Chapter 1339: Immortal Boat Greedy for Heavenly Merit

Li Fan bowed in response, saying, "I can never repay this life-saving kindness. I am willing to go through fire and water for you!"

As he spoke, Li Fan checked the attributes on his Zhen Panel. His remaining lifespan had skyrocketed from the previous ten years to over five hundred years. This clearly demonstrated the power of the Juntian Divine Art.

"After the divine art was performed on me, my lifespan should be the same as that of these Immortal Boat Elders."

"Over five hundred years is not a huge amount, but it's certainly not negligible. Most importantly..." Li Fan carefully examined his current physical condition. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed slightly. "This extra lifespan isn't stable?"

His body had always been healthy and normal before, so Li Fan keenly noticed that his current body, which had been forcibly altered against the heavens and had its lifespan extended by the Juntian Divine Art, was aging abnormally fast. It was several times faster than normal. Sometimes, his lifespan would even inexplicably jump and decrease. As Li Fan observed, the suddenly fluctuating age number on the Zhen Panel undoubtedly confirmed his suspicion.

Li Fan did not hide the change in his expression. Therefore, Zhong Daogong also saw the doubt in Li Fan's mind. "The Heavenly Dao is impermanent and ever-changing. Change is eternal, balance is temporary."

"Achieving balance (Juntian) is inherently defying the heavens. I imagine that even the True Immortal Ancient Script written by a genuine immortal might not be able to maintain this state of balance indefinitely, let alone us. So you don't need to worry; falling from the balanced state is a perfectly normal phenomenon."

"There are two ways to alleviate this. First, by revisiting the authentic ancient characters. A brief regression can slow down the rate of decline."

"Second, when your lifespan is again exhausted, continue to perform the Juntian Divine Art. In fact, this is what the Immortal Boat Elders are currently doing."

"Using the lifespan of many to extend the lifespan of an individual. Everyone helps me, and I in turn help everyone," Zhong Daogong said with a smile, looking at the surrounding elders.

Li Fan suddenly understood. "If that's the case, then I'm relieved."

Sighing, Li Fan then remarked, "I finally understand why, even though the Immortal Boat Elders seem to have differing opinions, they can always ensure a collective, common direction in major matters."

"This Juntian Divine Art is truly profound and mysterious! Even in Daqi, it would absolutely be considered a top-tier divine ability!"

Despite Li Fan's high praise, Zhong Daogong did not show a triumphant expression, but rather a wry smile flashed in his eyes. "It's simply a last resort. Constrained by limited resources, the Immortal Boat's population has always been maintained at a low level. The rate of talent replacement is slow. To survive in this Dark Star Sea, we must maintain the number of Elder Council members."

"Researching the True Immortal Ancient Script is also fraught with danger. A slight carelessness can lead to being affected by the power of a True Immortal. Historically, quite a few elders have perished because of this. However, it concerns the future and lifeline of the Immortal Boat, so it cannot be abandoned."

"Therefore, every elder is the Immortal Boat's most precious asset..."

Li Fan remained noncommittal regarding Zhong Daogong's words. He knew that the Immortal Boat possessed secret dao-pill techniques, which could refine geniuses into pills to be consumed, thus appropriating all their talents.

"The number of geniuses who have emerged from the Immortal Boat over the years is probably not small at all. Unfortunately, becoming a new elder is definitely not possible solely by relying on talent. The Immortal Boat Elders are actually somewhat similar to mortals in the Xuanhuang Realm; there cannot be too many, nor too few. A delicate balance needs to be maintained." Li Fan pondered this silently to himself, but did not voice his thoughts.

After the Juntian Divine Art was performed on him, the attitudes of the surrounding elders towards him also underwent a subtle change. If Li Fan had previously won their approval merely out of self-interest or by his performance, now, the elders genuinely felt a sense of identification and acceptance. It was truly like being "one family."

So Li Fan asked about the Juntian Plan, which required the living beings of Daqi as sacrifices.

"With so many beings needed to jointly bear the backlash, what exactly is the target of the Juntian Divine Art...?"

This time, Zhong Daogong and the others did not prevaricate or hide anything. Instead, they directly revealed the answer: "The target of our plan is none other than... The Star Sea's Primal Consciousness!"

Upon hearing this, Li Fan's eyes immediately lit up.

"Thanks to your previous teaching of the Taijia Divine Art, fellow daoist, we were able to glimpse the vast Star Sea Consciousness that is currently recovering."

"Only by personally coming into contact with it can one truly understand the immense power of the Star Sea. It has not diminished in the slightest due to the Star Sea's demise, and it is still beyond what ordinary cultivators like us can fathom."

"However..." At this moment, all the Immortal Boat Elders showed peculiar expressions.

Jian Daosheng waved his hand, showing Li Fan a scene of deathly silence in the Dark Star Sea. And in the center of the Star Sea, shining with a dazzling, diamond-like radiance, was the true essence of the Star Sea's origin.

"The Star Sea Consciousness is actually the same as the Heavenly Dao of the former cultivation world."

"In the past, cultivators could achieve unity with heaven and earth, partially controlling the Heavenly Dao of the world. Now, if we collectively use the Juntian Divine Art, we might just be able to jointly control the Star Sea's power!" Jian Daosheng said with ringing conviction.

Zhong Daogong stroked his beard and chuckled, "If we can balance the Star Sea's power, even without the True Immortal Ancient Script, crossing the high wall would be just around the corner!"

Li Fan frowned, falling into contemplation. After a short while, he slowly nodded. "Although the high wall seals off the Dark Star Sea, that is for the living beings within the Star Sea. If we use the Star Sea's own power to stir up colossal waves, then a drop of water within those waves might just be able to leap over the high wall!"

"Precisely! Only by reaching the height of a True Immortal can one cross the high wall. However, the Star Sea's power is inherently not inferior to that of a True Immortal! In ancient times, many anomalies that shone in the Star Sea made even True Immortals temporarily avoid their edge. This shows the formidable power of the Star Sea. Even though it was affected by the calamity of the Immortal Realm and fell into a state of destruction, its vitality never ceased..."

The elders' voices grew increasingly excited. "It is our perfect target for balancing!"

"If the technique succeeds, even if we cannot lift the Immortal Boat and leap over the high wall, controlling the Star Sea's power for a while would be enough to create an absolutely safe haven for us within this Dark Star Sea!"

After listening to the Immortal Boat Elders' plan, Li Fan couldn't help but clap his hands and exclaim, "Brilliant! Simply brilliant!"

"This is truly a case of 'usurping the heavens' power for personal gain.' However..." Li Fan's tone suddenly shifted, and his brows furrowed. "I once used the Taijia Divine Art to come into contact with the Star Sea Consciousness. Cultivators like us are truly like ants before it. And now, these ants are presumptuously trying to steal its power and stand as its equals..."

Li Fan's expression grew solemn as he looked at everyone. "Heaven has its wrath, and so will the Star Sea. Even if we succeed, we will likely face the furious retaliation of the Star Sea's Primal Consciousness. Not to mention if we fail. At that time, it might not be something our Immortal Boat can withstand!"

"Succeed or die trying... Isn't the risk a bit too great?"

Li Fan had effectively put himself in the shoes of someone with an extended lifespan of five hundred years, and his way of thinking and acting was no longer as extreme as before.

Zhong Daogong nodded, indicating agreement with Li Fan's point of view. "You're right. The Immortal Boat is not yet at the point of having to stake everything. That's why your trip to Daqi was arranged." Zhong Daogong was full of confidence.

Li Fan was somewhat puzzled. "Can merely one hundred million human lives quell the Star Sea's wrath?"

Zhong Daogong smiled, a gleam in his eyes. "Not with people. But with a realm!"

"If it were merely the number of humans, even if there were several times more, it might not make any difference to the Star Sea's Primal Consciousness. But if these one hundred million human lives are used as a foundation and arranged into a realm, then, in the name of a realm, a portion of the Star Sea's power can be siphoned off..."

"The Star Sea's backlash will be significantly weakened!" Zhong Daogong stated with conviction. "This is due to the Star Sea's inherent mechanisms. According to scattered records from the Immortal Boat's past, we are almost completely certain of this."

Li Fan quieted down, pondering the meaning of Zhong Daogong's words.

"The nurturing and evolution of cultivation realms are inherent fundamental laws of the Star Sea. Even if a cultivation realm's power expands, reaching a point where it influences the Star Sea, the Star Sea will not directly destroy it. Instead, it will at most manifest through various Star Sea anomalies."

"Star Sea anomalies are much easier to deal with compared to the wrath of the Star Sea's origin!" Jian Daosheng, not giving Li Fan a chance to ponder independently, eagerly provided the answer.

Zhong Daogong's eyes showed a hint of pride. "Our Immortal Boat has records of most historical Star Sea anomalies, along with the most basic methods to deal with them. Currently, the Star Sea is merely recovering after its destruction; it has not yet reached a stage of rebirth or mutation, so the possibility of new Star Sea anomalies being born is small. Even if there's a small chance they truly appear, they are likely related to the residual True Immortal power pervading the void. With the True Immortal Ancient Script in hand, weathering the storm will absolutely be no problem."

All the Immortal Boat Elders were extremely confident. A brief silence fell over the area.

Finally, Zhong Daogong spoke in a deep voice again. "Of course, to prevent the worst-case scenario, when we perform the Juntian Divine Art, we will leave the Profound Immortal Boat, taking only essential supplies."

"Even if our plan truly fails, it will still be enough to preserve the Immortal Boat. With the 'embers' we leave behind, the Immortal Boat can continue to exist for hundreds or thousands of years."

Currently, it seemed that although the Profound Immortal Boat's Star Sea Balancing Plan appeared audacious, the Immortal Boat's leadership had, in fact, given it meticulous consideration. If it succeeded, they would have unlimited possibilities. Controlling half of the Star Sea's power, even if dangers lurked outside the high wall, they would still have a place to reside. If it failed, they wouldn't lose everything. Compared to previously using the entire Immortal Boat's power to crash head-on into the high wall, this was absolutely much better. And this was the change the Taijia Divine Art, brought by Li Fan, had wrought upon the Immortal Boat.

It must be said that the Immortal Boat Elders were indeed not rigid or inflexible beings. They were able to perfectly accept new knowledge, and even apply it quickly.

"So, when do we act?"

"Since we can balance the Star Sea's power, theoretically, shouldn't we wait for the Star Sea to recover to be as strong as possible?" Li Fan said. However, he quickly negated his own judgment. "No, if the Star Sea becomes stronger, the power of its future retaliation will also be greater. If we are too greedy, it might exceed the critical threshold we can withstand..."

Zhong Daogong agreed. "Therefore, we need to choose the optimal moment."

"The Immortal Boat has already established a dedicated organization, with elders continuously rotating to perform the Taijia Divine Art, approaching and observing the Star Sea Consciousness."

"According to our predictions, the optimal moment should arrive within thirty years. During this period, the Star Sea's power and the residual True Immortal power will interact and constrain each other, forming a delicate balance."

"Beyond that, as one wanes and the other waxes, the residual True Immortal power will likely gradually dissipate within the Star Sea." Zhong Daogong, however, had reached the same conclusion as in the previous life.

Li Fan was pleased to hear this. "Good, my lifespan is ample now, anyway, and I have enough time to wait."

"Is there any preparatory work you need me to do?" Li Fan volunteered.

Zhong Daogong pondered for a moment, then offered some suggestions. "First, it would be best to try and see if we can further increase the number of humans covered by the ritual..."

Li Fan's brows immediately furrowed. After a moment of hesitation, his brows finally relaxed. "Although there are some risks, if we are careful, it should be possible. However, if we're going to do it, let's do it big and do it once, to avoid future regrets."

Li Fan's words greatly pleased Zhong Daogong. "The number of ritual sacrifices is crucial. For every doubling of the sacrifices, our chances of success increase by ten percent. I'll have to trouble you to put more effort into this aspect."

"Understood," Li Fan agreed, his expression solemn, seemingly contemplating how to achieve it.

"As for the second point..." Zhong Daogong paused. "You can just do it incidentally. If it succeeds, that's best; if not, it won't have any impact. It's merely an alternative plan."

Li Fan asked, "Oh? Elder Zhong, please tell me."

"The key to the ritual's success is to counterfeit a cultivation world within the Star Sea," Zhong Daogong explained to Li Fan, using simulated deduction visuals.

"As you know, all the worlds in the Star Sea have already shattered, except for your Daqi..."

"But Daqi's power is not inferior to that of our Immortal Boat. Attempting to occupy it and use it as a ready-made disguise location would inevitably trigger a great war. That would be unwise."

"Therefore, using the corpses of those shattered worlds for disguise can be considered an alternative method."

"Within the Broken Realm Great Wall, the fragments of past worlds are all connected, affecting each other like a single body. Acquiring them is not easy. However, we don't truly need the world's wreckage; we just need to try and collect some imprints left after the destruction of past Heavenly Daos..." Zhong Daogong pointed towards the distant Broken Realm Great Wall as he spoke.

"Hmm?" Li Fan looked as if he didn't quite understand what the other person meant. "What exactly do you mean by 'imprints left after the destruction of Heavenly Daos'?"

Zhong Daogong reached out and then took out an object. It resembled amber, yet also white jade. It looked naturally formed, without the slightest trace of carving, in the shape of a wooden umbrella.

"This is the sole remnant of a cultivation realm after its destruction. It was obtained by our Immortal Boat in the void after the Star Sea anomalies subsided."

"If you search carefully, there will certainly be many similar objects in the Broken Realm Great Wall. Fellow daoist, your escape technique is extraordinary; your search will be far easier than ours."

Zhong Daogong quickly put away the wooden umbrella-shaped white jade. "However, there's no need to force it. Within the Immortal Boat's secret vault, there are still some Heavenly Dao imprints like this. They should be enough to complete the disguise."