Amid the layers upon layers of black shadows, Li Fan could only feel countless versions of himself continuously being copied and generated.

This mass of shadows hidden deep underground in the Daoyuan Prefecture of the Xuanhuang Realm was rapidly evolving as a whole toward the realm of the Celestial Spirit of Ink Death.

With the support of the two great Dao path characteristics, [Illusory Life] and [Eternity], they could actually ignore the threshold of ascension and directly cross the boundary between immortals and mortals.

From mortal to immortal!

Amid the vast black ocean, Li Fan could see the functions of these two Dao paths with absolute clarity.

Illusory Life provided an endless driving force for evolution, extending infinitely through the extremes of number and quantity, until it finally broke through the shackles between immortals and mortals.

Eternity, on the other hand, transformed into an incomparably solid Dao foundation. No matter how endlessly things changed, whether internally or externally, I would remain unmoved. Even a towering building reaching ten million zhang high would still have to be built upon this piece of land.

Between change and constancy, a million years could pass in an instant.

In the end, when a brand new wisp of black finally broke through all obstacles and descended into the world, its transformation quickly benefited the other parts of the mass of ink as well.

The mortal body of the Xuanhuang Realm had actually given birth to an Immortal Spirit!

Because all the energy consumed by Ink Death's ascension had been provided by Li Fan alone from beginning to end, the true "biological parents" of the Ink Death of this era were actually Li Fan. It had merely borrowed the belly of the Xuanhuang Realm.

But since it was ultimately the place where an Immortal Spirit had been nurtured, after Ink Death's ascension, the subtle connection cultivated between it and the Xuanhuang Realm over tens of thousands of years still brought a certain degree of nourishment back to Xuanhuang.

However, compared to the transformation that would normally occur after the Xuanhuang Realm itself ascended, the changes brought about by Ink Death ascending first were far less pleasant.

It had originally been merely one branch among the many manifestations of the world's spirits, but now it had seized absolute dominance. At the same time that Ink Death transformed into an Immortal Spirit, it also forcibly imposed some of its own characteristics upon the Xuanhuang Realm.

Dense layers of dark clouds rose for no apparent reason, covering the entire sky of the Xuanhuang Realm. From time to time, waves of black wind swept across the earth. It was as though Ink Death had descended into the world, and wherever the wind passed, everything was transformed into tiny black particles.

The Xuanhuang Realm, which had originally recovered its vitality after the threat of the Immortal Ruins had been eliminated, suddenly became a dark and gloomy underworld apocalypse!

Fortunately, the vast majority of living beings were sleeping within the Paradise of Carefree Dreamland and were under the protection of Li Fan's power. Ink Death still showed some consideration toward Li Fan, its own 'kind' as well as its 'parent.' It did not directly collide with the Paradise.

Li Fan could vaguely sense that the Heavenly Dao of Xuanhuang was furious beyond measure, yet dared to be angry without daring to speak. Even the power of an entire world was no match for the current Celestial Spirit of Ink Death. The Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm could only endure for the time being and slowly accumulate strength from the benefits brought by Ink Death's ascension.

But Ink Death seemed to have no intention of stopping while it was ahead.

Although it did not directly attack the Heavenly Dao of Xuanhuang, it extended its tentacles toward the many Spirits of Heaven and Earth within the Xuanhuang Realm.

The Spirits of Heaven and Earth, which were originally manifestations of countless different laws and possessed myriad forms, gradually began to display streaks of Ink Death's patterns as they were eroded by the Celestial Spirit of Ink Death. The way their power manifested throughout the world also acquired the destructive characteristics of Ink Death.

Even Spirits of Heaven and Earth that had originally possessed little offensive power, such as Crimson Flame, became somewhat terrifying and fearsome.

"If this blackened Crimson Flame were ordered to boil the sea, I fear Congyun would have already dried up within a day."

Ink Death was not merely carrying out simple erosion.

As the black gradually occupied the Xuanhuang Realm, within the sinister shadows surrounding Li Fan, different 'Immortal Spirits of Ink Death' possessing various properties actually began to split off.

Although their essence remained unchanged, they also possessed certain characteristics of the other Dao paths of the world.

The whole remained harmonious, while simultaneously bringing about a different kind of vitality.

...

Having witnessed all the various changes between Ink Death and the Xuanhuang Realm, a strange premonition gradually arose in Li Fan's heart.

"Perhaps this Xuanhuang Realm, after being transformed by the Celestial Spirit of Ink Death, has acquired a certain ability to survive the Dao Annihilation Calamity."

"Perhaps the transformation at its current level is still insufficient. But compared with its original state, its resistance to Dao Annihilation has undoubtedly increased tremendously."

"Perhaps this is what the experiment site originally intended to achieve by implanting the power of Ink Death?"

The Xuanhuang Realm now looked somewhat gloomy and terrifying. Yet against the backdrop of the entire mortal world being on the verge of extinction in the tide of Dao Annihilation, it instead appeared more 'suitable.'

"It is like a crude stone cave hidden underground in a cultivation wasteland. Compared with a magnificent palace standing above ground, it is more suitable for survival."

"If this model of the Xuanhuang Realm were extended to the entire mortal world..." Li Fan could not help narrowing his eyes.

"Even if it still cannot prevent the tide of Dao Annihilation from drowning everything in the end, perhaps one or two islands could survive after the tide recedes. In a certain sense, this could also be considered a method of saving the world."

"But only on the condition that Ink Death washes over them first."

Feeling the countless writhing shadows around him, Li Fan could not help shaking his head slightly.

Not every cultivation world could withstand the changes brought about by the Celestial Spirit of Ink Death as easily as the Xuanhuang Realm.

Leaving aside the various special characteristics of the Xuanhuang Realm as the Immortal Realm's experimental site.

Even such a special world as the Xuanhuang Realm would suffer severe damage in the baptism of black if any one of the following were missing: Li Fan's protection, the bond formed through tens of thousands of years of Ink Death being nurtured within its body, or the other factors that connected them.

Not to mention the other ordinary cultivation worlds of the mortal realm.

"If this mass of shadows were released, I fear that even the Shuo Star Sea, reinforced by the Dao Net, would be unable to bear its weight."

"It might be able to resist for a while, but before the Celestial Spirit of Ink Death with the [Illusory Life] characteristic, it would ultimately be dyed black inch by inch."

Li Fan had once ventured deep into the core of the Dao Net and understood the powers of both the Celestial Spirit of Ink Death and the Dao Net thoroughly. After a round of deductions, he reached a conclusion.

"Compared with me devouring and absorbing it, allowing it to evolve on its own can instead bring out its characteristics more fully."

Li Fan sensed the different Ink Death shadows that had evolved around him and carefully observed every one of them.

He had already comprehended the Dao through the Celestial Spirit of Ink Death. If he simultaneously mastered these contaminated laws, he would be able to easily reproduce them one by one.

As he surveyed them, Li Fan seemed to glimpse the path that might lie before him.

"One of the greatest bottlenecks in a True Immortal's comprehension of the Dao is that the Great Dao cannot be cultivated together."

"Even with an heaven-defying technique like the Immeasurable Celestial Pivot Sundering Divine Technique, at most one can fuse two or three Daos into one. But if I use the Celestial Spirit of Ink Death as my foundation..."

"Then the Three Thousand Great Daos will all be within my grasp!"

Li Fan seemed to see the Dao Net descending from heaven to earth, stretching beyond sight, slowly becoming tainted by Ink Death from an unknown source.

He instinctively reached out and looked at his own palm.

Amid the countless writhing black particles, different Dao paths seemed to split off as his comprehension deepened.

Although they were merely ordinary Dao paths that he had comprehended during his countless past cultivation experiences, such as the Five Elements, Azure Wind, Blue Flame, and so on, every time another new aspect emerged, Li Fan felt himself become several degrees stronger in an instant.

"The reason I can easily accomplish what countless sages and saints of the past were unable to do is because the Dao of Ink Death never originally existed within this heaven and earth."

"Its most fundamental core is Dao Annihilation. It is the Infinite Ocean."

"It stands above the Great Daos of the mortal world. Therefore, it is not bound by the restriction that the Great Daos of the mortal world cannot be cultivated together!"

"Every Dao that can be seen within the mortal world can be comprehended and utilized."

Looking at his increasingly vivid ink-colored body, Li Fan felt a wave of realization surge within his heart.

“Since Ink Death is like this, then…”

“What about [Truth]?”

The ink roiled and churned. In the end, Li Fan still brought his thoughts back to the very core of his being.

“Through Ink Death, I will stain every Dao path in the world.”

“One Dao, one step. Once I have grasped every great Dao in the mortal world, perhaps I will be only one step away from the [Transformation of Truth and Falsehood].”

With a bang, Li Fan’s ink-colored body scattered in all directions, completely merging into the newly born Celestial Spirit of Ink Death of the Xuanhuang Realm.

First, he needed to transfer over the various Dao paths currently grasped by the newly born Celestial Spirit of Ink Death.

…

The main body had gained tremendously. At last, against the backdrop of an apocalyptic age where the Immortal Path had been severed and the Great Dao was withering, he had found a path that was most suited to himself.

After Li Buren sensed the changes occurring within the main body, he looked at the Heavenly Capital Grand Mage, who was still within the [Illusory Life Dao Shadow] before him, and had already come up with an idea.

A trace of ink-colored light emerged from his fingertip.

It then transformed into a strand of black energy and slowly flew toward the Heavenly Capital Grand Mage.

It merged into the chanting of Dao hymns. Like a drop falling into a vast lake, it soon vanished without a trace.

But the ink did not disappear because of this.

Instead, it turned the entire vast lake into a different color!

The Illusory Life Dao Shadow rippled slightly, attempting to expel the ink that was eroding it.

Yet every ripple it produced actually provided Ink Death with an opportunity to invade.

Within the illusory shadow’s body, a patch of darkness quietly occupied its forehead.

The expression of the Heavenly Capital Grand Mage, whose face had remained as calm as still water ever since Li Buren locked onto him, finally changed.

Although he still appeared calm and composed, Li Buren could nevertheless see that he was merely forcing himself to remain calm.

“Indeed, Ink Death is much more useful than the brute force of my Dao Net.”

Thinking this, Li Buren also drew a strand of Celestial Spirit of Ink Death power into his own body.

It was as if the stars across the heavens suddenly dimmed, plunging the myriad heavens into silence.

But several breaths later, beneath this darkened starry sky, even greater vitality emerged.

With the enhancement of Ink Death’s characteristics, although Li Buren could not directly compare with the Illusory Life Dao Shadow, he could now ignore its influence to a certain extent.

Amid the surrounding chanting, he advanced step by step with great difficulty.

Slowly but firmly, he finally arrived before the Heavenly Capital Grand Mage.

He grabbed the other party tightly by the throat and, amid the gradually terrified expression of the Grand Mage, forcibly dragged him out of the protection of the Illusory Life Dao Shadow!

“You…”

The Grand Mage still wanted to speak, but the dim Dao Net had already tightly wrapped around him.

Strands of ink-colored light poured in through the crown of his head.

The pupils of the Grand Mage instantly vanished, turning completely pitch black.

His continuous struggles gradually came to a halt.

Li Buren was using Ink Death to erode the Dao path cultivated by the Grand Mage.

Originally, Li Buren had assumed that since the Grand Mage had stubbornly guarded the [Illusory Life Dao Shadow] for ten thousand years, refusing to let go, the Dao path he cultivated should also be the Dao of Illusory Life.

However, when Li Buren followed Ink Death into the Grand Mage’s inner core, he suddenly realized that something was wrong.

“The Grand Mage is different from the Hunger Immortal. The Hunger Immortal experienced distorted time because she cultivated the Dao of [Hunger]. Although ten thousand years had passed, only a few days had actually gone by for her. But the Grand Mage has genuinely been comprehending the Dao while embracing the Illusory Life Dao Shadow since the era of the Xuantian King.”

“After such an immensely long period, having spent every day together with the [Illusory Life Dao Shadow], even if he were a pig, his comprehension of the Dao of Illusory Life should certainly not be poor. Yet this Grand Mage…”

“Ever since encountering me, he has relied almost entirely on the protection of the illusory shadow. His own ability to avoid calamity is practically negligible.”

Although Li Buren had entered the Grand Mage’s core with the help of the Ink Death Celestial Spirit’s power, what he glimpsed was simply too 'thin.'

This included not only the Dao he had comprehended, but also his experiences and memories.

It was completely unlike the capacity that should belong to the Heavenly Capital Grand Mage, who had presided over the Heavenly Capital and looked down upon the Xuanhuang Realm for tens of thousands of years.

Li Buren looked around and instinctively sensed that something was wrong.

Looking at the empty surroundings, he suddenly recalled the scene he had witnessed in the High Wall experimental site, where countless cubic star seas had stood side by side.

“Perhaps this is merely one location within the Grand Mage’s inner world?”

Li Buren felt a sudden realization.

Endless ink-colored light then erupted from his body.

Within a few breaths, it completely submerged this place.

Then, under the pressure of terrifying force, it began penetrating toward other areas.

Boom! Boom!

As cracks appeared one after another, the immense ink-colored tide surged beyond the surface manifested by the Heavenly Capital Grand Mage.

It was as if it had suddenly broken into a world filled with countless living beings.

Countless figures floated throughout the sky.

Although all of their faces were identical, there was no doubt that every one of them was the Heavenly Capital Grand Mage!

“These people… seem somewhat familiar.”

Among these figures, Li Buren also saw some familiar faces.

They were precisely the mortals and cultivators living in Daoyuan Prefecture.

Lan Yu, Dugu Xi, Dugu Shi, Feng Mu, and others.

At this moment, their expressions varied. Some were filled with uncontrollable fury, some were terrified beyond measure, while others acted as though the matter had nothing to do with them.

“Have all the living beings of Daoyuan Prefecture been transformed into the Heavenly Capital Grand Mage?”

This was Li Buren’s first thought.

But he quickly realized that something was wrong.

Because at this very moment, the living beings of Daoyuan Prefecture were still living on the land of Daoyuan Prefecture without being affected in the slightest. The capture of the Grand Mage had not caused them any abnormalities whatsoever.

Li Buren recalled the strange phenomenon that occurred in Daoyuan Prefecture, where ten years of time would be devoured.

In an instant, he understood.

“It is not that ten years of time have truly disappeared. Rather, all the living beings within it have entered a state of complete stasis.”

“Only the Grand Mage himself was still able to move.”

“During those ten years, he created countless copies of every living being in the world of Daoyuan Prefecture within his own body.”

“And the purpose of doing so…”

Li Buren pulled one of the 'Lan Yu' figures toward himself.

“Although this is not the real Lan Yu, it…”

Li Fan could still sense an aura of comprehension regarding the [Dao of Life and Death] from the other party.

It was even more profound than the comprehension he had once sensed from Lan Yu himself.

Li Buren looked toward the countless different Grand Mage figures floating throughout the sky.

Every single one of them had comprehended a different Dao path!

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