Chapter 175: A Glance Reflects A Myriad Years

Seeing the confusion in Li Fan's eyes, Chen Ying continued explaining before he even had to ask.

"Why is it called the Fallen Immortal Realm? Because it was formed by a single glance—the final look an unimaginably powerful being cast upon the Xuanhuang World before his fall.

"At that moment, everything within the Xuanhuang World was captured in that being's sight.

"After his demise, this consciousness refused to disperse. Over thousands of years of development and evolution, it eventually formed what we now know as the Fallen Immortal Realm.

"The Fallen Immortal Realm is as vast as the Xuanhuang World, perhaps even more so.

"Every scene from thousands of years ago was recorded by that final glance before his fall.

"These scenes then began repeating themselves vividly within the realm, over and over again.

"Every cultivator who enters the realm finds themselves awestruck by this miraculous place indistinguishable from reality, marveling at the power of that being.

"Such power likely belongs only to the legendary Immortals of ancient times."

"Even though I've entered countless times, I still feel genuine reverence each time I witness the wonders within the Fallen Immortal Realm."

"It is truly beyond words. You will only understand when you see it with your own eyes."

Chen Ying shook his head, sighing with deep emotion.

A single glance reflecting a myriad years, a realm born from death.

Li Fan found himself stunned by this incredible truth.

After a long silence, he couldn't help but wonder: if just a final glance before death held such power, how strong must this being have been in life?

And how could such a being possibly fall?

As if reading Li Fan's mind, Chen Ying sighed along with him.

"Incredible, isn't it? That such an unimaginably powerful being could actually fall.

"To create a world with a thought—even an Eternal Heavenly Venerable probably couldn't accomplish this.

"That's why everyone agrees the being who fell back then was likely a true Immortal."

"Immortals? Do Immortals truly exist?" Li Fan couldn't help but ask.

Chen Ying responded with certainty: "We cultivate to become Immortals. If Immortals don't exist, where did our cultivation methods come from?

"If you ever go into the Fallen Immortal Realm and live in that Xuanhuang World from thousands of years ago, you'd know Immortals were never some vague legend.

"Many sects preserve recordings of their predecessors breaking through tribulation clouds and ascending in full glory.

"Rumor has it some major sects even possess immortal artifacts of boundless power passed down by actual Immortals.

"But then, at some unknown point in time, the path to immortality was severed. After reaching the Dao Unity realm, cultivation could advance no further.

"Thus, countless cultivators with heaven-defying power could only watch helplessly as their lifespans ran out, waiting in fear for death.

"Later, for self-preservation, the ultimate goal shifted from ascension to seeking eternal life.

"This is the origin of the Eternal Life realm."

Chen Ying shook his head and sighed: "That time in history goes too far back. Even in the Fallen Immortal Realm, which shows events from thousands of years ago, it was already treated as a legend. What really happened back then, and why was the path to immortality suddenly cut off? No one knows anymore."

Li Fan nodded slowly.

Chen Ying then meticulously explained the specific method to enter the Fallen Immortal Realm, along with detailed precautions to observe while exploring it.

Before departing, Chen Ying emphasized once more. "Remember, do not attempt this until you reach the Golden Core realm!"

Li Fan readily agreed.

Afterward, Chen Ying, eager to research improvements to the pill formula, took his leave and headed back to Myriad Immortals Island.

Not one to delay, Li Fan also hurried back, arriving within the Tianxuan Mirror.

Having learned of the miraculous Fallen Immortal Realm, how could Li Fan resist entering it?

Having experienced more than a hundred simulation cycles, he was well aware that the strength of his divine sense was far beyond that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Nevertheless, Li Fan decided to exercise caution and conducted a test within the Tianxuan Mirror.

His surroundings shifted, and straw dummies appeared one after another.

Li Fan's divine sense shot forth like arrows, piercing fiercely into these dummies.

Once struck by his divine sense, the color of the withered, yellow straw dummies changed to green, then to blue.

Once all the dummies were dyed with color, they collectively vanished.

The scene restored itself, and soon after, the test results emerged.

Li Fan's current divine sense strength was equivalent to that of an ordinary cultivator at the late-stage Golden Core realm.

My divine sense is a full realm stronger than my cultivation realm...

Li Fan wasn't particularly surprised.

In that case, there's no worry about insufficient divine sense strength.

.....

“The flow of time in the Fallen Immortal Realm differs from the real world. Furthermore, time flows at different rates even in different regions within the Fallen Immortal Realm itself. But overall, it flows much faster than in the real world.

“Each time you enter the Fallen Immortal Realm, your arrival location is random. Thus, you will encounter different scenes,

“Some areas are trapped in cycles, endlessly repeating a specific segment of history from thousands of years past. The scenes within these areas reset periodically.

“Others have developed continuously over thousands of years, giving rise to all sorts of bizarre and wondrous transformations.

“In short, it is a world originally formed from the consciousness of one who fell. Therefore, any manner of inconceivable event might be encountered within the Fallen Immortal Realm.

“There is no risk of true death. Specific conditions must be met to bring items obtained within the Fallen Immortal Realm back to reality.

“You can exit midway without backlash. However, similar to exiting after acquiring an item, you must wait for a period of time before you can enter the Fallen Immortal Realm again.”

.....

Finding no relevant information about the Fallen Immortal Realm within the Tianxuan Mirror, Li Fan could only silently reiterate the exploration precautions Chen Ying had mentioned, committing them to heart.

Simultaneously, he purchased over a dozen sets of the items required for each entry into the Fallen Immortal Realm.

It wasn't that Li Fan was being reckless; the set was simply far too cheap. A dozen sets cost less than two hundred contribution points altogether.

Each set contained four items: one plain linen garment, one plump stalk of rice, one small, exquisitely crafted model house, and one vividly detailed, miniature donkey cart.

These four items were placed separately in the four corners.

Li Fan took a deep breath. Taking the first step, he faced the direction of the linen garment and murmured in a low voice:

"Blessed be Immortal Venerable Xuanhuang."

With the second step, he turned towards the plump stalk of rice, sincerely reciting in his mind:

"Blessed be Heavenly Sovereign Xuanhuang."

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Taking the third step, he gazed at the exquisitely crafted model house, held his breath, and whispered:

"Blessed be God-Emperor Xuanhuang."

At the fourth step, his gaze fell upon the wooden cart seemingly laden with goods.

Li Fan expelled a turbid breath, silently reciting:

"Blessed be Heavenly Venerable Xuanhuang."

The instant the ritual was completed, Li Fan’s surroundings turned abruptly still.

Even though there had been little sound within the Tianxuan Mirror to begin with, the silence he was engulfed in now caused his heart to pound. It was utterly different from the usual quiet.

Then, like the shattering of a silver vase, a cacophony of noise erupted in Li Fan's ears.

The wailing of infants, anguished cries of mortals, furious shouts of cultivators...

Arcane arts clashed, mountains shook, and the earth quaked. Winds howled, and torrential rains poured.

Darkness swallowed his vision as if someone had thrust a sack over his head.

Li Fan immediately lost consciousness.