"If I am not mistaken, Feng Rui and the others were indeed possessed by soone at one point."
"However, this possession technique is sowhat peculiar. It can even return the body."
Dharma-Transmitter Jiang said with a furrowed brow.
Li Fan also pondered thoughtfully: "But anything that exists must leave traces. The period of possession still caused irreversible effects on their souls and bodies."
"So of that Xuantian Sect Dharma King's soul characteristics remained in them."
Dharma-Transmitter Jiang narrowed his eyes: "That Dharma King is nad Mo Rubin? He is truly a remarkable and admirable figure."
Li Fan rely nodded, offering no further comnt.
"They still retain mories from the possession period. But from their perspective, these events were jointly carried out after discussions with Mo Rubin."
"As for Mo Rubin's current whereabouts..."
"A year ago, he bid farewell and departed, vanishing without a trace. To express gratitude for their ti together, he even left behind several cultivation techniques from the forr Xuantian Sect as compensation." Dharma-Transmitter Jiang continued to explain.
"It was probably a ans to obscure our vision. And it worked, at least; I wasted so much ti in vain." Li Fan said with a touch of self-mockery.
"Still, where exactly did he go? Is the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's Tianxuan Mirror still the original immortal artifact Tianxuan Mirror?"
"I will investigate that point." Dharma-Transmitter Jiang said solemnly, "As for your clone body..."
"We still need to give them an explanation."
Dharma-Transmitter Jiang's pitch-black pupils instantly locked onto the Immortal Puppet Li Fan.
It was as if he had been pulled into a world of nothingness, where the Immortal Puppet Li Fan's body was slowly engulfed by the void.
In re monts, it completely vanished from the world.
...
In the Spiritwood Realm, sensing the final images transmitted from the Immortal Puppet's body, Li Fan shook his head slightly.
Dharma-Transmitter Jiang's sudden action did not surprise him.
After all, the accusation of failure against a Dharma-Transmitter, or rather the slander, was an absolutely unforgivable grave sin.
Soone had to take responsibility for it.
Even if only on the surface.
Before destroying his Immortal Puppet body, Dharma-Transmitter Jiang had sent a voice transmission informing him that the investigation into Xuantian King Mo Rubin would go underground.
Any discoveries should still be communicated through Dharma-Transmitter Zhou.
"Jiang is probably the only reliable one among the Dharma-Transmitters."
"To learn Mo Rubin's whereabouts, I still need to wait for his investigation results."
Having been led around by the nose by Mo Rubin several tis in a row, Li Fan felt a surge of irritation in his heart.
What worried him even more was that Mo Rubin had been missing for nearly a year.
During the ti he controlled the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, he had utilized the Tianxuan Mirror's vast computational power, undoubtedly for matters related to the missing Xuantian King.
For so long, he had not reappeared.
Had he already found the missing Xuantian King? Or perhaps, he had not searched for any Xuantian King at all. Instead, using the thods left by the forr Xuantian Sect, he had escaped this darkest star sea?
In a rare mont of ntal disquiet after a long ti, Li Fan finally received Dharma-Transmitter Jiang's investigation results.
In Dharma-Transmitter Zhou's private small world, it was once again a newly crafted Immortal Puppet body that took action.
"The Tianxuan Mirror is still the sa Tianxuan Mirror. But calling upon too much computational power actually damaged the mirror's origin."
"Many of its functions may need to be suspended for a long ti to co."
"As for Mo Rubin's whereabouts, it chose to remain silent."
"However, Jiang visited the Mirror Holders and the lineage of Illusory True Sage, combining the power of three authorities to forcibly retrieve the previous deduction records from the Tianxuan Mirror."
"We finally found the possible destination of that Xuantian Sect Dharma King." Dharma-Transmitter Zhou's tone was unusually grave, contrary to his usual deanor.
Li Fan's face was full of seriousness as he waited quietly for the rest.
A result that even required damaging an immortal artifact's origin to deduce was clearly no small matter.
After a pause, Dharma-Transmitter Zhou lowered his voice and spoke slowly.
"Do you know that, corresponding to the physical Xuanhuang Realm, there exists a illusory world in this realm?" Zhou asked a seemingly unrelated question first.
Li Fan's heart skipped a beat, and he nodded in agreent: “This, I naturally know. You cultivators of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance call it the [Fallen Immortal Realm].”
“Correct, Fallen Immortal.”
“When this immortal fell, he cast one last glance at the Xuanhuang Realm. Thus, everything in the world, from great mountains and rivers to tiny ants and insects, was perfectly reflected into this illusory world! What divine ability is this!”
Dharma-Transmitter Zhou sighed with emotion, his tone filled with a hint of longing.
“So, have you ever wondered who this immortal with unimaginable divine powers truly was? And why he fell?”
“I was indeed full of curiosity. Could it be that you know?” Li Fan asked.
“Actually, before this, I did not know either. But based on the deductions from the Tianxuan Mirror, perhaps we can make a guess or two,” Zhou admitted frankly.
“Do you still rember the thod to enter the Fallen Immortal Realm?”
“The thod?” Li Fan imdiately recalled that sowhat peculiar ritual.
It required four items.
A plain hemp garnt.
A plump ear of rice.
A small and exquisite model of a house.
A lifelike miniature donkey cart.
These four items were to be placed respectively in the four corners of the space.
Then, the first step: face the direction of the hemp garnt and recite in a low voice:
“Blessings to the Xuanhuang Immortal Venerable.”
The second step: turn toward the plump ear of rice and sincerely murmur:
“Blessings to the Xuanhuang Heavenly Monarch.”
The third step: gaze at the exquisite house model, hold your breath, and whisper:
“Blessings to the Xuanhuang Supre Emperor.”
The fourth step: fix your eyes on the cart laden with goods.
Finally, murmur: “Blessings to the Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable.”
“In truth, the answer often lies within the riddle itself,” Zhou said solemnly. “This fallen immortal is none other than the [Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable]!”
“The hemp garnt, ear of rice, house, and donkey cart correspond precisely to clothing, food, shelter, and transport: the four essentials humans cannot do without to sustain life. These fall squarely under the Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable's domain!”
“Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable?!” Li Fan's heart trembled.
“Xuanhuang corresponds to the Xuanhuang Realm. Celestial Venerable...”
“Does it refer to the Longevity Immortal Heavenly Sovereign?”
“But when connected like this, I find it sowhat confusing.”
“Can a powerhouse at the Longevity Realm possess such immortal-like might?” Li Fan furrowed his brows, deeply puzzled.
“An ordinary Longevity Realm powerhouse could certainly not achieve such seemingly impossible feats. But the [Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable] absolutely could,” Zhou explained to Li Fan.
“The Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable is not a title for a specific individual. It is a conferred position.”
“Imagine if, in a world, a cultivator could achieve complete unity of body and mind with the world's Heavenly Dao.”
“To the point where [my heart is the heavenly heart, my will is the heavenly will], then naturally, nothing in the world could escape his eyes.”
“The Great Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable is precisely such a figure.”
As Zhou explained, Li Fan suddenly thought of his own relation to the Spiritwood Realm.
[Translator's Note: "Celestial" and "heavenly" an the sa here for 天 (Tiān). Sa for 天尊 (Tiān Zūn): which I've translated as both "Celestial Venerable" or "Heavenly Sovereign," switched for better read, but it's the sa one title. That's why Li Fan links Tian Zun (Celestial Venerable) to "Chang Sheng Tian Zun" (Longevity Immortal Heavenly Sovereign)]
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