Chapter 1765: God Punishing Variation
"Fan'er, it's time to eat."
When Rinsing Moon Bai brought over the lunch she had painstakingly prepared, Li Fan finally snapped out of his daze.
It had been a long time since his rebirth, yet he remained immersed in his contemplation of "the divine." In his eyes, there was no Great Xuan, no Xuanhuang, no Mountain and Sea—none of the secular world existed.
Not until his aunt's voice called him back.
He subconsciously glanced at the table. The moment the concept of "food" formed in his mind, the instinctive repulsion born from countless years of consumption instantly made him sick to his stomach.
"Ugh!"
Rinsing Moon Bai froze, her eyes following Li Fan's gaze to the dishes she had made.
"What's wrong with Fan'er? Three dishes and a soup, two meat and two vegetable. It might not be a delicacy, but it's hardly nauseating!"
Then, they crumbled to ash and vanished.
It wasn't just her. The Great Xuan, the entire Xuanhuang Realm, the Primal Possibility—all suffered the same fate.
They simply vanished into thin air.
Now it was Li Fan's turn to be stunned.
Heaven and earth be his witness, he hadn't lifted a finger!
"Could it be... that I haven't fully recovered from the strange state of my last life? Did my power slip out of control?" Li Fan frowned, examining himself.
He was in the flesh-and-blood body of a mortal, with only the Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood bound to him.
Besides that...
After slowly devouring it piece by piece for countless years, he was all too familiar with the lingering scent on his body.
It came from the divine!
"No wonder I felt such instinctive revulsion," Li Fan murmured with a frown.
He now understood what had happened.
He had observed the divine, then consumed the divine.
He had coexisted with the divine, even become the divine himself.
Li Fan's entire being had been saturated with the power of "God."
Although he had used Truth Realization to return to his original anchor point, he had not yet completely purged the divine contamination.
Even the slightest fluctuation of that power was a cataclysmic disaster for the surrounding environment.
Rinsing Moon Bai had been a victim of that undeserved calamity.
But the creatures of the Mountain and Sea had been destroyed and reborn through countless cycles already.
Li Fan was not particularly concerned.
The Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood acted like a blade, grinding away the "scent" of the divine that clung to him, bit by bit.
It was something others might covet, but he wanted nothing more to do with it for the time being.
Besides...
Li Fan glanced around.
Merely the faint residue of divine power was acting like an incubator. A vast consciousness was taking shape, almost visible to the naked eye.
It was not the fallen True God.
Instead, it was more like maggots breeding on the corpse of a god.
The reaction from the Mountain and Sea was even more violent.
Something they had devoured and divided countless ages ago—its aura had now reappeared.
How could this not strike terror into the heart of the Mountain and Sea?
Immense pressure assailed him from all directions, all originating from within the Mountain and Sea itself, seeking to crush and annihilate this place completely.
"Troublesome."
Li Fan first used the Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood to completely cleanse his aura, then his figure flickered, and he left that turbulent corner of the Mountain and Sea behind.
Although the Saints on the Other Shore were aware of the situation here, they could no longer detect Li Fan's presence.
He had devoured the entire body of the divine.
Even if he hadn't fully digested it, the Li Fan of today already stood at the threshold of godhood.
He was just one step away from transcending all living beings.
The transformation between truth and falsehood felt as natural as breathing.
With the "As One Wishes" ability augmenting him, so-called cultivation levels and realms existed only at the whim of his thoughts.
He found a quiet place and temporarily went into hiding.
Li Fan began to recall the events of his previous life.
Without a doubt, his greatest gain was finally glimpsing the reason for the divine's fall.
Compared to that single, inexplicable point he had perceived, even the fortune of devouring the divine's entire body was insignificant.
"Why... did I feel a hint of familiarity from that point?"
Li Fan was certain it wasn't a delusion.
Even now, as he recalled it, that sense of familiarity had not faded.
The image of the divine in his mind was slowly blurring, while in stark contrast, that single point that had slain it was growing ever clearer.
The answer he sought was very close. Li Fan even temporarily gave up on comprehending the fortune of the divine's body.
Instead, he patiently savored that mysterious point.
A familiar thread, like a winding path. Li Fan followed the trail of what felt like a memory, drawing closer and closer.
Finally, the god-slaying point materialized before him, looming like a great door.
He could reach out and touch it.
With a calm expression, Li Fan slowly extended his hand.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The point suddenly shattered, transforming into an image that flooded Li Fan's mind.
The True God was dying.
The consciousness of the companions it had once devoured was resurrected within its body like ghosts.
Through evolution, they eventually formed the dualistic concept of Mountain and Sea.
This was the beginning of the divine schism.
On the verge of death, the True God foresaw the method to break the future stalemate of the Mountain and Sea, and so it used its final strength.
It reached out across the boundless void with one final grasp.
A ray of light pierced the endless darkness, coming from an unknowable place.
It entered the divine body.
Like a bullet, straight through the brow.
And thus, the True God fell.
...
"The one who slew the god... was me?"
"No wonder the trace felt so familiar!"
Li Fan's body and mind trembled as he was instantly jolted out of the endless vision.
With his current understanding of "the divine," after witnessing the scene of its fall, he now knew exactly what had transpired.
Though the divine had fallen because of him, it had not fallen *only* because of him.
Even without him, a multitude of consciousnesses had already risen within the divine body, coalescing into the concept of the Mountain and Sea.
The True God was undergoing a systemic collapse, and its consumption by the Mountain and Sea was inevitable.
But the True God was unwilling to fall just like that. After glimpsing the future, it exhausted the last of its strength to pull Li Fan here.
"I became the final straw that broke the god's back."
A glimmer of understanding lit up Li Fan's eyes.
"Logically speaking, a mere mortal, no matter how fragile the True God had become, should never have been enough to crush a dying divinity."
"I imagine none of the beings within the Mountain and Sea would have had such an ability. They would have only become fodder for the True God's recovery."
"But I am different."
Li Fan's divine sense swept over his own body.
Layers of flesh and blood became transparent.
His organs and bones all disappeared.
Only a speck of light representing Li Fan's soul remained, illuminating its surroundings.
To see the heart is to know its nature.
"I..."
"...came from outside the divine."
Li Fan looked inward, peeling away the countless layers of reincarnation experiences from this Mountain and Sea that clung to him.
He laid bare his most original self.
"The divine, the Mountain and Sea, and later the solitary Star and the new god..."
"All are things that evolved from within the divine."
"It's foreseeable that no matter who wins or loses, no matter the divisions and reunions, a new god will eventually be born."
"But the remnant will of the previously fallen divinity will never be extinguished. After endless eons, its many consciousnesses will rise again..."
"Just like the Mountain and Sea."
"The fall of the divine will happen again."
"This world was originally trapped in an endless cycle of reincarnation."
"The True God, the Mountain and Sea, the Star. All are just inescapable parts of that cycle."
"If there were no outsiders, this cycle would repeat for eternity."
"But I came."
Li Fan looked straight at his core self.
"Though I was just a mere mortal."
"Because I came from outside the divine, I am an 'absolute variable' that has never before appeared in the cycle."
"And so, I possess the power to overturn everything."
"At first, I was perhaps as insignificant as any mortal here. But if given enough time to ferment..."
"The variables would continue to stack. It would inevitably have an incalculable impact on the entire system!"
Li Fan's heart was perfectly calm. He had seen through it all.
"The 'True God' that brought me here... perhaps it didn't just want to be resurrected."
"It wanted to end the cycle completely."
Li Fan couldn't help but reflect on everything he had experienced since transmigrating.
Whether it was the previous Li Fan or his current self.
Every activation of Truth Realization, every reset of the Mountain and Sea, was just like the cycle of reincarnation that happened to the gods of this world.
But the difference was, precisely because of Li Fan's participation...
Within the eternal sameness, there was now "change."
"Protected by the Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood, this tiny variable of mine was able to grow and strengthen."
"And finally, I am able to touch the threshold of slaying the divine and destroying the cycle."
Having deduced this far, Li Fan already understood the method to slay the divine.
The divine was perfect and flawless.
Though trapped in an endless cycle, as a whole, it always maintained a state of integrity.
If one were to zoom out even further, the repeated cycles of changing gods were nothing more than a change of face.
Its true essence remained unchanged, its core unchanged.
"Only an eternal external variable can slay the eternal god."
"However..."
Thinking of this, Li Fan's thoughts paused for a moment.
To be honest, he was indeed powerful enough now.
But to completely shatter the divine cycle...
It was still far from enough.
"Should I... find some backup from my old home?"
The thought lasted only an instant before Li Fan crushed it.
Setting aside the fact that Li Fan didn't possess this god-like ability...
Even if he did, he wouldn't do it.
"Though I was dragged into this world and have been through so much, which could be called a calamity..."
"...it has also been an immense opportunity."
"It's utterly incomparable to the mediocre life I once had."
"Not to mention, after I slay the divine and break this stalemate, I will be the sole, supreme master of this realm."
"That being the case..."
"How could I possibly share it with others?"
Li Fan stared ahead and snorted coldly in his heart.
"But without outside help, how do I break the game?"
Li Fan's thoughts churned, and it wasn't long before he had an idea.
"Though there are no other variables, I alone am enough!"
"When truth is made false, falsehood becomes truth!"
The Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood activated instantly.
His will, sharp as a knife, carved out a space of temporary, absolute safety amidst the siege of the Mountain and Sea and the Dao Annihilation.
What he was about to do allowed for no mistakes, so he had to be perfectly prepared.
Within the hall of his Great Dao, countless paths of cultivation flew out as streams of light.
Like bricks and tiles, they piled up ceaselessly. A world, homologous to the Mountain and Sea, suddenly appeared.
It was hidden within the Mountain and Sea, indistinguishable from its surroundings.
Yet it stood proudly independent.
This was the first layer of defense.
"This realm shall be named the 'God Punishing Variation'."
Li Fan observed his perfect creation and nodded to himself. With a thought, the Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood abruptly covered it.
The God Punishing Variation seemed to vanish from the Mountain and Sea in an instant.
Existing between truth and falsehood, Li Fan was confident that even if the Three Saints arrived in person or the lone Star descended, they wouldn't be able to find a trace of the God Punishing Variation for some time.
Li Fan strode forward and vanished into it.
Seated in the absolute void, he calmed his breath and focused his mind, then began his plan.
"From my first life as a wealthy man, until now..."
"All of it, severed!"
With a single thought from Li Fan, countless phantoms surged from his body.
They were all his experiences of reincarnation.
In his second life, he relied on his foreknowledge to become the Grand Preceptor, his power shaking the world. But then he met Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi, and learned that immortals existed. Thus, he began to seek long life.
After another six cycles of reincarnation, he finally walked out of the immortal-severed land of Great Xuan and officially began his path of cultivation.
Liuli Island, the Cong Yun Sea, the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace.
He Zhenghao, the Heavenly Doctor, Su Bai, the Dharma Spreader, the Hunger Immortal.
The High Wall, the Darkest Star Sea.
Moral, Shou Qiu.
Qiu Xinhui.
Lian Shan, Gui Hai, Tai Yi.
Mountain, Sea, Star.
And even the fallen True God.
...
Scene after scene of light and shadow slowly emerged from Li Fan's body.
As these experiences were severed, the extremely cold and indifferent look in the eyes of the seated Li Fan seemed to change subtly.
They gained a little more warmth, and at the same time, became more animated.
"From the moment I transmigrated, the countless reincarnations of my former self..."
"All severed!"
Li Fan's actions did not stop there.
The next moment, even more infinite brilliance burst forth from his body.
The myriad cycles of the Mountain and Sea, the tragic forms of countless living beings.
Li Fan's facial expression twisted and changed continuously because of it.
Once compassionate, once pained, once merciful, once filled with confidence.
But all of this faded and disappeared as Li Fan's blade fell again and again.
In the end, all that remained was an innocent, naive face.
Compared to the various hardships experienced after transmigration, the romantic entanglements and mundane troubles of his life before were truly nothing.
Li Fan's consciousness floated outside.
He stared at himself, his actions pausing slightly.
In an instant, a thousand thoughts flooded his mind.
He knew not where they came from, nor where they were going.
But in the end, Li Fan's gaze once again became firm and resolute.
"The final step. Sever all subsequent consciousness and thoughts."
"The rest... I'll have to trouble you with."
As Li Fan spoke, the Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood also detached from his body.
It transformed into a figure that looked remarkably similar to Li Fan.
It had no specific features, just a blurry silhouette.
It bowed slightly to Li Fan.
Li Fan's expression was serene as his consciousness returned to his body.
Then, facing the bright light that appeared before him, he smiled faintly.
All memories were gone.
He fell into a deep sleep.
And the figure of the Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood, which could also be called 'Truth Realization', continued its work without stopping.
According to the plan Li Fan had set before, it enveloped his original consciousness.
"When truth is made false, falsehood becomes truth."
In the void, it was as if Li Fan's soft chant could be heard.
Faint ripples trembled, and the once-solitary Li Fan split in two!
As if suffering from immense pain, the two Li Fans, though deep in sleep, could not stop their brows from knitting tightly.
Fortunately, the light of Truth Realization promptly nourished them.
Their furrowed brows slowly smoothed out.
Truth Realization acted again, and the newly separated Li Fan gained a body.
Then, a speck of light flew from the figure of the Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood and entered his brow.
"This is God Punishing Variation One."
Li Fan's voice seemed to echo again, tinged with a hint of pride.
A moment later, the "Li Fan" who had been blessed by Truth Realization broke through this world.
He entered the Mountain and Sea.
Silently, without making a single ripple.
Truth Realization, tireless, began its next task.
Light and shadow flickered continuously—a second, a third, a fourth...
And then thousands upon thousands of "transmigrator" Li Fans were cast into the Mountain and Sea one after another.
Along with them went the supreme treasure, Truth Realization.
At first, it was destined not to cause much of a stir.
But...
Once the God Punishing Variation began, none were merely characters in the play.
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