Chapter 1762: Breaking the Taboo, A War of Saints
The moment Snare heard Li Fan’s voice, he once again felt that intangible, absolute control.
“The Saints of the Primitive Immortal Realm all believe you to be dead, making this the perfect time to weave your web from the shadows,” Li Fan’s voice instructed.
“You have three more chances.”
“If you still cannot capture another Saint...”
Before the sentence was finished, Li Fan’s figure faded away, leaving Snare standing alone, his heart sinking.
In the instant of his previous demise, Snare had truly been fearless. But now, having been brought back to life, he had lost that courage.
“Well said,” he muttered to himself. “Even an ant clings to life. As long as I live, there is still a chance.”
Snare carefully inspected his current state again, feeling a growing sense of disbelief.
“To be resurrected is understandable. But the Snare Net, the culmination of my countless years of effort, was clearly destroyed in my battle with Tower. Yet, with my return, it has reappeared, whole and complete. This...”
Outwardly, however, he dared not show the slightest hint of this realization. After all, his very existence now hinged on the other’s whim.
“If that’s the case, then this is hardly a disgrace,” he reasoned.
A torrent of thoughts rushed through Snare’s mind, but he quickly suppressed them, focusing instead on his plans.
“Tower!”
“Now I am completely hidden in the darkness, with three lives to gamble. I will have your head!”
Snare cast a venomous look toward the chaotic Primitive Immortal Realm.
He could sense Tower, hiding from the other Saints while healing its wounds.
The remnants of his previous self were being absorbed, becoming nourishment for his foe.
“Eat up. The more you devour now, the more you will spit out later!”
In a corner of reality ignored by the other Saints, Snare began to weave a dark web, slowly casting it over the Primitive Immortal Realm.
...
Every one of Snare’s actions was, of course, witnessed by Li Fan.
He could even perceive the Saint’s innermost thoughts.
“It seems he’s realized I command the True False Transformation,” Li Fan noted with a faint smile.
If he had once felt a flicker of fear at the thought of his Truth Realization being exposed, he was now powerful enough not to care. He had reached a level of strength and standing where such concerns were trivial.
In his eyes, the only opponents who mattered now were Star and God.
“I shall use the Saints of the Primitive Immortal Realm as my pawns to probe the secret of the True God’s fall.”
Li Fan’s plan was to travel to the very beginning of the Mountain and Sea’s division to uncover the truth of the True God’s demise.
But he would not be so foolish as to rush in blindly.
“The power of the True God at the time of its division is roughly equivalent to that of Star.”
“Even someone of Sun Piao Miao’s caliber was captured without any resistance. I am still far from being a match. However, these Saints of the Primitive Immortal Realm are perfect tools for my purpose.”
Li Fan sat in the void, and as he meditated, a cascade of infinite light and shadow erupted from above his head.
They were all memories from his endless cycles within the Mountain and Sea.
“The Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood lies within.”
“By mastering truth and falsehood, I can control all Saints.”
Granting Snare three lives was not an act of sudden mercy. Rather, creating a single Saint from nothing had already pushed Li Fan to his current limit.
He needed to deepen his understanding of the True False Dao before he could manifest a second Saint simultaneously.
“Let’s see who is faster.”
“This is like making a deal with a tiger. If my plan is exposed, my only recourse will be to use Truth Realization and start over.”
Feeling a sliver of pressure, Li Fan’s consciousness plunged into the infinite ocean of his past memories, completely submerged.
...
The Saints of the Primeval Immortal Realm were all roughly equal in strength, and they were all beings of extreme caution.
Consequently, their battles often spanned millennia.
Though the Primitive Immortal Realm appeared chaotic, only a few were actually fighting. The vast majority of Saints remained hidden in the shadows, waiting for the right moment.
Tower proved worthy of being the one who had slain Snare. Despite being besieged, it managed to turn every perilous situation to its advantage.
Not only did its wounds gradually heal under the constant attacks, but having absorbed Snare's essence, its power had subtly grown.
Each time the sky-piercing Tower manifested, it was now accompanied by a faint, dark net.
The net would first ensnare its foe, and then the Tower would descend to suppress it.
As time went on, Tower grew increasingly adept at handling the combined assault of the Saints.
Seeing that their efforts were futile, many of the besieging Saints chose to retreat.
But two Saints, Light and Transformation, relentlessly pressed on.
Knowing that the longer they delayed, the more the battle would turn against them, the two Saints decided to make one final, all-out attempt.
In that moment, they unleashed the full might of their divine abilities.
The Primitive Immortal Realm was instantly plunged into a deep, oppressive darkness.
All light in existence converged into a single, blinding point.
As the light vanished, time itself seemed to freeze. An absolute cold and a deathly silence followed.
The Tower, caught within its own net, radiated faint ripples of power, struggling against the sudden darkness.
But it was as if an invisible pair of colossal hands were erasing every effect it had on the outside world.
Under the combined assault of the two Saints, the incomplete net surrounding Tower began to wither away.
The single point of infinite light suddenly leaped forth, crashing violently against the horizontal and vertical lines of the Tower.
Light spread across the Tower's form, as if the entire structure had been set ablaze by brilliance.
Within the absolute darkness of the Primitive Immortal Realm, the other Saints silently watched the magnificent scene unfolding across the celestial canopy.
Faced with the encroaching light, Tower repeatedly tried to use its own fundamental laws to suppress it.
But some unseen force consistently thwarted its efforts.
Its counterattacks failed time and again.
It seemed that under the combined assault of the two Saints, Tower was trapped in a fatal predicament.
Yet, just as the lines representing Tower’s Dao of suppression were about to be completely consumed by the light, a sudden change occurred.
From within the boundless flames of light, countless new towers rose without warning.
The light seethed, attempting to devour them.
However, it was as if an invisible brush was constantly redrawing and reinforcing the image of the towers.
Not only was Tower not consumed by the light, but it began to imprison and suppress vast swaths of it.
Four fine lines, horizontal and vertical, appeared silently.
They connected, forming a walled city that sealed off the battlefield.
Transformation, who had remained hidden in the shadows, was seemingly forced to reveal its form.
It appeared as a swirling, formless mist.
The mist attempted to flee, striking the surrounding lines of the blockade. The lines did indeed dissipate upon contact.
But as soon as one walled city was breached, another rose to take its place.
Layer upon layer, they stretched into infinity.
Though Transformation could shatter one city, or even a thousand, it could not break through all the suppressive barriers in a short time.
It was held fast within the battlefield, unable to escape.
“It seems Tower has been holding back all these years.”
“Heh, but who hasn’t? Light and Transformation were a bit too reckless.”
“Still, I doubt they will fall completely like Snare did. But they will surely suffer a great loss of vitality.”
“I wonder who it was that grievously wounded Snare in the first place? If Snare had been at his peak, I doubt even Tower could have taken him down so easily.”
“Having absorbed Snare’s essence, Tower’s Dao has become more stable. It might even be able to break the prohibition of the Mountain and Sea.”
...
In the darkness, streams of consciousness flowed between the Saints.
While they waited for the outcome, they also remained poised to strike at any moment.
Even though Light and Transformation were gradually losing ground, the battle raged on for another thousand years.
Within the eternal night, the light grew ever fainter.
The swirling mist had also shrunk in size.
Although Tower maintained its advantage, it was visibly exhausted.
The lines representing its Dao of suppression were no longer stable, and had even begun to distort.
An unknown amount of time passed before the final act of this protracted battle finally arrived.
The boundless light broke free from its single point of convergence.
The Primitive Immortal Realm was once again illuminated.
A battered and disheveled figure was exposed under the crushing weight of Tower’s layered lines.
Flames of light flickered around it, yet even under such immense pressure, it remained defiant.
“Where there is light, I exist!”
“You cannot destroy me!”
Without hesitation, Tower slowly and deliberately began to consume the surging light.
As if being scorched, the lines of Tower, already at their breaking point, began to turn illusory.
The last remaining wisp of mist did not retreat. Instead, it advanced.
It formed a single finger and pointed it at a single spot.
Like a bubble being popped, Tower held on for a moment before shattering violently.
“What a pity! So close!”
“Fighting two at once was still a bit too much for it.”
“To have held on for so long was already beyond our expectations. This battle has ended in a three-way loss.”
Like predators spotting delicious prey, the Saints who had been waiting in the shadows began to stir, their intentions clear.
Each one locked onto their desired target.
But just then...
A dark, dark net suddenly fell from the sky.
It enveloped Tower, Light, and Transformation, all in one fell swoop!
“This is...”
“Snare?!”
The Saints were all familiar with this net, which only made their shock all the more profound.
“How is this possible? We all witnessed Snare’s demise with our own eyes!”
The Saints were instantly thrown into a state of doubt and suspicion, each one beginning their own divinations.
But they discovered nothing.
And on the battlefield, Snare, who had been plotting for so long, began to draw his net closed.
At that moment, an unprecedented sense of exhilaration filled Snare’s being.
So this was the thrill of being the hidden player, of orchestrating events from the shadows!
It was precisely because every other Saint had subconsciously dismissed him that he was able to capture three of them at once.
Within the shattered form of Tower, a faint figure could be seen.
It trembled uncontrollably, staring at the net that imprisoned it with utter disbelief.
Light and Transformation were also stunned by this sudden turn of events.
They could sense the chilling presence of a grand conspiracy.
After a moment of stunned silence, the three Saints, who had just been locked in mortal combat, simultaneously chose to join forces, attempting to tear the net apart.
Boundless light, formless mist, and crisscrossing lines...
They collided with overwhelming force, stretching the net in an instant, causing it to swell to dozens of times its original size.
The threads of the net twisted and grew transparent under the strain.
The terrifying power unleashed by the three Saints in their desperate, life-or-death struggle was enough to drag Snare down with them to a shared doom!
The light faded, the mist dispersed, and the lines vanished.
The Snare Net, which had just reappeared in the world, was ignited as if by an invisible flame and burned to ash.
Four Saints had fallen!
This brutal scene sent a shudder through the hearts of the observing Saints of the Primitive Immortal Realm.
But soon, their gazes turned to the lingering remnants of the fallen Saints.
Just as they were about to make their move, something happened that struck them with bone-chilling terror.
Snare, who had just been annihilated...
Had returned to the world once more!
The incinerated net reformed out of thin air.
It swept up the remnants of Tower, Light, and Transformation, wrapping them tightly.
They offered no more resistance. The Snare Net tightened, capturing them completely.
After accomplishing this, Snare did not linger. He simply offered the watching Saints a cryptic smile.
Then, he vanished from their sight.
As if he had fallen once more.
“This...”
“What kind of divine ability is this?”
They had never imagined that Snare, the first to fall, was the true mastermind. And the divine ability he had just displayed was far beyond anything the Saints had ever known of him.
These bizarre events made even the other living Saints seem untrustworthy.
The Saints quickly concealed their presence, vanishing into the shadows.
But the undercurrents of the Primitive Immortal Realm had already begun to churn, and there was no longer any chance of them settling down.
...
“Well done.”
The remnants of Tower, Light, and Transformation were all consumed by Li Fan through his True False Transformation.
Amidst a swirl of light and shadow, the three newly reborn Saints stepped forth, one after another.
Like Snare before them, they first showed a hint of confusion.
But they quickly understood their situation.
“So that’s how it is! To be defeated by the Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood... I have no complaints,” Tower said with a sense of release, glancing at Snare.
“The Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood...” Hearing Tower confirm their own suspicions, the forms of Light and Transformation trembled slightly.
They had already accepted their fate.
“So such a Dao truly exists in the Mountain and Sea!”
They understood that even if they resisted and destroyed themselves, it would be futile.
With a single thought, their master could recreate them. There was no escape.
Li Fan’s form was nowhere to be seen, but his faint voice echoed around them.
He gave them the same instructions he had given Snare.
“Make the Primitive Immortal Realm... even more chaotic.”
This time, however, he added another sentence.
“I am going to the time of the Mountain and Sea’s division.”
Even though they had already guessed Li Fan’s purpose, hearing it spoken aloud still sent a tremor through the Saints’ bodies.
To contend with the Mountain and Sea for the chance to achieve godhood was the lifelong pursuit of all Saints in the Primitive Immortal Realm.
They were no exception.
But with Li Fan’s appearance, it seemed that chance was now lost to them forever.
Snare, Tower, Light, Transformation...
The four Saints began to stir up storms throughout the Primitive Immortal Realm.
First, Snare would appear, drawing the attention of the other Saints.
Then, just as Snare was besieged and on the brink of death, Tower, Light, and Transformation would suddenly appear.
Saints who had clearly fallen, now returned at their full strength.
It was the same strategy, but it worked with startling effectiveness once again.
Li Fan’s ranks swelled with several new beings.
As more and more Dao paths were added to the Dao Return Hall, the capture of the Primitive Immortal Realm’s Saints became increasingly efficient.
There was no longer a need for cunning schemes; he could now simply crush them with overwhelming power.
Soon, only seven Primeval Saints remained, including the three led by Lian Shan. All others were still resisting.
The other twenty-eight Saints of the Primitive Immortal Realm were now under Li Fan’s control.
“This net is now strong enough.”
Li Fan sat in the void, looking at his surroundings.
The twenty-eight Saints circled him like stars.
Their Daos, their very thoughts, were all under his watchful gaze.
“What magnificent power! A pity...”
“Before Star and God, it would still crumble in an instant.”
Li Fan ran a quick deduction in his mind and then shook his head slightly.
“The Saints of the Mountain and Sea are still born of the Mountain and Sea. No matter how many I stack, it is useless.”
“The True False Transformation can certainly reverse the advent of the True God, but it cannot halt the trend of the True God’s return. If I stay here any longer, the True False Transformation will no longer be able to protect me and will be absorbed by the descending True God. There will be no more chances to start over.”
“However, this power is more than enough to cross the boundary.”
Li Fan suddenly rose and took a step forward.
The process of creating the Saints was also a process of tempering his True False Transformation.
While the Primitive Immortal Realm descended into chaotic warfare, Li Fan’s understanding of the Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood had advanced by leaps and bounds.
“The Daos of the Mountain and Sea are the foundation of Truth and Falsehood.”
“The more I know and master, the more familiar I become with the Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood.”
With twenty-eight Saints in his grasp, the ethereal concept of “Truth and Falsehood” became increasingly tangible and concrete.
It was as if he could see the very boundary of the Primitive Immortal Realm.
The True False Transformation enveloped Li Fan and the twenty-eight Saints in his net.
They passed through it gently.
In the next moment, the Primitive Immortal Realm was no more.
In a dark, empty void, two colossal beings could be seen, feeding.
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