Chapter 1660: The Nascent Mountain and Sea
"I never thought the one to awaken this time wouldn't even be at the Transcendent realm..."
"Truly, the heavens favor our Life and Death Realm!"
The speaker was not one of the Five Calamity Venerables, nor was it the Inscription Immortal, but one of the two remaining figures. He had the face of a young man, yet his hair and beard were stark white.
His gaze fell upon Xing Fu, who was surrounded by the others, and his expression was alight with excitement.
"Seniors, what exactly is..."
Xing Fu first bowed respectfully to the Inscription Immortal before greeting each of the others in turn. "Could it be," he asked, his face etched with confusion, "that everything I experienced before was not real, but an illusion?"
"A trial of some sort for us?"
This time, it was one of the Five Calamity Venerables who answered him. His form flickered, like an endless river of crimson clouds stretching for millions of miles. A brilliant light blazed, burning with annihilating intensity.
Beholding his form, Xing Fu understood his Dao. Thus, he knew his identity: Ash Sky.
"Of course, it wasn't an illusion. The ancestral land of the Immortal Realm you inhabited was indeed constructed by imagination, a real and tangible existence. And, of course, you can return to it at any time."
As Ash Sky spoke, a flowing river of light materialized beneath them. Within it, the Primal Immortal Realm, including the Heavenly Azure Star Domain, came into view. Xing Fu could even faintly make out the immortals of the Guangwu Xinghai.
"However, the art of constructing reality from imagination is not yet perfected. The possibilities we recreate are therefore afflicted with a fatal flaw. They may appear as solid as stone, indistinguishable from a true possibility, but in reality..."
Another river of light appeared alongside the first.
It looked just as real as the Primal Immortal Realm.
But a moment later...
The veneer of "reality" covering it suddenly peeled away, for reasons unknown. It was like a painting doused with water, its pigments fading until the image was no more. Within the river of light, a terrifying calamity descended.
It was an apocalypse that could almost rival the Dao Annihilation Calamity.
In fact, this calamity destroyed the possibility even faster than the Dao Annihilation could consume it.
The Dao Annihilation erodes worlds step by step, but this river of light lost its very foundation, its existence unraveling in a single instant.
That possibility, along with the countless beings within it, was buried in the blink of an eye.
Witnessing the tragedy, Xing Fu's expression stiffened, as if it had stirred memories of the Primal Immortal Realm's own destruction.
"This apocalyptic scene is no fabrication. It is a true event that occurred in the Life and Death Realm not long ago."
The words of another of the Five Calamity Venerables sent a jolt of alarm through Xing Fu.
As he heard the voice, it was as if countless blades sang in unison in his ears before shattering all at once.
And so, Xing Fu knew the identity of this one as well: Hidden Edge.
"Since you have awakened, you must know the reason for this flaw in the art of Empty Thought Construction."
Xing Fu nodded in response. "It is because of the nature of the Dao Annihilation."
Hidden Edge continued, "A possibility is born within the Mountain and Sea, like a drawing etched into the sand on a beach."
"The tide of Dao Annihilation washes over it, erasing the drawing. The faint traces that remain are the anchors of our memories. But those places that are wiped completely blank..."
"Those are the cornerstones we can no longer recall, the parts of reality truly erased from the Mountain and Sea, the missing foundation for our Empty Thought Construction."
"Possibilities are born from the great power of the Mountain and Sea. Their fundamental truth is beyond our current comprehension. We can only imitate it, tracing its outline with perfect precision."
"But if even a few strokes are missing, it's like trying to draw a tiger and ending up with a dog. It becomes a pale imitation of a true possibility, one that could collapse at any moment."
Hidden Edge waved his hand, and several more rivers of light appeared. They all seemed nearly identical to true possibilities. But after existing for varying lengths of time, none could endure for long. One by one, they collapsed back into the void.
Hearing this, Xing Fu couldn't help but grow anxious. "Then aren't the Guangwu immortals who followed me in grave danger?"
This time, another of the Five Calamity Venerables offered a faint smile.
"You need not worry about that," he said reassuringly. "The collapse of a constructed possibility, though it seems instantaneous to you, occurs within the Life and Death Realm, which is entirely under our perception. We sense the disaster before it strikes and can rescue them a step ahead."
Xing Fu breathed a sigh of relief.
But the pressure in his heart never truly dissipated. It wasn't because of the truth of the Life and Death Realm, but because of the words the Venerable had just spoken.
As the voice lingered in his ears, Xing Fu felt as though he were standing at the edge of a great abyss.
The abyss was unfathomably deep, formless and shapeless.
And all who gazed upon it felt an uncontrollable urge to fall into its depths.
"Abyss Burial." Xing Fu then knew the identity of this Venerable.
Fortunately, Abyss Burial did not make things difficult for him, withdrawing the power that permeated the air.
The formless pressure in Xing Fu's heart slowly began to fade.
"Seniors, since the art of Empty Thought Construction has such a flaw, is there a solution?"
He did not question why they would place the immortals in a constructed possibility, a seemingly pointless endeavor. Instead, he directly asked about the path forward.
The white-haired young man laughed heartily at his question. "As expected of one who awakened before even reaching the Transcendent realm! Your thoughts and concerns are beyond those of ordinary people. Maintaining these constructs is incredibly draining. If we saw no hope of a solution, why would we be so persistent?"
"Those like you, who can pass the trial, *are* the solution!" the white-haired youth declared, his voice resonating with purpose.
"Me?" Xing Fu recalled the myriad sensations he had experienced within the constructed Primal Realm, and a glimmer of understanding dawned.
"The erasure of the Dao Annihilation is absolute and complete. We cannot track the Dao Annihilation itself, but we can perceive the difference between a constructed possibility and a true one—that subtle feeling of disharmony in our hearts!"
"Through continuous construction, we make repeated micro-adjustments, until..."
Xing Fu suddenly understood, blurting out, "Until the feeling of disharmony vanishes. That would mean the constructed possibility is identical to the one that truly existed at that time."
"Even if we can't see the blank spaces, we can deduce their shape by working backward from the parts we can confirm. So that's how it is!"
The white-haired youth smiled, saying no more.
It was clear that Xing Fu's guess was very close to the truth.
"Your premonition alone is still insufficient. We must all consult and anchor it together," the Inscription Immortal finally spoke.
Xing Fu held this renowned senior in the highest regard. He composed himself and listened intently.
"Even when I held the Supreme Dao Scripture, I could not fully grasp the principles of the Immortal Realm. Every individual's perception has its limits. Therefore, we must supplement it with more, different perspectives," the Inscription Immortal said, choosing his words carefully. He spoke only these two sentences and then fell silent again.
"The constructed reality doesn't have to be perfectly identical to the one that once existed in memory. What we can be sure of now is that the closer the resemblance, the more reliable the construct, and the lower the chance of instantaneous collapse," Abyss Burial added.
"By filling in these 'missing pieces' erased by the Dao Annihilation, we can replicate the foundational cornerstones of a possibility. This foundation is both the underlying source of the Mountain and Sea's power and the primary target of the Dao Annihilation's plunder after the realms merge."
"Recreating past possibilities is a way to follow the current. Using it to glimpse the mysteries of the Dao Annihilation—or more accurately, the mystery of the 'God'—is what we truly seek," Abyss Burial said, his words astonishing.
"God?" Xing Fu's heart skipped a beat, his mind filled with confusion.
"May I ask the Venerables, what is this so-called 'God'?" he inquired cautiously.
The Venerables of the Life and Death Realm seemed to hold Xing Fu in high esteem, for they answered all his questions.
The Inscription Immortal made a few brief strokes, sketching several scenes.
"Someone once walked to the end of the Mountain and Sea and witnessed the moment of its birth. Its form was inscrutable, its scenery unspeakable, its momentum imperceptible, its shape indiscernible."
"It could not be described in words, nor recorded in text or image."
"That person could not convey what happened at the beginning of the Mountain and Sea, but they made one thing clear. Both the Mountain and the Sea came from 'God'."
"That person then walked to the end of the Mountain and Sea and saw the future where it perishes, returning to the 'Star'."
"The infinite, boundless nature of the Mountain and Sea was stolen from 'God'. Though it has operated for countless ages, this power was never its own. From God it came, and to God it shall return. This is the destined end of the Mountain and Sea."
The beginning of the Mountain and Sea, the end of the Mountain and Sea.
Two images floated before Xing Fu.
The sheer volume of information they contained was immense. Xing Fu was momentarily stunned, finding it difficult to accept.
"God, Star. The dawn of creation, the twilight of the Mountain and Sea."
He murmured to himself, and then, as if struck by a revelation, his face turned deathly pale. "If this is the fate of the Mountain and Sea, then what of us, the beings who live within it? Are we not..."
"This is what is meant by 'unrelated to the final outcome.' All our attempts to save ourselves, in the face of God's unfathomable power, are like a joke. Ultimately, they are all in vain."
"Are they?" the white-haired youth suddenly retorted.
"Hm?" Xing Fu was taken aback by the question.
"Of course... not," he then said without thinking, as if a flash of insight had struck him.
Hearing this, the white-haired youth burst into a hearty, unrestrained laugh.
The other Venerables present also wore smiles on their faces.
The Inscription Immortal even gave a slight nod and said a single word: "Good."
Xing Fu was somewhat bewildered by the reactions of the Venerables.
The white-haired youth then continued, "The fate of the Mountain and Sea seems to have been written long ago. However, the Star is not God. The Mountain and Sea has flowed through infinite ages; it will not simply sit back and await its demise."
"Nothing is set in stone. Whether the final victor is the Mountain and Sea, the Star, or..."
"...us, the living beings of the Mountain and Sea. That remains an unknown!" the white-haired youth declared with unshakable conviction.
"We living beings, though born of the Mountain and Sea, possess the ability to comprehend the Dao. For every ounce of power we take from the Mountain and Sea, both it and the Star grow weaker. The Saints of the Other Shore seek to relight the fires and connect the fractured Mountain and Sea, their figures spanning its beginning and end. By saving the Mountain and Sea, they also seek to become one with it."
"The Tai Wei Saint Emperor reflects his own power across infinite possibilities. Like a parasitic seed, he erodes the Mountain and Sea. Even if he cannot ultimately contend with it, perhaps he can forcibly tear himself away and become a separate entity."
...
The Venerables of the Life and Death Realm explained the paths taken by the two great powers within the Mountain and Sea to Xing Fu.
Xing Fu had not even reached the Transcendent realm. Hearing so many secrets at once left him feeling dizzy and overwhelmed.
"The might of the Saints is truly unimaginable, and their plans are not something we can influence. But the weak have their own ways of survival. The art of Empty Thought Construction, used to perceive the secrets of the Dao Annihilation, is the foundation of our strength to overcome the mighty!"
Life Devourer, one of the Five Calamity Venerables who had remained silent until now, spoke slowly.
The moment Life Devourer opened his mouth, Xing Fu felt as though his own life force was being drained away. A chill ran through him, and his body grew cold. He couldn't help but shiver.
When he exhaled, his breath formed visible frost in the air.
But it was clear that Life Devourer was reining in his power, posing no real threat to Xing Fu.
"Those 'blanks' erased by the Dao Annihilation, the cornerstones of the Mountain and Sea. In our view, they are the focal point of the struggle between the Mountain and Sea and the Star."
"God becomes the Mountain and Sea, and the Mountain and Sea becomes the Star. In this process, some things change, and some things remain constant."
"That which remains unchanged throughout the cycles of the Mountain and Sea—that is where true power lies!"
"If one could perceive it..."
"Even an ant could transform overnight and become one with the Mountain and Sea!"
"One with the Mountain and Sea." Xing Fu murmured the four words again.
Before Xing Fu could ponder their meaning, he heard the Inscription Immortal ask, "Do you know of Shou Qiu Gong?"
Xing Fu naturally nodded. "There is no one in the Immortal Realm who does not know of Shou Qiu Gong's great virtue and renown."
"Then do you know that Shou Qiu Gong is one of the Saints of the Other Shore?"
"Is that so?" Xing Fu was so shocked he was at a loss for words.
"When Shou Qiu Gong stood guard over the Immortal Realm, I too met him. Observing his fate, his destiny... becoming Nameless was his limit. Yet, after not seeing him for many years, he possessed the bearing of a Transcendent, a Saint. Do you know why?" the Inscription Immortal asked faintly.
"..."
Xing Fu, of course, knew nothing of Shou Qiu Gong's secrets.
But connecting this to what the Venerables of the Life and Death Realm had said before, a spark of inspiration ignited within him. He ventured a bold guess: "Could it be that Shou Qiu Gong found that unchanging great power of the Mountain and Sea?"
The Inscription Immortal nodded.
"The Mountain and Sea Great Dao that he embodies is, precisely, 'Longevity'!"
"Longevity."
These two words seemed to hold an infinite magic. Xing Fu repeated them in a low, reverent whisper.
"I wonder, how does this Mountain and Sea Great Dao differ from the ordinary paths we cultivate?"
With a wave of his hand, the Inscription Immortal unfurled a long scroll before Xing Fu.
It should have been covered in countless characters, but now, they had all vanished, leaving only a blank scroll.
"Ordinary Great Daos are born within the Mountain and Sea; they are merely the evolution of the Mountain and Sea itself."
"But a Mountain and Sea Great Dao..."
"...like Shou Qiu's Longevity, was perhaps inherited by the Mountain and Sea from 'God.' But it is a part that was never fully absorbed and transformed."
"Nearly all paths within the Mountain and Sea can be seen as extensions of 'God's' power. It is just that we can only access those parts that have already been assimilated by the Mountain and Sea."
"Only a select few retain the nature of 'God'."
The Inscription Immortal tried to write something on the blank scroll.
Yet, he lifted his brush several times, only to stop midway.
In the end, he could not write a single word. With a sigh, he rolled up the blank scroll.
"The art of Empty Thought Construction, to perceive the secrets of the Mountain and Sea."
"This 'secret' refers to the Mountain and Sea Great Dao!"
"Those wondrous powers that have endured the wear and tear of the mountain and Sea, and will eventually return to'god'!"
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