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Chapter 1766: Benevolent Change

Chapter 1766: Benevolent Change

The countless God Punishing Variations could not possess a [Truth] as potent as the original, which could reset the entire Mountain Sea in an instant.

Instead, its power was initially confined to resetting a single possibility.

Furthermore, it was limited to just one hundred uses.

Even with these harsh restrictions, it was typically more than enough for a Variation to successfully cultivate to the Transcendent realm.

Once they transcended their native possibility, the [Truth] they carried would "upgrade."

Its reset ability was no longer confined to a single possibility but extended to a certain radius around them. However, if they encountered a Mountain Sea Saint whose power vastly exceeded their own, [Truth]'s effective range would shrink even further.

There was another rule...

If two God Punishing Variations came too close to one another, both of their [Truth] abilities would be nullified. Simultaneously, they would become aware of each other's presence.

The victor would live, their [Truth] restored. By consuming their opponent's [Truth], their comprehension of the Dao of Truth and Falsehood would even deepen.

The vanquished would die.

But their end was not oblivion.

Under the protection of the Dao of Truth and Falsehood, they would return to the world of the [God Punishing Variation], where Li Fan's original self resided.

Their memories and experiences would be absorbed by the original.

Then, guided by [Truth], their memories would be wiped clean before they were cast back into the reincarnation cycle of the Mountain Sea.

This cycle would repeat, endlessly, until the very destruction of the Mountain Sea.

Forging these countless variables for the God Punishing plan was no overnight task.

Even Li Fan himself didn't know how much power he needed to accumulate before the plan could succeed, but he understood it was the only way.

And so, he acted without hesitation.

As time flowed on, ripples of change began to disturb the calm of the Mountain Sea.

The countless Variations, modeled after the original Li Fan, all possessed ordinary aptitude for cultivation. However, their starting circumstances were, for the most part, far better than his had been.

Even if their first life ended in failure, after several reincarnations, their prescience almost always allowed them to successfully set foot upon the path of cultivation.

It rarely took more than thirty lifetimes for any given Variation to reach the realm of a True Immortal.

But the leap from True Immortal to Transcendent was a chasm that stopped nearly all of them.

Nearly ninety percent of the Variations reached their ninetieth life without discovering a path to transcendence.

This was the exact opposite of Li Fan's own journey.

The Xuanhuang Realm and the Primal Possibility were fraught with peril, a treacherous pitfall at every turn. Yet, for a Li Fan who could endlessly rewind time, this treacherous landscape was also teeming with opportunities. He needed only to seize one to grasp the path to transcendence.

But most possibilities within the Mountain Sea were not so generous.

Exhausting the entire timeline of a possibility—all its talents, resources, and attempts—rarely yielded a path to transcendence.

Otherwise, given the endless possibilities and countless beings of the Mountain Sea, the number of transcendent cultivators would not be so few.

[Truth], overseeing the God Punishing Variation project, quickly recognized this problem.

Unless they reached the Saint realm, they could never truly be considered "variables," no matter how numerous they became.

And so, just as most Variations were about to exhaust their uses of [Truth], It intervened.

It was not a direct gift, but a carefully placed opportunity. As long as a Variation continued to seek the path of transcendence until their very last life, their final moment, a way forward would appear just as all hope seemed lost.

Upon transcendence, [Truth] would upgrade once more, doubling their remaining number of resets.

This ensured the path to Sainthood was not entirely out of reach.

As for those Variations who gave up in the face of despair...

...their memories would still be absorbed by the original—they were, after all, a part of Li Fan.

But they would not be cast back into the cycle of the Mountain Sea.

[Truth] would simply erase them.

With the Dao of Truth and Falsehood at its disposal, [Truth] could generate an endless supply of new Variations, so there was no fear of running out.

Compared to these "failures" who only managed to transcend with a secret push from [Truth]...

...the Variations who found their own path were far more worthy of attention.

The phantom of [Truth] turned its gaze to a particular corner of the Mountain Sea.

"Congratulations, Daoist Zhang. With this single step, you are now free from your shackles!"

Hearing the voice beside him, Zhang Fan, one of the God Punishing Variations, finally calmed the elation of his successful ascension.

His expression grew solemn. He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture. "I must thank you for your help, Daoist Xuanyuan. Otherwise..."

"With my aptitude, I could never have taken this step on my own."

The cultivator beside Zhang Fan smiled. "Instead of thanking me, you should thank the Mountain Sea Angler."

Had Li Fan's original self been present, he would have recognized this cultivator in an instant.

It was none other than the Xuan Tian King, Xuanyuan Hong!

Countless experimental Variations were scattered throughout the Mountain Sea. By some twist of fate, one of them had become a close friend of the Xuan Tian King.

The ways of the world were truly mysterious and impossible to predict.

Zhang Fan, of course, knew nothing of the history between his original self and the Xuan Tian King. He simply nodded in agreement. "Without the aid of the Angler's supreme treasure, I fear I would never have even reached the realm of a True Immortal."

As he spoke, he bowed deeply once more to the still, seated figure in the distance.

His mind, however, drifted back over the course of his journey.

He wasn't sure if he should call it fortune or misfortune.

Back when he was just a minor Foundation Establishment cultivator, his secret—the [Truth] he carried—had been discovered by Xuanyuan Hong and the Angler.

Even now, Zhang Fan vividly remembered the bone-chilling terror that seized him when he realized the two of them were not being reset along with the rest of the world.

He had been certain that, having exposed such an extraordinary treasure, his death was inevitable.

But to his surprise, neither Xuanyuan Hong nor the Angler had any intention of seizing it from him.

In fact, they had repeatedly aided him on his path of cultivation ever since.

It was only because of them that he had become the man he was today.

Over the years, the three had become the closest of friends, sharing almost everything.

Of course, Zhang Fan was acutely aware of the insurmountable gap in power that separated him from the other two. Because of this, a small reservation had always remained in his heart.

Only now, having successfully achieved transcendence, did Zhang Fan feel he finally possessed the standing to treat Xuanyuan Hong and the Angler as true equals. And so, he finally voiced the question that had weighed on his mind for so long.

"The Dao of Truth and Falsehood... the power to overturn the very Mountain Sea. How could you not have been tempted by it, Brother Xuanyuan?"

Xuanyuan Hong seemed to have long anticipated this question. He smiled. "For one, I know all too well what it feels like to be coveted by others, so I would not inflict that upon another. And for another..."

"The Dao of Truth and Falsehood is indeed mysterious and unfathomable. But the moment I saw It, I understood It was not for me to claim. Rather than covet It in vain, I found it better to simply feign ignorance. To do otherwise would only invite needless trouble."

Xuanyuan Hong's smile was meaningful, as if hinting at something more.

Zhang Fan couldn't grasp the hidden meaning in his words, but he nodded thoughtfully nonetheless.

"As for the Angler..." Xuanyuan Hong glanced at the man who remained seated by the water, as still and silent as a stone Buddha.

"In his eyes, there is only one thing: fishing. The Dao of Truth and Falsehood holds less appeal for him than the faintest tug on his line."

As Xuanyuan Hong spoke, the Angler abruptly yanked his rod back.

A terrified figure came flying out of the void, landing in the Angler's grasp.

The Angler let out a hearty laugh, clearly pleased with his catch.

"A mere stone slab dares to spy on my work."

"Hmm?"

It seemed at first that the Angler intended to release his catch. But after a moment's thought, he changed his mind.

"However..."

"What's the harm in teaching you a few tricks?"

With that, the Angler tossed the figure aside and made a light gesture in the air.

"Watch closely and learn."

Whatever the terrified figure had been before, it now transformed into a young boy dressed in a straw rain cape and conical hat, holding a fishing rod. He stood attentively at the Angler's side.

After a moment of shell-shock, he began to mimic the Angler, casting his own line into the void.

There was no water before the Angler.

Yet, wherever he cast his line, the Mountain and Sea Fishing Ground would inevitably appear.

Lost in his fishing, he paid no mind to Zhang Fan's compliments.

At first, this had bothered Zhang Fan.

Now, however, he was used to it.

"Once you reach the Transcendent realm, you can cross the Annihilation Zone and explore the vast Mountain Sea. They say that beyond the endless possibilities, at the very center of the Mountain Sea, the Saints have joined forces to create a sanctuary known as the Other Shore."

"It is also said that a magnificent dynasty spans countless possibilities, ruled by a sovereign known as the Tai Wei Saint Emperor..." Xuanyuan Hong began to paint a picture of the wider Mountain Sea for Zhang Fan.

For the first half of his cultivation journey, despite his many reincarnations, Zhang Fan had been confined to a single possibility.

Hearing Xuanyuan Hong's descriptions of these magnificent sights, Zhang Fan's heart swelled with longing.

He felt certain that with the Dao of Truth and Falsehood on his side, he could overcome any obstacle and carve out a place for himself, perhaps even attaining the rank of a Mountain Sea Saint.

Seeing the subtle shift in Zhang Fan's expression, Xuanyuan Hong paused before continuing. "However, whether it is the Saints of the Other Shore or the Tai Wei Saint Emperor, their circumstances may not be quite as..."

"...enviable as you might imagine," the Xuan Tian King finished, choosing his words with care.

"What do you mean by that, Brother Xuanyuan?" Zhang Fan asked, perplexed.

"Brother Zhang, you have always been under our protection here; you do not know the true danger of the Dao Annihilation. I worried that knowing the truth would damage your resolve. But now that you have transcended... very well. It is time you saw the Mountain Sea for what it truly is."

Xuanyuan Hong glanced toward the Mountain Sea Angler.

The Angler gave a slight nod.

And in an instant, the world transformed.

It was as if a protective veil, long in place, had been suddenly torn away.

In that moment, Zhang Fan was plunged into the true Mountain Sea.

He discovered that the Dao Annihilation was not the gentle stream trickling through the mountains that he had always perceived.

It was a raging, monstrous flash flood that completely engulfed the mountain they stood upon!

Fierce winds howled as towering, violent waves crashed against their perch. At any moment, the tiny peak that served as their sanctuary could be completely submerged!

At his newly achieved Transcendent realm, Zhang Fan could have managed the mountain stream.

But to survive in this furious torrent...

...was utterly impossible!

The moment he set foot in it, he would be devoured.

Witnessing this, Zhang Fan broke out in a cold sweat, his body trembling with a primal fear.

Just then, Xuanyuan Hong's low voice reached him again.

"Brother Zhang, why don't you look up? Look at the sky."

There was a strange power in Xuanyuan Hong's voice that compelled Zhang Fan to obey. He tilted his head back and looked up.

His blood ran cold.

The boundless sky above was a deep, profound black.

It was filled entirely with the aura of Dao Annihilation!

The world he occupied was but a single grain of sand in that vast, dark ocean.

"This," Xuanyuan Hong said, "is the Void Realm."

"The surviving parts of the Mountain Sea are nothing more than lonely islands in this vast ocean," Xuanyuan Hong's voice explained, perfectly timed.

The words struck Zhang Fan like a bolt of lightning.

His legs gave way, and he nearly collapsed.

Terrified, he tore his gaze away.

A storm of questions raged in his mind.

He had never imagined the Dao Annihilation could be so terrifying.

The ocean was boundless, immeasurable. How could anyone cross it? Was it even possible?

The grand ambitions he had harbored only moments ago were instantly crushed.

Zhang Fan opened his mouth to speak several times, but no words came out.

"Alright, stop scaring the boy," the Angler finally spoke.

The profound, dark vista vanished.

The world returned to its previous state of tranquility.

The suffocating pressure of the Void Realm lifted, and he felt like a drowning man pulled back to shore.

Zhang Fan gasped for air, greedily drinking in the precious feeling of safety.

Just moments ago, surrounded by the Void Realm, he had nearly given in to despair.

After a long while, once Zhang Fan had completely composed himself, Xuanyuan Hong spoke again.

He wore an apologetic expression. "You must understand, Brother Zhang, I did not mean to frighten you. But the crisis facing the Mountain Sea is a sickness that has long since become terminal. This outcome was set in stone countless years ago."

"The Mountain Sea... is doomed to perish."

After what he had just witnessed, this declaration of the Mountain Sea's inevitable doom came as surprisingly little shock to Zhang Fan.

He just furrowed his brow. "Doomed? Destined?"

He instinctively recoiled from the certainty in Xuanyuan Hong's voice.

Xuanyuan Hong didn't explain, but simply continued, "The return of the Mountain Sea to the void is a certainty. All struggles against it are futile."

"It is like the cycle of life and death."

"If there were no death, what meaning would life have?"

"The Mountain Sea's return to the void is not the end of all things. It may, in fact, be a new beginning."

"So-called efforts to save the world are but a source of needless vexation," the Xuan Tian King sighed.

"So, what you're saying, Brother Xuanyuan, is..." Zhang Fan stared blankly at him.

In response to Zhang Fan's unspoken question, Xuanyuan Hong's expression turned serious. "Rather than stepping out into a futile struggle, it would be better to remain here and live out your days in peace, waiting for the cycle to begin anew."

"I may as well tell you now. Besides the Angler, several other masters live here in seclusion. We have more than enough power to survive peacefully until the very end of the Mountain Sea."

What Xuanyuan Hong said did make a certain kind of sense.

But Zhang Fan had embarked on the path of cultivation in pursuit of eternal freedom.

He had never personally experienced the despair of the Mountain Sea's cycle, so he wasn't about to extinguish the restless ambition stirring in his heart.

He didn't answer, meeting the suggestion with silence.

Xuanyuan Hong read his thoughts and added, "Of course, if your will is truly resolute, if you can look upon the truth of the Dao Annihilation and still find the courage to step forward..."

"...then we would never stand in your way."

As Xuanyuan Hong spoke, a peculiar expression flickered across his face.