Was it a coincidence?
Or perhaps when the Dharma Transmitting Immortal Ancestor created the new cultivation method, they truly referenced and imitated the primordial creation of the world.
In any case, to solve the issue where cultivators without spiritual roots could not practice cultivation, a creation driven by human negative emotions was developed to forcibly extract the energy of heaven and earth. This creation was also named the “Root of Heaven and Earth.”
Although they share the same name, the two are worlds apart.
If the [Original Root of Heaven and Earth], symbolizing the beginning of creation, was sacred and solemn…
Then the new “Root of Heaven and Earth,” which plunders the heavens and allows everyone to cultivate, feels somewhat sinister.
This ominous nature could perhaps be inferred from its external form.
Countless wriggling tendrils, numbering in the hundreds or even thousands—these were the root filaments of the “Root of Heaven and Earth.”
At this moment, the tendrils seemed almost sentient as they extended toward the Five Elements Cave Heaven, instinctively searching for the most suitable place to root and invade.
The realm trembled, emitting vibrant lights in an attempt to repel the invasive “foreign objects.”
But… it was futile.
The protective effects of the realm’s light were negligible against the tendrils. Only a small fraction of them was destroyed—a loss so minor it was insignificant.
The remaining black tendrils advanced unhindered, infiltrating the cave heaven like countless needles, silently embedding themselves deep into it.
The Cave Heaven roared, emitting strange sounds akin to cries of agony.
But it could not stop the ever-growing tendrils, which wrapped around and engulfed the realm tighter and tighter.
The light faded, and darkness descended.
Watching the scene of the Cave Heaven being devoured, Li Fan—the orchestrator of it all—could not help but feel a chill in his heart.
“The Immortal Ancestor’s new method is indeed eerie,” he murmured to himself. “It doesn’t look like the righteous path at all.”
Still, Li Fan was not one to overthink.
No matter how ominous the new method seemed, it was the only cultivation path available to him.
Throwing aside his doubts, Li Fan focused on the Cave Heaven now enshrouded in writhing darkness.
Through the countless tendrils, which felt like extensions of his own body, Li Fan could vividly perceive the state of the celestial realm.
The cave heaven’s strength was being drained, its resistance growing weaker.
From the tendrils, an indescribable energy flowed—a life force several times more refined than the essence he had sensed during his cultivation of the Creation Furnace Technique.
This vigorous vitality, extracted from the Cave Heaven, continuously surged into Li Fan’s body.
Even after absorbing just a fraction of this pure vitality, Li Fan felt an astonishing realization:
With such energy, even if he were dismembered and reduced to mere scraps of flesh, as long as some part of his body remained, he could regenerate an entirely new one.
“Rebirth from a single drop of blood… Immortality…”
This legendary divine ability, said to be accessible only to the most powerful ancient cultivators, was now being achieved through this cunning method.
“The Immortal Ancestor…” Li Fan sighed in awe.
Sensing the moment was right, Li Fan finally took action, advancing to the final step of forming his Nascent Soul.
His already partially dissolved body completely liquefied into black essence, which flowed through the tendrils and invaded the Five Elements Cave Heaven.
Li Fan felt his existence splitting into countless fragments, yet somehow remaining unified.
Each fragment had the same goal: to seize and take full control of the Cave Heaven.
It was an extraordinary sensation.
What had once been an elevated realm beyond the human body now felt like an equal lifeform. What had once been the intangible heavens now seemed like a tangible, conquerable entity.
As Li Fan’s invasion deepened, the Cave Heaven’s struggles weakened, until they faded altogether.
Tianling Prefecture, Beyond the Five Elements Void
“Huh? Did you hear something just now?”
A Golden Core cultivator on watch duty suddenly looked up, staring into the pitch-black void overhead.
“Old Sun, you must be imagining things again,” his lazy companion scoffed.
“I’ve told you before—take a leave and get some rest! After all these battles and so much death, it’s a miracle you’re not mad already. Yet you volunteered for watch duty here?”
Old Sun ignored the mockery, his gaze still fixed on the void, his expression grim.
After a moment of hesitation, he flew to the edge of the void to investigate further.
“Crazy old fool,” the other cultivator muttered under his breath, stretching lazily and watching Old Sun with amusement.
As expected, after searching for a long time, Old Sun found nothing unusual and reluctantly returned to the ground.
“Well? I told you it was just your imagination,” the companion jeered.
“This desolate place is a wasteland—who’d even bother attacking it? Honestly, I don’t know why we’re even stationed here. The higher-ups get to relax, while we suffer here in misery!”
Old Sun didn’t respond, his focus still on the void above, his brows furrowed.
Meanwhile, hidden in the sky, Li Fan observed Old Sun and felt a flicker of surprise.
“This Sun fellow’s spiritual sense is remarkably sharp. He almost noticed me.”
Although Li Fan could easily subdue them given his now superior cultivation, he didn’t want to stir trouble in the current sensitive climate. The Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance remained on high alert after the recent war, and any disturbance could ignite fresh turmoil.
Choosing discretion, Li Fan memorized Old Sun’s appearance before preparing to leave.
However, as he began to depart, he overheard their conversation again.
“Hey, Old Sun, did you hear? Zhang Debiao’s struck it rich lately.”
“Isn’t he in charge of post-war clean-up operations?”
“Yeah, and guess what? All those corpses littering the battlefield in Tianling Prefecture? He’s pocketed all the loot for himself!”