Chapter 1739: A Shared Mind to Dispel Doubts
Chapter 1739: A Shared Mind to Dispel Doubts
However powerful his past self may have been, the moment he decided to enact "change," he vanished on a conceptual level.
What was sealed within [Truth] now was not a true consciousness.
Instead, it was "experience" built upon an immeasurably vast database of memories.
The owner of these memories was, in essence, Li Fan.
Thus, once contact was made, they began to converge unstoppably, flooding into Li Fan's mind.
Yet, precisely because the past Li Fan had achieved an unimaginable level of power, his memories—spanning countless lifetimes of the Mountain and Sea—could still react to the outside world as if they were a true consciousness, even after his own existence had been erased.
When it encountered a suitable, significant Dao, it would hunger for it, devouring it.
When faced with a mortal threat, it would issue a warning.
Ultimately, however, he no longer existed.
All that remained were instinctual reactions, driven by its own immense memories.
So, upon realizing that Li Fan's current strength was insufficient to fully absorb the experiences of his past self, it decisively severed the connection.
And so, Li Fan returned to reality.
"Li Fan, is something wrong? I feel a faint disturbance in your mind."
"What happened?"
Almost instantly, the concerned inquiries of Shou Qiu and Moral echoed in his mind.
It was only then that Li Fan realized with a jolt that, even under the "Same Heart Same Virtue" effect of the Armillary Ring, his encounter with the memories of his past self had gone completely unnoticed by the others.
"This proves it," he thought. "The past Li Fan's power was far beyond that of the Three Saints. Even as a mere accumulation of memories, he could ignore the Armillary Ring's rule of shared consciousness."
Li Fan wasn't particularly surprised by this.
After all, no matter how powerful the Three Saints were, even at their peak before the Mountain and Sea was sundered, they had only ever cultivated *within* it. He, on the other hand, had the cumulative experience of countless cycles of the Mountain and Sea's entire existence.
"It's called 'Same Heart Same Virtue,'" he mused, "but I can unilaterally shield certain memories."
"I can hide things from them, but they can't hide anything from me. Doesn't that give me a natural advantage?"
In an instant, Li Fan's eyes narrowed as the thought struck him.
"Still," he considered, "in this particular situation, there's no need to hide anything from Shou Qiu and Moral."
After a moment's consideration, Li Fan decided to share what he had just experienced.
A moment later...
Shou Qiu marveled, "I thought your ability to carry [Truth] and relive your life multiple times was already extraordinary. I never imagined you had an even more labyrinthine history."
"So, the Mountain and Sea has been destroyed and reborn who knows how many times."
"Your presence here, Li Fan, is truly a blessing for the Mountain and Sea!"
Moral, too, was momentarily speechless with shock. "To be united in heart and mind with you, my friend... we could die now with no regrets."
Li Fan snorted. "I'm not so impressed. If he had actually succeeded in saving the Mountain and Sea, then all this praise would be warranted. But he failed every single time. What's the difference between failing once and failing countless times?"
Shou Qiu and Moral could only offer wry smiles, unsure of how to respond.
"Enough about the past for now," Li Fan said, his tone turning serious. "I truly need your help assessing a few things."
"There are a few doubts lingering in my mind."
"First, even though everything points to it, I'm still hesitant. Is my past self truly gone? Or is that just an idea he implanted in my mind? Is it possible he left some contingency, a way to seize control once I actually succeed in saving the Mountain and Sea?"
"Second, the mystery of my sharp intuition is finally solved. But the origin of my infinite Spirituality remains unknown. I get the sense that my past self wasn't puzzled by this, which is why he didn't explain it. Is this Spirituality truly infinite, or is it merely the accumulation of his countless cycles of reincarnation?"
"And the third point... 'To save the world, first save yourself.' What exactly does that mean?"
Li Fan laid out all his doubts in one long, candid outpouring.
He held nothing back, his expression open and direct.
This was who he was. Even when dealing with his own past self, no matter how great, noble, or sacred that entity appeared, he would never place his trust in anyone lightly. What needed to be questioned, would be questioned.
Bound by the rule of "Same Heart Same Virtue," Shou Qiu and Moral already understood Li Fan's nature.
They showed no surprise, but instead began to ponder his questions seriously.
After a long silence, Shou Qiu spoke slowly. "Regarding your first point, Moral and I are in agreement. The Li Fan of the past is, in all likelihood, truly gone."
"He exhausted every path and found no escape. His only option was an all-or-nothing gamble: to sever his old self and forge a new existence. It was like creating a new world from scratch, the only way to find even the slimmest chance of success. He was seeking a possibility within the impossible. If he had left some hidden contingency..."
"...it could cause everything to fail at the critical moment, laying waste to all his previous efforts. Wouldn't it all have been for nothing? Given the intellect and disposition of the past Li Fan, he would never make such a pointless move."
Li Fan nodded slightly.
Of course, he didn't fully accept Shou Qiu's words. He even doubted himself, so why not Shou Qiu? If he himself could be influenced by his past incarnation, couldn't the telepathically linked Shou Qiu be influenced as well?
For now, however, he would take what comfort he could from the answer.
Shou Qiu, of course, understood this. He quickly moved on, focusing on Li Fan's second question. "As for the source of your infinite Spirituality, I have two theories."
"First, it is an innate quality that came with you when you transmigrated here. It is because of this quality that your past self was able to achieve what he did. Otherwise, for a being born within the Mountain and Sea to break free from its cycles of reincarnation... I fear not even the Three Saints could accomplish such a feat."
"My second theory... stems from what you said: your past self was not confused about the source of his infinite Spirituality. If it was a byproduct of his transmigration, he surely would have wondered about its origin. Unless, of course, he possessed memories you do not—memories of witnessing its origin at the moment of his arrival. But given his character, he would never conceal something so vital from you. Since he said nothing, we can assume that's not the case. Therefore, the only other conclusion is that this infinite Spirituality is the accumulation of his countless cycles of reincarnation."
Shou Qiu could almost see it: Li Fan, time and again, desperately trying to turn the tide and save the Mountain and Sea, only to fail, and then rise from the ashes to try once more.
His eyes filled with admiration, and he was lost for a moment in a profound sense of awe.
"It wasn't just *his* own accumulation," Moral added. "Perhaps... it includes the entire Mountain and Sea as well."
"Oh? What do you mean by that?" Li Fan asked.
"When the Mountain and Sea perishes, True Spirits accumulate. It is then resurrected from nothingness by the Dao of Truth and Falsehood. What becomes of those accumulated True Spirits remains a mystery. If they return to the new Mountain and Sea, then my theory is incorrect. But if the world is reborn *without* relying on its former True Spirits..."
"...then that might explain the origin of the infinite True Spirit within you."
"They are the discarded husks of the Mountain and Sea, left behind with every cycle of its death and rebirth," Moral said, emphasizing each word.
(End of Chapter)
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