Chapter 1723: Three Avatars Resolve the Crisis
The assault of multiple Congenital Ferocious Items brought with it more than just a stronger spiritual corrosion. Far more difficult to handle was the almost tangible pressure of their crushing might.
After all, each Congenital Ferocious Item was an existence capable of dealing a fatal blow to one of the Three Saints with a surprise attack.
Now, a total of fifteen of them were assailing them at once. While not as overwhelming as the siege of thousands of saintly phantoms from the previous life, it instantly pushed the defensive line formed by Li Fan and his two companions to the brink of collapse.
The Turtle Shell, the Ancestral Bone, the Life Rope—with each new item, the pressure multiplied exponentially.
The fact that they hadn't been defeated in an instant was a testament to the profound depth of their power.
Faced with such a desperate situation, not a single thought of surrender crossed their minds.
Instead, they strained their minds to their limits, searching for a sliver of hope in the impossible.
"Same Heart Same Virtue, three as one."
The eyes of one were the eyes of all three. What one saw, all three observed.
The will of one became the will of all three.
The corrupting influences from the different Congenital Ferocious Items washed over them all at once.
Yet, at this moment, Li Fan not only possessed the fullness of his own creation but also embodied Shou Qiu's farsightedness and open-mindedness, as well as Moral's state of perfect completion.
Boundless malevolence crashed down upon them like monstrous waves.
But he drew upon their united will to dissipate each wave in turn.
Shou Qiu and Moral did the same.
The Congenital Ferocious Items had a fivefold amplification, yet Li Fan's defensive line had instantly tripled in strength.
And as the external pressure continued to mount, Li Fan could feel that their "Same Heart Same Virtue" was, imperceptibly, becoming even more harmonious and fluid.
He could wield the Zhouhui Dao to weave endless cycles of reincarnation, while simultaneously holding Longevity, able to Sit Mountain View Sea. He could also achieve Moral's state of perfection, an inexhaustible, self-contained source.
It was not merely a subjective unity of their three minds; even the Daos they commanded were beginning to acknowledge one another.
A sudden inspiration struck Li Fan. In a brief lull in the assault, he drew upon a vast amount of stagnant True Spirit from the Void Realm.
"I call forth the Shou Qiu of Fan!"
His expression was solemn as he pointed outwards.
The True Spirit surged, and amidst a brilliant, iridescent light, a phantasmal figure slowly stepped forth.
Its aura and bearing were remarkably similar to Shou Qiu's, yet its features were an eighty percent match for Li Fan's.
It was, in essence, a Shou Qiu version of Li Fan.
This was Li Fan, using his own Dao of Longevity and an immeasurable amount of True Spirit to manifest a new Saint in the span of a single moment!
Under normal circumstances, two Saints following the same path could never exist in the Mountain Sea.
But under the mystical effect of Same Heart Same Virtue, the inexplicable influence inherited from [Truth], and the unimaginable external pressure, a change occurred.
Even the Great Dao of the Mountain Sea was gradually beginning to perceive Li Fan, Shou Qiu, and Moral as a single entity.
And if they were one person, then there was no conflict to speak of.
The moment Li Fan's Shou Qiu avatar appeared, it joined their defensive line.
It remained in a state of Same Heart Same Virtue, without the slightest gap in coordination.
His form was as majestic as the Mountain and Sea itself, shielding them from the storm raging outside.
"I call forth the Moral of Fan!"
Without pause, Li Fan continued, creating his Moral avatar.
As two streams of aura swirled, the Moral version of Li Fan strode forth from within.
The expression on his face was a smile that was not quite a smile, an aura that was both righteous and wicked.
Black and white energies revolved around his body, shouldering a portion of the tempestuous assault they faced.
But it wasn't just Li Fan.
In that same instant, Shou Qiu and Moral each split off two avatars of their own.
They corresponded to the other two members of their trio.
In a fleeting moment, six additional Saints of peak power had appeared to aid them.
The pressure they were under immediately lightened.
With their three original bodies forming the core, the six other avatars circled around them.
Wherever the defensive line showed a hint of weakness, their combined strength would instantly converge on that point.
Where the thought went, the power followed.
The result was as if the three of them could simultaneously command nine times their power.
And the defensive line they formed remained fluid and autonomous, without any stiffness or vulnerability.
In contrast, the forces of the Void Realm, though their assault seemed vast and terrifying with fifteen Congenital Ferocious Items, were uncoordinated.
Each fought on its own, and they were merely fivefold copies.
Once they gradually adapted to the attacks of one, the threat posed by the other four copies seemed to become far less deadly.
The coordination between Li Fan, his companions, and their six avatars grew increasingly seamless.
They could even afford to contemplate the Dao while simultaneously fending off the attacks of the Congenital Ferocious Items.
"In truth, if we were truly pushed into a corner, without resorting to the Dao of True and False, we still have one final, desperate measure," Li Fan's thoughts raced.
"Just as Moral did before his apotheosis, we could perform the act of Moral Separation!"
"Each of our bodies could do the same. That would double our combat strength once more!"
"But while splitting is simple, achieving moral completion again would not be so easy. The consequence would most likely be our fall from the Saint realm, the shattering of our Same Heart Same Virtue, and a descent into a self-destructive battle amongst ourselves," Li Fan rapidly deduced in his mind.
Moral deeply agreed. "However, with [Truth], we no longer need to consider such things. Let's first survive this tribulation and observe the changes in the Mountain and Sea!"
Shou Qiu gazed into the depths of the Void Realm, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Diverting twelve Congenital Ferocious Items has undoubtedly had a massive impact on the battle in the Mountain Sea. I have a feeling that perhaps this time, the Mountain Sea Variation Outline after [Truth] resets will bring a pleasant surprise."
...
Every insight the three gained in battle was shared and circulated between their minds in an instant.
Compared to the Congenital Ferocious Items, which were fated to remain unchanged from the moment they manifested, Li Fan and his companions were, in a very real sense, growing stronger with each passing moment.
And the rate of their growth was simply preposterous.
The outcome of this battle was, at that moment, already decided.
Assuming, of course, that the mastermind behind the Void Realm didn't introduce any new variables.
Of course, even with Same Heart Same Virtue, there was a limit to the power the trio could exert.
Adding the fission from the Moral Separation that Li Fan envisioned, their numbers would max out at eighteen Mountain Sea Saints.
If the mastermind behind the Void Realm acted as it did in the previous life, disregarding all costs to summon thousands of saintly phantoms from other timelines, they would have instantly crushed the trio's defenses.
But in this life, Li Fan and his group had shown no signs of the True False Transformation.
In the eyes of the Void Realm's mastermind, they were simply Saints who were a bit stronger and had some novel techniques.
As a rational commander, it would never make such an irrational move.
And so, after a final assessment of the situation, it made the decisive choice to withdraw its forces.
Even faster than they had arrived, the Congenital Ferocious Items and the Void Realm avatars of the Three Saints vanished in an instant, without a trace.
However, a temporary retreat did not mean the Void Realm had given up on its fight for the current Mountain Sea.
Li Fan keenly sensed that as the Void Realm avatars of the Three Saints departed, the tide of Dao Annihilation separating them from the Mountain Sea grew even deeper and more profound.
While it was powerless against beings on their level, it would be an even more devastating blow to ordinary Saints and the Mountain Sea itself.
Since we cannot take this location for now, we will simply tie it down.
Once the forces at other points in time have been dealt with, we shall return with a grand army and crush them with absolute power.
From a certain perspective, the choice made by the mastermind of the Void Realm was not wrong.
Unfortunately for it, when the Lone Star appeared, the entire Void Realm was devoured, only to be reset by the activation of [Truth].
Therefore, it had no idea that what it had just abandoned was the very nexus of the True False Dao!
With the external threat gone, the atmosphere did not become any more relaxed.
The Three Saints and Li Fan's trio faced each other, their minds filled with their own thoughts.
There was no need for Li Fan and his companions to explain their origins.
Once the crisis of the Three Saints' fall was averted, the divine sense they held automatically left their bodies.
It returned to the original bodies of the Three Saints.
Through this, the Three Saints learned of all the causes and effects.
But even now, they found it somewhat inconceivable that Li Fan's group had successfully withstood the assault of fifteen Congenital Ferocious Items.
"What magnificent abilities, fellow Daoists!" Gui Hai, the Returning to Sea Saint, praised as his gaze swept over them.
"It was merely a stroke of luck. After such a prolonged battle, we were at the end of our rope. If the Void Realm hadn't withdrawn its troops when it did, we would have surely fallen here!" Li Fan said, his face a perfect mask of sincerity.
Shou Qiu also smiled. "We must also thank the Three Saints for the gift of Same Heart Same Virtue. Without it, we would have never been able to resist."
Moral nodded in agreement. "If not for this experience of Same Heart Same Virtue, we would never have known just how compatible we truly are."
One knows one's own business best.
As the creators of the Armillary Ring, the Three Saints were well aware that while Same Heart Same Virtue could double one's combat strength, it was impossible for it to produce the tenfold amplification that Li Fan's group had demonstrated.
However, judging from their performance in the recent battle, the combat strength of Li Fan's trio was now no less than their own.
They couldn't simply force an answer out of them.
"The turmoil of the Void Realm is not yet settled. For now, let us first reconnect the Mountain Sea."
The six of them exchanged a glance, having reached a temporary consensus.
They turned back, looking at the two segments of the Mountain Sea separated by the Void Realm.
Things were different now.
Both segments of the Mountain Sea had their Three Saints, and now they had Li Fan's support as well.
Even a hundred thousand years of engulfed time could be easily restored.
Under the combined efforts of all the Saints, strands of the Mountain Sea's veins began to reappear within the Void Realm.
First, a single beam of light pierced the darkness.
Then, thousands of rays of light shone with great brilliance.
The Mountain Sea was restored.
The instant the reconnection occurred, all the Saints seated on the Other Shore felt a boiling aura rise from their bodies.
They had clearly benefited immensely.
After all, they had gained a hundred thousand years of accumulation out of thin air, in addition to the merit of reconnecting the Mountain Sea.
While their strength might not have doubled, it had still advanced significantly.
Perhaps the only exception was Li Fan.
He had no existence in this segment of the Mountain Sea, so there was nothing for him to merge with.
But the fluctuations of power emanating from his body were in no way weaker than the others'.
Aside from the disguise he created by stirring the stagnant True Spirit, this was also due to the feedback from the benefits Shou Qiu and Moral had received.
Although they were still seated within the Armillary Ring, face to face with the Three Saints.
Li Fan, Shou Qiu, and Moral had already formed a self-contained entity.
They could faintly stand on equal footing with the Three Saints, so they no longer needed to act as cautiously as before.
However, it seemed that the greatest beneficiaries of this reconnection were Lian Shan and the other two Saints.
Originally, Li Fan had felt a solid sense of confidence when facing them.
But with another reconnection of the Mountain Sea, the Three Saints had once again become unfathomable.
"They are, after all, ancient beings who have existed since the very beginning of the Mountain Sea's evolution."
"Even Shou Qiu's foundation is unimaginable, let alone that of the Three Saints."
"The sum total of the Mountain Sea's civilization, living beings, and Daos is bound to grow stronger as the Mountain Sea reconnects."
"Or rather, they are recovering their original strength."
Li Fan had long anticipated this.
Even so, Li Fan believed that the Three Saints would not be able to figure out the truth of his group with Shou Qiu and Moral for some time.
As long as they shared the same goal of saving the Mountain Sea, the balance would not be easily broken.
"The reconnection of the Mountain Sea has successfully restored a hundred thousand years. This is truly a joyous occasion!"
"However, although the reconnection was a success, why do I have a feeling that this newborn Mountain Sea... is a little strange?" the All Knowing Immortal asked suddenly, looking at the newly restored hundred thousand years of the Mountain Sea.
The Connecting Mountains Saint spoke up. "It is not your imagination. The Mountain Sea was, after all, separated by the Void Realm for too long. Although we could use its past veins as a guide to restore it from nothingness, there will inevitably be some discrepancies between the Mountain Sea of today and the Mountain Sea of the past."
"Some possibilities may no longer exist, while others may have become completely unrecognizable."
"Correspondingly, the entire downstream Mountain Sea will be affected to some extent."
"But for the grand scheme of the Mountain Sea, it is beneficial, with no drawbacks."
Shou Qiu suddenly spoke to Li Fan in his mind, "The traces of the Heavenly Net Emperor's existence have vanished."
Li Fan was stunned, and he turned his gaze towards the Primal Possibility in the Mountain Sea.
In the Primal Immortal Realm, the Heavenly Net Emperor should have been in power.
The newborn Mountain Sea should have followed its past inertia, replaying the events of the past.
But for some unknown reason, in the newborn Primal Possibility, the Heavenly Net Emperor was no longer present.
Instead, another Immortal Emperor named [Spirit Dawn] was on the throne.
The river upstream had suddenly changed its course.
This caused the original Primal Possibility to quietly undergo a transformation.
Li Fan saw it clearly; it was as if it had been split down the middle by a blade, showing a tendency to evolve into two completely different possibilities.
The one that was thriving was, naturally, the new possibility that inherited from Immortal Emperor [Spirit Dawn].
As for the Primal Possibility that Li Fan was familiar with...
It had truly become a river without a source, a tree without roots. Without the power from the upstream Mountain Sea pouring into it, it was bound to slowly wither away.
"What is the meaning of this?" Li Fan frowned slightly.
He was naturally not worried that he and his companions, who originated from the Primal Possibility, would be affected by this change.
A transcendent expert was no longer bound by the shackles of their original possibility, let alone beings of their current strength.
"The Mountain Sea is restored, but Heavenly Net is not among its ranks."
"Could it be..."
For a moment, even Shou Qiu was unsure.
"What the Three Saints said before, about not seeing the Heavenly Net Emperor transcend with the entire Immortal Realm, might not have been true."
"We must uncover the truth for ourselves," Moral said secretly.
"There are no traces of Heavenly Net in the resurrected Mountain Sea. What truly happened back then may be lost to time. We can only find the so-called opportunity he found in the lower realm, and use that to deduce what happened," Shou Qiu said, his gaze fixed on the Mountain Sea ahead.
"If my calculations are correct, it should be within the stretch of Mountain Sea just ahead."
Hearing this, Li Fan felt a sense of disorientation. "The affair of the Heavenly Net Emperor... I thought it was in the distant past, but it turns out we've only taken two or three steps through the Mountain Sea. In the grand scheme of the entire Mountain Sea, it's just an insignificant moment in time."
Moral also seemed lost in recollection. "The change in Heavenly Net only happened at the very end of his reign. It seems he only changed after finding that so-called creation. We can indeed peek into its secrets."
"However..."
"If it truly was an opportunity to transcend the Mountain Sea, it is likely lost forever," Moral suddenly said.
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