The heaven and earth have different life spans

“But Senior Sister's path to eternal life, if it requires my sacrifice…”

“I refuse!”

“I won’t let Senior Sister be so lonely from now on!”

Li Fan’s loud laughter echoed through Heaven and Earth.

“Over these years, Senior Sister has comprehended Ten Thousand Hearts United as One. Although this Junior Brother of yours is dull, I haven’t been idle either.”

“I have a move; please enlighten me, Senior Sister!”

Amidst blinding light, Li Fan’s resolute shout came through.

“Heaven!”

“Earth!”

“Same!”

“Lifespan!”

Li Fan’s body completely vanished in the brilliant light.

And Zhao Shijie, at this moment, finally changed her expression slightly for the first time.

No longer was she so unconcerned, as if everything was under her control; instead, she looked both annoyed and amused: “No wonder your progress has been slow these past years, Junior Brother. So you’ve been putting all your effort into finding ways to restrain me?”

“You and I cultivate The Rhapsody of Intercourse between Heaven and Earth; in fact, we can no longer be easily separated. This move, Same Lifespan as Heaven and Earth, can indeed pose a threat to me…”

“If only your Cultivation Base were a bit higher, Junior Brother.”

Tens of thousands of Zhao Shijie looked at the myriad of lights gushing from Li Fan’s body, and all of them simultaneously opened their hands, embracing the white light.

“Junior Brother, don’t resist anymore; merge with me!”

Cracks began to appear on the faces of her countless bodies.

But the cracks quickly healed on their own. And the white light grew dimmer and dimmer, slowly disappearing between Heaven and Earth.

When Li Fan’s aura completely vanished within the Great Dao Sect.

Everything seemed to come to a standstill.

“Heh heh, Junior Brother Li Fan.”

“I really must thank you; you played a very good game with me.”

“It’s been so many years since I’ve had such an interesting experience.”

Zhao Shijie’s expression was dazed as she looked at the sky and muttered to herself.

——

“Guiding Immortal Light! That’s Guiding Immortal Light!”

“Who is it? Another Cultivator from our Rainbow Remnant State has been favored by the Celestial Venerable so soon?”

“Hahaha, in just one month, three Sect Disciples have emerged! Now our Rainbow Remnant State is truly going to gain great prestige!”

Noisy sounds seemed to come from afar, and Li Fan suddenly woke up.

Looking around somewhat blankly, he found that his surroundings were both familiar and strange.

After a moment, memories that had been sealed for a long time, as if from another lifetime, surged forth like a tide.

Five Old Men Association, Single Heart Immortal Sect, Rainbow Remnant State.

Guiding Immortal Light.

It turned out that he was still at the moment of being guided by the Immortal Light.

But what was that experience that lasted for hundreds of years and was so incredibly real?

An illusion?

Li Fan couldn't help but look up.

Through the crack in the sky, he could vaguely see a Sect with continuous mountains.

It was the Great Dao Sect, one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects of ancient times.

At this moment, as if to welcome Li Fan’s addition as a new member, countless Disciples within the Great Dao Sect also looked up in unison, gazing in this direction.

What was different from the illusion was that the Great Dao Sect here had much more “Life Qi” than before.

Not only were the expressions on every Disciple’s face no longer stiff and rigid, but they varied, just like a true Immortal Master.

Moreover, they would converse with each other, discussing enthusiastically.

Unlike the dead silence and quietness Li Fan had seen in the illusion.

As he continuously ascended in the Guiding Immortal Light.

Li Fan’s body gradually became stiff and numb.

Li Fan also felt his consciousness slowly dissipating.

“So this is a wooden Puppet…”

Li Fan was pensive.

Then it dissipated with the wind.

Leaving only a withered wooden body, heading towards the Great Dao Sect.

And the Disciples of the Great Dao Sect, seeing this scene, reacted differently.

Some were furious.

Some were pensive.

Some clapped their hands in delight.

Some wore faint smiles.

…

It was impossible to tell where the so-called Ten Thousand Hearts United as One was “united.”

It was unknown who made the final decision.

A white light emanated from the crack, completely annihilating the Puppet’s body.

Then the Guiding Immortal Light was retracted, the crack slowly closed, and the scene of the Single Heart Immortal Sect disappeared between Heaven and Earth.

Only the Cultivators of the Five Old Men Association below, unaware of the truth, sighed to themselves.

At the same time, in the Congyun Sea.

Li Fan’s true body, who was supervising the reconstruction progress of Congyun Immortal City at the former site of Wanxian Island, froze on the spot.

“What’s wrong, Island Master?”

“I’ll have them correct it immediately!” Gao Yuan said repeatedly.

A moment later, Li Fan waved his hand.

“It’s nothing, you’re doing great! Keep it up!”

He then inspected the area as usual, and after half a day, he returned to his temporary construction residence.

Closing off the surroundings, Li Fan’s expression was solemn.

“Heh heh, Junior Brother. I am greatly looking forward to our official meeting.”

Zhao Shijie’s soft laughter seemed to still echo in his ears.

Was it the last message from that wisp of Divine Sense, or did Li Fan’s true body hear it himself?

He couldn’t tell for a moment.

“Zhao Shijie… what a good illusion.”

Li Fan savored the various events of over a hundred years within the Great Dao Sect.

Although some details were no longer clear, most of the events felt as if he had personally experienced them, indistinguishable from reality.

It even gave Li Fan the illusion that he had indeed been Zhao Shijie’s Junior Brother and a member of the ancient Great Dao Sect.

It was merely a Reincarnation and re-cultivation, and after decades, he had finally recovered his memories from back then.

He even had the thought of going to “reconnect” with Zhao Shijie sooner.

If he only had one lifetime of memories and no Huan Zhen.

He might have actually done so.

Li Fan couldn’t help but feel a chill.

Even just a wisp of Divine Sense, immersed in the illusion woven by Zhao Shijie, could bring such a great impact to his true body…

No wonder the Cultivators of the Five Old Men Association within the Single Heart Immortal Sect were so devoted to Zhao Shijie.

The Mystic Yellow Heart Refining Mantra circulated, transforming the constant urge to “defect to Zhao Shijie” into nourishment for his inverse Dao Heart.

After three days and three nights, Li Fan finally eliminated the influence brought by this trip to the Single Heart Immortal Sect.

At least, it appeared so on the surface.

Completely detached, Li Fan began to analyze and organize his gains from this experience.

Undoubtedly, his experience in the Great Dao Sect was fabricated by Zhao Shijie.

In fact, from beginning to end, Li Fan didn’t even know Zhao Shijie’s real name.

Yet, while in the illusion, he felt no sense of incongruity whatsoever.

But within the虚 (void) there was 实 (substance), and within the 真 (truth) there was 假 (falsehood).

At the very least, Ji Changxi, Mo Zhiran, and these other Great Dao Sect Cultivators in the illusion had once truly existed.

Cultivation Techniques like The Rhapsody of Intercourse between Heaven and Earth and Soul Severing Divine Light Skill were not necessarily fake either.

It’s just a pity that, like returning from the Fallen Immortal Realm, the details are all impossible to remember clearly.

And the various Heaven and Earth changes he experienced in his identity as “Junior Brother.”

“So the immortal-mortal miasma was indeed the work of a certain Celestial Venerable, and not a natural evolution of Heaven and Earth itself.”

Li Fan then thought of Immortal Master Yin from Yinyin Island.

“Could it be that this person discovered the traces of this hidden Celestial Venerable and was then silenced?”

Connecting it to Immortal Master Yin’s inexplicable suicide in previous lives, Li Fan couldn't help but think so.