From “Refinement” to “Immortal”—though just a single character apart, the difference is as vast as heaven and earth.
For countless ages, the path forward in the Xuanhuang Realm had been severed. “Immortality” had become an unattainable goal, existing only in ancient texts, where it served as an object of longing and imagination for cultivators.
Yet now, Li Fan had come across a technique that might be related to “True Immortals”!
“True Immortal inheritance?”
Just the thought alone sent waves of excitement surging through Li Fan’s heart. The exhilaration and fervor he felt at this moment were reminiscent of the time he first encountered Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi—when he had finally confirmed the existence of cultivators in this world.
“No wonder the Xuanhuang Mantra has always been ranked at the forefront of all my cultivation techniques. Even the Cloud-Water Illusion Dream Technique passed down by Qin Tang at the Dao Integration realm pales in comparison! It turns out to be the true legacy of an Immortal!”
“The path to Immortality is not broken! The path to Immortality remains open!”
Li Fan’s heart surged with emotions, making it difficult for him to calm down.
Even with his current state of mind and cultivation, it took him quite some time to gradually regain composure.
Or perhaps, with Li Fan’s current level, he was still unable to discern the true distinction between the two.
He began to recall the origins of the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra.
Its earliest form was the widely spread technique in the Xuanhuang Realm, known for expelling miasma from the body—”Xuanhuang Clear Heart Mantra.” Since this technique had no other benefits aside from purging mortal impurities, very few cultivators continued practicing it after drawing Qi into their bodies.
However, due to Li Fan’s poor natural aptitude, he had struggled to expel the miasma within him. Thus, while waiting for the opportunity to enter the Purification Spirit Pool, he tirelessly cultivated the Xuanhuang Clear Heart Mantra day and night. Moreover, thanks to his [Truth] Insight ability, which allowed him to perceive even the slightest changes within himself with great clarity, he became convinced that the Xuanhuang Clear Heart Mantra was indeed effective. As a result, he never abandoned it.
During the excruciating purification process in the Purification Spirit Pool, where the Immortal-Mortal miasma were forcibly expelled from his body, Li Fan never wavered in his pursuit of the Dao, even when he was on the verge of losing consciousness. His unwavering determination remained unshaken. With the power of [Truth], which allowed him to endlessly reincarnate and start over, he feared neither life nor death.
Ultimately, when he successfully transitioned from a mere mortal into a Qi Condensation cultivator, the Xuanhuang Clear Heart Mantra evolved into the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Mantra.
Throughout his countless cycles of reincarnation, Li Fan continued to experiment and refine his cultivation method. Eventually, he discovered the true way to practice the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Mantra—cultivating the Dao Heart in reverse.
Like a great millstone, he shattered all his worldly attachments and transformed them into nourishment for his soul. The profundity of this technique far surpassed the cultivation methods currently circulated within the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.
Originally, Li Fan believed that this was the ultimate form of the Xuanhuang Mantra. However, due to a fateful coincidence, when he activated the Chaos Character and endured its “Ten Thousand Lifetimes Shadow Reflection” backlash, the Refining Heart Mantra began to operate on its own—finally shedding its disguise and revealing its true nature.
“Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra…”
Li Fan kept repeating this name in his mind.
Without a doubt, this was an unfathomably powerful technique.
It was said that “worldly matters can taint even the gods and immortals.” No matter how powerful a cultivator was, when entangled in the endless cycle of mundane affairs, their Dao Heart would inevitably suffer damage.
The “Ten Thousand Lifetimes Glimpse of Myriad Realities” was akin to personally experiencing hundreds or even thousands of lifetimes. Countless images and emotions surged into his mind all at once. If not for Li Fan’s own experience of reincarnating through a hundred lifetimes—granting him an unshakable will—he would have succumbed to madness and insanity on the spot.
Without the assistance of the Immortal Heart Mantra, no matter how extraordinary Li Fan’s willpower was, escaping the influence of the Glimpse of Myriad Realities on his own would likely take him several decades.
However, with the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra, the result was entirely different. Almost in an instant, those sincere emotions and vivid memories were dissolved and absorbed.
“In an instant, I have experienced countless cycles of reincarnation, yet my immortal heart remains unchanged…”
“So this is the power of an immortal.” Li Fan couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of yearning.
“With such an immortal technique, the various illusory realms of the Xuanhuang World will be nothing to me.” A sharp glint flashed in Li Fan’s eyes.
The first thing that came to his mind was the moment when Senior Sister Zhao had drawn him into the Grand Dao Sect.
“If I wield the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra, perhaps I can maintain my true self within that real illusion. With self-awareness and active intent, I may even be able to steal more secrets.”
“In my next life, I must give it a try.”
After pondering for a long time, Li Fan focused his gaze on the character “Incomplete” that followed the Immortal Heart Mantra.
“This immortal technique is still incomplete, and to restore it, one must use the experiences and memories of countless past lives as raw material. Originally, using the Chaos Character technique to induce spiritual backlash was the best method.”
“But…”
Li Fan frowned slightly.
He still felt lingering fear over that immense divine sense that had appeared afterward. His instincts told him that the owner of that divine sense had likely already marked the Chaos Character Technique. If he used it again, he would probably be discovered instantly.
“Perhaps I was able to escape before only because the Chaos Character technique had not appeared in this world for many years.”
“Once may be fine, but never again…”
“No matter.” Thinking of the mysterious treasure he carried, Li Fan smiled slightly.
“Even if I only get one surprise opportunity per lifetime, for me, that is as good as an endless supply!”
“No matter whether it was the one who deliberately hid the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra, or that immense divine sense so concerned with Chaos, neither would ever expect that an anomaly like me exists in this world!”
Reflecting on his past experiences, Li Fan knew just how difficult it was to restore the Xuanhuang Clear Heart Mantra step by step back into the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra.
Moreover, powerful figures were constantly watching, never letting their guard down.
Even if someone was lucky enough to rediscover it by chance, they could never remain in the blind spot of those great beings’ perception like Li Fan had, completely unnoticed.
“Among the infinite possible futures, as long as a single sliver of hope exists, I will find it and turn the impossible into reality.”
Li Fan once again grasped the terrifying nature of [Truth].
At the same time, he felt immense gratitude.
“If I did not possess this extraordinary treasure, no matter how much of a genius I might be, I would never be able to achieve transcendence from this Xuanhuang World.”
Filled with emotion, Li Fan began searching through the Tianxuan Mirror for scattered information about the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Mantra.
“It makes sense. The Immortal-Mortal Miasma violates the fundamental laws of heaven and earth, so how could the method to dispel it possibly be simple?”
A flash of understanding passed through Li Fan’s mind.
With his current level of authority, he could access many things that ordinary cultivators were forbidden to see.
However, regarding the origins of the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Mantra, there were countless theories—none of which were definitive.