entire Infinite Mirror was like a piece of burning paper, its fundamental composition disappearing, inevitably dissolving.

And those ignited parts, that is, the components affected by the "Return" technique, were like a wisp of green smoke, floating in an unknown direction.

Li Fan felt a sinking feeling in his heart, trying to prevent the dissolution of the Infinite Mirror. However, the power of the True Immortal Seal Character was something even his true self could not contend with, let alone his divine clone.

With a hint of regret, he watched as the Infinite Mirror, which had greatly assisted him, shrank smaller and smaller under Sun Luyao's continuous wailing.

Just when Li Fan thought that this Immortal Artifact, which had greatly helped him, was about to completely disappear.

Unexpectedly, something unexpected happened.

The "smoke" that had been called away by the "Return" technique, not knowing where it was going, unexpectedly returned!

As if there was a time reversal technique happening on the Infinite Mirror, the now-thumb-sized Infinite Mirror suddenly reappeared before Li Fan's eyes, becoming full again!

Sun Luyao, who was wailing in despair, became quieter and quieter. In the end, he stared dumbfoundedly at the fully restored Infinite Mirror, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

Li Fan also stood still for a moment, looking at the Hongmeng Jianfang Great Array that had spontaneously reconstructed from the void.

What had just happened seemed like a dream.

After a brief moment of daze, Li Fan woke up and looked again at the "Return" technique.

It seemed that, due to receiving an order once, the newly reconstructed Infinite Mirror could now ignore the existence of the "Return" technique.

And the "Return" technique also chose to ignore the Infinite Mirror, continuing to lie quietly in the void core of the array.

Both sides were undisturbed.

"What is going on? There is no return?"

Chapter 1269: Ineffective Immortal Power

The scene unfolding before Li Fan's eyes left him somewhat puzzled. However, from the meaning of the "Return" character itself and the changes in the Infinite Mirror, he could make some speculations.

"The protective barrier arrays in each realm are created by the Immortal Realm and are also under Immortal Realm control. The Infinite Mirror is an Immortal Artifact and is also restricted by the Immortal Realm."

"If we consider them as elite soldiers of the Immortal Realm, then this 'Return' technique is equivalent to having the authority to mobilize them. Whether this is the unique power of the 'Return' technique or a common occurrence in the Immortal Realm is still unknown."

"Under normal circumstances, those affected by the 'Return' technique should disarm and return. However, now, due to the destruction of the Immortal Realm, the execution of decrees has been affected."

"It seems that this 'Return' technique is fundamentally different from the other True Immortal Seal Characters. It might even be a part of the fundamental power system of the Immortal Realm in the past."

Li Fan pondered, "However, this speculation inevitably raises a question."

"Since the 'Return' technique is already in a semi-ineffective state, where have the central cores of these protective barrier arrays gone?"

Li Fan gazed at the "Return" character lying quietly in the central area.

Several possibilities had already emerged in his mind.

The "Return" technique was written by some existence, flying towards the central cores of various realms' arrays. However, upon reaching the designated location, the target had already disappeared. So, it hovered here, waiting for the target to appear.

Or perhaps, the "Return" technique successfully affected the array cores, causing them to gradually disappear from the lower realms and return to the Immortal Realm. When the Immortal Realm collapsed, the cores would reappear. At this critical moment, an unknown existence intercepted and took away the cores.

...

"At present, there is too little information. The truth cannot be determined."

"If the scope of the 'Return' technique is limited to the original Immortal Realm power, even though it is a True Immortal Seal Character, its effect on me would be limited." Li Fan shook his head slightly.

"However, since the 'Return' technique can affect Immortal Artifacts..."

"I wonder if it would work on the Heavenly Mystery Mirror?"

Even if it wouldn't cause substantial harm to the Heavenly Mystery Mirror, if it could cause it to malfunction for a period, it could still play a significant role at a crucial moment.

It should be noted that the system of the current Wanxian Alliance, especially the defense measures at the alliance headquarters, was closely related to the Heavenly Mystery Mirror.

Once the Heavenly Mystery Mirror malfunctioned, the seemingly impregnable Wanxian Alliance would be full of vulnerabilities in an instant.

For Li Fan's true self, who possessed the source of the Heavenly Mystery Mirror, it might not be significant. However, it was entirely different for Saint Emperor Li Ping.

In an instant, Li Fan transmitted the content of the "Return" technique to Saint Emperor Li Ping through the faint connection.

The divine clone in the Ashen Small World also began the next step of the plan.

The "Return" technique was an unexpected joy.

His purpose in coming here was still to verify his previous speculation.

"From here to there, there should also be protective barrier arrays in the Xuanhuang Realm."

"Moreover, these protective barrier arrays were left by the Immortal Realm and only exist in the original Xuanhuang Realm." Setting up a formation to seal off the Ashen Small World, preventing anyone from entering or contacting the "Return" technique. Li Fan's divine clone, accompanied by the Infinite Mirror, returned to the Xuanhuang Realm.

Arriving at the central four states of the Wanxian Alliance.

The miniature image of the Xuanhuang Realm appeared in Li Fan's mind, only the shadow of the original Xuanhuang.

Lines crisscrossed and intersected on the model, representing the protective barrier array that Li Fan had deduced.

Even with a slight margin of error, he could roughly determine its position.

Afterward, using the power of the Infinite Mirror, it would take a little time to find the central core area of the hidden protective barrier array in the Xuanhuang Realm.

The only thing to worry about was making too much noise and alerting the Wanxian Alliance.