Chapter 1678: The Strange Fortune of the Mountain and Sea
"I have failed Xuanyuan Hong..." Moral True Immortal lamented.
"It was consensual, what's to be done? For all we know, the happy couple is enjoying their time together as we speak," Li Fan remarked with a smile.
Pausing for a moment, Li Fan gazed toward the Fishing Pond in the Xuanhuang Realm and murmured, "So, being hooked by the Mountain Sea Angler isn't inherently dangerous. The real peril lies in the time and space the Angler occupies. Could it be, then, that one could use this Mountain Sea Fishing Ground to traverse the void?"
Moral True Immortal first nodded, then shook his head. "Based solely on the information Xuanyuan Hong left, that would be true. But..."
He let out a wry laugh. "No matter how remarkable Xuanyuan Hong was, the moment that line wrapped around him, he was nothing more than a fish on a hook. How could he possibly know the Angler's true circumstances? For all we know, he was devoured the instant he was pulled from the water."
"Besides, the Mountain and Sea are one. The specific segment of time and space you're in doesn't truly matter. What's crucial is your own ability to traverse the void."
"A fair point," Li Fan chuckled.
"This should be enough to help you perfect your Dao. As for what I'm after next... it's time to stir up some trouble in the Mountain and Sea."
"Given your current state, I imagine achieving Sainthood is well within your grasp, isn't it?"
Li Fan slowly expelled another wisp of stagnant True Spirit from his mouth. Then, using his power of Empty Thought Construction, he fashioned a body for the Moral True Immortal.
"There's no need to seek me out. When you become a Saint, your Dao will reach perfection, its nature equal to the Mountain and Sea itself. This body of Empty Thought will simply dissolve. When that happens, I'll know."
Before his words had even faded, Li Fan's figure slowly vanished.
Even Moral True Immortal, on the verge of Sainthood, could not trace his presence.
"Truly inscrutable."
Moral True Immortal mused silently.
But the most pressing matter was his own path to Sainthood. Focusing his mind, Moral True Immortal entered seclusion to cultivate.
Li Fan didn't return to the Xuanhuang Realm to investigate the Mountain Sea Fishing Ground.
Instead, he followed a peculiar rhythm that echoed in his ears, traveling silently toward a specific location within the Mountain and Sea.
This rhythm was the demonic chant inscribed within the Xuanyuan bloodline, a sound like Xuanyuan Hong's whisper across the ages, guiding his progeny onward.
Previously, Li Fan had been wary of the Xuantian King's methods. Though he knew of this secret, he had never dared to test the waters himself.
Later, once he possessed the strength to face Xuanyuan Hong without fear, his focus had shifted to contending with Saints. The legacy of the Xuantian King had become a secondary concern.
But now, having learned of the Xuantian King's unique nature—and that he was coveted by some unknown entity within the Mountain and Sea—Li Fan's interest was rekindled.
And with the ability to invoke the Xuanpin Dao and become a Saint of the Mountain and Sea at a moment's notice, he had no reason to fear any potential dangers.
So, he set out at once.
The demonic chant came in fits and starts, a broken, haunting melody.
Yet it pointed the way through the Mountain and Sea with unerring clarity.
Li Fan had roamed most possibilities within the current segment of the Mountain and Sea, yet its vastness was infinite; there were always corners he had yet to explore.
Following the guidance, he ventured deeper still.
Li Fan plunged into a starless, pitch-black void.
A single sweep of his divine sense was all it took to grasp the entirety of this possibility.
"At first glance, it seems entirely unremarkable."
"But whatever the Xuantian King chose to encode in his very bloodline could not be simple."
The demonic chant that had filled his ears had vanished.
Li Fan would have to rely on his own skills to find his destination.
Fortunately, his time in the Xuanhuang Realm had given him unparalleled experience in scouring worlds from top to bottom.
Before long, Li Fan found what the Xuantian King's guidance had been leading him to.
It was a magnificent temple, and enshrined within was a statue of simple, unadorned appearance.
It lay on its side, as if in a deep, tranquil sleep.
The statue's attire was equally plain—the simple clothes of a common mortal.
And yet, the temple was a site of overwhelming devotion, the air thick with the smoke of countless incense offerings.
The temple's influence stretched for tens of thousands of miles in every direction.
Worshippers flocked here from every corner of this world, an unceasing river of supplicants, and they were not merely mortals.
Countless cultivators made the pilgrimage as well.
There were even avatars of descended True Immortals and the Nameless among them!
Li Fan observed in secret for a time and soon perceived the truth of the matter.
The statue enshrined in the temple was indeed the spitting image of the Xuantian King.
Its features were not a perfect match for the Xuanyuan Hong of the Xuanhuang Realm, however; there were subtle distinctions.
An ordinary person would struggle to tell the difference, but such details could not escape Li Fan's perception.
The reason this temple drew mortals and immortals alike, inspiring such fervent devotion from countless beings, was not merely a matter of faith.
It was because worshipping this statue truly possessed the power to defy heaven and alter one's destiny!
Throughout the vast temple complex, the ornate pillars and beams were covered in engravings, each one telling the story of a life transformed by devotion to the statue.
From the highest True Immortals to the humblest mortals, the examples were legion.
This was no exaggerated propaganda, but a chronicle of events that had genuinely occurred.
"The Purple Extreme Primordial Fortune Creation Heavenly Venerate..."
Li Fan chuckled softly, taking in the myriad tales of miracles recorded within the temple.
He already understood.
He approached the statue, examining it with renewed intensity.
"It shows no signs of life, yet it isn't merely an inanimate object either."
"This is..."
"This is the husk Xuanyuan Hong left behind when he shed his old self like a golden cicada sheds its shell."
Li Fan's gaze was piercing; he saw the statue's true nature in a single glance.
"Xuanyuan Hong was being hunted, so he went into hiding within the Mountain and Sea. His first stop wasn't the Xuanhuang Realm, but this very possibility. For whatever reason—perhaps his first attempt at concealment wasn't effective enough—he chose to flee again, leaving only this empty husk behind."
"Once he reached the Xuanhuang Realm, he became fully mortal, severing all his ties to the Mountain and Sea."
"He remained that way until the moment he ascended to immortality once again."
Li Fan mused, his eyes narrowed, as he reached out and lightly touched the remains of Xuanyuan Hong's former self.
From this "statue" and its profound influence on this possibility, Li Fan instantly understood the true nature of Xuanyuan Hong's strangeness.
"The Strange Fortune of the Mountain and Sea!"
A glint of understanding flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
Fortune. An ephemeral concept, yet undeniably real.
Back in the Fallen Immortal Realm, Li Fan had once taken the form of a Mystic Bird of Destiny to deduce and cultivate the Heavenly Fate Sutra.
But the influence a single strange beast could exert over fate was like the difference between mud and the heavens when compared to Xuanyuan Hong.
"Even a husk he shed in the past can imperceptibly alter this entire possibility and the destinies of countless beings. It's even managed to keep this timeline perfectly intact, despite the ever-encroaching shadow of the Dao Annihilation."
"All these years, it has remained untouched by the Other Shore, the Tai Wei Sacred Dynasty, and even myself. All because of this husk of 'Strange Fortune'."
Touching the husk, Li Fan could faintly sense some unseen presence hovering around it, a protective aura.
It was shielding the entire possibility from harm.
"Xuanyuan Hong may have become a mortal, but he was never destined to fade into obscurity."
"As a young man, he discovered the secret of the Fishing Pond."
"Before long, he rose from obscurity, not only achieving ascension in the extreme environment of the Xuanhuang Realm—that experimental ground of the Immortal Realm—but also surviving the cataclysm that destroyed the Immortal Realm as a mere half-immortal, collecting countless treasures in the process."
"Upon his return to the mortal realm, he gathered dozens of Nameless avatars to his side."
"To call him a Son of Destiny would be no exaggeration."
"And just when he reached the immortal realm and his life was in peril once more, the Mountain Sea Angler intervened just in time to save him."
"This Strange Fortune of the Mountain and Sea... it certainly has its ways."
Reviewing Xuanyuan Hong's life, Li Fan couldn't help but let out a cold snort.
He even suspected that Xuanyuan Hong's choice to become mortal in the Xuanhuang Realm for a second time might have been influenced by the presence of [Truth].
"[Truth] lies hidden, attracting all Daos of the Mountain and Sea of a similar caliber."
"The opportunity seized by the Heavenly Net Emperor is one such example."
"The Strange Fortune of the Mountain and Sea must have sensed it on some level. Had he obtained [Truth], he might have been able to change his fate of being relentlessly pursued..."
"A pity for him that the waters of the Xuanhuang Realm run too deep. The Strange Fortune can influence the tides of the Mountain and Sea, but its effect is greatly diminished when faced with something of its own caliber. In the end, [Truth] fell into my hands!"
Li Fan's eyes narrowed. He reached out, took hold of Xuanyuan Hong's shed husk, and applied a gentle pressure.
He crushed it to dust.
"Even if your luck reaches the heavens, how can it possibly compare to my ability to turn truth to lies with a single thought?"
And just like that, the statue of the "Purple Extreme Primordial Fortune Creation Heavenly Venerate," worshipped by countless beings in this possibility for tens of thousands of years, turned to dust and smoke.
A moment later, the countless devotees who witnessed this sacrilege fell into despair.
The world itself seemed to tremble.
Streaks of light descended from the Immortal Realm, their occupants filled with shock and rage, seeking the cause of the statue's destruction.
But alas, the strongest among them were merely Nameless True Immortals.
With not a single Transcendent expert among them, how could they possibly pose a threat to Li Fan?
"Without the blessing of this Strange Fortune, you can't even protect yourselves,"
Li Fan remarked, not even bothering to deal with these ants. He glanced beyond the borders of this possibility, where the tides of Dao Annihilation were already beginning to stir.
With a faint smile, he vanished.
The Dao Annihilation roared to life, and this world, after countless eons of peace, finally met its destructive end.
As if the matter were of no concern to him, Li Fan focused on the wisp of Strange Fortune now coiled around his hand, once again deep in study.
It was merely a husk, left behind when the Xuantian King became mortal to save his own life.
Naturally, it couldn't be absorbed by [Truth] and integrated into the Dao Return Hall.
But Xuanyuan Hong's heaven-defying fortune gave Li Fan an idea.
"Since the Xuantian King possesses the Strange Fortune of the Mountain and Sea, he won't be easy to kill."
"He must still be alive."
"Given the nature of fortune, any ordinary person—or even a Saint—who tries to scheme against him is likely to fail. But I am different."
"No matter how good his fortune, how can it possibly compare to my infinite chances to try again?"
"If I could claim another Dao of the Mountain and Sea..."
Apart from the Xuanpin Dao, the Strange Fortune of the Mountain and Sea was the only other Dao of a similar caliber that Li Fan knew.
Furthermore, its master had not yet achieved Sainthood.
This, naturally, set Li Fan's mind racing.
"Besides," he wondered, "I'm truly curious. Can one wear the mantle of two—or even more—Daos of the Mountain and Sea simultaneously?"
"A pity the Mountain and Sea are separated. Otherwise, I would certainly put it to the test."
Possessing such fortune could help one avoid countless unforeseen disasters. In the grand game between Saints, the slightest difference could lead to a vastly different outcome.
After some deliberation, Li Fan firmly committed this new goal to memory.
Perhaps it was the influence of the wisp of Strange Fortune he had absorbed, but before Moral True Immortal had even achieved Sainthood, Li Fan encountered another Transcendent expert who seemed to be on the cusp of the same breakthrough.
He bore the faint aura of the Other Shore, revealing his origins.
He sat silently at the edge of the void, attempting to resist the terrifying pressure of the boundless darkness.
He was even farther out than the limits of what Li Fan himself could withstand, a fact that slightly startled Li Fan, who had come to extract his own stagnant True Spirit.
The man merely glanced at Li Fan before closing his eyes once more.
Under the corrosive pressure of the void, the man's foundation disintegrated at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Yet his expression was unflinching as he pushed himself forward again.
He was cultivating with his life on the line, completely disregarding his own imminent destruction!
But the Eternal Silent Void Realm does not show mercy simply because one is fearless.
Li Fan watched as this Transcendent expert from the Other Shore was utterly crushed by the pressure of the void, vanishing from sight.
"He just died like that?"
"No, that's not right!"
Li Fan realized his mistake instantly and turned his gaze toward the Other Shore.
He didn't leave, choosing instead to wait patiently.
Sure enough, before long, an identical figure came speeding back.
He settled into the same spot as before.
"To harness the destructive power of the void to cultivate and temper your will... your methods are truly extraordinary!" Li Fan called out in admiration from a distance.
The man ignored Li Fan's praise, keeping his eyes closed and continuing his cultivation.
Li Fan wasn't offended and continued speaking, as if to himself. "A pity, though. Such training, however arduous, is ultimately futile. Without the power to traverse the void, no amount of tempering will allow you to survive within it. And once your cultivation reaches the necessary level, you will survive in the Eternal Silent Void as a matter of course. All this effort is for naught."
Li Fan's musings finally provoked the seated cultivator.
He opened his eyes and said coldly, "What twisted logic is that? If you spout any more nonsense and disturb my cultivation, don't blame me for being discourteous!"
The cultivator's harsh tone didn't bother Li Fan in the slightest. He replied with sincerity, "Strong medicine is bitter to the taste, and honest advice is hard to hear. I only speak because I appreciate your talent and cannot bear to see you waste your precious time!"
The cultivator laughed in anger. "Then you tell me, how should one resist the pressure of the void?"
"Don't bother with such trifles. Simply become a Saint. For a Transcendent, surviving in the void is an impossibly difficult task."
"Yet, it is a rare Saint who cannot traverse it."
What Li Fan said was, of course, correct but entirely unhelpful.
The cultivator sneered. "The Saints of the Mountain and Sea are few and far between. Is becoming one as simple as you make it sound? Lacking aptitude, opportunity, or fate—a shortcoming in any of these can leave one stranded for a lifetime. Surely you understand this, my friend?"
"Precisely! Which is to say, if a strength is great enough, it can compensate for any other weakness. Is that not so?" Li Fan responded quickly, turning the argument back on him.
The cultivator was taken aback and forced to nod.
Then he argued, "Aptitude, opportunity, and fate are all determined by the heavens. Ordinary methods can hardly change them. Only one's own effort can be seen as the sole remedy. Since I was a mortal, I considered myself a peerless genius. It wasn't until I reached the limits of the Transcendent realm that I realized my own talent was, in the end, lacking by a small margin. That's when I finally awoke to the importance of my own efforts."
"And so, day and night, I cultivate here on the frontier of the void..."
The cultivator began to recount his journey, but was cut short by Li Fan.
"What if I told you," Li Fan interrupted, "that I could help you defy your fate and achieve Sainthood?"
Comments