Chapter 576-580: The Final Deception (6k+ words)

Luli Island.

He Zhenghao looked at the island he had guarded for decades, then glanced at his successor standing on the side, nodding and bowing. A surge of pride welled up in his heart.

There was a time when he, like his successor Zhao Changli, felt anxious and uneasy when someone came to inspect from above.

Afraid of blame from higher-ups.

But now, after several years, He Zhenghao had become the kind of "big shot" he used to look up to.

After encouraging Zhao Changli, He Zhenghao skillfully entered the "Mountain and River Star Formation."

Mountains hung overhead, blocking possible prying from the outside.

The cultivators invited by He Zhenghao had been waiting here for a long time.

"He Dao Friend!"

As soon as He Zhenghao appeared, they warmly greeted him. In their eyes, if Li Fan was the God of Wealth, then He Zhenghao was the standard "Child of Scattering Wealth."

After some pleasantries, a cultivator couldn't wait and asked, "He Dao Friend, the envoy's divination shows that the war is about to end? There are no signs of it. Today, I heard that the Immortal Alliance declared they will fight to the death..."

Before this person could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the others.

"Envoy's divination is all-encompassing. How could it be wrong? If you don't believe it, why bother coming today?"

"Hehe, He Dao Friend, ignore him. Tell us in detail about this fundraising plan with no limit this time."

...

He Zhenghao raised his hands, and the field instantly fell silent.

With a smile on his face, he began to explain the details to everyone.

The cultivators were excited to hear He Zhenghao personally confirm the plan.

However, due to the vast scale of this fundraising, He Zhenghao alone couldn't control the situation. Some cultivators still had doubts.

At this moment, Li Fan made his entrance.

A silver light descended from the mountains in the sky.

Li Fan wore a white Daoist robe, stepped on starlight, seemingly unhurried but actually arrived in an instant, landing in the field.

From Li Fan emanated rhythmic fluctuations.

Instantly attracting the attention of all the cultivators.

Since they were invited by He Zhenghao, they were all wealthy and well-traveled individuals.

But facing the remaining aura on Li Fan's body, they were all shocked.

As if facing the profound and boundless avenue of the heavens, just a slight brush, and various insights spontaneously emerged in their minds.

One cultivator even showed ecstatic joy, as if he had gained some enlightenment. Regardless of the occasion, he closed his eyes and began cultivating on the spot.

"What kind of power is this? Even Nascent Soul Immortal Lords might not be comparable, right?"

"Could it be that Lord Envoy has restored his original realm?"

People exchanged glances, unable to hide their astonishment.

"I've been in seclusion for a long time, and I've gained some insignificant insights. I still can't adapt to it and haven't fully restrained it."

"Let me apologize for letting you witness this." Li Fan said calmly.

The crowd was greatly shaken, full of wild thoughts, not daring to speak.

Li Fan nodded slightly. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "During this seclusion, while advancing my cultivation, I also took the opportunity to repair the Supreme Treasure of my Tianji Sect, the 'Heaven and Earth Qiankun Die.'"

"Originally, this item was damaged when it was forcefully deduced in the War Hall. Although repairing it was just a trivial matter for me, I had a faint premonition that the time was not right. So, I didn't act."

Li Fan spoke, and a crystal-clear regular icosahedron die appeared in his palm.

It rotated continuously, and on its delicate faces, countless rapidly flickering scenes could be vaguely seen.

"A while ago, I achieved some success in my cultivation, and good fortune came to my heart. I knew it was time, so I fully restored it during this process."

"In this process, I did indeed see a glimpse of the future."

The crowd was stunned, all paying full attention and listening carefully.

Chapter 576: The Final Deception

"Hongxi and Ziyun, the two Nascent Soul Immortal Lords, will return to the Cangyun Immortal City in the coming days. As you know, although I currently oversee the political affairs of the Cangyun Sea, it's just a temporary takeover in their absence," Li Fan said, his expression unchanged, as if discussing something unrelated to himself.

"Once they return, both morally and logically, I will return the authority," he continued. "I am an ancient cultivator, used to being free and unrestrained. Perhaps, after this, I will resign from the position of the Secret Envoy, leave the Cangyun Sea, and wander around the core of the Immortal Alliance."

"I entered the world of politics with you due to fate. I was able to successfully complete the task of rebuilding the Immortal City, thanks to your strong support."

"Therefore, I have decided to help you once again before resigning."

Li Fan glanced over the crowd. "After this matter, our fate will come to an end, and there may be no more connection between us."

After this statement, there was an uproar in the field.

No one present was foolish. Although Li Fan claimed he didn't want to fight for power and intended to leave, if he had no such plans, he could simply resign and leave. Why go through such a grandiose fundraising, rallying people's hearts?

"So, he wants to seize power for himself and seek our support!"

"Yeah, after all, he is the highest ruler of a province. It's not that easy to just let go."

Many cultivators at the scene suddenly realized.

Thinking back to how, after Li Fan's victory in the struggle, loyal supporters like He Zhenghao and Gao Yuan were all highly valued and given key positions.

In their hearts, they felt the opportunity had come.

"Lord Envoy, you don't need to worry. We will definitely stand by you!" someone pledged.

"That's right. Although Immortal Lords Hongxi and Ziyun have a good reputation, when they were in power, they were mostly aloof and indifferent. How could they lead fellow cultivators to wealth like you?"

"I won't hide it from everyone. I have had the privilege of participating in Lord Envoy's fundraising plan every time. Coupled with my own operations, in just a few years, my wealth has increased more than sixfold!"

"Although I was a bit slow to realize, I've doubled my wealth!"

"Support Lord Envoy!"

"Follow Lord Envoy to great wealth and proof of the Dao!"

...

As soon as one person took the lead, it immediately sparked a response from the cultivators present. They all expressed their support for Li Fan, speaking in unison.

Li Fan's gaze subtly swept over He Zhenghao, who quickly responded by taking out the prepared contracts and the list from his storage ring.

The fundraising was conducted on the spot.

Even those who were initially unwilling had to contribute some of their savings in this enthusiastic atmosphere, especially under the watchful eyes of Li Fan.

"For the sake of creating momentum, I used a piece of Human Dao Stardust and several Enlightenment Pills when I entered the stage."

"But don't take it back from you."

Li Fan thought to himself as the scene unfolded.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 577: Premature Apocalypse

When Li Fan appeared, the silver starlight and the uncontrollable Dao rhythms that made people feel enlightened were naturally the result of combining the Human Dao Stardust and Enlightenment Pills.

For this, Li Fan swallowed the previous Human Dao Stardust, which could reverse the thoughts of a loved one, and hundreds of Enlightenment Pills, all at once.

He didn't aim to digest them himself; he just wanted the waves of overflowed treasures.

Now, it seemed that the effect of bluffing was quite good.

With each contribution being added to the treasury, he believed that, barring any accidents, this final fundraising plan would proceed quite smoothly.

There was no need to stay here any longer, so Li Fan quietly left.

Instead of returning to Cangyun City, he went back to the secret chamber he had excavated in the deep sea trench before, hiding once again.

"The Universe Die Dice..."

Li Fan's gaze flashed slightly as the crystal-clear dice appeared in his hand.

He kept playing with it, thoughts surging in his mind.

His previous words were not all fabricated.

During the time he had contact with this ancient treasure from the Heavenly Machine Sect, occasional vague images would flash in his mind.

It was a post-apocalyptic scene of a desolate Cangyun Sea, extending for thousands of miles.

If an ordinary cultivator received such an inexplicable premonition, they would inevitably be terrified and at a loss.

However, Li Fan didn't feel particularly moved, considering he had witnessed even more terrifying scenes, like the Scarlet Flame Incinerating Sea.

For him, the devastation of the Cangyun Sea was a small matter.

The only aspect that interested him was the time point at which he sensed the future images from the Universe Die Dice. It was not anchored to the 28-year cycle he had experienced in previous lives but occurred earlier.

Moreover, this time point continued to advance as he made various moves in this life.

For instance, when he slightly manipulated things, successfully making Sikong Yi complete the Heavenly Doctor's tasks.

Or when he conceived a plan in his mind to incite a great battle among Fisherman, Heavenly Doctor, and Confucian Master.

The scenes of the Scarlet Flame Incinerating Sea that he sensed from the Universe Die Dice were significantly ahead of schedule.

Li Fan knew that the future was not limited to a single possibility, and there were no definite events.

However, the Scarlet Flame Incinerating Sea, as a thoroughly significant event, shouldn't be easily changed by his actions.

But apparently, perhaps Li Fan underestimated the impact of his actions on the Scarlet Flame Incinerating Sea.

Why did such a catastrophic event, where the Spirit of the Heaven and Earth slaughtered living beings, happen in the Cangyun Sea?

Why did the will of the Heaven and Earth, even after the Scarlet Flame's extinction, continue to send powerful Ink Exterminations to turn the Cangyun Sea into a dead land?

If the Ink Extermination intervened, the Cangyun Sea would only be left as a void. This was undoubtedly a mutually destructive approach for the Heaven and Earth.

Nevertheless, the Heaven and Earth insisted on it.

The Cangyun Sea must perish.

This was something Li Fan had understood since the first few reincarnations.

However, the reason behind it remained elusive.

But in this life, as he actively advanced the confrontation between the Heavenly Doctor, Confucian Master, and Fisherman, things started to change.

According to the future images sensed by the Universe Die Dice, if the battle between the three actually occurred, the catastrophic event of the Scarlet Flame Incinerating Sea, which was originally scheduled to happen in 28 years, would occur no later than 20 years.

Eight years earlier!

The battle between Heavenly Doctor, Fisherman, and Confucian Master was a plan Li Fan had long prepared.

It couldn't change the fact that a certain event was destined to happen.

Therefore, this was why Li Fan scheduled the final fundraising plan now.

Of course, at this point, everything was just fragments of images shown by the Universe Die Dice.

Perhaps only after a few years, when things truly unfolded, could there be a conclusion.

"If the Scarlet Flame Incinerating Sea will really occur earlier due to the frequent activities of the Heavenly Doctor and others."

"Then, things are worth pondering."

A hint of a profound light flashed in Li Fan's eyes.

He also thought of the fragments of the Heavenly Slaughter Sword pieces scattered and suppressed by the Spirit of the Heaven and Earth.

He has entered the Xuanhuang cultivation world for several lifetimes, perusing various classics. Although he doesn't claim to fully comprehend every detail of the Xuanhuang realm's cultivation situation, he has a fairly good understanding of it.

From what he knows, since the establishment of the new laws, the irreconcilable conflict between cultivators and the heavens and earth has become insurmountable.

However, when the heavens and earth counteract cultivators, they often use the method of "different paths cannot coexist," changing the inherent rules of the heavens and earth to indirectly eliminate cultivators.

Events like the catastrophe in the Cangyun Sea, where the heavens and earth actively displayed murderous intent...

Li Fan rarely sees such cases.

Perhaps it's due to relevant information being hidden. At least for now, Li Fan knows of only one instance—the Cangyun Sea.

"What does this ultimately mean?"

A pensive expression appears on Li Fan's face.

"I hope that Heavenly Doctor and the others in this life can provide me with some insights."

---

Less than a day after the gathering of cultivators on Liuli Island, all the cultivators in the entire Cangyun Sea received accurate information.

The previous rumors were not baseless; the reclusive Secret Envoy had personally confirmed it.

As a result, a grand celebration ensued.

The fundraising plan, which was once only a legend and could only be participated in by cultivators associated with Li Fan, was now open to all.

The goal of tripling their contributions in five years seemed unbelievable, but if it was being managed by the legendary cultivator from the Heavenly Machine Sect, it was considered achievable.

Cultivators spread the news fervently, enthusiastically discussing how much contribution points they should invest in this plan.

Even some very rational cultivators, faced with the atmosphere of universal participation at this moment, couldn't help but waver.

"I currently have a total of 450,000 contribution points. If I triple that..."

"Then it would exceed one million!"

Sikong Yi's emotions surged.

"Han Daoist was right. In the cultivation path, one also needs connections! Without the opportunities he left behind to connect with He Zhenghao, I would have to wait until when to earn a million!"

"Han Daoist, you died well!"

Thinking of this, Sikong Yi hesitated for no moment, deciding to take another risk and invest all of his accumulated points into this fundraising plan.

"A rare opportunity. I won't miss it again. Relying on this chance to completely turn the tide!"

His eyes showed a hint of determination.

Because of winning the lottery, Han Yi, who possessed a million contribution points, was currently in Yuandaozhou.

"Li Fan from the Cangyun Sea, triple in five years?"

He felt a stir in his heart.

Perhaps due to forcefully changing his fate and suffering from backlash, things haven't been going smoothly for him since he entered Yuandaozhou.

His cultivation hasn't improved much, and a significant portion of his million contribution points has already been spent.

"How about..."

A hint of hesitation flashed in Han Yi's eyes.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 578: Han Yi Encounters Qing Feng

"I earned these one million contribution points with great difficulty. Besides, I don't know how long it will take for this cycle of backlash to pass. I should be cautious."

After pondering for a moment, Han Yi felt that seeing is believing, and since he faced setbacks everywhere in Yuandaozhou, it would be better to return to the Cangyun Sea for an actual inspection before making a decision.

Thus, spurred by this thought, Han Yi, who had come to Yuandaozhou, returned to his old place due to some incidental information he heard.

Upon returning to the Cangyun Sea, he found that the enthusiasm among the cultivators discussing the "Secret Envoy's Fundraising" plan far exceeded his imagination.

Although not everyone blindly believed, a large portion consisted of Li Fan's loyal supporters.

Believers and non-believers regarded each other as foolish, each wanting to persuade the other.

Amidst continuous debates, the topic's popularity soared.

This attracted another wave of cultivators who were originally bystanders to join the fundraising.

Following the crowd is a human instinct.

Originally, Han Yi was still hesitant due to the unease in his heart.

Suddenly, however, a rumor appeared.

It claimed that the contributions collected exceeded the originally planned amount due to the excessive enthusiasm of cultivators, and therefore, the fundraising, which was initially promised to have "no upper limit," might be terminated prematurely.

The news, with details that seemed credible, instantly made those who hadn't joined the cause anxious.

Although the representative of the Secret Envoy, He Zhenghao, promptly stood up to refute the rumor with a stern expression, he couldn't change the fact that the efficiency of collecting contributions had slowed down.

Now, it seemed like the "rumor" had become true.

In this situation, many who were originally unwavering and believed that this large-scale fundraising plan was Li Fan's attempt to make a final profit and run away started to waver.

And those who were originally observing also chose to join the fundraising ranks in the face of this ironclad reality.

Following the trend is a human instinct.

At this moment, Han Yi, who was still pondering due to the unease in his heart, couldn't bear it any longer.

Amidst the extremely enthusiastic atmosphere, impulsively, he handed over his remaining 910,000 contribution points.

When he was awakened by the cold sea breeze, he felt a bit regretful.

"Regardless, I should have kept some as a reserve."

Han Yi lamented.

However, at this point, regrets were useless. Both sides had already signed a contract, and once handed over, during the five-year closed period, the contribution points couldn't be retrieved.

If, due to a matter of life and death, there was an urgent need for contribution points, they would need to pay 30% of the principal as a penalty.

Moreover, the high-interest rates could no longer be realized.

The loss was too significant, and almost no cultivator would choose to do so unless absolutely necessary.

According to He Zhenghao, these strict rules were also to prevent malicious sabotage by evildoers.

Because Li Fan's high-profile fundraising had raised a large amount of funds, it had already attracted the envy of some people.

They were trying various ways to smear Li Fan's reputation and then attempt to take advantage.

"So many cultivators are participating, and Li Fan is still the highest authority in the Cangyun Sea. There shouldn't be a problem." The feeling of loss in Han Yi's heart persisted for a long time. After much contemplation, he couldn't pinpoint the source of the problem and could only console himself in this way.

Chapter 579: Han Yi Encounters Qing Feng

Now penniless again, Han Yi was momentarily at a loss. Unsure of where to go, he wandered aimlessly in the Cangyun Sea, lost in thought.

After an unknown amount of time, Han Yi suddenly woke up.

He quickly surveyed the surroundings, feeling like he had been to this place before.

"This feeling..."

"Weird, I'm sure it's my first time here." Han Yi's eyes revealed a trace of seriousness.

However, practicing the "Heavenly Fate Scripture," his spiritual perception was keen, so he didn't ignore the fleeting déjà vu in his heart.

He slowly activated his techniques and looked around.

"Huh?"

After a moment, he fixed his gaze on a certain part of the sky.

Every living being has its destiny.

But at this moment, in Han Yi's field of vision, the originally empty area presented a distorted anomaly.

"There's something hidden here!" Han Yi suddenly felt excited.

Thinking that he was turning the tide of his fortune and discovering some opportunity, Han Yi first calmly checked if there were other cultivators around.

After confirming that he was alone, he cautiously flew into the sky and arrived at the peculiar space, carefully observing.

"Indeed something's not right!"

Half a day later, Han Yi confirmed his speculation.

Then, no matter how he tried, he couldn't find a way to enter this hidden space.

The longer he stayed here, the greater the probability of being discovered by other cultivators.

How could such a significant opportunity be shared with others?

So, slowly, Han Yi became somewhat impatient.

Just then, another vague image flashed in his mind.

Han Yi was instantly stunned.

Without bothering to ponder where this inspiration came from, he narrowed his eyes, imitating the movements of the cultivator in the image.

First, he stretched out a segment, then accelerated to the extreme speed, crashing into the hidden snowy area in the sky.

A black light flashed on his body.

The next moment, Han Yi saw two figures standing quietly in the space.

Qing Feng.

Broken Sword.

His eyes instantly turned blood-red, and his brain was in chaos.

Han Yi was on the verge of losing control, about to rush towards the Essence of Heaven and Earth.

Just at that moment, the Xuan Niao Feather in his dantian once again intervened to save him.

A faint light enveloped Han Yi, temporarily restoring a bit of his sanity.

With a touch of determination in his eyes, he turned his head away, no longer looking at the strange scene of "Qing Feng Trapped Sword" in the space.

Instead, he activated all his cultivation and fled far away from the outside world.

In no time, Han Yi escaped from that eerie space.

He kept spitting out blood, and the Xuan Niao Feather was severely damaged, its feathers curling up, looking dispirited.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 579: Exploring the Five Elements Heaven

"F*ck!"

In a short period, Han Yi went from great joy to great shock and then to great sorrow, narrowly escaping death.

At this moment, Han Yi just wanted to curse.

"It's just 1 million contribution points; is it necessary for the backlash to be so outrageous?"

Passing by an uninhabited island, Han Yi finally fell to the ground, panting heavily.

"Really unpredictable!"

His face showed an uncertain expression.

His intuition was correct; it was indeed a significant opportunity. The Essence of Heaven and Earth that could achieve the Unity Realm and a strange broken sword that could contend with the Essence of Heaven and Earth were present.

If his strength was enough, he could have killed Qing Feng and subdued the broken sword just now, becoming a Unity Realm cultivator while possessing a divine weapon equivalent to his own strength.

...

Thinking of that scene, Han Yi's breathing suddenly became rapid.

He even had thoughts of going back to try again.

Fortunately, he still had some sanity left and quickly shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside.

"Not strong enough!" he sighed.

"To kill Qing Feng, I need at least the Nascent Divinity Realm. Although I possess the 'Heavenly Fate Scripture,' it will take at least a hundred years to achieve that."

"If, during this period, someone discovers that place, what should I do?"

"If I had known, I shouldn't have been greedy for that small advantage. Using a million contributions to quickly improve my own cultivation is the way to go."

"What steady and sure progress? There's no such thing as a satisfying sudden breakthrough!"

Various thoughts swirled in his mind, and Han Yi became increasingly indecisive.

---

Just as Han Yi encountered Qing Feng Trapped Sword due to the hint from Li Fan's Cloud Water Mirage Art, Li Fan, the initiator, had quietly left the Cangyun Sea.

He arrived in Tianlingzhou.

The ceasefire was already a foregone conclusion, and many cultivators who had been mobilized to the front lines had returned to their hometowns.

The former battlefield had once again become calm.

However, the air still seemed to be filled with a thick smell of blood, lingering and unscattered.

Looking into the distance, the earth was riddled with deep cracks, and the sky was intertwined with eerie red and green colors.

One after another, cultivators in azure robes rushed to various places in Tianlingzhou.

They performed spells to purify the remaining hostility in the air and repair the cracked and damaged land.

In the distance, there was a muffled roar from time to time.

Occasionally, one could see distorted images in the sky.

As if there was a huge creature moving between heaven and earth.

"Damn! The Five Elements Grand Heaven is our property in Tianlingzhou. Why should we let them move it like this?"

"Well, it's good to move out. Although it's a rich land, it's not a good omen. In this battle, too many cultivators have fallen."

"Yeah, our Tianlingzhou has suffered heavy casualties this time. Many old friends can no longer be contacted."

...

On the way, occasional discussions among the surrounding cultivators could be heard.

The cause of the Tianlingzhou War and the existence of the Five Elements Grand Heaven were no longer secrets.

The feelings of Tianlingzhou cultivators towards this extremely fertile Five Elements Grand Heaven were complicated.

So, when the official announcement of the relocation by the Wanxian Alliance attracted many onlookers, Li Fan, hidden among the crowd, took just one glance before quietly retreating.

Going against the flow, he flew towards the original location of the Five Elements Grand Heaven.

In a short time, Li Fan arrived at his destination.

In the mountains, at the intersection of two peaks.

Chapter 579: Exploring the Five Elements Heaven

It seemed as if a chunk had been forcibly dug away, a dark abyss stretching between heaven and earth.

The once picturesque mountains and rivers now appeared eerie and horrifying.

With the absence of the Five Elements Heaven, there was no longer any value in guarding this place.

The heavily guarded cultivators were withdrawn, leaving only a few Foundation Establishment cultivators for routine surveillance.

Obviously, these cultivators didn't attach much importance to their tasks.

After all, the war had ended, and with the relocation of the Five Elements Grand Heaven, who would come here for no reason?

So, they were very lax, casually chatting together without much vigilance.

Taking advantage of this, Li Fan, hiding his figure, easily broke through their defenses and penetrated into the dark void above.

Before entering the pitch-black void, Li Fan stopped his figure and observed silently.

Unlike the completely annihilated void he had encountered before, remnants of various strange energies could still be faintly sensed from the Tianlingzhou void.

Even spiritual energy still existed.

"Not a dead place..." Li Fan thought, with no warning from his spiritual sense, pondering for a moment before flying into the void.

Brightness vanished instantly.

In an instant, Li Fan seemed to have become blind, losing all sight.

His spiritual sense, like tentacles, kept spreading in all directions.

However, all the feedback received was the concept of "nothing."

Looking back in the direction he came from, the scenery of Tianlingzhou had also disappeared.

It felt like suddenly falling into an endless abyss; Li Fan instantly lost his sense of direction.

No matter how he flew in all directions, he couldn't feel any change in his orientation.

It was as if he were still in the same place, without any alteration.

The extreme contrast between motion and stillness made Li Fan feel a hint of dizziness.

If it were another cultivator in this situation, they would likely feel a bit panicked.

However, for Li Fan, this kind of void space, which was only dangerous because of entrapment and lacked other fatal factors, didn't require any worry.

With "Return to Truth" in hand, he could easily escape from this predicament. So, Li Fan naturally didn't feel anxious.

Maintaining a calm mindset, he didn't rush to move but quietly contemplated his surroundings.

Although it was an empty void, there were evidently hidden entities in the darkness.

Every once in a while, Li Fan could sense ripples of unknown origin passing through his body.

However, when he tried to carefully trace the source of these ripples, he suddenly lost the clues.

It was as if everything were just his illusion.

Immersed in the darkness, time passed, but the situation remained unchanged.

"The Wanxian Alliance should have sent someone to investigate here after relocating the Five Elements Grand Heaven."

"The fact that they couldn't find anything at that time indicates that the secret in this void is deeply hidden."

Li Fan thought to himself, without any urgency.

He had plenty of time and opportunities.

Disregarding all external matters, Li Fan focused his mind and abandoned the idea of pursuing the source of the ripples in the void.

Instead, he tried not to control his body too much, allowing it to flow along with the ripples in the same direction.

In a trance, Li Fan felt like he was drifting along with the flow in a river.

He gradually sensed that his body had begun to "move" in this space.

However, the good times didn't last long. After a short while, he felt like he had hit a wall in front of him. His body shook slightly and was forced to come to a stop.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 580: Clash of the Seven-Color Black and White

"Hmm?"

Li Fan squinted, trying to see clearly what was blocking the way in the darkness.

However, to his surprise, whether using spiritual sense or touching with his body, there was no indication of an obstacle in front.

Li Fan frowned slightly.

This time, instead of harmonizing with the ripples in the space, he deliberately avoided the timing of the ripple's appearance and flew directly ahead.

Strangely, the "wall" he felt in the ripples just a moment ago seemed to be non-existent now.

Li Fan could clearly sense that his position in this void space had changed.

Or, it could be said that a part of his positional attributes had changed.

Another part still remained stagnant.

It was like two different levels of movement, not interfering with each other.

This mysterious phenomenon was somewhat beyond Li Fan's current understanding.

He didn't intend to ponder the cause behind this phenomenon now; he simply emptied his mind again and waited for the ripple's movement in the void.

Unified with it, even though he knew there was an obstacle ahead, he forcefully collided with it.

"Boom!"

The next moment, Li Fan's eyes sparkled with golden light as he was forced to break free from the ripples.

Upon inspection, he found that although his body was unharmed, his soul seemed to have suffered some shock.

Li Fan contemplated for a moment and temporarily abandoned this reckless attempt.

Instead of leaving, Li Fan stood quietly in the void, concentrating each time a ripple approached.

He attempted to find the reason why he was isolated while the ripple's movement was unimpeded.

With focused attention, in this absolute darkness and silence, the ripples that occasionally appeared became very conspicuous.

Li Fan recorded the time points of each ripple appearance.

After patiently collecting over ten thousand samples, he reproduced them in the Dao stone in his sea of consciousness, trying to find any hidden patterns.

Hard work pays off.

Li Fan discovered that, roughly every one thousand pulsations, there would be a special presence with a different intensity than other ripples.

Its propagation speed in the void was significantly faster.

Li Fan's mind stirred; calculating the numbers, he waited for this abnormal ripple to come again.

Concentrating his mind, when the abnormal ripple appeared again, Li Fan immersed his consciousness.

This time, it indeed had an effect. It was not like before when he directly collided with an invisible wall.

Instead, it felt as if he were constantly rubbing against surrounding obstacles.

A cutting pain emerged from the depths of his soul; Li Fan endured the intense pain, gritting his teeth.

However, as the ripple continued to deepen, the "incompatibility" with the surroundings became more apparent.

The cutting pain gradually turned into brutal tearing, an unbearable agony that almost made Li Fan lose consciousness instantly.

Only by triggering the instinctive self-preservation, he withdrew from the unified state of his consciousness.

"Exhale..."

Li Fan gasped heavily, sweat soaking his entire body due to the pain.

Even though he didn't merge with the ripple, the pain of his soul being torn still seemed to persist.

Two cycles of "thousand-pulse ripples" later, this soul sensation slowly dissipated.

Recovering, Li Fan's face showed a hint of hesitation.

However, when the next cycle of a thousand pulses arrived, he once again immersed himself in it.

This time, the persistence seemed a bit longer than the previous attempt.

Or maybe it was just his illusion.

Taking a short rest without waiting for the pain to completely dissipate, Li Fan's consciousness once again merged into the ripple.

"Ah!"

A grimace appeared on Li Fan's face, and his body began to convulse due to the pain inflicted on his soul.

A hint of fierceness flashed in Li Fan's eyes as the thoughts of "giving up" that surfaced in his mind were instantly eliminated by the reverse cultivation method of the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Mantra.

"Just mere pain wants to stop me?"

"Come again!"

In the following attempts to ride the "thousand-pulse ripples" into the depths of the void, Li Fan endured unbearable mental torment.

The pain in his soul kept escalating, from tearing to a sensation of being pierced by a thousand needles, and finally feeling like being crushed everywhere.

In the end, Li Fan's mind almost became blank.

Only the obsession he pursued continually supported him, preventing him from giving up halfway.

During this process, the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Mantra played a crucial role.

By nature, humans tend to choose avoidance in the face of pain.

Especially in the situation where the soul seemed to undergo torture, thoughts like "forget it," "why bother," and "it's not necessary at all" would naturally pop up in Li Fan's mind every minute, making him want to give up.

Originally, these thoughts were enough to shake Li Fan's determination, but under the influence of the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Mantra, they all turned into nourishment for his soul.

Without this assistance, even if Li Fan's willpower was incredibly strong, he probably couldn't have persisted through such torment.

Nevertheless, Li Fan ultimately succeeded.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, when he recovered consciousness from a blurred state, he found himself in a peculiar yet vaguely familiar space.

Between heaven and earth, lines crisscrossed, and various-colored particles moved rapidly along the lines.

Occasionally, particles collided in the air, bursting into brilliant seven-colored radiance before quickly disappearing.

"Where is this?"

Li Fan first checked his own body.

It seemed to be composed of rough lines, comical yet bizarre.

However, the sensations from his body were no different from when he had a normal physique.

Without making any rash movements, Li Fan dodged the colorful particles that occasionally whizzed by, carefully observing this magical space.

"It seems somewhat similar to the Tianxuan Mirror space I saw before."

"But in the Tianxuan Mirror, there were only black and white. It's not like here, with seven colors."

"Wait, I remember..."

Li Fan's mind stirred, and he retrieved the stored images in the Dao stone, carefully reviewing them.

He found that at the edge of the black and white world in the images, there was also the presence of seven-colored brilliance.

Black and white seemed to be two completely opposing energies.

In the black and white world, the seven-colored radiance was cut off and transformed into its own part.

"The Tianxuan Newborn Mirror…"

Li Fan squinted and fell into contemplation.

Not long after, he had his own speculation.

The black and white world undoubtedly represented the Tianxuan Mirror.

The seven-colored radiance was likely a miniature representation of the real world.

Those crisscrossed lines were similar to the principles of the real world that Li Fan had seen through the Human Dao Stardust.

"The Tianxuan Mirror interprets the real world in its own way..."

"And here..."

A glimmer of understanding appeared in Li Fan's eyes.

"It's a miniature of the world's inception."