Chapter 137: Reality Beyond Words

Liu Pan had remained in this town for two full months. In fact, on the very evening the delicate woman departed via the teleportation array, Liu Pan felt the fluctuations of his spiritual imprint vanish. Fearing that some trouble might track him back through the array, he left the inn under the cover of darkness and headed outside the town. After secretly observing for a few days and finding that nothing unusual occurred, he returned.

In retrospect, Liu Pan realized he had been somewhat careless. After all, had any trouble really tracked him back through the array, his spiritual imprint would likely not have been erased, but rather carried back by someone. Had that happened, he might never have had the chance to hide or flee. Liu Pan was astounded; after the incident with the Nether Demon Python, his spiritual power had reached the perfection of the early True Lake Realm. Yet, his imprint had been discovered and likely erased. To be able to detect and erase his imprint meant the antagonist’s spiritual power was definitely not weak—it might even be superior to his own.

Throughout the cultivation world, cultivators possessing spiritual power were one in a million, and those with the opportunity to elevate that power to a certain realm were rarer still. Such individuals were invariably people of absolute status and influence—it was no exaggeration to say they were a handful across the entire Tianfeng Continent. While cultivators with spiritual power stronger than Liu Pan’s were not exactly rare, they were certainly individuals of significant standing. If such a person had been discovered in the Central Plains, Liu Pan would not have thought twice, but this was the Northern Plains. For a cultivator with formidable spiritual power to appear in such a harsh, desolate environment made him deeply wary. Though he could not pinpoint exactly where his imprint was discovered and destroyed, he instinctively fixed the location on that nondescript, deserted city. He felt that only there could such a thing have happened.

Because of the imprint, Liu Pan guessed the delicate woman might never return, yet he chose to stay and wait. Even if he lacked absolute certainty, as long as there was even a sliver of possibility, staying was the right choice. Upon returning to the town, he did not check into an inn again but purchased a secluded courtyard on the outskirts.

Tracing the line of the "Extreme Cold Physique," from the encounter with the delicate woman to the discovery of the teleportation array, Liu Pan felt the situation on the Tianfeng Continent was becoming increasingly complex, drifting further and further from the world he had penned. In truth, this divergence proved a point about the unpredictability of the human heart. Even as the author, he could not write the hearts of every character. Perhaps this was a common flaw of authors. For web novels, because there is an objective, the protagonist must survive until the end, so events often develop in a forced, predictable manner. This leads to irrational plot points and supporting characters with questionable intellect. A web novel is not reality; it falls far short of capturing absolute truth. No one can truly understand another person, and this is true even for oneself.

Liu Pan had experienced this disparity between reality and fiction deeply after a series of events. He had realized it long ago but had not taken it to heart. Now, however, he understood that to survive well in this world, the knowledge he brought from his previous life was far from enough; he needed to understand this world and learn of the things he did not yet know.

During these two months, in addition to cultivation and alchemy, Liu Pan spent time wandering, chatting with locals, visiting bookstores, and studying maps. Because of this, the "World Tree" of the Tianfeng Continent within his mind grew taller, with many delicate branches and leaves sprouting from its once-sparse boughs.

After two months, his injuries from the lightning tribulation had fully healed, and thanks to the nourishment of the Primordial Heavy Water, his physique had returned to normal, shedding all signs of emaciation. Relying on the few spirit stones in Li Tu’s storage ring and the pills he had refined himself, Liu Pan’s cultivation had reached the perfection of the third-stage Martial King, just one step away from the mid-stage. Although his realm had not improved significantly, he knew his combat power had increased substantially, primarily because his body had been greatly strengthened by absorbing the essence of the sun and moon.

Because he had been monitored by Li Feiyang during his training, Liu Pan had long believed his body could not absorb solar and lunar essence unless injured. However, upon breaking through to the Martial King realm and sensing the power of the sun and moon, he discovered he could absorb it even when healthy. It simply required him to consciously guide the absorption, which was more mentally taxing than the instinctive absorption that occurred during injury. But the impact was minimal, and he could handle it.

Now that he had recovered, Liu Pan took the time to verify a suspicion he held about his own body. At first, he noticed nothing and even doubted his own theory. It wasn't until he realized something and removed the Primordial Heavy Water from his body to practice that his face finally changed color. That time, after absorbing solar and lunar essence for a full day and night, he emerged to find his body had become remarkably stiff. In the end, had he not re-absorbed the Primordial Heavy Water to nourish himself, his body would never have recovered.

It was at that moment he confirmed his suspicion: although his soul possessed this body, it had not truly fused with it. In other words, his body was, in fact...

Yet, while he confirmed this, he was troubled. He could now understand the "Evil Cultivator Lightning Tribulation"—his body was, indeed, "evil." However, he was left bewildered, unsure what this state of cultivation meant or what would happen if he continued. Should he keep absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, or stop?

Liu Pan frowned, falling into a long silence. Finally, a resolute light flickered in his eyes; he decided to continue. He felt that obtaining the Primordial Heavy Water just as he reached the Martial King realm and could sense the solar and lunar essence might be a destiny of sorts, guiding him toward this choice. In truth, as he prepared to head north to face an uncertain future, he was desperate to increase his strength.