Two figures streaked across the sky like meteors before coming to a halt above Xuanjing City.

The expressions of the civil and military officials gathered at court changed drastically. Quite a few even cried out that Immortal Masters had arrived, preparing to kneel on the spot.

Only Li Fan remained completely composed. He let out a cold snort and rebuked them.

"What are you panicking for?"

Having presided over the imperial court with absolute authority for decades, the Grand Preceptor's unquestionable prestige had long since become deeply ingrained in the hearts of officials, both great and small.

At his words, their instinctive fear of immortals was forcibly suppressed, allowing them to regain some composure, at least temporarily.

Nevertheless, as they gazed at the two immortal figures above their heads, the fear on their faces remained impossible to conceal.

Within Xuanjing City, the mortals were as silent as cicadas in winter. Meanwhile, the conversation between the two cultivators continued.

"Ku Hong! Do you think I will spare you just because you have fled to this Immortal Forsaken Land? Hand over the cultivation technique you obtained that day. Otherwise, I will fight you to the death!"

"What a joke! It was precisely because I lacked a method for forming a Golden Core that I remained trapped at the Foundation Establishment stage for nearly a hundred years, watching my lifespan approach its end as I prepared to turn into a pile of dry bones. Now that I have finally obtained a Golden Core cultivation method, how could I possibly hand it over to someone else?"

...

"This conversation sounds somewhat familiar."

"It seems this isn't the first time I have experienced this."

As the thunderous conversation between Ku Hong and Dao Xuanzi continued, Li Fan suddenly felt a sharp pain in his mind.

Immediately afterward, countless scenes rapidly surfaced in his consciousness.

"Not good!"

Recalling the upheaval that would follow their battle, which would turn the entire Xuanjing City into ruins, Li Fan's heart tightened.

And indeed, what happened next unfolded exactly as he remembered.

"Ku Hong! What are you trying to do?!"

"I'm merely seeking a sliver of hope for survival!"

Accompanied by Ku Hong's frenzied laughter, an enormous crimson horned dragon slowly descended from the sky.

Blazing flames seemed poised to incinerate everything around them.

Witnessing this scene, every mortal in Xuanjing City was overcome with fear and despair.

Everyone except Li Fan.

His heart remained completely undisturbed.

In fact, as he sensed the crimson flames high above, a strange feeling suddenly arose within him.

"This..."

"Is this the spiritual qi required for cultivation?"

Li Fan attempted to sense it more carefully.

The very flow of time seemed to slow down. He could clearly see that the enormous mass of flames had seemingly solidified in midair, remaining perfectly motionless.

What surprised Li Fan was that this so-called immortal spiritual qi was not particularly difficult to comprehend. In fact, it seemed rather simple, and even...

Obedient.

It was as though he could effortlessly command it with nothing more than a movement of his thoughts.

Thus, Li Fan attempted to draw the violent, scorching spiritual qi in the sky into his body.

The process was as natural and effortless as water flowing downstream.

The enormous energy capable of incinerating all of Xuanjing City entered Li Fan's body like a mighty river flowing into an abyss. It failed to produce even the slightest ripple.

Had Li Fan not sensed the subtle changes occurring within his body, he might have thought that his attempt to draw spiritual qi into himself had failed.

"The fire attribute originally belonging to this spiritual qi has disappeared as well. It seems to have returned to its original, unadulterated state."

"Is this also an effect of my body?"

...

The sudden change in the situation caught everyone completely off guard.

Ku Hong's ferocious expression was still frozen on his face. Yet, for some unknown reason, his ultimate killing move, [Dao Art: Dragon's Fiery Roar], was gradually disappearing.

Ku Hong's expression slowly changed from ferocity to utter bewilderment.

"You poisoned me?!"

The first thing Ku Hong did was blame his sworn brother. His voice was filled with anger and disbelief.

"...What?" Dao Xuanzi was momentarily bewildered, unable to understand the train of thought behind Ku Hong's accusation.

The two were about to continue arguing when a cold, incomparably majestic voice suddenly rang out from below.

"How dare you!"

"Get down here!"

Suddenly, an enormous force descended upon them, as though countless invisible hands were dragging them toward the ground.

Caught completely off guard, Ku Hong and Dao Xuanzi lost their ability to remain airborne and plunged violently from the sky.

Boom!

They smashed into the brick-paved streets of Xuanjing City, leaving two enormous craters behind!

Xuanjing City immediately fell into absolute silence.

Who among the city's residents did not recognize that voice?

There was no time to celebrate their narrow escape. At this moment, everyone throughout Xuanjing City was overwhelmed by indescribable shock.

Within the Grand Preceptor's residence, the civil and military officials, along with officials of every rank, stared at Li Fan as though they had witnessed a ghost or a deity.

Yet one person reacted faster than the rest.

"The Grand Preceptor is wise and mighty! Even immortals bow before him! With the Grand Preceptor here, it is truly the fortune of our Great Xuan!"

As he spoke, he immediately bowed.

Hearing this, the other officials quickly came to their senses.

Regardless of what they truly thought in their hearts, they hurriedly echoed his words and bowed in unison.

Li Fan paid them no attention.

He slowly walked toward the place where the two cultivators had fallen.

When he took his first step, traces of spiritual qi still lingered within Xuanjing City. However, by the time he arrived beside the somewhat disheveled Ku Hong and Dao Xuanzi, every last trace of spiritual qi had already been devoured by him.

"Why is there so little..." Li Fan thought with some dissatisfaction.

He then turned his attention toward the two cultivators who had suddenly intruded into this place.

At this moment, the two so-called "Immortal Masters" were surrounded by the Xuanjing Guards. Although these guards possessed an instinctive fear of the legendary Immortal Masters, they nevertheless performed their duties faithfully, holding their spears toward the foreign intruders.

When Li Fan approached, the guards needed no orders. They immediately parted in unison, opening a path for him.

After trying every possible method without success, Ku Hong and Dao Xuanzi had gradually fallen into despair beneath the immense force suppressing their bodies.

"This Immortal Forsaken Land truly is an extremely dangerous place..."

Regret welled up in their hearts.

Just then, Li Fan arrived before them.

Although there seemed to be not the slightest fluctuation of spiritual qi around his body, his imposing presence was almost tangible. Under its pressure, the two cultivators could not stop their bodies from trembling.

"Where do you two come from?"

Standing so close, Li Fan could sense the spiritual qi concealed within their bodies even more clearly.

However, he did not rush to make a move. Suppressing the growing urge within him, he questioned them in a cold voice.

"Reporting to Senior, the two of us come from the Xuanhuang Realm, from the Congyun Heavenly Mountain... We accidentally strayed into this place and have caused considerable offense. We beg Senior to forgive us."

Dao Xuanzi spoke haltingly, cold sweat streaming down his face.

Through the subsequent exchange, Li Fan gained a general understanding of the Great Xuan Small World and the Xuanhuang Realm.

At the same time, every word spoken by Dao Xuanzi caused a corresponding flood of images to appear in Li Fan's mind.

The Immortal Severing Grand Formation sealing off the Great Xuan Small World, located in the Eastern Ruin Abyss. The grave of Yi Yin, a disciple of the Taiyan Sect. The Dao Deviation Stone and Taiyan Boat concealed within that grave. As well as the Halt Step Remnant Stele inside Qian Hong's tomb.

What surprised Li Fan even more was that when he heard the words "Congyun", an image suddenly appeared before his eyes.

A crimson figure stood towering above the heavens, holding illusory Fire in its hand and incinerating the vast sea.

"Could it be that I lost my memory and suffered severe injuries because of such a calamity?"

Li Fan carefully examined the instinctive emotions he had experienced when that image appeared.

"Hmm... No, that's not right."

"Was I actually this powerful before losing my memory? Was I capable of ignoring such a calamity?"

Having realized this, Li Fan did not feel the slightest joy. Instead, his concerns grew even deeper.

The further he had progressed before losing his memory, the more it suggested that the crisis responsible for inflicting such severe injuries upon him was something increasingly difficult to overcome.

"I must continue proceeding step by step, making careful preparations and exercising the utmost caution."

...

"I'll borrow the spiritual qi of you two for a moment."

Once he had finished questioning them, Li Fan extended both hands and made a grasping motion toward Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi.

What happened next left the two brothers utterly horrified.

It was as though a hole had suddenly appeared inside their bodies. All the spiritual qi within them uncontrollably surged toward that hole. In just a few breaths, both of them had been completely drained.

With all their spiritual qi gone, they were no different from ordinary mortals!

Yet there was something strange about this.

Ordinarily, when a cultivator lost all their spiritual qi, they would inevitably suffer a backlash. Even if their bodies did not collapse on the spot, severe injuries would be unavoidable. However, the two of them not only felt no injuries or weakness whatsoever, but instead felt more vigorous than ever before. It was as though they had broken through several major cultivation realms in succession!

They were even more astonished to discover that their Foundation Establishment Wonder Treasures had been affected by this newfound vitality. For some inexplicable reason, they were beginning to crystallize, showing signs of undergoing sublimation and transformation!

"This... what exactly is going on?"

The two brothers were utterly bewildered.

Nevertheless, they simultaneously put aside every thought in their minds.

Although the two of them were somewhat reckless, they were certainly not fools.

Judging from the abilities displayed by the elderly man before them, he was at the very least a mighty Nascent Soul cultivator!

"But after reaching the Nascent Soul stage, a cultivator forms an internal Cave Heaven within their body. How could someone like that lack spiritual qi?"

"Could it be that he is from before the great calamity..." Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi exchanged glances, believing they had finally figured out the truth.

"If Senior has any instructions, please feel free to command us. We will carry them out even at the cost of our lives!" Kou Hong said in a muffled voice.

...

Li Fan merely waved his hand.

The Xuanjing Guards immediately swarmed forward, seized the two brothers, who were completely incapable of resisting, and dragged them into the prison, where they were placed under strict guard.

Li Fan did not return to his residence. Instead, he remained stationed above the underground prison.

The instant he had absorbed all the spiritual qi within their bodies, Li Fan had briefly entertained the thought of killing them. However, after faintly sensing that the two seemed to have some other use, he had changed his mind.

At present, Li Fan sat quietly, attempting to recall the sensation he had just experienced.

"Eternal Remnant Wills."

"Taking only myself as the vessel... a method of crossing over?"

As these scattered phrases gradually surfaced in his mind, countless magnificent figures suddenly burst into his consciousness.

Pfft!

Li Fan abruptly spat out a large mouthful of blood.

It felt as though countless heavy hammers were repeatedly smashing against his brain. His vision spun violently, and his mind reeled.

This was no mere illusion. His brain had genuinely suffered severe damage.

Along with the bright red blood, considerable amounts of viscous white matter even gushed out from his seven orifices.

In an instant, Li Fan's entire body was drenched in blood.

Under ordinary circumstances, forget ordinary mortals. Even cultivators would die on the spot after suffering such devastating injuries.

However, after forcibly severing his recollection, Li Fan instantly recovered from the brink of death. He did not even feel the slightest trace of weakness.

He casually wiped the blood from his face, as though it did not belong to him.

With a mere thought, the blood covering his body transformed into wisps of green light and returned to his body.

Not only had he completely recovered, but Li Fan faintly felt that his recent brush with death had caused him to draw upon an even greater amount of the vitality hidden within his body.

As a result, he had become even stronger.

"The vitality contained within this body is truly far too formidable."

"Still, this is a good thing."

As he thought about the Xuanhuang Realm beyond the Great Xuan Small World, Li Fan gradually formed an idea.

Half a day later.

Another body, completely identical to Li Fan's, appeared before him.

It was not some kind of clone divine ability.

Rather, relying on his formidable vitality, Li Fan had forcibly cultivated another set of limbs, torso, and even a head.

He then reassembled these parts into a complete human body.

Strictly speaking, this body was merely a part of Li Fan himself.

After a brief period of adjustment, he quickly grew accustomed to simultaneously perceiving the world through two bodies.

Looking at the other version of himself, Li Fan, despite being the one who had brought this creation into existence, could not help feeling slightly incredulous.

"..."

"Let him explore the way first. If he encounters danger, I should still be able to cut off a limb and preserve the rest of myself."

Seven days later, Li Fan took Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi and flew out of Xuanjing City.

They headed straight toward the Eastern Ruin Abyss.

He did not bother asking Kou Hong and the other brother how to fly. The moment he had drawn Qi into his body, his body had naturally recalled the method.

Even while carrying two burdens, he did not feel the slightest strain.

In just a short while, they arrived outside the Ruin Abyss.

"Senior, the Immortal Severing Grand Formation ahead is what seals off the mortal small worlds. It is fraught with danger. Even we..."

Kou Hong had not finished speaking when he saw Li Fan carefully examine the formation for a moment, furrow his brows slightly, and then fly straight into it with the two of them.

The two brothers' hearts immediately leapt into their throats.

Fortunately, the disaster they feared never came to pass.

For some unknown reason, all the restrictions within the Immortal Severing Grand Formation seemed to have lost their effectiveness.

Even as they were about to pass through the formation completely, not a single disturbance occurred.

The two brothers were left speechless.

After breaking through the darkness, light returned to their vision.

The seemingly endless Congyun Mountain Range appeared before the three of them.

Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi greedily absorbed the spiritual qi permeating the heavens and earth.

Only after finally recovering did they let out long sighs of relief.

However, when they turned to look at Li Fan, they discovered that, for some unknown reason, this senior had not absorbed even the slightest amount of spiritual qi from the surroundings. From beginning to end, he had simply been gazing up at the sky, seemingly observing something.

The two brothers did not dare disturb him. They could only stand obediently to one side and wait.

"How many years have passed since this place changed from mountains into a sea?"

After a long while, Li Fan finally spoke.

The two brothers were initially taken aback, but Dao Xuanzi was the first to react.

"Approximately twenty years, Senior. How did you know?"

Li Fan narrowed his eyes but did not answer.

Instead, he focused his attention on a crimson figure within his body.

The moment he had entered the Xuanhuang Realm, Li Fan had immediately sensed that figure floating motionlessly in the sky.

It was exactly the same as the culprit from his memories, the one who had once incinerated mountains and boiled seas.

Yet, when confronted with such a terrifying entity, Li Fan felt no fear whatsoever.

Instead, an inexplicable sensation arose within him.

Thus, with nothing more than a thought, he had "seized" that crimson figure and drawn it into his body, sealing it there.

From this figure, Li Fan sensed numerous principles related to "Flame."

However, they seemed exceptionally superficial.

Like an infant babbling as it learned to speak, they were somewhat childish and even laughable.

"It seems my original attainments were even greater than I had anticipated."

Li Fan gradually came to understand.

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