Chapter 1487: The Immortal Realm Ascends Again
Si Tu Xing gave a wry smile. "As the saying goes, one mountain cannot contain two tigers. For so many Nameless Immortals to gather in a single realm was already an extraordinary feat. But for our group back then to rally around one man, treating each other like brothers and maintaining a stable bond... that was truly inconceivable."
"Especially Luo Yichen and that woman, Ji Yuzhen. They were already mortal enemies back in the Immortal Realm."
Seeing Li Fan's intrigued expression, Si Tu Xing continued, "In the Immortal Realm, Luo Yichen was known as the 'Clear Stream Divine Mother.' Her style, well, it was much the same as it was in the Xuanhuang Realm before she met Xuanyuan Hong. She enjoyed keeping consorts, both male and female. Entire star domains were filled with subjects who had fallen for her charms."
"As for Ji Yuzhen, her name was the same in the upper realm. According to the rumors, she was a native of the Clear Stream Star Domain, raised from childhood in its unique culture of servitude—a belief she embraced wholeheartedly and without question. But by a stroke of fate, she managed to leave one day and found herself in a normal, Immortal-governed star domain. The stark contrast warped her mind, and from that day on, her devotion twisted into a burning hatred..."
Si Tu Xing paused, hesitating for a moment before adding, "The memories from my original self in the Immortal Realm are fragmented. So what I've heard might not be the whole truth. But it's absolutely true that there was some unspoken entanglement between them. Back then, we all wondered why those two seemed to harbor such a deep, innate animosity for each other."
"Later, when Ji Yuzhen's true self awakened first, she moved immediately to kill Luo Yichen. Fortunately, Xuanyuan Hong intervened just in time to stop her."
"I still remember the look in Ji Yuzhen's eyes that day. Heh..." Si Tu Xing clicked his tongue.
"I have to admit, Xuanyuan Hong was truly remarkable. Not only did he manage to maintain a balance between the two women while he was around, but even after he disappeared, Ji Yuzhen and Luo Yichen actually coexisted peacefully for a time. It wasn't until they had a difference of opinion on how to handle Xuanyuan Hong's matter that their relationship began to fracture again."
"Ji Yuzhen, on the other hand, chose to follow the clues Xuanyuan Hong left behind. She firmly believed that he would never just abandon her like that."
Si Tu Xing smiled wryly. "Ji Yuzhen's stubbornness was quite famous in the Immortal Realm as well."
Li Fan thought of the billion souls of Ji Yuzhen wandering the Annular Mountain in Dongyong Prefecture and raised an eyebrow. "Isn't Ji Yuzhen dead?"
With a wave of his hand, he projected the current scene from Dongyong Prefecture in the Xuanhuang Realm for Si Tu Xing to see.
Si Tu Xing was initially taken aback by the news, but after observing for a moment, he shook his head slightly. "The cultivation method Ji Yuzhen practices ensures she won't perish so easily. These billions of soul fragments, including the primordial soul hidden at the center, are almost entirely memories related to Xuanyuan Hong. She must have deliberately discarded them."
"That place, Dongyong Prefecture, is also where Xuanyuan Hong returned to after his ascension to find her. She probably intended to sever all her emotional ties to him."
As expected of a former Nameless True Immortal. Just by watching the images Li Fan projected, he was able to discern the truth behind the billion soul fragments.
"No wonder every memory I saw in these soul fragments featured Xuanyuan Hong."
Li Fan found himself lending more credence to Si Tu Xing's assessment.
"Of the twelve Law Kings back then, how many truly died, and how many simply chose to disappear?"
Si Tu Xing couldn't help but feel that this senior before him seemed a little too interested in the old affairs of the Xuantian Sect.
"Could it be that he later encountered one of the twelve of us?"
Despite this thought, the intimidating presence of the two celestial pillars beside him kept him honest. "Uh, Sikong Lin is most likely truly dead. The destruction of his original self from the Dao Annihilation Calamity in the Immortal Realm dealt a heavy blow to his clone. The damage was cumulative and irreversible; he should have had no way to recover. Zhou Yangli and Cui Zhiyuan's original selves were definitely affected as well, but I'm not certain if they managed to escape."
"As for the others..."
"That's not for me to speculate."
Li Fan pointed toward the underground river in the Dark Star Sea. "And you? How did you end up in such a state?"
Si Tu Xing looked a bit embarrassed. "My true self was the last to awaken. Until just before Xuanyuan Hong disappeared, I hadn't regained my original consciousness. At the time, I didn't understand some of the things happening among us. I was still following Xuanyuan Hong's orders, engraving the 'Forms of Life' beneath the Star Sea. And since I rarely communicated with the others, even after their true selves awakened, they weren't sure of my real identity. They probably weren't even sure if I was a True Immortal from the lower realms..."
"Not long after I started working under the Dark Star Sea, my original self tragically perished, and I was caught in the fallout. It was a miracle that I managed to preserve my divine consciousness," Si Tu Xing sighed.
"In that case, this clone of yours could be considered quite loyal," Li Fan remarked, sizing him up.
"Well, it wasn't entirely as you might think, Senior. In truth, I sensed a subtle benefit in creating the Forms of Life, which is why I was willing to stay in that underground river of vitality," Si Tu Xing said with a small laugh, not trying to hide anything.
"A benefit?"
"After the Immortal Realm was destroyed, the infinite nature of our immortal power was affected to varying degrees. Some lucky ones might have retained their boundless immortal energy, but others lost their connection to the Infinite Sea. I was one of the latter."
Si Tu Xing sighed and continued, "By using the Forms of Life to sculpt this star sea and help it recover, I could use the authority of this lower realm as a channel to reconnect with the Infinite Sea. At that time, even though the Immortal Realm was gone, I would still be a True Immortal. Even if my original self met with disaster, I wouldn't have been too greatly affected."
"Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned."
"The Infinite Sea is the true culprit behind the Dao Annihilation Calamity. Even with the Immortal Realm in ruins, you people remain stubbornly blind!" Li Fan cut in, his expression turning cold.
Si Tu Xing was stunned, seeming to finally understand why Li Fan possessed no immortal power.
He pondered for a moment, then carefully explained, "It's not that the Infinite Sea caused the Dao Annihilation. It's that we failed to hold back the Infinite Sea, and that led to the calamity. We True Immortals connect to the Infinite Sea through the power of 'Lian Shan.' As they say, the mountain and sea are connected."
"And whether we use the infinite immortal power or not, it wouldn't change the grand scheme of the Dao Annihilation tide."
"I suspect that the destruction of the Immortal Realm lies squarely on the shoulders of the Heavenly Net Emperor and his reckless ambition."
This statement from Si Tu Xing was something outside of Li Fan's knowledge.
Unable to verify its truth, he didn't refute it directly. Instead, he asked, "I have also heard that the reigning Heavenly Net Emperor committed some mad act before the Immortal Realm was destroyed. What exactly was he trying to do?"
At the mention of the Heavenly Net Emperor, Si Tu Xing's expression became strange, much like when he was reminiscing about Xuanyuan Hong.
"The Heavenly Net Emperor wanted to completely resolve the threat of the Dao Annihilation Calamity. And his method..."
"Was a plan for the entire Immortal Realm to ascend once more. If successful, we would have transcended the Mountain and Sea itself. No matter how the tides rose and fell, they would no longer be able to touch us in the slightest."
"Hm?" Li Fan's expression also became subtle.
"Either that Heavenly Net Emperor was an out-and-out madman, or he had some assurance of success. I've heard that the Heavenly Net Emperor had no shortage of followers back then..." He stared at Si Tu Xing, wanting an answer.
"Theoretically speaking, the Heavenly Net Emperor's plan did have a certain feasibility. Otherwise, I wouldn't have chosen to follow him back then. It's just a pity that, judging by the outcome, he seems to have failed in the end."
"But as for why it was feasible, that involved the plan for the Immortal Realm's ascension. It was a top secret. I wasn't privy to that information. And that secret was perhaps completely buried along with the destruction of the Immortal Realm." A hint of regret flashed deep in Si Tu Xing's eyes.
A strange silence fell over the space between the celestial pillars.
"The Immortal Realm's ascension..."
Li Fan savored those four words in his mind.
It was indeed too insane.
No wonder Qing Yin and the True Immortal named Ling, who were stationed at the experimental site, thought the Heavenly Net Emperor had gone mad when they learned of the plan and ultimately decided to flee.
The power of Immortals came from the Mountain and Sea, yet the Heavenly Net Emperor intended for an entire realm to transcend the Mountain and Sea.
Even if he had some secret advantage, it seemed far too fantastical.
But to rise to the position of a reigning Immortal Emperor, Heavenly Net was certainly no ordinary man. He must have weighed the decision carefully. At the very least, from his perspective, there must have been a high probability of success.
"Even [Truth] might not be able to transcend the Mountain and Sea. The Immortal Realm at that time was still trembling under the scourge of the Dao Annihilation tide. What on earth was the Heavenly Net Emperor relying on?" An endless curiosity surged in Li Fan's heart.
However, this was a question that would likely remain unanswered for some time.
"You said that infinite immortal power wasn't the culprit behind the Dao Annihilation. Does that mean you believe that the countless Immortals were blameless for the calamity's occurrence?" After a period of thought, Li Fan steered the conversation back.
Li Fan's stance was already crystal clear.
Glancing again at the celestial pillar beside him, Si Tu Xing opened his mouth and closed it several times, unable to answer the question for a long while.
Finally, after a long pause, he stammered, "It's not just me. The vast majority of True Immortals probably think the same way. And the facts support it. Whether we use the infinite immortal power or not, the Infinite Sea is always there."
"And the merging of the Mountain and Sea is an unstoppable trend. If you have to say who is truly at fault..."
"Then perhaps, from the very beginning, the birth of Immortals was a mistake."
"Ever since the first Immortal was born through the power of 'Lian Shan,' the approach of the Infinite Sea was already inevitable."
Si Tu Xing had his own convictions.
Even under Li Fan's fierce gaze, he did not change his tune. He stated it plainly.
"You Nameless True Immortals, you attained your Dao and left. Are you truly without responsibility?" Li Fan suddenly demanded in a stern voice.
With a wave of his hand, five phantom images of Shou Qiu appeared, circling Si Tu Xing.
"Let's not even talk about becoming pillars to support the world. Was it too much to ask to leave behind a phantom image to bear the Dao, as Shou Qiu did?"
The name of Shou Qiu was truly extraordinary.
Staring at the phantoms that had suddenly appeared, Si Tu Xing looked as if he had been struck by lightning.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
After calming down, he took the initiative to bow to the phantoms.
Then, he fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "This very issue was discussed long ago in the Immortal Realm."
"The great trend of the Mountain and Sea merging is not something that the persistence of one or two Daos can reverse. In fact, from a macro-temporal perspective, the support of one more or one less Dao makes no difference at all. It's like the refuge you, Senior, have built here with these two celestial pillars. It seems safe for now, but in reality..."
"One day, its destruction is inevitable."
"Perhaps it can be delayed, but ultimately, it's futile."
"It's impossible to completely deny the path of advancement for True Immortals because of this. Moreover, if we who have attained the Nameless stage achieve a minor transcendence, or even a true transcendence, and leap above the Mountain and Sea, we might actually find a way to stop their merging."
Si Tu Xing spoke with righteous conviction, his words coming faster and faster.
His eyes were firm, as if this was what he truly believed in his heart.
"Hmph. Pinning your hopes on a vague and distant future."
"The Immortal Realm has already been destroyed, and countless True Immortals have transcended. Have they found a way to save the world yet?" Li Fan retorted.
To this question, Si Tu Xing could only remain silent.
After a long while, he finally spoke. "Perhaps, on the other side of the Infinite Sea, there is a world that has already found a solution."
"A continuous stream of transcended True Immortals from all worlds traverse to the Other Shore, gathering in that magnificent world. By pooling our collective strength, we should be able to find a way to save the world. This was the tacit understanding among countless Nameless True Immortals at the time."
"Fixating on a single world... the Heavenly Net Emperor has already demonstrated the final result of that path."
"Senior, you have not walked the path of an Immortal, so it's only natural that you don't understand these matters."
Si Tu Xing's words were eloquent, but they could not shake Li Fan's heart in the slightest.
For one simple reason.
The cold countdown of Truth was steadily ticking down, spelling out the ultimate fate of this world.
"Perhaps he's right."
"The merging of the Mountain and Sea is the true, inexorable trend of this world."
"Before the Mountain and Sea, the influence of a single possibility is minuscule, let alone a Nameless True Immortal who has only mastered a single Dao."
"No matter what they did, whether they left behind a means to bear the Dao or not, at best it would only slightly delay the arrival of the Dao Annihilation Calamity."
"It cannot change the final outcome of destruction."
Li Fan suddenly thought of Evil Su Bai, the Black Heaven Physician, and even Shou Qiu, who clearly had the ability to easily resist the Dao Annihilation Calamity but still chose to depart gracefully.
"A tacit understanding among Nameless True Immortals, hmm."
"Were they truly just striving for their own power, or did they hold onto this so-called understanding?"
"Does that great world on the Other Shore, where all the transcendent beings gather, truly exist?"
A thousand thoughts flashed through Li Fan's mind.
However, no matter what he was thinking now, he could not show any sign of being persuaded by Si Tu Xing.
"The lives that all sentient beings were supposed to have were cut short because of your excuses."
"How should this debt be settled?"
"Did they deserve to die?"
Li Fan waved his hand, and in an instant, a scene of countless living beings wailing in the apocalypse appeared before Si Tu Xing.
(End of Chapter)
Comments