Chapter 816

“There’s something eerie about this place,” Shang Tianci muttered in a low voice.

Li Fan also sensed that something was unusual about this valley.

Tianyang took a quick step forward, blocking Li Fan’s path.

Li Fan followed closely behind, carefully observing his surroundings.

The valley floor lay beneath a towering mountain, shrouded in mist and never seeing sunlight. A miasma filled the air.

The flora and fauna here were unlike those found on Mount Taixu.

It was as if they had suddenly stepped into another world.

“This miasma… it can actually interfere with spiritual sense.”

Walking through the valley required caution. Their vision was obstructed, and even their spiritual sense couldn’t fully perceive the area.

Not long after moving forward, Shang Tianci suddenly stopped.

“The ringing sound has disappeared,” he said abruptly, turning his head.

Li Fan pondered for a moment. Based on the warning sound, he pinpointed a general area within the valley.

It was only about three meters in diameter, completely visible at a glance.

However, there were no signs of any remnants of the Xuantian Sect.

“Hm?”

Li Fan and Shang Tianci exchanged glances.

With a burst of spiritual energy, they cleared the area of weeds and animals.

After scraping away a thick layer of mud, a smooth stone slab was revealed.

“This is…”

Li Fan touched the stone slab, finding it oddly familiar.

A moment later, it hit him. It wasn’t something he had seen in the present world of Xuanhuang, but rather in the Fallen Immortal Realm, during the Ningyuan’s Longevity Fruit Incident.

Back in Ningyuan City, inside the small house of Mr. Bai, he had seen a similar stone slab.

The Dao Deviation Stone flickered with a blue glow as memories resurfaced.

Li Fan’s expression turned strange.

These two stone slabs weren’t just similar.

They were identical.

“The Absolute Immortal Stone Slab...”

“Could it be…” A thought arose in Li Fan’s mind.

He ordered Tianyang to lift the slab while he himself swiftly retreated to a safe distance.

After Tianyang entered the underground chamber, explored it, and returned without encountering danger, Li Fan finally descended.

The scene was almost identical to what he had experienced before.

The confined space held a faceless stone statue leaning against the wall.

Perhaps due to the isolation effect of the Absolute Immortal Stone Slab, a long brown wooden table stood in the middle, unchanged even after thousands of years.

Even the air still carried a faint, lingering scent of blood.

A wooden chest sat at the corner of the table, transparent ceramic jars lined the walls, and twenty-eight beast remains were buried in the ground at the room’s edge.

Every detail confirmed it—this was the very same underground chamber beneath Mr. Bai’s house in the Fallen Immortal Realm!

To see something from the Fallen Immortal Realm inexplicably appear before him…

The realization struck Li Fan with a bizarre sense of time and space twisting and overlapping.

“Could Mount Taixu have once been Ningyuan City?”

“If so, then wouldn’t the Purple Heaven Sect be nearby?”

Li Fan’s eyes flickered as he quickly compared the information from Ximen Yu’s Ancient and Modern Geography Studies.

“They don’t match.”

A moment later, Li Fan frowned slightly.

According to past-life intelligence from Jiao Xiuyuan, the ruins of the Purple Heaven Sect were now located in Linlang Prefecture, in the central region of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.

That was far from here.

Yet back then, Ningyuan City had been within the Purple Heaven Sect’s sphere of influence. It couldn’t have been more than ten thousand miles away.

“It seems that there’s an error in Ximen Yu’s geographical studies.”

“Though, I can’t really blame him. Who would have thought that within the same prefecture, after thousands of years, two locations would end up worlds apart?”

“This isn’t just a natural change in geography. It’s as if someone deliberately cut and separated them.”

Li Fan had long known that the present-day Xuanhuang Realm was formed from the fusion of the original Xuanhuang world and several other realms.

“But now, it looks like there was more than just fusion.”

“There was modification as well.”

“What exactly was the Immortal Ancestor trying to achieve?”

“At the end of the 115th era, when the True Immortal destroyed the world with a single glance, that earth-shattering roar… Could it have come from Immortal Ancestor?”

“It seems that the Xuanhuang Realm holds a special significance for him.”

Li Fan slowly calmed his thoughts. To be cautious, he ordered Tianyang to dig three feet deep in this area to ensure that nothing was left behind.

"This Faceless Xuantian Divine Statue is entirely made of Absolute Immortal Stone. It is quite valuable."

"However, rather than selling it, it would be better to use it as a symbol of the Federation of All Worlds. After all, under the heavens, this might be the last remaining Xuantian Divine Statue."

Li Fan then thought of the Xuantian Sect's Dharma King, who was still in deep slumber beneath the Purple Heaven Sect.

"Perhaps it might prove useful when the time comes."

After storing away the divine statue, the mystical induction of the Xuantian Execution Secret Art also returned to a state of tranquility.

"Senior, what exactly is that statue? It looks a bit eerie," Shang Tianci couldn't help but ask.

"This pertains to ancient secrets. Its history is so distant that it predates even the rise of the Immortal Ancestor. You will understand in due time," Li Fan replied with a mysterious smile, revealing just enough to spark Shang Tianci’s curiosity.

As they were about to leave, Li Fan had a sudden thought and simply cut away the entire underground chamber to take it with him.

Shang Tianci was left utterly speechless at the sight.

Li Fan remained indifferent and later accompanied Shang Tianci back to the Spiritwood Realm.

On the way, they encountered patrolling cultivators while crossing the regional borders. Fortunately, Li Fan possessed the Sky-Shrouding Hand secret technique, which allowed him to evade detection.

"Little Shang, what do you think of this place?"

Standing atop the Sacred Spirit Tree, Li Fan asked Shang Tianci, who was beside him.

"It’s… good, but…"

"It feels too ordinary."

After much hesitation, Shang Tianci finally found the right word.

"Indeed. It’s mostly endless plains, with very few majestic mountains or breathtaking landscapes. Compared to the Xuanhuang Realm, which is full of natural wonders, this place simply cannot compare. That’s why the next step will depend on you." Li Fan spoke with deep meaning.

"Huh?" Shang Tianci was momentarily stunned, clearly unable to grasp Li Fan’s intent.

"That Purple Gold Gourd of yours, doesn’t it have the power to manifest the wonders of the Xuanhuang Realm? You should bring those sceneries into the Spiritwood Realm. Even if they aren’t as grand as the originals, it doesn’t matter."

"Let’s recreate the Xuanhuang Realm within this small world!"

"Imagine—when newcomers arrive, the first thing they see is the same breathtaking landscapes as the Xuanhuang Realm!"

"How magnificent would that be?"

Li Fan murmured excitedly.

Shang Tianci, too, found his breathing quickening with anticipation.

"I’ll get started right away!"

The straightforward young man pounded his chest in determination.

"Before manifesting the landscapes, make sure to plan their placement carefully."

"The Chieftain of the Treefolk Clan has lived for many years. If you’re uncertain about anything, you can consult her." Li Fan reminded him.

Shang Tianci nodded repeatedly.

"With Little Shang’s help, our Federation of All Worlds is finally taking shape."

"As long as the trade with the Five Elders Association is completed and we have all the necessary resources, construction can officially begin."

Li Fan felt a slight sense of satisfaction in his heart.

"I wonder… could I refine the Spiritwood Realm into a portable treasure?"

"If I replace its anchor point and bind it to [Truth], it could serve as a solid and stable base. Right now, that does seem quite important."

Li Fan couldn’t help but speculate.