Chapter 1778: The New Ark
Chapter 1778: The New Ark
"Incredible..."
Pushing the endless weirdness of the outside world from his mind, Zhang Fan began to carefully comprehend the "Truth and Falsehood" before him.
It was like looking into a mirror. When Zhang Fan observed the "Truth and Falsehood" of this world, he found it utterly indistinguishable from the Dao of Truth and Falsehood he had always controlled.
"No distinction of strength or weakness, no hierarchy of high or low, no sequence of before or after."
"What is Truth and Falsehood, simply is Truth and Falsehood."
As if gazing upon a peerless treasure, Zhang Fan's divine sense was momentarily lost, only returning to him after a long while.
At the same time, countless doubts and curiosities surged in his mind.
"If there is no difference between the two Daos of Truth and Falsehood..."
But something unexpected happened.
Although he could see the Truth and Falsehood, the nascent Dao was like a flower in a mirror or the moon on the water—intangible and beyond his reach.
"Both are Truth and Falsehood, yet this one is not the one I command."
After several fruitless attempts, Zhang Fan grew pensive and stopped trying to capture it.
Instead, he sat down cross-legged on the spot, attempting to comprehend this supreme, nascent Dao principle of the eternal world from scratch.
A moment later, his brow furrowed slightly.
In the very first moment of his attempt, an immense resistance rose from within his body, shaking the very foundation of his existence.
He could indeed comprehend and cultivate the nascent Truth and Falsehood, but the price was to sever all ties with the Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood he currently controlled.
"So, it's impossible to have both..."
A faint trace of regret flickered through Zhang Fan's mind.
Although this was within his expectations, a sense of disappointment was inevitable.
"A supreme treasure lies before me, yet I can only gaze upon it from afar."
Fortunately, he quickly adjusted his mindset and cast his gaze beyond the world.
In the darkness, he could vaguely sense the colossal entity that was descending.
Though it was formless and shapeless, and though a world separated them...
Zhang Fan could still feel an immense, irresistible pressure.
"The divine body has manifested."
"All that's missing is Truth and Falsehood, and then a True God will descend upon the world."
"And this True God was gestated from me—or rather, from my decaying body."
The longer he stared into the darkness, the more the pressure he felt increased exponentially.
He was forced to look away.
"The True God's revival is now unstoppable."
The Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood within him grew restless.
It seemed to want to leave his body and return to its rightful place within the True God.
Zhang Fan sighed inwardly, knowing that this life's attempt had failed.
Seizing the last moments while his Truth and Falsehood remained stable, he analyzed the reasons for the current situation as best he could.
"Devouring the Mountain Sea, destroying the lone Star. Everything went smoothly, until..."
"The moment after becoming a god."
Just like the God-Becoming Guests who had appeared in the Mountain Sea before, Zhang Fan could indeed be called a "God" in this life.
But he still couldn't escape the fate of perishing.
Zhang Fan carefully recalled the experience.
Just before the Truth and Falsehood completely left his body, he found the answer.
"It was not the reappearance of the fallen True God that caused my fall. Rather, it was my own gradual decay and impending demise that led to the True God gestating within me."
"My death was the cause, and the True God's appearance was the effect."
"That boundless darkness seems capable of freezing and decaying even the will of a god. Was even my divine body unable to survive it?"
Zhang Fan's mind trembled as the Great Dao of Truth and Falsehood was about to break away completely.
At this final moment, Zhang Fan silently chanted "[Truth]!"
A speck of light ignited on Zhang Fan's body.
It then illuminated the surrounding darkness.
In that instant, he seemed to witness the god's complete shell.
It was as if he was meeting the gaze of the fallen True God.
Then he saw the True God's body melt away like ice and snow under the light of [Truth], returning to its origin.
The Mountain Sea reappeared. Anchor point: Year 1!
"Fan..."
Zhang Fan ignored Bai Shuyue's call. With a single thought, his cultivation returned to the Saint realm.
His figure moved like lightning, heading straight for the False Universe Survivor's location.
He had to confirm whether the nascent Truth and Falsehood, which had been gestated in the previous life through the combined efforts of all the Saints of the Mountain Sea, still existed.
This point was of utmost importance.
The eternal void world created by the False Universe Survivor existed independently of the Mountain Sea.
Without entering it personally, even Zhang Fan would find it difficult to perceive any changes within.
Fortunately, he knew the way well and arrived in no time.
"The Truth and Falsehood is still here!"
An indescribable excitement surged through Zhang Fan's heart.
This was the second thing, besides himself, to ever survive a reset by [Truth]!
"If the nascent Truth and Falsehood had been within the Mountain Sea, it would have likely been reset by [Truth], just like that divine body."
"Gods, and even the Dao of Truth and Falsehood itself, cannot escape the transformation of [Truth]."
"However, after this eternal void world gave birth to the nascent Truth and Falsehood, it has clearly become completely independent of the Mountain Sea. The two run parallel, not interfering with each other. Its reset will not affect this place in the slightest."
The lingering gloom in his heart from being devoured by darkness and the True God was swept away by this discovery.
This time, Zhang Fan truly saw hope of breaking the cycle of fate.
"Who's there?"
Because of the intense fluctuations in his state of mind, the False Universe Survivor finally noticed the inexplicable intruder, Zhang Fan.
"Hahahahaha!"
Zhang Fan didn't answer, only laughed heartily.
Just as the False Universe Survivor was about to attack, a series of images flashed through his mind.
"Fan... Fellow Daoist?"
Driven by instinct, he inexplicably called out this name.
In the previous life, they had spent far too long together in a state of Same Heart Same Virtue. Thus, even after the Mountain Sea was reset, fragments of their memories of each other remained in the minds of the God-Becoming Guests.
Before long, the God-Becoming Guests met once again.
Within this eternal void world.
"Same Heart Same Virtue!"
As Zhang Fan spoke in a deep voice, the Saints finally saw the nascent [Truth and Falsehood] in this place.
"In... incredible! A supreme Great Dao was truly born in the world I created! No wonder I've felt something was off since the beginning of this life, but could never pinpoint what it was." The False Universe Survivor's body trembled, unable to contain his extreme excitement.
"To endure a reset of [Truth] unchanged... we can basically confirm that this world has become truly transcendent and independent. Perhaps it can serve as an ark of salvation." The Fishing Old Man was no longer his usual calm self.
Amidst the surging excitement, Zhang Fan raised a series of questions.
"The nascent Truth and Falsehood can survive the Mountain Sea's reset. As for the living beings within it... that requires further verification."
"But first, there is a crucial question. If a living being hides in this realm, will they still appear in the Mountain Sea after a [Truth] reset?"
"If so, wouldn't there be two of the same person existing simultaneously?"
"And if not..."
"Wouldn't that mean a piece of the god is missing?"
Zhang Fan's questions made the God-Becoming Guests calm down completely.
For another world to be born outside of the Mountain Sea...
It was an absolutely unprecedented event.
No one knew the answers to these questions; only through practice could the truth be found.
The False Universe Survivor volunteered, "This time, I will stay here and await the changes before and after [Truth]."
Zhang Fan pondered for a moment and reminded him, "There may be unknown risks."
The False Universe Survivor replied nonchalantly, "To witness the birth of a new Truth and Falsehood is enough. Even if I were to die right now, I would have no regrets."
True Death Hidden then smiled. "Since he is not afraid, I shall join him. To personally experience the turning of the Mountain Sea's fate... it would not be a waste of our long years of cultivation."
Zhang Fan nodded, wasting no more time.
After leaving this realm with the other God-Becoming Guests, he immediately activated the transformation of [Truth] once more.
He opened his eyes and was back in the Xuanhuang Realm.
To verify what had happened, Zhang Fan rushed back to the eternal void world without stopping.
"How are you back?"
The False Universe Survivor, who was sitting cross-legged in the center of the world, was stunned at first. Then, as if realizing something, he exclaimed, "You've already activated [Truth] once?"
Beside him, True Death Hidden's face also lit up with joy.
Comments