Chapter 682: The Memories Might Fade But The Traces Remain

After all, with each new piece of information gathered so far, Mister Bai's standing had only grown loftier.

He had subtly surpassed the upper limits of an ordinary cultivator's power, and was likely connected to the True Immortal who had created the entire Fallen Immortal Realm.

Situ Yao's sword strike was mighty, but before an Immortal, it was destined to be overshadowed.

A long time passed before the disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect finally shook off the astonishment of what they had seen.

They dared not speak loudly, fearing they might disturb Mister Bai, who was still somewhere in the sect.

They could only whisper among themselves. Some vented their shock in near-hysterical murmurs.

Then, in front of everyone, a figure suddenly flew toward the wooden sword Mister Bai had tossed aside.

It was Li Fan.

Ignoring the murderous glares from the other cultivators, Li Fan took a deep breath and gripped the wooden sword tightly.

A white light seemed to illuminate heaven and earth before his eyes.

Countless profundities regarding the sword began to unfold freely in his mind.

Li Fan watched, entranced.

A moment later, a violent tremor wrenched the wooden sword from his grip, tearing him from his contemplation.

Annoyance and reluctance flickered through his heart.

Only then did he realize he was standing several zhang away, though he had no memory of moving.

Seeing this, the other cultivators rushed to try pulling out the wooden sword themselves.

Without exception, the moment they grasped it, its rebounding force sent them flying.

"Ah, I suppose it's to be expected. How could an item belonging to such a powerful being be taken so easily by us?"

"Perhaps only Big Senior Brother could pull it out..."

Everyone spoke with regret, staring at the solitary wooden sword with longing and greed while wiping the drool from their mouths.

Just as in the true course of history, Mister Bai did not take the wooden sword. He simply left the Heavenly Sword Sect without a sound.

No one knew what he and Situ Yao had spoken about.

But from that day on, the Heavenly Sword Sect had a new mission: to forge, at any cost, a World-Breaching Divine Armament, the sort of artifact that existed only in the sect's legends.

As an inner disciple, Li Fan naturally had to contribute his share.

His task was the same as the other disciples': draw insights from the wooden sword and infuse them into a primal stone called the Sword Embryo.

These primal stones, crystallized with their many sword insights, would then be cast into the massive pit behind the Heavenly Sword Sect's mountain.

Molten fire would forge them into the prototype of the World-Breaching Divine Armament.

Li Fan didn't know the purpose behind forging such a weapon, but Big Senior Brother Situ Yao held immense authority, and Mister Bai's earth-shattering strength had thoroughly won over the entire sect.

So the disciples harbored little resentment for the task.

If anything, they welcomed the chance to contemplate the wooden sword, elevate their cultivation, and deepen their grasp of the sword path.

Time slipped away swiftly.

Li Fan was still savoring the experience when his journey through the Fallen Immortal Realm came to an end.

The surrounding scenery faded, and Li Fan found himself back in the space of the warped, transparent bubble.

All three scenarios had dimmed and become unselectable. Li Fan did not immediately exit. Instead, he turned over what he had witnessed in the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Judging by the timeline, Heavenly Sword Sect Forges the Sword should have occurred after the Ningyuan Longevity Fruits Retrieval incident but before the Beast Taming Sect Upheaval.

I never expected that forging the World-Breaching Divine Armament was also done at Mister Bai's behest. Cultivating the Realm-Splitting Whales, forging the World-Breaching Divine Armament...

What exactly is Mister Bai planning?

On the surface, it looks like he's preparing contingencies and escape routes for the coming great calamity. But is that truly all there is to it?

Judging others by his own standards, Li Fan always suspected that secrets unknown to the world lay behind everything Mister Bai did.

But Mister Bai remained an enigma, his thoughts beyond the grasp of the current Li Fan.

After pondering for a long time, Li Fan gained nothing and set the matter aside.

Within the Fallen Immortal Realm, there is another wooden sword that has crystallized Sword's Law. If I could bring it out, what would happen?

Back in the Great Xuan minor world, Li Fan had conducted a similar experiment.

He knew that two identical Curios of heaven and earth could not exist at once.

If, for some special reason, two such entities did exist, they would merge with each other.

The weak would vanish; the strong would remain.

The wooden sword in Shuo Feng's hand is hailed as a Curio of Heaven, but I've always felt that the one Mister Bai wielded thousands of years ago was its true, complete form.

After a thousand years of wear, perhaps its power has already waned.

So, if I could bring that wooden sword out of the realm...

Interesting.

Picturing Shuo Feng's face the moment he lost his Foundation Establishment Curio, Li Fan shook his head slightly.

I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's see what I've actually gained this time.

Leaving the Fallen Immortal Realm and returning to Longevity Valley, Li Fan tried hard to recall everything he had seen and heard within the Heavenly Sword Sect.

A moment later, disappointment flickered across his face.

If I don't fulfill an obsession, the insights can’t be carried out at all?

Wait...

A glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes. He flicked his finger, and countless streaks of blue sword light flashed through the secret chamber.

Watching the Heaven-Breaking Heart Sword leap through the air, a familiar feeling surged within him.

So that's it. Memories and insights can't be carried into the real world, but the traces of that epiphany remain.

It's like the tide rising and falling, always returning to the ocean, yet leaving its mark on the sand.

This way, even without the direct insights, it still greatly benefits my deduction of divine abilities. It's like gaining proficiency for free.

Joy stirred in Li Fan's heart. Before the feeling of familiarity could fade, he sank his mind into comprehension of the sword path.

After an unknown length of time, a message from Fang Zaiji jolted him awake.

As it turned out, this secluded cultivation session had already lasted over half a year. The protective artifacts he'd asked Fang Zaiji to forge—white robes, a folding fan, and the rest—were now complete.

Indeed, time loses all meaning in cultivation. Li Fan sighed softly. He didn't rush to leave.

Instead, he first checked the status of the Fallen Immortal Realm.

Heavenly Sword Sect Forges the Sword seemed to carry a slightly longer cooldown than the previous two scenarios.

Even with half a year already gone, five more months remained before he could enter again.

It seems the higher the level of power I encounter, the longer the wait. Li Fan guessed.

He didn't dwell on it. He simply committed the next entry time to memory, then emerged from seclusion to find Fang Zaiji. 

The man’s face was brimming with excitement and shameless pride.

"Haha, Sect Leader, I truly outdid myself this time. These artifacts I've forged? Even Liu San won't be able to pierce their defenses easily!"