NOVPUBHearing Lin Ling’s description, Li Fan let down much of his guard against her.
This kind of inconceivable event...
It didn’t seem like something she could make up.
Imagining Elder Stone Plate being "fished" away in his Spirit Consciousness, even with his current state of mind, Li Fan couldn’t help but feel a shiver down his spine.
When you gaze into the Abyss, the Abyss gazes also into you.
When you’re fishing, who’s to say you won’t become the one being fished?
"To be able to connect what’s inside and outside the High Wall, the water from the Supreme Treasure Fishing Pond is indeed far too deep."
After mulling over it for a moment, Li Fan decided he couldn’t just take Lin Ling’s word for it. He needed to see the scene for himself.
Thinking thus, Li Fan concealed his movements and sped towards Yong Yun Province.
Upon arriving at the small temple, whether it was Zhong Shentong, Liuli, or Lin Ling, it was obvious none had recovered from the immense horror of Elder Stone Plate’s sudden disappearance.
They looked panicked and restless.
"Master, you’ve come." Seeing Li Fan arrive, Lin Ling approached eagerly as if she had found her mainstay.
Zhong Shentong was also slightly shaken and paid his respects.
Li Fan just nodded slightly, then strode to the site where the Fishing Pond had been.
The originally placid pool of water now reduced to utter nothingness.
It was as black as the Misthaven Ocean after being destroyed by Mo Sha, with not even space itself remaining.
The sense of danger emanating from it made Li Fan frown slightly and unconsciously take a step back.
"The Fishing Pond is certainly domineering, a realm unto itself. After it occupied a region of the Xuanhuang World, it expelled all other laws or rather directly crushed and annihilated them."
"And with the disappearance of the Fishing Pond, the occupied region is revealed. It might take the Xuanhuang World Heaven and Earth decades to repair and return to normal."
Li Fan thought to himself while trying to discern any residual aura in the area.
Originally, Li Fan didn’t hold out much hope, but unexpectedly, he did discover something.
"This is..."
Li Fan’s eyes flickered, outwardly showing a disappointed expression as if he had found nothing.
Then, using the danger of this place as a reason, he took Lin Ling and the others back to the Spirit Tree Realm.
After settling them down properly, Li Fan returned alone and in secret.
With closed eyes and concentrated thought, he recalled the sensation of merging with the Ocean Pearl, which was also a state of the Heavenly-Earthly View under the Formless Killing Machine.
Dots of light appeared within the darkness.
A kaleidoscopic scene unfolded before Li Fan’s eyes.
Beyond the emptiness left by the Fishing Pond, there were countless intertwining, subtle threads that were barely perceptible.
The number of threads was continually increasing at a noticeable rate.
It was as if an invisible loom was weaving something within the void.
This scene was strikingly similar to what Li Fan had once witnessed in the [Root of Heaven and Earth], the creation scene of the Five Elements Cave Heaven.
Heaven and Earth were creating in their own way.
And the thing being created at the moment...
"The Tablet of Creation." Li Fan suddenly opened his eyes, showing a look of surprise.
This nascent object already bore a striking resemblance to the Stone Tablet that Elder Stone Plate had carried on his back, which was said to record everything in the Xuanhuang World since the dawn of time!
Shaken by this revelation, Li Fan’s thoughts whirled rapidly, and he immediately deduced the reason why the Tablet of Creation had reappeared here.
The Tablet of Creation is the manifestation of the laws of the Xuanhuang World, essentially the world itself.
The world itself naturally could not be taken away by the unknown entity in the depths of the Fishing Pond.
Thus, although Elder Stone Plate had vanished, the Tablet of Creation he carried remained due to the inertia of the world.
"It seems the elder has finally gotten his wish, to be free at last."
"Just I don’t know what kind of scene lies on the other side of the Fishing Pond."
Gazing beyond the high wall at the possible scenes outside, Li Fan felt a momentary lapse in concentration.
Eventually, he shook his head and focused his attention on the increasingly evident Tablet of Creation.
This stone tablet was unmistakably a treasure of the Xuanhuang World.
Once refined, the countless secrets that the Xuanhuang World once hid would all be laid bare before Li Fan.
He might even ascend to the heavens in one step and achieve longevity.
But it was a longevity deeply tied to the Xuanhuang World.
Moreover, Li Fan had clearly seen the agony that Elder Stone Plate had suffered; even death seemed like a relief in comparison…
More importantly, Li Fan was worried that this object, like Ruo Mu and Heavenly Dao Mr. Bai, might have the effect of influencing the spirit consciousness.
Should there be another occurrence of "Even True yet unwilling."
In the end, he would carry the stone tablet forever...
"From the experience of confronting Mr. Bai of Heavenly Dao, the influence on the spirit consciousness cannot be escaped, not even by an incarnation."
"It seems necessary to find a suitable candidate to inherit the Tablet of Creation."
"Someone with a spirit strong enough not to become a madman on the spot, and at the very least, be put to use by me..."
Images of various cultivators rapidly shifted in Li Fan’s spirit consciousness.
Li Fan knew he didn’t have much time left.
Heaven and Earth were reweaving the Tablet of Creation, like fruit ripening on a tree.
The moment the Tablet of Creation fully materializes will be the instant of the fruit falling to the ground.
It would probably return to some place in the Xuanhuang World, forever elusive.
"It’s him."
Li Fan finally decided on the target and then, with Seven-color Divine Light surrounding his body, transformed into a long rainbow that shot straight toward Misthaven Ocean.
Before long, he had found the targeted cultivator.
It was none other than Sima Changkong who recorded the history of the Xuanhuang World with his family’s bloodline!
In this lifetime, Sima Changkong had no dealings with Li Fan, so he was somewhat astonished at Li Fan’s sudden visit.
But Li Fan wasn’t there to seek his opinion.
Without any explanation, he instantly subdued Sima Changkong and then quickly returned with him to the small temple in Yong Yun Province.
On the way, he explained the whole matter.
"Now, an opportunity to thoroughly glimpse the past of the Xuanhuang World is laid before you. Are you willing to accept it?" Li Fan asked, his tone grave.
Clearly, Sima Changkong, who dedicated generations to recording the history of the Xuanhuang World, had no reason to refuse this.
All events occurring in the Xuanhuang World would perpetually appear in his spirit consciousness...
For Sima Changkong, this was far from a pain!
It was an ability so perfect it almost made one tremble with excitement, something the Sima Family had dreamt of!
At least, that’s what Sima Changkong thought before he truly absorbed the stone tablet.
"Who else could write the history of the Xuanhuang, if not me?"
"I hope you, fellow Daoist, will make this possible!"
Sima Changkong took a deep breath and respectfully bowed to Li Fan.
Although he did not know how the other party became aware of his identity, if what he said was true...
Sima Changkong was willing to give up everything for this!
"Very well!" Li Fan responded in a deep voice.
"Wait for the right moment!"
Seven days later, just before the Tablet of Creation was about to fully materialize, Li Fan uttered a soft shout and used the [Silk Drawing] Divine Technique on Sima Changkong.
One could see Sima Changkong’s body splitting inch by inch, as if transforming into strands of silk, drifting in the air.
