Chapter 1703: Stealing Opportunity's Gamble for Truth
Chapter 1703: Stealing Opportunity's Gamble for Truth
He was supposed to be the one reaping the rewards, the patient hunter making his grand entrance. But now, in an instant, all his vitality was gone, his future a dead end!
Meanwhile, Zhouhui, the man he had already considered prey in his grasp, had become the hunter. His aura was unfathomable, his life utterly secure.
The reversal had been so swift.
And so unbelievable.
So much so that even Stealing Opportunity, who had witnessed it firsthand, was stunned into a momentary daze.
He simply couldn't comprehend how Li Fan, who had been weakened to the brink of death, could possibly turn the tables so completely.
But it didn't matter. Li Fan was about to reveal the answer.
"When the real is made false..."
An ethereal, otherworldly whisper, imbued with a power that seemed to pierce the void itself, suddenly echoed in Stealing Opportunity's ear.
Though he didn't understand its meaning, his instincts screamed that it was something extraordinary.
His heart tightened, and he desperately tried to suppress Li Fan.
But...
Li Fan shot out his hands, and in a flash, he reversed the hold, locking Stealing Opportunity in place, rendering him immobile.
"What?!"
Only then did Stealing Opportunity realize with horror that his opponent's grievous injuries were nothing but a facade!
In fact, the power that erupted from Zhouhui in that moment was no less than his own.
As they grappled, they found themselves locked in a stalemate.
"Could it be that Zhouhui was hiding his strength all along?" A flicker of shock and rage flashed through Stealing Opportunity's mind.
But then, something even more terrifying occurred.
He belatedly realized it wasn't that his opponent had concealed his cultivation. It was that...
He himself had grown weaker.
In a single instant, nearly half his strength had vanished into thin air, leaving him with the power of a newly ascended Saint.
How could such an absurd, bizarre thing happen in this world!
Fear began to sprout in Stealing Opportunity's heart, but he quickly forced it down, desperately searching for a sliver of hope amid the impossible.
He recalled the words Zhouhui had just chanted.
"When the real is made false, the false becomes real... when the real is made false, the false becomes real..."
Suddenly, Stealing Opportunity's body trembled slightly.
Remembering the earlier battle between Zhouhui and Time Balance, he instantly understood.
"It wasn't that the negative effects of time's passage had no effect on him. It was that he was creating a brand-new self upon his decaying body. In a single thought, the false became real. Even the other Saints must be wary of Time Balance's power, but it is ultimately a power that can be depleted."
"How could it possibly contend with this endless, spontaneous creation?"
"This is the power of 'the false becomes real'! And now..."
"My Saintly realm, my cultivation, my power, my fortune, my fate—the accumulation of countless years, lost in a single day. So incredible, so unreasonable..."
"The real becomes false!"
There was no Saint of Cycle Return from the beginning, only a Saint of Truth and Falsehood.
As they struggled, Stealing Opportunity, having figured out the mystery, felt no despair. Instead, his eyes blazed with an unprecedented light. His heart pounded with a ferocity he hadn't felt in ages.
He had truly found his one chance at survival!
"The Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood... Truth and Falsehood. To think that such an unbelievable principle truly exists in the Mountain Sea."
"So that old legend was true."
"Within the deadliest of situations, a great opportunity lies hidden. Even if 'Truth and Falsehood' is your Dao, it doesn't mean I can't seize it for myself!"
Greed and killing intent burned in his eyes like a raging inferno.
Stealing Opportunity exhaled a long breath, and in that instant, tens of thousands of streams of light scattered from his body.
This was all the fortune he had accumulated over countless years, siphoned from mortals, True Immortals, and even other Saints of the Mountain Sea.
It was this foundation that had built his formidable reputation.
But now, he cast it all aside!
He was making one final, desperate gamble, using the pure principle of "Theft" to wrench the Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood from his opponent.
"If I can obtain Truth and Falsehood..."
"Then I will obtain the Mountain Sea!"
Freed, the myriad strands of fortune scattered like soaring dragons, throwing the void into turmoil.
Without the bolstering of this fortune, Stealing Opportunity's power naturally declined even further.
But...
It also allowed him to wield the entirety of his 'Stealing Opportunity' Dao to claim the transformation of Truth and Falsehood before him!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"When the false is made real..."
As Li Fan chanted once more, he suddenly felt a tremor in his soul.
It was as if something cold and formless had forcibly inserted itself into his consciousness.
And it was trying to violently rip something out!
Buzzzzzzz...
A faint, sharp ringing began in his ears, then rapidly intensified, transforming into thunderous claps that exploded in his mind!
Before Li Fan's eyes, the screen of Truth Realization materialized.
Then it flickered and blurred.
An unbearable agony assailed him from his body and soul.
It was a dense, overwhelming pain, like being pierced by countless needles and sliced by innumerable blades.
No words in this world could describe the torment Li Fan was enduring.
Distracted by the pain, the casting of his Truth and Falsehood transformation was forcibly interrupted!
Sensing his theft was effective, Stealing Opportunity's spirit soared, and he pressed his advantage.
He even began to burn the very source of his 'Stealing Opportunity' Dao.
This was a do-or-die gambit.
Once he started burning the source of his Dao, he couldn't stop. Even if Li Fan ceased his weakening effect, Stealing Opportunity would eventually regress into a mortal with no cultivation as his source slowly dissipated.
But in this moment, Stealing Opportunity showed no hesitation!
"Even if I lose the Dao of Stealing Opportunity, as long as I can seize the Dao of Truth and Falsehood, I can turn the tables in an instant."
Clinging to this belief, flames erupted from Stealing Opportunity's body.
The formless hand burrowed deeper into Li Fan's soul, churning with increasing ferocity.
It was determined to find any trace of the Dao of Truth and Falsehood!
Extreme pain gave rise to anger, and extreme anger to malice.
Once he gradually adapted to the pain brought by the 'Theft', Li Fan managed to organize his thoughts again.
"The... false... becomes... real..."
He gritted his teeth and once again unleashed the transformation of Truth and Falsehood.
Fortunately, after so many cycles of reincarnation, casting the ability had become as natural as an instinct etched into his very being.
Even though his consciousness was blurring, he could still perform it smoothly.
Another carving knife descended upon his foe.
But perhaps because Stealing Opportunity was already burning his own source and his realm was already in decline, the effect this time was far less potent than the first.
The flames engulfing Stealing Opportunity still blazed brightly.
So brightly that Li Fan could barely open his eyes.
"Almost there, I've almost found it."
Stealing Opportunity's senses had always been sharp.
Especially for things that could be called 'treasures'.
And the Dao of Truth and Falsehood was undoubtedly a treasure of the highest order in the Mountain Sea.
"Legend says the True God of the Mountain Sea, on the verge of death, left behind three final measures."
"Each one possessing the power to overturn the Mountain Sea."
"After the God perished, the Mountain and Sea evolved separately, but those three measures were never found."
"Until the Dao Annihilation appeared, heralding the arrival of the Star."
"The True God's death, the Star devouring the Mountain Sea. This is one of them."
"And this Dao of Truth and Falsehood before me..."
The closer he got, the more distinctly he could sense its flavor.
"Vast and distant, it sets the foundation of all things. In darkness and obscurity, it births the change between the real and the unreal. Bright and clear, it hangs as the balance of all mysteries..."
"It feels like a remnant of the True God's will, capable of shattering the Mountain Sea, capable of anchoring the void-star..."
Even from a great distance, Stealing Opportunity could feel a part of the grand mystery of the Dao of Truth and Falsehood.
Even as the flames consumed him, his body began to tremble with overwhelming excitement.
As one of the most powerful beings in the Mountain Sea, Stealing Opportunity had never imagined he would experience the feeling of, "To learn the Dao in the morning, and be content to die in the evening."
Two streams of clear tears streamed down his face, quickly evaporating in the source flames.
Then, an even greater greed surged in his heart.
"Such a wondrous thing must be mine!"
Stealing Opportunity descended into a complete frenzy, holding nothing back. He ignited every last remnant of his being.
This time, it wasn't just his source Dao, but his thoughts, his feelings, his very body and soul.
All became fuel for his final, desperate grasp.
He reached with all his might toward the perceived location of the Dao of Truth and Falsehood!
"BOOM!!"
An unprecedented tremor originated from deep within Li Fan's soul.
A look of horror crossed Li Fan's face, while Stealing Opportunity was ecstatic.
"I found it!"
With no regard for anything else, Stealing Opportunity, now a mere remnant after burning his source, used his final ounce of strength.
He intended to tear the Dao of Truth and Falsehood out of Li Fan's body and make it his own.
But...
Stealing Opportunity's expression slowly froze.
The brilliant light in his eyes dimmed in an instant.
Though he had touched the Dao of Truth and Falsehood, it remained completely motionless.
"How... How can this be?"
Stunned, Stealing Opportunity tried again with disbelief and incomprehension.
The result was the same.
A third attempt yielded no difference.
Stealing Opportunity finally gave up hope.
Because of his misjudgment, his life was about to end.
But his expression gradually grew calm.
"To witness such a divine object before my end... I can die without regrets."
"It's just a pity..."
"That I could not make it mine!"
He reached out gently one last time.
But in the end, he could feel nothing more.
Within Li Fan's body, everything returned to normal. The previously blurred screen of Truth Realization became clear again.
And Saint Stealing Opportunity, amidst the raging flames, Turned to ash!
Li Fan shook his head slightly, trying to dispel the lingering sensation of a foreign object's intrusion.
Looking at the fire of the source Dao before him, he felt a profound sense of relief, the gratitude of a survivor.
He had never expected Saint Stealing Opportunity to be so terrifyingly powerful.
Not only could he endure for so long under the transformation of Truth and Falsehood, He could even sense and attempt to strip Truth Realization from within his very being!
Although he ultimately failed, the experience left Li Fan with a lingering fear.
"I was a bit too arrogant."
"The transformation of Truth and Falsehood is invincible against those below the Saint level. In an instant, it can whittle away an opponent's true spirit until they are nothing but dust. But against the Saints of the Mountain Sea..."
"A Saint's accumulation over countless years in the Mountain Sea is simply too vast. Even if they can't escape the effects of 'the real becomes false,' it's enough for them to hold on for a while. In a battle between Saints, anything can happen in that time."
Li Fan took a deep breath.
If Saint Stealing Opportunity was already this formidable, then what about the undoubtedly stronger Saints: Connecting Mountains, Returning to Sea, and Tai Yi?
"Fortunately, the three Saints appear to be quite virtuous for now. As long as I maintain my identity as a Mountain Sea Walker infusing True Spirit, I should be safe."
As Li Fan pondered, he didn't forget to absorb the remnants of Saint Stealing Opportunity before him.
Though the Saint had immolated himself, the Mountain Sea's Dao of Stealing Opportunity still remained.
However, it was like a patient recovering from a grievous injury; compared to the formidable power of its former master, the remnant before him seemed incredibly weak.
With a mere thought from Li Fan, the specks of firelight vanished without a trace.
And in the Dao Return Hall section of Truth Realization, several new characters suddenly appeared.
They represented Li Fan's harvest this time.
Time Balance and Stealing Opportunity.
Flowing light spun, carving and manifesting the characters before they settled into Truth Realization.
Third, Time Balance. Fourth, Stealing Opportunity.
Li Fan looked at the Dao Return Hall section, which was gradually filling up, and felt a surge of joy.
Suddenly, he noticed that this long line of characters seemed about to change.
A seven-colored radiance swirled like flowing water, showing signs of a gradual shift.
Stealing Opportunity, at the end of the line, moved forward, as if to take the first position.
"Stealing Opportunity, Cycle Return, Time Balance, Xuanpin Dao..."
"Is this being ordered by strength?"
Li Fan vaguely discerned the pattern.
But then, a thought struck him, and his brows furrowed.
"Let's stick to the original order."
"There is a set order to things in the grand scheme of the universe."
"First come, first served; there's a profound principle hidden in that order. As for strength..."
"The balance of power is never constant. My consecutive victories over Time Balance and Stealing Opportunity are proof of that!"
Li Fan spoke with pride and insistence.
As if sensing his resolute thoughts, the flowing seven-colored light on the Dao Return Hall panel paused for a moment.
Ultimately, it returned to its original state.
Everything was subject to Li Fan's will.
The flowing light settled, no longer shifting.
Li Fan, however, did not leave the void just yet. Instead, he began to recover from his injuries.
This battle had been brutal.
Although he had successfully claimed the two Great Daos of Time Balance and Stealing Opportunity, the backlash he suffered was also severe.
Not to mention anything else, the blows he had taken from Shou Qiu just to put on a show for the other Saints were not light.
And that was before the near-total exhaustion from his battle with Time Balance and Stealing Opportunity.
"Pushing the limits of shattering and absorbing True Spirit was almost too much even for my constitution. I can clearly feel symptoms of True Spirit loss. It will take time to slowly recover."
"Furthermore..."
Li Fan held out his arms, his expression growing solemn as he observed them closely.
"It's not obvious, but I can still feel it."
"It's as if I'm caught between truth and falsehood, tangible yet distant, existing yet ethereal."
"This is the price for forcibly using the transformation of Truth and Falsehood to fight my enemies."
"Originally, if things had gone smoothly, the backlash wouldn't have been so severe. But Stealing Opportunity's ferocity was far beyond my expectations."
"I can use the excuse of being heavily injured to deceive Shou Qiu and the other Saints on the Other Shore. But I'm afraid I can't hide these traces from the three Saints, Lian Shan, Gui Hai, and Tai Yi."
"It seems I can't go back in this lifetime."
Fortunately, Li Fan had no intention of returning to the original Mountain Sea to report back to the three Saints anyway.
"I just need to suppress and absorb all the remaining Saints here."
Li Fan sat cross-legged in the void, using the transformation of Truth and Falsehood to repair his severely damaged body.
Perhaps because of the previous intrusion, it felt as if a flaw had been created, making the repairs exceptionally difficult.
Li Fan divided his focus, taking the opportunity to comprehend the newly acquired Daos of Time Balance and Stealing Opportunity.
It seemed the final thoughts of their previous masters still lingered upon them.
Setting Time Balance aside for the moment, Li Fan was more interested in Stealing Opportunity.
"Vast and distant, it sets the foundation of all things. In darkness and obscurity, it births the change between the real and the unreal. Bright and clear, it hangs as the balance of all mysteries..."
"This should be the transformation of Truth and Falsehood, right?"
After contemplating for a moment, Li Fan was slightly stunned.
"It's even more profound than my own comprehension?"
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