Dao Bearer closed his eyes and remained silent, while Li Fan grew tense, vigilantly observing his surroundings, ready to retreat to the True Return at any moment.
Although Keeper Qiu was humble, never claiming to be a true powerhouse of the Mountain and Sea, Li Fan wasn't fooled. If his deception as Keeper Qiu's disciple was exposed, Dao Bearer would be the first to seek retribution.
Establishing contact between the mortal world and the Mountain and Sea seemed incredibly difficult. Dao Bearer remained in meditation for three days before finally opening his eyes.
"I've sent a message to Master, explaining the situation. But I don't know when he'll have time to read it," Dao Bearer said regretfully.
Communicating with the Mountain and Sea seemed to take a toll on him. His already aged appearance now carried a hint of decay.
"Senior Brother, please rest," Li Fan urged.
Dao Bearer didn't protest, settling into meditation. He didn't recover for over a month.
Li Fan was surprised. "Contacting Master is that difficult?"
"Naturally," Dao Bearer replied, his expression serious. "The Mountain and Sea aren't meant for ordinary mortals. I can barely withstand their presence due to my unique origin. Otherwise…"
"Not only would one struggle to endure the immense pressure, but one would also be constantly exposed to the far more intense Dao Obliteration Calamity there. It's like a mortal drowning, their mind overwhelmed by the sensation of suffocating. They would likely go mad before even being consumed by the calamity."
Dao Bearer sighed. "Since ancient times, the Mountain and Sea have been forbidden to mortals. If not for the efforts of Saint Monarchs Lianshan and Guihai, we wouldn't even be able to perceive them from afar."
Li Fan knew the terrors of the Mountain and Sea firsthand.
He had been to the Infinite Sea, where every drop seemed to possess the weight to crush his soul.
However, thanks to the True Return and the protection of [Illusion Becomes Reality], he could now navigate the Mountain and Sea for a limited time.
"What's it like to traverse the Mountain and Sea?" Li Fan asked, feigning naive curiosity.
Dao Bearer didn't hide anything, sharing his experiences and insights in detail.
Comparing them to his own, Li Fan marveled at the True Return's power.
Even Dao Bearer struggled to navigate the Mountain and Sea, every step fraught with peril. And this was with the protection of Keeper Qiu's mark. Without it, even he wouldn't be able to venture far.
From their conversation, Li Fan confirmed that Dao Bearer hadn't mentioned him to Keeper Qiu. After all, every moment spent communicating with the Mountain and Sea came at a great cost. He could only relay the most crucial information.
Although reassured, Li Fan remained vigilant, wary of Keeper Qiu's sudden arrival.
Having informed his master, Dao Bearer decided to await further instructions. Based on past experience, Keeper Qiu's responses were unpredictable.
However, with the pathways between the Great Wall and the outside star regions now sealed by the Dao Obliteration Calamity, even if they wanted to retaliate against the Guang Wu Star Sea, they couldn't.
They could only wait.
The Giant Rat Immortal's method of condensing the Dao had inspired Dao Bearer. Li Fan could clearly see the Dao Net attached to the Great Wall growing denser, new Dao strings forming.
Some of these represented Dao Principles that no longer existed within the Primordial possibilities, derived solely from Dao Bearer's own comprehension. They couldn't withstand the Dao Obliteration Calamity but served as supplementary components of the Shuo Star Sea's Dao Net.
Lost in contemplation, Dao Bearer became oblivious to the passage of time.
Meanwhile, Li Fan studied the Guang Wu Star Sea's method of fishing within the Dao Obliteration Calamity.
With the unknown existence within the Dao Obliteration Calamity still nearby, he wouldn't risk experimenting within the Great Wall.
While his physical body seemed to be meditating in the Primordial Immortal Realm, his consciousness entered the [Samsara of No Return].
During Li Fan's absence, the time loop within the Samsara of No Return had continued endlessly. Jixian's apocalyptic demise had repeated countless times.
The True Celestial Venerable, stripped of his spirituality, now lacked any cultivation talent and had become completely insane.
Regardless of the presence of this outsider, the Samsara of No Return continued to replay Li Fan's past.
This time, Li Fan wasn't interested in tormenting the True Celestial Venerable.
He wanted to use this time loop to study the Guang Wu Star Sea's fishing technique.
"First, I need to confirm whether this Samsara of No Return created by the True Return qualifies as a complete possibility…"
With this thought, his consciousness traversed the Dark Star Sea, arriving at the Great Wall.
He entered the Testing Grounds.
As expected, the five projections left by Keeper Qiu were still there.
"…"
Li Fan remained silent. He exited the Great Wall and explored the still-intact Shuo Star Sea.
The Dao Net, the Immortal Hunters, Dao Bearer…
All existed within this possibility.
He hadn't given much thought to the Samsara of No Return before, taking the True Return's creation of this time loop for granted. Only now, having encountered numerous Unnamed Ones, learned about the three Saint Monarchs, and understood the concept of Transcendence, did he realize how extraordinary it was.
He also vaguely understood the fundamental difference between his [True Return] and the Fruit of Time Reversal.
"Essentially, it's the same as the [Primordial] possibilities I experience after activating the True Return, just a specific segment of time. And…"
Li Fan tried to enter the Infinite Sea within the Samsara of No Return.
As expected, he failed.
"The mortal world exists within the Mountain and Sea."
"But this Samsara of No Return, created by the True Return, exists only within the True Return itself. It's not connected to the Mountain and Sea. Like a sealed chamber, it's completely safe for me."
"But conversely…"
"Every time I activate the True Return in reality, I'm essentially reshaping the Mountain and Sea."
Previously, based on the remaining lifespan of the mortal world displayed on the True Return's panel, Li Fan believed that activating the True Return reset the entire Mountain and Sea.
But now, he had doubts.
Having witnessed the true power of the Mountain and Sea and the True Return's reaction to them, he suspected that the True Return wasn't superior to them but perhaps on the same level.
This was suggested by the short duration of Illusion Becomes Reality when mimicking the Mountain and Sea.
"Of course, it's also possible that my body can't withstand mimicking the Mountain and Sea for extended periods. Perhaps there are unknown side effects, and the True Return is protecting me by limiting the duration and imposing a cooldown."
Li Fan shook his head slightly.
With his current strength, understanding the true nature of the Mountain and Sea and the True Return was still beyond him.
As long as they served his purpose, it was enough.
Within the Samsara of No Return, Li Fan was essentially invincible. Without the constraints of the Mountain and Sea, and with the experience gained in the real world, he effortlessly recreated the Primordial Immortal Realm and erected numerous Heavenly Pillars within the Great Wall.
"A simulation within a simulation."
"And the Dao comprehension I gain here is real."
Li Fan gently caressed Jixian's Heavenly Pillar, sensing the fluctuations of her Dao, a strange feeling washing over him.
Although Jixian was currently sealed, the start and end points of this time loop were predetermined. Soon, she would return to the Immortal Ruins, with no memory of these events.
Li Fan turned his attention to the other Heavenly Pillars.
"Since this isn't connected to the true Upper Mountain and Infinite Sea, the Dao Obliteration Calamity here is also just a simulation created by the True Return."
"But truth becomes illusion, illusion becomes truth. With the True Return's power, there's little difference between the two. It's enough for my experiment. If I can succeed here, I can replicate it in reality."
"And I can control the flow of time here…"
The entire Samsara of No Return was like a personal playground for Li Fan, a perfect replica of the real world, allowing him to experiment without consequences.
He began studying the Guang Wu Star Sea's method of constructing a Heavenly Pillar breakwater to fish within the Dao Obliteration Calamity.
Although he had only glimpsed it briefly in the Giant Rat Immortal's memories, the principle wasn't complex.
And with the Dao Refining Medicine King Scripture, manipulating the heights of the Heavenly Pillars was trivial for Li Fan.
After only a dozen cycles within the Samsara of No Return, he successfully recreated the structure.
With a thought, Li Fan withdrew the power of Keeper Qiu's projection from the Great Wall.
With the supporting power gone, dark clouds gathered around the shorter central pillars, and the sound of a raging storm echoed, growing louder.
Li Fan instinctively retreated, observing the dark abyss with a serious expression. He couldn't discern any difference between this "fake" Dao Obliteration Calamity and the real one connected to the Mountain and Sea.
"It seems I still have much to learn about the Dao of Truth and Illusion."
Li Fan calmed himself and focused on the vortex.
Without a connection to the Mountain and Sea, nothing would be drawn out.
But from the commotion caused by the simulated Dao Obliteration Calamity, he knew his first attempt was successful.
The only thing he couldn't yet replicate was the Guang Wu Star Sea's method of restoring the central pillars after capturing something.
This meant that activating this structure would inevitably hasten the arrival of the Dao Obliteration Calamity.
"Reducing their height is easy. But restoring them to their original state quickly…"
Li Fan recalled the faces of Unnamed True Immortals appearing on the Guang Wu Star Sea's pillars during their fishing expeditions.
"Without their cooperation, it's impossible."
Li Fan stroked his chin and looked at Jixian, sealed within a Heavenly Pillar.
This Jixian within the Samsara of No Return was identical to the one in the real world. Having witnessed Li Fan's power and the fate of her fellow Immortals transformed into and then diminished Heavenly Pillars, she wisely chose to cooperate.
"Since I can use the Dao Refining Medicine King Scripture to strip you of your Dao comprehension, you can naturally use it to reclaim what you've lost."
"Life and death are one, merging with the Dao. Detached from the mundane, the Dao Pill is formed. I shall teach you this supreme art of the Heavenly Dao Pill…"
Li Fan generously imparted the technique.
At first, Jixian was apprehensive, but as her understanding of the Dao Refining Medicine King Scripture deepened, she became completely engrossed.
Jixian's comprehension wasn't exceptional.
Li Fan almost lost patience before she finally grasped the technique.
However, he then discovered that although she was slow to learn, her application of the technique was even more proficient than his own.
After careful observation, he understood. "The Dao of Hunger is inherently compatible with the Dao Refining Medicine King Scripture. The Dao Pills I refine require others to consume and transform them for safe absorption."
"But Jixian has no such limitations. She can directly consume them without any adverse effects. Although she's currently imprisoned and doesn't need to worry about any hidden motives behind the scripture, it still demonstrates the unique nature of the Dao of Hunger, a Dao from beyond. After all, it's a Dao Path capable of surviving and thriving even after entering another possibility…"
Although he didn't know the Guang Wu Star Sea's method of manipulating the Heavenly Pillars, Li Fan, using his own knowledge, managed to achieve the desired effect.
Furthermore, based on Jixian's feedback, he modified the Medicine King Scripture, removing unnecessary parts, keeping only what was essential for manipulating the Heavenly Pillars.
…
Having achieved his goal, Li Fan had only spent a little over twenty cycles within the Samsara of No Return.
In the real world, barely any time had passed!
This was the terrifying power of the True Return.
As the next cycle began, Li Fan observed Jixian, proud of her newfound mastery, her expression turning to shock as the loop reset.
He suddenly recalled Keeper Qiu's words to Dao Bearer:
"Irrelevant to the endgame."
"Just like the predetermined start and end points of this Samsara of No Return, perhaps everything in the mortal world is also predestined."
"No matter how much beings struggle, the ending remains unchanged."
Lost in thought, Li Fan paused.
(End of Chapter)