Chapter 1559: Dao Yi Swallows Mountains and Seas

Angry Squid:

Li Fan observed the various manifestations of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao. He thought with a slight hum, "At least you know your place. Only when facing impending death can this thing truly unite its efforts."

Currently, the Xuanhuang Immortal Ark might, to some extent, resist the Primal Descent of Dao Annihilation. However, if it were to plunge headfirst into the Mountains and Seas, the only outcome would be complete annihilation, without even a ripple.

This was why the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao exhibited these various changes. It was truly a desperate measure to preserve its existence.

Yet, how could the plan Li Fan had painstakingly conceived for so long be as simple as actively seeking death?

"Emperor Tianluo's previous world-wide ascension shares a similar principle with my idea. However, my strategy has three advantages."

"First, the entire Immortal Realm is vast and boundless. A world-wide ascension, transcending the Mountains and Seas, would consume far too much. In contrast, the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm only occupies a small space within the high walls. Though smaller in scale, it offers greater operability."

"Second, to cross and transcend, one can either navigate their own Dao path, riding the waves, or simply run parallel to the Mountains and Seas, on equal footing. Most transcendent experts in the mortal world choose the former. This is because there are only a few things that are on par with the Great Dao of the Mountains and Seas. The Hill Guardian achieved eternal life, and I..."

"...have Huanzhen."

Li Fan still clearly remembered the Dao Origin ability that Huanzhen awakened after devouring the Eternal Remnant Will left by Su Bai.

Dao Origin: When Huanzhen can be activated, a specified area can accompany it, returning together to a predetermined anchor point. Alternatively, one can forgo this opportunity to activate Huanzhen and designate a certain area to counteract Dao Annihilation.

"Dao Origin is the key for the Xuanhuang Immortal Ark to be qualified to traverse the Mountains and Seas!"

"When the true is false, the false is also true..."

Li Fan softly chanted these seven words. In his Sea of Consciousness, under the reflection of the Myriad Phase Dao Net, every scene and every event in the entire Xuanhuang Immortal Realm appeared in his mind with exquisite detail.

"Unless the complete Great Dao of Longevity is obtained and then infused, no matter how much this realm is strengthened, the moment it rushes into the Mountains and Seas, it will only result in annihilation. However, if I protect the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm with the 'True-False Transformation,' with the Immortal Ark beneath my feet, I can traverse the Mountains and Seas myself!"

"Although Huanzhen is currently in a deep slumber,..."

"Huanzhen craves various Eternal Remnant Wills, likely to study different paths of transcendence and find a true solution to the calamity of the Mountains and Seas' fusion. The so-called abilities unlocked after devouring the Eternal Remnant Wills are essentially Dao paths of the Mountains and Seas, practiced with Huanzhen as the protagonist."

"In other words, they are all a combination of True-False Transformation and the path of transcendence."

"Incarnation, Dao Origin, and Samsara of No-Intervals are all like this."

"This also means that Huanzhen doesn't need to activate them for me. As long as I comprehend both, I can similarly utilize these so-called abilities."

"Just like the so-called Divine Blessing and Illusory True."

"I will use the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm to embark on the path of transcendence. And the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm, protected by me, can then survive within the Mountains and Seas. Only with both conditions met is there a possibility of traversing the Mountains and Seas."

"But this alone is not enough."

"The most crucial part is the third step."

An inexplicable expression crossed Li Fan's face. His divine sense gathered on a certain spot within the Myriad Phenomena Dao Net: a towering mountain peak in the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm, nine million zhang tall, yet completely hollowed out inside.

Countless dense black specks quietly resided in the massive cavern inside the mountain peak.

At first glance, these black specks seemed somewhat similar to Inkkill.

However, they actually had another name.

Dao-One Worms!

These Dao-One Worms were not deliberately created by Li Fan.

They initially emerged as spirits during the creation of the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm, naturally evolving with characteristics and shapes extremely similar to Dao-One Worms.

But upon noticing the existence of these spirits, Li Fan almost immediately thought of the Dao-One Worms he had seen before. Thus, he intentionally guided them to evolve and iterate towards the characteristics of Dao-One Worms.

Over a hundred years in the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm, these black swarms of insects had become far more powerful than the former exotic beasts.

Don't let the shimmering stars of cultivators in the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm's firmament deceive you.

If the Dao-One Worms in this mountain were to swarm out and devour all the stars, it would only take a moment!

"Such power truly lives up to the name of Dao-One."

"However, I can feel that they are still far from reaching their limits."

With a thought from Li Fan, a black speck in the cavern silently vanished. Simultaneously, a faint black spot appeared in a corner of the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm.

The black spot only appeared for an instant before completely merging into the Xuanhuang World.

The integration and erosion by the Dao-One Worms were silent, so much so that even the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao detected nothing.

Even though Li Fan was like the parent of Xuanhuang, possessing absolute control over the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm, had he not continuously monitored the Dao-One Worms' erosion process, he would have found it difficult to notice this quietly occurring anomaly.

Under Li Fan's guidance, this Dao-One Worm continuously wandered and shuttled through the Xuanhuang World. Soon, it reached the foundation of the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm, the sparsely developed areas on the Mountain Above.

It did not enter directly but instead clung to the edge of the area, lying dormant.

The Dao-One Worm sensed the peculiar rhythm emanating from the Mountain Above, and its own form gradually began to change accordingly.

Although these unintelligent beings could not comprehend the principles of the Mountains and Seas, they could rely on instinct to gradually transform themselves into existences more adapted to the Mountains and Seas!

This process might be extremely lengthy. However, the Dao-One Worm swarm shared their experiences with each other. As long as their numbers were sufficient, the time required for "assimilation" could be greatly shortened.

"The life form of the Dao-One Worms is simply too singular and simple. That's why they can accomplish things that cultivators cannot."

Under Li Fan's mental manipulation, countless Dao-One Worms left their hollow abode. Some flew up to the nine heavens, settling near the Four Heavenly Gates to sense the aura of the Infinite Sea; others burrowed underground, lying dormant outside the Mountain Above. Still others flew to various parts of the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm, reproducing freely.

Li Fan had previously commanded Dao-One Worms to transform the entire Five Elements Grand Cavern Heaven into an insect-like state. Now, he was merely repeating an old trick.

Ultimately, the Dao-One Worms were spirits born and evolved within the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm under his will. And now, he was secretly transforming the Xuanhuang Realm through these spirits.

The essence of his actions was no different from his past efforts in the Spirit Wood Realm, where he commanded tree people to build the headquarters of the Myriad Worlds United Association.

"The Dao-One Worms are evolving towards the Mountains and Seas."

"And the Xuanhuang Realm, in the process of being devoured by the Dao-One Worms, is also achieving this effect."

"Xuanhuang Dao-One Transformation, Dao-One Mountains-and-Seas Transformation."

"This is the third step I've taken: Dao-One Devours the Mountains and Seas!" A sharp glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes.

Li Fan had never held any reverence for the Mountains and Seas.

Even though he had personally experienced the vastness of the Mountains and Seas on more than one occasion.

"Although the might of the Mountains and Seas is unmatched by cultivators, there are existences in the world on par with it: Huanzhen, the Great Dao of Longevity."

"The authority over the Mountains and Seas might even originate from a so-called Creator God."

"He who steals from others will be stolen from in return..."

"Even if I cannot fully occupy the Mountains and Seas, as long as I can claim a foothold within them, I will no longer need to worry about the calamity of Dao Annihilation. Furthermore, should the Mountains and Seas fully merge in the future, the Dao-One Worms can adapt accordingly." Before Li Fan's eyes, a scene seemed to unfold: countless black specks quietly dyeing the Mountains and Seas with ink. And Li Fan sat amidst this vast ink-like expanse, calmly observing the dramatic changes in the Mountains and Seas.

"From the current perspective, there are no flaws in my plan. The adaptability of the Dao-One Worms to the Infinite Sea and the Mountain Above is better than I had imagined."

Li Fan silently observed the changes in the Dao-One Worms within the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm, thinking to himself.

Perhaps because everything in the mortal world originated from the Mountains and Seas, the Dao-One Worms' atavistic behavior of evolving towards the Mountains and Seas proceeded exceptionally smoothly.

Countless black specks gathered at the intersecting edge between the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm and the Mountains and Seas.

They seemed capable of quietly infiltrating at any moment.

But they took no further action, merely continuously increasing the population of their nearby colonies, making themselves more "adaptable."

"The moment the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm officially connects with the Mountains and Seas, the feasibility of the plan might truly be verified."

Li Fan stared intently at the Dao-One Worms between heaven and earth, murmuring softly.

Although all current signs indicated that Li Fan's Dao-One Devours the Mountains and Seas plan had a high probability of success, Li Fan was never one to put all his eggs in one basket.

Plan for defeat before planning for victory. He had long prepared alternative solutions in his mind.

"If my deductions are flawed, if my comprehension of Dao Origin cannot protect Xuanhuang within the Mountains and Seas, or if the Dao-One Worms cannot adapt to the Mountains and Seas to help the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm survive within them..."

"...I can simply abandon them and resume my own path of transcendence."

"Regardless, having experienced this collision between Xuanhuang and the Mountains and Seas, my experience will be richer, and my comprehension of the Mountains and Seas will undoubtedly deepen. At that time, I might truly conceive a path unique to myself."

Having successfully escaped the calamity of the Three Dao Fusion before, Li Fan was confident that even if he were temporarily trapped within the Mountains and Seas, he could calmly make his escape.

"Of course, the prerequisite is that the True-False Transformation and the blessing of Illusory True are indispensable."

After obtaining the Scripture of the Grand Supreme Dao and weaving the initial scale of the Myriad Phase Dao Net, Li Fan's understanding of the True-False Transformation also ascended to a new level.

Li Fan already had a faint grasp of how to use the True-False Transformation, and now with a deeper understanding of the Great Dao's principles, he found it increasingly effortless to employ the corresponding True-False Transformations.

With a slight stir of his thoughts, a translucent jade disc phantasm appeared out of thin air before Li Fan, materializing from nothing.

Its appearance was identical to the Immortal-Rank Disintegration Disc that had vanished during the Three Dao Fusion!

The phantasm of the Disintegration Disc flickered, jumping back and forth between illusion and reality.

Initially, the illusory state persisted for a longer time. But later, as the transformations became increasingly rapid, the phantasm of the Disintegration Disc solidified, as if it were truly about to descend into the world!

The flickering of light and shadow grew more agitated, and the illusory image seemed to vanish completely.

What appeared before Li Fan seemed to be the true physical form of the Disintegration Disc!

However, as he looked at this familiar creation, Li Fan slightly furrowed his brows: "With my formation Dao talent, which has almost reached its limit, it is still not enough to achieve a complete True-False Transformation."

"I can only barely maintain its real state. Once I withdraw the power of true-false, it will immediately disappear. This is seemingly just a thin line from 'false is also true,' yet it's as different as heaven and earth."

"It's like my formation talent, though it's theoretically at its limit, it is still a hair's breadth away from transcending by means of formations."

Li Fan suddenly found himself in a dilemma: "Could it be that one must reach the transcendent realm on a certain Great Dao to achieve 'true is also false' for that path? How could that be possible?"

"How can Huanzhen reset, restore, or even the entire Mountains and Seas with a single thought?"

The more Li Fan comprehended the True-False Transformation, the more perplexed he became.

Fortunately, he wasn't someone who got stuck on a single thought. Since he couldn't figure it out for now, he decided to set it aside.

Everything was predicated on improving himself.

Ultimately, he still couldn't transform the Immortal-Rank Disintegration Disc from illusion into reality. Li Fan stopped his futile efforts and dispelled the phantasm before him.

"Currently, for the grand plan of Dao-One Devours the Mountains and Seas, I need to implement a three-pronged approach."

"Constantly monitor the Mountains-and-Seas transformation process of the Dao-One Worms; strengthen the foundation of the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm so it can withstand the collision with the Mountains and Seas for a longer duration; and continue to gather insights from different Dao paths to advance my comprehension of the True-False Transformation..."

Li Fan split his mind into countless strands, integrating them into every corner of the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm.

Each strand performed its task, slowly accumulating power.

Time flowed slowly. Five years later, sensing a disturbance outside the high walls, Li Fan was roused from his enlightenment.

"Huh? What's this?"

Li Fan's expression was unreadable as he stared beyond the high walls, in the direction of the Shuoxing Sea.

"Maobao?"

A wisp of his will, which he had left outside the high walls, surprisingly detected an aura similar to, yet not quite, Maobao's!

Li Fan's first reaction was to look towards the location of the Fishing Pond within the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm.

True to its name, "Mountains and Seas Fishing Ground," even though the Xuanhuang Realm had undergone earth-shattering changes, this pool of water remained largely unaffected.

It remained as calm and profound as ever, only occasionally rippling slightly as the Xuanhuang transformations occurred.

"Apart from that, there were no other changes in the Fishing Pond."

"Maobao didn't appear from the Fishing Pond; instead, it inexplicably descended outside the high walls..."

"Interesting."

"Could it be that there's another Mountains and Seas Fishing Ground there?"

Li Fan's interest was piqued.

Not only because he had close contact with Maobao before, but also because he suspected that Maobao was a creation of a "Saint Emperor Li Fan" from another possibility.

After some thought, the Grand Heavenly Venerable Immortal Puppet instantly teleported outside the high walls.

It changed its form and stealthily flew closer in the direction from which the disturbance had just emanated.

"Without the assistance of the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm's power, the strength it can exert is more than a notch weaker."

"However, this trip is primarily for gathering information, so it should be sufficient. Besides, at this point in time, the Dao Net has not yet been established in the Shuoxing Sea."

"It is a gathering place for beings who survived the calamity of the Immortal Realm's destruction in the starry sky, a mixed bag of individuals. There are True Immortals and cultivators. As long as I keep a low profile, I should not encounter any danger."

Not long after, the Grand Heavenly Venerable Immortal Puppet arrived at the exact location where the disturbance had been sensed earlier.

However, at this moment, the starry sky was completely empty.

But this did not deter Li Fan.

He effortlessly cast the "Manifestation Art," deliberately limiting its scope so that its power was confined solely within the primal possibility.