“Du’e Sect…”
“They just won’t let go!” A cold glint flashed through Li Fan’s eyes.
If it had only happened once, it could be brushed off as coincidence. But for it to occur repeatedly—luck alone could no longer explain it.
It was almost certain that this was related to what Jiao Xiuyuan had mentioned: Li Fan being the so-called “Calamity-Bearing One.”
However, how exactly did the Du’e Sect, lurking in the shadows like relentless flies, manage to detect and lock onto him? That was something Li Fan still had no clue about.
After all, even in the ancient cultivation world, the Du’e Sect was an incredibly mysterious existence, let alone now, thousands of years later.
“Each time the cycle resets, the Du’e Sect must also be affected. So from their perspective, I might just seem like a cultivator with a mysterious background, harboring some unknown secret. But how are they always so certain that I am their so-called Calamity-Bearing One—the one who can help them overcome disaster?”
“Could it be that aside from the [Truth], I have some other special quality? Or is it purely because the Du’e Sect’s techniques are so profound that they can foresee the future?”
Thoughts raced through Li Fan’s mind.
Conversely, if there truly existed a savior in this doomed world, then as the only variable, “Li Fan” was undoubtedly the most likely candidate.
“But if that’s the case, Ruomu letting me go back then was probably because he foresaw the boundless slaughter I would commit, bringing unimaginable disaster upon the world of cultivators.”
“So… does my future hold both salvation and destruction?”
…
Li Fan’s contemplation was abruptly interrupted by an overwhelming burst of white light before him.
Perhaps due to the astonishing nature of the recorded images within the Time Mirage, even the fabric of reality and space seemed to have been affected.
At the moment when the Sacred Beast Mountain of the Nanming emitted its world-shattering radiance, Li Fan noticed that the already turbulent spiritual energy around him suddenly resonated in unison, trembling violently.
“Not good! Fellow Daoist Li, retreat at once!”
Dongfang Yao, who had been excited moments before, suddenly paled, his figure flickering as he rapidly retreated beyond the vortex.
Though not entirely selfish, he still found the time to call out to the dumbfounded Li Fan.
“This is…”
As Li Fan’s body drifted backward, his gaze remained fixated on the enormous vortex and the surrounding sea, where space itself seemed to be sliced into fragmented sections.
Each black spatial rift seemed to contain the ferocious shadow of a monstrous beast.
They roared. They howled.
They clawed and tore through the very fabric of space.
A myriad of beasts, working as one, sought to rip apart the Xuanhuang Realm.
In an instant, Li Fan recalled the forging of the World-Rifting Divine Weapon in the Fallen Immortal Realm by the Heavenly Sword Sect.
They had cast a [Sword Embryo], infused with the various understandings of swordsmanship from multiple cultivators, into the Divine Weapon Furnace.
This scene of the Sacred Beast Mountain’s world rupture felt eerily similar in principle.
“Tsk tsk tsk, I wonder what truly happened back then. Even after a thousand years, we can still catch a glimpse of that magnificent spectacle through mere illusions.” Dongfang Yao sighed in amazement.
The dazzling white pillar of light lasted for the time it takes to finish half a cup of tea.
Then, it vanished abruptly without a sound.
The stark contrast between the intense brilliance and the sudden darkness made the world seem as if it had plunged into twilight in Li Fan’s eyes.
With the disappearance of the Time Mirage, the tempest surrounding the massive vortex also began to calm, as if it had entered a period of silence after a great battle, slowly gathering its strength once more.
“What a pity. Who knows how long it will be before another rift appears?” Dongfang Yao said regretfully.
“But from the looks of it, Fellow Daoist, you seem to have gained some insights.” Li Fan smiled.
Dongfang Yao waved his hand dismissively. “Gaining insights from a wondrous scene is always beneficial. But my comprehension is still far from matching the true might of that world rift. It’s a shame this place isn’t like the [Mortal Ascension to God Wall], which appears at a fixed location and time. Here, it’s purely a matter of luck.”
“I once studied the Mortal Ascension to God Wall over and over, and eventually managed to form my Golden Core using four different methods. But unfortunately, my comprehension is limited, and I could not glean anything further from it.” A hint of nostalgia flashed in Dongfang Yao’s eyes.
“The Mortal Ascension to God Wall.” Li Fan’s heart stirred.
It was another Time Mirage, recording the transformation of Mr. Bai from a mere mortal into a Godhood in a single step.
Li Fan had long heard of it.
However, due to lingering doubts, he had never gone to observe it personally.
His main concern was whether Mr. Bai, who was hailed as “the kindest man in the world,” was truly as benevolent as he appeared—and whether he was still alive today.
From Li Fan’s repeated experiences in the Fallen Immortal Realm, it was clear that Mr. Bai had achieved a level of mastery close to that of an immortal.
If such a figure still existed somewhere in the Xuanhuang Realm, then even seeing him through the recorded images of the Mortal Ascension to God Wall might be no different from encountering him in reality.
What consequences that might bring—no one could say for sure.
Until he uncovered Mr. Bai’s true nature, Li Fan dared only to observe his “past” through the Fallen Immortal Realm.
After all, the treasured [Truth] was something that even a true immortal would fight tooth and nail to obtain.
As these thoughts passed through his mind, Li Fan casually responded, “The [Mortal Ascension to God Wall] is indeed extraordinary—a true wonder of Tianyun Prefecture!”
Dongfang Yao donned a green robe before suddenly recalling something. His expression turned a bit strange. “The Ascension Wall is remarkable, but if you ask me, the strangest thing in Tianyun Continent is actually a black dog!”
“A black dog?” Li Fan was momentarily stunned before his mind flickered with light from the Dao Deviation Stone. He suddenly recalled a legend he had once heard from Shenyu Zi.[1]
“Are you referring to that infamous man, Chen Shimei—the one who ruthlessly refined his own Dao companion into his cultivation foundation?”
Dongfang Yao nodded vigorously. “Exactly! That vile act enraged the [Fairy Kongyou], who transformed him into a black dog. Countless cultivators, eager to curry favor with her, would bring all sorts of wild beasts just to torment him.”
“The sight of it…”
Dongfang Yao shivered, as if recalling something terrifying.
“But actually, there’s something even more bizarre about this whole affair.” Dongfang Yao suddenly lowered his voice.
“Oh? Could there be more to the story?” Li Fan raised an eyebrow.
“You know that I possess the bloodline of ancient divine beasts. As my physique grew stronger, I discovered another unique ability that comes with it—”
“I can communicate with all beasts.” Dongfang Yao spoke in a conspiratorial tone.
“Once, when I passed through Tianyun Prefecture, I encountered that tormented black dog. To others, its cries sounded like pitiful howls of pain, but to me, they were words of grievance.”
“The dog swore solemnly, saying that everything was the idea of its perverted Dao companion. It claimed that it had simply fallen asleep and woke up to find that its fellow cultivator was gone, but it had gained an additional foundation of the path within its body.”
Li Fan was momentarily speechless.
Dongfang Yao shrugged. “At first, I didn’t believe it either. But once Chen Shimei realized I could understand him, he clung to me like his last hope, desperately pleading his case…”
“What’s even more terrifying is that he said his Daoist partner actually hasn’t died. Through some unknown method, they can still communicate and talk every day.”
“Suffering a wrongful accusation, enduring both mental and physical torment every day, ‘Chen Shimei’ has become utterly insane.”
“That time, he pleaded with me, begging me to help him find release. But, well…”
Dongfang Yao had a helpless expression on his face. “Fairy Kongyou has countless admirers; I wouldn’t dare offend her. Even if she were wrong, I couldn’t say it outright.”
“So, in the end, it’s always Chen Shimei who suffers.”
Dongfang Yao let out a sigh.
“Since then, I’ve come to realize just how terrifying women can be. I’d rather avoid them entirely.”
“Men like Fellow Daoist Li, who are straightforward and genuine, are much more to my liking.”
He glanced at Li Fan, nodding in satisfaction.
“Heh…” Li Fan discreetly took a slight step away from Dongfang Yao.
“This is the first time I’ve heard of this incident. It’s truly interesting. Fairy Kongyou…”
The name Fairy Kongyou was familiar to Li Fan. In fact, in his past life, he had even met her once.
That was at the commendation ceremony held after the Tianxuan Spirit-Locking Formation was completed.
She was indeed breathtakingly beautiful, living up to the name of a fairy.
More importantly, she had a unique constitution, possessing a rare Innate Yin-Yang Jade, an existence that was half a heavenly wonder.
Through the dual cultivation method, she could fuse the Yang half of her Yin-Yang Jade with her Dao companion. This process would elevate the companion’s Foundation Establishment treasures, Golden Core, Nascent Soul Cave-Heaven, and even their life transformations to a higher level.
It was enough to turn an ordinary cultivator into a peerless genius overnight.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it defying fate itself.
Because of this, Fairy Kongyou was fervently pursued by countless talented young cultivators.
She also seemed to have a powerful background. Some reckless cultivators had once attempted to force her, but they all mysteriously vanished—neither their bodies nor their souls were ever found again.
Dongfang Yao noticed Li Fan’s subtle change in expression and couldn’t help but warn him, “Fellow Daoist Li, trust me. Beauty is a disaster; brotherhood is eternal.”
“Haha, Brother Dongfang speaks wisely! A woman like that is beyond my reach!” Li Fan laughed heartily, cutting him off.
“The Great Vortex’s turmoil has settled. Where will you be heading next?” Li Fan asked.
Dongfang Yao was pleased to hear Li Fan agreeing with him and grinned. “I have a friend named Huangfu Song. We get along extremely well, like brothers. Since you and I are so compatible, I imagine you would also get along well with him.”
“Recently, I heard he’s heading to Chizha Abyss, saying it’s a rare opportunity to make great contributions. He invited me to join him. I’ve got nothing better to do, and I’ve just comprehended a new divine ability. My hands are itching for action, so I figured I’d join the fun.”
“So, Brother Li, are you interested?” Dongfang Yao looked at Li Fan with anticipation.
“Chizha Abyss? White Mist, Maze Zone, great contribution…” Li Fan narrowed his eyes as countless clues connected in his mind.
“It is what I desire, though I dare not ask it of you.” After a moment of thought, Li Fan agreed without much hesitation.
“Great!” Dongfang Yao was overjoyed.
“I’ll ask him where he is now and go meet up with him!”
With that, he took out a communication talisman and sent an inquiry.
A short while later, Dongfang Yao put away the talisman.
“Tianyu Prefecture, let’s go!”
Hearing this familiar place name, Li Fan smiled slightly, then followed behind Dongfang Yao, flying towards the nearest teleportation formation.
In the Beast Realm…
Amid his deep meditation on the world’s destiny, Xu Bai suddenly opened his eyes.
Standing in the sky, he parted his lips slightly, as if uttering a command.
The world fell into an eerie silence.
A moment later, an earth-shaking chorus of millions of ancient beasts roaring erupted across the realm.
Unlike the dominant powerful beasts that once ruled the Beast Realm, these roars came from the most formidable ancient beasts of the primordial era.
Their cries carried a primal savagery and terrifying ferocity.
At that moment, every beast in the realm—no matter how mighty—stopped in its tracks and trembled in fear.
Uncontrollably, they knelt in submission, gazing toward the source of the sound.
Before Xu Bai, the space itself fractured, forming cracks as deep and dark as those seen in the Great Vortex’s Time Mirage.
The surrounding space was torn apart, distorting the very fabric of reality. Even the realm itself seemed to become unstable.
A figure suddenly appeared.
It was Fang Zaiji.
“Sect Master, what happened?”
Seeing this shocking scene, Fang Zaiji was alarmed and asked anxiously.
He feared that an enemy had forcefully broken through space and attempted to abduct Xu Bai. Preparing to strike in defense, he steadied himself.
Yet, Xu Bai merely sealed his lips.
Instantly, the deafening beastly roars vanished, and the world returned to silence.
The space fractures disappeared as if they had never existed.
Xu Bai glanced at Fang Zaiji and said indifferently, “It’s nothing. I merely comprehended a new divine ability.”
“Uh…” Fang Zaiji was stunned as he examined Xu Bai.
“The phenomenon just now—was that really caused by the Sect Master’s comprehension? Are you serious? Even Liu San and I can’t cause something like that…”
His face showed clear disbelief.
Xu Bai ignored him and simply relived the process of casting his divine ability.
“Strange… this clone’s talent is ridiculously high.”
“While observing the World-Rift Time Mirage, my main body only had some insights… But this clone…”
“When witnessing the forms of the ten thousand beasts, it felt as if I were there in person, hearing their roars firsthand.”
“Even those obscure, unrecognizable ancient beasts—I could see their images vividly in my mind.”
“And…”
Xu Bai looked at his hands.
“To perceive essence beyond appearance… to instantly comprehend and replicate the power of World-Rifting…”
“Could it be because of Xu Ke’s bloodline, combined with the Feather of the Black Bird?”
“Or… is it because of Mr. Bai?”
As this thought crossed Li Fan’s mind, he found it utterly absurd.
It was merely a resemblance in demeanor based on Mr. Bai’s, a coincidental similarities they just happen to share.
But…
What if it wasn’t just a coincidence?
TL- [Shenyu Zi was previously translated as Oracle]