Chapter 1326: Feigned Madness Before the High Wall
“Heh... Fellow Daoist, surely you jest! Beyond the High Wall...” Zhong Daogong’s eyes flickered. Faced with Li Fan’s aggressive questioning, he flatly denied it.
“Do I look like I’m joking?” Li Fan cut him off bluntly. A menacing glint appeared in his eyes as his aura began to surge, threatening to erupt at any moment.
The elders of the Mysterious Immortal Boat were all too familiar with the fluctuations emanating from Li Fan. It was the power of the True Immortal Script!
Seeing that Li Fan was serious, the expressions of the Immortal Boat elders soured.
“Fellow Daoist, don’t be rash! Let’s talk this out calmly!” they urged, backing away from Li Fan while simultaneously activating the Immortal Boat’s layers of defense.
Li Fan’s face was grim. “I am perfectly calm! I just want an explanation!”
“It was because I tried to deduce the origin of the force that shook the High Wall that I suffered this backlash. Now, my life is fading... There is absolutely no existence within this Darkest Star Sea capable of such a thing.”
“It was clearly the work of an unknown civilization beyond the High Wall, yet your Immortal Boat passes it off as your own achievement. Taking credit for something so monumental... It’s utterly shameless! I don’t care if you’re chasing fame and glory, but your lies have cost me...”
The more Li Fan spoke, the more agitated he grew, and the fluctuations of the True Immortal Script radiating from him intensified. He glared at the elders as if they were his mortal enemies, ready to drag them all into oblivion with him at a moment’s notice.
But one mustn't forget that, ostensibly, Li Fan had only twenty years of life left. To a cultivator, twenty years was but the blink of an eye.
The elders of the Immortal Boat were certainly not about to argue with an emotional, dying man.
They could only try to placate him. “Fellow Daoist, you have us wrong!”
“We truly aren’t lying. The source of the disturbance at the High Wall... it both originates from beyond the wall and is deeply connected to our Immortal Boat. In truth, they share the same origin...”
“You? And something beyond the High Wall?” Li Fan seemed to calm down slightly at these words, but his eyes remained filled with deep suspicion.
The elders conferred among themselves. The story of the Shang Immortal Boat breaking through the High Wall was a top secret, but the man before them was on the verge of death.
They were far too close to the Xuan Immortal Boat. If he went berserk and started flinging the power of the True Immortal Script around, he could inflict irreparable damage on their vessel.
Using a secret to placate him for now was a viable option.
“Sigh, it’s a long and complicated story. Fellow Daoist, allow me to explain...”
Zhong Daogong recounted the story of the Xuanshang Immortal Boat’s schism, and the tale of how the Shang Immortal Boat had eventually broken through the High Wall to find freedom.
As he spoke, the other elders joined forces to cast a spell, subtly sealing the space around them. This served a dual purpose: to prevent their greatest secret from being overheard, and to trap Li Fan.
Li Fan seemed oblivious to their subtle maneuver. The hostility radiating from him slowly faded, replaced by a look of confusion and a hint of remorse. “So, I was too rash, then? I never imagined the Xuanshang Immortal Boat of old had such a fantastic history.”
Seeing Li Fan gradually calming down, Zhong Daogong breathed a sigh of relief. He then asked, “What is the Great Qi’s official stance on our proposal for cooperation? Even if they are unwilling, it’s strange that they haven’t given us any response.”
“To be honest, the Great Qi is deeply conflicted. After my rash actions led to this backlash, my master had no choice but to admit that, while the Great Qi is certainly interested in crossing the High Wall, the most critical issue is the immense danger that likely awaits beyond it...”
After speaking with grave seriousness, Li Fan glanced around, seemingly noticing for the first time the spatial lock the elders had jointly cast.
A flicker of displeasure crossed his eyes, but he merely gave a cold snort and did nothing more.
His black-and-white hair began to stir without a wind, swaying erratically.
Fine, silvery-white threads shot out from his hair.
Before the elders of the Immortal Boat could react, these silver threads had already woven a formation in the void, trapping them just as they had trapped him.
This act of turning their own trick back on them had not yet raised any alarms.
The elders’ attention was quickly captured by Li Fan’s voice.
“Gentlemen, watch! This is the vision I witnessed through the deductions of the realm-protecting immortal artifact—a vision of what lies beyond the High Wall!”
The combination of “realm-protecting immortal artifact” and “beyond the High Wall” was enough to send a jolt through the elders, and they all fixed their gaze on the unfolding scene.
The perspective soared infinitely high, revealing the entirety of the Darkest Star Sea before their eyes.
For some unknown reason, the cold, dead expanse of stars began to boil. An ominous, chilling aura reverberated through the void.
Before long, a tremendous roar echoed from the horizon.
Then, as if a colossal boulder had been hurled into it, the Darkest Star Sea erupted in cataclysmic waves!
...
The vision ended abruptly.
Though brief, the vision was enough for the elders to comprehend the scene it depicted.
The High Wall was collapsing, and an unknown existence was descending upon the star sea!
The vision was so vivid it felt utterly real.
It was like watching a recording of an actual event!
The elders were stunned, unable to recover from the shock of the cosmic cataclysm they had just witnessed.
“This...”
Zhong Daogong, also lost in a momentary daze, turned to Li Fan.
“Now do you understand why I suffered such a severe backlash?” Li Fan asked, his expression perfectly serene.
“The collapse of the High Wall, the turmoil of the star sea... If things truly reach that point, I fear even the Great Qi, with all its strength, would not be able to survive unscathed. This is why we have hesitated to make a decision.”
“Freedom is a fine thing, but safety must come first...” Li Fan sighed deeply.
A dead silence fell over the group.
On the surface, the Immortal Boat elders were silent, but in reality, they were engaged in a fierce internal debate.
“This... is it real or fake?”
“A scene like this is beyond the imagination of any cultivator. Not even in the most terrifying nightmare could one conjure such an image.”
“It doesn't look fake to me. Those fluctuations were too real. To be honest, I almost tried to flee just now. But it seems he's trapped us in a formation—I couldn't get out.”
“Then what about our plan? To gather the power of the True Immortal Script, stir the residual immortal energy in the star sea, create a tsunami, and strike the weakest point to cross the High Wall. We planned for so long, hoping to repeat the Shang Immortal Boat’s great feat. Who could have guessed this would be the result? Could it be that in his vision, *we're* the ones who knock down the wall?”
“Wait, I just tested it. This kid’s formation is seriously powerful. I can't get out either.”
“Don’t let him scare you. A deduced vision isn’t necessarily the true future. We absolutely cannot abandon our plan because of this...”
“I’m telling you, this is bad. Three of us tried to break it together and failed.”
...
An unsettling atmosphere began to spread among the elders.
This was partly due to the shock from the vision of cosmic catastrophe, and partly from the horrifying realization that Li Fan had silently imprisoned them with a formation.
“Fellow Daoist, what is the meaning of this?” Zhong Daogong demanded, his eyes narrowing.
Li Fan avoided the question, instead muttering to himself like a man possessed, “For the sake of the Great Qi’s safety, my master and the other seniors have given up on cooperating with you to test the weak point in the High Wall. I can actually understand that...”
“But if that’s the case, then in twenty years, won’t I have died for nothing?”
“The Great Qi is planning to give up. What about your Immortal Boat?”
Li Fan stared intently at the elders, his voice sharp.
Zhong Daogong, uncertain of Li Fan’s state of mind, hesitated to answer.
Seeing no reply, Li Fan’s emotions flared up again. “What about you!”
“If you give up too, then it will be as if none of this ever happened. My unauthorized use of the immortal artifact, my deduction of the future, the sacrifice of my lifespan—would it all be meaningless?”
“I had a bright future. Among all the young disciples of the Great Qi, my talent was unmatched. I might not have become a legendary scholar whose name would be remembered for millennia, but I could have at least followed in my master’s footsteps—a renowned teacher, passing on knowledge and dispelling ignorance for generations...”
“All of that vanished into thin air because of a single proposal from your Immortal Boat.” Li Fan’s tone grew increasingly crazed. A strange blackness even began to creep across his face, a sight that made one’s scalp tingle.
“If I must die, so be it.”
“But to become a laughingstock even after death...”
“I will not allow it!”
Li Fan pointed a finger at Zhong Daogong.
“Give me an answer!”
“Your Immortal Boat—is the plan moving forward or not!”
“If you’re afraid and cancel the plan...”
“Then you can all turn to ash with me!”
As Li Fan spoke, countless silver lines in the surrounding void suddenly blazed to life.
It was as if tens of thousands of suns had risen on the horizon at once, illuminating the space where the elders were trapped.
The expression on every face was revealed in minute detail.
A silvery wind began to blow through the void.
Merely brushing against their faces, it left behind shallow cuts.
This forced the elders to use their own techniques to protect themselves.
However, as the invisible wind in the void grew stronger, their expressions changed drastically.
“What... what kind of formation is this!”
“Danger! Everyone, be careful! I’ve never seen such a ferocious formation in my life!”
“Quick, use the ‘Solution’ character to break the formation!”
The elders reacted quickly. Before the words had even faded, the First Elder of the Immortal Pivot Academy, Jian Daosheng, had already inscribed a “Solution” character.
Under the power of the True Immortal Script, the silvery-white lines of the formation instantly crumbled.
However, before the elders could cheer, a dumbfounding scene unfolded.
In the surrounding darkness, countless new suns seemed to rise. Even more silver lines than before materialized, endlessly regenerating and weaving themselves into a new formation.
The “Solution” character caused the formation to melt like ice in water. But at the same time, more water was instantly frozen back into ice!
Thus, the formation trapping them not only didn’t collapse...
...but instead grew larger and more complex.
“Quick, anyone else who knows the ‘Solution’ character, follow up!”
“Calm down! The Immortal Boat isn’t far. We’re all concentrated here. If too much power from the True Immortal Script is unleashed at once, the consequences will be unimaginable!”
“This kid is insane! What is he trying to do!”
Amidst the countless flashing silver threads, Li Fan’s voice echoed again.
“Fellow Daoist Zhong! Answer me!”
“What is your Immortal Boat’s answer!”
Zhong Daogong’s expression was grim.
In all his years, this was the first time he had been so cornered by a junior.
And yet...
Zhong Daogong looked at the various True Immortal Script characters now constantly floating off Li Fan’s body and felt a splitting headache.
If all those characters were activated at once within the formation, even with their lifetimes of experience with the True Immortal Script, the elders would inevitably suffer severe injuries.
Zhong Daogong finally understood just how troublesome a cultivator could be when they wielded the power of the True Immortal Script and had no fear of death.
“Answer me!”
Li Fan’s nearly hysterical voice echoed through the grand formation.
Seeing that Li Fan was on the verge of collapse, the True Immortal Script characters flying from his body had become so dense it was terrifying.
Zhong Daogong had no choice but to reply, “Rest assured, fellow Daoist, our Immortal Boat will absolutely not abandon the plan to explore beyond the High Wall.”
“Words are cheap!”
“Then what do you propose, fellow Daoist?” Since the situation was out of his hands, Zhong Daogong asked with forced patience.
“First, take me to that weak point in the High Wall so I can see it for myself! If you give up, I’ll go alone. Even if it costs me my life, I’ll smash myself against it!” Li Fan declared resolutely.
The elders of the Immortal Boat exchanged glances.
“Well? Can this formation be broken?”
“You know our skill with formations. Even if we sat down to study it, we’d need the better part of a century to understand it, let alone break it in a short time.”
“I told you we shouldn’t rely so much on the True Immortal Script. We need to focus on developing other arts and abilities, but you wouldn’t listen. Now look, he’s got us right where he wants us,” an elder from the Immortal Pivot Academy named Meng Xiaomeng said with a gloating expression.
“So what’s the plan now? Are we really going to take him to the weak point in the High Wall?”
“It might not be a bad idea.”
“His time is almost up, and his mind is unhinged. We can’t reason with him like a normal person. He might actually do it—smash himself to death against the High Wall.”
“And don’t forget, his attainment in the True Immortal Script is profound. Perhaps we can use him for the preliminary experiment.”
“Indeed. Let’s placate him first. We just need to ensure he doesn’t leak our secrets to the outside world.”
...
Partly because Li Fan was forcing their hand by threatening his own life, and partly due to their own ulterior motives...
In the end, the elders of the Immortal Boat agreed to Li Fan’s demand.
They would first take him to witness the so-called weak point in the High Wall.
The Immortal Boat and the elders traveled together through the void.
Passing through the Relic Sea, they drew closer and closer to the foot of the High Wall.
“Ahead lie the continuous world fragments.”
“And beyond that is the invisible High Wall,” Zhong Daogong said.
Li Fan snorted. “I’ve been there. What’s the way forward?”
“The Realm Fragment Great Wall is a single, connected entity. If the Immortal Boat were to approach, it would likely be captured by that immense power, never to escape. Besides, as you’ve noticed, the closer we get to the High Wall, the stronger the echoing star power becomes. With our cultivation, we can barely maintain our stability. But a vessel as large as the Immortal Boat cannot...” Zhong Daogong explained patiently.
“Rest assured, now that we’re here, we won’t go back on our word.”
Li Fan’s gaze swept over them. He pondered for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.
And so, six elders were left behind to guard the Immortal Boat.
The remaining elders continued onward with Li Fan, deeper into the void.
Comments