Chapter 1604: The Other Shore in Sight
The people of the Obsidian Dynasty had long since come to view life and death with indifference. For the future of their dynasty, they would resolutely sacrifice themselves at a moment's notice—whether it was their self in a single possibility or the collective of all their selves across the entire Mountain and Sea.
It was this conviction that gave the Mountain Sea Sacrificers of old the confidence to wager the lives of every soul in their dynasty on a plan that seemed utterly ethereal and uncertain. They knew that even if only one person from the Obsidian Dynasty remained, as long as the gaze of the Star descended and they successfully completed their sublimation, the dynasty could be rebuilt beyond the Mountain and Sea!
What they had not anticipated was how swiftly and torrentially the calamity would arrive.
The plan had barely begun when the Dao Annihilation tide, like a colossal tsunami, devoured everything within the dynasty.
“The Mountain and Sea seemed to perceive our actions and moved to deliberately obstruct us...”
Even as a mere fragment, the Mountain Sea Sacrificer was still haunted by the fall of his dynasty. He asserted this to Li Fan with unwavering conviction.
Again and again, he recounted in detail how the timing and scale of that catastrophe had been completely anomalous.
At first, Li Fan thought this might be a one-sided story, a version of the facts distorted by the Mountain Sea Sacrificer's grief over his lost dynasty. Yet, as he listened more closely, he too began to sense the peculiarity of it all.
This meant that the scale of the Dao Annihilation tide born in the initial stages of the fusion should have been far smaller than it was now.
But the disaster that had engulfed the Obsidian Dynasty back then...
“At that time, the Obsidian Dynasty spanned the entire Mountain and Sea, yet the Dao Annihilation should have only occurred in the regions where the fusion first began.”
Li Fan’s expression grew grave.
In the countless years he had survived as a fragment after the cataclysm, the Mountain Sea Sacrificer had used his remaining consciousness to ponder the cause of it all. In the end, he could only conclude that the will of the Mountain and Sea had detected the Obsidian Dynasty’s plan for transcendence.
In the eyes of the Mountain and Sea, this was nothing short of absolute betrayal.
Hence, it delivered punishment. This was one explanation.
This was also why Li Fan had felt such an intense desire to devour the Mountain and Sea when he first came into contact with the fragment.
The people of the Obsidian Dynasty seemed innocent, but upon deeper reflection, they were born of the Mountain and Sea. Now, with the Mountain and Sea facing a calamity, not only did they offer no aid or contribution, but their first thought was to surrender to that unknown existence from beyond...
Even if the Mountain and Sea was no match for the Star, could it not deal with parasites like you?
“It’s understandable, in a way.” After shifting his perspective, Li Fan nodded to himself.
“If this theory is true, it serves as a warning to me. The Infinite Sea, the Upper Mountain—they are all great existences with wills of their own, not passive victims awaiting slaughter. When I eventually move to burn the mountain and boil the sea, I fear I must be wary of the Mountain and Sea’s retribution.”
Though he thought this, Li Fan kept his expression neutral and instead posed a question to the Mountain Sea Sacrificer. The Obsidian Dynasty was destroyed by the Dao Annihilation, but that was a force even the Mountain and Sea could not control. If the Mountain and Sea wanted to punish the dynasty, it had a thousand different methods. Why would it choose one that would inevitably harm itself?
Hearing this, the Mountain Sea Sacrificer’s incessant chatter came to an abrupt halt. A long silence followed.
In the end, he had only arrived at his conclusion by eliminating every other possible culprit, leaving the Mountain and Sea as the sole remaining option. In truth, he had no reasonable evidence to support it.
“My brother, in my humble opinion, perhaps the fall of the Obsidian Dynasty was merely an accident,” Li Fan said with a soft sigh.
“A Dao Annihilation Calamity of such magnitude, one that could shake the very foundations of the Mountain and Sea, must have involved an existence on the same level, perhaps even the Star from beyond. The Mountain and Sea was thrown into turmoil. Although it ultimately survived, relying on its profound depths, the Obsidian Dynasty—a mere vessel adrift upon it—could not endure...”
“Ever since, the condition of the Mountain and Sea has worsened, and the pace of its fusion has accelerated.” Li Fan calmly laid out his hypothesis.
The Mountain Sea Sacrificer of the Obsidian Dynasty listened in silence.
It was obvious that, compared to his original deduction, Li Fan's theory was far more logical.
But for a moment, he found it difficult to accept that the demise of his dynasty, the fall of countless souls, was just an accident.
“Or perhaps, it wasn't an accident, but an inevitability.”
“The Mountain and Sea could not even save itself, let alone the life within it.”
“What's past is past, my brother. You should let it all go and look to the future.”
“You survived against all odds and were fortunate enough to be saved by me. Is this not the work of fate? Perhaps you bear the hidden mission of restoring the Obsidian Dynasty.”
“To call upon the gaze of the Star, to complete the unfinished work of the past, and to transcend beyond the Mountain and Sea...”
The Mountain Sea Sacrificer had spent his days gazing at the Mountain and Sea, with little experience in schemes and intrigue. Having already established a foundation of trust with Li Fan, he found himself gradually, subtly persuaded by this line of reasoning.
“And even if you insist on viewing the Mountain and Sea as your enemy... open your eyes and look around. It is riddled with the corrosion of Dao Annihilation, teetering on the brink of collapse. Has your revenge not already been served?”
From the shift in the Mountain Sea Sacrificer’s emotions, Li Fan sensed that he had, to some extent, been won over.
But a belief system accumulated over countless years could not be so easily overturned.
Fortunately, Li Fan was persistent.
He periodically infused the fragment with the power of Longevity to aid its recovery while ceaselessly working to reshape its perspective, urging it to let go of unnecessary hatred and focus on the future.
As they say, constant dripping wears away the stone.
A year, a decade, a century, a millennium, ten thousand years passed...
Just as Li Fan’s plan to scatter the seeds of True Spirit was nearing completion...
The resentment against the Mountain and Sea, which had condensed within the fragment for countless ages, finally dissipated with a sudden release.
A brilliant white radiance burst forth from the fragment. When the light subsided, a figure appeared.
It was the Mountain Sea Sacrificer!
But he was not in a "human" form. His entire body was a deep sea-blue, with long, slender limbs. His facial features, though similar to a human's, were distinctly different. Most strikingly, his head was completely transparent.
A blue luminescence flowed within it like ocean water, through which one could glimpse a dazzling array of fantastical lights shining from within.
“My friend, allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Xiao Wangsheng.”
Li Fan could clearly see that the lights flashing within Xiao Wangsheng's head were of a gentle hue.
He smiled faintly and clasped his hands in a salute. “Congratulations on your rebirth, my brother, on this new day.”
A hint of sorrow, a pale blue light, flashed across half of Xiao Wangsheng’s mind.
“I must thank you for your tireless assistance, my friend.”
The two had already forged a deep friendship through their long conversations, so Li Fan did not stand on ceremony. He asked Xiao Wangsheng about his plans.
“With the dynasty fallen and without the support of countless citizens, the plan to summon the gaze of the Star must be altered,” Xiao Wangsheng said slowly after a moment of contemplation.
He raised a hand and pointed into the distance. “I can faintly see a large gathering of powerful beings over there. Many among them seem to rival my own strength at its peak. If we could persuade them to join our plan...”
Li Fan squinted, following the direction Xiao Wangsheng indicated.
It was the location of the Other Shore!
He couldn’t help but smile wryly as he began to explain the current state of the Mountain and Sea to Xiao Wangsheng once more.
“Oh? So that is the Other Shore?” Xiao Wangsheng nodded. “It is quite a bit weaker than I imagined.”
Xiao Wangsheng’s confidence was well-founded.
In the past, there were nearly a thousand Mountain Sea Sacrificers, and Xiao Wangsheng was merely one of the younger ones.
The longer one could survive in a state of being one with the Mountain and Sea, the more powerful they were.
The strength of the ancient Mountain Sea Sacrificers was truly a sight to behold.
“Even the great temples of the past were helpless before the Mountain and Sea Calamity. This so-called world-saving plan of the Other Shore is ultimately an exercise in futility,” Xiao Wangsheng remarked, shaking his head.
“Perhaps it is because the true powerhouses of the Other Shore have already crossed the Eternal Silent Void Realm and traveled to a more ancient past,” Li Fan explained.
Only after hearing the tales of Shou Qiu, the three Saints—Lian Shan, Gui Hai, and Tai Yi—and many other powerful figures did Xiao Wangsheng put away his disdain.
“Just like you, my brother, the beliefs of those on the Other Shore cannot be easily changed. If we were to approach them directly and try to convince them to carry out some ‘gaze of the Star’ plan, we would surely be rejected outright.”
“We must proceed slowly...”
Xiao Wangsheng was completely ignorant of the current era. Hearing Li Fan’s words, he found some truth in them. “What is your plan, my brother?” he asked.
In his eyes, Li Fan was already a "comrade-in-arms" on the same front.
After all, Li Fan had witnessed the gaze of the Star with his own eyes and nearly lost himself to it. Based on Xiao Wangsheng’s experience, anyone who had personally experienced the might of the Star would become a steadfast believer in the plan.
Because aside from relying on the Star, there was no other way to survive the great calamity of the Mountain and Sea’s destruction.
Li Fan smiled faintly. “The best way to persuade others is to first become one of them. Genuinely consider their interests, help them realize the flaws in their current path. When all other unworkable options have been exhausted, what remains must be our plan.”
“We won't have to persuade them. For the sake of their own survival, they will persuade themselves.”
Upon hearing Li Fan’s words, a storm of colors, like a swirling tempest of sand, erupted within Xiao Wangsheng’s head.
“A brilliant plan, my friend!”
“But I wonder, how does one join this so-called Other Shore?”
Subconsciously, Xiao Wangsheng still saw himself as a being of an ancient civilization, separated from the current inhabitants of the Mountain and Sea by numerous invisible barriers. He instinctively felt that integrating into the collective of the Other Shore would be nearly impossible.
But Li Fan chuckled and replied, “The Other Shore has no entry requirements. As long as you can reach it, you are considered a member. Of course, that’s just superficial integration. To truly become part of their core and have the power to change their views, you will need to make certain contributions.”
Although Li Fan had not yet set foot on the Other Shore, he had met quite a few immortals from there and could roughly guess the nature of their organization.
“Just reaching it? Is it that simple?” Xiao Wangsheng asked, taken aback.
“Traversing the Mountain and Sea may be a simple matter for you, my brother. But for the vast majority of beings today, it is a feat they could never hope to achieve in a lifetime. Even I must build a Xuanhuang Immortal Boat just to make the journey.” Li Fan let out a long sigh, and the emotion within it was genuine.
“Brother Xiao, please help me return to my main body. It is time for us to sail for the Other Shore.” Li Fan bowed deeply to Xiao Wangsheng.
Xiao Wangsheng nodded.
With the location provided by Li Fan, Xiao Wangsheng’s gaze easily pierced the endless barriers of the Mountain and Sea, landing upon Li Fan’s true self standing at the prow of the Xuanhuang Immortal Boat, who offered him a faint smile.
After a nod of acknowledgement, Xiao Wangsheng waved his sleeve, enveloping the phantom of the immortal boat beneath him, and strode forward.
Modern cultivators needed to comprehend an intent beyond True Intent to traverse the Mountain and Sea.
But for an ancient being like Xiao Wangsheng, moving through the Mountain and Sea was instinctual.
Even with the burden of a phantom immortal boat, it was no difficult task for him.
He rode the wind and broke the waves, speeding through the Mountain and Sea.
The real Xuanhuang Immortal Boat felt the rising tides and began to tremble slightly. But after countless years of reinforcement, it had long been able to withstand waves of this intensity.
A figure shot out from the Dao Annihilation tide.
The phantom immortal boat merged with the Xuanhuang Immortal Boat, becoming one.
Xiao Wangsheng stood before Li Fan's true self. A silent understanding passed between them, and no more words were needed.
He steered the Xuanhuang Immortal Boat, setting a course for the Other Shore.
At the immortal boat's normal speed, the journey would likely take another few hundred thousand years to complete.
But now, with Xiao Wangsheng standing alone at the prow, acting as a guide, his power alone pulled the entire Xuanhuang Immortal Boat forward at a tremendous pace.
The boat's speed had increased by more than ten thousand times!
Li Fan could see that this was not merely due to Xiao Wangsheng’s immense power. It was an instinctual, natural skill he possessed for navigating the Mountain and Sea.
Li Fan humbly asked to learn from him.
Xiao Wangsheng naturally did not hold back his teachings.
“For the people of my dynasty, although this skill was innate, it still required learning and strengthening after birth.”
“But that was all before our first year of life.” As if recalling some amusing memory, a smile touched Xiao Wangsheng’s lips. But he quickly remembered that the dynasty in his memories was long gone, and the smile vanished.
He turned his full attention to teaching Li Fan.
“The so-called transcendence of True Intent allows one to cross the Mountain and Sea, but it is ultimately like a foreign object forcing its way through.”
“In truth, we are beings of the Mountain and Sea, originating from it. If we use the power of the Mountain and Sea to cross the Mountain and Sea itself, how could there be any resistance?”
Xiao Wangsheng tried to help Li Fan grasp the principle of becoming one with the Mountain and Sea.
Yet, what seemed exceedingly simple to him, Li Fan simply could not learn.
Xiao Wangsheng could only offer consolation, “Perhaps times have changed, and living beings are different now.”
Li Fan, however, was reminded of something and couldn’t help but ask, “In the current age, within a single possibility, there is a concept called ‘potential.’ There seems to be a limit to the number of powerful individuals a single possibility can produce.”
“I wonder, did such a thing as ‘potential’ exist in the Mountain and Sea of the past?”
Comments