Not only from Li Fan's own experiences across reincarnations, but also from glimpses into the minds of the evil Su Bai, True Return, and even the Infinite Sea, countless horrifying scenes of apocalyptic devastation unfolded before Situ Xing.
Even as a former Unnamed True Immortal, witnessing this hellish spectacle made him pale. He didn't avert his gaze, taking it all in. After a moment of silence, he spoke, his voice strained.
His beliefs remained unchanged. "All beings perish in Dao Obliteration. This is their inevitable fate. Born with the Dao, they perish with the Dao. No one is inherently responsible for another's life or death. Moreover, in the eyes of us True Immortals, these…"
"Most of them aren't even considered true 'living beings.'"
His voice, initially weak, grew stronger. Li Fan scoffed. "All these high-sounding words boil down to one thing: the weak have no right to exist. Today, you are the fish, and I am the knife. What do you have to say now that you're being sealed within a Heavenly Pillar?"
Situ Xing opened his mouth, but didn't contradict himself. "The strong prey on the weak. I have nothing to say. Being sealed is simply a testament to my inferior skill, my own tribulation."
"However, I advise you, Senior, that a few pillars can only provide temporary safety. To truly seek salvation, you must travel to the Other Shore. With your strength, it shouldn't be a problem…"
Before he could continue, the Great Dao tightened its grip, Li Fan giving him no further chance to argue. His body and mind, merged with the Dao, were frozen and sealed.
Besides the Primordial bone and the Hunger Immortal, another pillar now stood within the space. However, being formed from just the shadow of an Unnamed Immortal, it was noticeably weaker than the other two, unable to bear much of the Dao Obliteration pressure.
Li Fan still chose to seal Situ Xing, not because he feared this ancient Dharma King, this former Unnamed True Immortal who had descended, but to extract his memories, just like he had done with the Hunger Immortal.
In Li Fan's eyes, Situ Xing was even more valuable. The Hunger Immortal had spent her early life in the Immortal Realm as a servant of Wuwei (Inaction), while Situ Xing was the Ruling Celestial Chancellor of the Huangai Star Region. From his few words, it was clear he possessed vast knowledge of the Immortal Realm's secrets.
"Celestial Chancellor. The title suggests he was a ruler of an Immortal Domain. An Unnamed True Immortal is indeed qualified to rule. Although he claims his memories are fragmented due to the Dao Obliteration Calamity…"
"I'll be the judge of that."
If the Hunger Immortal's mind was a scattered light, then Situ Xing's was a brilliant pearl, his memories compressed into an incredibly dense point. To access them, Li Fan needed to crack its surface.
A master manipulator, he quickly found Situ Xing's weakness, sneering inwardly, "Despite his high-sounding words, his main body's demise in the Dao Obliteration Calamity clearly left a deep scar. I just need to exploit this…"
Li Fan formed hand seals. His avatar, Li Buren, acted in concert. Within the Dark Star Sea, the Hill-Guarding Immortal's projections, the Primordial bone, and the Hunger Immortal, all acting as pillars against Dao Obliteration, began to withdraw their power, as if forcing the newly arrived Situ Xing to bear the entire burden alone.
A collapsing building couldn't be supported by a single pillar, let alone against the world-ending Dao Obliteration Calamity. A faint rumbling, like an approaching tide, echoed from beyond. Wisps of Dao Obliteration black Qi appeared within the Dark Star Sea, which had just been nourished by the relatively complete Great Dao from the outside.
The revitalized Great Dao wavered. A sense of impending doom washed over the beings within the Star Sea. Although most were asleep in the Blissful Ignorance Dreamland within the Xuanhuang World, they still instinctively frowned in their sleep.
If even ordinary beings felt this unease, how much more so Situ Xing, who was "holding up the sky" for them? Having experienced the Dao Obliteration Calamity's terror, facing it again, this former Unnamed True Immortal who had descended, his previous composure gone, was broken.
He cried out in terror, his instinctive reaction no different from the mortals in Li Fan's apocalyptic visions.
"Unnamed True Immortal. Nothing more." Li Fan scoffed, looking at the panicked Situ Xing.
A single pillar formed from Situ Xing couldn't last long. Li Fan didn't want the Dao Obliteration Calamity to truly descend yet. Seizing this opportunity, he extended a wisp of his divine sense, slipping through the crack in Situ Xing's mental defenses.
Although not as overwhelming as True Return's thoughts, the flood of memories still felt like a raging storm. However, having experienced even greater storms, Li Fan quickly adapted.
"It seems Situ Xing wasn't lying."
"His mind is indeed fragmented."
Li Fan observed. Situ Xing's thoughts weren't continuous, but separated by dark voids exuding the aura of Dao Obliteration, resonating with the true Dao Obliteration outside and slowly expanding. Eventually, they would consume Situ Xing's mind completely.
"Even if his avatar escaped the Dao Obliteration Calamity, his mind is still being eroded. It's not just a physical attack, but also a mental one."
Li Fan carefully avoided these voids, focusing on the closest and most prominent memory: the most glorious moment of Situ Xing's life, a memory his avatar cherished even after his main body's demise: the moment he achieved the Unnamed realm!
Unlike the Hunger Immortal's lonely ascension, Situ Xing was surrounded by countless True Immortals offering congratulations. And in the distant sky, a towering figure stood amidst a crowd of Immortals.
"Congratulations, Situ!"
Amidst the cheers, Situ Xing bowed deeply towards the distant figure.
"Bestowed the Huangai Star Region."
"Bestowed a Primordial Heavenly Treasure."
"Bestowed one hundred thousand Immortal servants."
…
Voices echoed. Situ Xing's mind surged with excitement under everyone's gaze.
(End of Chapter)
Translator's Note: Translation is not a problem, this chapter is really short.