Whether True Immortals or Qian Ruochang's Dao Net avatar, they all relied on the power of the Dao. Now, facing the projections of the Hill-Guarding Immortal, a being with a far deeper understanding of the Dao, all their abilities were useless.
From Li Fan's perspective, the sparse Dao laws within this region of the Obliterated Lands were suddenly drawn towards the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections like a massive whirlpool appearing in the ocean, taking absolute precedence. Qian Ruochang and the Nothingness Immortal were inevitably caught in it.
For now, they were merely immobilized. But prolonged exposure to this distorted Dao vortex risked them losing their connection to their own Dao!
Watching the two struggling Immortals, Li Fan's heart surged.
"Perhaps this is also partly due to this Star Sea being weakened by the Dao Obliteration Calamity. But the main factor is the Hill-Guarding Immortal's unfathomable power. Just a fraction of his five projections' power can instantly suppress two True Immortals!"
As Li Fan pondered, Qian Ruochang and the Nothingness Immortal were drenched in cold sweat. They considered themselves among the strongest in their respective factions, yet they were being toyed with by this mysterious figure!
Their minds raced, trying to deduce his identity. It was then that Li Fan discovered he could faintly perceive their thoughts, not as vague emotional cues like the Healer's diagnostic abilities, but as concrete images flashing through their minds!
Although not every image was clear due to the fluctuating thoughts, this ability to truly "peer into their hearts" shocked Li Fan. These weren't ordinary mortals or weaklings, but genuine True Immortals, both nearing the Unnamed realm!
"Perhaps because, before transcendence, they are still creations of the Dao. Their every action and thought is tied to the Great Dao of heaven and earth. The clearer one's understanding of the Dao, the better one can perceive changes within it."
"The more one cares about something, the stronger the fluctuations it causes in their consciousness. If a powerful being like the Hill-Guarding Immortal appeared before me, and I instinctively called upon True Return, he would instantly notice, just like the Black Heaven Healer."
"No wonder I felt such a strong premonition before the Black Heaven Healer arrived. If I hadn't activated True Return early…"
Li Fan, feeling a twinge of fear, didn't dwell on it, immediately seeking a way to prevent others from peering into his mind.
"They can perceive my thoughts because they cause fluctuations in the Dao, like ripples in still water. To avoid this…"
Empowered by the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections, Li Fan could seek a solution at a fundamental level. He quickly found the most suitable method, almost tailor-made for him.
"As long as I'm alive, fluctuations in my consciousness are unavoidable."
"The Hill-Guarding Immortal watched the sea for a hundred epochs. No matter how many fortuitous encounters I have, my understanding of the Dao can never surpass his. Beings like the Black Heaven Healer, who can traverse possibilities and devour their counterparts, are also definitely above me. Disguising myself before them is incredibly difficult…"
"The only feasible method is to conceal the fluctuations caused by my divine sense within the larger picture. A single drop creates noticeable ripples in a small pond. But in a vast ocean, tiny fluctuations are practically undetectable."
"Conscious Soul Formation, Dao Net Projection!"
Li Fan's eyes gleamed. "The closer my projected Dao Net is to the true Great Dao of heaven and earth, the better my concealment. My current level…"
Ma Tiande deliberately focused his thoughts. Under the Hill-Guarding Immortal's gaze, most of his thoughts were captured.
"It seems I'm still far from concealing my thoughts from a transcendent being." Li Fan had a clear understanding of his true strength, so he wasn't discouraged.
He refocused on Qian Ruochang and the Nothingness Immortal's thoughts. Unlike the continuous images he could capture from ordinary minds, his glimpses into these two were intermittent.
Qian Ruochang was thinking about True Immortals whose power, he speculated, matched the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections. He didn't know their appearances or names, only their titles and deeds. He had never met them, only heard of them in the Immortal Hunters' top-secret list.
The three figures he was most certain about appeared most clearly in Li Fan's vision.
The first was "Beneficence." This True Immortal could conceptually twist any harmful actions against the Shuo Star Sea into beneficial ones. He was active at the beginning of the conflict between the Immortal Hunters and the True Immortals.
Every defeat suffered by the Immortal Hunters was twisted into a victory, blinding them to the true danger and fueling their optimism. They were baffled by the deteriorating situation in the Shuo Star Sea. Despite all indicators being positive, reality worsened, until they were left with only a small territory.
Only at the last moment were they awakened.
Beneficence's power wasn't limited to manipulating the overall situation. He posed an extreme threat individually. After his attempt to twist the overall concept failed, he infiltrated the Immortal Hunters, attempting to end the conflict single-handedly. Even as he slaughtered their loved ones before their eyes, the Immortal Hunters, influenced by his Dao of Beneficence, felt no anger, only excitement and cheers, as if the killings were a blessing, a liberation.
He moved through them like a phantom, slaughtering at will. If not stopped at the last moment, the Shuo Star Sea might have been completely eradicated.
…
Li Fan frowned.
"This Beneficence True Immortal is truly terrifying. Even more overbearing than Legacy Transmitter Jiang's 'All Things Are Me' characteristic. At least, if 'I' were slaughtering loved ones, I would instinctively resist. But under Beneficence's influence, one would only applaud with a smile."
"Every time Qian Ruochang thinks about him, his mental fluctuations are so intense. Clearly, this Beneficence has left a deep scar on the Immortal Hunters."
"Although powerful, the being who twice intervened and countered Beneficence's power seems even stronger. However, this individual is like a censored figure. Every time Qian Ruochang thinks about him, he subconsciously skips over it. I can't get any useful information."
"Judging from this power, could it be the giant hand that constructed the Dao Net?"
Li Fan moved on to the next True Immortal. This one cultivated the Dao of Chaos. The Immortal Hunters relied heavily on the Dao Net for their power. This True Immortal's Dao of Chaos could disrupt the Great Dao of heaven and earth, reverting it to the primordial state of undifferentiated chaos.
Wherever he went, the Immortal Hunters' power was greatly diminished. Perhaps due to the immense collateral damage his actions caused, even the True Immortal faction was wary. He rarely appeared, but each appearance caused significant problems for the Immortal Hunters.
As for the last True Immortal in Qian Ruochang's mind…
"Is this the one who created the Upstream Ark?" Li Fan was slightly startled.
The Upstream Ark was a creation even more powerful than the World Crossing Profound Coffin, capable of traveling back in time. Qian Ruochang's thoughts about this True Immortal were scarce, fleeting glimpses.
The moment Li Fan caught these thoughts, he instinctively had Li Buren draw upon more of the projections' power. The brief surge was enough to reveal more. The Immortal Hunter's referred to this creator of the Upstream Ark, only as "Inverse."
Whether Inverse himself used the ark to travel to the past after creating it remained a mystery, lost along with the disappearance of those ancient True Immortals. However, based on various clues, the Immortal Hunters believed this True Immortal, who seemingly controlled the power of time reversal, might still be alive. After the Dao Net's expansion and the Immortal Hunters' counteroffensive, the True Immortal faction gradually lost ground. However, whenever they were on the verge of defeat, they would miraculously escape.
Having ruled out the possibility of an inside agent, and with other supporting evidence, the Immortal Hunters now firmly believed in the existence of this Inverse Immortal.
…
"Inverse."
If there was any Dao law that still interested Li Fan, who possessed True Return, it was the power to reverse time. How did it differ from True Return's transformation of true and false? More importantly, if he mastered it, could he return to a year ago, resetting the anchor point?
Unfortunately, this Inverse Immortal was truly enigmatic. Even the Immortal Hunters could only infer his existence from circumstantial evidence.
Compared to Qian Ruochang's speculations, the Nothingness Immortal's thoughts were much simpler, all pointing to one possibility: the Dao Inscription Immortal!
From the images flashing through his mind, the Nothingness Immortal had seen the original Dao Scripture written by the Dao Inscription Immortal when the Immortal Realm still existed. He understood the Dao Inscription Immortal's immense power. Thus, when he himself, after achieving considerable power, was easily suppressed, his first thought was that it was the Dao Inscription Immortal.
"This Nothingness Immortal has also heard rumors of the Dao Inscription Immortal's death."
"But he clearly doesn't believe them."
"Interestingly, he also knows of the Hill-Guarding Immortal. As for why he didn't suspect him…"
"Even with his immense power, the Hill-Guarding Immortal wouldn't treat the weak so cruelly."
Li Fan shook his head slightly. Peering into the minds of True Immortals gave him a taste of ultimate power, but it wasn't without side effects. The ancient aura of the mountains and seas intensified around Li Buren. The countless square spaces, including the Dark Star Sea, rumbled faintly, like a sign of an impending tide.
With the omnipresent awareness of the Blissful Ignorance Dreamland, Li Fan even sensed a wisp of Dao Obliteration black Qi appearing in the Dark Star Sea.
"The Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections are like a dam holding back a flood. Now that I've used a small portion of their power, the floodwater is inevitably seeping through."
Li Fan had anticipated this, but he hadn't expected the Dao Obliteration to arrive so quickly. With a thought, Li Buren leaped out of the armchair, his body trembling as he tried to break free from the aura of the mountains and seas, minimizing the influence of the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections.
Without their suppression, Qian Ruochang and the Nothingness Immortal could move again. However, they didn't leave immediately. Looking at Ma Tiande's enigmatic smile, they instinctively felt apprehensive. After hesitating, they bowed respectfully, believing that the being who could instantly subdue them wouldn't be toying with them without reason.
Meanwhile, Qian Ruochang looked at this "newly ascended Immortal" with a strange glint in his eyes. "His body must be under someone else's control."
"Can this World Crossing Profound Coffin truly traverse worlds?" Li Fan, controlling Ma Tiande's body, asked directly.
Qian Ruochang and the Nothingness Immortal were momentarily stunned.
"It can indeed traverse worlds," Qian Ruochang confirmed.
The Nothingness Immortal added, "It's said this coffin was crafted from the remains of a transcendent being, allowing it to cross the Infinite Sea and reach the other shore. That's why I risked entering it."
"I didn't expect it to be a trap."
Qian Ruochang sneered, "It wasn't a trap. If you hadn't appeared, I would have truly escaped."
Li Fan didn't comment on their argument. Even without peering into their minds, he could see the disappointment in the Nothingness Immortal's eyes. He must have somehow determined that Li Fan, in this guise, wasn't the Dao Inscription Immortal.
Ignoring their thoughts, Li Fan imitated the Hill-Guarding Immortal's posture, clasping his hands behind his back and sighing.
"With the calamity upon us, where is truly safe?"
"Traversing worlds, traversing worlds… it's just self-deception, moving from one puddle to another."
Qian Ruochang and the Nothingness Immortal didn't seem surprised by his words.
"We will eventually find the true other shore," the Nothingness Immortal said enigmatically.
"Indeed. Unfortunately, we only have seven million years left. It might not be enough." Li Fan played along.
He had Li Buren utilize the Hill-Guarding Immortal's power again, casually waving his hand to store the World Crossing Profound Coffin. Qian Ruochang and the Nothingness Immortal dared not react.
From their words, Li Fan suspected that the Shuo Star Sea and the True Immortals might know more about the calamity, but perhaps not the exact timeframe. As expected, the mention of "seven million years" shocked them.
(End of chapter)