Chapter 1641: The Last Saint of the Mountain and Sea
Perhaps only the Sage Lords knew the answer to this question.
At Li Fan's current realm of power, excessive contemplation was fruitless.
Concealed within the Dao Annihilation, he silently observed his surroundings. Only after the turmoil had completely subsided did Li Fan let out a long sigh. "The Mountain and Sea is boundless. Beyond the Mountain and Sea, could there be yet another Mountain and Sea?"
"This so-called 'Star', this so-called 'Creator God'... what are they, truly?"
At this moment, standing outside the Primal Ruins, Li Fan felt as if he had returned to the ruins of Xuanjing City, a mere mortal gazing upon the magnificent spectacle of the cultivation world for the first time.
"That moment then is exactly this moment now."
"Except, the me of today is no longer that simple Grand Preceptor Li!"
"Even if one is but an ant, one can still possess the power to reshape the universe."
This was an absolute confidence born from Li Fan's endless cycles of reincarnation—a confidence from understanding Truth, his own infinite spirituality, and his intuition.
"Neither the Moral Dao nor the Sage Lords are destined to stop me."
"Let's put it to the test."
There was no soaring ambition, no surging passion.
Li Fan simply stated this quietly in his heart.
Only the remnants of the Mountain and Sea were there to bear witness.
...
To uncover the secret of how the Moral Dao achieved Sainthood, Li Fan spent the next period of time selecting a remote cluster of possibilities within the Mountain and Sea, one far from the Other Shore and outside the sphere of influence of the Tai Wei Sacred Dynasty.
Then, he scattered his True Spirit Fire Seeds across it.
"Such a vast expanse of the Mountain and Sea, set ablaze in an instant. If one were trapped within, unaware of the truth, it would be impossible to distinguish illusion from reality. They would truly believe the final days of the Mountain and Sea had arrived." Li Fan narrowed his eyes, running a few deductions and previews in his mind before nodding in satisfaction.
"I just wonder how He Gan Xian's preparations are coming along."
Although the two had not arranged a method of contact, Li Fan had deliberately left a faint flaw in his aura before departing.
If He Gan Xian had made up his mind, he would undoubtedly use that wisp of aura to contact him.
"I'll wait a little longer."
"If he continues to hesitate..."
"I might as well seek out the Faceless Immortal."
In Li Fan's hand, the faceless statue from the Xuanhuang Realm was enveloped in a gentle, flowing silver light.
Although the Dao Annihilation tide from the Primal Ruins had struck suddenly, an immortal of the Moral Dao would not fall so easily.
The lingering threads of immortal power still present within the faceless statue were the best proof of this.
"When the Primal collapsed and I escaped, I thought I saw two or three other figures. But in the frenzy of the Dao Annihilation tide, escaping was the priority, so I didn't get a clear look."
"And I'm fairly certain the Faceless Immortal wasn't among them. That fellow..."
"He's truly cautious!"
He Gan Xian did not keep Li Fan waiting long.
One day, as Li Fan continued to wander within the Mountain and Sea, he suddenly felt a stir in his heart.
He then transmitted his current location.
After waiting in place for a moment, a stream of black and white qi traversed the Dao Annihilation and descended before him.
Compared to their last meeting, the flow of the Moral Dao within He Gan Xian had advanced even further.
He was not far from the level of the Moral Sage Lord Li Fan once knew!
"It seems you've made your decision and dealt with the lingering remnants of your conscience ahead of time. Decisive, indeed!" Li Fan observed him for a moment and praised him slowly.
"I will either succeed or perish in the attempt," He Gan Xian said, cupping his hands in a salute, his face devoid of expression.
"Before we begin this grand plan, I have one question in my heart. I wonder if you would be willing to enlighten me, Fellow Daoist?"
"Feel free to ask," Li Fan replied with a smile.
"Fellow Daoist, are you a Saint?" He Gan Xian's gaze was scorching as he stared intently at Li Fan.
He seemed determined to commit every flicker of emotion on Li Fan's face to memory.
"A Saint?" Li Fan chuckled, answering truthfully, "You give me too much credit, Fellow Daoist."
"If I were a Saint, I'm afraid the 'Moral' Dao of this Mountain and Sea would not be for the two of you to claim!"
Li Fan's words did not sound like a lie. Upon hearing the answer, He Gan Xian let out a long sigh of relief.
But immediately after, his brow furrowed as an even greater question surfaced in his mind.
"I know your doubts. Why do I know so much about you? And why do I possess a divine art capable of incinerating the Mountain and Sea?"
"The specifics, I cannot tell you. However..."
"There are mountains beyond mountains, and seas beyond seas. Nothing that happens in this world should be considered surprising." Li Fan's expression was serene.
The impact of these words on He Gan Xian's mind was even greater than if Li Fan had claimed to be a Saint of the Mountain and Sea.
"Mountains beyond mountains? What do you mean?"
"Could it be... that this person is from another Mountain and Sea?"
His heart trembling, He Gan Xian almost instantly recalled an ancient legend.
The reason Saints were willing to cross the Eternal Silent Void Realm, one after another, to reach the previous segment of the Mountain and Sea, joining cultivators from countless different eras to complete the great task of saving it.
It all began because someone had made the reverse journey, crossing over from the end of the Mountain and Sea.
And ignited a spark of hope.
If not for that initial spark, the beings of the Mountain and Sea might still be fighting their own separate battles, with no unified purpose.
"Could it be that he is from a Mountain and Sea of a different era?"
"Having crossed the Eternal Silent Void Realm several times... that would explain why his True Spirit seems nearly inexhaustible."
"And, upon our very first meeting, he declared he would help me achieve Sainthood..."
A thousand thoughts flashed through He Gan Xian's mind in an instant.
All his previous doubts seemed to find their perfect explanation.
"Although it is said that only those at the Saint realm can traverse the Eternal Silent Void Realm, as he said, the Mountain and Sea is boundless. Nothing is truly impossible. Perhaps he suffered a grievous injury during his journey and his realm fell."
"Or perhaps, he meant he is not a Saint from *our* Mountain and Sea, in *our* time."
"Regardless, the most crucial point is..."
"Since this man is not a Saint, I need not be so apprehensive!"
His gaze finally hardening with resolve, He Gan Xian cupped his hands again. "I have been enlightened."
"Fellow Daoist's plan... when shall we set it in motion?"
"I am prepared to face that other one head-on." His tone was calm, free of worry and fear.
"Excellent!"
"No time like the present!"
As Li Fan spoke, he tossed the faceless statue from the Xuanhuang Realm over to him.
"With this, can you track his whereabouts?"
A flicker of surprise crossed He Gan Xian's eyes. "For someone as cautious as him to leave such a flaw..."
The black and white qi of the Moral Dao enveloped the faceless statue.
Slowly, on the statue's once-blank face, features began to grow!
It bore some resemblance to He Gan Xian, but they were not entirely identical.
Instead, it looked much more like the Moral Sage Lord Li Fan had seen in his previous life.
"He is me, and I am he. Although we underwent the Moral Separation..."
"It is not difficult to contact him using this as a medium."
"Hmph, refusing to answer? In that case..."
The black and white qi grew denser.
Weaving together like a thick fog.
Shrouded in the dense mist, the statue seemed to come to life.
It slowly turned its head, gazing towards a specific point in the Mountain and Sea.
Suddenly...
"How is that possible? He's already dead?"
As He Gan Xian cried out in disbelief, the statue’s head twisted violently, as if it had glimpsed something forbidden, and snapped off.
It fell to the ground!
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