Chapter 985: Longevity Is Not the Same

The tone of the Daoist Hundred Flowers carried a trace of uncertainty.

When Li Fan heard this, he frowned deeply. “You? The Longevity Immortal Realm?” His tone was full of doubt.

Although the other party’s strength was indeed hard to gauge, compared to the true Longevity experts of the Xuanhuang Realm, there was still an obvious gap.

At the very least, Li Fan did not feel any great threat coming from her.

“Fellow Daoist, are you perhaps trying to scare me just by throwing around the name of the Longevity Immortal Realm?” Li Fan’s expression turned slightly unfriendly.

The Daoist Hundred Flowers a bitter smile. “I’ve already fallen to such a state. How could I bother with such meaningless acts?”

“In truth, if I were still in the Wansheng Realm—or in any other cultivation world—I could indeed be called a being of the Longevity Immortal Realm.”

“However, in the Xuanhuang Realm…”

The Daoist Hundred Flowers looked up at the sky. A trace of reverence flashed in her eyes. “Thousands of years have passed, and the world has changed beyond recognition. This heaven and earth have become so vast.”

“To be frank, my homeland, the Wansheng Realm, was only about the size of five prefecture of the current Xuanhuang Realm.”

“And even back then, among the many cultivation realms, our Wansheng Realm was only of mid-tier scale.”

“Even among those of the Longevity Immortal Realm, there are still differences.” The Daoist Hundred Flowers spoke helplessly.

Li Fan suddenly understood.

In the past, the Xuanhuang Realm was already a colossal existence among the various cultivation realms.

After thousands of years of plundering and devouring, it had expanded countless times over.

Now, as possibly the only surviving cultivation realm within the Darkest Star Sea, Xuanhuang could no longer be measured by common sense.

And in such a vast world, the Longevity Immortal Heavenly Sovereigns who existed against the natural order and alongside the heavens themselves possessed terrifying power beyond imagination.

They could not be judged by ordinary logic.

“To be born in Xuanhuang is both fortune and misfortune,” Li Fan thought to himself.

He looked again at the Daoist Hundred Flowers and estimated her strength to be roughly equivalent to the stronger Dao Integration cultivators of the Xuanhuang Realm.

“No wonder you seem a bit weak,” Li Fan said bluntly.

“I once fought with a Longevity Immortal Heavenly Sovereign. Against them, you probably wouldn’t last a few rounds.”

Her expression was hard to see, but from the faint fluctuations in her golden, radiant form, it was clear she was not in a good mood.

“Alright. Since what you said has been verified, let us return to the Spiritwood Realm first. The Xuanhuang Realm is constantly under the watch of the Heavenly Sovereigns. Although your strength is weaker, your cultivation is still at the Longevity level. If you remain here too long, there’s a chance you might be exposed.”

Saying this, Li Fan led the Daoist Hundred Flowers back into the Spiritwood Realm.

Daoist Hundred Flowers did not resist.

Not only were their strengths evenly matched, any conflict between them could attract the attention of even greater powers—but more importantly, Little Liuli was still in Li Fan’s hands. Alone as she was now, her future cultivation would still depend on the Glazed Wisdom Fruit.

“Fellow Daoist Hundred Flowers,” Li Fan asked gently after changing his appearance in the Spiritwood Realm, “those survivors from the other realms back then—do you have any means of contacting them now?”

“I know what you are worried about,” the Daoist Hundred Flowers replied coldly. “But you need not be concerned. After so many years, they are most likely long dead within the Immortal Ruins.”

“Oh? You’re that certain?” Li Fan asked with interest.

“The Xuanhuang Realm, so vast as it is, is already on the verge of falling into the Immortal Ruins. Those people, relying only on a few fragments of hastily joined land, how long do you think they could have lasted?” the Daoist Hundred Flowers said with conviction.

“That is why, aside from the Xuanhuang Realm, I have nowhere else to go. We are all in the same boat, Fellow Daoist. You really don’t need to be so wary of me.”

The Daoist Hundred Flowers’s tone was sincere, though her heart sighed at how the hearts of cultivators had grown so distrustful.

At their time, although deception and intrigue were inevitable, it had never reached the point where everyone had to guard against each other as though facing mortal enemies every single moment.

“Hehe, the human heart is treacherous. One must never lower their guard.” Li Fan appeared utterly accustomed to such matters.

“Words alone are no proof. Whether letting you leave or cooperating with you, I cannot rest easy...”

“Hm?” Daoist Hundred Flowers’s expression changed upon hearing this. She thought Li Fan was about to strike her down again. The golden light of her body flickered violently.

Yet Li Fan’s tone suddenly shifted. “Fellow Daoist, follow me. Once you bow before the Stone Statue, you and I shall become companions of the same path. From then on, our hearts will be united, and there will be no need for mutual suspicion.”

Daoist Hundred Flowers froze. “Stone statue?”

Her confusion turned to terror the instant she saw the Faceless Statue.

Golden radiance flashed unsteadily over her body, trembling like a frightened cub facing its natural predator.

Daoist Hundred Flowers stepped back in alarm and exclaimed, “A True Immortal statue? How could such a thing exist here?”

“You’ve been deceiving me all along?”

Daoist Hundred Flowers glared at Li Fan with both fear and resentment.

At that moment, Li Fan keenly sensed that faint streams of suction were emanating from the Faceless True Immortal Stone Statue.

It seemed intent on absorbing Daoist Hundred Flowers’s Glazed Golden Divine Body.

“Why panic, Fellow Daoist? This is the Faceless True Immortal of Salvation and Mortal Compassion. He differs greatly from the other Immortals you know.”

“Simply swear an oath with me, and I will ensure your safety.” Li Fan’s tone grew solemn.

At the same time, his mind linked with the statue. In an instant, countless scenes of the pious prayers of Mortal Compassion Immortal believers across the Xuanhuang Realm surfaced in his mind.

He himself seemed to be strengthened by some mysterious power.

Daoist Hundred Flowers screamed in horror and hastily retreated, her gaze filled with dread as she stared at Li Fan.

Li Fan’s heart stirred. He sensed faint golden threads peeling away from Daoist Baihua’s body.

The golden filaments floated through the air, drawn toward the faceless statue, before drifting slowly to Li Fan’s side.

“Golden Vow-power?”

After absorbing it, Li Fan realized that this energy was extremely similar to ordinary Golden Willpower, but far purer in essence.

His gaze returned to Daoist Hundred Flowers.

Under Li Fan’s pressure, Daoist Hundred Flowers had no choice but to recite the oath after him.

When the words ended, Li Fan’s spiritual connection immediately sensed Daoist Hundred Flowers’s presence.

But she was no longer a golden humanoid figure. Instead, she appeared as a lotus-shaped lamp.

“So this is your true form now?” Li Fan frowned and asked.

“Y-yes.” Daoist Hundred Flowers’s tone was now utterly subdued, stripped of her former pride.

“You are at least at the Longevity Immortal realm. Why are you so weak?” Li Fan asked with genuine puzzlement.

Upon hearing this, he felt a surge of grievance and sorrow emanating from her.

Daoist Hundred Flowers glanced nervously at the silent Faceless Stone Statue, hesitated, and said nothing.

“Speak freely.” Li Fan assured her.

“The True Immortal of Salvation and Mortal Compassion... even if not yet at the realm of the Nameless True Immortal, is not far from it. I am but a fallen Longevity Immortal. How could I possibly resist?” Daoist Hundred Flowers said weakly.

“Even so, it is only a stone statue. Is there truly need for such fear?”

Daoist Hundred Flowers, thinking Li Fan was testing her, hurriedly declared her loyalty. “You jest, Your Excellency. For a True Immortal, the range of their power is so vast that whether statue or true body makes no difference.”