My Longevity Simulation

Chapter 1336: Before the Dao of Inscription

The missing portions were all extremely small. Had it not been for the Dao Deviation Stone recording every single one of them and comparing them against each other, Li Fan would never have discovered this hidden anomaly within the countless Eyes of the Heavenly Beast so easily.

"As Mo Rubin said before, the differences in what is seen are caused by distortions from the observations of different Eyes of the Heavenly Beast..." Li Fan's gaze seemed to pass through the countless bubbles and reach directly behind the scenes.

"These missing portions can actually be regarded as the blind spots of the Eyes of the Heavenly Beast. Or rather, an invisible existence occupies fixed positions within the Heavenly Beast's field of vision. Even after comparing hundreds or thousands of different observations, it is still impossible to glimpse its complete form. Only by stitching together all of the blind spots from every Eye of the Heavenly Beast..."

Li Fan's thoughts surged.

Within his mind, those tiny fragments slowly pieced themselves together.

In the end, they formed a twisted, mysterious, and incomparably complex character.

Calling it a character was not entirely accurate. In Li Fan's eyes, it looked more like a distorted human silhouette.

This humanoid character possessed neither form nor substance, yet it still fell within the observational range of the Eyes of the Heavenly Beast. No single Eye of the Heavenly Beast could perceive its complete form. They could not even detect its existence. Yet it still occupied a portion of their field of vision.

It was like shadows cast from different angles.

Although it was impossible to see the object's true appearance directly, by combining all the shadow patterns together and deducing them in reverse, one could reconstruct this formless and shapeless object.

"This character..."

Li Fan suppressed the shock in his heart and showed no sign of anything unusual before Mo Rubin.

This humanoid character was not a True Immortal seal script character.

Yet in essence, it was perhaps no different from one.

Characters such as Chaos, Hunger, and Creation were projections of the Dao and tangible manifestations of its power.

The humanoid character before him was likewise a projection of a certain Dao.

"When cultivators first behold a True Immortal seal script character, the specific power it represents naturally appears within their minds. Hunger, Chaos, Creation, even that mysterious character representing the distinction between immortals and mortals, all behave in this way. The reason is that every True Immortal seal script character is an inscription and interpretation of the Dao left behind by the Inscription Dao Immortal."

"The Great Dao is originally formless, yet the Inscription Dao Immortal transformed its essence into individual characters, making it countless times easier for later generations to perceive and comprehend."

"But this humanoid character is different..."

Li Fan slowly contemplated the immense power contained within the character.

"Perhaps it is a naturally formed projection of a certain Dao."

"Or perhaps it was another True Immortal's attempt at the Dao of Inscription."

"But this individual was clearly far inferior to the later Inscription Dao Immortal."

The reason Li Fan could determine that this character predated the Inscription Dao Immortal was because a True Immortal's Dao admitted no second master. If the Inscription Dao Immortal had already existed, no other being could have attempted the Dao of Inscription.

"The instant such an attempt was made, it would have been mercilessly crushed by the terrifying power of the Nameless True Immortal."

The gap between this unknown pioneer and the true Inscription Dao Immortal was like that between two painters who both attempted to record the mountains and rivers of heaven and earth with a brush.

The Inscription Dao Immortal's paintings were so lifelike that viewers almost felt as though they had entered the scene itself.

The unknown pioneer, however, resembled a child scribbling with a brush. The abstract lines bore little resemblance to reality. One could not even tell what the painting was meant to depict.

Li Fan stared silently at the twisted humanoid character for a long time.

Yet he felt no contempt for such a crude method of inscribing the Dao.

Because the object this humanoid character was attempting to inscribe...

Having witnessed Creation, the Transformation Between Immortals and Mortals, and even the Transformation Between Truth and Falsehood, Li Fan's ability to judge the rank of True Immortal seal script characters was likely unmatched even among True Immortals.

Li Fan faintly sensed that although the technique used to inscribe this Dao was crude, it did not diminish the rank of the fundamental Dao it sought to record.

"It surpasses Creation."

"It may stand on the same level as the Transformation Between Immortals and Mortals."

A trace of brilliance flashed through Li Fan's eyes, too subtle for anyone else to notice.

"The Heavenly Beast was originally transformed from a jade pendant that the Xuantian King brought back from the Immortal Realm. Yet after coming into contact with water, it unexpectedly became a living creature."

"Could it be because of the hidden character concealed within that jade pendant?"

The method of discovering this hidden humanoid character was both difficult and simple.

Even without the Dao Deviation Stone, Li Fan refused to believe that the half-immortal Xuantian King would have failed to uncover this hidden secret.

Likewise, the Dark Sea and the You Clan were both creations of the Xuantian King.

There was no reason he would have failed to notice that character representing the distinction between immortals and mortals.

"Perhaps Xuantian King's breakthrough back then relied upon the power of these two characters."

Li Fan silently speculated.

Because the Dao inscription technique behind this humanoid character was so crude, Li Fan could not gain any immediate insights from it.

He could only firmly engrave it into his memory for the time being.

As for traces of the Xuantian King...

Li Fan had already examined every Eye of the Heavenly Beast.

As expected, there was no sign that the Xuantian King had ever come here.

However, Li Fan did not mention it. He remained standing quietly while beginning to contemplate a method to break the formation here.

The Floating Across Starry Sky Grand Formation had been built upon ancient immortal formations before being improved by the Xuantian King.

Now that Li Fan already understood the Spirit Gathering Ascension Formation, it was by no means impossible for the Final Dissociation Disc to decipher the Eye of the Heavenly Beast formation here.

Especially since Mo Rubin had brought Li Fan directly into the heart of the formation, allowing every detail of its operation to be observed clearly.

Within the silent atmosphere, Li Fan's progress in deciphering the formation steadily soared.

Mo Rubin completed his observation of every Eye of the Heavenly Beast in only twice the time it took Li Fan.

A trace of disappointment flashed openly across his face.

"Nothing here either?" Li Fan asked at the perfect moment.

Mo Rubin shook his head and sighed softly.

"He did not even come here to take refuge."

"The two places where my deductions indicated Brother Xuanyuan was most likely hiding have both turned out to be empty."

His expression was rather unpleasant.

"Then shall we head to the next location?"

Mo Rubin rejected Li Fan's suggestion.

"The Eyes of the Heavenly Beast observe the Star Sea outwardly and the Xuanhuang Realm inwardly."

"Now that we have come here, how could we possibly leave without making use of them?"

Mo Rubin gazed at the countless floating Eyes of the Heavenly Beast before him and spoke softly.

"I thought you said the Xuantian King never passed down the method of controlling them. Can you actually command the power of the Eyes of the Heavenly Beast?" Li Fan asked in surprise.

Mo Rubin replied proudly, "They are all part of the Floating Across Starry Sky Grand Formation. No matter how much things change, they all originate from the same source. As long as you give me a little time, it will not be difficult for me to command a portion of their power."

Li Fan could not help but praise him. "Fellow Daoist, you truly possess extraordinary talent. How long will it take exactly?"

"Within three to five months, it will certainly be completed," Mo Rubin replied in a deep voice.

Li Fan nodded slightly after hearing this. After a moment of thought, he suggested, "There is no point in my remaining here doing nothing. I might as well return to the Xuanhuang Realm and continue searching carefully for anything we may have overlooked. Perhaps I can uncover some additional clues."

Mo Rubin studied Li Fan for a while before finally agreeing.

"Very well."

He tossed over a jade talisman.

"Carry this with you. The moment I obtain any results, I will notify you immediately."

Li Fan accepted the jade talisman and cupped his fists.

"Then I ask Fellow Daoist to first send me out of this Heavenly Beast Eye formation."

Mo Rubin nodded and formed a hand seal with a single finger.

Li Fan's vision blurred. In the next instant, it felt as though he had appeared inside another tiny bubble.

The bubble continued shrinking until it gradually became a thin membrane surrounding his entire body.

Finally, the membrane completely tore apart.

A moment later, Li Fan had returned directly to Nine Mountains Prefecture within the Xuanhuang Realm.

"In the future, returning here will no longer be so troublesome. You can simply transfer through the Heavenly Beast's corpse."

"The Heavenly Beast may be dead, but its skeletal veins still remain."

Mo Rubin's voice echoed beside Li Fan's ears before slowly fading away.

Li Fan raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through space and time to reach the Heavenly Beast Eye beyond the void.

After conducting a thorough inspection and confirming that Mo Rubin had left no hidden marks or secret methods on him, Li Fan narrowed his eyes and sneered inwardly.

'He agreed rather readily.'

'Perhaps he was eager to get rid of me.'

Li Fan vaguely sensed that while inside the Heavenly Beast Eye formation, Mo Rubin had not truly gone all out. It seemed he still possessed hidden methods that he had deliberately withheld. Therefore, Li Fan had simply gone along with the situation and proposed leaving for the time being.

In any case, with the assistance of the Final Dissociation Disc, he would probably decipher the Heavenly Beast formation even before Mo Rubin.

'If he can discover the whereabouts of the Xuantian King, so much the better.'

'If not, he can still contribute to the ascension of the Xuanhuang Realm.'

Compared to Yin Shangren, Xu Ke, and the others, a Dharma King of the Xuantian Sect was even more useful.

Naturally, Li Fan had no intention of wasting such a valuable piece.

With that thought, the phantom of the Wooden Sword activated.

In the next instant, he returned to the Great Xuan small world.

The moment he returned to the Xuanhuang Realm, he had already sensed that Yin Shangren, who had previously disappeared within the echoing star force storm, had safely returned.

However, as the culprit who had caused the entire disturbance, Hundred Flowers' attitude toward him had completely changed from friendliness to hostility.

The two were currently confronting each other above the Dao Lecture Platform.

Hundred Flowers wore a solemn expression, clearly demanding an explanation from Yin Shangren.

Meanwhile, Yin Shangren kept his eyes closed from beginning to end. He offered no explanation, yet also showed no hostility.

As Li Fan looked at Yin Shangren, an indescribably strange feeling arose within his heart. He had interacted with Yin Shangren through far too many reincarnations. Altogether, they had spent well over a century together.

No one in the world understood Yin Shangren better than Li Fan.

He immediately detected the mysterious transformation that had taken place within Yin Shangren.

Yin Shangren was a World Specter.

He was one of the remnants left behind after the Xuanhuang Realm devoured and assimilated other destroyed cultivation worlds, residue that could not be absorbed.

Because of this, Yin Shangren was always accompanied by an aura of eeriness and deathly silence.

But now...

This aggregate of World Specter actually radiated strands of unique vitality.

Even Li Fan could not help but be greatly astonished.

He immediately revealed himself and arrived before Yin Shangren.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist. Misfortune has truly become a blessing." Li Fan carefully observed him for a while before speaking softly.

Only then did Yin Shangren slowly open his eyes.

"Without the Holy Teacher's assistance, I would never have reached the frontier of the Star Sea, let alone obtain such fortune."

Yin Shangren expressed his gratitude with complete sincerity.

The instant Li Fan saw his eyes, he also understood why Yin Shangren had refused to open them while facing Hundred Flowers.

One eye was black.

The other was white.

The black eye radiated boundless vitality.

The white eye overflowed with endless deathly energy.

The instant Li Fan met those black and white eyes, it was as though he had been pulled into an endless illusion.

Countless lives were born.

Then they perished beneath countless calamities.

Life and death continuously cycled and evolved at an unimaginably terrifying speed.

Li Fan even discovered that his Psychological Age, which had never before been affected by any illusion, began changing rapidly the instant it fell into the black and white vortex.

If even Li Fan was affected to such a degree, Hundred Flowers fared far worse.

She was not even looking directly into the eyes, merely observing from the side.

Yet her seemingly indestructible glazed body flickered like the last candle in a violent wind, trembling violently and standing on the verge of collapse.

Fortunately, Yin Shangren also noticed the changes occurring to Li Fan and Hundred Flowers.

Moreover, he had no intention of harming them.

Somewhat slowly, and with visible difficulty, he closed his black and white eyes once more.

The storm of life and death illusions gradually subsided.

Only then did Li Fan and Hundred Flowers recover.

"You..."

Hundred Flowers pointed at Yin Shangren in shock, unable to conceal the horror on her face.

She simply could not believe it.

Only a few days earlier, Yin Shangren's strength had been roughly equal to her own.

Yet in merely a few days, he had undergone an almost earth-shattering transformation.

Li Fan asked with great interest, "What exactly is the source of this vitality within you? Beneath the High Wall, the endless Great Wall is made entirely from destroyed worlds. How could such overwhelming vitality possibly be hidden there?"

Yin Shangren paused briefly before slowly explaining, "It was precisely because I discovered this vitality within that ruined world that I disregarded all consequences and acted as I did. In truth, at that time I had already been controlled by instinct. For a short period, my actions were no longer under my own control."

Li Fan frowned upon hearing this.

"Even now, after absorbing the vitality from that ruined world, I still do not know where it originally came from. However..."

"I can show the Holy Teacher exactly where that vitality resides."

After pondering for a moment, Li Fan nodded.

"The Great Xuan small world is still too fragile."

The phantom Wooden Sword left its sheath, carrying Yin Shangren and Hundred Flowers into the void outside the Xuanhuang Realm.

Stimulated by that limitless vitality, even his half-completed 'Foundation Establishment Through Oneself' showed signs of gradually repairing itself.

The True Self Dao Foundation within his body slowly began merging with his own being.

As a result, Yin Shangren's characteristic double echoing voice gradually disappeared.

With a solemn expression, Yin Shangren turned away from Li Fan and the others.

He once again opened his black and white eyes.

Then he raised his left hand and inserted two fingers into his eye socket.

With a slight exertion of force, he dug both eyeballs out.

There was no blood.

Only two small spheres, one black and one white, continuously rotating within the void.

After leaving Yin Shangren's body, the black and white spheres gradually drifted toward one another.

However, Yin Shangren kept his palm between them the entire time, preventing them from merging together.

"So the source of that vitality is these two black and white spheres?"

Seeing the bizarre scene before her, Hundred Flowers could not help asking.

"Not only vitality."

"They are also the source of deathly energy."

For some unknown reason, after the two spheres left his body, even speaking became difficult for Yin Shangren.

The black and white spheres continuously emitted their unique energies into the surrounding void.

However, because they mutually attracted and restrained one another, their energies did not erupt outward explosively.

Instead, they formed a Taiji-like vortex, maintaining an eerie equilibrium.

Li Fan gazed at the black and white spheres. From them, he faintly sensed a strangely familiar aura.