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Chapter 1698: The Three Saints Fall

Chapter 1698: The Three Saints Fall

The white ring of the Other Shore flared with brilliant light, enveloping the endless loop within its protective glow.

The Mountain Sea No-Boundary Stele was an extraordinary artifact. It stood firm and unyielding, impossible to touch, let alone move.

However, by expanding the reach of the Other Shore, they could bring the stele under the protection of the Armillary Ring.

"There's good news and bad news," Lian Shan's projection began, his tone turning grave. "And now, for the bad."

"As we traversed ninety thousand years of the void realm, on the verge of reaching the next segment of the Mountain Sea, we found the Dao Annihilation tide raging violently, churning everything into chaos and making it impossible to navigate. Based on our experience, this is a sign that the Mountain Sea is in grave peril, on the brink of collapse." Lian Shan’s projection’s words captured the full attention of the assembled Saints.

The Saints were all stunned by this revelation.

"If the Mountain Sea ahead collapses, allowing the void realm to expand beyond its hundred-thousand-year limit, our entire Mountain Sea Connect plan will be for naught."

"Our immediate priority is to send aid and stabilize the situation. Only then can we proceed with the reconnection."

Li Fan felt a sense of unease, and before he could puzzle it out, the Saints revealed the reason, leaving everyone else utterly dumbfounded.

"Our connection to the segment ahead has been severed. This means one of two things: either the Lian Shan, Gui Hai, and Tai Yi of that era have already traversed the void and departed, leaving no trace behind—not even a projection. Or..."

"We have all perished."

The words echoed through the Armillary Ring like a clap of thunder: *We have all perished.*

Disbelief washed over the faces of the Saints. They stared at the three projections, mouths agape, their minds reeling with a thousand questions.

But in the end, all their doubts coalesced into a single, whispered question: "How is that possible?"

"Life and death are part of the natural order," Tai Yi remarked with a faint smile. "Even the True God perished and became the Mountain Sea itself. Is it really so impossible that we could die?"

"It also confirms that something is deeply wrong with that segment of the Mountain Sea," Gui Hai added, his analysis calm and detached. "If we were there, we would never have allowed it to face the threat of annihilation."

The three Saints remained remarkably composed while discussing the prospect of their own deaths.

The other Saints within the Other Shore, however, could not remain so calm.

The power of the three Saints was undeniable.

They had led the charge across the void realm, forging a path for the others. Then, they had become beacons, their very presence a tower of light guiding those who followed.

Without them, the entire Mountain Sea Connect plan would have been nothing more than a pipe dream.

And now, they were being told that all three of them had been killed?

What power in existence could possibly slay titans like Lian Shan, Gui Hai, and Tai Yi?

"This relates to the... complication I mentioned earlier," Lian Shan said.

"A complication originating from the void realm itself."

"Have any of you ever stopped to wonder if our mission to reconnect the Mountain Sea has been proceeding a little too smoothly?"

"With enough Saints, we could form a living chain to connect the segments of the Mountain Sea. After that, it would only be a matter of time and effort before the Mountain Sea was reborn. And yet, the all-devouring void realm has offered little resistance, allowing us to proceed almost unchallenged."

Lian Shan's words cast a pall over the assembly, and the expressions of the Saints grew increasingly grim.

"The struggle between the void realm and the Mountain Sea is a grand war, a battlefield that stretches from the Beginning of the Mountain Sea to its very End."

"And on any battlefield, some territories are more critical than others. The loss or gain of a single area at a single moment is ultimately insignificant. Today, we reclaim a piece of the Mountain Sea and push back the Dao Annihilation. Tomorrow, the void realm can simply return and devour it all again."

"What truly matters..."

"...is the Saints."

"The void realm held a slight advantage over the Mountain Sea. With that small edge, over countless eons, it could inevitably devour the whole of existence."

"But the existence of the Saints—beings who can rival the Mountain Sea itself—introduced a new variable into the equation. We became a thorn in the void realm's side," Lian Shan stated with perfect calm, as if discussing a matter of abstract fact.

"But even so, what kind of power could the void realm possess that could kill all three of you at once?"

The All Knowing Immortal voiced the question on everyone's mind.

After all, the three Saints were powerful enough to be virtually immune to the erosion of the Dao Annihilation.

Did the void realm have some other, secret weapon at its disposal?

Lian Shan did not keep them in suspense. "The only thing that can kill us..." he said softly.

"...is ourselves."

At first, his meaning was lost on them. But as their gazes fell upon the fathomless depths of the void realm, a horrifying realization began to dawn.

A chilling dread crept into their hearts.

"That's right. The ones who struck us down... were likely the Three Saints from a destroyed segment of the Mountain Sea."

"Swallowed by the void realm, erased from existence, only to be brought back by some unknown means... as puppets of the void." Gui Hai nodded, confirming their dreadful suspicion.

"When the calamity struck and the Mountain Sea was devoured by the void, we weren't killed outright. We perished *with* the Mountain Sea. Even with power rivaling creation itself, if our foundation is stripped away and we are trapped within the void's embrace, unable to tell past from present... even with a thousand divine abilities, the only end is to be slowly, inexorably snuffed out."

"But in this case, the Mountain Sea segment still exists, while we are already gone..."

"That leaves only one possibility."

When Lian Shan finished, a dead silence descended upon the Armillary Ring.

The Saints exchanged stunned glances, none knowing what to say.

Lian Shan continued, "We have never fought against ourselves in such a state, but based on our long struggle against the void realm, we can surmise that these resurrected versions of us would possess power equal to our own. In a way, they *are* us. Except..."

"...they have chosen to side with the void."

"And it's not just us. Any living being from a devoured segment of the Mountain Sea could potentially be resurrected by the void, turned against their own kind. A twisted reflection to fight the original. This is the void realm's strategy against the Saints of the Mountain Sea."

"Long ago, we encountered an old acquaintance, but his temperament was utterly changed. He was hostile at the slightest provocation, lashing out with vitriol until a battle inevitably erupted. At first, we didn't understand what had happened to him. It was only after we were forced to strike him down..."

"...that it felt as if we had torn open a gateway to the void realm right there in the Mountain Sea. An endless tide of Dao Annihilation surged forth, a torrent nearly as powerful as the one that began the Great Calamity. Even we struggled to hold our ground against the onslaught. That segment of the Mountain Sea was lost in an instant, and we had no choice but to retreat."

"Only later, in hindsight, did we realize we had witnessed the void realm's method of resurrection."

...

Listening to the three Saints' account, Li Fan began to understand. If the conflict between the Mountain Sea and the void realm was a protracted war, then the void they were currently traversing was merely the battlefield between two armies. Even with the might of the three Saints, who could charge through it with impunity, they would still be doomed if they were ever truly surrounded by the void's infinite forces. That was how a segment of the Mountain Sea could fall, and its Saints along with it. Li Fan could grasp that concept. After all, he had personally witnessed the desolate state of the Mountain Sea at the End of Time, had seen the last few Saints helplessly consumed by the Dao Annihilation. What he had never imagined, however, was that the void realm could bring back the Saints it had devoured. The thought of facing an enemy possessing the full power of the three Saints—an enemy unburdened by conscience and dedicated solely to the destruction of the Mountain Sea—sent a shiver down Li Fan's spine.

"But there is no need to be overly concerned," Lian Shan added. "For the void realm to manifest these resurrected Saints, it must expend its own power. Its resources are not infinite."

"Otherwise, it could have overwhelmed the Mountain Sea with these creations long ago."

"Therefore, I suspect the purpose of these resurrected beings is specifically to eliminate Saints who pose a threat to the void."

"The fact that we haven't encountered them yet is simply a matter of good fortune."

"But now that we know of their possible existence, we must proceed with caution."

"Nevertheless, we cannot halt the Mountain Sea Connect mission. This is a war of attrition. If all hope of reconnecting the Mountain Sea is lost... then we will be left with no choice but to wait for our inevitable doom."

At this point, Li Fan finally spoke up. "A moment ago, all three of you were looking at me..."

"The Mountain Sea ahead is without our protection and is in constant danger of collapse. Someone must be sent to stabilize it. If we were to cross over ourselves, we would likely draw the attention of those resurrected Saints. Our strengths are evenly matched, so the outcome of such a battle would be uncertain. While we do not fear them, the ensuing conflict could lead to the complete destruction of that segment."

"Therefore, the ideal candidate would be someone who does not exist in the void realm's 'memory'—someone who was not present in any of the Mountain Sea segments it has devoured."

As Lian Shan finished speaking, every Saint in the assembly turned to look at Li Fan.

Of everyone present, he was the only one who fit the description.

"This..."

Li Fan hesitated instinctively.

*Are you kidding me?* he thought. *A place so dangerous that even the three Saints perished there, and they want *me* to go save it?*

As if reading his mind, Lian Shan added, "The void's resurrection ability only targets the original being. Since you are not on its list, so to speak, your arrival will not trigger its alarm."

"You only need to stabilize the collapsing segment. While you are there, we will continue our work to reconnect the Mountain Sea from this end. You will not have to wait long."

"To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, each of us will give you a protective treasure. Even if you do encounter one of the resurrected, you will be able to escape."

"Besides, you possess the ability of True Spirit Infusion. If the situation were truly that dire, we would not insist on sending you."

...

They had covered all the bases. Under the watchful eyes of the Saints, Li Fan could only nod in agreement. To refuse would go against the persona of a Mountain Sea walker he had cultivated. Besides, he wasn't truly risking it all. The moment things went south, he could activate [Truth] and escape.

"That segment of the Mountain Sea could disintegrate at any moment. Time is of the essence; you should depart immediately."

"But be warned..."

"For the void to deploy its resurrected agents, that segment of the Mountain Sea must be of critical importance. Its temporal span might even exceed that of our current position, which has been reconnected three times. With the three Saints gone, it will be a realm without leaders—an apocalyptic scene beyond imagination. Stabilizing it will be no simple task. You must be extremely careful, fellow Daoist," Shou Qiu warned, his expression grave.

"I understand," Li Fan nodded, then turned his gaze to the three Saints.

He was waiting for the promised protective treasures.

The three Saints did not go back on their word. Each sent a streak of light flying toward Li Fan.

The instant the artifacts materialized, their extraordinary nature was palpable.

Lian Shan's gift was a wooden staff.

Its surface was gnarled and uneven, looking as if it had been casually broken off a tree branch.

But a profound, ancient aura pulsed from it, betraying its simple appearance.

"As expected, Lian Shan explained, a nostalgic look in his eyes, 'This was the staff I used when I first ascended the Upper Mountain. It has been by my side for countless years, though I have never had cause to use it again. Now, you carry a heavy burden and face great danger. It is yours.'"

Li Fan gently ran his hand over the wood. The moment he touched it, it was as if he could feel the path Lian Shan himself had once walked.

He saw endless, majestic mountain ranges, untouched by the devouring tide of Dao Annihilation.

Overjoyed, Li Fan gratefully accepted the staff and stored it away.

Lian Shan's gift was priceless, and Gui Hai's was no less extraordinary.

It, too, appeared unassuming: an iron shovel.

But it seemed to be a conduit for an infinite wellspring of power. Merely being near it, Li Fan felt his entire being nourished, a sense of profound calm washing over him.

"It was with this shovel that I first carved a path to the Infinite Sea," Gui Hai said plainly. "Since the Mountain and Sea have merged, the shovel has served its purpose. It would be a waste for me to keep it. Take it."

Suppressing his excitement, Li Fan accepted the second treasure.

Finally, it was Tai Yi's turn.

"Those two are quite generous," Tai Yi chuckled. "I don't have much to offer in comparison..."

"So I'll just give you this little trinket."

He spoke casually, but the fleeting look in his eyes suggested the gift was anything but a simple trinket.

"Don't dishonor it," he added, just as Li Fan took the item. The warning confirmed it.

It was a stone club.

It was visually stunning, its surface translucent and crystalline, as if carved from the purest jade. But the instant Li Fan’s hands touched it, he was struck by a tidal wave of bloodlust.

The phrase "a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood" could not begin to describe the sheer carnage it radiated.

It felt as though countless beings had met their end at its tip.

Even with all Li Fan had witnessed, the sheer scale of the slaughter made his face pale.

He managed, however, to keep his composure and not drop the club.

"*I never would have guessed that Saint Tai Yi, who always seems so cheerful and approachable, once walked such a terrifying path of slaughter,*" Li Fan thought, astonished. He could feel the lingering resentment of countless souls still clinging to the weapon, even after eons had passed.

A wooden staff, an iron shovel, and a stone club.

The gifts from the three Saints looked ordinary, even crude.

Yet they were, without a doubt, supreme treasures of the Mountain Sea.

With the staff in hand, the shovel at his waist, and the club slung across his back, Li Fan bid farewell to the Saints of the Other Shore, ready to depart on his journey across the void.

"Be careful."

The Saints all urged him to take care, their concern genuine.

"Come."

Before Li Fan could offer his individual goodbyes, the three Saint projections acted in unison.

Li Fan felt himself seized by an immense force and hurled into the boundless void.

Fortunately, he did not lose his bearings.

He shot forward at incredible speed, locked onto a predetermined course.

He moved like a ship cutting through stormy seas, forging a path through the chaos.

The occasional tide of the void rose to meet him, but nothing could impede his progress.

Ninety thousand years passed in the blink of an eye within the void realm.

In what felt like a moment, Li Fan saw the projections of the three Saints ahead.

They stood like lighthouses in the darkness, their light holding back the turbulent waves of the void.

But...

Even under their protection, Li Fan could keenly sense that the Dao Annihilation in this region was far more active than anything he had experienced before.

"*It's almost as rampant as it was at the End of Time,*" he thought, his unease growing.