Chapter 1709: The Mountain and Sea Method of Becoming a Saint
A Saint's perspective transcends the ordinary.
In his previous life, Li Fan, Shou Qiu, and the Unending One had sat together within the Armillary Ring, their hearts and minds united as one. Li Fan's own power had soared, a thousand times greater than before.
This time, he had yet to choose an inheritance option and was, for all intents and purposes, a mortal. Yet, simply by perceiving and wielding his own infinite spirituality, he could already conjure the phantom of a god.
Such was the fruit of the three Saints' combined power.
"Therefore..."
"This life, there is no need to inherit a cultivation base. My understanding of the Zhouhui Dao has already reached a level that rivals creation itself, and any single option from [Truth] is enough to help me become a Saint."
"I will rely purely on myself, starting as a mortal, and walk step by step into the realm of the Saints."
As the thought flickered through Li Fan's mind, the divine phantom seemed to sense it, its flowing brilliance reflecting ever more scenes.
"In my last life, I also sat within the Armillary Ring on the Other Shore, witnessing the changes of the Mountain and Sea through the shifting ages."
"The difference between the two..."
Li Fan's gaze flickered, but he didn't immediately draw a distinction.
Instead, he first began to cultivate on his own, with his mortal body.
The Immortal-Mortal Miasma, the oppressive shackles of the Dharma Spreader's authority—all such rules and limitations were as fragile as paper in Li Fan's eyes now.
They could be shattered with a mere flick of his finger.
Li Fan cultivated anew from the realm of mortals, leaving the Great Xuan, traversing the Xuanhuang Realm, breaking through the High Wall, and overturning the Primal.
From his start to his transcendence and reentry into the Mountain and Sea, a mere five hundred years had passed.
Though his path was slow and his pace deliberate.
Li Fan, in re-walking it, felt a unique kind of experience.
The specific details were without shock or danger, smooth and uneventful, and need not be elaborated upon.
During this process of recultivation, Li Fan occasionally used the "Gazing at the Mountain and Sea" technique taught by Shou Qiu to observe the potential of the Primal Possibility.
In doing so, he discovered a fascinating phenomenon, one that indirectly confirmed a long-held suspicion.
As Li Fan transformed step by step from a mortal to a transcendent being, he consumed none of the Primal Possibility's potential!
"In these five hundred years, no other powerful beings have emerged from the Primal Possibility besides me. Its potential has only weakened slightly. Compared to other possibilities, it is still far superior!"
Having merged his consciousness with Shou Qiu's, he had also found answers to many secrets.
For instance, the reason for the Primal Possibility's abnormal potential.
"It was indeed the work of the Heavenly Net Emperor. However, the Primal Immortal Realm's attempt to transcend..."
"That remains unknown."
"The Saints on the Other Shore sit within the Armillary Ring and can observe the Mountain and Sea in detail. But back then, the Primal Immortal Realm vanished from the sight of all the Saints in a single leap."
"Perhaps it was destroyed in the Void Realm, or perhaps it returned to the Star. Or perhaps..."
"It truly transcended the system of the Mountain and Sea and the Void Realm, reaching the heights of the gods of old and achieving a unique state of untroubled freedom. We cannot know for sure."
"Even the three Saints are not omniscient or omnipotent. This is the source of my confidence in being able to contend with them."
His thoughts returned to the reason why his journey from mortal to Saint hadn't consumed the Primal Possibility's potential. Li Fan surmised it was because the foundation of his fortune came from the accumulation of countless cycles of reincarnation.
"It was all conjured from the void by the transformation of truth and falsehood. It doesn't consume even a sliver of the current Mountain and Sea."
"Or perhaps, my identity as a transmigrator has something to do with it."
His power was already among the absolute peak in the Mountain and Sea, second only to the three Saints. Yet Li Fan still had no clue where his former "hometown" was.
"In the last life, Shou Qiu was only somewhat astonished after learning of my identity. Perhaps I simply came from a special, shattered possibility within the Mountain and Sea. Or perhaps, other spacetimes truly do exist beyond the Mountain and Sea and the Void Realm. But since I am here, I shall make my peace with it. There's no need to dwell on it."
"As for my infinite spirituality and my intuition..."
"Shou Qiu believed it might not have much to do with my transmigrator status. Rather, it is deeply connected to the reincarnations I have experienced through [Truth]."
At this thought, Li Fan suddenly grew much quieter.
Even his feet, about to step into the Mountain and Sea, paused.
"I once had a vague premonition within the endless cycles woven by Zhouhui. It corresponds exactly with my intuition."
"Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean I have truly experienced all of this before. It could be that in the brief instant the Mountain and Sea shifted between truth and falsehood, countless possibilities played out. As the only being in the Mountain and Sea who can retain memories before and after such drastic changes, I may have unwittingly seen a great deal."
"This would also explain why [Truth] chose me of all people. Even when Stealing Opportunity reached out to seize it, it could not be moved in the slightest."
"[Truth] has long seen through endless possibilities. Only I, and I alone..."
"...can work with it to achieve the goal it desires."
"It is not merely because I possess infinite spirituality."
...
Li Fan's thoughts surged like a tide, but [Truth] remained silent, as always.
Ultimately, in the entire Mountain and Sea, only [Truth] itself could provide the answer. Everyone else could only speculate.
But Li Fan believed the day he knew the truth was not far off.
Where did he come from, where was he going, and for what reason did he live?
If he could not answer these questions, how could he ever speak of attaining untroubled, eternal life?
Suppressing his thoughts, Li Fan moved his paused feet and stepped into the Mountain and Sea.
He was met by the chasm of Dao Annihilation, but also by the interconnected veins of the Mountain and Sea.
Li Fan walked slowly, his destination not the Other Shore.
Instead, he first began to wander through the Mountain and Sea, strolling leisurely as if in a garden.
Back then, in his search for the Other Shore, Li Fan had split his consciousness into countless threads, sending them across the Mountain and Sea to search for any possible trace. But in that targeted search, he had overlooked the scenery along the way.
The Mountain and Sea itself.
This life, Li Fan temporarily forgot his myriad troubles and simply observed, from the perspective of a pure observer, everything that evolved within the Mountain and Sea.
At the same time, he silently made his choice, finally selecting the inheritance option that had been flashing for over five hundred years.
"The third option: the Mountain and Sea Variation Outline from this simulation!" Li Fan declared with certainty.
The flashing text came to an abrupt halt.
The [Truth] interface that Li Fan perceived also seemed to fall into a strange stillness.
Even the light itself seemed to dim.
Then, from the darkness, endless points of light drifted forth.
They gathered like a sea of stars, composing a magnificent scroll!
There were no words, no images.
Only countless, ceaselessly flashing stars!
Every single ray of light seemed to contain an unimaginable wealth of information.
It was a detailed record of every possibility that [Truth] had observed.
The entire sea of stars, all its myriad lights combined, was the very change of the Mountain and Sea itself!
To read the Mountain and Sea Variation Outline with a mere transcendent cultivation base was an act of utter folly.
In an instant, Li Fan's form shattered, and his divine soul disintegrated along with it.
But Li Fan felt not a trace of panic.
Such a drastic change was well within his expectations.
"I shall use the very changes of the Mountain and Sea to forge my path to sainthood in this life!"
With no physical form, only his dissipating true spirit remained.
In the past, Li Fan would have frantically activated [Truth].
But with the experience of the divine shadow's abyssal fall in his previous life, Li Fan was now perfectly calm.
"Even a Saint would struggle to fully comprehend the Mountain and Sea Outline."
"But I can use my infinite spirituality..."
"...to sculpt a semblance of the Mountain and Sea!"
With a single thought, his infinite true spirit danced, meeting the star-filled sky that Li Fan "saw."
Like waves chasing the wind.
Countless starbursts, like innumerable carving knives, left their marks upon the endless true spirit below.
This scene was identical to how Li Fan had used the infusion of his infinite true spirit to shape the divine phantom!
In fact, it was this very inspiration, coupled with five hundred years of pure, arduous cultivation, that had led him to this attempt.
Li Fan was not one to follow rules and conventions.
Otherwise, he would not have used the great fire of his true spirit to burn the Armillary Ring and spy on the divine shadow in his last life.
In his countless simulations, Li Fan had long since understood a principle.
Following the established path would certainly make one stronger and stronger.
But in the end, it was impossible to escape the cycle of fate.
Sometimes, only a desperate, all-or-nothing strike could achieve the impossible.
"Just like the Mount Tai Emperor forcing the Immortal Realm to transcend—it seemed insane, unthinkable, with almost no chance of success."
"In the entire Mountain and Sea, you won't find another example."
"But perhaps that was the only path to survival."
As Li Fan thought to himself, the [Mountain Sea Map]—imprinted upon his infinite true spirit from the outline displayed by [Truth]—slowly took form!
The true spirit was infinite; the Mountain and Sea was infinite.
The Mountain Sea Map, too, was infinite.
Because the true spirit was infinite, it could bear the infinity of the Mountain and Sea.
Though the Mountain Sea Map was infinite, it arose from the infinite true spirit.
Therefore, Li Fan could comprehend it all in a single thought.
"To become a Saint, there is, in fact, another path."
Though he had no power, with only faint wisps of consciousness lingering before this Mountain Sea Map, Li Fan felt stronger than he had ever been.
"Borrowing no external objects, relying on no other methods."
"With only myself, I shall stand equal to the Mountain and Sea."
In an instant, like a flash of wind and thunder, the infinite true spirit surged into tumultuous waves.
From within the infinite Mountain Sea Map, a figure slowly emerged.
It was Li Fan!
At the same time, the real Mountain and Sea sensed something.
All possibilities began to tremble in unison!
On the Other Shore, within the Tai Xu Sacred Dynasty.
All the Saints turned their gazes toward Li Fan at the same moment.
Even the ever-composed three Saints had a flash of astonishment in their eyes.
Because what they saw was, shockingly, another Mountain and Sea!
"This... While we weren't paying attention, a new Saint was born?"
"And, he..."
"Everyone, are my eyes deceiving me?"
...
Li Fan ignored the gazes coming from all directions, silently comprehending his current state.
He had returned to the realm of the Saints, and he was far more powerful than the Xuanpin and Zhouhui Saints of his previous life.
Even [Truth], which had always remained silent, emitted faint, cryptic fluctuations.
It seemed like praise, yet there also seemed to be some other special meaning hidden within.
Li Fan simply responded with a faint smile, then his expression turned solemn, and he began to preach the Dao!
His voice was like a clap of thunder, spreading throughout the universe.
All possibilities in the Mountain and Sea, all sentient beings, could hear him at this moment.
"In this world, there is the Upper Mountain and the Infinite Sea, which bear countless living beings."
"A Saint is one who can stand equal to the Mountain and Sea."
"The beings of the Mountain and Sea who wish to become Saints may unite their many selves into one, or seek the Great Dao of the Mountain and Sea, or establish their own lineage."
"Or..."
"...they can stand equal to the Mountain and Sea."
...
As Li Fan spoke, a vast and boundless Mountain Sea Map slowly materialized.
At first, the sentient beings did not understand Li Fan's meaning, but the moment they saw the Mountain Sea Map, they gradually began to comprehend.
If a Saint is one who is equal to the Mountain and Sea.
Then as long as one meets that standard, wouldn't one naturally become a Saint?
A wave of realization washed over them.
But then, they became confused again.
Wasn't that just stating the obvious?
If it were easy to stand equal to the Mountain and Sea, everyone would have become a Saint long ago.
It was precisely because it was impossible that they had to settle for second best and seek other methods.
They had thought this newly ascended Saint of the Mountain and Sea was here to preach the Dao, but it turned out he was just here to show off?
At this moment, countless such thoughts rose and fell among the sentient beings.
Li Fan observed them but paid them no mind.
That was right. This method of becoming a Saint—in the entire Mountain and Sea, he was the only one who could achieve it.
Otherwise, he would not have shared it so openly.
First, one needed the Mountain and Sea Variation Outline, which contained detailed data and information recording everything within the Mountain and Sea.
Second, one needed a vessel capable of bearing this immense volume of data.
Even the three Saints would not dare claim to see all the secrets of the Mountain and Sea.
But [Truth] could.
And only an infinite true spirit could bear the endless changes of the Mountain and Sea and make them its own.
[Truth] and an infinite true spirit.
When united in one person, they gave birth to such an unbelievable method of becoming a Saint!
To become a Mountain and Sea unto oneself, to stand equal with the heavens!
"Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on attaining the Dao today."
In the minds of all beings, Li Fan's figure gradually faded.
And on the Other Shore, Saint Tai Yi's phantom actually left the Armillary Ring to congratulate Li Fan in person.
After all, it was the first time even the three Saints had seen such an earth-shattering method of attaining the Dao.
They couldn't figure out how Li Fan had done it, so they used the pretext of congratulations to come and investigate.
But the Li Fan of today was no longer the same as before.
In the past, the three Saints could easily see through him. Even wearing the mantle of a Saint, he was constantly on edge, terrified his thoughts would be exposed.
But now...
He stood with the stillness of an abyss and the majesty of a mountain, his depths unfathomable.
Tai Yi looked at the being before him, who seemed to be the Mountain and Sea itself, incarnated as a person.
Boundless and endless, impossible to fathom.
He couldn't help but grow more perplexed.
To achieve the station of a Saint through the Dao of the Mountain and Sea—in this world, only the Saints Lian Shan and Gui Hai should have been capable of that.
Where did this new Mountain and Sea come from, giving birth to a new Saint?
As one who was united in heart and mind with Lian Shan and Gui Hai, Tai Yi naturally felt that incredibly familiar aura of the Mountain and Sea from Li Fan.
It could not be faked!
In his astonishment, he heard Li Fan's faint reply.
"Attaining the Dao is an ordinary affair..."
"What cause is there for celebration?"
Even after living for countless years, there was very little in the world that could stir Tai Yi's emotions. But upon hearing Li Fan's words, he still found it difficult to suppress the anger that suddenly flared within him.
"Besides, the Mountain and Sea is already in a precarious state. After becoming a Saint, the responsibilities one must bear only increase."
"It's difficult to be free anymore," Li Fan sighed softly.
This sentence, however, caused Tai Yi's opinion of Li Fan to change slightly.
"Why not come to the Other Shore and sit for a while," the phantom of Tai Yi invited.
Before the words had even faded, Li Fan raised his head and looked toward the location of the Other Shore within the Mountain and Sea.
"That is also fine," he said, nodding after a moment of silence.
The brilliance of the Other Shore illuminated the Mountain and Sea.
Since Li Fan had become a Saint through the Mountain and Sea, he naturally sensed the location of the Other Shore the moment he ascended.
Tai Yi found nothing suspicious about this.
With the power of two Saints, the boundless Mountain and Sea was like flat ground.
They quickly arrived outside the Other Shore, but Li Fan suddenly stopped.
He smiled inexplicably at Tai Yi's phantom.
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