Chapter 1665: Li Fan Feigns Sainthood
The transformed True Immortal Seal Character exuded an extraordinary aura. For the brief moment it was revealed, tumultuous waves, like a raging storm, surged from beyond the Life and Death Realm.
It was as if some unknown existence within the Dao Annihilation had been drawn to it.
Only after the Venerables cast their arts to conceal it once more did the unnerving sensation of being watched finally recede.
The Inscription Immortal and the others, however, seemed accustomed to this, their expressions unchanging as he said, "As one of the most outstanding awakened ones, you might also have a chance to capture the Mountain and Sea Great Dao. Thus, we are warning you in advance."
"Furthermore, this grand deception will require your strength as well."
Xing Fu naturally nodded in agreement.
"None of us have ever truly witnessed the descent of the Mountain and Sea Great Dao, so all our preparations can only be based on deductions and estimates. However, one must always account for the unexpected, so..."
The Inscription Immortal paused, then looked at Xing Fu and said, "We must prepare for the worst."
Unfurling a blank scroll from the void, the Five Fellow Calamity Venerables—Ash Sky, Hidden Edge, Abyss Burial, Life Devourer, and Light Death—let out a low cry in perfect unison.
It was as if five new characters had appeared on the scroll, or perhaps five lifelike figures dancing upon the paper. In an instant, the Inscription Immortal's scroll became utterly unique.
Then came the remaining two.
The white-haired youth of Empty Thought Construction, from the End of Mountain and Sea.
And the silent, taciturn middle-aged man.
The white-haired youth was familiar; he had even offered Xing Fu guidance during their first meeting.
But the middle-aged man had such a faint presence.
In all the years Xing Fu had spent in the Life and Death Realm, he had never once heard him utter a single word.
Following suit, the two of them also left their imprints on the Inscription Immortal's scroll.
The white-haired youth left behind the image of an eye.
Its gaze was bone-chillingly cold, devoid of any emotion, as if it had witnessed all the world's sorrows and countless destructions.
When Xing Fu's eyes met the gaze from the painting, he was momentarily lost in the illusion of standing at the End of Mountain and Sea, surrounded by nothing but Dao Annihilation.
The mark left by the middle-aged man was even more peculiar.
It was, astonishingly, a perfect copy of himself!
It was as if his entire being had been sliced into two separate halves—one remaining in reality, the other leaping into the painting!
With the imprints of seven Venerables added, the scroll seemed to grow ten thousand times heavier.
The Inscription Immortal's movements were visibly strained as he rolled it shut.
"Condense!"
Following his soft cry, the long scroll was slowly rolled up.
It transformed into a single thin sheet of white paper.
Then, the Inscription Immortal blew a gentle breath, and the white paper instantly disintegrated into countless fragments. They scattered through the air like blossoms, resembling a long, snow-white dragon plunging into the thousands of rushing river-like shadows below.
Having witnessed the spectacle of the Life and Death Realm's myriad imagined possibilities countless times, Xing Fu keenly sensed that with the infusion of the Venerables' scroll...
...the entire Life and Death Realm had subtly changed.
"Should any accident occur, the Life and Death Realm will automatically flee."
"With this contingency in place, even if we were to unfortunately perish, we could one day be reborn from imagination."
"Your task is to become the new [Venerable] of the Life and Death Realm and await our return," the Inscription Immortal declared in a grave tone.
"..." The weight of this immense responsibility seemed to leave Xing Fu at a loss for a moment.
Nevertheless, he nodded resolutely and pledged, "Xing Fu will not fail the trust you seniors have placed in me."
Next, the Inscription Immortal taught Xing Fu the method to control the countless torrents of imagination within the Life and Death Realm.
He then added another warning: "If the situation gets out of control, just escape. Do not worry about us. Having you here would only be a burden to us."
"This junior understands," Xing Fu replied with utmost seriousness.
With all preparations complete, all that remained was to await the arrival of the Mountain and Sea Great Dao.
However, as for how exactly they would use the bait to attract the Mountain and Sea Great Dao and seal off the aura of its descent, the Inscription Immortal did not mention it to Xing Fu.
It was clearly not something his current level of strength would allow him to participate in.
A hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.
It was a little longer than Xing Fu had anticipated.
On this day, the imaginative replication was finally complete.
Stimulated by its aura, countless lines erupted from the yellow gemstone hanging above the inhabitants of the Life and Death Realm, writhing madly like a swarm of snakes.
An inescapable net was silently cast.
As for the transformed True Immortal Seal Character used as bait, it was nowhere to be seen. It seemed to have dissolved into the net itself.
Even Xing Fu, watching from the side, could discern the extraordinary nature of this creation woven from countless threads.
Though it was dim and lusterless, it seemed to shine brilliantly in the darkness!
The eight Venerables stood in a circle.
Suspended within the net.
With a long laugh, the Inscription Immortal transformed his body into a boundless white scroll.
The other Venerables followed suit, just as they had when leaving their contingency plans. This time, however, it was not their imprints but their true selves that entered the Inscription Immortal's long scroll.
The once-blank scroll instantly became a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors.
In the blink of an eye, the scroll expanded countless times over.
With a rustling sound, it spread over the inescapable net.
Using the countless threads emerging from the yellow gemstone as its sinews, the Inscription Immortal's scroll formed a gigantic pouch.
It enveloped the entire Life and Death Realm within!
Inside the pouch, it seemed to be completely isolated from the Mountain and Sea.
The tumultuous waves caused by the impending arrival of the Mountain and Sea Great Dao vanished in an instant.
To his astonishment, Xing Fu discovered that while inside this pouch, his cultivation base was uncontrollably, slowly diminishing.
"Is it because I've truly been separated from the Mountain and Sea?" Xing Fu understood at once.
Xing Fu's power, the very foundation of his life and being, came from the Mountain and Sea.
And now that he was contained within the pouch, in a sense separated from the Mountain and Sea, the foundation of his existence was slowly fading away.
"It's just like being in the Eternal Silent Void Realm!"
"To simulate the creation of a void realm without being Saints... the power of the Venerables is truly extraordinary!" Xing Fu couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
Of course, what the pouch's divine art accomplished was only a partial simulation.
The rate at which the foundation of his existence was disappearing was in no way comparable to being in the actual Eternal Silent Void Realm.
Therefore, he wasn't the least bit worried for his own safety and kept his eyes fixed on the unfolding scene.
Once the pouch was formed, the Mountain and Sea Great Dao seemed completely unaware that it was a trap.
It was simply drawn to the aura within, which was almost identical to its own.
It descended just as planned.
Like a great wind blowing from the void.
The pouch instantly swelled by tens of thousands of times.
It expanded so rapidly that it surpassed the limits of Xing Fu's perception.
And it seemed to continue filling up endlessly.
"The very foundation Dao Annihilation plunders from the Mountain and Sea, the crucial point of its decline."
"The root of heaven and earth, from which all things are born."
"This is the [Xuanpin] Dao!"
At this moment, the Inscription Immortal's voice, tinged with excitement, faintly echoed.
"Everyone, the Great Dao is now in the net. From here on, it's a matter of our own abilities."
"The Heaven-Covering Pouch can only hold for a limited time. Whether we can subdue it before the pouch shatters depends on our own fortunes!"
Waves of power emanated from all corners of the Heaven-Covering Pouch.
As if in response from the assembled Venerables.
But the captured Mountain and Sea Great Dao paid no mind to the Venerables' exchange.
Like a hurricane, it thrashed about inside the pouch.
Trying to find its 'kindred spirit'.
Within the Heaven-Covering Pouch, endless streams of light and shadow seemed to surge in the darkness.
It was the Venerables attempting to sense and capture the Mountain and Sea Great Dao.
But the Mountain and Sea Great Dao was formless and intangible.
Even knowing it was present, actually touching it was still as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
An unknown amount of time passed, yet nothing changed.
Though the Heaven-Covering Pouch was a divine art cast by the eight Venerables combined, they were, after all, not yet Saints.
It could contain the Mountain and Sea Great Dao for a time, but it could not bind it for an eternity.
The [Xuanpin] Dao, having searched in vain for so long, seemed to grow impatient.
It gave up the game of chase and prepared to depart.
In that instant, the Heaven-Covering Pouch was stretched to its absolute limit.
The yellow gemstone threads that served as its sinews twisted to the breaking point. The Inscription Immortal's scroll could hold no longer.
Under the assault of the [Xuanpin] Dao, the entire Heaven-Covering Pouch was about to turn to ash.
Just then, for some unknown reason, all the pressure vanished in a flash.
Without the external force pushing against it, the fully expanded Heaven-Covering Pouch immediately contracted, returning to its original size in the space of a breath.
The eight Venerables emerged from the Inscription Immortal's scroll, looking somewhat disheveled.
All of them looked around in utter confusion.
"What... what happened?"
"Where is the Xuanpin Dao?"
The eight exchanged glances, confirming that none among them had succeeded in capturing it.
Then, they instinctively scanned their surroundings again.
And so, a figure fell into their line of sight.
At first, in their eyes, the figure was no more than a mortal ant.
But with every second it remained in their vision, the figure expanded by millions of times, just like the Heaven-Covering Pouch before it.
Before long, it was towering between heaven and earth, as vast as the Mountain and Sea itself.
It had exceeded the range of what they could 'see'!
"Ah!"
Their eyes stung with pain, and amid cries of agony, the Inscription Immortal and the others were forced to look away.
At the same time, an inexplicable horror filled their hearts.
"Has he... become a Saint?"
They certainly recognized the figure.
It was Xing Fu, who had sought refuge with them and had willingly sat in meditation for countless years for the sake of their great cause.
And yet, even though they had long known that the allegiance of the Mountain and Sea Great Dao had nothing to do with strength and depended entirely on one's personal fortune and destiny...
...in this moment, witnessing the Great Dao they had pursued for so long being claimed by a junior...
...their hearts still experienced a brief moment of imbalance.
And, quite naturally, the thought of seizing it for themselves arose.
This was not a desire from their true hearts, but a cultivator's instinct, a change that naturally occurred upon seeing the Mountain and Sea Great Dao change hands.
Soon, all eight Venerables recovered from that momentary lapse.
"Hehehe, I truly never expected it. To think it would be claimed by him."
"It is a matter of timing, fate, and luck. Not a failure of effort." Among the eight Venerables, the taciturn, middle-aged figure finally spoke. He let out a long breath and shook his head helplessly.
"But, has he become a Saint? Why do I feel..." Life Devourer stared intently at Xing Fu, his brow furrowed.
The Inscription Immortal shook his head. "Attaining the Dao and becoming a Saint is not so easy. Although the Xuanpin Dao now rests upon him, completely mastering it will likely be no simple task."
"The reason we mistook him for a Saint just now was because what we suddenly saw was not him, but the Xuanpin Dao itself. Compared to the Mountain and Sea Great Dao, his own strength and cultivation are almost negligible, leading to our misjudgment."
"Indeed. Looking again now, that oppressive feeling is slowly fading," Ash Sky agreed.
The white-haired youth chuckled. "In any case, it's a good thing. The Mountain and Sea Great Dao has been kept here, after all. This person was invited by the Inscription Immortal and has stayed in the Life and Death Realm for so many years. We know his background well."
"Wielding the Mountain and Sea Great Dao, he already has one foot on the path to Sainthood. If we can gain the aid of a Saint, our plan..."
As the eight Venerables whispered among themselves, Xing Fu finally opened his eyes.
His power and aura were completely restrained. At first glance, he seemed no different from a mortal.
"Congratulations, fellow Daoist!" the Venerables said, their tones varied.
"I must thank you all for making this possible!" Xing Fu—or rather, Li Fan—replied with a smile.
Hearing Li Fan's words, the Venerables all felt a sour taste in their mouths.
For a moment, the atmosphere turned cold.
Fortunately, Li Fan quickly extended his hand, presenting a formless, profound energy before them.
"Everyone, please look."
Li Fan didn't need to speak; his action had already captured the attention of the Inscription Immortal and the others.
"Is this the Xuanpin Dao?"
"It seems... no different from the path of the Mountain and Sea Dao?"
With puzzled expressions, everyone turned to look at the Inscription Immortal.
With [Inscription] as his Dao, when it came to comprehending the Dao, the Inscription Immortal was far superior to the others.
The Inscription Immortal observed it for a long while before finally speaking: "The true Mountain and Sea Great Dao is not something we can see. What is before us... perhaps it can be called the Xuanpin Dao as comprehended by fellow Daoist Xing Fu."
"It is merely a trivial fraction of the Mountain and Sea's Xuanpin Dao."
Upon hearing this, everyone came to a realization.
Li Fan smiled and nodded. "The Inscription Immortal speaks truly! Obtaining the Mountain and Sea Great Dao is like entering a mountain of treasures. However, my arms are weak, and I can carry out but a few."
"The treasure mountain I have seen is boundless. With my power alone, I do not know how many years and months it would take to excavate it all."
"However, an ordinary man is innocent, but possessing a treasure invites disaster. I worry that if outsiders were to discover this, it might lead to calamity. Therefore, I must ask all of you, fellow Daoists, to lend me your protection before I can comprehend the Dao and become a Saint!" As he spoke, Li Fan bowed to them with utmost sincerity.
Seeing this, the Venerables finally felt a little better.
He worried about outsiders coveting his prize, yet he sincerely requested their protection.
He clearly considered them 'his own people'.
The Inscription Immortal was the first to agree. "But of course. The path to Sainthood is not achieved overnight. In the past, even Shou Qiu took over a hundred epochs after attaining longevity to finally prove his Dao."
"Before you succeed, feel free to comprehend the Dao and cultivate here. With us around, no outsider will dare to disturb you."
The other Venerables all voiced their agreement.
"In that case, I thank you all in advance," Li Fan said, his face filled with gratitude.
"I wonder, what are your plans for the future?" Changing the subject, Li Fan suddenly asked.
He had clearly obtained the Mountain and Sea Great Dao, with Sainthood on the horizon.
Yet he still cared about the future of the Life and Death Realm.
The Inscription Immortal and the others exchanged a look, all feeling that 'Xing Fu' was reliable.
"In truth, using imagination to manifest the Mountain and Sea Great Dao and obtain the power of a Saint is but one part of our plan."
"Our true goal is to gain enough power for self-preservation, to maintain the flow of the Life and Death Realm. Until..."
"The End of Mountain and Sea!"
The one who spoke was the white-haired youth.
At the mention of the End of Mountain and Sea, a flicker of emotion touched his eyes, as if he was recalling something.
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