Chapter 1104: The Divergent Paths of Heaven and Man
"Less than a decade has passed between the first signs of the world's fundamental laws being reversed and the successful attainment of Longevity."
"Under normal circumstances, a Dao Integration cultivator wouldn't even have completed the first step of this process, yet this individual has already ascended."
"I almost suspect," Transmitter Zhou added, his tone tinged with an unnerving awe, "that this Rebirth Heavenly Sovereign might be a survivor from the outside world—a great cultivator who was already on the cusp of the Longevity realm. That's the only way this could have gone so smoothly."
"An outsider?" Li Fan murmured, his words prompting a moment of deep thought.
"Fortunately, this Heavenly Sovereign shows no interest in meddling with the conflicts of the Xuanhuang Realm. They haven't made contact with us or the Five Elders Council. As for the impact of reversing life and death, we are still assessing it. However, it's foreseeable that both sides will likely become increasingly cautious about waging war," Transmitter Zhou remarked with a sigh.
Li Fan nodded in agreement.
While the ability to resurrect infinitely might seem like an endless supply of manpower, it wasn't that simple.
The critical issue was time. Resurrection was not instantaneous.
Meanwhile, the Xuanhuang Realm's natural rate of producing new life had been slowed to an absolute minimum.
In the short term, it wouldn't cause any major problems.
But in the long run...
Li Fan suddenly spoke up. "There's no need to worry too much, Brother Zhou. If I recall correctly, doesn't your Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance have a great number of cultivators suppressed and sealed away? In a crisis, you could always release them as a contingency."
Li Fan was referring to the cultivators imprisoned within the Eternal Immortal Wall, including those whose bodies had been possessed by the million divine demons he had summoned with the Three Disasters and Hundred Tribulations Mind God Technique.
Although they had essentially lost their consciousness and were now just empty shells, they could still serve as cannon fodder.
Transmitter Zhou stared at Li Fan for a long moment before his expression softened into a polite smile, ending the conversation without another word.
"I have a feeling about this Rebirth Heavenly Sovereign's identity..."
"Perhaps I can test that theory in the next life. It's best not to introduce more variables into this one."
A flicker of light crossed Li Fan's eyes as he turned his attention back to his preparations.
...
Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, it was the 24th year of the current anchor.
Li Fan appeared quietly by the shore of the Cong Yun Sea, his gaze turned toward the horizon.
"Because I previously faked a heavenly mandate and enraged the Heavenly Dao's consciousness, the calamity of the Red Flame Burning Sea has arrived three years early in this lifetime, and the Red Flame's power has intensified."
He squinted, observing the crimson figure that seemed to dance with the wind.
It still possessed a vague human form, but it was a far cry from the solitary figure holding a small flame he had seen before.
This incarnation of Red Flame sat cross-legged upon a magnificent cloud of fire, its eyes burning with murderous intent as it glared down at the myriad lives of the Cong Yun Sea.
A creature resembling a sinuous dragon coiled around its body, its gaze fixed on the sea below like a predator watching its prey.
Suddenly, as if sensing Li Fan's gaze, both figures snapped their heads in his direction.
But Li Fan was shrouded by formations; it was impossible for them to find him.
"A new form I've never seen before. It seems my gradual arrangements over the years have finally unsettled the Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm, putting it on high alert," Li Fan mused with a smile.
"But it's a shame. As long as I don't make my move, no one in this world can predict what I'm truly planning."
"All your resistance is futile."
Li Fan made no move to stop the Red Flame Burning Sea, content to observe from the sidelines.
He had no intention of luring out Ink Death in this lifetime.
As the strongest of the Heavenly Spirits, Ink Death's appearance would inevitably draw the attention of the world's Longevity Heavenly Sovereigns.
Even though Li Fan no longer feared them, his preparations for world-ending events had to remain clandestine. To ensure his plan of setting the tigers on each other succeeded, maintaining a low profile was paramount.
The reason Li Fan had come to the Cong Yun Sea today was to observe the specific changes the Xuanhuang Realm would undergo during its self-purification process.
Having studied the Heavenly Doctor's *Heaven Mending Record*, Li Fan had a new understanding of the Red Flame Burning Sea.
The Cong Yun Sea originated from the Tianfa Realm and was not native to the Xuanhuang Realm. The process of merging the two worlds would inevitably trigger various "rejection" responses, most notably the strange phenomena that plagued the Cong Yun Sea.
Red Flame's seemingly world-destroying actions were, in fact, a means to better facilitate the fusion of the Cong Yun Sea with the Xuanhuang Realm.
"The same event, viewed from a human perspective versus the perspective of the Heavenly Dao, is completely different."
"There is no right or wrong."
As the mutated Red Flame slowly gathered its power, a sealing force began to emerge at the borders of the Cong Yun Sea, attempting to prevent any living beings from escaping.
But in the final moments before this celestial prison took full effect, Li Fan saw a group of people hastily sailing in from the sea.
After a difficult journey to shore, they abandoned their vessel and fled inland.
The man leading them was a familiar face to Li Fan. It was Zhang Haobo!
Li Fan had not interacted with him in this life, but guided by a vague premonition in his heart and his own innate luck, Zhang Haobo had still managed to lead his friends and family to safety just before the calamity struck.
"Haobo, we were living just fine on Liuli Island. Why did we have to leave our homes and come to this strange continent?"
"Yeah, boss. I trust you, and I'll follow you anywhere, but I still don't really get it."
...
Faced with his companions' doubts, Zhang Haobo's expression remained impassive.
He calmly unfolded a map, determined their position, and methodically directed everyone to keep moving.
As they walked, he explained, "Have you not noticed that there seem to be fewer people on the island lately? Ever since that Immortal Master from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance supposedly visited."
"It's not just our island. On other islands, too, even the Immortal Masters themselves have been quietly evacuating the Cong Yun Sea."
"Clearly, some major event is about to happen," Zhang Haobo analyzed with perfect composure. "Rather than stay in the Cong Yun Sea and wait to die, it's better to come here and try our luck."
His words were met with looks of disbelief.
Someone even dared to argue back, "But isn't it said that under the mighty power of the Heavenly Sovereign, everyone can be resurrected now? If we can be brought back to life, what is there to be afraid of?"
Zhang Haobo scoffed but offered no further explanation.
"Those who wish to follow me, keep moving. Those who don't, the ship is still by the shore. You are free to return at any time," he stated coldly.
At his words, the group fell silent, not daring to speak another word of complaint.
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