Chapter 1760: The Overlapping Shadows of Gods
“In my last life, I came face to face with the impending True God. Now, I have nothing left but the Dao of Truth and Falsehood.”
“However...”
“It's not a major problem.”
Li Fan looked at the [Truth] panel.
It unfolded as if for the very first time.
Instead of everything appearing at once, characters popped up one after another.
They would appear only to crumble away, the complex details gone, leaving only a few sparse lines of text.
Name: Li Fan.
Dao Path: Truth, Falsehood.
...
In the "Dao Path" section, the two words "Truth" and "Falsehood" flickered like a breath, as if these two characters alone encompassed all laws and all things in the world.
The Dao Return Hall, which had once begun to take shape, was now completely empty.
The Daos he had once captured—the First Xuanpin, the Second Zhouhui, and so on—had all vanished.
At the end of his previous life, in order to verify the origin of the Dao of Truth and Falsehood, Li Fan had held on until the very last possible moment.
The god devoured all things.
Even [Truth] itself was dismantled and torn apart.
The various functions derived from the paths of the Saints, as well as the many Daos within the Dao Return Hall, had all been swallowed by the reawakening True God.
All that remained of [Truth] was Li Fan himself and the Dao of Truth and Falsehood.
But for the Li Fan of today, to have Truth and Falsehood was to have everything.
All the rest was unimportant.
“Falsehood becomes truth!”
Li Fan stared at the flickering characters before him, recalling the two lonely streams of light that had enveloped him at the end of his last life, and his past comprehension of the Daos in the Dao Return Hall.
A thought stirred in his mind.
And then, something was born from nothing.
Lines of seven-colored characters were born from the void, writing themselves into existence.
First Xuanpin, Second Zhouhui...
And the paths of all the Saints from the Other Shore were listed among them.
In an instant, the empty Dao Hall was once again filled with a forest of Daos, shining brilliantly.
It was no different from what Li Fan had possessed before.
But it did not exceed the limits of what had previously existed.
Next, Li Fan visualized the [Dao One Mountain Sea Map].
Unfortunately, though the map took a rough shape amidst the surging Dao One clouds, it could not perfectly replicate the most powerful state it had achieved with the Mountain Sea No-Boundary Stele.
Presiding over the Mountain Sea Map was a True God Finger, even fainter and more ethereal than before.
Without close inspection, its presence was nearly impossible to detect.
“The transformation of truth and falsehood is built upon my cognition of all things. Through constant reincarnation, my mastery of the Mountain and Sea Great Dao is already sufficient for me to create it with a single thought.”
“But...”
“The True God Finger is another matter.”
The image of the star-filled sky just before the True God's revival reappeared in Li Fan's mind.
“Even seeing a god, it is difficult to know a god.”
“With the knowledge I've gained from my reincarnations, it is far from enough to analyze a god.”
“But the me of the past... perhaps he could.”
With a flicker of thought, the long-suppressed inheritance option from [Truth] finally popped up.
He skipped past all the previous entries and went straight to the last line.
A brand-new option that had never appeared before.
“[Gods Manual].”
Li Fan stared intently at the two words, yet he hesitated to choose.
For some reason, a chilling sensation crept over him, rising and falling in waves that he could not quell.
“Gods. What does this mean?”
Li Fan already knew that [Truth] was the sum of his memories and experiences from countless past reincarnations, combined with the paths of the Saints and the transformation of truth and falsehood.
“The Gods Manual must be the comprehension that my past self gained after witnessing the revival of the True God. But why... is it 'Gods'?”
Li Fan couldn't help but recall the legends he had once heard about a creator god.
“A powerful creator god defeated its own kind. And by drawing upon their power, it gave rise to all living beings in the world...”
“The only recorded source for this is the notes of Sun Piao Miao.”
“The parables of the Mountain and Sea, and all the rest, have already matched what I've observed. Only this one, regarding the creator god, remains a complete mystery.”
Li Fan's expression was uncertain; he did not choose to inherit it immediately.
Instead, he first cultivated back to the Saint realm, waiting until he had at least some ability to protect himself before clicking on it again.
It was as if starlight had returned to the earth.
A profound darkness swallowed everything around him.
Xuanhuang, the Primal Possibility, the Mountain and Sea—all of it ceased to exist.
Immersed in absolute nothingness, Li Fan could only vaguely sense the presence of certain indescribable entities around him.
They were beyond his scope of understanding and observation, and thus were invisible and unknowable.
But he could feel a drastic change occurring within the darkness.
Without any warning, one of the indescribable entities suddenly vanished.
It was as if it had been abruptly devoured by something.
Then came a second, and a third.
Of the original "gods," only the final entity seemed to remain.
This scene matched exactly what Sun Piao Miao had recorded.
Li Fan instantly had a realization. "Sun Piao Miao must have glimpsed this scene within the thoughts of the Mountain and Sea at the dawn of their separation. That's why he wrote the parable of the creator god slaying the other deities."
“But...”
Li Fan frowned slightly, feeling that something was not quite right.
“At this point in time, the Mountain and Sea do not exist. So how could they have known of this scene?”
The boundless darkness did not recede.
It continued to linger around Li Fan.
He suppressed the myriad doubts in his heart and quietly awaited the changes to come.
After a period longer than the time it took for all the "gods" to vanish combined, a faint glimmer of light suddenly appeared, illuminating this unknowable world.
It allowed Li Fan to glimpse a blurry image hidden within the darkness.
Numerous figures overlapped, merging into a single entity.
It seemed to be devouring and chewing, yet also fusing and sublimating.
The many were one, and the one was many.
It contained all and encompassed everything.
But within this whole, a point of disharmony was quietly brewing.
Li Fan seemed to see two images trying to struggle free from within.
Compared to the other unknowable and invisible entities, these two figures were rather familiar.
“Mountain, and Sea!”
Li Fan's mind trembled violently.
And at that very moment, the light in the void suddenly flared.
The darkness was dispelled, and Li Fan returned to reality.
Compared to observing the *Mountain Sea Variation Outline* and the *Star Radiance Rhythm Summary*, this so-called [Gods Manual] did not bring about any particular effects.
It was as if he had just had an illusory dream; after he emerged from it, he quickly shook off its influence.
“This doesn't mean the True God is weaker than the Mountain and Sea or the Star.”
“Rather...”
“The memories and experiences of my past self finally lost their effectiveness in a scenario like this.”
“It's too far beyond cognition. His comprehension and my comprehension are, in fact, not that different. It can only generate such an ambiguous image.”
“The legacy of my past self has finally been exhausted.”
Li Fan was not surprised by the arrival of this day.
In fact, he had already accomplished what his past self never had: he had seen through the truth of the Mountain, the Sea, and the Star, and had witnessed the scene of the reawakening True God's impending arrival.
“From now on, the path ahead truly depends entirely on me.”
The moment this thought appeared in his mind, another version of himself seemed to materialize before Li Fan.
He smiled faintly, and then his form completely shattered.
It transformed into countless specks of starlight that surged into Li Fan.
All his past memories, like a monstrous flood, rushed toward Li Fan.
If before he had only been flipping through parts of them, now, it was a complete inheritance.
After sitting motionless for a long time, Li Fan finally managed to fully digest the memories of his past self.
Besides the experiences of countless reincarnations, there was also the comprehension of the various Great Daos of the Mountain and Sea.
“This is the cornerstone upon which the Dao of Truth and Falsehood operates, the fundamental reason why [Truth] can exist.”
Although these were inherently Li Fan's own memories and comprehensions, the present Li Fan felt a certain sense of separation as he inherited them.
“The past me was me, and yet not me.”
“That Li Fan from the past has truly perished. Only by severing things to such a degree could a completely different possibility for breaking the stalemate be born.”
Understanding dawned in Li Fan's heart.
Although he couldn't directly convert all the divine abilities and cultivation base of his past self, this gift was nearly equivalent to a direct infusion of enlightenment.
Li Fan's level of understanding of the Mountain and Sea Great Dao and the transformation of truth and falsehood was increasing wildly with every passing moment.
From another perspective, it was as if Li Fan and [Truth] were beginning to gradually merge.
Soon, there would be no distinction between them.
“The day the fusion is complete will be the day [Truth] ceases to exist.”
“But one could also say that [Truth] will not have ceased to exist.”
“Because I am [Truth], and [Truth] is me.”
Li Fan's heart was perfectly calm as he looked up toward the Beginning of Mountain and Sea.
“The Dao of Truth and Falsehood is merely a tool for my protection. To truly break this deadlock, I still need to find a way to slay the god.”
“What I glimpsed in the [Gods Manual] was far too vague. There should be more clues at the time of the Mountain and Sea's separation.”
“I will proceed according to the established plan and journey backward toward the Beginning of Mountain and Sea.”
“A hundred billion years. Even with my current cultivation, it is an extremely long journey. I shall proceed slowly.”
“By the time I arrive...”
“Perhaps the fusion and absorption of [Truth] will be mostly complete.”
As his thoughts slowly turned, Li Fan's figure transformed into a single thread and vanished into the void realm.
The void realm was vast, holding not only the danger of being consumed by Dao Annihilation but also the peril of being unable to distinguish past from present.
This was the greatest obstacle for ordinary Saints who wished to traverse it backward through time.
Li Fan did not know how Sun Piao Miao had managed to walk step by step to the Beginning of Mountain and Sea.
But for him, this reverse traversal was no longer a difficult task.
With the transformation of truth and falsehood protecting him, Dao Annihilation could not harm him in the slightest.
His memories from past experiences, from saving the world in countless reincarnations—he had personally walked through every corner of the Mountain and Sea, and even the void realm.
Places where others would lose track of time felt utterly familiar to him.
He strolled as if in a peaceful courtyard.
Without any hesitation, Li Fan traveled onward.
He paid no mind to the conflict between the Mountain and Sea and Dao Annihilation, focusing only on any possible traces of Sun Piao Miao and the couple, Qiu Tianhui.
He did indeed discover faint traces left behind by Sun Piao Miao, further verifying the fact that he had traveled backward in time.
But strangely, it was as if Qiu Tianhui and his wife had simply evaporated from the Mountain and Sea.
“Only the threads of their lives remain, but not their shadows.”
“They traveled from the End of Mountain and Sea to its Beginning. What is it they are truly seeking?”
Qiu Xinhui, a creation of those two, was able to faintly sense the existence of Li Fan's [Truth].
Perhaps Qiu Tianhui and his wife had also sensed it.
“The 'Mountain Sea Connect' plan they promoted... it's completely useless for saving the world. They should know this.”
Li Fan continued his backward journey, pondering as he went.
He was like a traveler passing through the Mountain and Sea, journeying everywhere yet leaving no trace behind.
An unknown amount of time passed, until...
He took a step forward, and in an instant, the world seemed to spin.
The vision of the Upper Mountain standing tall and the Infinite Sea flowing alongside it vanished without a trace.
In a flash, he found himself in a vast, desolate world.
“The Primitive Immortal Realm.”
A sharp glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
This was the earliest stage of the Mountain and Sea's fusion, a phase that even included their attempt to defy their own fate.
But it was interfered with by the True God Finger, causing them to destroy this realm themselves.
“Only the Saints within vaguely sensed something and used the method of Severing the Future to attain a temporary peace.”
“The Saints of the Primitive Era...”
“Hmph. Nothing but a bunch of cowards content with their temporary reprieve.”
In his countless past reincarnations, Li Fan had naturally come into contact with these Saints of the Primitive Era.
Yet not a single one of them could become an ally to fight alongside him.
“They fail at contending for godhood and fail at saving the world. All they can do is hide in this little world and fight amongst themselves.”
Although Li Fan felt contempt for them, he did not underestimate them.
The Primitive Immortal Realm seemed to be isolated from the Mountain and Sea, its time and space frozen.
The internal strife among the Saints had gone on for an unknown length of time. All who had survived here possessed the potential to become gods. All they lacked was an opportunity.
The fact that Li Fan had previously witnessed the birth of two different new gods was the best proof of this.
He looked to the sky, trying to gaze into the more ancient past.
But it was as if something was blocking his view, preventing him from seeing clearly.
He tried to step forward, to travel further up the stream of time, but it felt like being trapped in a mire, unable to move.
“So this is why the Saints of the Primitive Immortal Realm are gathered here, yet no contention for godhood has occurred.”
“Before the Primitive Immortal Realm was the time of the Mountain and Sea's separation.”
“The Mountain and Sea naturally wouldn't allow their own creations to disturb or influence them. So they established this boundary between the divine and the mundane.”
“It severs space-time and cuts off causality.”
Li Fan reached out, attempting to use the method of "the false becomes real" to break the divine-mundane boundary.
But the instant he made a move, every Saint in the Primitive Immortal Realm turned their gaze toward him in unison!
The next moment, a storm of various Daoist arts and divine abilities rained down upon him.
“There are the three Saints of Connecting Mountains, and my old acquaintance, [Snare].”
“Mm, and [Transformation], [Anchor], [Flow]...”
Ripples of light shimmered before him, blocking all the destructive attacks.
Although he ignored the Saints' assault, Li Fan could feel his own energy being rapidly depleted.
The Dao of Truth and Falsehood protecting him also began to oscillate.
Frowning slightly, Li Fan's figure grew faint once more.
He vanished before everyone's eyes.
Although a few divine senses could still track him, after several consecutive teleports, Li Fan still managed to escape the Saints' line of sight.
“First, the divine-mundane boundary is a restriction left by the Mountain and Sea. It cannot be easily broken.”
“Second, all the Saints are watching like hungry tigers. Anyone who tries to cross, regardless of whether they might succeed, will inevitably be attacked by the entire group. One less rival for godhood means their own chances increase.”
“The opportunity for godhood has arrived. What, then, is the condition for breaking this stalemate?”
In hiding, Li Fan began to rapidly deduce based on his past two lives of creating gods.
“The gods have been entangled in battle for years, forming a kind of strange equilibrium.”
“No one can defeat anyone else, and no one can take a step further.”
“It's like a pool of stagnant water.”
“In stillness, there is no change. At a time like this, what's needed is an external stone, thrown hard into the water.”
A dark light flickered in Li Fan's eyes. As his figure flashed again, he had already appeared silently beside [Snare].
Li Fan had "plucked" from Snare several times before, leaving his name recorded in the Dao Return Hall.
Naturally, he could not escape Li Fan's search.
Countless tentacle-like black shadows drifted and swayed. The moment they detected Li Fan, they spread out like a dense net and wrapped around him.
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