"Seize any weakness, relentlessly attacking until annihilation."
"If unsuccessful, retreat temporarily and gather strength…" Li Buren recalled his confrontation with the Dao Obliteration tide.
Like creatures sensing an approaching storm, the premonition of the Dao Obliteration tide seemed ingrained in a being's instincts. It was only long after the tide receded that the unease in Li Buren's heart completely dissipated.
He looked at the newly formed Heavenly Pillar in the Dark Star Sea. Unlike the fragmented structure formed by the two Primordial bones, this pillar was formed from a true Unnamed True Immortal.
With its appearance, the sky seemed higher, and the world safer. The oppressive atmosphere vanished, replaced by a sense of tranquility, like the legendary Immortal Realm.
"Of course, it can't compare to the true Immortal Realm, powered by the Infinite Sea. But calling this place an Immortal Domain wouldn't be an exaggeration."
The world felt vast and boundless, the Great Dao clearer. More importantly, this Dark Star Sea within the wall now housed three powerful forces: the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections, the Primordial bone, and the Hunger Immortal pillar. While the projections affected the entire testing ground, the other two were unique to the Dark Star Sea.
Each enhanced the Star Sea's potential. Together, they elevated the Dark Star Sea, allowing it to temporarily overlook the Dao Obliteration tide below.
"Living here, one's potential far surpasses other places. Simply put, everyone here is naturally gifted, perfect candidates for cultivation. Moreover, as survivors of the Dao Obliteration Calamity, those who can cultivate here are already exceptionally talented…"
Li Buren mused, "The Dark Star Sea is like a sacred ground, a cultivation paradise from ancient legends. Regardless of their current strength, everyone who emerges from here possesses extraordinary talent."
"If the path to immortality wasn't severed, and without the interference of the Ascension Platform's Guardian Immortal Official, perhaps the entire realm could ascend."
"What a pity…"
"Now, it's just a small island, a lone boat, amidst the world-ending tide."
The convergence of these three forces, each comparable to an Unnamed True Immortal, was only possible through Li Fan's meticulous planning and information gathering across reincarnations. The Dark Star Sea could now be considered the safest place in the entire original possibility. Even if the entire possibility were consumed by Dao Obliteration, it could endure for a while as a lone island.
This reassured Li Fan, whose base was in the Dark Star Sea. He felt like he was in a secure bunker amidst an apocalypse, safe from the outside devastation.
While Li Fan's main body relaxed, Li Buren quickly shifted his focus to assessing the gains from turning the Hunger Immortal into a pillar.
"Previously, I could freely utilize the equivalent of one and one-third Primordial bones' power without side effects."
"And after suppressing the Hunger Immortal…"
"The gain isn't equivalent to a full Unnamed True Immortal, but less the remnants of the previous Hunger Immortal."
"Roughly two and a half Primordial bones' worth."
This wasn't surprising. Although the Primordial bone, connected to the origin of all Daos, was powerful, it was only two fragments, not a complete entity. Even so, it was almost comparable to the newly ascended Hunger Immortal's power, a testament to its strength in its prime.
"Judging from the Hunger Immortal's performance in battle, she could still put up a fight against the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections, even devouring the mountains and seas. Even as a newly ascended Unnamed True Immortal, she was definitely not weak. And I can now freely utilize the power equivalent to two Unnamed True Immortals…"
"I'm practically invincible in this Star Sea."
Although it was borrowed power, Li Fan couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
"With the Immortal Realm destroyed and the Immortals scattered, this power is practically unmatched."
"Unfortunately, it's limited to the vicinity of the wall."
"However, I can repeat this process, capturing and suppressing other Unnamed True Immortals to further unlock the Hill-Guarding Immortal's power. The limit is all five projections under my control!"
"That's the power that resisted the Dao Obliteration tide during the Immortal Realm's destruction…" Li Fan's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
However, he wasn't blinded by this immense power. It was borrowed, not truly his.
"But it can still serve as my tool."
Successfully suppressing the Unnamed Hunger Immortal confirmed the extent of the power he could wield. He no longer needed to be so cautious.
"Finally, I can deal with those blind spots in the Dark Star Sea and the Xuanhuang World." A sharp glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
Before acting, he carefully observed the Primordial bone and the Hunger Immortal pillar in the starry sky. Although both served as pillars against Dao Obliteration, they behaved differently. The Primordial bone, already part of the Wordless Stele and the Southern Immortal Heavenly Pillar, seemed resigned or perhaps tamed, silently bearing the burden, its aura completely contained, appearing like an ordinary broken stone.
The Hunger Immortal pillar, however, was forcibly restrained. Her consciousness remained. Li Fan could sense her immense resentment and hear her curses. Unfazed, he observed with a faint smile, extending a wisp of his divine sense towards the pillar.
Boom!
His divine sense trembled, and the Dao of Hunger, stretching across heaven and earth, appeared vividly before him. As if all her secrets were laid bare, the Hunger Immortal, trapped within the pillar, was momentarily stunned, then erupted in even more furious curses.
However, this was all she could do. She couldn't stop Li Fan.
"Although I can see the Dao, I can't comprehend it."
"The Dao of Hunger has been claimed, seemingly vanishing from this world."
"How can I comprehend something that belongs to another?" Li Fan sighed.
He wasn't just lamenting the loss of the Dao of Hunger, but the countless missing Daos in this world after the Immortal Realm's destruction and the Immortals' escape.
"Just like my projected divine sense only reflects a small part of the Dao Net, only fragments of the Dao remain in this original possibility…"
"The Dao is incomplete, the world imperfect."
"Even so, the world I see is magnificent. I can't imagine what a truly complete world would be like…"
This was a common fantasy among cultivators. Li Fan was no exception. He was lost in thought before the Hunger Immortal pillar.
After a long while, his yearning turned into determination.
"One day, I will see a complete world."
"One day."
Besides the Dao of Hunger, Li Fan could faintly see glimpses of the Hunger Immortal's past. However, because of her ascension, her memories were now enveloped by the Dao of Hunger, like a protective layer.
Without destroying the pillar, Li Fan couldn't access them all at once. He had to slowly peel back the layers, struggling against both the Dao of Hunger and the Hunger Immortal's resisting consciousness, which was even more intense than during her fight against Li Buren.
"You reap what you sow!" Li Fan snorted, pressing further, breaking through the Dao of Hunger's defenses and glimpsing a fragment of the Hunger Immortal's past, seemingly from her childhood, before she became a True Immortal.
The Hunger Immortal wasn't an ascendant. She was born in the Immortal Realm, a servant of a True Immortal. Although a servant, she had never met her "master." Immortal Realm resources were limitless, and servants didn't need to offer tribute. The Hunger Immortal heard that her master disliked company, preferring solitude. Although they were created and bestowed upon him, he never acknowledged them, simply placing them within his domain.
Such a master was a blessing for servants, who lived freely under his protection. However, this carefree life didn't last.
One day, the young Hunger Immortal witnessed the world-ending Dao Obliteration Calamity. Her home, the Youming Immortal Domain, her master's territory, was instantly destroyed. If not for her reclusive master's intervention at the last moment, she would have perished.
"Carefree and unburdened…"
"Hmph!"
The Hunger Immortal only remembered her master scoffing as he rescued them and watched the Immortal Domain crumble. He then faded away. She never saw him again.
It was only then that she learned his name: Wuwei (Inaction).
…
The moment Li Fan saw this name in her memories, he felt like he had touched a forbidden truth, met with fierce resistance from the Hunger Immortal. Even the pillar trembled, forcefully ejecting his consciousness.
Since he had plenty of time, Li Fan didn't force it, letting the Hunger Immortal calm down.
"Immortal Wuwei…" His expression turned serious as he recalled what he had seen.
Although not as calm and composed as the Hill-Guarding Immortal, and facing a less devastating Dao Obliteration tide, it was still the Dao Obliteration Calamity! Having recently encountered it, Li Fan knew its terror.
"To have the strength to rescue his servants and escape amidst the Dao Obliteration Calamity…"
"This Immortal Wuwei is powerful. The young Hunger Immortal's memories are blurry. I don't know if he was of the Unnamed realm."
Li Fan wondered this because the Unnamed True Immortals he had encountered possessed a unique quality, standing alone, merged with the Dao. Immortal Wuwei didn't give him that feeling. However, without achieving the Unnamed realm, how could one resist the Dao Obliteration Calamity?
"Perhaps he was bestowed the title… Interesting."
Thinking about the countless figures in Immortal Realm history, either perished in the calamity or fleeing, Li Fan felt a surge of emotion.
"A declining world."
He could imagine that the possibilities where the Immortals had fled to were far more vibrant than this "original" possibility.
"Fortunately, I've confirmed that those who vanished from the original possibility might still exist in others."
"I might still meet them."
His recent encounters with beings and concepts like the Hill-Guarding Immortal, the Primordial Dao, and Immortal Wuwei had broadened his horizons, sparking a sense of excitement. It was like when he, having explored the entire Great Xuan, encountered two cultivators in his old age. Like discovering a vast hidden area in a game, he felt an instinctive urge to explore.
"Although I'm only a Half-Immortal now, one day, I will traverse possibilities and witness all these wonders."
"A true hero's mettle is tested in troubled times."
"The Immortals in other possibilities might be even more extraordinary than those in the original. Hehehe…" Li Fan mused.
He then focused on his avatar, Li Buren. After some calculations and adjustments, he could now control the Hill-Guarding Immortal's power with slightly more precision. His first target was the Grand Magus of Tiandu!
With a thought, Li Buren returned from the center of the Star Sea to Daoyuan Prefecture in the Xuanhuang World. The moment he entered, he felt a force retreating.
"Sorrow… Dao extinguished."
The faint chanting of the Grand Magus echoed from the Nine Heavens. Li Buren narrowed his eyes, noticing the two figures, one large, one small, trying to escape.
(End of chapter)