Chapter 164: Laying the True Foundation for a Hundred Generations

“This simulation has ended.”

…In the familiar yet unfamiliar study, Li Fan stood motionless, still immersed in the afterglow of the “Heaven-Overturning Palm.”

After a long while, he finally took a deep breath.

Although he had killed a Nascent Soul Cultivator with his Late Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, Li Fan felt no particular pride.

The red-haired Nascent Soul Cultivator's own cultivation not being strong was one reason.

More importantly, Li Fan did not rely entirely on his own strength.

He used the 【Explosive Dharma Shocking God Array】 to forcibly raise the power of his Move to the Golden Core Realm; then, he activated a bunch of Formations for assistance.

Finally, Congyun Twenty-Eight Swords and Heaven-Overturning Palm, two major killing Moves, were unleashed simultaneously.

In the end, it was only a mutual destruction.

If it weren't for 【Huan Zhen】, he would probably be dead by now.

However, on the other hand, if he didn't have 【Huan Zhen】 as a reliance, with Li Fan's personality, he probably wouldn't have risked his life to ultimately comprehend the Heaven-Overturning Palm that reversed the situation.

He gazed at the options for Huan Zhen.

Li Fan, of course, chose the second option without hesitation: retain his cultivation.

As he confirmed his choice, he concentrated and carefully noted the changes about to occur in his body.

When he inherited the Late Qi Refining Stage cultivation, the immortal-mortal miasma in his body silently dissolved and disappeared as the cultivation descended.

Li Fan was now curious how 【Huan Zhen】 would handle the Law of this world, “Foundation Establishment requires the wonders of heaven and earth.”

Holding his breath, the Late Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation suddenly surged from his body.

The immortal-mortal miasma vanished without a trace, like flying snow melting into water.

Spiritual Qi inexplicably emerged within his body, and then his Aura climbed steadily.

In an instant, he reached the Late Qi Refining Stage.

Then, in his Dantian, a azure small pearl suddenly appeared without any warning.

It was the cang hai pearl, which should not have appeared yet!

The roots of heaven and earth attached to the cang hai pearl, transforming the Law within it into Li Fan's Dao Foundation.

However, this Foundation Establishment process was a hundred, even a thousand times faster than Li Fan's own!

In just a fleeting moment, the cang hai pearl disappeared.

A phantom of a blue ocean, coiled within Li Fan's Dantian.

In an instant, Li Fan completed the Foundation Establishment process.

Subsequently, the Aura on his body continuously rose until it stopped at the Late Stage Foundation Establishment.

“It seems that even if I rely on the power of 【Huan Zhen】 to raise my cultivation, in this world, I still have to follow the cultivation rules set by the Celestial Venerable of Dharma Transmission step by step.”

“Is this the power of 【Heaven-Defying the principles of heaven and earth】?”

“The fundamental rules of cultivation have been completely changed; to play this game of cultivation, one must follow the established rules.”

Li Fan pondered for a moment, recalling the scenes he had witnessed in his previous life, and he seemed to gain some insight.

“After the Eternal Celestial Venerable Heaven-Defied the principles of heaven and earth, he did not appear in the world.”

“A Dao Integration powerhouse suppressing a province is the strongest combat power on the surface.”

“Below Dao Integration…”

Recalling the Soul Transformation powerhouses fighting in Yuandao Province, only to be sacrifices for Lan Yu Celestial Venerable's enlightenment.

Li Fan couldn't help but sigh: “Below Dao Integration, all are ants.”

“Soul Transformation, Nascent Soul, Golden Core, Foundation Establishment.”

“There is no essential difference.”

“Only after sacrificing the heaven and earth spirit and achieving Dao Integration can one barely enter the Eternal Celestial Venerable's Dharma Eye.”

“But…”

“Without achieving Eternal Life, all is ultimately an illusion.”

“Lan Yu Celestial Venerable lingered for thousands of years, but didn't his time still come?”

“Achieving Eternal Life…”

“Achieving Eternal Life…”

…Li Fan murmured these three words repeatedly, seemingly contemplating something, his brows tightly furrowed.

“Without achieving Eternal Life, all is ultimately an illusion.”

“If one achieves Eternal Life, then what?”

“Back then, the Celestial Venerable of Dharma Transmission established the path of the New Dharma cultivation.”

“From then on, if one did not follow his path of cultivation, one could not cultivate.”

“But if one truly follows his path of cultivation, then even if one truly achieves Eternal Life, one will still be under his shadow.”

Li Fan seemed to understand something, and his expression suddenly became calm.

“In this world, the path of cultivation has been set according to his will.”

“To achieve Transcendence, one must jump out of the chessboard from the very beginning.”

“But as a chess piece, and the weakest one at that, how can one jump out of the chessboard on one's own?”

“Unless, through external objects.”

“【Huan Zhen】…”

Li Fan stared at the 【Huan Zhen】 light screen in front of him, his eyes flickering.

“From the day I learned that everything in the world can be regarded as a wonder of heaven and earth, I had the idea of using 【Huan Zhen】 as a basis to build my Dao Foundation.”

“For this, I observed the Foundation Establishment process over a thousand times, both before and after.”

“And unlocked two more anchor points.”

“Now, it’s time to try.”

With a decision in his heart, Li Fan flew to Jie Li Mountain Peak, where he had once comprehended Formless Killing Intent.

He simply built a thatched hut and arranged some Formations around it to prevent outsiders from accidentally entering.

Then he sat cross-legged in the hut, and with a thought, the 【Huan Zhen】 prompt popped up at the opportune moment.

“Do you want to set the current time point as the second anchor point?”

Li Fan replied without hesitation: “Yes!”

The second anchor point fell into place.

“Now, I just have to wait for Huan Zhen to finish charging.”

“Huan Zhen’s charging speed has not increased; it still requires about nine years.”

“I can't be idle during this time.”

“I haven't thoroughly studied He Zhenghao's 【Mountain and River Vein Array Diagram】, but I remember the general idea of Zhang Zhiliang's 【Infinite Law】.”

“This is a good opportunity to continue strengthening my Formation skills.”

“It's just a pity that in this Immortal Severing Land of Great Xuan, I can only improve my theoretical level and cannot practice setting up Formations.”

Li Fan sighed, then immersed his mind in insights into the Dao of Formations.

Nine years passed in a flash.

“It's time!”

With the ability to revert at any time, Li Fan finally had the confidence to begin building his Dao Foundation with 【Huan Zhen】.

Currently, the wonder of heaven and earth he used for Foundation Establishment was still the cang hai pearl.

So, the first step was… shattering his Dao Foundation.

The Supreme Primordial Scripture circulated, transforming all his cultivation into pure cultivation, stored within his body.

Then, looking at the phantom of the ocean in his Dantian, which was between reality and illusion, Li Fan struck his Dantian with a fierce finger.

Li Fan spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood, his Aura rapidly weakening.

The phantom of Congyun Sea shook violently, and a black crack appeared in its center.

The ocean phantom became increasingly ethereal.

Li Fan struck again with his finger.

After three such strikes, the Congyun Sea completely disappeared between heaven and earth.

Li Fan, on the other hand, was as weak as a flickering candle, his face as pale as paper, almost dying.

“I used too much force; I can be gentler in the next life,” Li Fan thought to himself.

His internal cultivation was refined anew, and Li Fan's injuries quickly recovered, bringing him back to the Perfection of Qi Refining Realm.

“If it weren't for this Supreme Primordial Scripture, it would probably be a hundred times harder for me to attempt to build my Dao Foundation with 【Huan Zhen】.” The rapid fluctuations in his Realm in an instant made Li Fan think this.

Calming his mind, Li Fan began his first attempt.

Unlike building a Dao Foundation with a tangible wonder of heaven and earth, 【Huan Zhen】, though within Li Fan's body, was formless and invisible.

It was incredibly difficult to sense.

Fortunately, Zhang Haobo's wonder of heaven and earth for Foundation Establishment back then was also the formless and invisible 【Heavenly Fiend Sword Intent】.

Li Fan, who had the good fortune to witness the entire process, used this as a reference to sense the rules contained within 【Huan Zhen】 in his body.

After a long time, a hazy white light emerged from Li Fan's Dantian.

Then… bang!

Li Fan's Dantian exploded.

“Huan Zhen!”

Before his consciousness disappeared, Li Fan silently chanted.

Light and shadow shifted, and he did not return to the original study, but was still in the small thatched hut on Jie Li Mountain Peak.

Naturally, he chose to return to the second anchor point.

He chose to shorten the charging time.

After reducing the charging time by thirty percent, the charging process would only take six years.

Li Fan frowned slightly, carefully replaying the Foundation Establishment process of his previous life, constantly pondering and comprehending.

Six years passed in a flash.

【Huan Zhen】 finished charging, and Li Fan began his attempt again.

Three fingers shattered his Dao Foundation.

This time, although Li Fan's face was still pale, he only spat out a small mouthful of fresh blood.

Returning to the Perfection of Qi Refining, he carefully comprehended the rules of 【Huan Zhen】.

This time, the shimmering white light appeared a little softer.

The situation improved somewhat, but it didn't last long.

Bang! Li Fan's Dantian exploded again.

“Huan Zhen!”

Six years later, Li Fan began his third attempt.

The white radiance representing the rules of 【Huan Zhen】 became slightly gentler again.

This time, it lasted longer than the previous two times.

However, it was still far from the time when the 【Huan Zhen】 phantom would take shape.

Li Fan's Dantian exploded again.

“Huan Zhen!”

The fourth time.

"Why does my Dantian always explode?" Li Fan pondered, recalling the Foundation Establishment process in his previous lives.

The path of cultivation established by Celestial Venerable of Dharma Transmission emphasized stability.

Even with the worst Aptitude, as long as one had enough lifespan and met the conditions, they would definitely succeed in cultivation.

However, Li Fan's current process of Foundation Establishment using Huan Zhen went against the Dao of Celestial Venerable of Dharma Transmission.

"Originally, I thought the difficulty of my Foundation Establishment would be in how to perceive the formless and intangible Huan Zhen."

"But I didn't expect that, perhaps because Huan Zhen itself is integrated with me, perceiving its existence wasn't as difficult as imagined."

"Instead, this apparent incompatibility with the Celestial Venerable's cultivation path, leading to Dantian explosions, became the biggest obstacle to my successful Foundation Establishment."

"Perhaps, if I can solve this problem, Foundation Establishment with Huan Zhen won't be far off."

Thinking this, Li Fan's heart lifted slightly.

He began his fourth attempt.

Bang!

The fifth time!

Bang!

The sixth time!

…Each time represented six years.

Although he failed at the last moment every time, and his Dantian burst open.

The radiance of Huan Zhen did indeed become increasingly warm and gentle.

Things were developing in a good direction.

Li Fan's belief was strengthened by this.

In the continuous Reincarnation, Li Fan tirelessly repeated the Foundation Establishment process again and again.

He was single-minded, casting everything else out of his mind.

The tenth time.

The twentieth time.

The thirtieth time… After fifty-six attempts, Li Fan finally made significant progress.

In his Dantian, the warm white light seemed to solidify, pleasing to the eye like congealed fat and smooth jade.

The light no longer changed; what changed was its shape.

"Could it be that I'm finally going to succeed?"

Seeing this, even Li Fan's calm mind couldn't help but ripple slightly.

But clearly, things weren't that easy.

This time, his Dantian was intact and didn't explode.

However, Li Fan felt as if tiny insects were constantly squirming deep within the bones and muscles of his entire body.

That sensation of itchiness, numbness, and pain made Li Fan let out a muffled groan.

And this was just the beginning.

One after another, circular lumps of flesh suddenly protruded from Li Fan's body.

Then, as if they had a consciousness of their own, they moved around incessantly.

The lumps grew larger and larger, and within a few breaths, they were almost half the size of a head.

Covered in these terrifying bloody tumors, Li Fan now looked like a non-human monster.

Moreover, these bloody tumors were still expanding.

Finally, with a "Puff!" sound.

The tumors reached the limit of what a Qi Refining Physical Body could withstand, bursting open like balloons.

Flesh and blood splattered everywhere.

Covering the small straw hut.

Li Fan was also drenched in his own blood and flesh.

But he remained unmoved.

In his Sea of Consciousness, the Blue Flame Phantom Spirit appeared.

At the same time, the Profound Yellow Heart Refining Mantra continuously operated.

Li Fan entered a Realm of Wu You, fearlessness, and dreadlessness.

Only the Huan Zhen phantom condensed in his Dantian remained expressionless as his Physical Body disintegrated.

However, a Qi Refining Cultivator's Physical Body was, after all, weak.

Slowly, Li Fan's life Aura became faint.

Then it was about to disappear.

At the last moment, Li Fan silently recited Huan Zhen.

The fifty-seventh time!

Six years later, Li Fan tried again.

The white jade light flower changed shape with Li Fan's mental perception.

The tumors on Li Fan's body rose and fell.

After a long time, he failed again.

The fifty-eighth time.

Failure!

The fifty-ninth time.

Failure!

…Failure after failure did not diminish Li Fan's determination and belief.

He summarized his experiences and lessons, comparing each Foundation Establishment process.

He discovered that when he deliberately manipulated his perception, he lasted longer when he was ignorant and in a state of Chaos and confusion, rather than when he consciously tried to control it.

"Huan Zhen is integrated with me. Although I cannot perceive it, my body itself is subtly influenced by it."

"Using my primal consciousness to establish my Foundation Establishment is much smoother than using my self-awareness."

During the seventy-fifth Foundation Establishment process, Li Fan had an Epiphany.

Next, as he had predicted.

The shape of the white jade light cluster gradually became regular.

Each attempt was like a pruning, restoring it to its original shape… The ninetieth time.

When the white jade light cluster finally became an oval shape, it stabilized.

No more tumors appeared on Li Fan's body.

The light flickered, transitioning from illusory to solid.

It seemed about to materialize in his Dantian.

But… a sudden realization flashed through Li Fan's mind.

Something was still missing.

It was as if something had suddenly descended into the small straw hut on Jie Li Mountain Peak.

In an instant, Li Fan's hair turned snow-white.

His skin became shriveled and wrinkled.

Horrible ravines and cracks appeared on his face.

His muscles dissolved, leaving only a layer of skin draped over his skeleton.

He was no longer human, his appearance terrifying.

Li Fan's age was rapidly increasing; he would likely die of old age in a moment.

"Huan Zhen!"

Li Fan didn't hesitate.

From the ninety-first to the ninety-eighth attempt.

Every time Li Fan tried, it was like this.

He was always just a hair's breadth away from successfully establishing his Foundation Establishment with Huan Zhen.

The ninety-ninth time, he returned to Jie Li Mountain Peak.

"What exactly is missing?"

Li Fan frowned slightly.

He knew that at this point, he was on the verge of success.

But it wasn't something that could be solved by mere attempts.

He needed that momentary Epiphany to find the root of the problem.

Li Fan had a premonition that the answer should be very simple.

He was separated from it by a thin sheet of paper, which would break with a poke.

But now, Li Fan was in the midst of the mountain, unable to see its true face.

He couldn't find the correct solution.

While pondering, Li Fan floated down the mountain.

He wandered through the mortal world, seeking his answer.

At the same time, he also observed, for the first time, this Great Xuan that was not under his influence.

Anchor Year 5: A severe drought in Jiangnan.

A group of refugees attacked the Langya Royal Mansion.

The Langya Royal Mansion suffered heavy losses.

Except for the Prince of Langya, who escaped through a dog hole and saved his life.

All other members of the mansion were brutally killed by the refugees.

When the news spread, the court and the public were shaken.

The Emperor was furious, ordering the army to suppress the refugees.

At the same time, he summoned the Prince of Langya to Xuan Capital and comforted him meticulously.

From then on, the Prince of Langya remained in Xuan Capital.

Anchor Year 15.

The Emperor suddenly fell ill with a severe malady.

Before his demise, he summoned the Prince of Langya to the palace and abdicated to him.

The Prince of Langya ascended the throne, changing the era name to Xuanjing.

Anchor Year 16: Rebellions of various sizes erupted simultaneously across the land.

Emperor Xuanjing appointed his trusted confidant as the Grand General of Zhenwei, leading the army to suppress the rebellions.

It took the Grand General of Zhenwei three years to finally quell the rebellions in various places.

He returned to the court in glory.

Emperor Xuanjing ordered all officials to greet him outside Xuan Capital and welcomed him with imperial rites.

The Grand General of Zhenwei's expression was arrogant, and he accepted it calmly.

He did not dismount before the officials, nor did he kneel before the Emperor.

Emperor Xuanjing's expression remained unchanged; he supported him with his hand and welcomed him into the palace.

A lavish banquet was held to entertain him.

After three rounds of wine, the officials quietly withdrew.

Dozens of axemen rushed in.

The heavily drunk Grand General of Zhenwei was instantly startled awake and questioned Emperor Xuanjing.

Emperor Xuanjing replied evasively.

Under the siege of the axemen, although the Grand General of Zhenwei was unparalleled in bravery, he was covered in sword wounds.

He was on the verge of death.

Before he died, he pointed at Emperor Xuanjing and said venomously, "If there is a next time, I will personally lead a large army to flatten Xuan Capital, and use your skull as a wine pot to quench the hatred in my heart!"

Then he died under swords and blades… Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Li Fan, who had been silently observing, now revealed his figure.

His eyes were bright, and he suddenly understood.

"Mortals don't get a next time."

"This world also doesn't get a next time."

"But I do."

"My Huan Zhen…"

"It transcends the world."

In an instant, the surrounding scenery became illusory, and Li Fan returned to Jie Li Mountain Peak.

Li Fan once again called out Huan Zhen.

"When Make Real Becomes Make-believe, False is True…"

"False is True…"

He stared at the seven characters generated by Huan Zhen, his mind clear.

"I will use the rules of Huan Zhen within this world to establish my Foundation Establishment Dao Foundation!"

It came naturally, without any obstruction.

The white jade light cluster instantly appeared in his Dantian.

The third anchor fell into place.