Chapter 1680: Forging a Rope to Connect the Mountain and Sea
Li Fan spoke only a few sentences, yet they contained a shocking amount of information.
A Saint from the end of the Mountain and Sea, capable of creating other Saints—the two claims struck like lightning. The auras of the Saints flared in an instant, and every gaze converged upon Li Fan.
Within the halo of the Other Shore, the remaining phantoms of the Saints could no longer remain seated.
Flickering lights and shadows, they descended into the world one by one.
"Could it be, Fellow Daoist, that you come from the end of the Mountain and Sea?" Shou Qiu asked, his expression grave.
With the Saints assembled, everything within the Mountain and Sea should have been under their control. Yet today, against all expectations, three new Saints had emerged in quick succession. Such an anomaly could perhaps only be explained by the arrival of a traveler from another time.
Li Fan simply smiled, neither confirming nor denying the question.
Though he was cloaked in the enhanced version of the [Xuanpin Dao], the power of the Saints was immeasurable. Among them were beings like Lian Shan and Gui Hai, who had laid the very foundations of the Immortal Realm. Even if these were just their lingering phantoms, Li Fan couldn't guarantee that a direct lie wouldn't be seen through.
Thus, Li Fan chose his words carefully, speaking only selective truths.
Yet every Saint present knew the monumental difficulty of taking that final step.
The Saints had already gathered all available information on Moral and Ash-Return. They were indeed transcendent cultivators from this segment of the Mountain and Sea.
They had appeared on the Saints' radar before.
But the vast Mountain and Sea was home to many such transcendent cultivators.
If cultivators like them could be elevated to Sainthood in such a short period, the implications were...
Staggering!
The Saints' attention quickly focused on the technique Li Fan had mentioned: [I Birth Infinite].
"This technique is founded upon the Empty Thought Construction," Li Fan explained. "The Saints at the end of the Mountain and Sea spent countless years in frozen time collectively deducing it."
"Even in the extreme emptiness of the Mountain and Sea at time's end, it still gave rise to several thousand 'semi-Saints.' If this technique were used in the past, when the Mountain and Sea was stronger and richer in resources, its effectiveness would surely multiply."
"My little experiment proved it to be true."
A yellow light flickered in Li Fan's hand as he personally demonstrated the [I Birth Infinite] technique for the Saints.
With their profound insight, the Saints instantly perceived the technique's extraordinary nature.
"To use Empty Thought Construction to birth infinite selves, then tread the path to Sainthood by having a myriad of selves return to one. This method... is truly marvelous!"
The crown of the Tai Wei Saint Emperor swayed gently, revealing a glimpse of his face. He praised it softly.
"However, a body created from Empty Thought is ultimately illusory," he continued. "Theoretically, no matter how real it may seem, it should not possess one's True Spirit. But..."
As Shou Qiu's phantom spoke, the gazes of all the Saints fell upon Li Fan once more.
"He can actually take the True Spirits stagnating in the void and make them his own?"
Even after Li Fan had personally demonstrated it before their eyes, the Saints still found it difficult to believe.
But every Saint of the Mountain and Sea was unique. The *how* was not important. What truly mattered was that this ability, when combined with the [I Birth Infinite] technique, could genuinely create new Saints!
The phantoms of the Saints flickered with myriad lights, seemingly deducing the immense impact this development would have on the grand game being played across the Mountain and Sea.
But Li Fan's next words shattered what little calm they had left.
"The creation of this technique seems to lie outside of destiny. The Saints at the end of the Mountain and Sea intended to use it in their final struggle against the [Star]. Unfortunately..." Li Fan sighed softly.
"The Star?!"
The word seemed to hold some forbidden power. Not only did the Saints' auras stutter, but even the void beyond the Mountain and Sea seemed to react. The tide of Dao Annihilation instantly swelled with greater ferocity.
It was as if the mere mention of its concept was enough to galvanize the infinite forces of the void.
"The end of the Mountain and Sea was a failure, and for a time, there seemed to be no way to break the stalemate. But if this technique were to appear in the past, when the Mountain and Sea was stronger, it could become the variable needed to fight for a sliver of hope."
"My presence here," Li Fan said, his voice quiet yet resonant, "is the cause of that variable."
"May I ask, Fellow Daoist, did you see the face of the [Star] at the end of the Mountain and Sea?"
Among the phantoms of the Saints on the Other Shore, [Lian Shan] finally spoke.
As the very first Immortal of the Mountain and Sea, the Lian Shan Saint's power had reached an unfathomable realm.
As he spoke, Li Fan felt as if he were seeing a vision: a solitary figure on a boundless mountain, struggling upward. The mountain was infinitely tall, yet the figure eventually reached its highest peak and gazed down upon the teeming masses below.
Perhaps it was because of Lian Shan's unique status as the 'First Immortal in the World,' but as he spoke, Li Fan felt an intense sense of being scrutinized.
It felt as if any flicker of falsehood in his heart would be laid bare before this Saint.
Fortunately, on this matter, Li Fan was not lying.
In his previous life, he had truly witnessed the solitary star descend and devour everything.
Li Fan steadied his mind and gave a slight nod.
He then faithfully projected the scene he had witnessed for all the Saints to see.
The solitary star rose slowly from the darkness, like a rising sun.
Vaporizing everything in its path.
The Mountain and Sea, the void—both were annihilated by the star's light.
As far as the eye could see, only the solitary, hanging star remained, and it began to expand without end!
...
As if reliving the star's appearance, beads of cold sweat trickled down Li Fan's forehead, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Before the all-devouring [Star], even a Saint was utterly powerless.
The scene he depicted captured not even a ten-thousandth of the Star's true presence, yet the terrifying image was enough to send a chill through the hearts of the Saints.
Though they knew of the [Star]'s existence, none of them had ever truly seen it. Today, through Li Fan's vision, they caught their first glimpse of its mysterious nature. Only now did they realize how severely they had underestimated its power.
"Even the Eternal Silent Void Realm was swept away as if it were nothing."
Karma Judge's expression was grave as he exchanged a look with the other Saints of the Other Shore.
"It seems our plans require... adjustment. Moreover, this information is critical. We must transmit it to the past without delay," the Gui Hai Saint said slowly.
In that instant, it was as if countless thoughts were exchanged among the Saints.
The Tai Wei Saint Emperor's expression was grim.
"Even if the Sacred Dynasty expanded a hundredfold, it would still be no match for the Star's radiance," the thought flashed through the Saint Emperor's mind.
But this realization did not cause him to question his own path.
His gaze grew profound as he began to search for a way to respond.
The Saints fell silent, lost in the vision Li Fan had presented.
As the one who had conjured the image, however, Li Fan's own experience was far from ordinary.
First, as he recreated the vision, he felt that the [Star]—the one that had been forcibly dragged back by [Truth] beyond the Mountain and Sea's void—had sensed his presence.
The roiling tides of the outer void were a direct result.
"It's as if it was awakened from a deep slumber. I don't know what effect this will have on the Mountain and Sea of this era."
Li Fan keenly sensed that the premature appearance of the Star's will had made the Dao Annihilation more active.
It was as if a supreme commander had issued an order to mobilize; from now on, the assaults of Dao Annihilation would come in successive waves, each more powerful than the last.
Second was a new insight into the [Star]'s power.
"The Star's radiance is mysterious and unpredictable, a power beyond both the Mountain and Sea and the void. Even with all my effort, I cannot replicate even a fraction of its true nature. But..."
Li Fan thought of the [Star Radiance Rhythm Summary] among [Truth]'s inheritance options.
"If this scene before us is my record of the solitary star's sudden appearance..."
"Then the Star Radiance Rhythm Summary is [Truth]'s own record and understanding."
"If I could inherit it..."
"This illusory scene would then truly possess a portion of the [Star]'s power."
"Even if it's only a minuscule portion."
Li Fan had personally experienced the aggressive, domineering radiance of the star as it devoured everything.
He understood all too well how terrifying it would be if that power were truly unleashed.
Even a Saint would likely be unable to withstand it.
"But to do that, I must first have the strength to inherit that radiance. It seems my premonition was correct. If I am not strong enough, the moment I choose to inherit, I will be the first to be annihilated by it."
"Furthermore..."
"Even my crude depiction today attracted the attention of the Star beyond the void. If I were to truly manifest even a fraction of its power... the changes would be impossible to fathom." Li Fan had not lost his senses.
On the contrary, he became even more cautious.
The assembled Saints were each lost in their own thoughts.
Finally, the scene Li Fan had conjured dissipated.
Only the ferocious tide of Dao Annihilation in the outer void remained.
"On behalf of the Saints of the Mountain and Sea, I thank you, Fellow Daoist, and that Saint from the end."
"Your contribution this time, Fellow Daoist, is no less than the heroic deeds of the Mountain and Sea travelers before," the Lian Shan Saint said.
Li Fan shook his head. "It was nothing more than a desperate gamble. Whether it will succeed remains to be seen. How can one speak of merit?"
"Although I have recovered my Saint realm, my strength has not fully returned. For the upcoming task of sending a message to the past, I'm afraid I must trouble you all." Li Fan suddenly sighed softly, changing the subject.
Shou Qiu nodded. "My true body is still in the void, not too far away. It will return shortly. After fully comprehending this [I Birth Infinite], I will set out again."
"However... this technique, I'm afraid, can only be performed with your help, Fellow Daoist."
"While I am recovering, I ask you all to select promising talents from the Mountain and Sea. I will naturally help them achieve Sainthood. But I cannot stay long. Once I have recovered, I will travel to the next segment of the Mountain and Sea," Li Fan said solemnly.
As he said this, Li Fan suddenly noticed that the Saints present seemed to have something unsaid.
He chuckled lightly. "Fellow Daoists, please speak your minds. If it is something I can do, I will not refuse."
The one who spoke to answer Li Fan's unspoken question was the Tai Wei Saint Emperor.
"Perhaps, with the help of three more Saints, we can connect to the previous segment of the Mountain and Sea."
After a round of deductions, the Saints of the Other Shore all nodded.
Li Fan's heart trembled slightly. "Reconnect the Mountain and Sea?"
His thoughts raced, and in an instant, he arrived at a possible answer. "Could it be... using the bodies of Saints as a bridge?"
"Precisely!"
"In the void, we position ourselves and exert our full power, using our bodies as a rope to recreate the Mountain and Sea. If that rope can reconnect the upstream and downstream segments..."
"Relying on the Mountain and Sea's own creative life force, it wouldn't take many years for it to be reborn from the void and push back the Dao Annihilation!"
"To be honest, the segment of the Mountain and Sea where you are now, Fellow Daoist, is one that we have already connected once," the Tai Wei Saint Emperor said with a proud tone.
An appropriately shocked expression appeared on Li Fan's face.
"With such a wondrous method, doesn't that mean as long as there are enough Saints, the Mountain and Sea can be restored?"
Shou Qiu shook his head. "Not so. The prerequisite for us to act as a rope and restore the Mountain and Sea is that the two segments are not too far apart. The time they have been severed by Dao Annihilation cannot exceed one hundred thousand years. Otherwise..."
"Even if the rope is connected, the Mountain and Sea cannot regain its vitality. We were just slightly luckier; the segments we were in happened to be close to each other."
Li Fan vaguely understood. "Like a lotus root that breaks, yet its fibers remain connected. If the distance is short, the threads are still there. But if the Dao Annihilation's invasion is severe and the void in between is too vast, then the threads are completely broken."
"The Mountain and Sea, in the end, cannot be revived!"
The Tai Wei Saint Emperor, however, said coldly, "Reconnecting the Mountain and Sea also brings us great benefits. Just like the matter of the Myriad Selves Returning to One. After Sainthood, the Mountain and Sea is one. Only this method allows for further progress."
"But that was in the past. Now, with this [I Birth Infinite] technique..."
Li Fan nodded. "True Spirit Infusion is indeed beneficial even for the Saint realm. If any of you have need of it, I will certainly do my utmost to help."
The Saints did not refuse and thanked him in advance.
After another discussion, they finally entered the Other Shore along with Moral and Ash-Return.
Arriving here again, the situation was vastly different from the past.
He no longer needed to be examined but instead had his own place within the white circle.
From then on, the Nine Saints of the Other Shore became the Twelve Saints.
"This white circle's light seems to have its own mysteries?"
Li Fan sat within it, savoring the feeling.
"Your eyes are sharp, Fellow Daoist. After the void severed the Mountain and Sea, the living beings within were also divided into countless selves along the vertical axis of time."
"Just like the previous analogy of the lotus root, if the threads of the Mountain and Sea are completely severed, then the beings within will slowly become independent selves. Even if they can cross the void and meet their other selves..."
"There would still exist two different consciousnesses."
"Although with a Saint's mental fortitude, the two consciousnesses would eventually merge into one, it is inevitable that there will be some turmoil during the process."
"Our true bodies have all left this segment of the Mountain and Sea. However, to prevent the lingering phantoms from developing their own consciousness due to the void's separation, we created this white circle."
"Furthermore, the white circle is a creation of the combined efforts of all Saints and possesses our collective power. Even if it is only our phantoms stationed here, by joining forces, we can still exert power no less than our true bodies."
...
Lian Shan's phantom explained to Li Fan.
"Truly mysterious." Sitting in the white light, Li Fan could indeed feel the power of the other Saints' phantoms within his reach.
It was as if he had grown several more pairs of arms, each with its own independent consciousness.
"Before I leave, may I also leave behind a phantom?"
"As you wish, Fellow Daoist." The Saints nodded slightly.
...
The combined will of the Saints was countless times more efficient than Li Fan searching alone.
Soon, they found two more transcendent experts with the potential for Sainthood.
They were just one short of the three Saints needed to achieve the plan to reconnect the Mountain and Sea.
"Beneath the Eternal Heaven Steps, there seems to be another suitable candidate."
"It's just that..."
"Atoning for past crimes with merit is acceptable."
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