Chapter 1327: Ascending to the Immortal's Shadow |
All around them was endless darkness. In the distance lay silent fragments of ruined worlds, stretching beyond the limits of sight.
The surging echoing star force grew stronger and stronger like rising tides, and Li Fan's group advanced more and more slowly.
"The residual True Immortal power gathered beneath the High Wall has become even stronger than it was back then," Zhong Daogong said as he gazed ahead, his tone heavy.
Affected by the omnipresent echoing star power, not only were their physical bodies exposed to the void, but even their divine senses became like duckweed drifting in the wind, scattering before they could travel far from their bodies.
Communication among the group relied entirely on the Immortal Ark's special Unbounded transmission method.
"Although the High Wall is majestic, if this trend continues, it will collapse sooner or later."
"The rate at which the residual power is increasing is even faster than we expected. It seems that even without that boy, we would eventually have had to continue the Wall Crossing Plan. Otherwise, once the High Wall collapses, none of us will survive."
"Even so, being forced into it like this is still difficult to accept."
"Heh heh heh. We might as well let him test it with his own body."
The elders of the Immortal Ark discussed the matter enthusiastically.
Unbounded was a communication technique known only to the Immortal Ark's core members. Thus, even in front of Li Fan, they spoke without the slightest restraint.
What they never imagined was that Li Fan was equally proficient in the Unbounded communication technique. Every word spoken by the Immortal Ark elders entered his ears without omission.
He pondered silently while maintaining an expression of complete ignorance.
"How... much... longer?"
From time to time, he turned back and urged them with indistinct divine sense transmissions.
Zhong Daogong's answer never changed.
"Almost there. It is just ahead."
It was not an excuse.
There was a saying that a mountain visible in the distance could exhaust a horse before it was reached. The boundlessness of the Star Sea was displayed most vividly here at the frontier beneath the High Wall. Although the Remnant World Great Wall seemed close, after flying for a long time, the remaining distance showed no sign of shrinking, as if it stretched on forever.
Only the gradually changing scenery of the Remnant World Great Wall proved that they were indeed moving forward.
Meanwhile, the increasingly powerful echoing star power became an ever greater obstacle, like trudging through an endless muddy swamp toward towering mountains in the distance.
"This is too slow." Li Fan appeared somewhat impatient. "At this rate, I will probably die of old age before we arrive."
Zhong Daogong was about to explain.
"It is not because we..."
But Li Fan suddenly interrupted him coldly.
"Be careful!"
A phantom of a golden sword radiating brilliant light descended alongside his words.
Upon the sword were engraved images of mountains, rivers, the sun, moon, and stars. Its aura was majestic and sacred.
"Which direction?" Li Fan asked solemnly.
The Immortal Ark cultivators were still immersed in shock at the extraordinary golden sword phantom.
It was not only because the phantom represented an unparalleled Sword Dao.
More importantly, they were horrified to discover that while enveloped by the golden sword phantom, the echoing star power acting upon them was instantly reduced by more than half.
It was as though they had suddenly stepped onto elevated ground, entering another world where they were no longer battered by raging waves.
"How is this possible?!"
The Immortal Ark elders cried out in astonishment.
The essence of the echoing star power was residual True Immortal power. Even though it bore the word "residual," it still belonged to the level of a True Immortal.
This golden sword phantom could actually weaken its influence. Did that not mean it stood on the same level as immortals?
Of course, none of the Immortal Ark elders dared think any further. Even so, Li Fan's ability to wield a divine ability capable of contending with True Immortal power caused every elder present to look at him differently.
"This boy truly is like a hidden treasure. Every moment uncovers another surprise."
"If we can comprehend this divine ability, perhaps we can open a second cultivation path for the Immortal Ark besides the True Immortal seal script."
"No. Rather than the boy himself, it is that Great Qi civilization that is truly unfathomable."
The appearance of the golden sword phantom stirred tremendous waves.
The expressions of the Immortal Ark elders varied greatly, yet Li Fan appeared completely unconcerned. He stared at Zhong Daogong.
"Hurry and point out the direction. This Immortal Slaying Sword consumes enormous energy. I cannot maintain it for long."
Within the domain of the golden sword phantom, even divine sense communication became much clearer.
Hearing the words Immortal Slaying Sword, Zhong Daogong's eyes flickered.
In the end, however, he still pointed out the direction for Li Fan.
The golden sword blazed as it crossed the Star Sea.
Its speed far surpassed the group's previous flight. The silent worlds within the Remnant World Great Wall rapidly grew larger before their eyes. They approached the foot of the High Wall at astonishing speed.
Following Zhong Daogong's guidance, Li Fan controlled the sword phantom until they reached an unusually protruding section of the Remnant World Great Wall.
It resembled a towering beacon tower jutting out from an endless city wall. The number of ruined world fragments piled together here was clearly much greater than elsewhere.
"So the weak point of the High Wall is here?" Li Fan narrowed his eyes.
Zhong Daogong shook his head.
"No. There are actually many such structures throughout the Remnant World Great Wall. They should serve as important nodes maintaining the stability of its structure. To reach our destination, we must borrow the momentum of this place."
The golden sword phantom came to a halt.
Zhong Daogong and the Immortal Ark elders all became solemn.
"Please ascend upward, Fellow Daoist."
The elders jointly cast a technique, causing a blurred image to appear before Li Fan.
The originally smooth yet slightly curved expanse of space was greatly distorted by this protrusion in the Remnant World Great.
Like a tower rising from the earth, both its momentum and potential clearly stood far above the surrounding regions.
"Follow the momentum of the Remnant World Great Wall upward."
Zhong Daogong pointed lightly.
The image of the spatial protrusion expanded without limit, instantly enveloping everyone.
Before they realized it, they were already standing within the spacetime protrusion indicated by the image.
Li Fan stood motionless, carefully experiencing the subtle differences in the surrounding spacetime.
"Back then, our Immortal Ark spent several hundred years before finally understanding this method of ascending. It is only natural that Fellow Daoist cannot grasp it immediately."
"If necessary, you may dismiss the golden sword phantom. We can simply fly upward with our physical bodies."
The Immortal Ark elders kindly offered their suggestion.
Li Fan ignored them.
Instead, he slowly closed his eyes.
A scene flashed through his mind.
In truth, Li Fan had personally experienced this so called sense of spatial elevation before.
It was during his previous life, when the High Wall collapsed and an unknown existence descended, throwing the entire Star Sea into violent upheaval.
At that time, however, he had been overwhelmed by the earth shaking spectacle itself.
His attention had been captured by the surface phenomena, causing him to overlook the violent fluctuations of spacetime accompanying the disturbance throughout the Star Sea.
"The distinction between high and low."
The memories within his mind gradually shifted from illusion to reality.
It was as though he had returned once again to the end of his previous life, witnessing the magnificent waves rising and falling across the turbulent Star Sea.
A sudden realization slowly arose within his heart.
The illusion faded.
When he looked again at reality, the towering protrusion of the Remnant World Great now stood out with exceptional clarity.
"Everyone, stand firm."
Li Fan spoke in a deep voice.
The phantom of the golden sword once again blossomed with dazzling golden radiance. Though it resembled the blazing sun in the heavens, for some unknown reason, the golden light only shone within this small region and did not illuminate a wider area.
Although it had not physically moved, the golden sword phantom seemed to have crossed hundreds of millions of miles of spacetime in an instant. It became weathered and flickered unsteadily.
Cold sweat began to form on Li Fan's forehead. His body trembled uncontrollably.
The cultivators of the Immortal Ark, meanwhile, gazed at the Remnant World Great Wall, which now appeared slightly smaller due to distortion and warping. Astonishment filled their eyes.
"He actually completed the ascent on the very first attempt?"
"This child's talent and comprehension are truly unmatched in this world. Even in the Great Qi civilization, he must have been one of the foremost geniuses of his era."
"At such a young age, he has already reached this level. Give him another few hundred years, and he might truly be able to cross the High Wall. No wonder he went somewhat mad after learning his lifespan was nearly exhausted. If it were me, I would not be able to accept it either."
Many of the Immortal Ark elders looked at Li Fan with traces of regret in their eyes.
The ascent and transformation continued.
The area covered by the golden sword phantom rapidly shrank until it barely encompassed Li Fan and the Immortal Ark cultivators.
The originally brilliant golden radiance also gradually dimmed.
Its consumption had clearly become far more severe, as though it could be extinguished completely at any moment.
However, the changes it brought were equally obvious.
The endless Remnant World Great Wall that had originally stretched to the horizon slowly curled inward, forming a ring that continuously contracted.
Their perspective continued rising, while the ring became smaller and smaller.
Until it finally converged into a single point.
Boom! Boom!
It felt as though they had reached the end of the road, or as though they had crashed into an invisible wall.
The last remaining phantom of the golden sword shattered instantly.
Li Fan suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning deathly pale.
Yet he merely wiped away the blood casually, his eyes filled with delight and madness.
"So this is the High Wall?" Li Fan coughed lightly and spat out another large mouthful of blood. He paid it no attention and turned to ask.
"No."
"This is merely the true foot of the High Wall." Zhong Daogong carefully examined Li Fan before first shaking his head in denial, then speaking with a sigh.
He also surveyed their surroundings.
"We still have to climb again?" Hearing this, Li Fan instinctively looked upward.
"The High Wall cannot be crossed, or perhaps it can never be crossed at all. The only way is to sacrifice oneself and crash into it." Jian Daosheng spoke in a deep voice.
"There are fewer people this time. With only our combined strength, we likely cannot reach the impact point from back then. But we should still be close enough to observe the traces."
After speaking, the elders of the Immortal Ark formed a circle.
A strange aura then emerged from their bodies.
Rather than steadily increasing, it surged continuously like immense waves crashing upon the shore, each wave rising higher than the last.
Carried by this tremendous force, the scenery that had shrunk into a tiny point transformed once again.
The point stretched downward, becoming a straight line.
The auras of the Immortal Ark elders grew increasingly vigorous, and the line continuously thickened.
Like a heavenly pillar, it gradually extended beyond sight while firmly supporting everyone standing above it.
As they continued climbing, their field of vision also became increasingly elevated and expansive.
Li Fan gazed into the distance with all his might. Within the endless darkness, he vaguely sensed several other towering peaks similar to the one they occupied.
And at an immeasurably distant place stood a majestic mountain.
Its summit could not be seen.
It was only slightly shorter than the endless High Wall itself.
"That is..."
"A True Immortal of the Immortal Ruins?"
Turning his gaze back, a sudden realization emerged in Li Fan's heart.
Li Fan had once learned from the memories of a Dharma King of the Xuantian Sect that the Xuantian King had once told the members of the Xuantian Sect he had discovered a method to lead everyone, and even the entire Xuanhuang Realm, away from the Darkest Star Sea.
However, only a True Immortal could accomplish it.
"So this is the difference between immortals and mortals."
"Mortals will forever remain below. Only by becoming an immortal can one stand upon the summit."
"The process of cultivation is itself a process of climbing upward step by step. Yet when the great catastrophe descended, the mountains that could once support habitation collapsed."
"When the mountains no longer exist, the paths disappear with them. Even if one can temporarily soar through the sky, one can never remain at that realm for long."
Borrowing the power of the Remnant World Great Wall, Li Fan had reached a height that would normally have been absolutely impossible.
It was as though he had ascended in advance to the mountain peak of a realm that no longer existed.
Various insights that did not belong to this era continuously flooded into Li Fan's mind.
"The distinction between immortals and mortals is already so vast."
"But the High Wall..."
Li Fan shifted his gaze toward the even greater distance.
Majestic and endless, it stretched across existence like the heavens themselves.
Its beginning could not be seen.
Its end could not be seen.
Neither its highest peak nor its lowest valley could be discerned.
It simply stood there.
Blocking everything before them.
Filling all who beheld it with despair.
Had Li Fan not personally witnessed the collapse of the High Wall before, merely seeing this incomparably magnificent scene would likely have planted a heart demon within him forever. Whenever he thought of the High Wall, unavoidable fear would have arisen in his heart.
Judging from the expressions of the Immortal Ark elders, that was indeed the case.
The lofty ambition they had possessed upon arriving had completely vanished. Only endless fear and reverence remained upon their faces.
However, they seemed to possess some secret technique. As they stood together in a circle, even their wills became linked as one.
Not long afterward, they gradually awakened from their stunned state.
Li Fan also pretended to awaken at exactly the right moment.
"We cannot ascend even a single step further."
Zhong Daogong sighed softly before turning his gaze into the distance, seemingly searching for the traces left behind by the Shang Immortal Ark all those years ago.
Li Fan waited patiently.
Only after nearly half a day had passed did Zhong Daogong finally point in one direction and speak solemnly.
"Can Fellow Daoist sense the abnormality over there?"
Li Fan followed the direction Zhong Daogong indicated.
At first glance, it appeared no different from the surrounding scenery.
But after carefully examining it, Li Fan indeed discovered several subtle clues.
Li Fan extended his hand, as though trying to touch that unimaginably distant place.
"The space here... has been distorted."
"Are these the traces left behind when the Shang Immortal Ark crashed into the High Wall?"
Li Fan spoke in a strange tone.
His hand gently traced the scar in space.
Before his eyes, it seemed as though half of a magnificent Immortal Ark appeared, charging resolutely toward the High Wall.
Then it erupted with world-shaking brilliance.
A trace of emotion flashed across Zhong Daogong's eyes as he nodded.
"The energy unleashed while crossing the High Wall was so terrifying that even the High Wall itself could not completely withstand it."
"Because of that, the traces left here have endured for ten thousand years without fading."
"The mark still remains. This proves that even after all these years, there has been no sign of any so called 'repair.' Therefore, at least in theory, there is a very great possibility that we can follow the path left behind by the Shang Immortal Ark and recreate the feat of crossing the High Wall."
Zhong Daogong spoke slowly.
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, seemingly deep in thought.
A short while later, he gently shook his head.
"That is not right. We have already exhausted every bit of our strength just to reach this height. But that place..."
Li Fan pointed toward the location of the scar left behind by the Shang Immortal Ark.
"I fear that even if we exerted ten times more strength, we still could not reach it."
"Much less cross the High Wall itself."
