"With the strength of a single person, comprehending the Three Thousand Great Daos. The Grand Magus's ambition mirrors my own."
Li Buren looked around in surprise and confusion. Within the Grand Magus was the myriad forms of sentient beings, the manifestations of countless Great Daos. Each copied being served as a vessel for a Dao.
Looking at the countless faces, Li Buren felt like he was within the Dao Net. Conceptually, the Grand Magus alone was equivalent to a "Dao Net." However, both the depth of Dao comprehension and the number of Dao laws were far inferior to the Dao Net Li Fan had seen in the Shuo Star Sea.
"These Dao paths manifest through different beings, but…"
Li Buren's gaze shifted from Lan Yu to another ordinary mortal from Daoyuan Prefecture, whose aura was connected to the Dao of Painting. The intensity of the fluctuations was far beyond what a mortal could possess!
"The shadows copied by the Grand Magus possess a deeper understanding of the Dao than their originals…"
Li Buren looked towards the focal point of these shadows' gazes: the Illusory Creation projection. He instantly understood.
"I see. The Illusory Creation projection, the epitome of change, not only adapts to circumstances but also reacts differently to every being it encounters."
When the Ten Immortal Sects entered Tiandu and saw the projection, each saw and heard different techniques, all seemingly related to their own cultivation, like personalized guidance. This led them to believe the Grand Magus was from the Immortal Realm, imparting Immortal techniques.
"The Immortal Realm… wouldn't bother with mortal techniques. The true inheritances of the Ten Immortal Sects are far inferior to true Immortal methods!"
"They never imagined that this 'inheritance' was just the Illusory Creation projection's reflection of their own Daos, like a mirror!"
"The Grand Magus brought them before the projection and periodically froze the beings in Daoyuan Prefecture to capture these reflected Dao images."
Li Buren looked at the Grand Magus with newfound respect. Having obtained a treasure leading directly to the Unnamed realm, he didn't use it for his own ascension like the Hunger Immortal, but as a tool to comprehend all Great Daos…
And he was still only a Half-Immortal. Such ambition seemed incredibly arrogant and foolish. But Li Buren knew that the Grand Magus, despite possessing such a treasure, had resisted the temptation, patiently cultivating for millennia. He was no fool.
"He must have his reasons."
Instead of questioning him, Li Buren observed the countless Dao paths the Grand Magus had accumulated through the Illusory Creation projection, a rare smile appearing on his face.
"Insufficient strength. He's just preparing a feast for others."
"I'll gladly accept this generous gift."
A tide of ink surged from Li Buren, its tendrils tainting the countless Dao images within the Grand Magus. As Li Buren suspected, each figure contained the understanding of a different Dao path, like ripe fruits, incredibly tempting to a cultivator. He mercilessly claimed them all.
Within Li Fan's main body, different droplets began to appear in the vast ocean of the Ink Slaughter Immortal Soul, just like when Ink Slaughter tainted the Xuanhuang World.
The Grand Magus's millennia of comprehension, combined with Li Fan's own insights from countless reincarnations, caused countless ink droplets, representing various Dao paths, to separate from the Ink Slaughter Immortal Soul. Myriad forms of life emerged, bringing vitality to the Ink Slaughter Immortal Soul and providing pathways for its transformation into different Daos.
Sensing the changes within him, Li Fan willed a pulsating, black-edged red flame into his palm.
"Ink Slaughter as the core, Red Flame as the form."
"This flame…" He flicked his finger, and the black flame shot out of the Xuanhuang World, colliding with the Hunger Immortal pillar in the Dark Star Sea.
There was no reaction. The pillar, formed from an Unnamed True Immortal and capable of resisting Dao Obliteration, remained unmoved. Li Fan, still a Half-Immortal, couldn't harm it, even with the unique power of Ink Slaughter.
Unfazed, Li Fan raised an eyebrow, sensing the faint scorch mark on the pillar.
"Even the powerful repulsive force of an Unnamed True Immortal merged with a Dao couldn't completely repel Ink Slaughter."
"And the corrosion continues through that mark, albeit slowly but persistently."
"Given enough time, even this towering pillar might be pierced."
"And this is just the beginning…" Li Fan had a feeling that as he assimilated more Dao paths, Ink Slaughter's corrosive power would increase.
"It's like the different Dao paths share some common ground. The more paths I corrode, the more commonalities I grasp."
"With this as a key, I will be unstoppable."
Li Fan's idea of using Ink Slaughter to assimilate the Three Thousand Great Daos took root, nurtured not just by his own accumulation, but also by the Grand Magus's millennia of effort.
As the ink completely consumed the Grand Magus's inner world, Li Fan noticed a peculiarity in his cultivation. Unlike the Dao Net's structure of countless parallel nodes, the Grand Magus was still the core, surrounded and protected by the myriad Dao images, like an emperor worshipped by the heavens!
However, with Li Fan's intervention, this emperor was now alone. Li Buren confronted the true Grand Magus, who, surrounded by countless versions of himself, remained surprisingly calm, neither panicked nor enraged.
The child-like Daoist calmly calculated with his fingers. Finally, seemingly reaching no conclusion, he shook his head and gave up, asking softly, "From where does Fellow Daoist come?"
"Naturally, from where I came from," Li Buren replied coldly.
Seeing Li Buren's unwillingness to reveal his origin, the Grand Magus didn't press further, instead offering a bargain. "I'll hand over the Taiyi Projection and you let me go. How about that?"
"Taiyi?" Li Buren pondered briefly, then replied coldly, "If I kill you, this Illusory Creation projection will be mine anyway."
The Grand Magus sighed, not at the threat, but at the different name for the projection. "So you see it as Illusory Creation."
"There's no difference."
The Grand Magus shook his head. "Before the birth of heaven and earth, within the primordial chaos, Taiyi first emerged."
"Then came the myriad things."
"Taiyi is the ultimate force of change. If Taiyi remained Taiyi, the world wouldn't be in its current state."
"The Great Dao itself is declining. Taiyi transforming into Illusory Creation… hehe, I was misled."
Li Buren listened to this cryptic talk, his eyes narrowed.
"Even if the Great Dao weren't declining, even with the true Dao of Taiyi before you, what can you, a mere Half-Immortal, do?"
Seeing Li Buren's hesitation, the Grand Magus, relishing his remaining moments, continued, "Fellow Daoist, you misunderstand. The Dao of Taiyi already has a master, my teacher."
"Although my master has departed, leaving only a remnant projection, it's not something I can covet. I merely use his power to comprehend the Dao."
"You think I won't refine you just because you fabricated a master?" Li Buren scoffed.
The Grand Magus chuckled, pointing at his Daoist robe. "I've worn these Daoist robes for eons, since serving my master. There's no fabrication."
"Believe it or not, there's no need to worry. Even if you kill me, my master won't intervene. He left behind a projection to support the collapsing Immortal Realm. Unfortunately, before I could deliver it, entire Immortal Domains were consumed by Dao Obliteration. Seeing his projection, I was tempted…"
"A transcendent being can't even control his own projection? Such a lie is beneath you."
The Grand Magus glanced at Li Buren, his tone enigmatic. "When I say my master departed, I mean he perished, not transcended. Although he possessed heaven-defying power, having chosen death, he left no lingering consciousness."
Li Buren was speechless. This was unexpected.
"Merged with Taiyi, yet so easily perished?" He sounded disbelieving.
"Easily… hehehe."
The Grand Magus chuckled without answering, changing the subject. "Indeed, if my master wanted to live, he could have found a way. But he simply didn't want to!"
"Who would want him dead more than me? After all, while he lived, even the ruling Immortal Emperor treated me with respect."
"But once he died…" A sinister smile twisted his face.
"So your master was among the strongest in the Immortal Realm. How did he compare to the Hill-Guarding Immortal?" Ignoring his expression, Li Buren asked.
"The Hill-Guarding Immortal." The name snapped the Grand Magus out of his resentment. After a moment of silence, he replied slowly, "My master never met the Hill-Guarding Immortal."
"My master was a renowned figure, while the Hill-Guarding Immortal rose from obscurity."
"I once asked my master about him, and he said…" The Grand Magus paused dramatically.
Li Buren, surprisingly patient, simply waited. After a moment of silence, the Grand Magus continued, "He only said five words: 'Strength without responsibility is greater.' I don't know what he meant."
"He never mentioned the Hill-Guarding Immortal again until his death."
Li Buren pondered the words "Strength without responsibility is greater." After a while, he asked, "How many others like your master were there in the Immortal Realm?"
The Grand Magus's expression turned nostalgic. "Only three others in the entire Immortal Realm could discuss the Dao with my master as equals."
"Of course, this excludes the Hill-Guarding Immortal."
"Sometimes my master would travel alone, sometimes he would take me with him."
"I remember once asking him who was the strongest among the Four Sage Monarchs. He didn't answer, just smiled and tapped my forehead, saying…"
"I don't know who is strongest, but if you ask who bears the greatest burden, it's definitely the Linking Mountains and Returning Seas Sage Monarchs."
"Then he burst into laughter, as if recalling something amusing."
Hearing "Linking Mountains" and "Returning Seas," Li Buren immediately thought of the mountains and seas the Hill-Guarding Immortal had observed.
"What about Linking Mountains and Returning Seas…?" he asked.
The Grand Magus snapped out of his reverie, staring at Li Buren. After a moment of silence, he answered, "Linking Mountains, the first Immortal."
"Returning Seas, the one who opened the Infinite Spring."
"It can be said that these two Sage Monarchs created the ancient golden age of the Immortal Realm." His solemn tone revealed his reverence for them.
These few words struck Li Buren like thunder. They were easy to understand. Linking Mountains was the first Immortal. Returning Seas was the one who found a way to connect to the Infinite Sea, making Immortal power limitless.
Someone who had seen and utilized the power of the Infinite Sea must possess unimaginable strength. The name "Linking Mountains," connected to the "mountain" opposing the Infinite Sea, was intriguing.
"Perhaps the mountain represents the origin, the foundation of Immortal power," Li Buren thought rapidly. The Grand Magus's background was far more significant than he had imagined.
"Besides the Taiyi, Linking Mountains, and Returning Seas Sage Monarchs, who was the fourth?" Li Buren continued his questioning.
"The fourth one…" The Grand Magus hesitated, then shook his head.
"I can't say."
"My master, Linking Mountains, and Returning Seas have all perished. Only this Sage Monarch remains."
"Mentioning his name might alert him."
(End of chapter)