Chapter 1501

**The Dao-Fused Giant Rat Immortal**

“Have the Three Saint Sovereigns truly grown so powerful? Unique across all realms…” Li Fan was momentarily lost in thought.

“The Immortal Realm is boundless, and since ancient times, countless prodigies have emerged. Yet, only four beings are truly called ‘Saints.’ Even Master, with his immense power, is only respectfully referred to as ‘Lord’ by the world, not as a ‘Saint.’ How can you underestimate the Saints, Junior Brother?” Cheng Dao shook his head.

“It’s not that I underestimate them,” Li Fan said with a wry smile. “It’s just that my understanding of the Immortal Realm relies entirely on vague records, making it impossible to form a correct perception. If not for your guidance, Senior Brother…”

“Unique across all realms, or perhaps unique in the Mountains and Seas. Is that the legendary realm of true transcendence? The Saint Sovereigns Lianshan and Guihai achieved enlightenment: one by opening the Upper Mountain, and the other by unblocking the Infinite Spring. How did Saint Sovereign Taiyi reach this stage? Could it be that there’s someone in the world comparable to the Mountains and Seas?” Li Fan directly changed the subject.

Cheng Dao smiled. “Although your Senior Brother here has extraordinary insight, the secrets of a Saint Sovereign’s enlightenment are not something I can know. Unless a Saint Sovereign reveals it themselves, who could possibly understand? However, it’s true that Saint Sovereign Taiyi is of equal strength to the two Saints, Lianshan and Guihai. Saint Sovereign Lianshan himself once admitted this in the presence of Immortal Emperor Louhuang and many nameless True Immortals. As for the last one to achieve enlightenment, the Great Saint Jingfen…”

“If I may speak somewhat disrespectfully, I’m afraid that in the eyes of the Three Saints, Jingfen is merely a junior with some ability.”

“The Three Saints are the Saints of the Mountains and Seas. Jingfen, however, is merely a Saint Sovereign of our world.”

“However, this judgment was based on the time when the Immortal Realm was shattered. So many years have passed; it’s impossible to presumptuously guess what level of power Great Saint Jingfen has reached. Perhaps he, like the other three Saints, has also taken that final step on the path of transcendence?”

Next, Li Fan inquired of Cheng Dao about various hidden secrets of the Immortal Realm. Afterward, he redirected the conversation back to the enemy from the Guangwu Star Sea, the Immortal in the Coffin from the Other Shore.

“Shanhua, following Kuixing’s guidance, has already located the Immortal Coffin.”

“Just as you predicted, Senior Brother, that Immortal Coffin is indeed a condensed manifestation of the Great Dao. At their current speed, the Immortal in the Coffin will arrive in our Primordial Immortal Realm in approximately five hours.” Li Fan showed Cheng Dao the images transmitted by Shanhua.

“Should we choose a different location for the battle? If you and I, Senior Brother, fight that Immortal from the Other Shore, this continent might be affected,” Cheng Dao asked, glancing down.

“If it’s destroyed, we’ll simply rebuild it. If it can’t even withstand this minor tribulation, then its destruction would be no great loss. Moreover, while the beings in this realm are somewhat weaker, they can still serve as helpers,” Li Fan politely declined.

Cheng Dao, however, praised him sincerely: “Junior Brother, your mindset truly embodies the demeanor of a Saint from the Immortal Realm.”

Li Fan chuckled lightly but did not respond.

“Nevertheless, with a formidable enemy before us, some preparations are still necessary…”

Cheng Dao pondered for a moment before speaking, “If Junior Brother doesn’t mind, I have a divine ability I can impart to you. Although I don’t know which Dao the nameless being in the coffin has merged with, with this ability, even if you can’t subdue the enemy, you’ll be well-protected.”

Li Fan was overjoyed: “Senior Brother, what are you saying? I couldn’t ask for anything more!”

Cheng Dao didn’t hesitate. He reached out and tapped Li Fan’s forehead in mid-air.

Li Fan’s body and soul instantly felt as if they were back in the Infinite Sea, being washed over by countless rapidly shifting visions.

Li Fan saw very clearly that the vast majority of these visions depicted a solitary figure sitting by a mountain, gazing at the sea.

It was precisely Lord Shouqiu!

Li Fan had seen this scene more than once in the “Shouqiu’s Musings.”

However, what Cheng Dao transmitted at this moment was different: it was an upward gaze from a third-person perspective!

It was not Lord Shouqiu’s personal insight.

Lord Shouqiu not only sat by the mountain, gazing at the sea, but also protected a spirit stone beneath him, shielding it from the erosion caused by the collision of mountains and seas.

“The Immovable Body of Mountains and Seas.”

“By activating this divine ability, one can remain as steadfast as Lord Shouqiu, unmoving amidst the vast and turbulent changes of the Mountains and Seas.”

“Beyond defense, depending on one’s comprehension of the Mountain and Sea phenomena, one can also simulate and unleash the erosive power of the Mountains and Seas from their Dharma body. Of course, this doesn’t mean one can truly imitate the Mountains and Seas with this ability. Rather, it draws the opponent into the vast, boundless realm of the Mountains and Seas that one perceives, making them feel as if they are gazing at the sea from Shouqiu!”

“If the opponent possesses abilities like Lord Shouqiu’s, or has inherited his legacy, they can naturally disregard this deterrence. But for ordinary individuals…”

“Especially those who truly experienced boundless despair within the Mountains and Seas, and after countless years of barely escaping, find themselves facing the Mountains and Seas again. They might collapse on the spot!”

While comprehending and learning the Immovable Body of Mountains and Seas, Li Fan eloquently described its wonders.

He wasn’t speaking to himself, but to Cheng Dao.

Cheng Dao nodded repeatedly, highly satisfied with Li Fan’s rapid and successful comprehension.

“Senior Brother, this move of yours is truly ingenious.”

“It doesn’t risk harming fellow disciples, and it has remarkable effects on True Immortals in the world. The more they fear the Dao Annihilation Tribulation and refuse to bear responsibility, the more they will be affected by this divine ability,” Li Fan continued to praise.

At the same time, he activated the Immovable Body of Mountains and Seas.

Li Fan was still Li Fan.

But around him, mountains and seas seemed to swirl.

Cheng Dao’s eyes lit up: “Junior Brother, your understanding of the Mountains and Seas is quite profound!”

“It’s just that Master and you, Senior Brother, taught me well!”

For the next period, Li Fan, with Cheng Dao’s help, consolidated the Immovable Body divine ability. Although he already had Huan Yizhen’s protection, one could never have too many body-protecting divine abilities. Perhaps at some point in the future, it could save his life.

Therefore, Li Fan studied it very seriously. He promptly asked Cheng Dao whenever he encountered any confusion.

Cheng Dao not only didn’t find it troublesome but was very pleased.

“He’s here.”

Li Fan suddenly withdrew his Dharma body and gazed at the horizon.

The mountain and sea light projections around Li Fan immediately vanished, but in the Primordial Immortal Realm, unusual phenomena abruptly arose.

*Screech…*

A grating sound, like corroded metal rubbing together, echoed across the Primordial Continent. All living beings who heard it felt an uncontrollable surge of irritation in their hearts.

Then, as the grating sound grew louder, this irritation gradually transformed into an impulse.

*Go to where the grating sound originates! Find the source of the sound!*

Once this impulse arose, it became increasingly difficult to suppress.

In an instant, many figures on the continent, unable to control themselves, sped towards the sky.

Li Fan’s cold snort then spread across the Primordial Continent.

Under the deterrence of the Genesis Father God, many beings briefly sobered up, forcibly suppressing their impulses and returning to the surface.

But some, desperate and heedless, charged towards the sound.

It seemed that the unpleasant grating sound was their eternal pursuit, its importance even surpassing life itself and the Great Dao!

“Such childish, bewitching tactics. This Immortal in the Coffin can’t possibly have only these few tricks, can he?” Li Fan no longer intervened, letting the beings from the continent below rush to their deaths one after another.

In his vision, the Immortal Coffin had indeed been opened a crack.

The opening was like an abyss, profound and bottomless, devouring everything that surged into it.

All beings that flew within a certain range of the Immortal Coffin were instantly swallowed by that profound darkness.

Inside the Immortal Coffin, the sound grew louder.

And new, different noises began to emerge, unlike before.

If, at first, it was the sound of the Immortal Coffin’s lid slowly opening, now there was some unknown, inexplicable entity inside, constantly scraping the inner wall of the coffin with its claws. It seemed to be struggling, trying to rise from within the coffin, to break free!

The Immortal Coffin’s target was clearly the Primordial Immortal Realm where Li Fan resided.

It continuously accelerated its approach.

The change in sound did not alter its bewitching, alluring effect. Beings from the Darkest Star Sea surged towards the Immortal Coffin like moths to a flame.

With each one it devoured, its speed increased by a fraction.

As Li Fan’s expression grew solemn, the Immortal Coffin arrived in the sky above the Primordial Immortal Realm!

“Allow me, your Senior Brother, to meet him first.”

Cheng Dao suddenly stood up, took a step, and the next moment, he was already near the Immortal Coffin.

“Before this Venerable One, you dare to make such a ruckus.”

His seemingly frail body seemed to contain infinite energy. He reached out and slapped the Immortal Coffin violently.

With every gesture, the faint roar of mountains and seas accompanied him, suppressing all the strange noises emanating from the Immortal Coffin.

At that instant, Li Fan seemed to witness the marvelous sight of mountains colliding and colossal waves crashing.

“Is this Cheng Dao’s true strength, holding nothing back?” Li Fan’s pupils constricted.

Under the erosion of the mountains and seas, the Immortal Coffin trembled violently.

Already severely damaged, it now reached its limit under the baptism of the mountains and seas.

It seemed to be on the verge of disintegrating.

However, the Guangwu Star Sea had never placed its hopes solely on an Immortal Coffin, but rather on the Immortal from the Other Shore within it.

A massive muffled thud emanated from within the Immortal Coffin.

It was as if some entity, in response to the roaring sound of mountains and seas outside, was violently striking from within.

*Thump! Thump! Thump!*

The striking sounds grew more rapid.

Like startling thunder piercing the night sky, or a beacon dispelling the mist.

Even with the lingering sounds of mountains and seas, they gradually failed to suppress the thudding.

At its peak, the thudding suddenly ceased.

At that instant, the Immortal Coffin disintegrated inch by inch. A dark shadow emerged from it, heading directly for Cheng Dao, who was near the coffin.

“Senior Brother, be careful!” Li Fan cried out in alarm.

Before he could speak, the dark shadow had already collided with Cheng Dao.

Splashes from the violent impact, like raindrops in a storm, even reached Li Fan, who was observing from afar.

The Primordial Continent, equivalent in scale to the Immortal Realm, swayed unceasingly like a solitary boat adrift on a stormy night sea.

Under the gusts of wind, Li Fan felt that the stable Dao principles of the Primordial Continent were slowly being disrupted.

Without further thought for the Primordial Immortal Realm, he merely instructed the Five Heavenly Emperors and the Thirteen Heavenly Scars to emerge and maintain order.

Li Fan looked towards the direction of Cheng Dao and the dark shadow.

That dark shadow, the Immortal in the Coffin, had now revealed its true form.

It was not human.

Instead, it was a colossal rat!

Simply describing it as a “rat” might not be entirely accurate. Its sudden lunges and aggressive movements, with claws swinging and teeth biting, were remarkably similar to those of a human.

Its fur, moreover, was brilliantly multicolored, as if it wore an embroidered robe.

On its head, it wore an earthy-yellow straw hat. However, the brim of the hat was chipped, as if something had taken a bite out of it.

The expressions on the rat’s face were as vivid as a human’s.

Greed, solemnity, urgency, and other emotions were all present.

“A race of strange beasts?”

As Li Fan looked at the monster, he couldn’t help but think of Emperor Sanmo’s clan.

But he quickly dismissed this conjecture.

Not only because the Myriad Beast Wheel showed no reaction to this strange rat, but also because of Cheng Dao’s telepathic warning from the midst of their fierce battle.

“Junior Brother, be careful! This is a Giant Rat Immortal!”

Cheng Dao then explained to Li Fan what a Giant Rat Immortal truly was.

It wasn’t a nameless True Immortal who had achieved enlightenment through the Dao of Giant Rats, but rather a product of a True Immortal’s mutation after greedily and endlessly devouring the Great Dao.

Under normal circumstances, with countless Immortals gathered in the Immortal Realm, Giant Rat Immortals would not appear.

They generally only emerged in the potential advent of an apocalypse.

To maximize their chances of survival within a drifting Immortal Coffin, Immortals in coffins would often do everything in their power to collect remnant Daos and construct their Immortal Coffins.

However, if one drifted in the Mountains and Seas for too long, besides decaying and perishing, one would also suffer backlash from the Immortal Coffin, which was condensed from the Great Dao.

The realm of a nameless True Immortal is achieved by merging one’s body with the Dao.

The Three Thousand Great Daos are inherently incompatible. After merging with one, it becomes impossible to accommodate other Daos.

Yet, under the unique circumstances of being within the Mountains and Seas and a sealed Immortal Coffin, a nameless True Immortal might achieve the miracle of embodying multiple Daos.

But the price is…

…the nameless True Immortal mutates, transforming into various bizarre forms.

The Giant Rat Immortal is the most typical example of such a mutation.

They still possess a certain level of consciousness, but are dominated by an instinctive desire to merge with the Dao, wanting to devour everything around them that is useful.

“If Master encountered a True Immortal who perished in a coffin, he might help with their burial. But these mutated True Immortals? They must be killed without mercy!”

“Leaving them alive is a complete disaster!”

“Once I’ve suppressed this beast, I’ll go settle the score with the Guangwu Star Sea!” Cheng Dao’s voice contained traces of anger.

Li Fan watched the Giant Rat Immortal, whose figure flickered and whose every claw swing caused tremors in the surrounding Great Dao, as an inexplicable feeling suddenly surged in his heart.

“The Guangwu Star Sea came for my methods of suppressing the Dao Sword and Dao Saber. They surely wouldn’t entrust such a task to an irrational Giant Rat Immortal…”

Just then, Li Fan saw a glint of intelligence flash in the rat’s eyes.

He quickly sent a telepathic warning: “Senior Brother, be careful! This is not a Giant Rat Immortal in the usual sense.”

“Perhaps someone has seized its body and voluntarily merged with it!”

Upon hearing this, Cheng Dao’s movements stiffened for an instant.

At this very moment, a fine black light surged from the Giant Rat Immortal’s foreclaws.

The light suddenly erupted, enveloping Cheng Dao.

The Giant Rat Immortal, meanwhile, retreated rapidly, keeping its distance. Like a human, it stroked its whiskers with its forepaws, a look of triumph on its face.

“This black light…”

Li Fan actually sensed an aura remarkably similar to Moxie’s from it.

“It seems that the Lanka Daoist Temple isn’t the only one researching the power of Mountains and Seas fusion,” Li Fan mused.

Although the black light was terrifying, Li Fan wasn’t worried about Cheng Dao.

Having been able to survive for billions of years by Lord Shouqiu’s side, at the edge of the Mountains and Seas, how could he possibly fall so easily?