Chapter 1582: The Primordial Conceives Life

"The Primal Possibility is likely to collapse soon."

Li Fan stood on the Xuanhuang Immortal Boat, gazing into the distance and observing for a long time. He came to this conclusion.

Compared to ten years ago, the situation in the Primal Starry Sky was vastly different.

Whether any vitality remained was secondary; the most crucial factor was the drastic decrease in overall stability.

Previously, the surviving Primal Starry Sky had been like countless scattered islands, surrounded and divided by the Sea of Dao Annihilation. Occasional storms would ripple across the sea, but the islands could barely maintain their existence, using themselves as barriers. Now, however, a terrifyingly immense tsunami was brewing on the Sea of Dao Annihilation. It was almost certain that, in the face of this impending, all-consuming tsunami, all these islands would cease to exist.

"Fortunately, the Immortal Boat will soon be complete. Even if the Primal realm is destroyed, it won't affect me much."

Li Fan's actions of conquering the star sea, plundering resources, and refining the boat's body proceeded smoothly, but his comprehension of the Solitary Sail of Mountains and Seas was somewhat unsatisfactory.

This was not due to an issue with Li Fan's insight, but rather because his disposition differed too greatly from that of the Solitary Sail.

"If we meet by chance in the mountains and seas, and my light boat doesn't capsize, what harm is there in giving you a ride?"

Li Fan savored the meaning of the words. After a long moment, he subtly shook his head: "Given my nature, I would at least charge a boat fare."

However, even though it went against his inner instinct, Li Fan was willing to change his way of thinking to fully comprehend the true meaning of transcendence embodied by the Solitary Sail.

"Over the years, the Immortal Boat has accumulated more than enough resources, even becoming somewhat saturated. Next, perhaps I should try to be a good person again."

On the Sea of Dao Annihilation, waves surged. Yet, the Immortal Boat traversed silently, like a phantom.

Compared to the earth-shattering power displayed during every voyage ten years ago, this current state of safety now better demonstrated the Immortal Boat's ability to navigate Dao Annihilation.

"As the saying goes, 'Great skill appears artless!'"

Li Fan murmured softly. The instant he finished the word "artless," the Xuanhuang Immortal Boat had already pierced through Dao Annihilation once more, arriving in a new sea of surviving vitality.

"This time, we traversed through Dao Annihilation for over half a year."

"It's too far from the deceased Guangwu Star Sea and others, so there's been no communication between them. This is a completely unfamiliar realm..." Despite this, Li Fan's heart remained utterly unmoved.

The closer one approached the realm of transcendence, the more equally one viewed all living beings.

The Nameless, True Immortals, mortals. All were without distinction.

The arrival of the Xuanhuang Immortal Boat did not attract the attention of the beings in this star sea.

They were currently in a state of panic and despair, brought on by a sudden calamity.

This star sea had no name, for in their perception, it was supposedly the only surviving starry sky in the lower realm.

When the Immortal Realm was destroyed, twelve True Immortals collectively fled here. Many years passed, and under the True Immortals' protection, mortal civilization not only didn't decline but actually flourished even more.

Among the twelve True Immortals, half had even ascended to the Nameless realm.

The True Immortals also tried to find traces of their companions, but despite possessing the power of the Nameless, they still couldn't traverse Dao Annihilation. They were trapped on this isolated island. Thus, they began to seek a method to leave the Primal Possibility.

However, before they could find any leads, the Calamity of Dao Annihilation suddenly spiraled out of control.

Waves began to rise, threatening to engulf them instantly.

At this moment, the twelve True Immortals had gathered once more to discuss countermeasures.

In this mortal star sea, their presence was so conspicuous that Li Fan, who had just arrived, spotted them at a glance.

He then secretly began to observe them.

These twelve True Immortals seemed to have an extremely good relationship. They hadn't split into senior and junior factions just because six of them had achieved the Nameless realm. Instead, they had a different hierarchy.

This was because the one they called "Elder Brother" was merely an ordinary True Immortal.

"Dao Annihilation truly makes no sense. Based on our observations and deductions, it should have remained stable for at least another ten thousand years, enough time for all of us brothers to become Nameless. But now... the situation is deteriorating far too quickly!"

"Dao Annihilation, Dao Annihilation. It reminds me of the terrifying scene when Dao Annihilation suddenly arrived and shattered the Immortal Realm back then."

"We were still too careless and complacent; just think, back then, weren't most of the immortals in the Immortal Realm just as optimistic as we are now? They even wanted to resist and tame Dao Annihilation... No one expected it to come so quickly."

"Seventh Brother is right. Dao Annihilation is unfathomable and cannot be reasoned with by ordinary means. The current situation is probably like it was back then—Dao Annihilation has arrived, and it's irreversible. The key is how to find a path to survival."

As the immortals spoke, they all turned their gaze towards "Elder Brother."

The leader of the twelve True Immortals was a dwarfish old man. His hair and beard were white, and he was energetic. However, his physique and appearance were like those of a child.

When he spoke, his voice blended old age and youth, creating a rather peculiar sound: "The original plan was for us brothers to unite and collectively achieve a method of transcendence as twelve Nameless beings, seeking a glimmer of hope. In the current situation, it's definitely too late. But we brothers have long sworn an oath: 'Though we may not be born on the same day of the same month of the same year, we seek to die on the same day of the same month of the same year.' You six, who have become Nameless, surely won't abandon us."

"For now, our only option is to risk it. If all twelve of us become Nameless, we have a sixty percent chance of survival. If only half of us achieve the Nameless state, the possibility of survival plummets to merely ten percent..."

"Ten percent... that high? It's definitely worth a try!"

"Exactly! If it doesn't work out, at worst we'll perish in Dao Annihilation. We've lived for so many extra years anyway; it's a fair deal."

The twelve True Immortals were not deterred by the bleak prospects at all; instead, their spirits were unusually high.

It was as if their survival chance wasn't ten percent, but ninety-nine percent.

The old man coughed lightly, suppressing the group's excitement: "Even so, we still need to find a way to maximize our safety."

"This star sea, which we have managed for tens of thousands of years, is now quite extensive. Although no one here has achieved True Immortal status, if utilized properly, it could add another half a percent to our chances of success!"

At these words, the expressions of the others varied.

Some showed reluctance, some were pensive, and others were excited and impatient.

But clearly, no one raised an objection. After all, there was a distinction between immortals and mortals.

"Elder Brother, do you mean... like before, destroying all true spirits?" the third of the twelve True Immortals asked.

At these words, the scene instantly fell silent.

The dwarfish old man nodded heavily, a tacit agreement.

"It's truly an offense against Heaven's harmony, truly an offense against Heaven's harmony."

"Actually, it's not impossible. We're leaving anyway, and this possibility will likely have no future. Even if we cut off the path for future generations, it's nothing."

After a round of eye contact, they officially settled on the plan.

Besides the so-called destruction of all true spirits, the twelve True Immortals apparently possessed other life-saving methods.

One person took out a fragment emitting different colors, forming a spherical light orb in the center. From within the orb, a faint, slow heartbeat could be heard, as if something was slumbering.

"This Primordial Creature, we brothers have nurtured it separately for tens of thousands of years. Though we still haven't hatched it, we have each gained some divine abilities from it. It truly is worthy of being a life form that existed since the birth of the Immortal Realm," the dwarfish old man exclaimed.

"To say we're not reluctant would be a lie. Unfortunately, for this crossing, if we don't have its help, we might not even have a ten percent chance. Therefore, its sacrifice is necessary." The old man's few words had already set the tone.

The other eleven looked at the light orb with reluctance, but facing such a supreme treasure, their opinions were remarkably unified. There were no dissenters.

"Naturally. No matter how mystical, it's merely an external possession. Our brothers' lives come first. If we lose this chance at transcendence, there will be others. But if our lives are gone, then everything is truly gone."

"Alright, if that's the case, let's proceed," the dwarfish old man commanded in a deep voice.

With that, he was the first to strike his own head forcefully.

The old man grunted, a flush appearing on his face. Concurrently, the heartbeat within the light orb paused, as if it too had suffered immense harm.

It wasn't just the old man and the light orb.

The other eleven hadn't even acted yet, but they seemed to have been affected by the injury as well. After a brief pause, and once everyone had adjusted, the second brother proceeded to act.

Their life energies seemed to be interconnected. If one was injured, the others would experience corresponding changes. Conversely, each of their individual life forces was incredibly vast, far beyond what was normal.

Although none of them had proven Dao Laws related to longevity, their vitality was exceptionally robust.

After a round of self-inflicted harm, none of them seemed to be significantly affected.

However, the light orb in the center was already on its last breath.

Its already slow heartbeat was about to cease.

Faint cries could even be heard faintly emanating from within it.

"Give it the final blow."

The immortals' expressions were complex, but none intended to hold back.

However, at this very moment...

An inexplicable fluctuation suddenly descended, locking onto the light orb.

Moments later, the light orb vanished before their very eyes!

Having been in a star sea ruled solely by the twelve True Immortals for too long had caused them to lose sufficient vigilance against "external enemies."

At this sudden anomaly, they were all momentarily stunned. Their first reaction wasn't to suspect an external invasion but to look at those beside them.

This subtle detail alone revealed that, although the lives and vitality of these twelve True Immortals were bound together by some mysterious method, their minds were not necessarily united.

"Which fellow immortal is playing this prank on us?"

However, having been brothers for tens of thousands of years, they knew each other well and quickly reacted. They furiously scanned their surroundings, searching for the thief.

"Fellow immortal? Playing a prank?"

Their response was a faint, cold snort.

Without playing the role of a phantom thief or hiding, Li Fan's figure openly appeared within the encirclement of the twelve True Immortals.

He haughtily scanned the group, his gaze finally settling on the light orb in his hand, whose life energy was already extremely weak.

He showed no regard for the twelve True Immortals whatsoever.

However, facing Li Fan's unasked-for taking and his disdain, the twelve True Immortals present dared not speak their anger.

This was because, with Li Fan's appearance, the immortals felt as if an immense, continuous mountain range had settled on their shoulders. This mountain was so heavy that even with all twelve of them combining their strength, they couldn't move an inch.

The twelve True Immortals felt an indescribable fear in their hearts. It should be noted that among them, six had already achieved the Nameless realm.

Nameless True Immortals could withstand Dao Annihilation. Yet, facing the might of the person before them, they found it somewhat difficult to resist.

Furthermore, considering that there had been no other True Immortal traces in this star sea for ten thousand years, and this person had suddenly appeared today...

They thus understood Li Fan's identity.

"Transcendence..."

"As the saying goes, 'Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life.' This Primordial Creature is not easily grown. Yet, for your own selfish gain, you wished to hunt it down. That is not a benevolent act," Li Fan said, shaking his head and gently tapping the light orb.

The light orb, severely wounded by the twelve True Immortals, recovered at a visible rate. Moreover, as if greatly nourished, its heartbeat grew faster and clearer.

The twelve True Immortals' eyes immediately widened.

For in that single instant, the light orb's growth had already surpassed their tens of thousands of years of nurturing.

Bear in mind, in the past, it had been nurtured by the combined efforts of all twelve of them, using the power of the entire star sea!

Yet it couldn't compare to a single tap from this transcendent expert before them!

"Is this... transcendence?" the dwarfish old man muttered, utterly lost in thought. He seemed to have suffered a profound shock, his expression becoming somewhat dazed.

Li Fan continued to feed the light orb in his hand with Xuanhuang wood carvings and ancient artifacts of mountains and seas.

Meanwhile, he said to the twelve True Immortals: "What you seek is merely survival within Dao Annihilation."

"I still have strength to spare; I might be able to give you a ride."

These words were spoken very lightly, yet to the twelve True Immortals, they carried the weight of thunder.

Initially, due to Li Fan's forceful taking and the immense disparity in their strength, they had already resigned themselves to dying today.

Unexpectedly, the situation took a dramatic turn in an instant, and they suddenly saw a glimmer of hope.

"This... Senior, are your words true?" the dwarfish old man asked, somewhat incredulously.

Li Fan chuckled softly: "Traversing Dao Annihilation, to you, is an incredibly arduous task. To me, it's a smooth sailing."

As he spoke, a solitary sail appeared before their eyes.

Like a Sea-Calming Divine Needle, it appeared alone, and the winds quieted, the waves stilled.

The sense of world-ending crisis that had lingered in their hearts ever since the Dao Annihilation anomaly occurred shattered the instant they witnessed the Solitary Sail of Mountains and Seas.

The twelve True Immortals no longer harbored any doubts about Li Fan's power.

He was undoubtedly a transcendent expert!

"This sail, you should not gaze upon it for long."

"My Great Dao of transcendence is not your path."

The twelve True Immortals were immersed in the vision of the Solitary Sail of Mountains and Seas displayed by Li Fan. Not long after, Li Fan proactively retracted the anomalous vision of the Solitary Sail.

He kindly reminded them.

"To seek transcendence, one must first forge a path unique to oneself. Your unity as twelve individuals can barely be considered a method of crossing. However, it is an inferior one," Li Fan commented indifferently.

Upon hearing this, the faces of the twelve True Immortals all somewhat darkened.

The dwarfish old man let out a bitter laugh: "In the past, when Dao Annihilation arrived, the Immortal Realm was destroyed. If not for this symbiotic method, we would have long perished in the great tide of Dao Annihilation. How could there be any talk of transcendence for us in the future?"

"Being able to cross the mountains and seas is already satisfying; we don't seek superior or inferior methods," the old man said, lowering his head.

"To possess such awareness is not bad," Li Fan praised indifferently.

Only then did the expressions of the twelve True Immortals lighten somewhat.