Surrounded by endless darkness, with the desolate, boundless expanse of world fragments in the distance, the tide-like Echoing Star Power intensified, slowing their progress.
"The residual True Immortal power converging beneath the Great Wall is even stronger than before," Zhong Daogong said gravely, gazing ahead.
The omnipresent Echoing Star Power not only affected their physical bodies but also their divine consciousness, which dispersed like dandelion seeds in the wind shortly after leaving their bodies. They relied on the Ark's unique Unbounded Sword communication technique to converse.
"Although the Great Wall is immense, at this rate, it will eventually crumble."
"The residual power is increasing faster than we anticipated. It seems even without this fellow, we would eventually have to proceed with our plan to cross the wall. Otherwise, when it collapses, we'll all perish."
"Even so, being forced into this is frustrating."
"Hehehe, let's use him as a test subject."
…
The Ark's elders discussed heatedly, oblivious to the fact that Li Fan, also proficient in the Unbounded Sword communication technique, heard every word. He pondered their words inwardly while feigning ignorance.
"How… much… longer…?" he asked occasionally, his divine consciousness strained and his voice barely audible.
Zhong Daogong's answer remained the same: "Soon. It's just ahead."
It wasn't a mere excuse. The vastness of the Star Sea was fully apparent here, at the foot of the Great Wall. While the Great Wall of Shattered Worlds seemed close, after traveling for a long time, the distance hadn't decreased in the slightest, as if it were infinite. Only the subtly changing perspective of the Great Wall indicated they were making progress. The ever-increasing Echoing Star Power also hindered their advance, like walking through a bottomless mire towards distant, towering mountains.
"Too slow," Li Fan said impatiently. "At this rate, I'll die of old age before we get there."
Zhong Daogong was about to explain, "It's not that we…" when Li Fan suddenly shouted, "Look out!"
A radiant golden sword, its surface depicting mountains, rivers, the sun, moon, and stars, exuding an aura of divine majesty, appeared with his words.
"Which direction?" Li Fan asked in a deep voice.
The Ark's elders were still marveling at the extraordinary golden sword, not only because of the supreme swordsmanship it represented but also because they realized the Echoing Star Power affecting them had drastically decreased within its protective aura! It was as if they were standing on a suddenly risen plateau, shielded from the crashing waves.
"How is this possible?!" They were astonished.
The Echoing Star Power was, in essence, residual True Immortal power. Even diminished, it was still a force of the True Immortal level. This golden sword's ability to mitigate its influence meant it was on par with a True Immortal! While they didn't dare to consider higher possibilities, Li Fan's ability to wield a power that rivaled True Immortal power impressed them.
"This fellow is a treasure trove of surprises."
"If we can comprehend this technique, it might open a second path for our Ark, besides the True Immortal Script!"
"No, it's not just him. It's this Great Qi civilization. They're unfathomable."
The golden sword's appearance sent ripples through the elders. While they reacted with a mix of awe and apprehension, Li Fan seemed unconcerned. He looked at Zhong Daogong. "Quickly, point me in the right direction. Maintaining this Immortal-Slaying Sword consumes a tremendous amount of energy. I can't hold it for long."
Within the golden sword's domain, even transmitting messages with their divine consciousness became clearer.
Zhong Daogong's eyes flickered at the words "Immortal-Slaying Sword," but he ultimately complied, pointing the way.
The golden sword flashed, traversing the Star Sea at a speed far exceeding their previous pace. The desolate worlds within the Great Wall of Shattered Worlds grew larger in their vision as they approached the foot of the Great Wall.
Following Zhong Daogong's guidance, Li Fan steered the sword towards a peculiar bulge in the Great Wall, like a watchtower on a long, continuous wall, where the density of world fragments was significantly higher than elsewhere.
"Is the weak point here?" Li Fan asked, narrowing his eyes.
Zhong Daogong shook his head. "No. There are many such structures along the Great Wall. They're crucial nodes maintaining its stability. We need to utilize the 'momentum' here to reach our destination."
As the golden sword stopped, Zhong Daogong and the other elders' expressions turned serious.
"Please ascend, fellow Daoist."
The elders joined forces, projecting a blurry image before Li Fan. The smooth, slightly curved space was distorted by the bulge in the Great Wall, like a raised tower, its momentum and energy significantly higher than the surrounding area.
"Ascend along the Great Wall's momentum."
Zhong Daogong pointed, and the image of the spatial bulge magnified, engulfing them instantly. They found themselves within the distorted spacetime depicted in the image, yet they were unaware of the transition.
Li Fan stood still, sensing the subtle differences in the surrounding spacetime.
"Even our Ark took centuries to understand this method of 'ascension.' It's perfectly normal for you to be confused for now."
"If you can't figure it out, just dispel the golden sword, and we'll travel physically."
The elders offered their "helpful" suggestion.
Li Fan ignored them, closing his eyes. An image flashed through his mind. He had, in fact, experienced this sensation of spatial elevation before. It was when the Great Wall crumbled in his past life, and an unknown existence descended, causing the Star Sea to surge. However, at that time, overwhelmed by the spectacle, he hadn't paid attention to the resulting spatial distortions.
"High and low…"
The image in his mind, initially hazy, became clearer. He was reliving the end of his past life, watching the tumultuous waves of the Star Sea. Understanding dawned upon him.
The illusion vanished, and he looked at reality with fresh eyes. The bulge in the Great Wall was now incredibly conspicuous.
"Hold on tight!" Li Fan said in a deep voice.
The golden sword radiated a brilliant light. Like a miniature sun, its light was strangely confined to their immediate surroundings. Without physically moving, the golden sword seemed to traverse vast distances in an instant, its light flickering and fading, its form becoming unstable. Cold sweat beaded on Li Fan's forehead, and he trembled slightly.
The Ark's elders watched the Great Wall, now appearing smaller and distorted due to the spatial warping, their eyes wide with surprise.
"He actually succeeded on his first try?"
"His talent and comprehension are truly exceptional. He must be among the elites of Great Qi."
"So young, yet so accomplished. Give him a few more centuries, and he might actually be able to cross the Great Wall! No wonder he went mad after his lifespan was shortened. I wouldn't be able to handle it either!"
Many of the elders looked at Li Fan with a hint of pity.
The ascent continued. The area enveloped by the golden sword shrunk rapidly, barely containing them and Li Fan. The brilliant golden light dimmed, as if about to be extinguished.
However, the change in their surroundings was undeniable. The previously endless Great Wall began to recede, curving inwards and forming a shrinking circle. Their perspective rose higher, and the circle grew smaller, eventually converging into a single point.
Boom! Boom!
As if reaching the end of the road, or colliding with a wall, the last vestiges of the golden sword shattered.
Li Fan coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face pale. He casually wiped his mouth, his eyes filled with a mixture of excitement and madness.
"Is this the Great Wall?" he asked, coughing up another mouthful of blood.
"No," Zhong Daogong replied, studying Li Fan closely, shaking his head before sighing. "This… is merely the true foot of the Great Wall."
Looking around, Li Fan asked, "We need to ascend further?"
"The Great Wall is difficult, perhaps even impossible, to cross. The only way is to ram into it," Jian Daosheng said solemnly. "There are too few of us this time. Our combined strength isn't enough to reach the previous impact point. However, we should be close enough to observe its traces."
With that, the elders formed a circle. A strange energy emanated from them, not surging outwards but pulsating like waves on the shore, each wave higher than the last. Carried by this pulsating force, the previously shrunken image of the Great Wall transformed again. The small dot extended downwards, forming a solid line. As the elders' auras intensified, the line grew thicker, like a towering pillar reaching towards an unseen peak, supporting them from below.
As they ascended, their vision expanded. In the surrounding darkness, Li Fan sensed other similar peaks. And in the immeasurable distance, a colossal mountain stood, its peak hidden from view, only slightly shorter than the endless Great Wall.
"Is that… a True Immortal of the Immortal Ruins?" A wave of understanding washed over Li Fan as he looked at the distant peak.
He recalled from the memories of the Profound Heaven Sect's Law Kings that the Xuanhuang King had once claimed to have found a way to lead them, even the entire Xuanhuang World, out of the Dark Star Sea. However, it required the power of a True Immortal.
"This is the difference between immortals and mortals. Mortals remain below, while only immortals can stand on these peaks. Cultivation is a process of ascension. But with the arrival of the Great Calamity, the mountains we could once inhabit crumbled. With the mountains gone, the path is hidden. Even if we can momentarily reach those heights, we cannot remain there."
Having reached a height normally impossible, as if standing atop a vanished peak, Li Fan was filled with insights beyond his current era.
"Such is the difference between immortals and mortals. And the Great Wall…"
Li Fan turned his gaze towards the even more distant Great Wall, stretching endlessly like a celestial curtain, its beginning and end, its peaks and valleys, hidden from view. It simply stood there, an insurmountable obstacle, inducing despair.
If he hadn't witnessed the Great Wall's collapse in his past life, this majestic sight might have planted a seed of fear within him, a constant reminder of its insurmountable nature. Judging by the expressions of the Ark's elders, this was indeed the case. Their initial ambition had vanished, replaced by fear and awe.
However, they seemed to possess a secret technique. Standing in a circle, their wills united. Soon, they recovered from their shock.
Li Fan pretended to awaken as well.
"We can't go any higher," Zhong Daogong sighed, then looked towards the distance, searching for the traces left by the Merchant Ark.
Li Fan waited patiently.
After half a day, Zhong Daogong finally pointed in a direction. "Fellow Daoist, can you sense the anomaly there?"
Li Fan followed his gaze. At first glance, it seemed no different from the surrounding area. However, after careful observation, he noticed something. He reached out as if to touch the distant spot.
"There… a distortion. Is that the trajectory left by the Merchant Ark's impact?"
Li Fan's voice was filled with wonder. He traced the spatial scar with his hand. An image of half a magnificent Ark, resolutely ramming forward, erupting in a blinding light, flashed before his eyes.
A look of reminiscence flickered in Zhong Daogong's eyes. He nodded. "The energy released from crossing the Great Wall was so immense that even the Wall itself couldn't withstand it. Therefore, the traces remain, even after ten thousand years. The mark persists, showing no signs of 'repair.' So, theoretically, we have a high chance of replicating the Merchant Ark's feat by following its path."
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, as if pondering something. After a moment, he shook his head slightly. "No. We've reached our limit at this height. And that place…"
Li Fan pointed at the location of the Merchant Ark's mark. "Even with ten times our current strength, we wouldn't be able to reach it, let alone cross the Great Wall!"
(End of Chapter)