A faint glow swept through, and over forty thousand sheets of paper instantly floated into the air.
Within the Tianxuan Mirror, Li Fan thought he saw the papers tremble slightly. A moment later, a thick "book" materialized before Li Fan.
"Decryption complete. Contribution points deducted: 28,000."
That was fast! Li Fan couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
The fluttering of the pages earlier was no illusion. Their movement had simply exceeded the limits of his perception, making their trajectories invisible to his eyes.
Times have changed, Yi Xing!
In the past, without the cipher key, an ordinary cultivator would have had no hope of opening the Divine Lock Treasure Box you left behind.
But now, everyone has access to the Tianxuan Mirror. An encrypted box like this can hardly put up any resistance!
The Tianxuan Mirror is truly a marvelous treasure!
Li Fan sighed inwardly, then opened the now-unlocked Divine Lock Treasure Box.
Only two items were inside: a jade slip, and a crystalline stone emitting a deep blue glow.
The blue light pulsed gently, like breathing.
At first glance, countless scenes seemed to play out endlessly within the stone's depths.
This is the Dao Transformation Stone!
Though it had taken some effort, Li Fan, having finally achieved his goal, joyfully picked up the Dao Transformation Stone.
I wonder what grade this Dao Transformation Stone left behind by Yi Xing is.
He once again employed the Tianxuan Mirror as an appraiser.
"Dao Transformation Stone. Convertible to 150,000 contribution points."
The ever-diligent Tianxuan Mirror quickly displayed the result.
Li Fan decisively refused the conversion, thinking to himself.
Though it's only a low-grade piece, it should be sufficient for my current needs. For such a small stone to be more valuable than a Nascent Soul technique...
Wait, Jiao Xiuyuan said these Dao Transformation Stones are practically priceless; 150,000 is just the Tianxuan Mirror's theoretical acquisition price.
Trying to buy one at that price would be pure wishful thinking.
Sure enough, after searching within the Tianxuan Mirror, Li Fan found numerous postings from people looking to purchase Dao Transformation Stones.
Their proposed trade conditions weren't limited to contribution points; most offered esoteric treasures of equivalent value in exchange.
This is probably the most valuable thing I possess right now.
Pleased, Li Fan first stored the Dao Transformation Stone safely away, then began reading the jade slip Yi Xing had left behind.
The jade slip contained no techniques or secret arts. It was mostly Yi Xing's random musings and final reflections before his death.
Through his account, Li Fan came to understand the life of Yi Xing, this disciple of the Taiyan Sect who had lived through the Great Migration Era.
At that time, under the Exclusivity of Immortal Techniques, many sects in the cultivation world had already undergone brutal internal strife. Some millennia-old immortal sects were even wiped out overnight because of it.
The Taiyan Sect was naturally no exception. However, most disciples of the Taiyan Sect favored divination and prediction arts, showing little enthusiasm for conflict and slaughter.
Any internal strife was quickly and forcibly suppressed by the Taiyan Sect Leader, Zuo Qiushang. Though this peace was destined not to last, it held for a time.
And just as this fleeting peace was about to vanish, the outbreak of Immortal-Mortal Miasma occurred.
The Exclusivity of Immortal Techniques only meant stagnation in cultivation progress. But infection by the Immortal-Mortal Miasma meant true death.
Every cultivator understood the difference. Thus, internal conflicts were put aside. All efforts turned instead to combating the Immortal-Mortal Miasma.
The history of this period aligned with what Li Fan had previously learned.
First came the indiscriminate slaughter of mortals, followed by the realization that something was wrong, leading to an urgent halt to the massacre.
Subsequently, the infamous Great Migration Plan was proposed.
Anyone who hadn't reached the Qi Refinement realm would be forcibly relocated to surrounding minor worlds and grotto-heavens.
At that time, Yi Xing had already reached the late-stage Qi Refinement realm. Nevertheless, he volunteered to oversee the migration of mortals from the Taiyan Sect and its vicinity.
In his notes, Yi Xing confessed frankly:
Although the outbreak of the Immortal-Mortal Miasma had forcibly halted the process of cultivators turning on each other, it was foreseeable that the true era of slaughter and darkness would descend completely before long.
When that time came, a minor Qi Refinement cultivator like him would undoubtedly be among the first to be slaughtered.
So why not seize this opportunity to escape with the mortals to the surrounding minor worlds?
With the might of an immortal, he could command the masses, establishing a legacy in this minor world. Then, he would willingly dissipate his cultivation techniques to ensure peace.
Doing so might actually allow him to live longer than if he stubbornly remained in the cultivation world.
Thus, Yi Xing founded a mortal dynasty in this desolate minor world.
Knowing that eternal life was beyond his reach, Yi Xing mobilized the people to build his tomb as soon as he became emperor.
Moreover, while his cultivation still remained, he laid down an illusion array within the tomb, concealing his true burial chamber.
As Yi Xing grew older, the spiritual qi within his body completely faded, and he became entirely mortal.
With that, the process of aging accelerated rapidly. And over time, he began to yearn for his days back in the Taiyan Sect.
Nearing the end of his life, he came alone to the tomb, sealing it shut. Then, he sealed the Dao Transformation Stone away, hoping that someday, a disciple of the Taiyan Sect might stumble upon this world and return the Dao Transformation Stone to the sect.
***
I never imagined that Yi Xing had such a past.
This man possessed great wisdom. He had known when to withdraw while the tide was still high, successfully escaping the Dark Ages.
It now seems that those who chose to flee back then were far from few.
Powerhouses capable of tearing through the void itself, like Liu Ruchen of the Medicine King Sect, escaped the Xuanhuang World altogether.
Those lacking such strength took the next best option, fleeing to nearby minor worlds, just as Yi Xing had done.
Li Fan recalled something He Zhenghao had once mentioned: the farce from five hundred years ago, when minor worlds had dared to attack the cultivation world.
Perhaps that incident was influenced, at least in part, by those refugee cultivators...
After pondering a while longer, Li Fan put away the jade slip and slowly reined in his wandering thoughts.
I’ve obtained the Dao Transformation Stone, but how exactly should I use it? As for the Unity of Dao Transformation and Mind, Yi Xing had left no records at all.
Out of caution, and for the sake of secrecy, Li Fan did not consult Jiao Xiuyuan.
Instead, he continued searching through the Tianxuan Mirror.
Sure enough, although the Unity of Dao Transformation and Mind was a secret art of an ancient sect, its true core lay not in the technique itself, but in the Dao Transformation Stone.
Without the stone, the art was completely useless.
After countless years of development, the cultivation world had devised far more than one way to utilize the Dao Transformation Stone. Moreover, since this secret art imposed no restriction on multiple practitioners, its value was naturally not especially high.
Li Fan spent only thirty thousand contribution points, roughly the price of a single Golden Core technique. After signing a confidentiality contract, he obtained the method.
Perceive with the mind; meld through calculation.
When self and object become one, mind and Dao Transformation return to unity.
Li Fan pressed the deep-blue Dao Transformation Stone against his brow and activated the secret art, beginning his cultivation.
The fusion of mind and Dao Transformation Stone was a slow, incremental process.
Time passed quietly.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, it was already Anchor Year 11, and the Cloudwater Palace was about to open once more.
Though Li Fan was now wealthy, he had no intention of squandering the one hundred thousand contribution points offered by the Cloudwater Model mission.
Thus, he dispatched his avatar to the Cloudwater Palace to face Qin Tang’s trials again.
However, with his true body deeply immersed in cultivation, his avatar’s will was inevitably affected. It could no longer perform as flawlessly as before, when Li Fan had been able to devote his full attention.
Even so, a fine pot of wine allowed him to recover some ground.
In the end, he still claimed first place among all trial-takers.
This time, Qin Tang did not teach the Cloudwater Dream Illusion Art, instead imparting a Golden Core technique called Treading Waves Across the Sea.
Though Li Fan felt it was somewhat a pity, there was nothing to be done about it.
This avatar only had Qi Refinement cultivation; obtaining a Golden Core technique was already a mark of Qin Tang's generosity.
After chatting with Qin Tang for a while, he emerged from the illusion somewhat later.
Avoiding the other cultivators, Li Fan headed straight for Taiyi Hall.
Without the Blue Flame phantom spirit, his avatar struggled considerably before finally passing through the sword forest beforeTaiyi Hall.
While circulating the newly learned Treading Waves Across the Sea, the avatar called out, "I am Lin Fan, a Cloudwater Palace disciple of the Technique Transmission Pavilion. I request an audience with Patriarch Taiyi!"
The turtle-snake monster awoke from its slumber. It seemed somewhat dazed, but upon sensing the aura emanating from the avatar, the technique was unmistakably one taught by Qin Tang.
After a brief moment, Taiyi handed the small, multicolored Cloudwater Palace model to Li Fan.
Having obtained the Cloudwater Model, and wanting to avoid complications, the avatar immediately returned to the Tianxuan Mirror without delay and chose to complete the mission.
The Tianxuan Mirror's response was identical to that of the twelfth lifetime.
"Unable to verify the authenticity of the Cloudwater Model. Please wait."
After a long silence, the Tianxuan Mirror's voice spoke again.
“The task issuer... requests to visit your space. Do you accept?”
Li Fan naturally agreed.
A short while later, the white-haired Heavenly Physician appeared before Li Fan with a kindly expression.
After offering a respectful bow, Li Fan handed over the colorful model.
Heavenly Physician accepted the Cloudwater Palace, examining it carefully, his emotions complex.
After a long while, he asked, "What is the current state within Cloudwater Palace?"
Li Fan answered truthfully.
Upon hearing this, an indescribable emotion surfaced in Heavenly Physician's clouded eyes, and he fell into another prolonged silence.
Based on his experience in the twelfth lifetime, the Heavenly Physician would assign another errand, asking Li Fan to place a white jade figurine within the Cloudwater Palace.
It was this very white jade figurine that would lead Fuzi to the Cloudwater Palace in his azure ox-drawn cart five years later. In the ensuing battle between the two sides, the Cloudwater Palace would be sealed once more.
The Heavenly Physician remained silent for a long while, seemingly lost in memories. Li Fan had no choice but to wait patiently.
Yet at this very moment, events unfolded in a direction completely different from before—far beyond Li Fan's expectations.
After a prolonged silence, the Heavenly Physician suddenly lifted his head and stared directly at Li Fan. With a peculiar expression, he asked, "Young friend, what are you anticipating?"
Li Fan's spirit trembled violently. To his horror, he discovered his body moving completely beyond his control. His mouth opened and closed mechanically, spilling every hidden secret in his heart without reservation!
"I'm waiting for you to give me the mission again, to send me back to Cloudwater..." The voice came out stilted and unnatural, like a controlled puppet. It was both ridiculous and terrifying.
Within the Tianxuan Mirror, Li Fan's true self jolted awake from his cultivation. Without hesitation, he immediately activated the Heaven-Swapping Art, sacrificing his avatar's life.
"...Palace, to place the jade statue inside..." The avatar's words were cut off mid-sentence as its vital aura visibly faded. The sentence hung unfinished, the body clearly on the verge of death.
The white-haired elder revealed a faint, mocking smile. He tapped the air gently, and the avatar's body, which had been just moments away from death, was forcibly pulled back from the brink in an instant.
"...As payment, you'll give me a copy of the Heavenly Physician’s Immortal Scripture ..." The avatar struggled to complete the sentence, before finally turning completely to dust.
Receiving this answer, the Heavenly Physician paused momentarily, showing a flicker of surprise. Then, as if comprehending something, a smile bloomed across his aged face. "I see!"
Even as the avatar completely perished, the warning bells in Li Fan's heart did not cease. Without hesitation, he began chanting inwardly.
Return...
The space where he resided within the Tianxuan Mirror was violently torn open. Through the fissure, the figure of the Heavenly Physician could vaguely be seen.
...to Truth!
He had uttered the command, yet his surroundings did not immediately dissolve into nothingness as before. It felt like being trapped in quicksand, or having a connection severed.
The Heavenly Physician's gaze had already passed through the crack and descended upon Li Fan himself.
At this critical moment, the accumulated charging progress that Return to Truth had stored over these two-plus years in the cultivation world plummeted instantaneously.
The inexplicable obstruction vanished, and the surrounding scene turned illusory once more.
Li Fan's consciousness sank into darkness.