"The tide surges, promising world's end, and no one can escape."
"It's merely a matter of who dies first. In a sense, our fate is no different from those True Immortals who perished in the past." Li Fan, through Ma Tiande's body, let out a harsh, strange laugh, his eyes fixed on Qian Ruochang and the Nothingness Immortal, making them uneasy.
"I see brutal conflict and slaughter in your memories."
"I thought that with the Dao Obliteration Calamity reaching this stage, everyone would work together. But I didn't expect…"
"Hahaha!"
Ma Tiande looked coldly at the Nothingness Immortal. Even through a mortal's eyes, the gaze made the True Immortal's heart skip a beat. That look of disdain for all things, even for billions of True Immortals, couldn't be faked! He had witnessed a similar expression when Immortal Emperor Tianluo inspected the realms. Although the emperor smiled, his core exuded a lofty arrogance, identical to this mysterious senior's casual demeanor!
"Observing memories, I…" Recalling the senior's words, a bold conjecture arose in the Nothingness Immortal's mind.
"Not all ruling Immortal Emperors remained on the throne until their demise."
"Throughout history, a few abdicated, shedding their burdens and living in seclusion. They are known as the Hidden Emperors of the Immortal Realm."
"Could it be…?" As the Nothingness Immortal pondered, Ma Tiande spoke again.
"True Immortals, once at the pinnacle of existence, are now reduced to being hunted like prey."
"This is a disgrace."
"What use are they? Better to dismantle them and use them against Dao Obliteration. The pillars of this Star Region seem somewhat weakened."
As he spoke, the power of the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections descended again. The Nothingness Immortal's face paled. He felt an invisible hand gripping his Dao path, tearing at it.
Having cultivated the Dao of Solitude, he had largely separated himself from the other Dao paths. But now, this invisible hand was forcing him back! To him, the Great Dao was like a spiderweb. He had spent thirty thousand years meticulously severing his connections, only to be pulled back to the starting point!
Even if his understanding of the Dao of Solitude remained, escaping this tangled web would require at least a thousand years of painstaking effort.
What terrified him more was Ma Tiande's words, "Better to dismantle them and use them against Dao Obliteration." Although he hadn't reached the Unnamed realm, his unique Dao path, like a solitary pillar, could theoretically be used as a foundation against Dao Obliteration. Judging from his current predicament, this "Hidden Emperor" wasn't joking!
Feeling himself growing heavier as he was forced back into the embrace of the Great Dao, the Nothingness Immortal panicked. "Your Majesty, spare me! Please spare me!"
Hearing this, Qian Ruochang's expression changed. His previous guesses were overturned, and he became even more uncertain about the mysterious figure's identity.
"I've long since withdrawn from worldly affairs."
"I'm unworthy of being called 'Your Majesty.'"
"The Immortal Realm's destruction is the ruling Immortal Emperor's responsibility. Your Majesty…"
"Hmph!" The Nothingness Immortal's words seemed to further enrage the figure.
From Qian Ruochang's perspective, the previously blurry figure was now slowly solidifying, its form taking shape amidst distortions, not in normal colors, but in strange black and white shadows.
"Senior, please calm down! These crude Immortal bodies, even if sacrificed, are useless against Dao Obliteration."
"The Shuo Star Sea has captured several Unnamed True Immortals, not to resist the calamity, but to weave a Dao Net and hunt us…" The Nothingness Immortal quickly changed his tune as the pressure intensified.
Hearing this, the Hidden Emperor loosened his grip, but his voice remained cold. "No wonder you're losing. After fighting for so long, you don't even know the Dao Net's true purpose."
Ma Tiande glanced at Qian Ruochang, who felt his Dao Net avatar shuddering violently, his body of interwoven Dao strings threatening to unravel. Fortunately, the onslaught was brief. As the Hidden Emperor looked away, Qian Ruochang felt near collapse, but at least he was alive.
"Explain it to this fool." The cold voice commanded.
Qian Ruochang hesitated, but recalling his powerlessness and meeting the figure's cold gaze, he relented. "Hunting True Immortals strengthens the Dao Net. The Dao Net wasn't created for hunting. Don't overestimate yourselves and confuse cause and effect!"
"When the Immortal Realm was destroyed, countless True Immortals fled to the Lower Realm, seeking survival. Some willingly became pillars to resist the calamity. Others sought only to protect themselves."
"And some, in despair, sought to escape."
"They were the ones who proposed the 'Three Methods of Refuge': the World Crossing Profound Coffin, the Upstream Ark, and the ultimate method of transcendence…"
"They escaped, leaving behind a mess for us!" Qian Ruochang's voice was filled with resentment.
"Among those who fled were Unnamed True Immortals. If they had followed the normal path of transcendence, they would have left behind remnants, projections, or treasures containing their merged Dao, which could serve as support. But they didn't."
"It's not that they couldn't, but that they wouldn't!"
"This is just a discarded remnant of the starry sky!" Qian Ruochang glared at the Nothingness Immortal.
The Nothingness Immortal wanted to retort, but he couldn't. Strictly speaking, he was also among the abandoned.
"We, the forsaken, naturally seek our own salvation."
"Fortunately, not all ancient True Immortals were heartless. We joined forces, using Unnamed True Immortals as bones and True Immortals as strings, to weave this Dao Net, hoping to provide a sanctuary for living beings when the heavens fall!" Qian Ruochang declared proudly.
"A noble goal. Unfortunately, the net is too weak." Li Fan's sudden comment wasn't empty praise. Having seen the "mountain" that withstood the Infinite Sea for a hundred epochs in the Hill-Guarding Immortal's memories, this was his honest assessment of the "net" woven by the mortals of the Shuo Star Sea.
If the Shuo Star Sea Dao Net reached the wall, Li Fan could easily tear a hole in it using the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections. He could even dismantle the Unnamed True Immortal pillars at the Dao Net's core and use them to reinforce the wall.
The thought was tempting. With more Unnamed True Immortal pillars resisting Dao Obliteration, he could access more of the Hill-Guarding Immortal's power.
Qian Ruochang didn't dare argue with Li Fan's assessment, only saying gravely, "Although it can't withstand the eternal tide, it can provide a temporary refuge."
"It's better than doing nothing."
Li Fan wasn't angered, but rather approving. "If the ancient Immortal Realm still existed, I wouldn't mind allocating some resources to strengthen your Dao Net."
"Your method, although crude, is resourceful."
He had just glimpsed the Nothingness Immortal's suspicion about his Hidden Emperor identity, so he continued the charade, casually treating True Immortals like ants.
This further intimidated Qian Ruochang and the Nothingness Immortal. It wasn't just his words, but his demonstrated power to control them like toys that proved he wasn't exaggerating.
"I remember a Hidden Emperor who was similarly unpredictable and tyrannical."
"After his sudden abdication, the Immortal Domains celebrated."
Before the Nothingness Immortal could dwell on it, Li Fan asked, "I recall the Hill-Guarding Immortal imparting the Projection Dao Bearing technique before departing."
"Unfortunately, it's only suitable for the Unnamed realm. And not all Unnamed True Immortals can successfully leave behind Dao-bearing projections. This Dao Net is indeed more efficient."
Qian Ruochang didn't react to the mention of the Hill-Guarding Immortal, but the Nothingness Immortal trembled. He felt the Hidden Emperor's gaze upon him again.
"Perhaps the two methods can be combined."
"Only those in the Unnamed realm can bear the Dao because ordinary True Immortals lack sufficient comprehension. And True Immortals rarely share their insights. But now, there's this 'Dao Net.' Interesting…"
"Have you heard of the Projection Dao Bearing technique?"
The Nothingness Immortal shuddered and shook his head repeatedly. "I have, but I'm unworthy of the Hill-Guarding Immortal's inheritance."
"Then watch closely!"
Cracks appeared on Li Buren's body as the Immortal Domain fragments were crushed by immense pressure. His face resembled the Hill-Guarding Immortal's even more. Facing this crisis, Li Buren remained calm, like the Hill-Guarding Immortal facing the Dao Obliteration tide.
He retrieved one of the Immortal Domain chess pieces from the projection space to repair his body, simultaneously pouring his understanding of the Hill-Guarding Musings into the Nothingness Immortal. Although not directly from the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections, Shengde's insights were vast and profound. Even diluted by Li Fan, they were still an ocean beyond the comprehension of ordinary True Immortals.
Moreover, Li Buren's ability to absorb information, thanks to Conscious Soul Formation and Dao Net Projection, wasn't far inferior to an Unnamed True Immortal's. Furthermore, the transmission was empowered by the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections. Even if the Nothingness Immortal only grasped a fragment, he would attribute it to his own limitations, not the inheritance itself.
The awestruck, mesmerized expression on the Nothingness Immortal's face confirmed this.
(End of chapter)