Facing Li Buren's sudden attack, the Unnamed One [Rock Solid]'s eyes flashed with an earthy yellow light. Despite being imprisoned within the Dao Net for tens of thousands of years, he remained unfazed.
He stomped his feet, and his figure instantly transformed into a towering mountain, standing firm between heaven and earth.
Li Buren's Myriad Manifestations Dao Net, as if suddenly grasped by a giant hand, became momentarily immobile.
The vast mountain range formed by Rock Solid proved incredibly resilient. Even with the Boundless power surging within the Dao Net, it couldn't be easily dispelled.
Undeterred, Li Buren swung the Boundless Rod at the ancient Rock Solid.
This situation was within Li Fan's expectations. Although he had comprehended the Boundless Great Dao for a century, he hadn't fully embodied it. Against truly powerful Unnamed True Immortals, achieving instant dominance was difficult.
This was why he had brought the Boundless Heavenly Pillar.
Although Rock Solid was ancient and unyielding, he was still no match for the true Boundless Great Dao. The Boundless Rod pierced the heart of the mountain, and the solid rock crumbled like tofu.
The earthy yellow light in Rock Solid's eyes flickered and died, replaced by astonishment.
"This Rock Solid's Dao Manifestation seems to be imitating [Upper Mountain]."
After suppressing and sending this Unnamed One back to the Great Wall, Li Buren, pondering the Dao he had just glimpsed, proceeded to the third Heavenly Pillar.
With the two treasures in hand, Li Buren encountered no significant resistance, successfully capturing the third Unnamed True Immortal sealed within the Dao Net: [Silence].
Three of the four pillars were now gone.
The Shuo Star Sea's Dao Net had lost most of its anchor points, its suppressive power greatly diminished. Chaos and Transformation could now move freely within it without significant hindrance.
The weakening of the Dao Net caused subtle changes within the Shuo Star Sea's star region.
Under the constant threat of the Dao Obliteration Calamity, the Dao Net, like interconnected pillars, supported the crumbling heavens. Now, with three pillars abruptly removed by Li Fan, although the star region within the Great Wall became more stable, the Shuo Star Sea outside was undoubtedly teetering on the brink of collapse.
Although life within the Star Sea persisted for now, a shadow seemed to have fallen upon it. Muffled rumbles, like a distant mountain collapsing into the sea, echoed intermittently.
Chaos and Transformation were familiar with these signs.
The memories were deeply ingrained, triggering instinctive unease and fear.
Li Buren, ignoring their emotions, faithfully executed Li Fan's orders, proceeding to the location of the last imprisoned Unnamed One.
Chaos and Transformation followed, unable to help but voice their concerns: "Something feels wrong. This operation has been too smooth."
"The Dao Net is about to collapse, yet the [Great Net] hasn't appeared. Where is he?"
"He wouldn't simply flee. The Dao Net is his life's work. He wouldn't abandon it so easily. Unless… his current objective is even more important than the Dao Net?"
A thought arose in the minds of the two Unnamed Ones.
Li Buren seemed to have guessed their thoughts. He paused momentarily but continued onward.
There were no more Immortal Hunters guarding the last Dao Net pillar.
The area was eerily silent. The lone remaining pillar barely supported the surrounding collapsing Dao strings.
Once this last pillar was removed, the Shuo Star Sea's Dao Net would cease to exist.
Li Buren repeated his previous tactic, using the Boundless Rod to dispel the Dao Net's remaining defenses.
A gaunt figure appeared before him.
He seemed to have endured unimaginable torment and the longest imprisonment.
This last Unnamed One sat cross-legged, his head bowed, his clothes ragged.
Compared to the previous three, he appeared utterly wretched.
Li Buren sensed that the Dao Net was extracting even more Dao from this individual than from the other three Unnamed Ones combined.
He alone seemed to be bearing the combined pressure of all the other Dao Net pillars!
His body was riddled with Dao strings, a horrifying sight.
"Do you recognize him?" Li Buren suddenly asked the two Unnamed Ones behind him.
Chaos and Transformation examined the figure carefully and shook their heads.
"The Immortal Realm is vast, and there are countless Unnamed Ones. It's normal for us not to know them all," Transformation explained.
Li Buren pondered, observing the prisoner, but didn't immediately attempt a rescue.
With his current understanding of the Dao, he could discern the Dao Paths of the previous three Unnamed Ones with a single glance.
Fortune, Rock Solid, Silence…
Although these Daos were embodied by the Unnamed Ones, since they hadn't achieved Transcendence, they still left traces within the world. Li Fan relied on these traces to glimpse into their Dao Paths.
But this individual before him was a complete unknown.
A completely foreign, unfamiliar Dao Path.
"Could it be… from another possibility? Or…"
Despite his doubts, with the two treasures in hand, Li Buren wasn't overly concerned.
Cautiously, he swung the Boundless Rod.
The remaining Dao strings binding the prisoner dissolved.
Just as the prisoner was freed and the Dao Net was about to completely collapse…
A pale, withered hand suddenly grasped the Boundless Rod.
The dissipated Dao strings abruptly surged from the prisoner's body.
Although mentally prepared, Li Buren's heart skipped a beat. He tried to retract the Boundless Rod, but it was firmly stuck in the prisoner's grasp.
No matter how hard he tried, the Boundless Rod wouldn't budge!
Li Buren noticed that traces of the Boundless aura began to emanate from the prisoner as he held the rod.
A sense of foreboding washed over him.
At that moment, the last Unnamed True Immortal abruptly opened his eyes.
"Young friend, why do you destroy my Dao Net?"
…
Not long ago, within the Great Wall…
Li Fan, observing Li Buren's actions, suddenly felt a wave of unease. Startled, he carefully examined the source of this feeling.
Since embarking on his path of reincarnation and cultivation, his intuition had saved him countless times.
Although he still didn't know the origin of this unerring intuition, he had come to accept it as a unique talent, like his infinitely reducible spirituality.
His intuition warned him of danger, and there was always a reason.
Li Fan's thoughts raced, and he quickly identified the source among countless possibilities.
"[Great Net]?"
"The Dao Net is being destroyed, yet he hasn't reacted. Is he coming directly for me?"
Li Fan found the idea absurd.
Although Li Buren had taken the Boundless Rod and the Dao Sword and Dao Knife, within the Great Wall, Li Fan was practically invincible.
He had the support of five Keeper Qiu projections and the entire population of the Primordial Immortal Realm as his soldiers.
Unless the Great Net was a Transcendent powerhouse among the Unnamed Ones, Li Fan had nothing to fear.
"This warning from my intuition is different. It's not a life-threatening crisis, but there's definitely a potential threat."
"This means that the Great Net's power shouldn't be underestimated."
After careful consideration, Li Fan decided against immediately returning to the True Return.
He would meet this mysterious Unnamed One first.
As he pondered, Li Buren reached the last prisoner.
And when the gaunt old man uttered the words, "Young friend, why do you destroy my Dao Net?", a blue figure appeared like a ghost within the Primordial Immortal Realm, without warning.
It immediately locked onto Li Fan's location.
They were only a thousand meters apart.
The Primordial Immortal Realm was under Li Fan's complete control. He naturally sensed this intruder immediately.
And that's why he was so shocked.
This blue figure was undoubtedly the [Great Net].
But Li Fan had no idea how he had appeared within the Great Wall.
With the Great Wall's concealment, any True Immortal attempting to cross would trigger fluctuations that would alert Li Fan. After all, he was now considered a partial inheritor of Keeper Qiu, possessing authority over a large section of the Testing Grounds.
Yet, the blue Great Net had completely bypassed these rules.
"How…"
Li Fan stared at the figure before him. Without hesitation, he unleashed his full power.
The Keeper Qiu projections, the sealed Heavenly Pillars, even his own Myriad Manifestations Dao Net.
He intended to instantly suppress the Unnamed One Great Net.
The Dark Star Sea churned like a stormy ocean. Within the Primordial Immortal Realm, the sky changed color, and the heavens cracked.
The Grand Emperors and Venerables, alerted by the commotion, noticed the two figures confronting each other.
Seeing someone dare challenge the authority of their creator god, the inhabitants of the Primordial Immortal Realm were enraged.
They transformed into streaks of light, descending like a dark cloud behind Li Fan, glaring at the blue figure, ready to tear him to shreds at Li Fan's command.
However, beneath his stern exterior, Li Fan's heart was in turmoil.
He discovered that the power of the Keeper Qiu projections…
…was no longer accessible!
It wasn't that the five Keeper Qiu projections within the Great Wall had lost their power.
But Li Fan could no longer draw upon it!
In an instant, his greatest advantage had vanished.
"Could this Great Net be… Keeper Qiu?"
This thought made Li Fan's heart pound.
He was currently no match for Keeper Qiu.
"No. The Great Net's performance is far inferior to the legendary Keeper Qiu."
"He's been locked in a stalemate with a group of weakened Unnamed Ones for tens of thousands of years."
"He can't possibly be Keeper Qiu himself."
Li Fan quickly calmed down, analyzing the cause of this bizarre phenomenon.
"He's seized control of the Keeper Qiu projections."
"He can freely traverse the Great Wall."
Li Fan's eyes narrowed. He had an answer.
"This Great Net, like me, originated from within the Great Wall? And he also entered the Testing Grounds' hidden space and obtained Keeper Qiu's inheritance…"
"But not from our Dark Star Sea."
"From another partitioned space within the Testing Grounds."
…
The blue figure's next words seemed to confirm Li Fan's conjecture: "You received Keeper Qiu's inheritance, yet you engage in such acts?"
He gestured towards the sealed Heavenly Pillars, his voice calm.
Li Fan's mind raced.
Since the other party hadn't attacked directly, there was room for negotiation.
He would try to extract some useful information first. With the protection of [Illusion Becomes Reality], he was already invincible.
With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the onlookers from the Primordial Immortal Realm.
Li Fan laughed heartily. "It seems we're on the same side after all!"
"Perhaps I should call you Senior Brother?"
The blue figure calmly declined, "I wouldn't presume."
Li Fan dropped the subject and changed tack. "What's the difference between my actions and yours? We're both transforming Immortals into pillars."
"This is an ancient practice in the Immortal Realm. Even the Immortal Emperors themselves couldn't fault me for it."
Li Fan sneered, "Using Immortal bodies to support the heavens against the Dao Obliteration Calamity is a meritorious deed."
"Others may do so, but you cannot. Because you received Keeper Qiu's inheritance." The blue figure wasn't swayed by Li Fan's sophistry.
"I cannot… but you can? Heh, don't be so…"
"I cannot violate it either," the blue figure interrupted.
"But the lower Star Seas are on the verge of destruction. There's no time to reason with the True Immortals. That's why I took the initiative, becoming the net itself."
The blue light surrounding the figure dissipated, revealing his true appearance.
He was identical to the gaunt old man imprisoned deep within the Dao Net!
Or rather, they were the same person!
"How can I expect other Unnamed Ones to willingly sacrifice themselves if I don't lead by example?" the old man said calmly.
"You!"
Only then did Li Fan understand.
The mysterious Unnamed One who created the Dao Net was one of its four pillars!
The master of the Dao Net was also its prisoner!
"Since you obtained Keeper Qiu's Musings, why become a pillar yourself?"
"The Dao projections could have taken your place!" After a brief moment of shock, Li Fan narrowed his eyes and questioned.
The old man sighed. "Without achieving Transcendence, no matter how real a projection, how can it compare to the true Great Dao?"
"Of course, the main issue is time. We didn't have enough."
"Given twice the time, perhaps I could have cultivated enough Dao projections."
The old man observed the Primordial Immortal Realm. "Transformation and the others didn't exaggerate. This place truly embodies the spirit of the Immortal Realm."
He nodded in approval.
"May I ask for your name, brother?" Li Fan cupped his hands respectfully.
"Having learned from Master's Dao, I follow in his footsteps and carry on his will. My Dao Path is [Dao Bearer]," the old man declared solemnly.
(End of chapter)