Half a month later, a rudimentary seawater purification array was completed.
With sufficient drinking water and food once again, the surviving residents of Taian Island bowed in gratitude, thanking the Immortal Master for saving their lives.
However, Li Fan was not as elated as they were; instead, he felt somewhat worried.
After personally constructing an array, Li Fan had barely stepped onto the path of array techniques.
It was then that he realized the island defense array of Taian Island was deteriorating at an abnormal speed.
Generally, island defense arrays could operate for over a hundred years.
However, at the current rate of deterioration, in another two to three years, the array would completely lose its effectiveness.
After careful investigation and consulting "Theory on Formations," Li Fan found the cause of the array's damage.
The spiritual energy in the heavens and earth had become extremely turbulent and fierce.
This fierce spiritual energy seemed to possess its own will. When absorbed by the island defense array, it gradually eroded the critical nodes of the array.
The island defense array now resembled a machine with crucial components slowly rusting away. Each operation reduced its lifespan.
While Li Fan identified the problem, he had no effective way to salvage the situation.
The island defense array was too complex, with over ten thousand critical nodes, each typically composed of dozens of micro-arrays.
When it was originally constructed, it was a collaboration of numerous Nascent Soul stage array masters from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
Given the complexity of the issue, Li Fan, a beginner in array techniques, couldn't hope to solve it.
Moreover, the main issue lay in the spiritual energy absorbed by the array.
Even if he temporarily repaired the array, as long as the ferocious nature of the spiritual energy outside remained unchanged, it would merely be a short-term fix.
"Staying on Taian Island is a death sentence. I need to find a way to leave this place."
"But the outside world is engulfed in an unknown calamity, and the ferocious spiritual energy makes venturing out a perilous path."
Caught between a rock and a hard place, it seemed like he was in an impossible situation.
"So, this is a Heavenly Tribulation..." Li Fan stared at the sky outside the island defense array, feeling like a flying insect trapped in a spider's web, unable to move and struggling on the brink of death.
Yet, Li Fan didn't choose to use [Truth] immediately.
Using [Truth] would waste over a decade of charging time. Moreover, without understanding what had truly happened, he would likely face death once again the next time.
Even if he fled far away from the Cong Yun Sea, could he guarantee that he wouldn't encounter new crises?
The malevolence of the Heavenly Dao in this world was pervasive and omnipresent.
Li Fan didn't believe that merely changing his location would guarantee safety.
So, unless it was absolutely necessary, he wouldn't choose to directly give up on this world.
In the following period, Li Fan continued to cultivate and search for a breakthrough.
However, the ferocious spiritual energy outside showed no signs of calming down; in fact, it became even more violent with the passage of time.
Under its relentless assault, the island defense array became increasingly precarious.
It could collapse at any moment.
"There's no way out." Li Fan felt somewhat helpless.
Ending this life in such uncertainty left him somewhat unwilling.
Yet, it seemed like there were no other options.
Should he use [Truth]?
Li Fan hesitated, looking at the mortals below gradually recovering their vitality. Suddenly, a thought struck him: the ferocious spiritual energy outside didn't seem to affect ordinary mortals.
According to the description of the island's residents, apart from the hot weather, there was nothing particularly dangerous beyond the island defense array.
"The Heavenly Tribulation seems to target only cultivators. If I become a mortal, I should be safe."
Li Fan remembered the "Tai Shang Primordial Scripture."
With this peculiar technique, even if he transformed his cultivation back to a mortal state, he wouldn't lose much progress. As long as he found a safe place, it wouldn't take long to return to his original realm.
"So, this is what they call 'emerging from a desperate situation?'" Thinking of a solution, Li Fan felt a sense of relief.
Then, he naturally started to consider more.
He is currently practicing two cultivation techniques.
One is the "Minor Yan Water Technique," exchanged within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, and the other is the "Jade Cosmos Thousand Variations Sutra" from the ancient Tianji Sect.
One is a new technique, and the other is an old one.
The practice method of the new technique involves plundering and seizing the heavens and the earth.
Because of this, it triggers the malevolence of the heavens and the earth.
Now, the heavens and the earth have set up layers of killing intent, targeting cultivators who practice the new technique.
What if he were to only dissipate the "Minor Yan Water Technique" and retain the realm of the "Jade Cosmos Thousand Variations Sutra"? Would the killing intent in the heavens and the earth decrease?
Li Fan was a decisive person.
The great array could collapse at any moment, so he made a prompt decision. The spiritual energy circulated within his body as he activated the "Tai Shang Primordial Scripture."
"Follow the Nameless Supreme, return to the beginning..."
As the technique operated, the water-attribute spiritual energy obtained from practicing the "Minor Yan Water Technique" slowly dissipated like melting snow, transforming into pure energy and settling in Li Fan's dantian.
In just half a day, the "Minor Yan Water Technique" had been completely dissipated.
Yet, Li Fan didn't feel any discomfort.
"This 'Tai Shang Primordial Scripture' is indeed extraordinary." Li Fan sighed and flew to the edge of the island defense array.
"Indeed, this method is effective!"
Sensing the sudden weakening of the pervasive killing intent in the outside world, Li Fan felt a sense of joy.
"Unfortunately, the 'Jade Cosmos Thousand Variations Sutra' is still practiced through the Dao of plundering heaven. Although, due to the intent of the technique, the malevolence of the heavens and the earth has decreased significantly compared to before, it has not completely dissipated."
Realizing that even after leaving, there would still be a threat to his life, Li Fan made up his mind and chose to continue dissipating his cultivation.
Soon, another surge of pure energy filled his dantian.
The two energies were originally derived from different cultivation techniques, but now they could harmoniously merge without conflict.
"According to the description in the 'Tai Shang Primordial Scripture,' these pure energies obtained from dissipating cultivation can last in the dantian for about a hundred years." Li Fan's realm at this moment had reverted to that of a mortal.
However, he wasn't particularly worried.
"As long as I return to Ten Thousand Immortals Island, I can quickly re-cultivate to my original state."
At that moment, Li Fan no longer hesitated. He steered the Tai Yan Boat and slowly flew out of the island defense array.
The violent and scorching spiritual energy swept through, tinting the distant sky in shades of orange-red.
But Li Fan was now a mere mortal, and this rampant spiritual energy merely roared past without launching an attack.
Li Fan breathed a sigh of relief, set his direction, increased the speed of the Tai Yan Boat to the maximum, and flew toward Ten Thousand Immortals Island.
On the way, Li Fan passed by many islands.
All the mortals on these islands had perished, devoid of any signs of life.
Li Fan was secretly alarmed.
His traveling speed became even faster.
Three months later.
Li Fan arrived at the location where Ten Thousand Immortals Island used to be.
He opened the map and compared it four or five times, yet he still couldn't believe his eyes.
The once vast Ten Thousand Immortals Island had completely disappeared.
There was only a giant, empty black hole stretched across the ocean.