With Li Fan's help, the clone's Dongtian, which had been on the verge of collapse, finally stabilized. The massive accumulation of unclaimed cultivation that had threatened to overwhelm him was now absorbed and distributed. The subsequent cultivation influx, while still abundant, was no longer unbearable.
Li Qing, strengthened by this enormous infusion, now approached the realm of his true form. Yet, there was no joy on his face—only solemnity.
"Too much… too fast," he muttered. "At this rate, even with body-robbing techniques to store cultivation, I won't be able to sustain it. How long before I burst?"
Li Fan was thoughtful. "Logically, the scale of monks currently practicing Common People's Lingyuan Gong and the quality of their cultivation should be far inferior to the original Lingyuan Sect. The leader can't be making breakthroughs constantly."
Li Qing added, "In my opinion, this technique might be a machine that extracts and purifies a monk's cultivation. Even if the monk dies, the mechanism continues to operate… it's… rather sinister."
Li Fan fell silent, considering. "It's clearly not for the leader's own cultivation. This Lingyuan Sect had a much larger plan—but it was reduced to dust before it could succeed."
After a pause, Li Fan said calmly, "Don't worry about this problem. I'll handle the excess cultivation."
With the help of the faceless immortal stone statue, he could transfer surplus cultivation to the followers of the Mercy Immortal in the world without any loss, eliminating the risk of explosion.
"Unknowingly, I've reached the perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm," Li Fan mused. "With the Immortal Seating Technique and the faceless stone network, my cultivation has accelerated far too quickly. But this small realm's progress doesn't translate to combat power. Even if I were promoted to godhood, it would have little effect—unless I can find a [Change in Heaven and Earth] comparable to the Five Elements Great Cave."
The answer had already been tested for him: [Xuanhuang General Change]. By extracting all changes occurring in the Xuanhuang Realm into his own cave, he could "recreate Xuanhuang" within his body. Success would grant him near-transformational power over the realm for a period, enough to manipulate ordinary immortals and even Hedao monks.
The potential was immense—but the risk was equally so. Large-scale extraction could stagnate the Xuanhuang world. In Li Fan's 115th life, Mr. Bai could act with impunity as the incarnation of Heaven—but Li Fan could not. Too much extraction would stir murderous intent from the natural world and attract the attention of Xuanhuang's Immortal Lords.
"To succeed, I need a cover operation… a movement so large it distracts everything. A movement that could shake the entire Xuanhuang Realm," he thought.
Li Fan's eyes flickered. "When I sever the net of true immortals and escape danger, it may also be my chance to break through and transform into a god. Even if the plan isn't completed in one go, it will make future ascension much easier."
Other methods of becoming a god were too weak—Li Fan dismissed them entirely.
Just then, Li Qing interrupted his contemplation.
"I seem to sense where the Lingyuan Sect stores cultivation," he said hesitantly.
Li Fan's eyes brightened as he instantly pinpointed the location in the sea of consciousness: Jiushan Prefecture, deep underground.
"We might still uncover some Lingyuan Sect heritage," Li Fan said, narrowing his eyes.
Soon, he arrived at the target. The underground area was riddled with newly constructed caves, empty and uninhabited. Despite being in a relatively remote part of Jiushan Prefecture, the number of buildings was astonishing. Li Fan noted that these caves stretched all the way toward the city center, like crude plaster over the ground, prioritizing quantity over aesthetics.
"Trade State must be very appealing," he muttered. "With so many structures, selling isn't the issue."
Moving silently underground, guided by the induction, Li Fan descended further. The pressure increased with depth, making movement increasingly difficult, even for him. Finally, he found the target: a glowing cube buried deep beneath the earth.
The cube, ten feet square, radiated a faint light in the darkness. Li Fan could not perceive it with spiritual consciousness alone. Without the clone's sensing ability, this would be nearly impossible to locate—a needle in a haystack.
He approached and touched the cube. Like a hard wall, it blocked entry.
"This is…" he murmured, realization dawning.
"Cultivation?"
Li Fan hesitated, then absorbed the materialized cultivation into his body. The sheer amount stored within the luminous cube was staggering. Even after long absorption, he could not carve a hole through it.
Using nine of his stored bodies in succession, he finally created an entrance. Once inside, the cultivation around the cube quickly repaired the hole.
The space within was small, five feet square, filled with various items—but most striking were three shining golden bodies, standing silently, lifeless, yet emanating a subtle sense of danger.
Li Fan's eyes narrowed. A crisis warning flickered in his mind.
What is cultivation?
It is abstract, yet real. Each monk practices different techniques, yet all ultimately aim for the same goal—though each path leaves its unique mark on the practitioner.
The three golden figures before Li Fan were about the size of ordinary humans. Like the luminous cubes he had encountered before, they were pure materializations of cultivation—an immeasurable sum of accumulated power condensed to its extreme.
Li Fan sensed immediately that each figure radiated a different aura. Though distinct, all shared a mechanical precision, like a perfect construct, each forming a unique internal structure. He knew instinctively that if one touched the organs of these golden men, they would carry out predetermined tasks with terrifying precision.
"There's no sign of spiritual power being used. It's all constructed from the cultivation itself," Li Fan murmured. "Is this meant for total concealment? Such a meticulous design… it's hard to imagine."
He paused, then sent a sliver of spiritual power into one of the figures, retreating to a safe distance. The effect was instantaneous. It was as if a pile of explosives had detonated—the golden figure erupted with violent, unstable energy. Slowly, the golden glow subsided, leaving only the eyes ablaze with uncontrollable light.
Li Fan could now see the figure clearly. To his surprise, it looked almost exactly like the Dharma Master. In other words, it was modeled after the statues of Tianzun scattered throughout the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
Upon awakening, the golden figure showed no confusion. Following preprogrammed steps, its eyes swept across the stored items in the space. Streaks of golden light extended from its hands, touching the objects. The dead, inert items seemed to gain sudden vitality, assembling spontaneously into rough human forms.
Golden Man No. 1 then directed a beam of light from its eyes toward its companions. Golden Man No. 2 dissolved into thick golden mucus, which merged into the human form crafted by the first. Golden Man No. 3 became a beam of light, emerging from the ground, then returning with a black, pulsating object, which it inserted into the figure.
Life surged into the assembly.
"Is this the backup plan for Leader Lingyuan's resurrection?" Li Fan thought, hidden in the shadows.
As the golden mucus solidified, a strange hoarse voice emerged: "I… am I dead?" There was confusion, hesitation, and an unwillingness in the tone.
Leader Lingyuan's consciousness returned. Seeing the two golden figures guarding him, he was startled. "Golden figures… did I really develop this? Damn it…"
Even resurrected, he felt neither joy nor relief—only anxiety.
"According to my memory, achieving a qualitative breakthrough would have required at least a hundred years," he muttered, rifling through the time orbits he had stored. His expression darkened. "Three hundred and twenty-eight years have passed… how is it possible to restore my memory backups?"
After a brief panic, he regained composure. "Given my meticulous nature, there must be backups somewhere. Something must have destroyed the others unexpectedly. Resurrection will rely on me alone…"
He sighed. "It seems the Lingyuan Sect is doomed to perish with me. Indeed, accomplishing great things is impossible with so few people."
He tried to activate the Common People's Lingyuan Gong. To his astonishment, his practice flowed smoothly. Simultaneously, he sensed millions practicing the technique at the same time.
"What… is happening?" Leader Lingyuan murmured, panic rising.
He deduced a possible explanation: a traitor had infiltrated the sect, and not only was he eliminated, but all backup memories were erased. Only the original, ancient copy remained intact. Yet this speculation brought him no comfort.
"Why… did I trust outsiders so easily? Even my deepest secrets could be revealed… and I was betrayed," he muttered.
Finally, he exhaled slowly. "Until I know the truth, I must stay low… survive. That is all."
Leader Lingyuan's body, composed of condensed cultivation, shifted. His arm extended into a long pipe, piercing the cube wall. Golden light streamed through it, absorbing the stored cultivation. His realm aura soared from the early stage of Qi refining to a higher level.
"Fortunately, over the years, I have accumulated backup cultivation techniques," he thought. "I should regain my strength soon."
Then, unexpectedly, he lost control of his body. Alert, he tried to summon the two golden guardians—but they were gone.
A stone elephant filled with divine mercy suddenly appeared in his mind, seizing all his thoughts.
When he came to, he was disoriented. He could no longer contact the golden guardians.
Leader Lingyuan's heart sank. The situation had changed—and fast.