Chapter 1596: The Other Shore Is Full of Wonders

I just don't know what the flow of time in the Beyond is like when traveling through the River of Time to different points in the Mountains and Seas and then returning. As Li Fan surveyed the River of Time, he had a faint suspicion: "Perhaps the entire time system of the Beyond is independent of the Mountains and Seas, forming its own distinct system."

As if confirming his guess, not long after, the figure he had previously seen enter the River of Time leaped out again. Although only gone for a moment, its aura had already undergone a significant transformation. Furthermore, the points where figures leaped in and out of the River of Time also varied. Although the Ancient Heavenly Stairway segment used to enter the River of Time was now exhausted, the figure successfully returned via a bluestone slab from a different time node. A Rainbow Bridge of Guidance descended from the horizon, leading this somewhat disheveled figure to another area. From beginning to end, the figure seemed to have no intention of acknowledging Li Fan, the observer. Within the illusory form of the entire River of Time, many similar figures could be seen constantly traversing back and forth. Li Fan did not disturb them; he simply watched in silence. After observing for a long time, it no longer seemed remarkable.

He then turned his gaze towards the river's origin and its far end. It descended unbidden from the sky, surging and flowing, then abruptly halted in a black abyss. It had no head or tail, no beginning or end. Only a central section contained vitality. In the black abyss beyond the river, merely gazing at it caused Li Fan's spiritual senses to issue frantic warnings. It was as if prolonged observation would lead to a terrifying catastrophe for him. This was unprecedented.

"The Void of Eternal Silence," he thought, "the true desolate land where the Mountains and Seas cease to exist." Even after only a brief gaze, Li Fan was drenched in a cold sweat and forced to look away. "It's truly hard to imagine what level of cultivation is required to safely traverse that abyss?" Li Fan was inwardly shocked, gaining a clearer understanding of the power of the Sages of the Beyond.

To prevent the Immortals of the Beyond from accidentally entering the Void of Eternal Silence, barrier-like structures were erected near both the beginning and end abysses of the River of Time. They resembled two dotted lines, segmenting the River of Time.

"Emperor Taitian once said that he ascended the river for 74,876 years, reaching the initial end of our segment of space-time. The beginning of space-time is understandable, like a tall wall with no path forward. But I wonder what the end of the river truly looks like? Just a moment before, the entire Mountains and Seas could still maintain their existence. But on a space-time level, the Mountains and Seas ahead had already been completely engulfed by Dao Annihilation. Therefore... in an instant, immeasurable Dao Annihilation descends, destroying the Mountains and Seas' mortal realm, and everything in the Beyond! This is a truly terrifying catastrophe!"

Another trickle of cold sweat appeared on Li Fan's forehead as he recoiled from the horrifying illusion. "It's not that my will is weak; it's just that being outside the illusory form of the river and beneath the abysses at its beginning and end naturally subjects one to their suppression. The power of the Void of Eternal Silence can even penetrate through time and affect me, even when I'm in the Beyond. No wonder there are no other observers here besides me, a newcomer."

Having gained an initial understanding of the River of Time and the Void of Eternal Silence, Li Fan did not linger. He summoned the Rainbow Light of Guidance and proceeded to the next area: the Mountains and Seas Interstitial Forest.

As the Rainbow Light of Guidance approached this area, its flight speed involuntarily slowed. This was because the Mountains and Seas Interstitial Forest was the burial ground of transcendent beings who had perished in the Beyond! Stone tablets, like a forest, floated within the continuous illusory image of the Mountains and Seas, resembling countless small boats. Although these transcendent beings had passed away, the true meanings of transcendence they left behind were still preserved here. Every time Li Fan's gaze landed on a stone tablet, a corresponding transcendent imagery appeared in his mind. It left Li Fan awestruck.

"These true meanings of transcendence seem to be greatly related to the stability of the Beyond and the radiant light that permeates the entire Mountains and Seas," he mused. "Therefore, this place is heavily guarded, arguably the most secure location in the Beyond." The barrier Li Fan had previously seen, which sealed off the Void of Eternal Silence, was more symbolic than protective. Frankly, if Li Fan insisted on forcing his way through, he could break the seal. After all, there was no need to forcibly stop someone determined to seek their own demise. This place, however, was different. If Li Fan were to harbor avarice for the myriad transcendent true meanings scattered across the sky and attempt to seize them by force, he feared that in the next moment, the Nine Sages' retribution would descend like thunder. Building Ancient Heavenly Stairways in the river was already the lightest punishment.

"I can only look; I can't touch." Li Fan squinted, his gaze sweeping rapidly across the transcendent stone tablets. "No wonder I traveled across one percent of the Mountains and Seas and didn't find any true meanings of transcendence other than the Solitary Sail. It's not that 'Still True' deliberately obstructed me in this simulation. Rather, for the Immortals of the Beyond, discovering a new true meaning of transcendence in the Mountains and Seas and delivering it here is considered a great merit. Depending on its quality, one can even use this merit to seek guidance from the Sages. Even transcendent beings can greatly benefit from observing the stone tablets in the Mountains and Seas Interstitial Forest. It is said that one of the Nine Sages attained enlightenment from this Mountains and Seas Interstitial Forest. Being able to resonate with one of these true meanings of transcendence allows one to personally experience the life of a fallen transcendent, much like when I absorbed the Solitary Sail. It's almost like cultivating another life, specifically the life of a transcendent being. As long as one's talent is sufficient, this forest of steles can entirely become a resource for one's own enlightenment."

"However, this is only theoretically possible. One's own path is unique. To cultivate multiple paths simultaneously, the primary challenge is the collapse of one's own path's stability. To comprehend a second path is already a great fortune. Those who can wield three simultaneously are few and far between in the entire Beyond. And if one can handle more... they possess the potential of a Sage!"

As he observed the Mountains and Seas Interstitial Forest, various pieces of related information spontaneously surfaced in Li Fan's mind. "It seems that all this information was conveyed to me by the Hunger Immortal when I left the Nine Sages. However, at the time, I was in a daze from the painful loss of Still True and didn't truly absorb it. But it doesn't affect much." Li Fan's expression was unreadable; setting aside all the cultivation information, he had already seen hope for escaping this simulation.

"The Solitary Sail on the Black-Yellow Immortal Boat can be removed and refined into a stone tablet. However, as it belonged to a failure who couldn't reach the Beyond, its quality is not enough for me to meet the Sages. Perhaps I need to search the Mountains and Seas again. Fortunately, I have already deployed numerous illusory Black-Yellow Immortal Boats; I just need them to search. Once something is truly discovered, I will make the trip myself."

With a thought, the countless illusory Immortal Boats in the Mountains and Seas, which had fallen silent due to his previous stupor, once again set sail. This time, however, their mission was no longer to scatter true spirit embers but to purposefully search for transcendent true meanings. Logically, with the abilities of the transcendent beings in the Beyond, after all these years, they should have long since scoured all the remaining transcendent true meanings from the Mountains and Seas. And that was indeed the case. It was extremely fortunate that Li Fan could encounter the Solitary Sail's true meaning of transcendence before entering the Beyond. But this didn't mean that there would ever be a day when all transcendent true meanings in the Mountains and Seas would be completely collected.

"The Mountains and Seas are, in fact, constantly changing. What I just witnessed—the temporal changes caused by the falling Ancient Heavenly Stairway slabs and the constant entry and exit of transcendent beings—is a major driving force behind the anomalies in the Mountains and Seas. The Mountains and Seas... are not static. It can be viewed as an experimental ground where new variables can be introduced at any time."

As Li Fan wandered through the Beyond, his understanding of the Mountains and Seas and the mortal realm grew daily. He had completely transitioned from the perspective of a mortal being to that of a transcendent from the Beyond.

After this, Li Fan visited several other areas within the Beyond:

**The Desert of Time:** The sky was filled with yellow sand, all of it solidified fragments of the Mountains and Seas. Some of these fragments were remnants of the Mountains and Seas swallowed by Dao Annihilation in the past. Others came from possible scenarios that had once appeared in the Mountains and Seas but had since vanished due to the constant fluctuations and development of the Mountains and Seas. However, their existence was preserved by the unfathomable power of the Beyond. In this Desert of Time, Li Fan could glimpse more scenes of the Mountains and Seas than current possibilities allowed.

**The Abyss of Karmic Tribulations:** The Hunger Immortal once said that upon entering the Beyond, all karma dissipates. But how could grudges in the human heart simply vanish? Even transcendent beings could not escape the entanglement of desires. Didn't Xie Subai's reaction when he saw the Immortal Ruins' Hunger Immortal in the original possibility prove this? This Abyss of Karmic Tribulations was a place where lingering desires could be completely eliminated. Similar to Still True's simulation, this abyss could evolve boundless worlds. However, it required both parties involved in the karma to enter simultaneously. Through the cycle of reincarnation, their grievances and affections would dissipate. Upon exiting, they would be able to face each other with complete tranquility. It is said that this place was created by the Nine Sages to resolve potential tensions among members of the Beyond. However, due to strict usage conditions and the lack of forced execution, the number of transcendent beings willing to enter the abyss was not very high. Only when conflicts were truly irreconcilable and threatened the existence of the Beyond would the Sages appear and forcibly cast the two individuals into the Abyss of Karmic Tribulations. Such instances were extremely rare; to date, there has only been one such case in the Beyond.

**The Hub of Life-Death Tides:** This was an observation area in the Beyond. Its observation targets included not only the Void of Eternal Silence but also forces in the Mountains and Seas that were opposed to the Beyond, such as the Taiwei Saint Dynasty. It was divided into outer and core regions, and Li Fan was only able to observe superficially from the periphery, not gaining entry to the core hub.

**The Tower of Sages:** Although no residual thoughts of the Sages remained within the tower, nine memorial statues stood erect. Originally, the Sages did not agree to the Immortals of the Beyond building this memorial tower. However, as the Sages were merely residual thoughts, they would not prevent the actions of the Immortals of the Beyond as long as the safety of the Beyond was not threatened. Thus, the memorial tower was eventually constructed. Li Fan lingered outside the tower for a while, but the faint pain that began to arise in his body ultimately made him snort coldly and leave directly, without entering to observe.

The final stop on Li Fan's tour of the Beyond was a device named the Immeasurable Light Chain. The radiant power that the Beyond projected across most of the Mountains and Seas, as well as the enormous wall of light Li Fan had seen upon first entering the Beyond, were both manifestations of this Immeasurable Light Chain.

"The form of existence of this light chain is extremely similar to the fundamental nature of the Mountains and Seas' power. And its source of activation..." He could only observe from afar, through countless beams of light. Li Fan vaguely saw what appeared to be a painting floating within. The painting depicted the continuous landscape of the Mountains and Seas. However, the painting merely flashed and vanished. Despite several subsequent attempts, Li Fan could not see it again. He was unsure if what he had just seen was merely his imagination.

Having explored the entire Beyond, finding a new transcendent true meaning still seemed a distant prospect. Li Fan returned to the Mountains and Seas Interstitial Forest and sat down quietly. He pondered how he would exploit weaknesses to escape the simulation when he next faced the Sages. He chose this location because the Interstitial Forest was filled with transcendent stone tablets. The outpouring of various images and auras would best conceal the fluctuations of Li Fan's thoughts. Even the Nine Sages in the simulation possessed unimaginable power. Li Fan needed to guard as much as possible against his thoughts being perceived by them.

Time flowed slowly, and the passage of time in the Mountains and Seas was not entirely consistent with that in the Beyond. Perhaps Li Fan truly had good luck, for after three years of meditating beneath the Interstitial Forest, he actually found another transcendent true meaning! However, merely relying on the illusory Immortal Boats and their emissaries on board was not enough to collect it. Thus, Li Fan needed to make the trip himself.

When Li Fan wished to leave the Beyond, no one appeared to stop him. Sensing the Immortal Boat's space-time node in the Mountains and Seas, he aimed for the illusory form of the River of Time and leaped down. The scouring sensation of time, as if being combed through, assailed him. But now, Li Fan was no longer flustered; he was completely at ease. Apart from his own strength far surpassing what it once was, just having the illusory Black-Yellow Immortal Boat as a guide ensured he wouldn't get lost. In the Mountains and Seas, the concept of years held no meaning.

When Li Fan arrived at his destination, the transcendent true meaning was attracting tens of thousands of true immortals in that possibility, all vying for it. Among them were not a few at the Nameless Realm. The current Li Fan truly saw them as mere ants. He felt as though he could casually erase even an entire possibility with a wave of his hand. With a gentle wave of his hand, the ordinary true immortals still engaged in battle turned into stone statues, unable to move. A gust of wind blew, turning them into dust that scattered across the sky. The Nameless True Immortals fared somewhat better. However, their very foundations of existence were severely wounded, and they fled in terror. This was the result of Li Fan holding back.

"Unconsciously, I've become this strong," he mused. "At the same time, I can now understand Xie Subai and Black Heaven Physician's mindsets at that time. Speaking of which, I've been in the Beyond for so long this time, and I haven't seen either of them." Waving his hand to obliterate countless true immortals, Li Fan felt no ripple of emotion within his heart. He mused casually while retrieving the hard-won true meaning of transcendence.

Even after seeing countless transcendent stone tablets in the Mountains and Seas Interstitial Forest, Li Fan couldn't help but let out a sound of surprise and wonder upon seeing the object in his hand. An ancient bronze bell floated quietly. There were some cracks on its bronze body, yet they did not prevent ancient chimes from faintly emanating from it.