Chapter 1468: Shadow of the Nameless Immortal

Li Buren peered, attempting to discern any traces of the Tribulation of Dao Annihilation upon it.

Guard of the Mound had gazed at the mountains and seas for over a hundred eons, becoming intimately familiar with both. Now, with his assistance, Li Buren indeed sensed a faint, familiar aura on the enormous 'Hunger' character in the Immortal Ruins.

He concluded that whether the previous Hunger Immortal died from Dao Annihilation, or transformed into a pillar to withstand the overwhelming tribulation from the Immortal Realm, in any case, it certainly had close contact with Dao Annihilation. Though her body perished, her Dao remained. The current Hunger Immortal discovered the profound mystery here. The temptation to ascend to the Nameless Realm was so immense that she willingly risked great danger, choosing to comprehend the Dao here instead of fleeing like other True Immortals. Actually, it could not be considered very dangerous. From an external perspective, the Immortal Realm had long been destroyed. However, from the Hunger Immortal's point of view, her experience might not even span a single day. Moreover, with the remnants of a Nameless True Immortal serving as a pillar here, if the Tribulation of Dao Annihilation were to truly erupt again, the Immortal Ruins might actually be safer than other places in this starry sky. "If it were me," Li Buren concluded, "I would make the same choice."

Although determined to help the Hunger Immortal achieve Nameless Dao, Li Buren had no intention of simply ignoring the Great Dao of Hunger as he claimed. Capable of altering the flow of time in its surroundings, the Dao of Hunger was certainly not to be associated with weakness.

Li Buren hid in the room representing the Path of Hunger, watching the Hunger Immortal's form expand, gradually filling and dominating the space. He meticulously recorded the entire process.

He mused that if he was not mistaken, once the Hunger Immortal achieved Nameless Dao, all his records would cease to exist. This was comparable to the simulated deductions that were just in his mind. However, there was a slight difference. Even if he were 'True', those simulated deductions, along with their ultimate annihilation, would not be recalled. As for the Hunger Immortal, if she died, or if he went to the next life, and the Dao of Hunger had not yet been fully realized by anyone else, these records would reappear. Possessing both the remnants of the Hunger Immortal from two generations ago and the complete Dao-proving process of the previous Hunger Immortal, anyone—as long as their aptitude was not too poor—could directly achieve Nameless Dao in a short period. It would not necessarily have to be this woman.

Li Buren's heart remained unperturbed as he recorded every single detail, until the small room of the Dao of Hunger could no longer accommodate a second person.

A mysterious fluctuation suddenly emerged from between heaven and earth. The second tall wall, personally built by Li Buren, collapsed without warning. It was not that the Hunger Immortal had suddenly turned hostile, but rather a natural consequence of the fluctuations caused by her ascension to the Nameless Realm. Li Buren's replicated tall wall, while capable of holding back the Hunger Immortal during her comprehension, could no longer contend with a being who had already achieved the Nameless Realm.

At the same time, Li Buren also noticed that a segment of memory in his mind had been inexplicably erased. Yet, his mission remained firmly imprinted in his mind. The abyss-like and ocean-like aura ahead reminded him that what stood before him was a Nameless True Immortal, and his target for the hunt.

The process of ascension to the Nameless Realm was not yet complete, and the optimal moment to act had not arrived. Li Buren accumulated his strength, ready to strike his target at any moment.

In the Star Sea of Ultimate Darkness, it was as if a gigantic meteor had plummeted. The overwhelming tidal waves it unleashed swept outwards in all directions. In the face of this immense power, no remnants in the star sea could maintain stability on their own. Relics and fragmented realms were all swept away, as if by a crushing force. They ultimately crashed into the boundary of the star sea, where the tall wall stood.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The reverse suction accumulated under the tall wall over ten thousand years served as a buffer, allowing many relics and fragmented realms to halt their trajectories in time. However, quite a few still slammed directly into the tall wall. The manifestation of Guard of the Mound's ethereal form, like a majestic embankment, stood firm. All relics shattered into dust upon impact, like eggs striking a stone. Yet, the tall wall did not even tremble in the slightest. It even firmly locked down the fluctuations emanating from the Nameless Hunger Immortal.

The performance of the tall wall greatly reassured Li Buren. Guard of the Mound's power was indeed trustworthy.

At the same time, amidst the tempest stirred by the Nameless Dao's ascension, Li Buren also noticed that the hollow beneath the Star Sea of Ultimate Darkness, where the form of life resided, seemed to be undergoing inexplicable changes in sync. Given Li Buren's current strength, even extremely subtle disturbances could not escape his observation.

He wondered if it seemed that, like him, it had silently recorded the birth fluctuations of the Nameless Hunger Immortal. This outcome surprised Li Buren somewhat. However, the recording methods of the two were still different. Li Buren's method involved a complete, comprehensive recording, whereas the form of life in the star sea's hollow utilized the impact generated by the Nameless Hunger Immortal's birth to rewrite itself to a certain extent. It was as if it had pressed firmly into an inkpad, leaving behind the fingerprint of a Nameless True Immortal, thus preserving information about a Nameless True Immortal that normally could not be recorded.

In the hollow, the long-dormant dark river of vitality suddenly began to boil due to the transformation of the form of life. This echoed the grand spectacle of the Nameless True Immortal's advent in the star sea. Almost all stored vitality was drawn out, and in the center of the form of life's pattern, a figure corresponding to the Hunger Immortal silently appeared. "A Shadow of a Nameless Immortal," Li Buren thought. "Interesting."

Li Buren's thoughts raced: According to what he had previously learned, this form of life was constructed by King Xuantian, commissioned by Xing Wuque. Though King Xuantian possessed extraordinary talent, he was merely at the Half-Immortal Realm when he disappeared. He absolutely should not have had the means to imprint the shadow of a Nameless True Immortal. Therefore, it was highly probable that the issue lay with Xing Wuque. Already exhausted, practically soul-scattered, with only a broken mask remaining. If Xing Wuque were merely a local cultivator from the Profound Yellow Realm, with a cultivation level even lower than King Xuantian's, he would certainly not have been capable of creating such a form of life. However, considering that the Profound Yellow Realm was once a crucial location for 'True' entities to stake out, it was highly probable that a Nameless True Immortal's avatar infiltrated it. Everything then fell into place logically. Among the Twelve Dharma Kings, he wondered, how many were truly innocent?

As his hunting target was the Nameless Hunger Immortal, Li Buren temporarily shifted his gaze away from the nameless shadow in the hollow. The turbulence gradually subsided, and the anomalies were about to fade.

How fortunate the Star Sea of Ultimate Darkness was to witness the birth of a Nameless True Immortal. Yet, for her, it might also be a misfortune. Because the moment the Hunger Immortal proved her Dao, she completely occupied the Path of Hunger. Consequently, the remnant of the previous Hunger Immortal beneath her lost its original divine properties and became nothing more than an ordinary object.

On the ground of the Immortal Ruins, the 'Hunger' character first dimmed as if dying. Then, an instant later, it came alive again and reappeared. But it had a new master, gradually assimilating into the Hunger Immortal's body.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A faint, world-ending roar seemed to emanate from beyond the heavens. That was the erosion of the Tribulation of Dao Annihilation, caused by the sudden absence of the nameless remnant that had originally served as a supporting pillar. It was like a hole slowly appearing in an unbreakable dike. Although this hole had not yet completely pierced the dike's body, the external tide was already surging in.

If Li Buren were to return the power borrowed from Guard of the Mound's ethereal form at this moment, with the additional Primordial Bone and five Guard of the Mound ethereal forms, it would be enough to withstand the onslaught of the Tribulation of Dao Annihilation. But Li Buren did not act rashly. He even resisted the reclaiming force from Guard of the Mound's ethereal form. He never forgot his hunting target. He was waiting for the optimal moment to strike.

And the Hunger Immortal did not disappoint him. Perhaps it was a duty inherited from the previous Hunger Immortal, or simply an instinctive reaction at the moment of impending disaster. Facing the surging tide of Dao Annihilation, the Nameless Hunger Immortal casually unleashed a portion of her own power as a temporary fill. At the same time, she transmitted a message to Li Buren: "Fellow Immortal, leave quickly, this place is no longer safe to remain."

Even after achieving Nameless Dao, she still addressed Li Buren as "Fellow Immortal." This was partly because Li Buren had aided her in comprehending the Dao, showing her kindness. Secondly, the power Li Buren displayed, though appearing somewhat peculiar, was genuinely not inferior to her own. Thus, her attitude remained very friendly.

However, the other party's subsequent actions greatly exceeded her expectations. Her "benefactor" had changed face in an instant!

Li Buren's body first went briefly still, then instantly exploded and scattered. It transformed into a sky-filling silver Dao net, fully capable of receiving the power from Guard of the Mound's ethereal form. A roar, even louder than that of the Dao Annihilation tide, resounded in the Nameless Hunger Immortal's ears. Within the silver Dao net before her eyes, she faintly discerned a majestic figure standing with hands behind its back. Like mountains and oceans. Even she, who had embodied a Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, was but an ant living amidst mountains and seas compared to it. That figure bore some resemblance to her "benefactor," yet it was even more like the one from ancient legends of the Immortal Realm... That individual.

"Guard of the Mound??!!"

The Nameless Hunger Immortal's body and mind convulsed, losing composure for a moment. At that very moment, the sky-filling mountains and seas pressed down upon her. It was not until the tidal waves engulfed her and the mountains loomed overhead that the Nameless Hunger Immortal snapped out of her shock. Without time to question why, she instinctively moved to resist. Even if the other party truly was that great figure who saved the Immortal Realm, she would never sit idly and await her doom!

"Hunger.""I am so hungry..."

A profound, ghostly voice emerged amidst the mountain-and-sea tide. It seemed to emanate from the Hunger Immortal, yet it was more like a mysterious entity from beyond the ethereal Great Dao. The power Li Buren had prepared to imprison the Nameless Hunger Immortal was all treated as food by her and swallowed instantly. Facing the vast power of mountains and seas, the Hunger Immortal remained utterly fearless. She intended to swallow mountains and drink oceans, turning everything in the world into her own sustenance!

Like a colossal vortex devouring all things, the Nameless Hunger Immortal's figure could no longer be clearly seen. In the face of this terrifying suction, Li Buren felt his Dao net body, into which he had transformed, subtly distorting. The strength of the Hunger Immortal after achieving Nameless Dao was indeed somewhat unexpected. But to think such a level would be enough to defy the heavens...

Li Buren's other body, seated on the grand armchair, slightly bowed towards the five Guard of the Mound ethereal forms. An instant later, a little more power was drawn from the five ethereal forms. This was the maximum share Li Buren could borrow, calculated on the premise that the tall wall would not collapse under the pressure of the Tribulation of Dao Annihilation. Roughly equivalent to two and a half Nameless True Immortals!

Consequently, the Nameless Hunger Immortal felt the immense force binding her from outside instantly more than double. What she had originally perceived as mountains and seas as vast as heaven and earth now seemed like mere shimmering pebbles in a mountain and droplets in an ocean. The expansion of the mountains and seas seemed endless and limitless. Her initial momentum and determination to swallow mountains and drink oceans faltered upon discovering this horrifying truth. Her endless hunger was also nearly satiated.

More critically, the Tribulation of Dao Annihilation, which she had casually resisted earlier and prepared to leave quickly, intensified its pressure even further. The superposition of these two factors rendered her completely immobile for a moment! Furthermore, as if it had discovered her as a potential weak point, the Tribulation of Dao Annihilation, seemingly possessing sentience, launched a siege against her. In that instant, the Dao Annihilation pressure she experienced was many times stronger than anywhere else in this star sea!

Not just the Hunger Immortal, Li Buren also noticed this change in the battle. The increased pressure on the Hunger Immortal meant that Guard of the Mound's ethereal form had less to bear. Therefore, he could borrow even more power. He further increased the stakes, unleashing a power equivalent to that of three Nameless True Immortals in a sudden burst.

The Nameless Hunger Immortal, already struggling somewhat under the threat of the Tribulation of Dao Annihilation, was like a bird in a cage, unable to escape. Li Buren's Dao net body transformed into countless ropes, binding the Hunger Immortal. As it tightened and locked, it also slowly "nailed" her into this star-filled sky.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"No!""I beg Guard of the Mound for mercy!"

The Hunger Immortal, realizing his intent, cried out in terror. Nameless True Immortals become Heavenly Pillars. This was no secret in the Immortal Realm. At least the Hunger Immortal had known this for a long time. In fact, when she cultivated back then, she had even personally witnessed the laying of a Heavenly Pillar's foundation. She never imagined that today, she would have to relive such a fate.

However, despite her myriad unwillingnesses, she could not change this reality. The scene before the Nameless Hunger Immortal grew increasingly dim. The sky-filling starlight, mountains, and seas were no longer visible. It was as if she was slowly sinking into the boundless depths of the ocean. All she felt around her was eternal darkness and an ever-increasing pressure.

The moment the Nameless Hunger Immortal's body vanished into the Star Sea of Ultimate Darkness, a Nameless Heavenly Pillar was successfully affixed by Li Buren in this realm.

However, sensing the faint, unceasing sounds of Dao Annihilation, Li Buren, with great decisiveness, returned the power borrowed from Guard of the Mound's ethereal form. The Primordial Bone, the Hunger Immortal Heavenly Pillar, and five Guard of the Mound ethereal forms formed a dike collectively with such immense power that it could absolutely not be submerged by the current Tribulation of Dao Annihilation. After attempting for a while and realizing it was destined to be futile, the surging tide suddenly receded.

Li Buren inspected his Dao net body. Due to the approaching Dao Annihilation tide, it had actually shown a tendency to directly dematerialize. Fortunately, the Dao Annihilation tide did not last long. Within a few deep breaths, Li Buren had already returned to normal.

He noted that the Dao Annihilation tide indeed ebbed and flowed. Moreover, he thought, it seemed there was no discernible pattern. Within a short time of discovering a weakness, it could suddenly become surging and immense. "It's as if... it has its own offensive consciousness."