Chapter 1711: Li Fan Battles the Three Saints
"This is a crisis that could fell the three Saints, a cataclysm under whose impact the Mountain and Sea itself might shatter."
"Other concerns are secondary. I would risk my own life to protect the Mountain and Sea. But what if, at a critical moment..."
"What happens if this Armillary Ring shatters?"
Li Fan's gaze swept across the assembled Saints. "How many of you," he asked, "can guarantee you won't suddenly turn against us?"
A chilling silence followed his question; no one dared to answer.
Li Fan had taken a moment to observe things when he first arrived at the Other Shore.
It was no surprise that he had discerned the Armillary Ring's profound ability to unite their minds.
But to bring it up at such a critical juncture was unexpected. Even with the Ring's unifying influence, a palpable awkwardness settled over the Saints.
"We have sat within the Armillary Ring for ages uncounted," Stealing Opportunity asserted. "We are like brothers. I doubt there would be much change even without it."
Sundial Fate, Broken Prophecy, and the other Saints nodded in agreement.
They spoke with conviction.
Clearly, they lacked a true understanding of their own natures.
Having witnessed firsthand how Stealing Opportunity and the others acted once freed from their restraints in a past life, Li Fan simply smiled without a word.
The three founding Saints, however, fell silent, lost in thought.
After a long moment, one of them interrupted the others. "Daoist Fan's concerns are not without merit. If we were to survive this calamity, but at the cost of the Mountain and Sea..."
"...that would be defeating the entire purpose."
"In that case..."
As they spoke, the three Saints brought forth their treasures—the Connecting Mountains Staff, the Returning to Sea Shovel, and the All Living Beings Stick—and offered them to Li Fan.
"You may wield these three artifacts, Daoist Fan. For one, they will aid you in protecting the Mountain and Sea and keeping the other Saints in check. And for another..."
"...should the Armillary Ring truly be on the verge of shattering, you can use these three items to forge a new one."
"Then you may invite Shou Qiu and the Moral Saint to take their seats. That should resolve the issue," Lian Shan specified, personally nominating them.
Shou Qiu's expression remained unchanged, as if he had expected this.
The newly ascended Moral Saint, however, was visibly taken aback, stammering that he was unworthy of such an honor.
"If we do not survive this calamity and perish within the Void Realm, then the task of reconnecting the Mountain and Sea will fall to you, Daoist Fan," Saint Tai Yi said softly, his gaze fixed on Li Fan.
Li Fan stared at the three treasures before him, yet he remained silent, offering no reply.
Instead, he closed his eyes, deep in thought.
After a long moment, his eyes opened. "I have an idea," he announced.
With all eyes upon him, Li Fan began to explain. "The Void Realm avatars are born from the devoured segments of the Mountain and Sea. I, however, have been cultivating for merely five hundred years. My part of the Mountain and Sea remains whole, so there is no risk of a Void Realm avatar of me."
"Ordinarily, my strength would not qualify me to join a battle of six Saints. But..."
Li Fan gestured toward the three treasures, then his eyes swept over the Armillary Ring that bathed the Other Shore in light. "Let me, the Moral Saint, and Shou Qiu go to the Void Realm in your stead. Let us help you overcome this calamity!"
His words struck them like a thunderbolt.
Even the three founding Saints, who had not anticipated such a proposal, were momentarily stunned.
The other Saints on the Other Shore stared at Li Fan in utter disbelief.
The three founding Saints were already facing the risk of annihilation, with no guarantee of survival. An ordinary Saint would have no business interfering. They might not even withstand the aftershocks of the battle. The odds were high that any rescue attempt would fail, resulting only in more deaths within the Void Realm.
To the assembled Saints, Li Fan's proposal was nothing short of a suicide mission.
The Saints exchanged looks, their expressions a mixture of shock and confusion. Li Fan, however, remained perfectly calm as he continued his explanation. "The three of you have already stated that without the merit gained from reconnecting the Mountain and Sea, your strength won't see a significant increase, even if you go to provide support. It would still be three Saints against three, not six against three."
"At best, you would shift from a disadvantage to a stalemate. The final outcome would remain uncertain."
"But if we three go in your place, the situation changes entirely."
Li Fan pressed on, "My combat power may be less than yours, but my True Spirit Infusion ability is far more effective within the Void Realm. I can not only tie down the enemy avatars, but I can also help the three of you recover from your wounds. Then, it truly becomes six Saints against three."
"This might be more advantageous than if you three were to go yourselves."
"Furthermore, with you three guarding the Mountain and Sea, no matter what turmoil the Void Realm unleashes, I'm confident you can quell it..."
Hearing his reasoning, the Saints began to see the logic in his plan.
"I became a Saint through the Mountain and Sea. While I may be weaker than the three founders, I am not necessarily weaker than anyone else present," Li Fan declared, his voice ringing with an uncharacteristic pride. "For this task, who is better suited than I?"
The Saints reacted to his bold declaration with a variety of expressions.
But it was Saint Lian Shan who spoke first, voicing his opposition.
"We appreciate your good intentions, Daoist Fan. However, your True Spirit Infusion ability is unique in all the Mountain and Sea. It is far too crucial for the task of reconnection. We cannot risk your safety. We can afford to perish, but you cannot."
"The worst-case scenario is that we lose the opportunity to reconnect a few segments. But if another Daoist can take over and see the full reconnection to its end, we can accept that outcome," Gui Hai added, also disagreeing with Li Fan walking into danger.
Li Fan chuckled. "You three underestimate me. Besides, the avatars are hunting you, not me. Even if I fail to help, escaping will not be difficult. I am well aware of my own importance. If the task proves impossible, I won't press my luck. I will simply flee."
At his words, the three Saints began to genuinely consider the feasibility of his plan.
Seeing their hesitation, Li Fan pressed his advantage. "Why don't we have a contest right here in the Armillary Ring? We can use our avatars. It will give you three a chance to gauge my strength. What do you say?"
A hush fell over the Armillary Ring.
The other Saints looked between Li Fan and the three founders, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.
After all, none of them had seen the three founders in action for ages.
And they were undeniably curious about the true strength of this new "Mountain and Sea Saint."
"Very well."
After a moment of silence, the three Saints agreed.
Just like the contest in his past life that had determined the Saints' hierarchy...
The Armillary Ring flared with brilliant light. The three Saints and Li Fan each projected a particle of their essence, a shadowy mote that vanished into the light.
Within the Armillary Ring, a part represents the whole.
Though they were mere phantoms, they represented the full extent of their power.
The watching Saints were transfixed, unwilling to miss a single detail.
"We will not take advantage of our seniority. You may make the first move," came the distant voice of Saint Lian Shan's phantom.
The three Saints had their pride; they would not attack him all at once.
They even granted him the first move.
Li Fan did not waste the opportunity. He immediately unleashed his most powerful technique, second only to his True-False Transformation.
It was an ability born from his study of the *Mountain Sea Variation Outline* and inspired by Shou Qiu's "Raze the Mountain and Sea" technique from his past life.
While it lacked the devastating lethality of the True-False Transformation...
...the sheer scale of its impact, fueled by countless lifelike details of the Mountain and Sea, was even more profound!
Within the glowing ring, an endless vista of the Mountain and Sea materialized around Li Fan, swirling and rising.
He spoke with brazen confidence. "That won't be necessary. Time is short; we must be swift. You three..."
"...come at me together!"
At his challenge, the watching Saints all turned to stare at him.
Some in surprise, some in amusement, and some with deeply furrowed brows.
The three Saints themselves chuckled, taken aback by his audacity.
"Since Daoist Fan is so confident..."
"...a swift resolution is indeed best."
With a flick of their fingers toward the light...
...the three motes of light representing them sprang into action.
Where Gui Hai and Tai Yi had been content to observe, they now entered the fray.
In an instant, Li Fan was surrounded.
Yet his expression remained unchanged, his excitement only growing.
His form blurred, becoming indistinct.
Only the endless phantom of the Mountain and Sea remained, roaring and surging forth.
It became an extension of Li Fan's will, reaching out to grasp the three Saints.
But such a ploy could not harm them. The three Saints remained unmoved, as if separated by an invisible chasm. The infinite phantom of the Mountain and Sea would draw near, yet it could never make contact.
It merely enveloped them, a world of illusion.
"Since I attained the Dao, I have witnessed the birth and death of countless versions of the Mountain and Sea. To think you could harm us with its Dao..." Lian Shan's voice echoed, tinged with a light laugh as he observed the familiar scene.
But his amusement quickly vanished.
"What you three don't realize," Li Fan's voice cut through the roar, "is that this technique is uniquely effective against you!"
Amidst the thunderous roar of the Mountain and Sea, Li Fan uttered a single, chilling word.
"Collapse!"
And then...
The mountains crumbled, and the Infinite Sea began to boil.
It was as if the final, world-ending calamity of the Mountain and Sea had descended upon them.
A catastrophe of unimaginable scale unfolded, and no part of the endless Mountain and Sea was spared.
This was not the erosion of the Dao Annihilation from the Void Realm.
This cataclysm of crumbling mountains and boiling seas came from within the Mountain and Sea itself.
Logically, a world as prosperous as the Mountain and Sea should not self-destruct for no reason.
But now, Li Fan—the Saint of the Mountain and Sea, its master—was actively orchestrating this world-ending cataclysm, an act tantamount to destroying his own path!
The Mountain and Sea had given birth to infinite possibilities and countless beings.
For it to collapse so violently at the height of its power...
...the resulting devastation would be beyond terrifying.
The Saints within the Armillary Ring now had the dubious honor of witnessing it.
Though it was but a simulation, they could glimpse the unimaginable horror of the real event.
Not even the three founders were immune.
Or rather, it was precisely *because* of who they were that they couldn't escape!
Saint Lian Shan, the first immortal to ascend the Upper Mountain, had always stood at the pinnacle, looking down upon all creation.
Saint Gui Hai, who grasped the infinite and opened the Boundless Spring, was majestic and unfathomable.
Saint Tai Yi, a primordial being who attained enlightenment before all things.
The power of the three Saints was immeasurable.
But their power, their very essence, was derived from the Mountain and Sea.
So when Li Fan summoned the infinite phantom of the Mountain and Sea, their instinct was to seize control of it.
In that instant, their powers, both born of the same source, connected.
Li Fan commanded the shadow of the Mountain and Sea.
The three Saints commanded its very soul.
Under normal circumstances, Li Fan would be no match for them and could not harm them in the slightest.
But now, he had triggered its self-destruction.
And once begun, this world-ending cataclysm could not be stopped.
A chain reaction tore through the Mountain and Sea, arriving in a flash.
Mountains crumbled, seas boiled, and everything within the Mountain and Sea was lost.
Saint Lian Shan, who stood upon the peaks, fell the hardest.
Saint Gui Hai, connected to the Infinite Spring, had no escape.
Saint Tai Yi, master of infinite transformations, could not transform his way out of this disaster.
An endless roar of shattering destruction buried everything.
The light of the Armillary Ring suddenly dimmed, then shattered into pieces.
And just like that, the contest between Li Fan and the three Saints was over.
A dead silence fell upon the Other Shore.
"So... who won?"
Finally, it was the All Knowing Immortal who broke the silence.
Shou Qiu sighed. "The Mountain and Sea was destroyed. How could there be a winner? That technique of yours, Daoist Fan... it is too contrary to the natural order."
What happens in the Armillary Ring is a reflection of reality.
If Li Fan could use it here, he could use it in the real Mountain and Sea.
The implication sent a chill through the hearts of the Saints.
Li Fan just smiled, breaking the tense silence.
"It's a pyrrhic victory at best. Why would I use such a move lightly?"
"Besides, with the Mountain and Sea currently fractured by the Dao Annihilation, I doubt I could trigger a full collapse even if I tried. And more importantly..."
"My goal is to save the Mountain and Sea, not destroy it."
"I merely wished to prove to you three that I am capable of fighting on your level."
"What happens in the Void Realm will not affect the real world. This technique can serve as a trump card, perhaps even a decisive one," Li Fan said gravely.
In the contest, the three Saints had been dragged into mutual destruction by Li Fan's "Mountain and Sea Collapse" technique.
But they did not lose their composure.
Instead, they shook their heads and smiled. "That technique of yours, Daoist Fan, will only work once. It is a trump card, and only a trump card."
The All Knowing Immortal asked curiously, "What do you mean, Saint Lian Shan?"
Before the Saints could answer, Li Fan explained it himself. "The Mountain and Sea I manifested was not the same as theirs. I simply took advantage of their instinct to control the phantom I created, launching my technique with lightning speed to trigger the collapse. If they had been prepared, or known I possessed such a connective ability..."
"...they could have drawn a clear line. The destruction of my version of the Mountain and Sea would not have affected them in the slightest."
"Just as Saint Lian Shan said, it's a trump card that can only be used once."
"I see..." Hearing Li Fan's explanation, the Saints breathed a collective, silent sigh of relief.
"Once is enough," one of the founders declared. "If it can work on us, it will work on the Void Realm avatars."
The three founders seemed to have reached a consensus. They finally agreed to Li Fan's plan.
"I cannot go alone; a single pillar cannot support a falling sky. I will need Shou Qiu and the Moral Saint to accompany me."
"As for why I chose them..." Li Fan's gaze passed over the other Saints, including Stealing Opportunity.
He simply smiled, leaving the rest unsaid.
The three founders understood his reasoning and didn't press the matter.
"Even with this trump card, you will need more preparation before you can truly depart."
As they spoke, the Tai Wei Saint Emperor seemed to sense the shift and arrived in a streak of rainbow light.
Since there had been no failure in reconnecting the Mountain and Sea this time, the Tai Wei Saint Emperor produced a total of eighteen Great Luck Saint Medicines.
He gave half of them to Li Fan.
Comments