Chapter 1479: Immortal Realm Ascends Again

Situ Xing gave a wry smile. "As the saying goes, 'one mountain cannot tolerate two tigers.' It was already incredible that so many Nameless Immortals gathered in one realm. But for our group back then to revolve around a single person, calling each other brothers, and maintaining stable relationships – that's even more unimaginable... Especially Luo Yichen and Ji Yuzhen, those two women. They were already mortal enemies in the Upper Realm."

Seeing Li Fan's intrigued expression, Situ Xing continued, "In the Immortal Realm, Luo Yichen was known as the Clear Stream Divine Mother. Her style of conduct was the same as before she met Xuanyuan Hong in the Xuanhuang Realm: she enjoyed keeping male (and female) consorts. The entire vast star domain was said to be under her sway."

"As for Ji Yuzhen, her name in the Upper Realm was also Ji Yuzhen. It's said that Ji Yuzhen was a native of the Clear Stream Star Domain, deeply influenced from childhood by its unique atmosphere of servitude, which she wholeheartedly believed in. However, by a stroke of luck, she one day managed to leave the Clear Stream Star Domain and arrive in a star domain governed by normal immortal principles. The vast contrast distorted her psyche, turning her reverence into hatred..."

Situ Xing paused, hesitated for a moment, then added, "My Upper Realm true body's memories are somewhat incomplete. So, what I've heard might not all be true. However, the hidden entanglement between those two is definitely real. At the time, we wondered why these two seemed to have such an innate, immense hatred for each other."

"Later, Ji Yuzhen was the first to awaken her true self-awareness and immediately tried to kill Luo Yichen. Fortunately, Xuanyuan Hong intervened in time and stopped her."

"I still remember Ji Yuzhen's eyes back then. Heh heh..." Situ Xing clicked his tongue. "I must say, Xuanyuan Hong truly had some skill. Not only could he maintain the balance between the two women while he was present, but even after his disappearance, Ji Yuzhen and Luo Yichen actually coexisted peacefully for a period. It was only when they developed differing opinions on how to deal with Xuanyuan Hong that their relationship gradually fractured again."

"Luo Yichen believed she was ultimately not destined for that treasure, and although the Clear Stream Star Domain hadn't yet been affected by the Dao Annihilation, it was already teetering on the brink. Thus, she chose to return to the Immortal Realm and flee."

"Ji Yuzhen, on the other hand, chose to follow the clues left by Xuanyuan Hong. She firmly believed that Xuanyuan Hong would not abandon her like that."

Situ Xing gave a wry smile. "Ji Yuzhen's stubborn nature was quite well-known in the Upper Realm."

Li Fan recalled the millions of Ji Yuzhen's souls wandering in the ring mountains of Dongyong Continent. He slightly raised an eyebrow. "Didn't Ji Yuzhen die?"

With a wave of his hand, he showed Situ Xing the current situation in Dongyong Continent within the Xuanhuang Realm.

Hearing this, Situ Xing was initially startled. However, after observing for a while, he shook his head slightly. "Ji Yuzhen's cultivation method dictates that she wouldn't fall so easily. These millions of split souls, including the original soul hidden in the center, are almost entirely memories related to Xuanyuan Hong. She likely discarded them intentionally."

"That Dongyong Continent is also where Xuanyuan Hong returned to after his ascension, searching for the place he first met her. It's probably a way for her to sever all emotional ties to Xuanyuan Hong."

As expected of a former Nameless True Immortal. Just by observing the light and shadows indirectly displayed by Li Fan, he could discern the truth about those millions of split souls.

"No wonder, every scene I saw in the memories of these split souls involved Xuanyuan Hong."

Li Fan already trusted Situ Xing's assessment to some extent.

"Back then, among your Twelve Dharma Kings, how many truly died? And how many chose to disappear on their own?"

Situ Xing felt that this senior seemed overly interested in the affairs of the former Profound Heaven Sect. "Could it be that he later met one of the twelve of us?"

While thinking this, but deterred by the two Heaven Pillars beside him, Situ Xing still honestly replied, "Uh, Sikong Lin most likely truly died. Affected by the Dao Annihilation calamity in the Immortal Realm, his true body was annihilated, and his clone was also severely damaged. The damage was too great to recover; he should have no power to return. Zhou Yangli and Cui Zhiyuan's true bodies were definitely affected too, but it's uncertain if they escaped."

"As for the others... that's beyond my conjecture."

Li Fan pointed in the direction of the underground dark river in the Darkest Star Sea. "What about you? How did you end up in this situation?"

Situ Xing looked a bit embarrassed at the question. "My true body's consciousness awakened the latest. I hadn't fully recovered my original awareness until Xuanyuan Hong disappeared. At that time, I couldn't understand certain things that were happening among us. I continued to follow Xuanyuan Hong's orders, carving the shapes of living beings beneath the star sea. And I rarely communicated with others, so even if they had awakened their true consciousness, they weren't sure of my true identity. They weren't even sure if I was a True Immortal of the Lower Realm..."

"Not long after I started working under the Darkest Star Sea, my true body tragically fell, and I was also affected. It was incredibly fortunate that I barely managed to preserve my divine consciousness from scattering," Situ Xing sighed.

"So, your clone could be considered quite loyal then," Li Fan observed.

"Well, it's not entirely as Senior thinks. In fact, I implicitly sensed the benefits of creating the forms of living beings, which is why I willingly stayed in that underground river of vitality," Situ Xing smiled, not hiding anything.

"Benefits?"

"After the destruction of the Immortal Realm, the infinite nature of True Immortals' immortal power was affected to varying degrees. Some lucky ones might still possess infinite immortal power, but others lost their connection to the Sea of Infinity. I belong to the latter group."

Situ Xing sighed and continued, "By using the forms of living beings to outline and shape this star sea, and in doing so, help it recover, I could use the authority channels of the lower realm's star sea to re-establish contact with the Sea of Infinity. At that time, even if the Immortal Realm was destroyed, I would still be a True Immortal. Even if my true body suffered an accident, I wouldn't be too greatly affected."

"Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned."

"The Sea of Infinity is the culprit that brought about the Dao Annihilation. Even with the Immortal Realm destroyed, you are still stubbornly deluded!" Li Fan interrupted Situ Xing, his expression gradually turning cold.

Situ Xing looked somewhat astonished, as if he finally understood why Li Fan didn't possess immortal power. He pondered, then carefully explained, "It wasn't the Sea of Infinity that caused the Dao Annihilation. Rather, it was the failure to block the Sea of Infinity that led to its occurrence. We True Immortals connect with the Sea of Infinity through the power of the Connected Mountains. As the saying goes, mountains and seas are linked."

"And whether we use infinite immortal power or not, it won't affect the overall trend of the Dao Annihilation tide."

"I speculate that the destruction of the Immortal Realm was largely due to Emperor Tianluo's pigheadedness."

Situ Xing's explanation fell within Li Fan's blind spot of knowledge. Unable to discern its truth, he didn't directly refute it. Instead, he asked in return, "Emperor Tianluo, the governing Immortal Emperor—I've also heard that before the Immortal Realm was destroyed, he seemed to make some mad moves. What exactly did he intend to do?"

When Emperor Tianluo was mentioned, Situ Xing's expression became somewhat peculiar, much like when he recalled Xuanyuan Hong. "Emperor Tianluo sought to completely resolve the threat of the Dao Annihilation calamity. And his method... it was the plan for the entire Immortal Realm to ascend once more. If successful, it would transcend above both the mountains and the seas. No matter how the tides rose or fell, they would no longer affect us in the slightest."

"Hmm?" Li Fan's expression also became subtle. "Either that Emperor Tianluo was an absolute madman, or he definitely had something to rely on. I once heard that Emperor Tianluo didn't lack followers back then..." He stared at Situ Xing, wanting to get an answer from him.

"Theoretically speaking, Emperor Tianluo's plan did have a certain feasibility. Otherwise, I wouldn't have chosen to follow him back then. Unfortunately, judging by the outcome, he seems to have ultimately failed."

"However, why it was feasible specifically involves the Immortal Realm's ascension plan, which was top secret. I didn't receive synchronized information. And that secret, perhaps along with the destruction of the Immortal Realm, has been completely buried," A hint of regret flickered deep in Situ Xing's eyes.

An eerie silence fell upon the Heaven Pillar space.

"Immortal Realm ascension..." Li Fan savored those four words in his mind. It was indeed too insane. No wonder Qingyin and the True Immortal surnamed Ling, stationed in the experimental field space, both thought Emperor Tianluo was mad upon learning of this plan. They ultimately decided to flee far away.

The power of Immortals comes from the mountains and the seas. Yet Emperor Tianluo actually wished to transcend the mountains and seas with the power of a single realm. Even if he had something to rely on, it was still overly fantastical. But to hold the position of governing Immortal Emperor of the Immortal Realm, Tianluo was certainly no ordinary person. He must have weighed his options carefully before making this decision. At the very least, in his view, there was a high possibility of success.

"Could it truly transcend mountains and seas? At that time, the Immortal Realm was still trembling under the ravages of the Dao Annihilation tide. What exactly did Emperor Tianluo rely on?" Limitless curiosity surged in Li Fan's heart. However, this question was destined to remain unanswered for a while.

"You claim that infinite immortal power wasn't the culprit that brought about the Dao Annihilation. So, in your opinion, are all the immortals blameless for the occurrence of the Dao Annihilation calamity?" After pondering for a moment, Li Fan steered the conversation back.

Li Fan's stance was already very clear. Glancing again at the Heaven Pillar beside him, Situ Xing several times seemed about to speak but stopped, unable to answer the question for a long time. After a long pause, he stammered, "It's not just me. Most True Immortals probably believe this. And it is indeed the truth. Whether we use infinite immortal power or not, the Sea of Infinity will always be there."

"And the fusion of mountains and seas is an unstoppable trend. If one were to say who is truly at fault... then perhaps, from the very beginning, the birth of Immortals was a mistake."

"Ever since Immortals were born by leveraging the power of the Connected Mountains, the approach of the Sea of Infinity was already destined to happen, sooner or later."

Situ Xing also held to his convictions somewhat. Facing Li Fan's intense gaze, he did not change his explanation. He spoke frankly.

"You Nameless True Immortals, you attained the Dao and left. Do you truly bear no responsibility?" Li Fan suddenly demanded in a harsh tone. With a sweep of his hand, five illusory figures of Old Man Shouqiu appeared, encircling Situ Xing. "Leaving aside becoming a pillar yourself, couldn't you at least have left behind illusory figures to inherit the Dao, like Old Man Shouqiu did?"

The name Old Man Shouqiu was indeed extraordinary. Staring at the illusory figures that suddenly appeared around him, Situ Xing looked as if he had been struck by lightning. His body trembled uncontrollably. After calming himself, he bowed respectfully to the illusory figures. Then, after a moment of thought, he spoke again, "This question was already discussed long ago in the Immortal Realm."

"The grand trend of mountains and seas fusing is not something that can be reversed by the persistence of one or two paths. In reality, the support of one more or one less path has no impact whatsoever from a macroscopic temporal perspective. Just like the sanctuary Senior built here with two Heaven Pillars, it may seem safe now, but in reality... one day, destruction is inevitable."

"Perhaps it can be delayed somewhat, but ultimately it's futile."

"It's impossible to completely negate the path of True Immortal advancement because of this. Moreover, for us who have achieved the Nameless Dao, a minor transcendence, or even true transcendence, leaping above the mountains and seas, might truly lead us to find a way to prevent the mountains and seas from merging."

Situ Xing spoke with righteous indignation, his words coming faster and faster. His gaze was firm, as if this was what he truly believed in his heart.

"Hmph. Placing hope in a vague, ethereal future."

"Now the Immortal Realm has been destroyed, and countless Transcendent True Immortals exist. Have they found a way to save the world?" Li Fan retorted.

To this question, Situ Xing could only remain silent. After a long while, he finally spoke, "Perhaps, on the other side of the Sea of Infinity, there's a world that has already found a solution."

"Countless Transcendent True Immortals from various worlds continuously cross over to the other shore, gathering in that magnificent world. By pooling their collective strength, they should be able to find a way to save the world. This was, in fact, the tacit understanding among countless Nameless True Immortals at that time."

"To cling to one world, its ultimate outcome, Emperor Tianluo has already demonstrated."

"Senior, you didn't follow the path of proving immortality, so it's natural you wouldn't understand this aspect."

Situ Xing spoke eloquently, but he couldn't sway Li Fan's heart in the slightest. For no other reason than that the cold, hard countdown numbers were steadily diminishing, narrating the ultimate fate of the mortal world.

"Perhaps he's not wrong."

"The fusion of mountains and seas is truly the great, irreversible trend of the mortal world."

"In the face of mountains and seas, the influence of a single possibility is negligible, let alone that of a Nameless True Immortal who has only proven one Dao."

"No matter what they do, or whether they leave behind means to inherit the Dao, at most, it only delays the arrival of the Dao Annihilation calamity by a little."

"It cannot change the ultimate destructive outcome."

Li Fan suddenly thought of Xie Subai, Black Heaven Physician, and Old Man Shouqiu, who, despite having the ability to easily resist the Dao Annihilation calamity, still drifted away.

"A tacit understanding among Nameless True Immortals, then."

"Were they merely pursuing their own power, or did they genuinely adhere to this so-called tacit understanding?"

"Does that grand world on the other shore, where countless transcendents gather, truly exist?"

A myriad of thoughts flashed through Li Fan's mind. However, no matter what he was thinking, he could not outwardly show any sign of being persuaded by Situ Xing.

"The lives that the beings of this world should have had disappeared prematurely because of your excuses."

"How should this account be settled?"

"Are they simply meant to die?"

Li Fan waved his hand, and a scene of countless beings wailing in the apocalypse instantly appeared before Situ Xing.