Chapter 362: Loss and Gain

Suddenly free, yet the crisis was not over.

The Devouring Yuan White Mist continuously devoured Li Fan's Lifespan, even more violently than within the Mystic Domain.

In the vast White Mist, Li Fan re-sensed the location of the Severed Hand Immortal City.

In the next moment, he pushed the Purple Firmament Evasion to its limit, speeding towards it.

Just as Li Fan was gradually distancing himself from the Mystic Domain where the 'Chaos' character stone was located, a mysterious ripple, much like the one emitted by the stone fragments earlier, faintly came from behind him.

Even the endless, vast White Mist seemed to ripple slightly.

“Hmm?”

Li Fan didn't look back, but he could feel that the Stone Forest Mystic Domain seemed to be gradually disappearing.

Or rather, hiding itself.

However, Li Fan couldn't spare any attention for it for the time being.

This place was still a considerable distance from the Eternal Immortal Fortress.

Under the continuous devouring of the Devouring Yuan White Mist, Li Fan's age was increasing drastically.

The further he traveled towards the Chizha Abyss, the faster his Lifespan was being devoured.

156, 178, 193…

Li Fan watched the numbers jumping and changing on the Huan Zhen panel, and a long-lost sense of weakness surged into his heart.

The instantaneous aging made him feel as if he had turned back into that decrepit old Imperial Preceptor of the Great Xuan.

The Eternal Immortal Fortress was close at hand, yet Li Fan estimated that with his remaining Lifespan, it would be extremely difficult to cross the remaining distance.

A decision flashed through his mind; without the slightest hesitation, Li Fan took out the Life-Generating Longevity Fruit from his storage ring and swallowed it in one gulp.

Boundless vitality surged from within his belly.

In an instant, it spread throughout his body like a rushing river.

The sense of aging and weakness abruptly vanished, and Li Fan's physiological age limit changed from the original 599 to 899.

Li Fan's spirits lifted; not daring to delay, he became like a streak of purple lightning, cutting through the vast White Mist.

He charged straight towards the Severed Hand Immortal City.

“Although the Purple Firmament Divine Thunder Evasion I got from Senior Brother Zhang is much faster than the evasion techniques I've seen in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, it's still too slow!”

“Without the coordination of the Purple Firmament Thunder Control True Art Cultivation Technique, it's lacking after all.”

“It's usually nothing, but in this kind of critical life-and-death moment, the importance of evasion speed is manifested.”

264, 378, 492…

His age grew rapidly, and Li Fan slowly transformed from the image of a young scholar into that of a middle-aged man.

His heart, however, was incomparably calm, paying no mind to the passing of his life.

“If there is a chance, I must definitely find a top-tier evasion technique.”

“Besides the derivation law jade's side, Zhong Shentong's Seven-Colored Divine Light also seems quite good.”

“To be able to exceed Nascent Soul Stage speed at the Foundation Establishment Stage…”

While Li Fan was recalling the deeds of Zhong Shentong, he was also getting closer and closer to the Eternal Immortal Fortress.

567, 689, 734…

“What lowlife is there!?”

An angry shout rang out from the bluestone severed hand, crossing the White Mist and striking Li Fan directly.

Li Fan's flight speed suddenly slowed down.

He cursed inwardly, instantly memorizing this person's voice.

His expression remained steady and unchanged as he methodically shouted, “I am Li Fan, a Golden Core Formation Master under Dean Ji!”

“Responsible for assisting in the construction of the Tianxuan Locking Spirit Array outside the Chizha Abyss!”

“Help!”

At the same time, he pulled a severed finger made of bluestone from his robes.

It was precisely by relying on this token left to him by Cold Responding Clothes earlier that Li Fan could still pinpoint the location of the Eternal Immortal Fortress with extreme accuracy under the double assault of the vast White Mist and the tide of demonic sounds.

“What?”

A hint of surprise and alarm came through the voice.

Li Fan accelerated again, flying towards the tear at the wrist of the severed hand.

The previous call for help was indeed effective.

An entrance had indeed been opened there.

Li Fan moved like lightning and burst inside.

The influence of the surrounding White Mist instantly vanished, and Li Fan's physiological age at this moment finally froze at 842/899.

Withered and old, his end was near.

An omnipresent sense of weakness pervaded his entire body; Li Fan couldn't even control the angle of his flight and fell straight to the ground.

He skidded for a long time before slowly coming to a stop.

“Cough, cough…”

Li Fan was about to say something, but he spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted directly.

A Cultivator with gray hair, looking as if he could perish at any moment, appeared in the Eternal Immortal Fortress in such an eye-catching manner.

Naturally, he immediately attracted everyone's attention.

It so happened that the Eternal Immortal Fortress had been isolated by the tide for some time, so many rumors were triggered in secret.

All sorts of things were being said.

Some even claimed with absolute certainty that this Demonic Sound Tide was entirely a conspiracy of the Five Old Men Association.

Now that the Five Old Men Association had turned the tide of the offensive, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was retreating steadily.

It was feared that the Eternal Immortal Fortress would change hands in a matter of days.

Fortunately, the master of the Severed Hand Immortal City, Shang Shaojun, stepped forward and timely suppressed these increasingly outrageous rumors.

He hung the rumor-mongers in the air over the center of the city, whipping them day and night as a warning to others.

…

In a patch of darkness.

Although Li Fan's body was in a coma,

his consciousness was incomparably clear.

This was an extremely contradictory state.

But just as he now simultaneously felt the strength of rebirth and the weakness of aging,

it truly existed.

The weakness was naturally because this body in this life was almost exhausted, not far from its end.

The strength, however, came from the Divine Soul.

After Li Fan had gone through all sorts of hardships and escaped death,

he finally arrived at the Eternal Immortal Fortress.

Ultimately, he had actually completed the requirements for the 'Reverse Dao Heart Refining' action.

The stifling sense of indignation in his heart suddenly dissipated.

The Heart Refining Great Millstone also welcomed an unprecedented portion of nourishment.

Drops of cool aura nourished his Divine Soul.

A sense of growth that could be compared to breaking through Realms surfaced in Li Fan's heart.

Moreover, the growth of the Divine Soul was not a one-time thing.

Rather, it followed like a trickling stream, Never Ending.

“Where there is action, there is reward. This is the reward for the Reverse Dao Heart Refining action.”

“And I'm afraid I'll have to wait until I truly rescue those few people in Jiaxu Outpost for the entire reverse action to be considered truly concluded.”

“Even if there's a special bonus for the first time, the effect of this Profound Yellow Heart Refining Mantra is simply too terrifying.”

Li Fan carefully felt his own Divine Soul constantly growing stronger.

It even gave him the illusion that he could discard his body and exist in the world directly as a Divine Soul.

He didn't know how much time had passed.

He sensed someone approaching his comatose body.

With a thought, Li Fan controlled his body to slowly wake up.

The physical sensations once again took the upper hand, and a sense of powerlessness immediately flooded his heart.

With a light cough, Li Fan struggled to sit up.

“Fellow Daoist is awake?!” A member of the Qingxuan Army hurriedly came over to support Li Fan.

“Fellow Daoist Li Fan, we have already verified your identity with the Ce Zhen Hall.”

“What on earth happened? You should be in Jiaxu Outpost right now, how could you have returned to the Eternal Immortal Fortress?”

“And turned into this…”

He seemed to be full of questions, asking them like a series of rapid-fire shots.

Li Fan, however, noticed that at the moment he woke up, a shadow suddenly appeared in a corner of the room.

Although it was almost imperceptible, after Li Fan's Divine Soul became stronger, he could clearly sense it.

Without showing any emotion, Li Fan slowly recounted his experience.