Chapter 1546: The First Becomes an Immortal Puppet

After ten thousand years as Grand Celestial Venerable, Yi Yutong was theoretically eligible to retire. But finding a suitable successor wasn't easy. When the probability of finding someone dropped below a certain threshold, it became indistinguishable from impossible. She searched for another six thousand years, scouring the Xuanhuang World, but found no one who met the requirements. She finally understood the Profound Heaven King's elation upon discovering her.

Having given up hope, she focused on her duties, finding solace in the natural world, resigning herself to sharing the Xuanhuang World's fate.

Then, the war with Taiyuan erupted. The image of a True Immortal, emerging from a chasm and ascending amidst battle, shocked the world. As one of the few who truly understood the nature of Immortals, she instantly recognized the distinctive aura the moment it appeared, her mind filled with questions. The path to immortality was severed. Even a genius like the Profound Heaven King had only achieved Half-Immortal status. How could a new True Immortal emerge?

Then, the True Immortal vanished in a burst of light, and she felt a sense of relief, followed by an irresistible urge.

"With the power of a True Immortal, I could break free from these restrictions. The Immortal Realm is gone…" The thought, once planted, couldn't be suppressed.

She took a great risk, leaving the Xuanhuang World for the first time and venturing into Taiyuan. Most of her power came from her position as Grand Celestial Venerable. Outside the Xuanhuang World, she was just an ordinary Dao Integration cultivator. She knew how many Dao Integration cultivators had perished in Taiyuan. Even with the war over, the dangers of an alien world were unpredictable.

But she went anyway. She visited the site of the True Immortal's ascension, marveling at the chasm he had created.

She returned with a newfound understanding. The True Immortal's lingering aura felt familiar, resonating with both the Profound Heaven King and the Faceless God statue she had worshipped as a child.

"I was wrong. If a True Immortal still exists, the path to immortality isn't severed. The destination remains. Only the path to it, the Immortal Realm, has been destroyed."

Guided by this familiarity, she sensed the edges of immortality. As she painted, her consciousness, following this connection, drifted beyond the Xuanhuang World, glimpsing the vast expanse of the Mountain and Sea.

Li Fan closed the book of Yi Yutong's memories, his expression grim. She had glimpsed the Infinite Sea and the Upper Mountain during her Dao comprehension, a feat far beyond her natural talent. The only explanation was the influence of that "familiarity."

Just as he had occasionally seen the image of a figure watching the sea from a mountain, not a direct observation but a consequence of studying the Hill Watcher's Jottings and entering his Dao, Yi Yutong's vision had an external source.

"So, the source of her connection to the Mountain and Sea is…"

With Yi Yutong now a Heavenly Pillar, a mere tool, he easily accessed her mind, tracing the source of that familiarity.

"Not the Profound Heaven King. The Faceless Immortal…" Having dealt with both in past lives, especially the Faceless Immortal, whose trap he had once fallen into, losing his own face like Yi Yutong's parents, he quickly identified the culprit.

But he was no longer the same Li Fan. He had met beings like the Hill Watcher, the Purple-Clad figure, and the Tai Heavenly Emperor, all capable of traversing the Eternal Silent Void. He wasn't afraid of a mere Faceless Immortal.

"Such a strong connection… they must still be within Primordial Possibility, not a Transcendent…" His eyes flickered as he considered the implications.

He decided to deal with this later, focusing on other matters within the Xuanhuang World first.

Yi Yutong's account, as he now knew, had been a mixture of truth and lies. While the First Grand Celestial Venerable had displayed cruelty, it was a consequence of the separation of their mortal and immortal selves. As their condition worsened, they had retreated from public view, focusing on finding a successor. And they had deliberately allowed their descendants to escape.

Out of respect for their past contributions, the Profound Heaven King, despite punishing their descendants' crimes, hadn't eradicated them completely.

"Realizing true ascension was impossible, the First abandoned their plan to regain immortality, gifting their immortal body to their successor as a last resort. This immortal body, combined with immortal artifacts and the power of the Xuanhuang World itself, solidified the Grand Celestial Venerable's position."

"The location of the immortal body is…" He found the answer in Yi Yutong's memories and instantly teleported there.

"So, it's here." He recognized the location, connecting it to its future form: Tianling Region, where the First Beginning Sect would later establish the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heavens.

But at this point in time, the space known as the Root of Heaven and Earth wasn't under their control.

The First Grand Celestial Venerable's immortal body lay within, radiating immortal power, nourishing the Xuanhuang World.

Guided by Yi Yutong's memories, Li Fan bypassed the protective formations, reaching the immortal body.

"Impressive. No wonder the Immortal Realm entrusted them with such an important position." He observed from a distance. The body's aura, though not on par with the Unnamed One, was stronger than Xi and Yi, the two immortals he had encountered in the Shuo Star Sea.

"A True Immortal's body, without consciousness… The perfect material for an immortal puppet." He couldn't resist the temptation.

The body had remained untouched for millennia because the Grand Celestial Venerables lacked the power to utilize it. Even without consciousness, the residual immortal power protecting it was a formidable barrier.

But it couldn't stop Li Fan.

"Perhaps the Profound Heaven King could do this, but he wouldn't. He's too… principled."

Li Fan had no such qualms. To him, everything in the world, not just the Xuanhuang World but the entire Mountain and Sea, was a resource to be exploited.

Though eager to begin, he remained cautious, carefully examining the body and setting up formations to prevent any unforeseen complications before beginning the process.

He applied the knowledge he had gained from creating puppets and avatars in past lives, creating something between a fully independent puppet and a complete avatar. The immortal puppet would retain its own consciousness, but he would have complete control, able to monitor its thoughts, freeze its mind, and even erase its consciousness and create a new one.

This was the culmination of his knowledge and skill. Even at his current Half-Immortal level, the process was challenging, requiring the siphoned immortal power from the Taiyuan formation.

As the puppet's consciousness awakened, the immortal power that had been passively nourishing the Xuanhuang World now retreated inwards. The world, like a vibrant flower suddenly losing its color, subtly changed. Its previous vitality dimmed.

Though the change was subtle, perceptible only to a select few, it would become increasingly pronounced.

"No wonder Su Bai didn't take the immortal body when he tried to escape the High Wall. Without its nourishment, the Xuanhuang World might not have survived."

As Li Fan pondered this, the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, sensing the change, appeared, its consciousness radiating shock and anger. But upon seeing Li Fan, its emotions shifted to fear and subservience.

"Good. You learn quickly," Li Fan said, satisfied. He diverted a small portion of the siphoned immortal power to create a formation, nourishing the Xuanhuang World. Given the infinite nature of immortal power, this small diversion was insignificant. And he couldn't allow his anchor point in this timeline to collapse.

The revitalized Heavenly Dao retreated, oblivious to the fact that its fate was now in Li Fan's hands.

Li Fan, however, wasn't concerned with the Heavenly Dao. He was exploring the First Grand Celestial Venerable's fragmented memories.

The First's method of separating their mortal and immortal selves had been remarkably thorough. Even after a deep scan, Li Fan found only a few significant memories, deeply ingrained into the First's being, resistant even to that separation.

"Is this… Dao Obliteration…?" The First watched in horror as the distant Immortal Realm crumbled, its magnificent palaces collapsing into darkness and silence, the destruction spreading rapidly towards them. Countless immortals vanished without a trace, unable even to scream.

Despair overwhelmed the First. They didn't even try to escape. There was nowhere to run.

As they closed their eyes, awaiting their fate, a seemingly frail yet impossibly imposing figure appeared, and the fleeing immortals stopped in their tracks.

The figure faced the encroaching tide of Dao Obliteration, a single, unwavering barrier against the all-consuming darkness, dividing the world into two: death and nothingness on one side, life and light on the other, where the First stood.

Like the other survivors, the First stared in awe at the figure's back, learning their name much later:

The Hill Watcher.

"The Hill Watcher couldn't do it. How can the Heavenly Net Emperor succeed?" The First seemed to be arguing with someone. Despite their companion's reassurances, rage filled the First.

"Such arrogance, leading others to their deaths… No wonder even the Hill Watcher left. The Immortal Realm is doomed." The thought echoed endlessly within their mind.

"I hear the Heavenly Net Emperor is investigating those who oppose his rule, especially True Immortals who fled to the lower realms…" a friend's voice said.

"This is the Lankedao Domain. Choose a cultivation world," a voice said.

The First scanned the countless fragmented worlds, pausing at one.

"If I'm not mistaken, that's…" They recognized a familiar figure, one they had seen standing beside the Immortal Emperor while following the Hill Watcher.

"Shh…" A knowing chuckle echoed beside them. The First fell silent.

"I made the right choice. I'll choose this world. A place with such powerful figures… can't be wrong."

"He's dead."

"Such a powerful being… dead. And in the mortal realm." The First watched another illusory Xuanhuang World forming, filled with shock and confusion. Not just by the powerful being's death, but by the creation of this illusory world, seemingly independent of any physical reality.

"Though illusory, it's real. It doesn't need a physical foundation. Even Dao Obliteration… can't touch it."

(End of Chapter)