Chapter 1520: Starfire Saves the Mortal World

Angry Squid:

"Eternal Void Realm?" This was the second time Li Fan had heard this term from Emperor Taitian.

Although Li Fan had lost most of his memories, his impression of Shouqiu Gong remained that of a rare and powerful figure in the world. How could such a person find himself in such a difficult predicament?

"What exactly is this 'Eternal Void Realm' you speak of?" Li Fan couldn't help but ask.

"What place?" Emperor Taitian's expression was somewhat peculiar.

He extended a hand, gesturing around them. "Here, there, anywhere you've ever seen… all can actually be called the Eternal Void Realm. Even if they aren't now, they are destined to fall into it eventually. This is the fate of all beings in the mountains and seas."

Emperor Taitian's words only deepened Li Fan's confusion.

Yet, the former Immortal Emperor, now a mere lingering phantom, seemed intent on speaking in riddles with Li Fan, continuing with seemingly unrelated statements: "Originally, I transformed into the Time-Reversing Skiff, journeying upstream in the River of Time repeatedly. At first, with power that nearly allowed me to transcend, I could only barely return three thousand years into the past…"

"Three thousand years may seem long, but it was merely a blink of an eye. With foresight, I did indeed make many preparations for the arrival of the Calamity of Dao Annihilation. Yet, in the end, it was all in vain."

"I could save more True Immortals, but not the Immortal Realm itself."

"So I tried again and again, attempting to return to an even more distant past, hoping to gain more preparation time. As my understanding of the Way of Reversal deepened, the maximum time I could trace back continued to increase: from three thousand years, to five thousand, then ten thousand, and eventually fifty thousand years!"

Although Emperor Taitian's tone was calm, the content of his words already revealed the demeanor of a peerless expert.

"Even as the Time-Reversing Skiff became riddled with cracks, I still held onto hope. Until…"

"That day, I finally saw the end of the River of Time."

An infinite sense of reminiscence surged in Emperor Taitian's eyes.

"The end of the River of Time? How is that possible?" Li Fan's body trembled at the words, his eyes wide with disbelief. Suddenly, a few images flashed through his mind, causing a faint prickle of pain. In an instant, Li Fan finally began to understand.

Emperor Taitian continued, "It was like a raging river that appeared out of thin air. No matter how much I, traveling upstream, struggled in its waters, I couldn't advance another step!"

"The Calamity of Dao Annihilation?" Li Fan slowly uttered the four words.

Emperor Taitian nodded. "Precisely! The Calamity of Dao Annihilation, this terrifying disaster, doesn't just consume our world at the present moment. It also erases all traces of our past existence in history, making everything in the mortal realm utterly return to nothingness!"

"Seventy-four thousand eight hundred and seventy-six years. That was the upstream limit of the River of Time I glimpsed when I traveled against its current. However, I haven't embarked on that journey again in a long time. During these years spent within the painting, I fear that number must have significantly decreased…" Emperor Taitian sighed.

Just listening, Li Fan felt the overwhelming pressure. What could be more despair-inducing than a fate that even reversing time couldn't change? It was as if he had followed Emperor Taitian all those years ago, personally experiencing the terrifying sight of the Calamity of Dao Annihilation pressing down and pouring forth from the upstream of the River of Time, step by agonizing step.

A sudden flash of insight, and Li Fan seemed to grasp something. "So, Senior, the 'Eternal Void Realm' you speak of refers to…"

Emperor Taitian nodded. "Precisely. The Eternal Void Realm refers to those places that have already been swallowed by the Calamity of Dao Annihilation."

Although he had received an explanation, an even greater confusion arose in his mind.

"Senior, since you said the Calamity of Dao Annihilation has swallowed everything from the past, how could my master, Shouqiu Gong, travel to places that shouldn't exist? Traversing through the void of time would surely put even my master in mortal danger. Why would he take such a risk?"

Facing Li Fan's many questions, Emperor Taitian chose not to conceal anything, answering them all.

With a sweep of his sleeve, a vast, shimmering river, laden with fleeting images, flowed between the two.

Emperor Taitian used his finger as a sword, making a gentle stroke. A small section of the brilliant river's imagery was instantly erased, leaving only the latter half to continue its strange, rushing flow through space-time.

"Have you ever wondered why the River of Time has seemingly been entirely consumed, yet we, downstream, still exist?"

"Without the past as our foundation, can we truly exist independently? It's like if I were to go back to your mortal years and kill you directly. Would you still appear before me now?"

Li Fan's eyes narrowed slightly. He had indeed pondered this question and instinctively felt it was impossible. However, the undeniable fact that the mortal realm still existed forced Li Fan to consider this hypothesis.

It seemed the disappearance of the River of Time's upper reaches did not directly affect its downstream. Only when the Calamity of Dao Annihilation truly reached the "present" would all of space-time vanish completely.

Emperor Taitian gazed deeply at Li Fan. "I, along with many powerful figures in the Immortal Realm, and even the three Holy Monarchs, once thought the same. Until later…"

"We realized we were gravely mistaken!"

Emperor Taitian did not explain in detail how the Immortals of the Immortal Realm discovered their cognitive error. Instead, he presented an irrefutable conclusion with absolute certainty.

He waved his hand again, and the horizontally displayed image of the River of Time instantly stood upright.

The image suddenly shrunk countless times, finally revealing the vanished upstream portion of the river.

"The River of Time, its foundation still exists. Our continued presence in this world is the best proof. Its engulfment by the Calamity of Dao Annihilation is merely an illusion."

Li Fan looked ahead at the wondrous scene Emperor Taitian had revealed.

A continuous, sky-reaching river, glowing with a faint blue light from bottom to top, was nevertheless tainted by an unknown darkness.

It had become intermittent.

"The invasion of the Calamity of Dao Annihilation does not proceed sequentially from ancient times to the present. Instead, it occurs synchronously, playing out at every point in the river. Some historical intervals vanish completely without warning, while others temporarily manage to survive."

"And we are within such a segment, a still-existing node!"

Emperor Taitian's gaze drifted to the extremely distant past of the River of Time. "It comes back to the same question. The reason we are able to exist is precisely because, within that seemingly completely swallowed darkness, there are still those who are desperately holding on!"

"One day, if they all completely fall…"

"We, too, will cease to exist."

"We won't even realize how we disappeared. It will be as if we were never meant to exist in this world. By then, no matter how powerful a cultivator, none will likely escape the fate of annihilation. Not even Shouqiu Gong, who wields the Great Dao of Longevity." Emperor Taitian sighed deeply.

Li Fan's mind reeled.

As his thoughts raced, he finally understood why Shouqiu Gong would travel to the Eternal Void Realm.

It was for rescue.

And also for self-preservation.

"Once this was understood, all the powerful cultivators in the mortal realm unified their goals. While maintaining their own existence, they would traverse the perished space-time to reach the previous surviving node and offer assistance. Repeating this process, eventually…"

"They would return to the distant past where the Calamity of Dao Annihilation could be completely resolved."

"Alas, my time has come. My spirit is willing, but my strength is lacking. Traveling against the current was already my limit. Traversing the perished space-time is far beyond my capability now," Emperor Taitian sighed again, his expression tinged with sadness.

The truth revealed by Emperor Taitian far exceeded Li Fan's expectations.

It seemed even his past memories held no knowledge of this.

His brain, in extreme shock, found it difficult to process or react for a moment.

After a long silence, Li Fan suddenly realized something and quickly asked, "Could it be that our sudden awakening back then, our correct understanding of the current state of the River of Space-Time, was because…"

Li Fan pointed to the intermittent River of Time before them, specifically to the section above their current position.

"Visitors from the future came, traversing the perished space-time to assist us?" Li Fan's voice trembled slightly.

Emperor Taitian nodded gravely.

Li Fan gazed at the scene before him, as if seeing all the powerful cultivators united in their mighty endeavor to save the consumed River of Time.

His emotions surged, and he found it difficult to calm down for a long time.

After a while, he slowly composed himself.

After the brief surge of adrenaline subsided, he stared at the scene before him, and many questions resurfaced in his mind.

How exactly could one traverse perished space-time?

And how could they be certain that returning to the most ancient times would truly provide a solution to the Calamity of Dao Annihilation? If countless individuals struggled together, enduring immense hardships, only to discover in the end that everything was irreversible…

What then?

After much contemplation, Li Fan finally couldn't hold back and voiced his many doubts.

Emperor Taitian's expression was stern. "If we don't try, then only ultimate destruction awaits us. By trying, we might just seize that slim chance of survival."

"We can only hope that those powerful individuals from the ancient past can hold on until the day reinforcements arrive."

Emperor Taitian raised a hand, pointing outwards.

"You must understand that those capable of reaching the Great World of the Other Shore are all unparalleled cultivators, famous throughout history. And those qualified to traverse perished space-time and venture into the Eternal Void Realm are one in a billion. Such individuals, even without a shred of hope, can still fight desperately for their lives. How could they be swayed in their resolve by the mere possibility of this perilous situation?" Emperor Taitian's expression and tone were graver than ever before.

"Although you have received Shouqiu's legacy, transcendence is almost a certainty for you. However, if you maintain your current mindset, you may not be qualified to advance further once you reach a grander stage."

"The Great Dao of Longevity can only grant you eternal freedom here."

Li Fan looked at the small segment of the River of Time that Emperor Taitian was pointing to, adopting an expression of one who had received instruction.

"Among cultivators of our generation, who wouldn't be filled with fervor and willing to offer their strength upon hearing of this plan? Due to my own destiny, I cannot participate. It is truly a profound regret."

"However, you still have a great opportunity!"

"Perhaps your accidental arrival here was also fated." As Emperor Taitian spoke, he gradually began to murmur to himself. His expression became somewhat fanatical, as if he had conceived an incredibly exciting idea. A unique aura slowly rose from his phantom body, which had been shrouded in deathly intent.

"Lingering here holds no further meaning. I might as well impart to you today my understanding of the Way of Reversal!"

"If, one day, you can go to the Eternal Void Realm and assist on my behalf, then my sacrifice today will not have been in vain!"

Emperor Taitian seemed to have achieved a sudden epiphany.

His body radiated immense light.

His form gradually floated into the Time-Reversing Skiff, slowly merging with its hull.

The Time-Reversing Skiff suddenly floated up, then, in a flash of lightning, surged towards Li Fan.

Li Fan had previously been deeply moved and touched by Emperor Taitian's impassioned words.

However, as the Time-Reversing Skiff now flew uncontrollably towards him, he instinctively wanted to dodge.

But Li Fan was no match for Emperor Taitian.

Not even with Emperor Taitian reduced to a mere phantom.

Thus, he could only watch as the Time-Reversing Skiff flew into his body.

The River of Time that Emperor Taitian had displayed before them also seemed to crash into Li Fan's mind simultaneously.

Everything Emperor Taitian had experienced during his repeated journeys upstream in the River of Time was now playing out synchronously in Li Fan's mind.

It was identical to the scenes swallowed by his own lost memories.

But Emperor Taitian had clearly considered Li Fan's "fragile" capacity for endurance.

Under the constant rush of fleeting images, the many insignificant scenes slowly faded away.

Only certain crucial matters and Emperor Taitian's insights into the Way of Reversal remained, as if sedimented.

Emperor Taitian's legacy seemed to resonate with Li Fan's lost memories.

Stimulated, the images of his past experiences could no longer be suppressed and synchronously surged forth from the depths of his mind.

"Huanzhen?!"

Among the myriad images, Li Fan grasped the most crucial detail.

He finally remembered the name he had given to the supreme treasure he possessed.

And Huanzhen's many wondrous uses.

"What's happening? How did Huanzhen turn into this?"

"Not only have functions like the Boundless Reincarnation vanished, but even all the anchor points I set are gone?"

Although some lost memories were recalled, Li Fan's state of mind did not stabilize because of it.

Instead, it became even more turbulent.

Coupled with Emperor Taitian's inheritance, the situation further deteriorated.

In the Xuanhuang Realm, Li Fan's true body in the Grand Tutor's mansion's secret chamber had, under this immense pressure, exploded into a mess of flesh and blood from the waist up. The aura of longevity continuously surged from his mangled form, attempting to repair the damage.

However, the sudden turmoil triggered in Li Fan's mind this time had far exceeded what he could endure.

It seemed even the Great Dao of Longevity he wielded could not save him now.

"Huanzhen! Huanzhen! Huanzhen!"

Seeing that the situation was dire, Li Fan, left with no other choice, quickly cried out in his mind.

But a familiar scene replayed itself.

Huanzhen, as if it hadn't heard him, showed no reaction whatsoever.

Li Fan, unwilling to give up, called out several more times.

The result remained the same.

Overwhelmed by shock and fury, Li Fan couldn't help but feel despair as he watched his body gradually being consumed.

But in a daze, Li Fan recalled what Emperor Taitian had just said.

"Such individuals, even without a shred of hope, can still fight desperately for their lives!"

The panic slowly receded, leaving only immense determination in Li Fan's eyes.

In that instant, he had found his path to survival.

Time-Reversing Skiff!