Chapter 1513: Body and Mountains and Seas Together

Although the feeling of being watched had disappeared, an inexplicable shiver still ran through him from time to time.

"Mastering the Grand Dao at the Shanhai level actually has little to do with one's actual combat strength. For example, even though I wield the supreme treasure Huanzhen, my power is still inferior to that of a Transcendent True Immortal before I fully comprehend the transformation of truth and falsehood."

"Although Duke Shouqiu wields longevity, he has not reached a level comparable to Shanhai. Judging from the attitude Ziyi revealed in his previous remarks, their strengths should be roughly equivalent..."

Li Fan pondered, gazing at the starry sky of the Shuoxing Sea High Wall, which had changed dramatically over the past century. Ultimately, he decided not to take any risks.

"After a bit more comprehension and experimentation with the Grand Dao of Longevity, I can use Huanzhen."

"I have gained too much in this life, and I've subtly touched a bottleneck. I still need to plan carefully how to proceed next."

By leveraging Huanzhen, Li Fan had already reached the pinnacle of the Grand Dao of Longevity.

However, Li Fan did not plan to inherit his current cultivation in the next life. Anchoring to one year, he was unsure where Duke Shouqiu truly was, or if he was even within the Shanhai Mortal Realm. If Duke Shouqiu were to detect Li Fan, an unexpected arrival on the Grand Dao of Longevity, suddenly appearing...

...Li Fan, with Huanzhen still on cooldown, would be no different from a sitting duck.

"Faceless Immortals and Archmages naturally wouldn't be able to detect the cultivation link created out of thin air by Huanzhen. But with Duke Shouqiu also controlling the Grand Dao of Shanhai, it's hard to say."

"There's no need to take this risk."

"In any case, the core of my strength increase in this life largely stems from my comprehension of the Grand Dao. Even if I return to the level of a Half-Immortal, I can quickly regain my combat power."

Even though he had decided not to inherit his cultivation, Li Fan still dedicated his remaining time to comprehending the Grand Dao of Longevity. He returned to the very beginning of his understanding of longevity, meticulously re-examining and savoring every detail.

This was because Li Fan was paving the way for his next life.

After activating Huanzhen and returning to the anchored point one year later, choosing not to inherit his cultivation would be equivalent to severing Li Fan's connection with the Grand Dao of Longevity.

However, Li Fan might be able to use the imprints left in this life to forge his own path to longevity.

It wouldn't be Duke Shouqiu's Shanhai Dao, and Li Fan had no intention of demanding a direct ascent to the highest realm. As long as he could acquire some properties of longevity, that would be sufficient.

"Duke Shouqiu's path to longevity is sufficient to disregard the tribulation of Dao Annihilation. My own path to longevity, however, merely seeks to cross Shanhai."

"Of course, this is merely my first step. In the future, I might even integrate into the transformation of truth and falsehood."

After discovering the inexplicable connections between mountains, seas, stars, Shanhai, longevity, and Huanzhen, Li Fan had once mused about what might happen if he possessed all these divine abilities.

"Reaching the True Immortal realm, imbued with Shanhai power. Comprehending the transformation of truth and falsehood, wielding the supreme might of Huanzhen. And if, simultaneously, one also embarks on the path of longevity..."

The current Li Fan had, in a sense, already achieved a fusion of the three.

It was just that each of these aspects was still quite rudimentary.

In reality, he was still in the Half-Immortal realm; his connection to Shanhai relied entirely on his clone. His understanding of the transformation of truth and falsehood was merely superficial, and his grasp of the Grand Dao of Longevity was fleeting and incomplete.

Yet, even so, Li Fan could still clearly perceive certain indescribable and inexplicable changes occurring within himself.

The most concrete example was the Dao Annals Projection Orb. Before he comprehended the Grand Dao of Longevity, analyzing it — even with the help of the countless beings in the starry sea — certainly required considerable effort, if not extreme difficulty.

But now...

He understood simply by looking; he knew it intuitively.

It was as if he had seen these countless divine abilities within the possibilities countless times before, and used them just as often. Now, it was merely a repetition of old memories. There was no need to revisit them; he only needed to recall them.

Moreover, this process of his body actively conforming to the Grand Dao of the heavens was accelerating.

To the extent that later, he no longer needed the assistance of the starry sea beings for comprehension. With just a glance, Li Fan could discern the direction and specific situation of every single thread within the Dao Annals Projection Orb, which resembled countless entangled fine lines.

Furthermore, dissecting it layer by layer and reflecting it like a clear mirror became commonplace.

What was talent?

This was it.

It even made Li Fan himself feel a bit afraid.

He felt no joy from these bodily changes; instead, he felt as if he was gradually being consumed by Shanhai.

While Cheng Dao was not paying attention, Li Fan, at the fringe of the starry sea, drew in a small amount of Dao Annihilation power to test.

Although he hadn't truly stepped into it, standing near the waves of Dao Annihilation, the fatal sense of crisis Li Fan had felt in the past was completely gone.

If, in the past, the feeling was akin to standing on the edge of a ten-thousand-zhang abyss, where a single misstep could result in complete annihilation, then now, it was like standing by the shore of an endless great lake.

Even if he accidentally fell into the lake, he could struggle and barely make it back to shore. As long as he didn't deliberately court death by venturing into the center of the lake, his life would not be in peril.

"Moreover, as time passed, my 'affinity for water' seemed to be improving."

"Even if I do nothing but simply continue to live, one day I will be able to use myself as a vessel to traverse Shanhai."

An ordinary person who received such a great fortune would have been ecstatic, but Li Fan felt only endless unease.

The most bizarre thing was that Huanzhen also seemed completely oblivious to the changes occurring in Li Fan's body. It even appeared to welcome these changes, remaining silent throughout. Only once did it show a slight hint of something different.

As if it wanted to speak but held back.

This made Li Fan feel even more uneasy.

After carefully pondering Huanzhen's intentions, Li Fan realized that even Huanzhen had likely not witnessed the numerous changes resulting from the fusion of these three elements.

Therefore, it observed out of curiosity.

As time passed, Li Fan's sense of being consumed grew stronger.

In his mind, various phantoms began to appear without cause.

Li Fan was certain that none of these images originated from his own memories.

Instead, they seemed like various events that had once occurred in the Shanhai Mortal Realm.

The external manifestation of this was that Li Fan's body began to assimilate with the surrounding world.

The most obvious sign was that Cheng Dao, whether intentionally or unintentionally, began to forget Li Fan.

Not long ago, he had frequently sought Li Fan to discuss insights into the Grand Dao of Longevity.

But gradually, he seemed to forget the existence of a junior brother like Li Fan.

Whenever he instinctively wanted to act, he would fall into a daze, temporarily unable to recall his next intention. It was only when Li Fan appeared before him, and he barely recognized him, that he managed to recall.

Yet Cheng Dao himself perceived nothing amiss.

If Cheng Dao was affected this way, other beings were even more so.

As the creator of the Primordial Immortal Realm, the Heavenly Emperor and the Heavenly Marks in this world had all forgotten Li Fan. Even the connection between the Primordial Immortal Realm and Li Fan had been severed.

It was as if the Primordial Immortal Realm had been born innately, utterly unconnected to Li Fan.

As the various imprints left by "Li Fan" in the mortal realm gradually vanished, he became increasingly integrated into the Shanhai Mortal Realm.

This was not merely limited to the original possibility.

Li Fan looked up at the sky. The originally solid and dense firmament, at some unknown point, seemed to have been torn open with countless tiny fissures. Through these cracks, he seemed to glimpse the boundless, continuous vista of Shanhai.

And Li Fan, if he wished, could step out into Shanhai at any moment!

The opportunity for transcendence was right before his eyes.

A pulsating desire instinctively surged within Li Fan.

However, repeated warnings from his spiritual intuition prevented him from taking that final step.

"I can't stay here any longer," he thought in a moment of clarity.

The illusory feeling brought on by being consumed by Shanhai caused Li Fan to almost misjudge the passage of time.

In his clear recollection, only a few days had passed since he received guidance from Cheng Dao and comprehended the Grand Dao of Longevity.

Yet, before Li Fan finally decided to activate Huanzhen, he checked the situation in the Shuoxing Sea and was horrified to discover that ten years had already passed in the world!

Li Fan shook his head, attempting to dispel the sense of disorientation brought on by the Shanhai's consumption.

After calming down, Li Fan silently recited in his heart: "The mortal world seemed to have fallen into stillness."

Li Fan waited for the darkness to engulf him.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

However, the familiar darkness did not descend.

As if drenched with a basin of ice-cold water in winter, Li Fan silently recited again: "But Huanzhen seemed to have become ineffective."

Or perhaps it had departed from him.

There was not even the slightest reaction.

An immense fear rose within Li Fan, a thousand times stronger than the feeling of being consumed by Shanhai.

His face gradually contorted as Li Fan roared repeatedly.

He wasn't just screaming internally; he was roaring furiously in reality.

Yet, he was as if forgotten by the mortal world; nothing and no one responded to him.

In his despair, a surge of malevolence suddenly rose within him.

Li Fan used his divine abilities, attempting to destroy the starry sea to vent his frustration. But neither his spells, nor his divine sense or physical body, could make any contact with reality.

He was disappearing from the mortal world, merging with Shanhai.

Li Fan did not feel his body becoming transparent or fading.

Yet slowly, he was no longer truly present in the world.

The cracks in the sky grew more numerous.

It seemed that he was about to be involuntarily pulled into Shanhai.

"Is this truly my final outcome?"

When he realized that nothing he did could reverse his ultimate fate, Li Fan, paradoxically, became calm.

In his heart, he vaguely felt that something was amiss.

But he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was strange.

It wasn't until half of his body had already entered the fissure and he truly witnessed the magnificent Shanhai beyond the mortal world that he suddenly awakened.

Had Huanzhen truly left him?

If he had lost Huanzhen, and only possessed the Grand Dao of Longevity and the Grand Dao of Shanhai, how could he possibly maintain this state of being consumed by Shanhai?

He likely would have broken free long ago.

Only with the three Daos merged could one so naturally integrate into Shanhai. Others, even Transcendent beings or the Three Sages, could not achieve this.

Simple logical deduction made Li Fan suddenly realize.

"I haven't lost Huanzhen."

As if grasping a final lifeline, Li Fan's eyes, which had been calm, indifferent, and devoid of fluctuations, suddenly flared with a light of hope.

"Considering Huanzhen's previous actions in the infinite seabed and its initiative in teaching the 'Illusion is also Truth' method, it absolutely doesn't want me to be discovered by Shanhai right now."

"If the previous merged state of the three Daos was merely due to Huanzhen's curiosity, then there's no logical reason for it to remain indifferent now that I'm about to be completely consumed by Shanhai."

Li Fan's thoughts spun faster and faster.

The blurred sense of time's passage also returned to normal as he thought.

"So, it's not that Huanzhen isn't responding to me."

"But rather..."

"My connection with it has been severed."

"Or perhaps, it didn't hear my Huanzhen command."

Realization surged into Li Fan's mind.

"As long as Huanzhen is still present, there's still hope."

"If calling doesn't work, then I'll kick the door down!"

Li Fan had already completely entered the Shanhai fissure.

The light from the original possibility was fading as the fissure closed.

After entering Shanhai, Li Fan paradoxically felt that the process of his consumption had slowed down.

But at the same time, countless images and light projections in his mind intensified like a gathering storm.

It seemed that in the next moment, these illusory light projections would materialize from virtual to real.

Truly evolving from Shanhai.

The infinite seabed, the mountain peaks above.

And even the Shanhai Beyond.

As well as outside the Shanhai Mortal Realm.

All seemed to have detected the unusual movement where Li Fan was located.

Shanhai roared and bellowed.

Perhaps in the next moment, Li Fan would be exposed before all beings of Shanhai.

But the more desperate the situation, the calmer Li Fan became.

He quickly found the only way to save himself.

Self-detonation.

The energy accumulated from his cultivation within his body, and even Li Fan's divine soul and will, were ignited in an instant.

And then, without reservation, they exploded with a roar.

His immortal foundation, the Grand Dao of Longevity.

At this moment, all transformed into fuel for an endless light.

Li Fan had never before realized that his body contained such immense energy.

Once instantly ignited, it could even isolate Dao Annihilation, burn mountains, and fill seas!

The first to be affected was the original possibility, where the fissure had not yet fully closed.

An endless light, like a great sun, illuminated the originally dim starry sky.

The Shuoxing Sea, the Primordial Immortal Realm.

And even the High Wall, the Dao Net.

All of these melted away like ice and snow in the fiery light.

In the entire original possibility, only a handful of individuals were struggling to hold on.

And starting from the original possibility, it was as if a raging wildfire had ignited.

It began to spread rapidly, as fast as one could look.

Wherever Li Fan looked, that place was already engulfed by light.

Overwhelming flames, scorching light.

Obscuring any external view.

Amidst the endless light, Li Fan found a moment of respite.

It was a final burst of light, ushering in his last moment of peak strength.

According to Li Fan's observation, the surrounding possibilities that were being consumed by the flames had not truly vanished.

Instead, they transformed into phantoms and returned to Shanhai.

Li Fan could even simultaneously sense the images echoing in his mind.

"Shanhai, the mortal world. What is their relationship?"

"And beyond Shanhai..."

After reaching the peak of his strength, he suddenly collapsed.

Li Fan's thoughts abruptly ceased; he could no longer think even a jot.

"In the end, I still couldn't awaken Huanzhen."

This was Li Fan's final thought before losing consciousness.