Chapter 1589: Mountain and Sea Equivalent

"Cross the mountains and seas? No, devour the mountains and seas, become the mountains and seas!"

"Devour! Devour! Devour..."

In Li Fan's eyes, the mountains and seas were no longer an endless illusion, but a delicacy radiating a fatal allure. The wisps of black energy soaring into the sky were the very scent of temptation rising from the mountains and seas. It was the ancient aroma of the mountains and seas themselves!

It was like the first time he saw Mo Sha when he was still a mortal cultivator. An intense craving, originating from the depths of his soul, suddenly emerged, threatening to completely dominate Li Fan's consciousness. It had nothing to do with cultivation level or strength, disregarding natural talent or temperament. As long as a desire existed within a person, it would be ignited by the black fragment, amplified countless times, and transformed into an insatiable greed for the mountains and seas. Cultivators in the mountains and seas naturally harbored a certain longing for them. If further induced in this manner, their hidden desires would almost certainly be ignited. The higher one's strength, and the more likely one was to pose a substantial threat to the mountains and seas, the stronger this effect became!

Just as Li Fan was now thinking: "All that is slaughtered and slain can become my sustenance. Now that the True Spirit's Kindling has almost spread throughout the mountains and seas, a single great fire can turn them into a sea of crimson flames! Flames raging, ashes filling the sky. Delicious, so tasty..." The more he thought, the more plausible Li Fan found his plan, and the more impulsive he became.

"Should I, should I really give it a try?" A dangerous glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes. One of his myriad fragmented thoughts, swayed and convinced by the temptation, even attempted to send a subversion signal to his main body.

"Calm down."

However, just then, a cold voice resurfaced in Li Fan's mind. It stood in stark contrast to the tempting whispers, completely unaffected. This voice was Li Fan's own! This version of Li Fan, still lucid, was composed of countless Dao Yi worms. It was his main body, sensing something amiss, that had commanded the Dao Yi worms to intervene.

Although merely a wisp of his consciousness, in the current situation, it was surprisingly clearer than Li Fan's fragmented thoughts. This was the result of the Dao Yi worm swarm continuously adapting to the maddening temptation of the black fragment. With the alert from the Dao Yi worm's consciousness, Li Fan, present here, instantly snapped out of his dazed state.

Strictly speaking, he hadn't been completely ensnared just now. After all, the idea of trying to ignite the mountains and seas had been rehearsed several times in his mind previously. But each time, Li Fan had ultimately rejected it. Even without the Dao Yi worm's intervention this time, he likely wouldn't have genuinely attempted to "devour the mountains and seas." Nevertheless, it was undeniable that Li Fan had indeed been somewhat influenced by the black fragment, so much so that he had temporarily lost sight of future implications and the bigger picture, focusing only on immediate gains and losses, as if his eyes were veiled.

With the calibrating assistance of the Dao Yi worm swarm's consciousness, Li Fan completely calmed down, remaining unmoved by the constant tempting whispers in his ears. After the worm-form consciousness completely devoured the source of the temptation, the mountains and seas in Li Fan's vision finally returned to their normal appearance. However, the faint "fragrance" emanating from the mountains and seas had not completely vanished. It still lingered.

Li Fan looked at the black fragment in his hand, which had already been assimilated by the Dao Yi worms. Its physical form no longer existed in the mundane world, but the outline of the fragment still traced its original appearance. He clenched his right hand, only to grasp at empty air. All five fingers passed directly through the fragment, as if its existence were merely an illusion of Li Fan's.

"In the eyes of the Dao Yi worms, they have completed their mission. The black fragment has disappeared. But..." Li Fan pondered, then summoned a True Immortal Disciple from the Xuanhuang Immortal Boat docked within the Dao Annihilation. It was ultimately confirmed that, apart from Li Fan, no one else could perceive the presence of this "invisible" fragment. Furthermore, this invisible fragment only existed by attaching itself to Li Fan. Wherever Li Fan went, it would always follow.

"Is it a threat?" Li Fan gently stroked the invisible fragment in his hand. He was currently just one of his myriad fragmented consciousnesses; should an uncontrollable situation arise, this fragment could instantly dissipate, severing any potential influence on his main body. This contingency had been planned from the very beginning, when Li Fan first dispatched countless Xuanhuang Immortal Boats to various parts of the mountains and seas. Thus, he wasn't concerned about his main body's safety. And the instructions from his main body allowed him to research it boldly and without worry. He now had even fewer reservations.

"If I'm not mistaken, even after years of evolution, the Dao Yi worms only assimilated the outer shell of this black fragment. Its true interior is on an entirely different level than the current Dao Yi worms, which is why they are oblivious to it. And the reason I can see it..." Li Fan already had a faint suspicion in his heart.

"I possess the Essence of Return, fortuitously obtained the Grand Dao of Longevity, and even personally experienced the calamity of the three paths merging. All of these are on par with the mountains and seas. Therefore... the owner of this black fragment is likely an existence on the same level as the mountains and seas?" Li Fan narrowed his eyes. After careful deliberation, he still found it difficult to draw a definite conclusion.

The mountains and seas were vast and boundless, yet he had encountered an existence comparable to them so quickly and coincidentally? Given Li Fan's nature, a hint of suspicion inevitably arose in his heart. However, upon closer thought, many years had actually passed since the primordial destruction and his journey across the mountains and seas began. Over these years, thousands of Xuanhuang Immortal Boats had journeyed through almost every part of the mountains and seas. Both time and space had accumulated to a significant extent. Discovering fragments left by an entity of the same caliber as the mountains and seas no longer seemed like a coincidence, but rather an inevitability.

"Given the scale of my exploration, if there were any fragments left by entities on par with the mountains and seas in the mundane world, I would almost certainly find them." Li Fan suppressed the doubts in his mind. He began to meticulously study the invisible fragment beside him. Only he could observe the fragment's existence, and his research couldn't rely on others. Fortunately, it was merely a wisp of consciousness that could be discarded at any moment, so there were no lingering concerns.

"The first step is to find a way to make substantial contact with this fragment." Although the invisible fragment circled Li Fan, he couldn't physically touch it or perceive it with his divine sense. Even when Li Fan used the methods of the Dao Refining Medicine King Scripture to place it within a grand furnace, he still couldn't sense its presence.

"'Those on par with the mountains and seas can only see, touch, and comprehend them when their being is aligned with the mountains and seas.'" Li Fan suddenly recalled his experience in a previous life when he comprehended the Grand Dao of Longevity. Cheng Dao, as Shou Qiu's true disciple, had cultivated diligently for eons, yet his understanding of "longevity" was not as profound as what Li Fan achieved in an instant. This was precisely because Li Fan possessed the Essence of Return, which, to some extent, put him on the same level as the mountains and seas.

"Although the Essence of Return is currently dormant, I can still utilize some transformations of true and false, barely achieving alignment with the mountains and seas. However, the information about this fragment is unclear. If I act rashly, I might repeat past mistakes and revive the calamity of the three paths..." After some contemplation, Li Fan had an idea.

"Perhaps I should borrow the Grand Dao of Longevity from Lord Shou Qiu again." Over the years, while engaging in discussions with Cheng Dao, Li Fan had subtly probed and confirmed that Lord Shou Qiu was indeed within the Eternal Silence Void Realm. Even if he were to activate the remaining longevity energy within him and Lord Shou Qiu sensed it, the latter wouldn't be able to return for a while.

"Moreover, according to Cheng Dao, the mountains and seas are boundless, and those who have obtained Shou Qiu's longevity seed might not be few in number. In fact, Lord Shou Qiu might even be eagerly hoping for someone to truly inherit his legacy in these mountains and seas. Only then can he proceed to even older mountains and seas without any lingering worries." After careful consideration, Li Fan no longer had any reservations.

After a brief communication with his main body, a surge of vitality inexplicably emerged from within him. His body, which had become incredibly solidified from assimilating the possibilities of the garbage mountain, now perfectly resembled a real body due to the appearance of this longevity energy. Li Fan himself even found it difficult to distinguish between his current location and his main body. He adjusted his posture, bringing the circling invisible fragment before him. Li Fan spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, its boundless vitality, like a surging river, engulfing the fragment.

As expected, the invisible fragment, which had been unresponsive to any other external existence, finally underwent a change upon contact with the longevity energy. Within the fragment, countless lines instantly appeared, like myriad mirrors. Each mirror reflected the continuous landscape of the mountains and seas. However, what shook Li Fan's mind was that the mountains and seas in the mirrors were not unified! Or rather, the integration of the mountains and seas was far from its current state. In the current mountains and seas, they were intertwined, indistinguishable from each other. But the mountains and seas shown in the fragment's mirrors were merely leaning against each other! The boundaries between mountain and sea were still very clear. Li Fan could even clearly see countless fluctuating possibilities at the edge of the Infinite Sea, crashing against the mountains above, turning into spray and dust!

"This is the state of the mountains and seas described in the Mountain and Sea Fables, when they first began to merge!" Li Fan's heart stirred, and he tried to see more clearly. However, as the longevity energy he had exhaled slowly disappeared, the fragment returned to its normal appearance.

"How is this possible? The power of the Grand Dao of Longevity disappeared so quickly?" Li Fan was instantly alerted. One must remember that Li Fan had expended considerable effort to expel the longevity energy from his body back then. He had continuously spewed blood, nurturing the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm for decades without ceasing, before finally achieving any noticeable effect. Theoretically, the longevity energy contained in the mouthful of blood Li Fan had just spat out would normally last for millions of years without dissipating. But now...

"The fragment is absorbing it." Li Fan stared at the invisible fragment, which appeared no different than before, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. Perhaps it had sensed that Li Fan was of the same kind. The fragment's clinging proximity to Li Fan became even tighter. Without needing deliberate guidance, the fragment actively "followed" Li Fan.

Li Fan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to continue. With another infusion of longevity energy, the fragment once again revealed the initial scene of the mountains and seas merging. This time, Li Fan, having prepared himself, saw it even more clearly.

"There are living beings in the mountains and seas! Born in the sea, attempting to ascend the mountain..." Although they were merely rapidly flashing fragments, Li Fan could still glimpse events recorded in the Mountain and Sea Fables left by Sun Piaomiao. Ocean waves crashed against the mountains, reducing countless civilizations and living beings to dust. Yet, within the Infinite Sea, new civilizations would always be born, constantly exploring, conquering the mountains and seas. It was like a cycle of reincarnation, or perhaps a predestined fate.

Once again, after the mountains and seas shook and civilizations were utterly destroyed, the mountains and seas entered a rare period of tranquility. Yet, something extraordinary occurred. The Infinite Sea seemed to boil, and as countless possibilities evaporated, a terrifying whistling sound subtly emanated from its depths. It echoed through the mountains above, reverberating continuously amongst them. It was like a grand and magnificent symphony of mountains and seas, deeply moving. It was a peculiar scene that no words in the world could even remotely describe.

Li Fan gazed blankly at the scene, only regaining his composure long after the image in the fragment had disappeared. "This is merely a record from the invisible fragment. How breathtaking must the actual events that unfolded in the mountains and seas have been?" Li Fan let out a long breath. He now understood what he had just witnessed in the fragment. It was the communication between the Infinite Sea and the Mountains Above!

"If described in human language, it was the 'Oh Mountain' and 'Oh Sea' dialogue I once saw in the Mountain and Sea Fables. However... the communication between the mountains and seas was far from limited to that. This was the tendency of the Mountains Above and the Infinite Sea to merge, also encompassing their mutual resistance to this intertwined destiny. And..." Even with Li Fan's current knowledge, it was difficult to fully decipher even a fraction of its meaning. But merely listening to the echoes from the mountains and seas, Li Fan felt his understanding of their true essence continuously deepening. His comprehension efficiency surpassed drifting in the Dao Annihilation by thousands, even tens of thousands of times. After all, one was a macroscopic overview, while the other was being lost in the endless microscopic intricacies. What they revealed was simply incomparable.

"If I can comprehend its principles, achieving transcendence through my own power... will be within reach!" Li Fan was immersed in the roar of the mountains and seas, unable to extricate himself. Unfortunately, the scenes recorded in this invisible fragment seemed to be limited. Subsequently, even as Li Fan continuously infused it with longevity energy, the fragment only displayed repetitive scenes. This couldn't help but disappoint Li Fan.

"It's likely not deliberately deceiving me; it truly only recorded this particular segment. From an external perspective, the recorded scene can be fully played in just over ten breaths. But if measured by the timeline of mundane possibilities... it would probably span billions of years. That is a period of history far older than Lord Shou Qiu's own life."

Although Lord Shou Qiu had obtained the Grand Dao of Longevity, the point in time he existed was inherently the late stage of the mountains and seas' merging. Compared to the vast lifespan of the mountains and seas, it occupied an utterly insignificant period.

"This fragment, astonishingly, has survived from the very beginning of the mountains and seas' merging until now. Just what..." Although no new scenes appeared, Li Fan still chose to continue infusing it with longevity energy. Because he had discovered that, with the continuous infusion of longevity energy, a low whisper slowly emanated from the fragment. Unlike the previous tempting whispers, this time, the fragment was attempting to communicate.