Chapter 1253: Illusion

This process has nothing to do with power, only with cognition. The Heavenly Dao Forbidden Seal can seal his power, but it cannot seal his thoughts.

Gradually, a completely new 'model' began to take shape in his mind. This model no longer regards 'Return to Void' as an isolated Grand Dao, but places it within a larger framework—a dynamic balance triangular structure composed of 'Desire', 'Vitality', and 'Return to Void'. And 'reincarnation' may be the internal regulatory mechanism that allows this triangular structure to operate stably.

This model is far from perfect, full of speculation and uncertainty. Yet its emergence itself is a tremendous breakthrough! It means Han Wuxian begins to transcend the limitations of his own title 'Return to Void Dao Lord', viewing the world's power system from a more transcendent, more fundamental perspective.

Just as he immersed himself in this metaphysical deduction, the silence of his cave abode was broken once again.

This time the arrival was neither an enemy nor a supplicant, but an extremely concealed transmission talisman, almost merging with the void. The talisman silently penetrated the cave's restrictions, hovering before Han Wuxian, bearing no signature, only containing an extremely pure and condensed stellar thought.

Han Wuxian opened his eyes and looked at the talisman. From it he sensed the vast and profound aura of the Star Evolution Venerable Lord.

His divine sense touched the talisman, and a calm, waveless stream of information flowed into his mind:

"Observing you lately, your path is arduous, heavenly might like a prison. Yet, seeing that you have not abandoned your thoughts, I am greatly comforted."

"The Heavenly Dao is orderly, yet it has its limits. Many observe, few interfere."

"To break the cage, one might focus on the 'order' beyond the 'limit'."

"In the far western lands lies the 'Star Fall Valley', transformed from the ancient stellar extinction of Silence Extinction; within its laws are twisted, life and death intertwined, light and darkness coexist, perhaps retaining a trace… of the 'abnormal' order. Yet it is extremely perilous and abnormal; even those of the Unity Dao Stage may not protect themselves there—proceed with caution, proceed with caution."

The information ended abruptly here, and the transmission talisman dissolved into specks of starlight.

Han Wuxian remained silent for a long time.

The Star Evolution Venerable Lord's transmission contained an enormous amount of information!

First, he confirmed that the Heavenly Dao Palace is not omnipotent; its interference capability has limits.

Second, he hinted that the key to breaking the situation might lie in seeking the 'order' outside the Heavenly Dao order—that is, a legal domain subject to little or no heavenly oversight.

Finally, he provided a specific coordinate, the 'Star Fall Valley', a place that may contain laws different from—and even abnormal relative to—the current Heavenly Dao order! At the same time, he explicitly warned of its extreme danger.

This is an opportunity! A chance for him to escape his current predicament and personally observe and experience different 'orders'! Yet it is also a tremendous trap—even Unity Dao Stage cultivators could perish there, let alone him, whose strength is now less than one-tenth and who is still a key focus of the Heavenly Dao's 'attention'.

To go, or not to go?

Han Wuxian's gaze fell once more upon the Heavenly Dao Forbidden Seal on his brow. That icy golden light seemed to silently mock his predicament.

Remaining here is relatively safe, but within a century he is unlikely to achieve any fundamental breakthrough and will ultimately become mere fish on the chopping block.

Venturing to the Star Fall Valley is a nine-deaths-one-life gamble, but perhaps within despair he could find a thread of hope to overturn the rules!

With almost no hesitation, a flash of resolve crossed Han Wuxian's eyes.

To sit and await death is not his nature. These ten years of imprisonment and contemplation have already honed his will like Chaos Divine Iron.

He slowly rose to his feet; though his frame remained gaunt and his breath weak, an inward, unshakable resolve now filled his entire being.

'Star Fall Valley…' he whispered the name, and in his chaotic eyes it seemed as if a galaxy flowed.

He needed to prepare. Given his current state, a rash departure would be tantamount to suicide. He must mobilize every resource at his disposal to make thorough preparations.

First, he must fully digest the information contained in the Star Evolution Venerable Lord's transmission, especially the parts concerning the 'order limit' and the 'abnormal order'.

Second, he must integrate all his insights from the past ten years on Return to Void, Desire, and Vitality; even if he cannot actively use them, he must transform them into his own 'foundation' and 'cognition'.

Finally, he needs some external objects to aid survival—talismans, secret treasures for concealment, and… perhaps he could attempt to craft some 'experience devices' that simulate the extreme environment possibly existing in the 'Star Fall Valley', to adapt in advance.

Once his plan was clear, Han Wuxian hesitated no longer.

With his resolve set, Han Wuxian immediately began intensive preparations. To him, time had never been more precious, nor more urgent. He must embark on the journey to the Star Fall Valley before his condition is completely figured out by some entities, or before the Heavenly Dao Forbidden Seal undergoes any further unpredictable change.

His preparations consist of three steps, each as perilous as dancing on a blade's edge.

First, he immersed all his mind and spirit into his sea of consciousness, no longer attempting to mobilize any power, but like a most rigorous scholar, he systematically organized and integrated all his observations, insights, and deductions from the past ten years concerning Return to Void, Desire, Vitality, and even the Heavenly Dao Forbidden Seal itself.

The vast data concerning the 'Termination Lineage', the fleeting glimpse of the 'Primordial Desire Sea', the triangular structure model composed of 'Desire-Vitality-Return to Void', and the countless records of the Heavenly Dao Forbidden Seal's reaction patterns… all this information, using his tenacious will as a framework, he wove and forged bit by bit, ultimately forming in his sea of consciousness an ancient, hazy heart mirror that seemed able to reflect the illusory essence of all things.

This 'heart mirror' is the concrete crystallization of his current cognition. It cannot directly boost his combat power, yet it allows him to observe and analyze everything in the outside world with insight far beyond ordinary people, especially subtle changes at the level of laws; this is the strongest 'weapon' he can possess in his present state.

With his power restricted, external objects became vital supports. Han Wuxian began to sort through his storage artifacts. His former collection was abundant, but most were treasures requiring deep cultivation to activate, now effectively scrap iron. From them he carefully selected items that place little demand on spiritual power, focusing instead on the intrinsic properties of their materials or on containing fragments of special rules.

Using his nearly exhausted Return to Void Power, aided by essence-blood and soul-thought, he began the refinement.

He took void crystal dust, infused it with a thread of insight into spatial Silence Extinction, and crafted three 'Silent Void Talismans', which at critical moments could distort space to gain a brief respite.

He took the core of ten-thousand-year-old soul-sinking wood, utilizing its property of carrying Silence Extinction intent, and carved it into a 'Return to Silence Pendant', worn before his chest, which can greatly restrain all his aura, simulating a 'near-nothing' state to avoid ordinary detection.

Lastly, and as his boldest attempt, he extracted the sealed thread of Yan Buji's 'self-desire' origin, using it as the core, blending it with several rare materials imbued with chaos and distortion, seeking to forge a 'Myriad Desire Mask'.

The process of refining the 'Myriad Desire Mask' was extremely perilous; he had to carefully guide that thread of origin so that its power manifested more like a 'naturally arising desire mist' rather than active invasive control. After many failures, with over half the materials ruined, and the Heavenly Dao Forbidden Seal on his brow flashing red several times, finally, before he was nearly utterly depleted, a pale mask as thin as a cicada's wing, cool to the touch, and flowing with countless minute desire phantasms on its surface, was completed.

This item is not for combat; it is prepared for upon entering the law‑chaotic Star Fall Valley, to disguise the nature of his existence and confuse any terrifying entities that might exist, which sense beings through desire.

While preparing supplies, Han Wuxian also began to set up a contingency. He knew that once he left, any gaze observing him within a radius of ten thousand li would immediately notice. He must create a plausible 'illusion'.