Li Fan’s thoughts raced, and in that instant, he understood the source of the “extreme peril” in He Xinxin’s divination.
It was the same flaw his avatar had revealed when facing the Heavenly Physician.
In this lifetime, if He Xinxin hadn’t performed a divination for him, Li Fan would have proceeded with his original plan to go to Yuandao Province.
When Anchor Year 29 arrived and It once again devoured time, would It discover that this insignificant cultivator, Li Fan, strangely already bore the mark of “a bite taken out of him”?
Yet It could be certain It had never stolen Li Fan’s time before.
Li Fan believed this unknown, terrifying entity would instantly deduce the most plausible explanation for such a phenomenon.
When facing the Heavenly Physician, Li Fan had been conscious enough to activate Return to Truth.
But in the face of this monster that consumed the time of others, Li Fan wouldn’t even have a chance to silently call upon Return to Truth.
The reason this was “extreme peril” and not “certain death” likely hinged on one slim possibility: that Return to Truth’s autonomous protection could awaken Li Fan’s consciousness and shield him for a brief moment—just long enough to activate the ability.
With this, Li Fan formed a basic hypothesis about the “lost decade.”
In his view, this was also the conjecture closest to the truth.
As for other possibilities... If it were merely a matter of being unaware of ten stolen years in one lifetime, only realizing it afterward when reviewing that lifetime post-Return to Truth, Li Fan might have suspected the machinations of Lan Yu’s Lifespan-Devouring Rebirth Array.
But something capable of affecting Return to Truth itself, preventing Li Fan from ever noticing until someone pointed it out and he repeatedly combed through his memories to find the discrepancy...
It wasn’t that Li Fan looked down on Lan Yu, but with only the strength of a Quasi-Heavenly Venerable, he simply wasn’t capable of achieving such a feat.
This world is bizarre, fraught with peril at every turn...
One misstep, one wrong move, and the entire game is lost.
It is precisely because I possess Return to Truth that I am in even greater danger before this world’s top powerhouses.
The only silver lining is that Its sphere of influence seems limited to Yuandao Province. It doesn’t appear actively aggressive—only stealing time, nothing more.
In my tenth lifetime, when I first entered the cultivation world, I transformed into the Congyun Sea and lived until Anchor Year 48.
No time theft occurred during that period.
It seems I cannot return to Yuandao Province from now on.
Also, I must find a way to erase the influence It has had on me.
Otherwise, it will remain a thorn in my side, a ticking time bomb.
Such is human nature.
Faced with an utterly unknown terror, one trembles in fear, unable to control oneself.
But once the adversary acquires even a conceptual form, the fear begins to recede.
And as understanding deepens, the fear gradually dissipates.
Although Li Fan still didn’t know what It truly was, for now, he could regard It as a top-tier powerhouse lurking in Yuandao Province, one capable of devouring the time of all living beings.
Since he couldn’t afford to provoke It, he would simply steer clear.
At the very least, from the current situation, Return to Truth still held the upper hand.
As long as he didn’t cross paths with It again, there shouldn’t be a major problem.
It seems fate has decreed that I, Li Fan, am not meant to perish yet. Before heading to Yuandao Province, I encountered He Xinxin and averted calamity.
Come to think of it, Fellow Daoist He is truly my lucky star. If Formless Killing Mechanism hadn't suddenly failed to monitor him, I wouldn't have been struck by that sudden impulse to come to Liuli Island.
At this thought, Li Fan revealed a rare, gentle smile.
Seeing this, He Zhenghao felt an inexplicable unease and quickly asked, "Fellow Daoist Li Fan, is everything alright?"
Li Fan patted his shoulder. "It's nothing, just a minor matter. Thanks to you, I've already thought of a way to resolve it.
"Speaking of which, I really must thank Xinxin. Without her reminder, who knows what might have happened!"
He Xinxin blushed immediately at the praise, looking quite embarrassed.
He Zhenghao, however, laughed heartily, clearly delighted.
"How long does Xinxin plan to stay here?" Li Fan knew He Xinxin had likely sneaked out and couldn't remain with He Zhenghao indefinitely, hence his question.
"I'll return whenever Mother finds out..." He Xinxin began, then caught herself.
She stuck out her tongue, glanced at the somewhat awkward He Zhenghao beside her, and lowered her head in silence.
He Zhenghao sent her away and began telling Li Fan about his history with He Xinxin's mother.
It was a tale not much different from a third-rate romance.
He Xinxin’s mother, Heng Ruoshui, hailed from Tianyu Province. In her youth, she traveled without her parents’ knowledge and met He Zhenghao.
Back then, He Zhenghao had been quite handsome, and Heng Ruoshui had little exposure to other men. After spending several days together, feelings naturally blossomed between them.
Just as the young couple grew inseparable, Heng Ruoshui’s parents suddenly appeared. Rather than immediately separating them, they observed He Zhenghao carefully before escorting both back to Tianyu Province.
For a time afterward, one promising young suitor after another appeared, each trying to win Heng Ruoshui’s heart. They were all handsome, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. In terms of cultivation, most were at the Golden Core or Nascent Soul realm—Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn’t even get a word with her.
At that time, He Zhenghao was only at the late-stage Qi Refinement realm. Facing men two cultivation realms above him, he dared not even breathe too loudly in their presence.
Heng Ruoshui still held some affection for him, but unable to tolerate his pitiful appearance, she scolded him harshly.
The young, proud He Zhenghao, stung in his self-esteem, erupted in anger. He boasted arrogantly that he would one day reach the Nascent Soul realm and make something of himself, enough to make Heng Ruoshui see him in a new light. Then, without another word, he stormed off.
The years that followed were harsh lessons in life. Only after immense hardship did He Zhenghao finally reach the Foundation Establishment realm.
He took the Myriad Immortals Alliance’s once-per-decade examination, aiming to enter the Enforcer Hall as an enforcer.
When the results came, he passed, but his position was not that of an enforcer, but a guardian. Even more absurdly, his assigned region wasn’t the familiar Tianyu Province, but the remote, obscure Congyun Sea, a place he had never even heard of.
Initially, He Zhenghao wanted to refuse, but the transfer order had already been issued at lightning speed. He knew full well that Heng Ruoshui’s parents had likely pulled strings behind the scenes, yet he had no choice but to obey the Myriad Immortals Alliance’s command.
And so, he slunk off to the Congyun Sea, remaining there for decades.
With both love and career withering away, He Zhenghao lost all his drive. His cultivation stagnated, stuck at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment realm.
Instead, he became obsessed with arrays, achieving considerable skill in that field and making many friends along the way.
Sometimes mistakes led to unexpected outcomes.
During a casual chat with a friend, He Zhenghao accidentally learned that Heng Ruoshui had actually been pregnant all those years ago.
However, knowing her parents strongly opposed the match and that He Zhenghao had vanished without a trace, she used a secret technique to suspend the growth of the fetus, all for the child’s safety.
From then on, she withdrew from society and devoted herself to rigorous cultivation.
Only a decade ago, after becoming a Nascent Soul technique weaver master and gaining enough influence in front of her parents, did she reveal the truth and give birth to the child.
She named her He Xinxin.
This matter caused quite a stir in Tianyu Province, and the story spread far and wide.
At the time, many regarded Heng Ruoshui as an extraordinary woman. Numerous cultivators didn’t mind that she had a child and pursued her ardently. Yet without exception, she rejected them all.
When He Zhenghao, far away in the Congyun Sea, heard the news, it struck him like a thunderbolt.
Tears streamed down his aged face, and he was filled with regret for what could have been, yet powerless to change the past.
He had neither the face nor the courage to see Heng Ruoshui again.
It wasn’t until He Xinxin sensed her biological father’s life-threatening crisis and came to this remote Congyun Sea...
As He Zhenghao finished his tale, his eyes glistened with tears, overcome with emotion.
After hearing this, Li Fan couldn’t help but curse inwardly. He Zhenghao, what kind of man are you?!
Yet he patted He Zhenghao’s shoulder and boasted confidently, “Fellow Daoist He, don’t worry. One day, I’ll ensure you return to Tianyu Province in full glory and make up for everything from the past!
“A hundred years might mean an eternal separation for mortals, with regrets impossible to mend.
“But for cultivators like us, it’s hardly an irreversible matter!”