Chapter 357: New Domain Beyond the Abyss

"Fearless in the face of death, sacrificing oneself for others?"

"If it weren't for my [Truth], the ability to start anew at any time, I would never make such a choice!"

"It truly leaves a sour taste in one's heart!"

In the vast sea of mist, Li Fan deployed the Purple Sky Divine Thunder Escape, transforming into a purple stream of light, swiftly heading towards the Eternal Immortal Stronghold.

The stifling and depressive feeling lingered in his heart for a long time.

And the previously unstoppable Xuanhuang Heart Refinement Mantra unexpectedly operated extremely slowly.

It was like a heavy millstone, sucking in the inner thoughts and slowly grinding them away.

Unlike before, where Li Fan's incorrect cultivation methods would ruthlessly crush everything.

At this moment, the Heart Refinement Mantra refined these rebellious emotions generated from going against the Dao Heart, transforming them into strands of coolness that flowed into Li Fan's body and mind, nourishing him.

The cool sensation slightly relieved his restless mood.

Reversing the Dao Heart is actually actively seeking the 'Difficulty in Understanding the Mind'.

This naturally made Li Fan, who had always been willful, feel extremely uncomfortable.

Fortunately, the Xuanhuang Heart Refinement Mantra did not disappoint Li Fan.

Sensing the effect of the coolness on his body, Li Fan's mind suddenly shook.

"This feeling..."

"It's so similar to when I took the [Mind Horse] back then?!"

"Before, the Clear Mind Mantra could strengthen the divine sense, and now the correct cultivation of the Heart Refinement Mantra can actually strengthen the soul?"

Li Fan's heart was suddenly filled with waves of shock.

"No wonder its cultivation level is even higher than the Cloud Water Dream Technique, which is a Dao Integration level technique."

"Methods that strengthen the divine sense, I've seen one or two of them in the special exchange list of merits in the Tianxuan Mirror."

"But those that can strengthen the soul..."

"It's truly unheard of."

The soul is internal, and the divine sense is external.

If the soul becomes stronger, the divine sense will naturally also become stronger.

The divine sense is like muscles, which can be continuously strengthened through postnatal training and cultivation.

But the soul is like bones, predetermined at birth. Only when one's own realm undergoes a breakthrough, which is almost a change in life form, or by using treasures like the [Mind Horse], can it be strengthened.

Initially, the Nascent Soul cultivator Zhang Zhiliang also said that the [Mind Horse] that can strengthen the soul is extremely precious.

However, as good as the Mind Horse is, its enhancement effect is limited.

But the Xuanhuang Heart Refinement Mantra's enhancement of the soul has no apparent limit!

As long as one continues to reverse the Dao Heart, it seems that the soul can endlessly strengthen!

It's worth noting that when the soul becomes strong enough, it can be directly used as a means of annihilation against enemies.

For example, the extremely terrifying Thousand-Faced Demon Ancestor officially announced by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, discarded his physical body and directly existed as a soul.

Relying on his powerful soul, he freely engaged in body snatching.

"As I cultivate the Xuanhuang Heart Refinement Mantra and continuously strengthen my soul, one day, even if the Thousand-Faced Demon Ancestor truly exists, he may not be my opponent."

"Moreover..."

"[Truth] and I are actually one. After each reincarnation, everything in the world returns to the chosen anchor point."

"Only my changes remain."

"Even if I choose to retain nothing, it's still the same."

"When I was still a mortal before, my will became stronger with each reincarnation. Eventually, I could even control the Taiyan Boat with a mortal body. This is the proof."

"Willpower, soul..."

"Doesn't this mean that everything in the world returns to its original state with each of my choices?"

"And my soul, on the other hand, continues to grow stronger."

"One day, even if I choose not to retain my cultivation, just relying on a powerful soul would be enough to crush everything?"

The more he thought about it, the more unbelievable Li Fan felt.

"The Xuanhuang Heart Refinement Mantra can be called a heaven-defying technique, yet it's hidden within the commonplace Xuanhuang Clear Mind Mantra?"

"What is this..."

Instinctively, Li Fan felt that there must be some conspiracy hidden within.

With doubts in his mind, after some struggle, Li Fan still decided to continue cultivating.

"With such a technique right in front of me, I simply can't give it up."

"Even if there are any tricks, the enhancement of my soul is real."

"If the hidden hand behind the scenes can truly ignore the influence of [Truth], then so be it."

"If not, then no matter how many schemes there are, they are useless in front of [Truth]."

With a decision made in his heart, Li Fan suddenly felt relieved.

The actual effect of the Xuanhuang Heart Refinement Mantra far exceeded his expectations.

"But this method of reversing the Dao Heart is somewhat torturous."

Li Fan vaguely felt that it's not as simple as saying things that contradict the Dao Heart to cultivate.

One must integrate knowledge and action, actively acting against the Dao Heart.

Only then can it be turned into nourishment for the soul.

This is also why he ventured alone into the white mist.

"For others, the combination of the Demon Tide and the Age Devouring White Mist is indeed extremely dangerous, a place where one might risk their life."

"Whether facing the white mist or the demon sounds, if I really encounter any fatal danger, I have time to calmly activate [Truth]."

"Overall, the benefits of this choice far outweigh the risks."

"Instead, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance territory, which seems to have no risk at ordinary times, is fraught with danger if one wants to reverse the Dao Heart."

"If one is careless, they may provoke the existence of Dao Integration level experts."

As Li Fan pondered, he flew towards his destination.

With the Black Death Symbol protecting him, keeping the Age Devouring White Mist at bay, Li Fan's only concern was the occasional assault of the Demon Tide.

Whenever murmurs and whispers reached his ears, as a precaution, Li Fan would stop flying.

He would then light the Silencing Glass Lamp and wait for the demon sounds to weaken before setting off again.

Although surrounded by dangers, under Li Fan's cautious approach, he proceeded safely all the way.

Soon, Li Fan had been flying in the white mist for more than two days.

The Five Elements power within his body formed a unity, so he didn't have to worry about spiritual power depletion.

However, Li Fan's expression gradually became serious.

"If the threat is only at this level, Lengyingyi couldn't possibly have an accident."

"What has he encountered by delaying his return?"

"And where is this increasing sense of unease in my heart coming from?"

Li Fan gradually became vigilant, releasing his divine sense to probe the surroundings.

However, within the fog sea devoid of the Demon Tide, it was silent.

After searching for a long time, he still couldn't find the source of the threat.

Li Fan could only adapt and continue flying towards the direction he sensed Eternal Immortal Stronghold.

Two more days passed like this.

Li Fan, who was flying swiftly, suddenly stopped.

His face turned unsightly.

"Finally, I understand why Lengyingyi hasn't returned. So that's it."

At his speed, flying intermittently.

Originally, it should have taken no more than two days to reach the Eternal Immortal Stronghold.

But now, four days have passed since Li Fan left the Outpost.

In his perception, the Eternal Immortal Stronghold is indeed not far ahead.

However...

Despite the short distance, no matter how he flies, he can't cross it.

"Clearly it seems to be just a short distance away, but it's like a heavenly chasm that I can't cross. We call these locations within the white fog barrier 'Maze'."

Huangfu Song's words echoed in Li Fan's ears.

He temporarily gave up flying and stood in the void, his expression changing constantly.

"Unbeknownst to anyone, a maze has unwittingly formed on the path between the Outpost and the Eternal Immortal Stronghold beyond the Abyss."

"Silent, and unknown."

"Lengyingyi must have gotten lost in this maze."

"Now, it's the same for me."

Looking ahead, Li Fan seemed to see a huge green stone palm not far away.

But he couldn't reach it.

"A short distance but a world away..."

Li Fan sighed softly.

However, although he inadvertently fell into a desperate situation, Li Fan would not immediately use [Truth].

There are still many unfinished matters in this world, so giving up so easily would be a pity.

This also fits Li Fan's character of never giving up until the Yellow River runs dry.

So Li Fan decided to see if he could find a way to cross this newly formed maze before his resources were depleted.

After all, a maze is ultimately just an extremely vast space.

It's not an absolute deathtrap.