Chapter 1596: The Flames that Scorch Mountain and Sea
Chapter 1596: The Flames that Scorch Mountain and Sea
Li Fan’s gaze was fixed on the sphere of light before him. Its pulsing grew faster, as if the life within was about to burst from its shell at any second. The twelve True Immortals were equally captivated, their curiosity piqued by the true form of this primordial being they had collectively nurtured for tens of thousands of years, yet had never seen. They watched it discreetly.
"Tell me its origins," Li Fan inquired, his tone placid.
Faced with Li Fan's overwhelming presence, the twelve True Immortals dared not conceal a thing. They recounted their story in full: "Back when the Immortal Realm still stood, we were all immortals from the All Yu Star Domain. The All Yu Star Domain was a peculiar place within the boundless Immortal Realm. Strictly speaking, it didn't truly fall under the Immortal Realm's jurisdiction. It was a wild, untamed star domain with no appointed immortal overseer, a place that successive Immortal Emperors had consistently ignored..."
"The All Yu Star Domain," Li Fan murmured, retrieving information about the region from his memory.
"You mean the territory rumored to harbor a terrifying creature? The one the Immortal Realm gave up on developing halfway through? I thought that was just a myth. Right up until the Immortal Realm’s collapse, there was never any concrete evidence that such a being actually existed."
The dwarf-like elder nodded repeatedly. "Your perception is truly sharp, Senior. It's true, that terrifying creature never once showed itself, which is why it slowly attracted True Immortals like us—those who chafed under authority and were willing to travel the vast distance for freedom. However, the Three Saints were who they were. Their foresight was beyond our comprehension."
"That terrifying creature truly existed. It had been slumbering all along, only to be roused when the Dao Annihilation tide descended..."
Recalling the scene from that day, expressions of profound fear flickered across the faces of the twelve True Immortals.
"We could never perceive its entire form, only catch fleeting glimpses of its shadow. It was as vast as mountains and seas, clashing head-on with the Dao Annihilation tide and holding its own..."
The dwarf-like elder projected a mental image of the memory, displaying the terrifying creature's confrontation with the Dao Annihilation. The monster’s power was indeed staggering.
"We were powerless to interfere in the battle between the creature and the Dao Annihilation. All we could do was hide and desperately fight for survival. The fierce struggle raged for nearly half a day, until the stalemate itself seemed to brew an even greater wave of Dao Annihilation."
"The All Yu Star Domain was engulfed in an instant, and the luminous silhouette of that terrifying creature slowly faded into the tide. All that remained was a single, shimmering sphere of light, still struggling desperately against the void."
"Seeing our chance, we snatched it as we fled. We reasoned that anything left behind by a being that could contend with the Dao Annihilation had to be priceless; perhaps it even held the key to transcendence. And our gamble paid off. In all our years in the lower realms, half of us managed to achieve the rank of Nameless True Immortal, all thanks to the gift of this sphere," the dwarf-like elder explained, holding nothing back.
Li Fan's brow furrowed, and he cut the elder off. "At the time, you were just ordinary True Immortals. How did you survive the Dao Annihilation calamity?"
The twelve True Immortals exchanged bitter smiles before one of them slowly began to speak. "To tell you the truth, Senior, this is our greatest secret. The All Yu Star Domain was never fully colonized, which made it one of the regions most vulnerable to the corrosion of the Dao Annihilation. The immortals there always had to prepare for the worst, and many had their own theories and research on how to survive the tide."
"Among these methods, [True Spirit Destruction] was widely considered the most effective. However..."
The dwarf-like elder hesitated for a moment, then continued, "It was considered a forbidden art because it violates the harmony of heaven and earth. We only joined forces to unleash it at the very last moment, when the All Yu Star Domain was on the verge of being completely swallowed."
"A forbidden art that allows True Immortals to resist the Dao Annihilation?" Li Fan's voice was laced with skepticism. "If something that incredible truly existed, how could the Immortal Realm have fallen?"
"It's the absolute truth. I wouldn't dare lie to you, Senior."
The dwarf-like elder then began to slowly explain the art of [True Spirit Destruction].
As Li Fan listened, a subtle, almost inscrutable expression flickered in his eyes.
To put it simply, if the Dao Annihilation was an all-consuming fire, then True Spirit Destruction was a defensive measure akin to creating a firebreak—by preemptively burning the entire star domain to the ground.
The life force and very fabric of the cosmos would be ignited, leaving nothing but ash. While this ash would eventually be consumed by the Dao Annihilation tide anyway, it would slow the tide’s advance to a crawl compared to its pace through a living star domain.
To a certain extent, the ashes left behind after this cosmic immolation could even serve as a crude raft to traverse the tide of Dao Annihilation.
"We knew a little about the technique back then. We held out until the very last moment before the All Yu Star Domain was destroyed, when we had no other choice and could no longer hold on. That's why we decided to burn what little was left of our cosmos..."
"...and from those meager ashes, we fashioned a vessel to escape. We arrived in the lower realms in a pathetic state."
Li Fan could vaguely sense that the elder's story still contained some inconsistencies, but he wasn't one to quibble over details. He had little interest in the precise mechanics of their survival.
What did interest him, however, was the art of [True Spirit Destruction], which was undoubtedly real.
Such a self-destructive tactic, which inflicted more harm on the user than the enemy, was utterly pointless under normal circumstances. It was only valuable in the most extreme of situations, when a possibility was on the brink of being consumed by the Dao Annihilation.
For Li Fan, however, it held immense value as a reference.
In fact, Li Fan himself had once unleashed a similar divine ability.
In his previous life, when trapped within the calamity of three converging Daos, Li Fan had chosen to save himself by decisively self-destructing.
The very foundation of his immortality, his Great Dao of Longevity, had become the fuel for an all-consuming conflagration. An infinite light had set the Primal Possibility and all its surroundings ablaze.
In a way, he had truly managed to isolate the Dao Annihilation—an act of power akin to burning mountains and filling seas.
"However," Li Fan thought, "compared to my crude method of simply using a power on par with the Mountain and Sea itself to start the fire, the ignition efficiency of this True Spirit Destruction technique is vastly superior."
"That's because this technique uses the very foundation of a possibility's existence as fuel..."
"The True Spirit. Or, to put it another way, its potential and Spirituality."
Li Fan silently began to circulate the technique within himself. He mastered it far more quickly than any divine ability he had ever learned. In fact, the moment he began, he felt as if he were performing a difficult task with effortless ease.
At the same time, however, his spiritual senses screamed with frantic warnings.
"One misstep, and I would instantly be consumed by a raging inferno."
"This technique uses one's own spirituality as both tinder and lure. You have to set yourself on fire first, using your own being as the catalyst to ignite the entire possibility. Then, you have to extinguish the internal flame as quickly as you can. Hesitate for even a moment, and you'll be consumed along with everything else in the inferno."
"And even if you remain perfectly calm and move with lightning speed, the drain on your own spirituality is immense. Each use drastically diminishes your potential. Use it too many times, and you'll become utterly useless... a cripple."
Li Fan narrowed his eyes at the twelve immortals, who now looked inexplicably anxious. Suddenly, he understood. "Twelve of them, working in concert, starting the fire together. By shouldering the burden collectively, they could indeed minimize the loss of their own potential. Hmph. To achieve something like that, they must know far more than just 'a little' about [True Spirit Destruction]."
"It's highly probable that they are the creators of this very technique. Their original power must have been far greater than it is now. Their strength was crippled precisely because they used this art." In a flash, Li Fan had pieced together the twelve True Immortals' hidden secret.
Perhaps the twelve True Immortals had never imagined that there could be someone in the world whose very constitution was so perfectly attuned to the forbidden art of [True Spirit Destruction]. The cost of practicing the art was one's own potential and spirituality, an astronomical price to pay. Most cultivators would never get more than a few chances to "practice" it.
Only someone intimately familiar with the theoretical foundations of True Spirit Destruction could hope to perform it successfully on their very first attempt.
Normally, even trying it three or five times wouldn't be enough to ignite a possibility. More likely, one would just burn out their own potential and become a cripple.
But Li Fan was an anomaly.
"This True Spirit Destruction is an evil art, through and through. I wonder who could have created such a thing." A flicker of displeasure crossed Li Fan's face.
"If I'm not mistaken, this evil art can ignite more than just a single possibility. It could potentially spread to others."
The dwarf-like elder hastily bowed his head. "Your perception is as sharp as a torch, Senior. Such a thing is indeed possible. But it's only a possibility. For one, the Mountain and Sea is simply too vast, and the potential of all living things is finite. The fire usually burns for a time before exhausting its True Spirit fuel and extinguishing on its own."
"Secondly, the Dao Annihilation tide flows between the realms of the Mountain and Sea. The tide acts as a natural barrier, which is highly effective at containing the flames. Take this star sea, for instance. If we were to ignite it, the fire wouldn't even spread across the entire possibility; it would be confined to this one small corner..."
Li Fan smiled, his words pointed. "You seem to have studied this art in great depth."
The dwarf-like elder gave a bitter smile. "It was our only means of survival. We had no choice but to study it with utmost diligence."
Li Fan didn't press the matter. "Since I'm here, you won't need to use that evil art. I can certainly give a mere twelve people a ride."
"But the Mountain and Sea is boundless. Do you have a destination in mind?"
"The Other Shore, perhaps? Or the Tai Wei Sacred Dynasty? Or shall I just find the nearest possibility not yet consumed by the Dao Annihilation and leave you there?" Li Fan asked with a warm, friendly tone.
Seeing that Li Fan genuinely seemed to be considering taking them along, the twelve True Immortals were overcome with an indescribable joy.
They exchanged glances, their thoughts passing between them in silence.
After a moment, the dwarf-like elder spoke again, his voice filled with apprehension. "Replying to you, Senior, we have heard of the Other Shore. But we have never heard of this Tai Wei Sacred Dynasty. Would it be possible for you to tell us a little about it?"
Li Fan had no objections. "The Tai Wei Sacred Dynasty was founded by a peerless powerhouse of the Mountain and Sea, the Tai Wei Saint Emperor..."
He proceeded to recount the history of the Sacred Dynasty from beginning to end, leaving the twelve True Immortals utterly spellbound.
"To think such a powerhouse exists within the Mountain and Sea! We've truly been like frogs in a well."
"However, this Tai Wei Saint Emperor sounds a bit too domineering. We moved to the All Yu Star Domain precisely because we didn't like being controlled."
"The Other Shore..."
Li Fan's voice cut through their daydreams. "The journey to the Other Shore is long. If you truly wish to accompany me, you must be prepared. The Mountain and Sea is vast, and the road ahead is endless. It's possible that by the time your lives come to an end, we will still not have reached our destination."
The twelve True Immortals failed to detect the grave, earnest tone in Li Fan's words.
They automatically ignored words like "endless" and "long," and one after another, they declared that their minds were made up.
From their perspective, with the vast lifespans of True Immortals and Nameless True Immortals, no matter how far the Other Shore was, the journey couldn't possibly take that long. They were certain they would see it within their own lifetimes.
To remain here, on the other hand, was a dead end.
Compared to using the forbidden art of True Spirit Destruction, their chances of survival by boarding the Solitary Sail were obviously much higher.
Thus, their choice was obvious.
"In that case, come aboard."
Li Fan spoke calmly, and the solitary sail manifested once more.
Beneath the sail was a cramped and narrow wooden boat.
Though small, it could just barely accommodate the twelve True Immortals.
"Well then, if no one has any objections, I'll be off," Li Fan announced.
The twelve True Immortals nodded in joyous agreement.
"Very well..."
Like a sudden sea breeze, the solitary sail billowed out.
The small boat began to tremble violently. It felt as though a raging storm had erupted around them, with colossal waves threatening to capsize the tiny vessel at any moment.
"Dao... Dao Annihilation."
Sensing the familiar, terrifying presence of the tide all around them—an aura etched deep into their memories—the twelve True Immortals couldn't suppress the fear that showed on their faces.
But what happened next painted their faces with something more than fear—utter shock.
"Right," Li Fan said casually. "That True Spirit Destruction art you were talking about... I understood the general idea, but there are still a few points I'm unsure of. I'll need to run an experiment to verify them. Since you're all leaving anyway, why don't you gift me this star sea? It'll make for some convenient research material."
"Hm?" The twelve True Immortals froze, stunned by his words.
Before they could even process the meaning of his words...
Li Fan had already made his move.
It was obvious he hadn't been asking for their opinion. It had been an announcement, tinged with mockery.
A single spark ignited, illuminating the cosmos.
In a single, breathless instant, it erupted into a conflagration. An infinite radiance bloomed from that initial spark, spreading in every direction.
Moments later, the entire star sea was consumed by a blinding, incandescent light!
"What a fire! What a magnificent blaze!"
Standing upon the solitary sail, Li Fan clicked his tongue in admiration.
Below him, crammed onto the wooden boat, the twelve True Immortals watched the scene unfold, their faces ashen and pale as death.
"You... you..."
Their faces were masks of utter disbelief, as if they were looking at a ghost.
They were too stunned to even form a question.
They simply couldn't comprehend how this man had successfully performed the forbidden art of True Spirit Destruction on his very first attempt.
And even if his talent was so peerless as to be unique in all the Mountain and Sea, why would he do it? He clearly already possessed the means to traverse the great expanse, so why would he waste his own spirituality to set the cosmos ablaze?
They, after all, had only ever studied and used the forbidden art out of sheer desperation, as a last resort for survival.
But this man before them...
The white flames stretched on, endless and vast.
And in the flickering glow of the fire, Li Fan's face was a shifting canvas of light and shadow, his expression impossible to discern.
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