Re-establishing Oneself and Transforming the Way

Nine years anchored, the Tianyang Grotto-heaven had not yet appeared.

It was hidden deep within a dormant undersea volcano, unknown to outsiders.

Based on the Earthfire Return Array he obtained from the Tian Yang eternal legacy, Li Fan spent considerable effort to finally pinpoint the Grotto-heaven's location.

After activating several protective spirit talismans, Li Fan cautiously entered the Grotto-heaven.

Currently, Tian Yang Immortal Master was in a peculiar state, neither fully alive nor fully dead.

From the eternal legacy, Li Fan learned that when Body Transformation Dao left, all except Tian Yang went to participate in that great war of ancient times and never returned.

However, Tian Yang himself firmly believed that his Master and Senior Brothers would definitely return.

Fearing they wouldn't find him upon their return, Tian Yang stayed in the Body Transformation Dao Immortal Cave, unwilling to leave.

Unexpectedly, several years later, outsiders broke into the Immortal Cave. Tian Yang tried to resist but was no match.

He only managed to preserve his life by relying on the Magic Treasures his Senior Brothers left before they departed.

Thereafter, the young Tian Yang began his wandering life in the Cultivation World.

And in his struggles, he slowly realized that his Aptitude was by no means as his Senior Brothers had said—Heaven-Defying and the hope for Body Transformation Dao's revival.

He couldn't even compare to his Senior Brothers, and he was probably inferior to even ordinary Golden Core cultivators.

But even so, his Master and Senior Brothers still left the last hope of survival to him.

Whenever he thought of what they used to tell him, such as, “Tian Yang, your Aptitude is second to none in the world. Get well soon, Body Transformation Dao still relies on you.”

And then looking at how he couldn't even protect his sect's Immortal Cave now, Tian Yang's heart was filled with hatred for his own incompetence.

But facts do not shift with human emotions.

Tian Yang estimated that if he didn't have other fortuitous encounters, the Golden Core Stage would probably be his limit.

To live up to the trust of his Master and Senior Brothers, Tian Yang decided to go all out, adopting a Heaven-Defying method of abandoning his Physical Body and completely transforming into a Puppet to change his fate.

And the rest of his life was spent preparing for this.

Finding a suitable location to set up the Earthfire Return Array, collecting Materials, refining the Puppet…

When everything was ready, Tian Yang resolutely completed his transformation into a Puppet.

Afterward, he entered a deep slumber within the earth's veins, intending to use the power of the Earthfire to temper the Puppet and elevate its grade.

If nothing unexpected happened, Tian Yang would complete his metamorphosis within five hundred years at most.

He would ascend to a powerful existence whose might was not inferior to a Soul Transformation Immortal Lord.

But then… things went awry.

Over five hundred years, Dragons and snakes rose from the land, and mountains turned into seas.

The changes in the earth's veins greatly reduced the effectiveness of the Earthfire Return Array, and the Materials Tian Yang used to refine the Puppet were only ordinary Materials.

This also led to an exceptionally slow promotion process for the Tianyang Puppet.

From the planned five hundred years, it suddenly extended to several millennia.

As years passed, even in slumber, Tian Yang's consciousness slowly eroded.

He lost most of his subjective will, leaving only the obsession of “Tian Yang's life, not inferior to others” lingering in the world.

Li Fan speculated that it was likely the “Heaven-Overturning Palm” that flattened the Congyun Mountain Range into the Congyun Sea that caused the failure of Tian Yang's plan.

“Tian Yang's life, not inferior to others…” Li Fan shook his head and arrived at the square outside the Immortal Cave.

After a moment of careful observation, Li Fan's figure moved like a ghost, transforming into a thin line, winding through the twists and turns, passing through safely.

Without triggering any mechanisms or Restrictions, Li Fan smoothly reached the depths of the Immortal Cave.

There, a skeleton the size of a child sat upright.

In true history, because Tian Yang's Innate deficiency was never fully compensated, he always maintained the physical size of his youth.

Li Fan raised his guard and slowly approached.

Suddenly, a creaking sound came from deep underground.

Li Fan's heart stirred, and his body retreated rapidly.

Immediately after, seventeen black and red Puppets charged out.

Li Fan activated the Body Transformation Dao Cultivation Technique and shouted loudly, “Junior Brother, do you not recognize me?”

The mechanical Puppets ignored him, attacking mercilessly.

They all attacked Li Fan simultaneously.

Fortunately, they had the characteristic of “weakening when encountering weakness, strengthening when encountering strength.”

A flash of sword light forced the Puppets back, and Li Fan moved through the gaps between the Puppets, continuously shouting Tian Yang's name.

Slowly, the mechanical Puppets' movements became somewhat hesitant.

At this moment, Li Fan took out another projection stone and displayed Ling Xiao's posthumous work in the air.

At this, the mechanical Puppets gradually stopped attacking.

They looked up at the text and images in the air.

“Second…”

“Senior… Brother?”

A slightly dull composite mechanical voice sounded.

Li Fan laughed heartily, “Junior Brother, we haven't seen each other in a thousand years, I hope you are well!”

“Second… Senior Brother!”

Bang!

Cracks appeared on the bodies of the seventeen Puppets, and then they shattered completely, as if they were broken porcelain.

The fragments on the ground dissolved and wriggled, eventually forming a small Tianyang Puppet.

He flew to Li Fan's front, tilting his head to examine Li Fan.

Looking at the man who seemed somewhat unfamiliar before him, Tian Yang felt a bit lost.

Li Fan, on the other hand, patted Tian Yang's shoulder, “Come, Senior Brother will take you home!”

The Tianyang Puppet froze.

A rumbling sound came from deep beneath the sea, and the ground trembled violently, as if something was about to burst forth.

Li Fan chuckled, “Junior Brother, don't be so excited. In this Era, there are still many bad people outside.”

“It wouldn't be good if others discovered us.”

It was as if he was trying to understand the meaning of Li Fan's words.

After a long while, the Puppet finally nodded.

In an instant, the seabed became quiet again.

With Li Fan's help, it took three days for Tian Yang to retrieve all the shattered body components buried deep underground.

They re-merged into one, quietly following behind Li Fan.

Li Fan used a secret art to conceal their auras.

He also took the Tian Yang remains containing the eternal legacy from inside the Immortal Cave.

The two traveled swiftly, arriving at the nameless Barren Island where the Li Realm people had resided in the previous life.

After spending more than ten days, Li Fan, following the appearance of the original Body Transformation Dao sect, simply opened up an Immortal Cave.

After setting up concealment and protective Magic Arrays, Li Fan looked at Tian Yang and instructed, “Junior Brother, you wait for me here. I'll be back soon.”

Tian Yang obediently nodded.

After Li Fan left, he went to his original room and sat down quietly.

In the tianxuan mirror.

“Waking Tian Yang up a few years earlier still has some drawbacks.”

“He hasn't been completely tempered successfully, and there's still some gap from the Peak Soul Transformation.”

“But I can help him complete it.”

After a period of searching and research, as precious Materials were purchased one by one, contribution points flowed out like water.

Two days later, Li Fan returned to the nameless island with several storage rings full of supplies.

“Gray Profound Drill, Willow Profound Stone, Scarlet Spirit Copper…”

“Junior Brother, these are for your main body to absorb and strengthen itself.”

“As for your usual self, stay in this [Gui Li Fan Yuan Array]. It will help with your tempering…”

Li Fan meticulously guided Tian Yang.

Tian Yang listened attentively.

There's one more chapter later.