True weakness

Li Fan didn't know how long it had been since he had taken a good look at himself.

The image of himself that he subconsciously held in his mind was that of a slender scholar in his twenties.

After all, no matter how old his appearance became, once he activated Huan Zhen, he would return to his anchored appearance.

Therefore, for Li Fan, aging was, in fact, a false proposition.

What all living beings in the world feared most—old age, sickness, and death—were for him merely a temporary 'state' that he could discard at any time.

Li Fan even had a certain degree of 'indifference' towards the changes happening to himself.

How much more so for the Zhong Sheng of the Xuanhuang World?

Kou Hong, Dao Xuanzi, He Zhenghao, Zhang Zhiliang, Xiao Heng…

These people, in each Reincarnation, their fates would change with Li Fan's actions.

Enemies who fought to the death in one life might become close friends sharing drinks in the next.

In the life after that, they might even become Li Fan's loyal subordinates.

And after that?

Perhaps they would become innocent souls, caught in the crossfire during Li Fan's battles with others.

But…

No matter what they experienced, once Li Fan activated Huan Zhen, their 'state' would return to the anchored moment Li Fan had chosen.

Then, for them, did these successive lives count as a form of illusion in another sense?

When people satirize extremely selfish individuals, they often say things like, "The world doesn't revolve around you, why should others always accommodate you?"

But for Li Fan, the world, at least the Xuanhuang World he was in, indeed revolved around him.

With a single thought, the world reset.

The past became smoke and mirrors.

Under such circumstances, how could Li Fan regard the people in this world as beings of the same standing as himself?

Even if he could only achieve this with the help of the exotic treasure Huan Zhen, Li Fan, who could reverse time, truly could not treat the Zhong Sheng of the Xuanhuang World as his 'kindred'.

Li Fan examined himself in the mirror for a long time, but he did not find the 'indifference' that Gao Yuan had mentioned.

This might indicate that perhaps even Li Fan himself had not noticed some subtle changes occurring within him.

Just like his 'psychological age', which continued to grow steadily even with successive activations of Huan Zhen.

Li Fan's being was not, in fact, as unchanging as he believed himself to be.

Huan Zhen could reverse time, but Li Fan, as the vessel of Huan Zhen, had the ability to maintain 'change' even under Huan Zhen's influence.

"I thought my acting was good enough…" Li Fan chuckled to himself.

Li Fan closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, his gaze seemed to have undergone a subtle change.

It seemed to become more lively and vibrant, with a hint of affection for everything around him.

Li Fan observed carefully again, constantly adjusting.

After a long time, he finally stopped moving.

"I've temporarily changed it back."

"However, acting is acting after all. No matter how convincing, it's not real."

"There are too many people in this world with unimaginable abilities. Even an ordinary Cultivator standing guard in Congyun Sea has such keen insight."

"To deceive everyone in the world, I suppose it's impossible for now."

"But it's fine, it's not a major flaw."

"There are indeed 'people of ultimate ruthlessness' in the world."

For this small interlude, Li Fan merely made slight adjustments to himself and didn't dwell on it much.

And the fact that Gao Yuan and the others imagined him, Li Fan, might be a Chang Sheng Tian Zun who had fallen from his Realm, made him feel a bit dumbfounded.

"I actually had no deep meaning. I purely just wanted to find an excuse to avoid the potential large-scale war in Tianling State that might break out in the future."

Li Fan, who had quietly left Wanxian Island alone, submerged into the seabed.

He went deep into a trench tens of thousands of meters below, ensuring no one was following him.

Only then did Li Fan activate Qi Xuan True Spirit Transformation, returning to his original appearance.

He temporarily buried all items obtained from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance since he entered the world with the identity of an 'Ancient Heavenly Mystery Sect Cultivator', and sealed them with Only Hand Covers the Sky.

Completely naked, Li Fan changed his clothes and returned to the surface of the sea.

First, he borrowed a set of fitting clothes from a nearby Mortal island, then headed straight for the island where the Empire and others were located.

Before long, he arrived at his destination.

Since he did not conceal his aura, when he was close, the Empire's Holy Master, who was the Azure Luan Bird beside Xu Ke back then, sent a Divine Sense warning.

"Fellow Daoist, what brings you here?"

Li Fan stopped in mid-air, a slight smile on his face.

He simply replied with the two words: "United Association."

Soon after, Xiao Qing personally flew out to greet him.

She observed Li Fan carefully for a while, then led him to a secret room on the island.

Li Chenfeng did not seem to be on the island; he had gone somewhere unknown.

Even the Formless Killing Intent's spirit lock had temporarily lost its effect.

Li Fan replayed the images recorded by the hua dao stone in his Sea of Consciousness and found that Li Chenfeng had left the Xuanhuang World.

However, the location of his departure this time was not the same as when he returned to the Empire last time.

"Not the Empire, but another Small World?"

Li Fan's heart stirred, but he did not voice it, merely keeping it in mind.

"This Fellow Daoist, are you also from the Ten Thousand Realms Union?" Xiao Qing asked straightforwardly.

"That's right. I've been ordered by my superior to inform you all that our cooperation will probably be suspended for now," Li Fan said calmly.

"What?!" Even though Xiao Qing had lived for over a thousand years, hearing such sudden news, she was momentarily stunned.

She stood up abruptly, her Phoenix eyes fixed tightly on Li Fan.

"What does this mean?"

Then, she looked at Li Fan with some suspicion, her eyes narrowing: "Are you truly from the Ten Thousand Realms Union?"

She had already begun to doubt Li Fan's identity.

Killing intent slowly flowed in the air. Li Fan cupped his hands, signaling Xiao Qing not to be too nervous.

He explained, "It's not that our Ten Thousand Realms Union intentionally reneged; there's truly a reason for this."

"Not just your Empire, but all other Small World, we have temporarily cut off contact with them as well."

"The higher-ups' intention is for everyone to lie low for a while until the storm passes."

Xiao Qing's tightly furrowed brows did not relax at all. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Li Fan say, "I know you're eager to escape the Xuanhuang World."

"But the situation is indeed special and unavoidable."

"After all, we also benefited greatly from the last transaction. We're eager to complete the remaining part of the transaction as soon as possible."