"That's why the Star Sea consciousness reacted so mildly to the vessel's act of equalization, even embracing it…"
"Besides the novelty of the mortal perspective, the Equal Heavens Ritual had no actual impact on the Star Sea!"
"True infinity!"
Anything less than infinite, no matter how vast, would be diminished when divided, even with just one person. The Star Sea consciousness, however, remained indifferent to its apparent loss.
"How is this possible?" Astonishment and bewilderment filled Li Fan. The concept of infinity was beyond his comprehension.
The Dark Star Sea was vast, but Li Fan could easily traverse it. This was a matter of scale. The Star Sea was ravaged by True Immortal script, its order destroyed, its vitality dormant. This was a matter of quality. In terms of both scale and quality, this Star Sea didn't seem infinite.
Yet, as the ritual concluded and the purple-gold vortex closed, the remaining eighteen vessel elders transformed into colossal, luminous figures spanning the cosmos. Their immense power, almost equal to the Star Sea itself, forced Li Fan to reconsider.
He recalled Mo Rubin's recounting of the Immortal Realm secrets he'd heard from the Profound Heaven King. "The Immortal Realm is said to be a paradise of boundless resources."
Like a thunderclap, the words resonated within Li Fan. He had initially dismissed them as exaggeration, but now, he realized they might be true! If the Star Sea could be infinite, what about the Immortal Realm above it?
Accepting this premise, the next question was why.
Setting aside the Immortal Realm for now, how could this Dark Star Sea be infinite?
As the vortex vanished, leaving Li Fan facing the eighteen luminous giants, his thoughts raced.
"The barrier confines us, the beings within the Star Sea, but it doesn't truly divide the Star Sea itself."
"The Dark Star Sea within and the Star Sea beyond remain one. This sealed region has simply developed a relatively independent consciousness."
"That's one possibility."
"But… if that's the case…" Li Fan assessed the luminous giants.
Perhaps due to their recent transformation, they stood motionless, seemingly contemplating their next move. Their auras gradually subsided, their forms becoming clearer, revealing familiar faces. Their luminous bodies dimmed, turning translucent blue, revealing skeletal structures composed of countless stars and worlds within.
"These giants are to the Star Sea what the Heavenly Soul is to the Xuanhuang World."
"They've lost their human characteristics, retaining only fragments of their consciousness, completely assimilated by the Star Sea…"
"Perhaps they could be called Star Spirits."
Li Fan discreetly set up arrays, concealing himself as he observed these unique lifeforms.
"In the Xuanhuang World, the power of Heavenly Souls varies depending on their roles, but they generally fall between the Nascent Soul and Longevity realms."
"But these Star Spirits…"
"With access to the infinite power of the Star Sea, they can crush any cultivator below True Immortal. The limit of the Star Sea is the Star Sea itself. They are Supreme Beings!" Li Fan remembered the Healer's memories he'd seen in the illusion.
Though he considered these Star Spirits and the Healer to be in the same Supreme Being realm, he doubted they were a match for the Healer in combat.
"In a real fight, even I have numerous ways to defeat them, let alone the Healer!"
"But victory is meaningless!"
"The Star Sea is infinite, meaning these Star Spirits are virtually indestructible."
"Even the True Immortal script that ravaged the Star Sea only temporarily suppressed its vitality. On a cosmic timescale, tens of thousands of years are but a fleeting moment. Life will inevitably return."
"Perhaps only the Dao Obliteration Calamity…" Li Fan recalled the various phenomena that had frequently appeared in the ancient Star Sea.
"One is all. If the Star Sea's power is truly infinite, then these Star Spirits and phenomena, at full power, represent the Star Sea itself!"
"Countless Supreme Beings… No wonder cultivators believe even True Immortals avoid these terrifying phenomena."
Even True Immortals, facing an infinite number of Healers, could be injured or even captured!
Li Fan's mind raced.
As he pondered, the eighteen Star Spirits finally moved. Some looked towards the hidden Profound Immortal Vessel, some towards the barrier at the edge of the Star Sea, and others scanned the entire expanse.
"If the Star Sea consciousness once needed cultivators to revive itself, it can now do so through these Star Spirits."
"Though they retain fragments of their former desires, they must now obey the Star Sea's will."
…
Li Fan hadn't forgotten his reason for infiltrating the vessel. Besides coveting its treasures, he wanted to use it as a pawn to explore beyond the barrier. Now, transformed into Star Spirits with power rivaling the Star Sea itself, the vessel elders could finally execute the plan to ram the barrier, just like the Merchant Vessel.
As the Star Spirits prepared to carry out the Star Sea's will, Li Fan wouldn't miss this opportunity.
He condensed the vessel's improved version of the Grand Method of the Supreme Armour. This time, he wasn't contacting the Star Sea consciousness, but the eighteen Star Spirits!
Compared to the Star Sea itself, these transformed cultivators were far easier to communicate with. The moment the technique manifested, it caught their attention, and Li Fan's consciousness connected with theirs.
If they were still human, seeing Li Fan, who had participated in the ritual but remained unchanged, would have triggered rage and suspicion. But now, he sensed no emotional波动 from them.
"Vessel… beyond the barrier."
"Friends… sacrifice."
"Remember!" Having grasped the essentials of communicating with the Star Sea, Li Fan kept his message concise.
As if triggered by his words, their human faces became clearer. They stopped, looking at Li Fan hesitantly.
"Giving up now would render their sacrifice meaningless!"
"With the Star Sea's power, the vessel can easily transcend the barrier!"
Li Fan's words rekindled their former desires. Sensing this, he pressed on.
"Even if the Star Sea revives, it will take eons. You, transformed into Star Spirits, can no longer protect the vessel. What will become of it? Will you simply watch them die?"
The Star Spirit that was once Zhong Daogong finally relented, transmitting fragmented thoughts. Unlike communication with a cultivator, there was no emotional inflection. The Star Spirit simply stated facts.
Their human consciousness would inevitably fade, until they became pure Star Spirits. Though they retained some autonomy, they couldn't defy the Star Sea's will.
However, the Star Sea consciousness might not object to them using its power to help the vessel cross the barrier. The True Immortal script, now abhorrent to the Star Sea, was unusable. They needed Li Fan's help.
…
More Star Spirits regained their former selves, agreeing with Li Fan. During his remaining moments of lucidity, Zhong Daogong revealed the vessel's top-secret plan for crossing the barrier.
The eighteen Star Spirits escorted the vessel towards the remnants of the Merchant Vessel's attempt.
"Time is running out. Let's begin."
Li Fan nodded, looking at the dozens of blank sheets of paper that floated from the vessel. Though seemingly empty, faint impressions suggested they had been written on countless times. These were the culmination of years of painstaking effort by the vessel elders, who had meticulously copied, analyzed, and discussed every known True Immortal script character, attempting to restore them to their original state.
"These old foxes are truly capable!"
"With my guidance, they've made incredible progress in such a short time!"
"This generation of the vessel is far superior to the one that perished in the Immortal Array."
"Not only are their resources abundant, but their ability to learn and adapt is terrifying."
Li Fan was awestruck by the familiar yet alien characters. The impressions on the paper were like molds, meticulously crafted. He didn't need to familiarize himself with them. By channeling energy into the impressions, the True Immortal script would manifest automatically!
"This must be their failsafe. Even if all the elders perish, the vessel's legacy will endure. Given time, they might even regain their former glory…"
Thinking this, Li Fan channeled his vast spiritual energy into the molds. Only his immense reserves could support this. The Five Elements Great Grotto-Heavens and the near destruction of Xuanhuang had made his power equivalent to an entire cultivation world. Any ordinary cultivator, even a Supreme Being like the Healer, would be drained instantly!
Li Fan's power fueled the formation of the True Immortal script. The eighteen Star Spirits also acted, unleashing a series of roars, not actual sounds, but waves of power, each carrying the force of infinity, propelling the vessel higher and higher!
While Li Fan had needed True Immortal flesh and blood for ascension, these Star Spirits used the boundless power of the Star Sea. Throughout this, their auras remained steady, the expenditure seemingly negligible.
Remembering the location of the Merchant Vessel's impact, the Star Spirits stopped ascending once the Profound Immortal Vessel reached a certain height, their roars continuing to maintain its momentum while urging Li Fan to proceed.
Experiencing the Star Sea's power firsthand, Li Fan was slightly shaken. He suppressed his surging blood.
"What a pity. After hitting the barrier, their fate is uncertain. The treasures within the vessel will be destroyed."
Despite this thought, he didn't hesitate. He grabbed the completed True Immortal script papers, compressing them into a ball and hurling it towards the vessel. The chaotic, terrifying power of True Immortals flew towards the Profound Immortal Vessel.
"Explode!" Li Fan roared inwardly, retreating rapidly.
The True Immortal script storm detonated beneath the vessel. The force, capable of temporarily extinguishing the Star Sea's vitality, caused the Star Spirits' blue forms to flicker, yet their actions remained unwavering. The infinite power of the Star Sea replenished them, ensuring their survival even against this storm.
Under their control, the erupting True Immortal power didn't destroy the vessel, but propelled it further, providing the final push for ascension.
"True power beyond the mortal realm, rivaling True Immortals! The power to transcend the barrier!"
Li Fan, one of the orchestrators, watched from afar as the storm raged against the barrier and the Profound Immortal Vessel ascended above it. He couldn't contain his excitement. After countless cycles, he finally had a chance to glimpse beyond.
He had planted a hidden mechanism within the vessel's protective systems during its reconstruction. What the vessel saw, he would see as well!
Everything was ready.
The vessel was about to reach the barrier.
And at that moment… the eighteen Star Spirits, as if sensing something terrifying, vanished without a trace.
The Profound Immortal Vessel, however, continued its trajectory, disappearing beyond the barrier, leaving Li Fan stunned.
He had witnessed the entire process, yet sensed no danger. Moreover… the mechanism he'd planted hadn't activated.
(End of chapter)