Every True Immortal, every immortal artifact, every immortal formation… even immortal servants, possessed a unique mark connecting them to the Infinite Sea, likely a control mechanism implemented by past Immortal Emperors.
Except for anomalies like Li Fan, who could bypass these connections, no one in the Immortal Realm was exempt. Possessing True Return, and having experienced the three Daos merging, he wouldn't risk a direct connection to the Infinite Sea until he restored Illusion Becomes Reality. He needed an alternative.
As he modified the ancient Taiyuan formation, a silvery light emanated from the Undying Ring.
"Immortal spiritual qi… such a familiar, exquisite sensation." Li Fan inhaled deeply, savoring the feeling.
Still in a mortal body, he cautiously channeled the siphoned immortal power into a specially designed accumulation formation. Though not truly his, he could freely access this power through the formation, just as he had used the immortal power within the Immortal Skin gifted by the Supreme Bliss City Lord.
Compared to his own power, accessing it through the formation was slightly less efficient, less intuitive. But the difference was negligible. Within hours, he had restored the flow of immortal power within his body.
And something unexpected, something incredibly beneficial, occurred.
Perhaps due to his experience with the three Daos merging, he instinctively associated immortal power with both True Return's boundless nature and the Dao of Longevity. As he reconnected with immortal power, he felt a resonance with the other two.
Resisting the temptation to pursue all three, he focused on True Return's Interplay of Truth and Illusion. As immortal power returned, so did his understanding of the Interplay, lost during the Mountain and Sea fusion.
But instead of joy, a sense of unease filled him.
"The effects of the three Daos merging… haven't completely vanished. Though distinct, they're intertwined within me…" Despite deliberately ignoring the Dao of Longevity, as his understanding of the other two deepened, he sensed his lifespan increasing uncontrollably, not quite to the level of a True Immortal, but far beyond a mortal's. Like a slowly rising tide, creeping up his legs, it was a subtle but terrifying reminder of the lingering danger.
He paused his cultivation, a sense of frustration washing over him. "At least, unlike last time, when I was completely consumed, I now have a tangible indicator. As long as I control the rate of their growth, I should be fine."
He knew he had to resolve this, but he had no idea how. He couldn't even ask for guidance. Comprehending even one of the Mountain and Sea Daos was a monumental achievement. Comprehending two made one a being like the Hill Watcher. And comprehending all three… was unprecedented. Even True Return itself had been damaged by the fusion.
He had to find his own solution.
"Perhaps the source of this river of time, the primordial Mountain and Sea before the Immortal Realm's birth, holds the answer. Or perhaps the river's end, where all things converge, is more likely." He stood at this point in time, looking towards both past and future, lost in thought.
After days of contemplation, he emerged from his reverie. "Thinking is useless. I'll deal with the present first." Having recovered a significant portion of his power, he no longer cared much about the current state of the Xuanhuang World.
"One step at a time."
He stepped through the golden chain, returning to the Xuanhuang World from Taiyuan.
Sensing his departure, the Taiyuan Observer and Repairer rose, ignoring the wailing prisoners below. They began constructing a statue of Li Fan, not on his orders, but driven by their servile instincts, a monument to their fear and awe.
Back in the Xuanhuang World, Li Fan didn't seek out the Grand Celestial Venerable. He returned to the Evergreen Valley.
As compensation for Bai Li Shan's death, Jiang Yingyue, now the Supreme Being Sect's chief disciple, had provided resources to the Evergreen Valley. Though grieving for his disciple, Zou Yunhao, the Evergreen Valley Sect Master, couldn't risk confronting the Supreme Being Sect. He had accepted the loss.
Though they had lost a prodigy, the Supreme Being Sect's support had elevated the Evergreen Valley, transforming it into a thriving sect, on the verge of becoming a major power.
"Fortune and misfortune are intertwined, unpredictable."
"But the weak are at their mercy, tossed about by fate. If Zou Yunhao had my power, he would control his own destiny. The same applies to me. The three Daos merging, though a disaster, is also a great opportunity. It all depends on my strength." Witnessing the Evergreen Valley's transformation, Li Fan felt a surge of understanding.
Sensing Zou Yunhao's lingering desire for revenge, he smiled and left a gift before entering the sect's treasury.
Zou Yunhao, lost in grief as he examined Bai Li Shan's belongings, felt a sudden prick on his hand. He looked down and saw a disc radiating a mysterious aura.
"Supreme… Dao…" he murmured, deciphering the inscription, his expression changing. He quickly pocketed the disc and looked around nervously, sweat dripping from his brow.
Within the treasury, Li Fan scanned the contents, quickly locating his target.
"I almost forgot about this." He retrieved a yellowed book.
The first few pages were identical to the version he had seen in the future: the Mountain and Sea Fable, written by Sun Piaomiao of the Medicine King Sect. He had found a copy in the Thousand Crossings Dao Domain, where the Ten Sects had relocated outside the High Wall, but it was missing several crucial pages. He wanted to see if this version was complete.
"It is… complete. Interesting. Who tore out those pages?" Several suspects flashed through his mind.
He set that aside for now, focusing on the missing chapters. They consisted of several short stories.
The first answered a question that had puzzled him. The Fable mentioned the Sea creating new life, even sharing its infinite lifespan with these fragile beings, leading to an argument with the Mountain. But later chapters made no mention of them. Only the Mountain and Sea remained.
He read about their fate with interest.
After the birth of life in the Sea, the Mountain and Sea didn't speak for many years. But they remained close, never parting.
One day, a creature, carried by the waves, crossed the boundary and reached the Mountain.
Fearing the Mountain's anger, the Sea broke the silence. "Mountain, don't be angry. These little ones mean no harm."
"Sea, is that how you see me? If they can live in the Sea, they can live on the Mountain. Let them be."
The Sea, believing the Mountain had accepted them, joyfully sent more creatures towards the Mountain with its waves. The Mountain watched silently, offering no objection.
Life flourished between the Mountain and Sea, connecting them.
Years passed.
Then, a great wave surged, unexpectedly high, consuming countless beings.
The Sea was shocked. The Mountain, however, seemed to have anticipated this.
"Mountain, they were born in the Sea. Why did the Sea drown them?" The Sea was filled with grief.
The Mountain sighed. "Even our union requires careful merging. How could they withstand such power? If they had stayed in the Sea, they might have lived forever. But they… climbed the Mountain."
"I've harmed them," the Sea lamented.
"Without you, they wouldn't have existed. How can you say you harmed them?"
The Sea didn't answer.
After that, there was no more life between the Mountain and Sea.
Li Fan reread the story several times. "These beings… they represent everything in the mortal realm, besides the Mountain and Sea?"
"The merging of Mountain and Sea is inevitable. It's the root cause of Dao Obliteration."
"Those who can't withstand the merging are annihilated."
"So…" A strange thought occurred to him. "This Fable… it describes events before the birth of mortal civilizations… and after their destruction." The vast epochs he had witnessed were merely two short chapters in this Fable.
"Dao Obliteration is the end of the mortal realm, but not the end of the Mountain and Sea. The appearance of the Star, the disappearance of the Mountain and Sea… and what isn't recorded in the Fable… that's the true ending."
A sense of unease filled him. He reread the Fable, confirming his theory. And with confirmation came more questions.
"Who wrote this? If I'm right, to record the Mountain and Sea from a perspective after the mortal realm's destruction…"
He remembered the Tai Heavenly Emperor's mention of cultivators from the end of time, traveling upstream to aid those in the past.
"Could this be… a message from the future?"
"And what role does Sun Piaomiao play in this?"
Too many unanswered questions. He set them aside for now, reading the remaining chapters, mostly cryptic descriptions of the Mountain and Sea's interactions.
One chapter, however, caught his attention.
One day, the Mountain seemed unhappy. The Sea inquired, but the Mountain didn't answer. The Sea asked again, and the sound of thunder echoed from within the Mountain.
The Sea was surprised and delighted. "Mountain, you're changing! This is good! Why are you unhappy?"
The Mountain sighed. "Sea, for us, change isn't necessarily a good thing. Have you forgotten what our last transformation caused?"
"But it also created us as we are now," the Sea argued. "Don't resist it, Mountain. Embrace it."
The Mountain remained silent.
The thunder within the Mountain grew louder.
Then, one day, both Mountain and Sea trembled.
The thunder ceased.
"The transformation of Mountain and Sea…" Li Fan sensed something profound, but it remained just beyond his grasp, like a truth hidden behind a veil.
"The missing pages… they likely described important events."
"The destruction of mortal civilizations was only a small part of it. What is this 'transformation of Mountain and Sea'? Could there have been other civilizations, like ours, that rose and fell between the Mountain and Sea?"
He couldn't help but speculate.
Another chapter intrigued him, evoking a strange mix of fear and… bewilderment.
It seemed out of place, like a forced insertion, describing how the first creature to travel from Sea to Mountain had discovered the Mountain's existence.
The Mountain and Sea were vast, their true nature hidden from those within. Life existed within them, carefree and unaware. Then, one day, a creature reached the Sea's edge and looked up, seemingly glimpsing the Mountain's form, its boundless presence filling its mind with awe, fear, curiosity, and excitement.
It strived relentlessly, finally reaching the Mountain, carried by the waves. Born in the Sea, it stood upon the Mountain, its perspective broadened.
And then…
Its gaze extended beyond the Mountain and Sea.
(End of Chapter)