Chapter 1316: Fake Madness Sees High Walls

Zhong Daogong's eyes flickered. "Haha, my friend, you must be joking! Beyond the high wall..." He firmly denied Li Fan's persistent questioning.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Li Fan interrupted him without ceremony. A fierce glint appeared in his eyes, and his aura surged, threatening to erupt at any moment.

The elders of the Immortal Boat were all too familiar with the fluctuations emanating from Li Fan; they belonged to the True Immortal Seal Script.

Seeing Li Fan's seriousness, the Immortal Boat elders' faces all changed.

"Friend, don't be impulsive; let's talk this through!" they urged, simultaneously moving away from Li Fan and activating the Immortal Boat's layered defenses.

Li Fan's expression was grim. "I am perfectly calm right now! I simply want an explanation!"

"It's precisely because I attempted to deduce the source that shook the high wall that I suffered this backlash and now have little time left... There is absolutely no such terrifying entity within this darkest star sea."

"It was clearly the work of an unknown civilization beyond the high wall, yet your Immortal Boat claims it as your own achievement. Such brazen theft of credit is utterly shameless! It doesn't matter that you're merely seeking fame; you've harmed me..."

The more Li Fan spoke, the more agitated he became, and the fluctuations of the True Immortal Seal Script around him intensified. He looked at the Immortal Boat elders as if they were his sworn enemies, ready to choose mutual destruction at any moment.

These remarks were, in fact, almost entirely baseless and unreasonable.

However, it was important to remember that Li Fan, ostensibly, had only twenty years of life remaining. For cultivators, two decades was merely the blink of an eye.

The Immortal Boat members naturally wouldn't argue with an emotionally volatile, dying man.

They could only offer helpless reassurances: "Friend, you've truly misunderstood us!"

"We are truly not lying. The source that caused the high wall's upheaval, though originating from beyond the high wall, also has a deep connection with our Immortal Boat; they are, in fact, of the same origin..."

"You? Beyond the high wall?" Hearing this, Li Fan calmed down slightly, though deep suspicion still clouded his eyes.

The Immortal Boat members conversed privately. While the existence of the Merchant Immortal Boat, which had broken through the high wall, was a closely guarded secret, the man before them was, after all, dying.

Their current location was too close to the Profound Immortal Boat. If Li Fan were to go mad and unleash True Immortal Seal Scripts indiscriminately, it could inflict irreparable damage upon their vessel.

There was no harm in temporarily placating him with a secret.

"Alas, this matter is not easily explained. My friend, please allow me to recount it slowly..."

Zhong Daogong then recounted to Li Fan the tale of the Profound Merchant Immortal Boat's division, and how the Merchant Immortal Boat eventually crashed through the high wall, gaining freedom ever since.

Meanwhile, the other Immortal Boat elders jointly cast spells, subtly isolating the surrounding space. This served a dual purpose: to prevent the Immortal Boat's absolute secrets from leaking, and to subtly confine Li Fan.

Li Fan seemed oblivious to the Immortal Boat's subtle maneuvers. The hostility emanating from him slowly subsided, replaced by a bewildered, somewhat remorseful expression. "So, I was reckless? I never would have imagined such a strange history for the former Profound Merchant Immortal Boat."

Seeing Li Fan gradually calm, Zhong Daogong breathed a sigh of relief. He then inquired, "What is the Great Qi's stance on this cooperation? Even if they're unwilling, they wouldn't simply delay their response indefinitely, would they?"

"In fact, our Great Qi is deeply conflicted about this matter. After my reckless actions led to that severe backlash, my master reluctantly informed me that while Great Qi is indeed interested in transcending the high wall, the most crucial point is that anything related to matters beyond it likely harbors immense peril..."

After speaking with utmost seriousness, Li Fan glanced around, seemingly finally noticing the confinement array jointly set up by the Immortal Boat elders.

A flicker of displeasure crossed his eyes, but he merely snorted coldly, refraining from any outburst.

His long, streaked black and white hair moved as if by an unseen breeze, swaying unpredictably.

Fine silver-white threads flew out from his myriad strands of hair.

Before the Immortal Boat elders could even react, these silver threads had already woven an array in the void, likewise confining and sealing the Immortal Boat members.

This act, of using their own tactics against them, did not immediately trigger the Immortal Boat members' alarm.

Instead, the Immortal Boat elders' attention was captured by Li Fan's voice.

"Everyone, look! These are the images related to what lies beyond the high wall, which I saw through the World-Protecting Immortal Artifact's deduction!"

The combination of "World-Protecting Immortal Artifact" and "beyond the high wall" immediately sent a tremor through the Immortal Boat members, causing them to fix their gazes.

The viewpoint ascended infinitely, bringing the entire darkest star sea into immediate view.

The cold, desolate star sea, for some unknown reason, appeared to boil. Ominous, spine-chilling energies reverberated continuously.

Shortly after, a tremendous roar echoed from the distant horizon.

The darkest star sea then surged as if a colossal stone had been hurled into it, unleashing immense, churning waves!

The visual abruptly ceased.

Though brief, the Immortal Boat members immediately grasped the horrifying implications of the scene.

The high wall collapsed, and an unknown entity descended upon the star sea!

The image was intensely illusory, yet felt incredibly real.

It was almost as if they were witnessing a genuine historical recording.

The Immortal Boat elders were utterly captivated, unable to shake off the profound shock caused by the star sea's immense turmoil for a long time.

"This..."

Zhong Daogong too was momentarily stunned, looking at Li Fan.

"Now you understand why I suffered such a severe backlash, don't you?" Li Fan asked, his expression remarkably calm.

"The high wall collapses, and the star sea is in turmoil. If it truly reaches that point, even Great Qi, with its current strength, would likely be unable to ensure its own safety. This is also why no decision has been made yet."

"Freedom is desirable, but it must be predicated on safety..." Li Fan sighed deeply.

A profound silence fell over the area.

Though outwardly silent, the Immortal Boat members were embroiled in a fierce internal dispute.

"Is this... real or not?"

"This scene is utterly beyond the ability of cultivators like us to conjure. Even in our most terrifying nightmares, such a spectacle would be difficult to conceive."

"In my opinion, it doesn't appear to be fake. The fluctuations felt too real. Frankly, I almost instinctively tried to escape just now. However, it seems the surrounding area has been ensnared by his array, and I found myself unable to leave."

"Then what becomes of our plan? We aimed to gather the power of the True Immortal Seal Script, harness the residual immortal energy of the star sea to create a tsunami, strike a weak point, and ultimately breach the high wall. We've schemed for so long, hoping to replicate the Merchant Immortal Boat's grand feat. Who could have foreseen such an outcome? This high wall in the deduction—it couldn't possibly be collapsed by *us*, could it?"

"Hold on, I just tried something, and this array the young man deployed is truly formidable. I can't get out either."

"Don't let him intimidate you. The deduced images might not necessarily represent the true future. We absolutely cannot abandon our plan because of this..."

"I'd say, things look rather grim. Even with the three of us combining our efforts, we couldn't break through this array."

A tense atmosphere gradually permeated the group of Immortal Boat elders.

This was partly due to the shock of the star sea's turbulent vision, but also because they were horrified to discover that Li Fan had silently confined them within his array.

"Friend, what is the meaning of this?" Zhong Daogong demanded, narrowing his eyes.

Li Fan avoided answering, instead appearing somewhat deranged as he muttered to himself: "My master and all the other teachers, for the safety of Great Qi, decided to forgo cooperating with you and testing the high wall's weak points. I can actually understand that..."

"But if that's the case, wouldn't my death in twenty years be in vain?"

"Great Qi intends to give up. What about your Immortal Boat?"

Li Fan stared intently at the Immortal Boat elders as he asked.

Zhong Daogong, momentarily uncertain of Li Fan's state of mind, hesitated to respond.

Seeing that he wasn't getting an answer, Li Fan's emotions flared up again. "What about you?!"

"If you also give up, then all of this will be as if it never happened. In that case, my unauthorized use of the immortal artifact, my deduction of the future, and the resulting reduction of my lifespan—wouldn't all of it be utterly meaningless?"

"I was destined for a bright future. Among the young disciples of Great Qi, my talent and intellect surpassed all others. In the future, I could have become not merely a literary grandmaster whose name echoed through eternity, but at the very least, like my own master, a renowned teacher, disseminating knowledge and dispelling doubts..."

"All of this has vanished like smoke, all because of a single word from your Immortal Boat." Li Fan's tone grew increasingly deranged. An inexplicable darkness even seeped onto his face, a sight that made one's scalp crawl.

"If I die, then so be it."

"But if after death, I'm merely reduced to a laughingstock..."

"I refuse!"

Li Fan pointed a finger at Zhong Daogong.

"Give me an answer!"

"Will your Immortal Boat's plan continue, or will it not?!"

"If you're afraid and abandon the plan..."

"Then let's all perish together!"

As Li Fan spoke, countless silver lines suddenly illuminated the surrounding void.

They shone like thousands of suns simultaneously rising on the horizon, brightly illuminating the space where the Immortal Boat members stood.

Every nuance of their expressions was brought into sharp relief by the light.

A silver wind began to sweep through the void.

A mere brush against their faces left trails of cuts.

This forced the Immortal Boat members to deploy their various protective arts.

However, as the invisible wind in the void grew increasingly fierce, their expressions all shifted dramatically.

"What... what kind of array is this?!"

"Danger! Everyone, be careful! The ferocity of this array is unlike anything I've ever witnessed!"

"Quick, use the Dispel Character to break the array!"

The elders reacted swiftly. Before the words had even fully left their lips, Jian Daosheng, the Grand Elder of the Immortal Pivot Court, had already inscribed a Dispel Character.

Under the influence of the True Immortal Seal Script's power, the silver-white array lines instantly disintegrated.

However, before the Immortal Boat members could even celebrate, a scene unfolded that left them utterly dumbfounded.

In the surrounding darkness, it was as if countless more suns had risen. Even more silver lines than before regenerated, weaving themselves into a new, constantly replenishing array.

The array melted like ice under the Dispel Character, yet simultaneously, even more water was frozen into ice!

Thus, the array that held them captive not only failed to disintegrate.

Instead, it grew even larger and more intricate.

"Quick! Who else can use the Dispel Character? Follow up!"

"Calm down! The Immortal Boat hasn't moved far; we're all concentrated here. If too much True Immortal Seal Script power erupts simultaneously, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

"This young man is insane! What exactly does he intend to do?!"

As countless silver threads continued to flash, Li Fan's voice persisted.

"Friend Zhong! Answer me!"

"What exactly is your Immortal Boat's answer?!"

Zhong Daogong's expression was grim.

In all his years, being pressured so intensely by a junior was unprecedented.

Yet...

Zhong Daogong watched the various True Immortal Seal Script characters continuously drifting from Li Fan's body, a headache throbbing in his temples.

If those True Immortal Seal Script characters were to activate simultaneously within the array, even the Immortal Boat elders, who had immersed themselves in the True Immortal Seal Script for most of their lives, would likely suffer severe, unavoidable injuries.

Zhong Daogong finally understood just how troublesome a cultivator wielding the power of the True Immortal Seal Script and utterly fearless of death could be.

"Answer me!"

Li Fan's almost frantic voice echoed within the grand array.

Seeing Li Fan on the verge of collapse, with True Immortal Seal Scripts already flaring from his body at an alarming density, Zhong Daogong could only relent.

"Friend, rest assured," Zhong Daogong said with resignation, "our Immortal Boat will absolutely not abandon the plan to explore beyond the high wall."

"Words alone are not enough!"

"Then what does my friend propose?" Zhong Daogong asked patiently, recognizing the unfavorable situation.

"First, take me to that weak point in the high wall so I can investigate! If you abandon the plan, I will go alone, and even if it means my death, I will crash into it!" Li Fan declared with resolute conviction.

The Immortal Boat elders exchanged glances.

"Well, can this array be broken?"

"You're well aware of our mastery of arrays. Even if we were to dedicate ourselves to studying this one, it would take at least a century or more to decipher it. Breaking it quickly is entirely out of the question."

"I've said it before: we shouldn't over-rely on the True Immortal Seal Script. We also need to prioritize the development of other arcane arts and divine abilities, but you always ignored me. Now you've been thoroughly cornered, haven't you?" Elder Meng Xiaomeng of the Immortal Pivot Court remarked with a gloating expression.

"What's our move now? Are we truly going to take him to that weak point in the high wall?"

"Perhaps it's not impossible."

"This man is nearing his end; his mind is already unbalanced, so he cannot be reasoned with conventionally. He might genuinely attempt to crash himself to death against the high wall."

"Furthermore, let's not forget his profound mastery of the True Immortal Seal Script. Perhaps we could use him for a preliminary experimental phase of our plan."

"Indeed, let's appease him for now. We just need to ensure he doesn't reveal any secrets to outsiders."

Half swayed by Li Fan's life-threatening coercion, and half by considerations of a certain clandestine plot, the Immortal Boat elders eventually agreed to his demand.

They would first take him to witness the so-called weak point in the high wall.

The Immortal Boat, along with its elders, began to move through the void, accompanied by the Great Return to Void Array.

Traversing the Sea of Relics, they drew ever closer to the base of the high wall.

"Ahead lie the continuous fragments of worlds."

"Beyond that," Zhong Daogong explained, "is the location of the invisible high wall."

Li Fan snorted coldly. "I've been there. How do we proceed?"

"The Remnant World Great Wall is interconnected. If the Immortal Boat were to pass through, it would likely be ensnared by that immense power and be unable to escape. Furthermore, as you've already noticed, the closer one approaches the high wall, the stronger the reverberating star power becomes. While our individual cultivation allows us to barely maintain our stability, such a vast Immortal Boat would be unable to withstand it..." Zhong Daogong patiently explained.

"Rest assured, now that we've come this far, we will not renege on our promise to you."

Li Fan's gaze swept over the group. After a moment's contemplation, he finally nodded in agreement.

Consequently, six elders remained behind to guard the Immortal Boat.

The remaining elders, accompanied by Li Fan, continued their journey deeper.