[This simulation has ended.]
In the study that felt familiar yet strange, Li Fan stood motionless, still immersed in the lingering sensation of executing the Heaven-Overturning Palm.
After a long while, he finally took a deep breath.
Though he had slain a Nascent Soul cultivator as a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, Li Fan felt little pride.
One reason was that the red-haired Nascent Soul cultivator wasn't particularly strong.
More importantly, Li Fan hadn't relied entirely on his own power.
He had used the Technique Eruption Spirit-Startling Array to forcibly elevate the power of his techniques to the Golden Core realm; then activated numerous supporting arrays.
Finally, he unleashed both ultimate killing moves simultaneously—Twenty-Eight Congyun Swords and the Heaven-Overturning Palm.
Yet in the end, he had only managed to trade his life for his opponent's. If not for Return to Truth, he would likely be dead by now, with his Dao extinguished.
On the other hand, if he hadn't had Return to Truth as his safeguard, given Li Fan's temperament, he probably wouldn't have fought with such desperate abandon, ultimately comprehending the Heaven-Overturning Palm that allowed him to turn the tides.
Gazing at the options offered by Return to Truth, Li Fan naturally chose the second option without hesitation, retaining his cultivation level.
As he confirmed his choice, he concentrated on the inside of his body, focusing on the changes taking place.
When he had regained his late-stage Qi Refinement cultivation before, the Immortal-Mortal Miasma within him had silently dissolved and vanished as his cultivation appeared.
What Li Fan was most curious about was how Return to Truth would handle this world's law that one must borrow a Curio of heaven and earth to establish their foundation.
As he held his breath, late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation suddenly surged forth within his body.
The Immortal-Mortal Miasma vanished like snowflakes dissolving in water.
Spiritual qi inexplicably emerged within him, and his aura began climbing steadily.
In an instant, he reached the late-stage Qi Refinement realm.
Then, within his dantian, a deep blue pearl suddenly appeared without any warning. It was none other than the Deepsea Pearl that shouldn't have descended into the world yet!
The Heaven-Earth Root attached itself to the Deepsea Pearl, transforming the laws it encompassed into Li Fan's Dao Foundation. Yet this Foundation Establishment process was hundreds, thousands of times faster than when Li Fan had done it himself!
In moments, the Deepsea Pearl disappeared without a trace, and a shimmering blue projection of a sea now resided within Li Fan's dantian.
In the space of a breath, Li Fan had completed the Foundation Establishment process.
Then his aura continued rising until it finally stopped at the late-stage Foundation Establishment realm.
It seems that even when relying on Return to Truth to enhance my cultivation, in this world, I must still follow the cultivation rules established by the Heavenly Venerable Dao Teacher step by step.[1]
This is the power of defying the principles of heaven and earth.
The rules of cultivation have been completely and fundamentally altered. To play this game of immortal cultivation, one must follow the newly established rules.
Li Fan pondered for a moment, recalling scenes from his previous life.
After the Eternal Heavenly Venerable defied the principles of heaven and earth, they no longer appeared in the world.
Dao Unity powerhouses who suppress entire provinces represent the strongest power in the open.
Below Dao Unity...
Remembering how the various Spirit Transformation experts in Yuandao Province had slaughtered each other, only to serve as sacrifices for Immortal Venerable Lan Yu to attain the Dao, Li Fan couldn't help but sigh.
Below Dao Unity, all are ants.
Spirit Transformation, Nascent Soul, Golden Core, Foundation Establishment... there's no fundamental difference between them.
Only after sacrificing the soul of heaven and earth and achieving Dao Unity can one barely enter the sights of the Eternal Heavenly Venerables.
But... without achieving eternal life, all is ultimately illusory.
Immortal Venerable Lan Yu clung to life for thousands of years, yet his time still came.
“Achieving eternal life... Achieving eternal life...”
Li Fan murmured these three words repeatedly, as if contemplating something profound, his brow deeply furrowed.
Without achieving eternal life, all is ultimately illusory. But even if one achieves eternal life, then what?
Back then, the Heavenly Venerable Dao Teacher established the new path of cultivation. From that moment, if one didn’t follow his cultivation path, cultivation became impossible.
But if one truly walks his cultivation path, one would still remain beneath his shadow even upon achieving eternal life.
Li Fan’s expression suddenly smoothed, as if he’d reached some profound realization.
In this world, the path of cultivation has already been set according to his will, becoming an established rule.
To transcend this, one must step outside the gameboard from the very beginning.
But as mere pieces—and the weakest pieces at that—how can we leap off the board ourselves?
Unless... we borrow external means.
Return to Truth...
Li Fan stared at Return to Truth’s panel before him, his gaze flickering intensely.
From the moment I learned everything in existence could be considered a Curio of heaven and earth, I conceived the idea of using Return to Truth to build my Dao Foundation.
For this purpose, I’ve observed over a thousand Foundation Establishment processes and unlocked two anchor points.