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Chapter 1629: The Cultivation of He Gan Xian

Just as Rinsing Moon Bai was gradually returning from the dead, Li Fan finally received a reply from the Faceless Immortal.

"The Moral True Immortal is plotting something of extreme importance."

"If we can thwart his plan, we might be able to shift the balance of power between us."

The "him" in his words was, of course, the "Dao" aspect of the Moral True Immortal: He Gan Xian.

The Faceless Immortal was truly cautious. After mulling it over for more than fifty years, he still showed no intention of revealing himself. Instead, he waited for a perfect opportunity—one that didn't require his presence but would also test Li Fan's "sincerity."

Li Fan's original goal was to meet He Gan Xian anyway, so he didn't mind. He simply asked about this so-called "opportune moment."

"The Moral True... He Gan Xian acts on his every whim. With no morality in his heart, all his thoughts and actions return to his twisted sense of Dao." Perhaps finding the name Li Fan had given his other half more fitting, the Faceless Immortal adopted it as well.

"To others, myself included, the things He Gan Xian does are often shocking and unconscionable. But in his own eyes, his actions are absolutely correct, beyond question."

"This perception is supported by a self-contained, internally consistent logic. Note that He Gan Xian doesn't believe he truly lacks virtue. He believes he possesses it, but this 'virtue' contradicts the common understanding and exists only within his own mind."

"For all these years, no one has managed to shatter this perception of his. He does what he believes is right, his Dao circulates and grows stronger, and he continues to act on his philosophy. He Gan Xian has been repeating this cycle for ages, growing stronger like a rolling snowball."

"But now, we have the perfect chance to subvert his entire reality!" the Faceless Immortal explained slowly.

Sensing the faint ripples of energy from the Mysterious Celestial Statue, Li Fan grew thoughtful and interrupted the Faceless Immortal's explanation. "You can actually perceive He Gan Xian's specific movements? It seems I've underestimated you."

"He Gan Xian is not without Dao, and the Faceless Immortal is not without virtue. The two of you are quite interesting indeed."

"As I said before, the Moral Separation was far more complex than a simple split. The subtleties are known only to the two of us and are difficult to explain to an outsider," the Faceless Immortal said evasively, before detailing the prime opportunity to ambush He Gan Xian.

It concerned the very core of He Gan Xian's moral philosophy.

"The reason He Gan Xian considers himself moral is that, in his eyes, he is the only one who can save the Mountain and Sea. Therefore, all other beings in the Mountain and Sea must make way for his survival. Even sacrificing themselves for his cause is, to him, a matter of course."

"That is why he can, with righteous conviction, destroy an entire possibility just to achieve a minuscule increase in his own power."

Hearing the Faceless Immortal's account, a thought stirred in Li Fan's mind, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

He showed no reaction, however, merely letting the Faceless Immortal continue.

"The foundation of all his actions is built upon the belief that he will ultimately save the Mountain and Sea. If we can shatter this delusion, we can sever the self-circulating flow of his Dao. We wouldn't even need to act; with time, his strength would wither away on its own."

"Right now, he is in another possibility within the Mountain and Sea, committing boundless slaughter to once again enhance his power. If we defeat him at this moment and make him lose that inexplicable confidence in himself, we can break his spirit completely!"

Li Fan keenly detected the crux of the Faceless Immortal's words. "At this moment... so, defeating him at any other time wouldn't shake his philosophy. It has to be at this critical juncture. Is he currently in a state of enlightenment?"

"Precisely! Though it would be more accurate to call it 'cultivation.' He Gan Xian's method of cultivation is unlike any other. Although he has found a justification for his massacres—that it's all for the ultimate salvation of the Mountain and Sea—a remnant of true conscience still lingers within him. He knows his actions are an affront to humanity. As his power grows, he must diminish the influence of this lingering, correct conscience."

"This manifests as him deliberately creating an episode of karmic slaughter. When his last vestiges of conscience feel the weight of the atrocities he has committed, it will be wracked with guilt and sorrow. He might even enter a state of temporary loss of control."

"But after He Gan Xian suppresses these negative emotions, he returns to normal. In doing so, a part of that residual conscience is consumed. When his conscience is finally gone, he will have no more weaknesses. And now, after so many years of this 'cultivation,' there is very little of it left."

"Each cultivation session is the best opportunity to stop him. I have tried to intervene before, but the power gap was too great..."

"You should go to this possibility and see for yourself."

The Faceless Immortal sent a set of Mountain and Sea coordinates, and then the fluctuations vanished completely.

Whatever he was hiding from, his caution was extreme.

"These two..."

"One Dao, one De."

After a moment of contemplation, Li Fan followed the Faceless Immortal's directions, leaping up and leaving the Primal Possibility.

He set off to find his target within the Mountain and Sea.

The destination was quite far from the Primal Possibility.

Fortunately, between the realms of the Mountain and Sea, the concept of time's passage did not exist.

When Li Fan arrived at the designated possibility, he was met with a scene of utter apocalypse.

He Gan Xian stood at the heart of a shattered star sea, laughing maniacally. "What does it matter to me? What does it matter to me!"

He remained utterly indifferent as countless beings perished around him.

Li Fan could faintly discern that even as he spoke these words, an expression of grief was visible on his face.

It was a stark contradiction.

But his body stood firm, an unmoving pillar.

He watched as the star sea, and indeed the entire possibility, crumbled into ruin.

His tears gradually dried, and his expression slowly hardened into a resolute, almost malevolent mask.

All living beings were either fleeing for their lives or wailing in despair.

Amidst this chaos, Li Fan's sudden and utterly calm appearance was glaringly conspicuous.

In an instant, he captured He Gan Xian's attention.

There were no wasted words. An icy gaze locked onto Li Fan. "Die!"

Li Fan's ears were filled with a sound like the groaning creak of a wooden door being shut.

It wasn't a hallucination. It was the sound of countless pillars of the Great Dao collapsing in unison—the sound of a universe shattering!

With the destruction of the possibility came a surging tide of Dao Annihilation.

The already apocalyptic scene was, with Li Fan's arrival, instantly pushed to the brink of total collapse.

Li Fan, naturally, felt not the slightest twinge of guilt.

Instead, he shouted, "Well done!"