"Become one with the universe, mind soaring through the Star River. Supreme Armour, boundless and ultimate, spirit wanders; Supreme Armour, unchanging and constant, spirit transforms; Supreme Armour, all-encompassing and complete, spirit becomes divine…"
Zhong Daogong's chanting initiated the Grand Method of the Supreme Armour, obtained by Immortal Master Yin from the black and white pearls and later passed to the Profound Immortal Vessel by Li Fan! Previously incomplete, this technique for communicating with the Star Sea consciousness had been perfected by the vessel's elders.
Combined with the power of True Immortal script and amplified by the ritual, its might had increased a thousandfold! The other elders joined Zhong Daogong in a harmonious chorus, a magnificent symphony resonating through the Star Sea.
The flags bearing the fused True Immortal script fluttered in the chanting. From above, specific characters on the flags flickered in response to the changing syllables, like a colossal being formed of countless characters, inhaling and exhaling.
Observing from outside, Li Fan suddenly grasped the meaning he had sensed earlier. The character [Equalize] was hidden within the fused script, waiting to be unleashed.
It would spring forth the moment the Star Sea consciousness was forcibly connected and descended. The Profound Immortal Vessel's long-prepared Equal Heavens Ritual, in essence, was this simple and unassuming.
But achieving it was far from easy. Forcing communication with the Star Sea consciousness alone far exceeded the capabilities of the original Grand Method of the Supreme Armour. Li Fan had used it before, leveraging the goodwill accumulated over millennia by the now-destroyed Supreme Armour World to secure the Star Sea's assistance in Xuanhuang's revival. Since then, the Star Sea had remained silent.
Now, the vessel's modified technique had established a direct link, forcing the Star Sea's fundamental will to focus its attention here!
As the chanting intensified, Li Fan sensed a massive vortex forming above the ritual. Unlike the lifeless Dark Star Sea, this vortex pulsed with light and boundless vitality, echoing with indistinct murmurs. The surrounding space creaked and groaned under the strain.
Li Fan experienced a similar reaction to when he had encountered the True Immortal's image through the bronze coin – his spiritual power, body, and soul roiled, as if on the verge of vaporization.
"However, before, I was powerless against the True Immortal's image. But now…" Li Fan took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil within.
"The Star Sea's pressure, though immense, is still inferior to a True Immortal's."
"Grand and vast, it still pales in comparison to a qualitative change in dimensions!"
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Zhong Daogong's voice echoed, "Fellow Daoist, join the ritual!"
"You played a crucial role in its success. Now is the time to reap the rewards!"
Not only Zhong Daogong, but Jian Daosheng, Nangong Lie, and all the vessel elders called out, their voices a mixture of invitation and coercion.
"With all the elders outside, the vessel is vulnerable. They can't risk leaving me, a variable, unchecked." Li Fan scoffed inwardly.
"Then I'll gladly accept your invitation!" Undaunted, he flew into the ritual.
He didn't need to find a position. The moment he entered, the surrounding flags whirled and shifted, integrating him into the formation. The chanting compelled him to join in.
With everyone in place, the ritual reached its climax. The swirling vortex of purple-gold energy quieted, the wind and thunder ceasing. Even the vortex itself seemed to freeze.
The participants' vision shifted. It was as if they had leaped from the Star Sea, granted an audience with the entity itself. While the Grand Method of the Supreme Armour had indirectly communicated with the Star Sea, they had now forced open the door, coming face to face!
Li Fan felt exposed, a sensation he hadn't experienced in a long time. Though confident that the True Return treasure within him would remain undetected by the Star Sea consciousness, he remained on high alert, ready to activate True Return at any moment.
As he anticipated, the Star Sea consciousness, oblivious even to the black Qi of the Dao Obliteration Calamity, didn't notice True Return. It didn't focus on Li Fan, but evenly distributed its anger among the vessel elders. Being forcibly contacted by these ant-like beings was an utter humiliation. It waited to see what they wanted before unleashing its wrath.
However… the ants didn't seek communication.
Amidst the resounding chant, the countless flags moved without wind. As they fluttered, their folds revealed a unified whole. The character [Equalize], hidden amongst the True Immortal script, was finally revealed!
An invisible shackle seemed to bind the vast Star Sea consciousness above to the ants below. In this moment, the ants stood upon the shoulders of the Star Sea, looking down upon all creation.
Li Fan had merged with the Azure Underworld Pearl, the Small World's Heavenly Dao, and even connected with the Xuanhuang World. But none of these compared to this wondrous sensation. The vast Star Sea was no longer boundless, but an extension of his being, within his grasp. It wasn't dark and lifeless, but pulsed with hidden vitality. Even the laws governing the Star Sea became comprehensible, like the hairs on his body, visible with a mere glance. With a thought, he could observe every corner of the Star Sea through its own eyes.
Under the influence of [Equalize], the participants were truly equal to the Star Sea, seeing and feeling as it did.
Li Fan, like the vessel elders, was captivated. He glanced at the heart of the Star Sea. From this perspective, there was no black Qi, only dormant vitality awaiting revival. A perfect picture!
Li Fan, of course, didn't bother to correct this perception. He seized this rare opportunity to experience the Dao of the Star Sea while pondering its peculiar reaction. Logically, the Star Sea's fundamental will should be enraged by this act of equalization. Even if it couldn't immediately break free, it should at least struggle. But the Star Sea was eerily calm. Not the calm before a storm, but a genuine lack of anger.
Why? Doubt gnawed at Li Fan.
Due to the True Immortal script, the Star Sea consciousness was linked to the participants. Li Fan easily followed its thoughts, discovering its perspective.
"This is…"
"While we observe the Star Sea, it observes us?!" A chilling realization.
Li Fan had always believed that transcendent beings like the Star Sea's fundamental will and True Immortals wouldn't pay attention to mortal ants. The Dark Star Sea's behavior shattered this belief. It hadn't resisted equalization, but embraced it! Just as they were immersed in the Star Sea's perspective, the Star Sea consciousness seemed fascinated by their lives.
They existed in a delicate balance, experiencing each other's existence. However, due to their unequal scale, this balance couldn't last.
The Star Sea remained unaffected, but the cultivators within the ritual underwent drastic changes.
Li Fan had experienced the fleeting nature of life compared to the vastness of the Congyun Sea when he merged with the Azure Underworld Pearl. Compared to the cosmos, even the lifespan of worlds was but a blink.
Observing all creation from the Star Sea's perspective meant experiencing its timescale. Even with the billions of beings in the Great Qi Small World as sacrifices, they only gained a few extra moments.
Age rapidly descended upon the vessel elders.
"Hold on! The Star Sea's power is flowing into you! Once you absorb it, you'll be immune to this level of aging!" Zhong Daogong's voice echoed, anticipating this.
However, they hadn't foreseen the Star Sea's interest in them, these defiant intruders. It wasn't just their active connection, but the Star Sea's own. They had expected resistance, but instead encountered mutual curiosity. This resulted in double the expected cosmic erosion!
"This is bad!" The vessel elders quickly realized the danger, their expressions grim as they saw the white creeping into their companions' hair and bodies. Resolute and decisive, they reached a consensus after a brief exchange.
"We can't stop the ritual now. Abandoning it midway would be even more disastrous!"
"We must sacrifice some to buy time for the others to absorb the Star Sea's power."
After a moment of silence, one elder chuckled. "I've lived long enough. A few more decades would be a waste. If my death can help the vessel obtain the Star Sea's fortune, I, Gan Jingda, will die without regrets!"
Before anyone could respond, Gan Jingda's life force dissipated. The remaining participants felt a surge of vital energy within them.
"With my old friend gone, I have nothing left to live for. Farewell, farewell. The vessel's future is in your hands!"
"I lack the talent. Let me be the first to go!"
"You must succeed! Farewell!"
"I didn't want to die, but it seems I'm the least valuable… What can I do? I've never been lucky."
…
One after another, the vessel elders willingly relinquished their life force, turning to dust in the accelerated flow of time. Their final words echoed in the ears of the survivors.
Feeling the surge of life force from their fallen comrades, the survivors were heartbroken, but thanks to their sacrifice, the Star Sea's power finally descended before the cosmic erosion consumed them completely.
Dozens of torrents of purple-gold starlight erupted from the vortex, flowing into the remaining cultivators. This was the true essence of the Star Sea. Though qualitatively inferior to a True Immortal's power, its sheer quantity surpassed it!
This was a completely different experience from facing a True Immortal. The vast essence of the Star Sea washed over them. The surviving elders' bodies began to dissolve under the immense power, yet their life force, instead of fading, grew stronger. They ceased aging, their appearances frozen in the moment before the influx. Enveloped in purple-gold light, their features became indistinct.
As the Star Sea's power continued to pour in, their luminous forms grew, transforming into colossal figures towering within the Star Sea. The emotional turmoil of loss, excitement, and fear gradually subsided.
…
Li Fan witnessed the birth of these extraordinary beings. Ever cautious, he hadn't directly absorbed the Star Sea's power like the others, but instead contained it with arrays, concealing it with the interplay of truth and illusion, rendering it undetectable even to the Star Sea consciousness.
Another ingredient for refining the Xuanhuang pill.
But Li Fan felt no joy, only a deep unease as he observed the luminous figures.
Having fully transformed into beings of starlight, they severed their connection to the [Equalize] character. Li Fan was now alone within the ritual.
"I can't communicate with them."
"It's as if they've lost their consciousness… No, it's still there! But their human emotions are suppressed, making them more like the Star Sea itself."
"So similar to the Xuanhuang World's Heavenly Soul…"
Li Fan watched the purple-gold vortex close. He sensed that the Star Sea's power hadn't diminished despite this division.
"It's not that [Equalize] has failed."
"But rather…"
"Infinity, no matter how divided, remains infinite!"
Today's chapter is an early release.
(End of chapter)