Chapter 1318: Dark Gathering of Peaks

"There's a distinction between immortals and mortals. It's simply impossible for us to reach that level on our own. That's why we need external assistance. It was true for the Shang Immortal Boat then, and it's true for our Xuan Immortal Boat now!" Zhong Daogong offered a faint smile, speaking somewhat ambiguously without elaborating.

"External assistance? The True Immortal Inscription? Is that why you wish to collaborate with our Daqi?" Li Fan inquired directly.

"Yes... and no," Zhong Daogong replied, his expression unreadable.

"Now that you've witnessed the high wall's vulnerable spot, and our Immortal Boat's sincerity has been demonstrated, perhaps we should return to a safe location to discuss further? This is not a place to linger..." Before Zhong Daogong could finish, the high vantage point of the Remnant Realm Great Wall where they stood suddenly began to tremble.

Everyone instinctively looked downwards. In the pitch-dark Star Sea below the mountain peaks, ripples inexplicably began to surge, resembling continuous waves across a sea of clouds.

"It's the Echoing Starforce!" All the Immortal Boat elders' expressions shifted subtly.

"The scale of this outbreak is considerable; it likely won't subside anytime soon. We should depart as soon as possible," Zhong Daogong stated gravely.

Li Fan gazed into the distance. Although the distorted perspective prevented him from discerning specific objects within the Star Sea, he could vaguely sense the source of this particular surge of Echoing Starforce.

The Remnant Realm Great Wall, resembling a breakwater, now had a gap formed by the disappearance of one of its constituent remnant realms.

A portion of the True Immortal remnant power, accumulated beneath the high wall, found an outlet and surged downwards through this breach.

Such an event had occurred in his previous life, triggered when his Saint Embryo incarnation destroyed numerous remnant realm fragments that Tianyi had implanted within the Xuanhuang Realm's Roaring Abyss, forcing it to replenish itself by acquiring new realms.

Yet, in this life, the catalyst had not occurred. Why, then, was the Remnant Realm Great Wall experiencing such upheaval?

"Could it be Senior Yin and his companions causing this commotion?"

"They wouldn't be so reckless..." A flicker of doubt crossed Li Fan's mind. As he pondered, the Immortal Boat elders had already led him, descending from the "high point" of the Star Sea. The panoramic view shifted rapidly; the vast and boundless Sea of Utter Darkness vanished. The Remnant Realm Great Wall still stood majestically, making the previous "ascended perspective" seem like an illusion. Evidently, the act of ascending was no simple feat for the Immortal Boat elders.

Within moments, all the elders were breathing erratically, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads. Zhong Daogong's expression was grave as he looked towards the distant Remnant Realm Great Wall, specifically towards the source of the upheaval.

However, he ultimately chose not to investigate further, instead organizing and urging everyone to depart. On their journey back to the Immortal Boat, Li Fan's condensed golden sword phantom continued to lead the way.

This time, the Immortal Boat contingent truly experienced the astonishing speed of the sword phantom. By the time they reached the Xuan Immortal Boat's location, the Echoing Starforce had not even begun to spread that far.

The elders' expressions when they looked at Li Fan were noticeably different.

"Fellow Daoist, please come aboard the Immortal Boat first, and then we can discuss the subsequent cooperation plan," Jian Daosheng said with a smile, gesturing towards the open entrance of the Immortal Boat.

To everyone's surprise, Li Fan decisively shook his head and declined: "No, I believe I must return to Daqi for a visit." The elders' expressions instantly turned subtle.

Li Fan remained undaunted, his face arrogant as he declared, "What? It seems you all have objections?"

"This isn't what we agreed to, is it? You've learned our Immortal Boat's top-secret plan, and now you wish to simply depart..." Zhong Daogong's expression soured, while the other elders fixed their gazes on Li Fan, their auras locking onto him.

"Hmph, I don't believe you need to waste your efforts. You've all witnessed the Immortal-Slaying Sword; if I were to unleash it, who among you could possibly stop me?" Li Fan stated unhurriedly.

Upon hearing this, the elders could only respond with silence. Indeed, its speed surpassed even the spreading rate of the True Immortal remnant power within the Star Sea.

It could even transport multiple individuals simultaneously... Such an escape art truly defied their understanding. Yet, allowing Li Fan to simply depart so easily was an absolute impossibility.

The atmosphere grew progressively tense, until Li Fan proactively broke the stalemate: "Why the fuss, everyone? I'm merely leaving and returning. I understand your concerns—you simply fear I'll divulge the high wall's vulnerable location. There's absolutely no need for that!"

"Upon my return, I intend to make another attempt at persuasion, to see if Daqi can be swayed. Having personally witnessed the high wall's undeniable vulnerable point, my arguments will undoubtedly carry significantly more weight. If my master and the others remain unwilling to take the risk, I will, of course, not expose this secret. However, if I am fortunate enough to persuade them..."

"In any case, cooperation is inevitable, so whether it's leaked or not will be irrelevant then."

"My lifespan is nearing its end. Now, on the cusp of death, I've personally witnessed the sole opportunity to traverse the high wall. How could I possibly abandon it?" Li Fan explained earnestly.

Then, he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect. Astonishingly, even amidst the dense encirclement of the Immortal Boat elders, he directly commanded the sword phantom and vanished into the air.

The speed was so immense that even Zhong Daogong had no time to react. Li Fan's figure had already vanished from sight.

"This young man is truly quite troublesome," Jian Daosheng remarked, stroking his beard and frowning.

"There's nothing for it. He possesses the True Immortal Inscription, his array formations are extraordinary, and his escape art is truly elusive. Furthermore, with his lifespan nearing its end, he simply has no fear of death... It is best not to easily make an enemy of such a person."

"It's fortunate that he doesn't have many years left to live. Otherwise, our Immortal Boat would likely face unending trouble in the future."

"I, for one, believe his words hold truth. If Daqi is unwilling to participate in the plan due to the realm-guarding immortal artifact's prophecy of disaster, then our Immortal Boat is his sole recourse. After all, it's clearly unrealistic for him to traverse the high wall by himself..." Even as the Immortal Boat elders debated amongst themselves, Li Fan had already returned to the boundary of the Remnant Realm Great Wall.

The Echoing Starforce, like a burgeoning storm, grew increasingly violent. The wooden sword phantom Li Fan had left there earlier was now precarious, akin to a flickering candle in a strong wind.

He sent forth a golden beam of light, stabilizing it further. Li Fan searched the vicinity for any traces of Qiaogong and the others, but found no sign of them.

The covert marks they had agreed to leave along their respective paths while searching for suitable world fragments had all been dispersed by the Echoing Starforce.

"They've all lost contact?" Li Fan was somewhat surprised.

"Fortunately, the Heaven's Edge Grand Formation was not severely damaged." Li Fan drifted over to the formation, and after reinforcing it once more, he abandoned the idea of searching for them.

"I can only hope they fend for themselves now."

"Given their collective fortune, the mere outbreak of Echoing Starforce shouldn't be enough to cause their demise."

"Once the storm gradually subsides, if they are safe and sound, they should return of their own accord." Passing through the grand formation, he returned to the Xuanhuang Realm.

As expected, Li Fan discovered that some True Immortal remnant power had seeped out along the formation. After establishing a double blockade with a net of source power essence on this side of the grand formation, the tremors caused by the Echoing Starforce finally subsided.

"Among them, if anyone were most likely to instigate this Star Sea anomaly, it would have to be Senior Yin." Li Fan recalled the rather peculiar expression on Senior Yin's face when they first arrived at the Remnant Realm Great Wall.

"He must have seen images from the memories of world spirits he had previously absorbed."

"However, Senior Yin is by no means a reckless individual. If that were the sole reason, he wouldn't have recklessly disturbed the remnant realm fragments with such disregard for consequences..."

"The secret within this should be unveiled once Senior Yin returns." Li Fan had a vague premonition that Senior Yin was still alive somewhere within the Remnant Realm Great Wall.

He might even have stumbled upon an immense stroke of fortune.

"Perhaps it's connected to the formation of the Remnant Realm Great Wall?" Li Fan suddenly mused. Within the Sea of Utter Darkness, not only was the origin of the high wall unknown...

Even the formation of the Remnant Realm Great Wall beneath it remained an unsolved mystery. In ancient times, countless destroyed cultivation worlds within the Star Sea did not converge towards the Immortal Ruins.

Instead, they accumulated at the foot of the high wall, forming a continuous, integrated structure. In Li Fan's estimation, the force sustaining the Remnant Realm Great Wall was a great power, no less potent than the True Immortal remnant power.

Yet, it lay outside Li Fan's comprehension. It should be noted that Li Fan's current breadth of experience far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators.

Through countless reincarnations, he had explored with abandon and without concern for consequences each time. Within the Xuanhuang Realm and the Sea of Utter Darkness, there were now very few blind spots for him.

This mighty force sustaining the Remnant Realm Great Wall was one such unknown. The deepest reaches of the Sea of Gloom were another. Back in Da Xuan, Li Fan's wisp of divine sense possessed the body of a robust Ghost Clan member.

He then summoned the Ghost Clan members, and after initiating the ritual to enter the Sea of Gloom, he slowly stepped inside. The Sea of Gloom was endlessly dark.

For ordinary cultivators, it was naturally a perilous, death-laden place. However, Li Fan had traversed it countless times, navigating with ease and encountering no dangers or surprises along the way.

He paid no heed to the corpse of Gu Changsheng from the Xuanhuang Realm lying on the ground, instead focusing solely and pressing onward. He arrived at the central core of the Spirit Gathering Immortal Ascension Array.

Like a transparent observation deck, it overlooked the outline of the True Immortal's corpse that spanned the entire Sea of Gloom. He finally halted his steps, not venturing further into the depths below to directly confront the hidden True Immortal's will to survive.

Before him, ancient storm clouds, amassed over untold years, stood silently. They resembled various terrifying, grotesque primeval beasts.

Gazing down upon these swirling masses of accumulated power, Li Fan felt a subtle sense of familiarity.

"Indeed, my intuition was correct!" A sharp glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes, as the scene he had comprehended earlier while overlooking the Sea of Gloom from the high peak, utilizing the high wall's elevation, now appeared synchronously before him.

It gradually overlapped with the sight of the Sea of Gloom's storm-like accumulation. This wasn't a matter of specific scenery having similarities, but rather...

...because the sheer concentration of energy caused this particular area of the Sea of Gloom to also rise abruptly.

"This must be the many mountain peaks seen from that high vantage point."

"The energy gathered here is 'higher' compared to the entire Xuanhuang Realm. In fact, it surpasses even the elevation reached beneath the high wall, by leveraging the Remnant Realm Great Wall's momentum!" Li Fan's gaze flickered, his thoughts rapidly turning: "It's not merely that the Spirit Gathering Immortal Ascension Array of the Sea of Gloom is constructed upon the True Immortal's remains."

"Moreover, nearly ten millennia have passed since this grand array was established!"

"The grand array was originally established by King Xuantian to guide the Xuanhuang Realm over the high wall. However, due to various unforeseen circumstances, King Xuantian mysteriously vanished, and the plan consequently collapsed midway."

"But the accumulation of energy in the Sea of Gloom did not cease because of this. Instead, it has continued uninterrupted for nearly ten millennia."

"Over the past ten millennia, the Star Sea has undergone numerous drastic changes. Yet, the 'height' of the high wall besieging the Star Sea has not actually varied. This implies..." Li Fan swept his gaze over the Sea of Gloom below once more.

Those converging storm clouds suddenly transformed into towering mountain peaks in his eyes. Each one floated above the Sea of Utter Darkness.

Directly confronting the high wall from a distance.

"The high points that the Immortal Boat cultivators treasure, reachable only through external assistance, are commonplace in the Xuanhuang Realm."

"Standing at this location, traversing the high wall would be far easier than from other places."

"The only concern is that it might stir the True Immortal's will to survive within this area..."

"However, with careful execution, there shouldn't be any issue." Maintaining the elevated perspective proved slightly taxing for Li Fan.

He let out a long breath, returning to his normal state. He began to ponder the optimal way to utilize this legacy King Xuantian had bestowed upon him.

"Merely using high points as a springboard will certainly not suffice. I require more data, ideally validated by practical results..."

"The Immortal Boat would make excellent cannon fodder, though."

"The Spirit Gathering Immortal Ascension Array, as a component of the Floating Star Sea Grand Array, is involved in traversing the high wall. The Eye of the Guishou Beast is similarly connected. It appears, then, that the Eye of the Guishou Beast might serve more than just navigation and targeting..."

"What it perceives, perhaps, is also the 'height of the high wall'—an ascended dimensional perspective identical to what I witnessed earlier." Li Fan felt a subtle dawning of understanding.

Controlling the Ghost Clan member's body, Li Fan remained within the Spirit Gathering Immortal Ascension Array's main control hub for a full seven days, until the Ghost Clan member's form could no longer withstand the dense dark energy and was completely consumed by it.

His spiritual sensation vanished, and only then did he desist. In the Da Xuan Minor World, Li Fan slowly opened his eyes. His divine sense swept across the heavens and earth; after becoming accustomed to the previous ascended dimensional perspective and then reverting to a normal, realistic view, Li Fan found himself feeling a subtle discomfort.

"In ancient times, transcending the limits of height allowed one to ascend and become an immortal."

"Later, the immortal path was severed, yet the high wall persisted..."

"But perhaps, the principles behind these two phenomena are somewhat similar." As he observed the myriad beings within Da Xuan, an inexplicable surge of realization welled up in Li Fan's heart.

"However, the 'height' of the high wall might even surpass that of achieving immortality. After all, King Xuantian was able to ascend the immortal path back then, yet he couldn't traverse the high wall."

"To consider it differently: if one can traverse the high wall now, perhaps in the past, they would have been able to ascend and become an immortal." At this thought, Li Fan couldn't help but fall into a slight reverie.

"Immortals..." Ten millennia had passed, and times had changed. Despite reaching the same realm, one achieved ascension, while the other remained confined beneath the high wall.

Even if one could traverse it, they would still face unknown risks beyond the high wall.

"The Great Dao is ever-changing; immortals are no longer immortals." Li Fan could only utter such a sigh.

"If my conjecture is correct—that the methods used to construct the high wall are identical to the shackles of so-called ascension to immortality—then that would be truly intriguing."