Chapter 1617: 妙论成圣理

**Furious Squid:**

As if hearing He Ganxian’s soft sigh, the True Immortal woman, who had reverted to her original form, was filled with shock. She looked around, searching for the figure of her “savior.” However, the True Immortal of Morality ultimately did not appear.

Once a precedent is set, when one becomes accustomed to slaughter, there is no longer any burden in the heart; it becomes almost instinctive. Within this Immortal Island Star Realm, the True Immortal woman was an almost invincible presence. In the past, all other beings could only survive the Great Tribulation of Dao Annihilation under her protection. But now, their benevolent savior had transformed into a ruthless killing machine, harvesting their lives. And under the influence of the mysterious black mist, these insignificant beings still swarmed towards the island master, fearless of death.

Initially, a flicker of reluctance occasionally crossed the True Immortal woman’s face, but as the slaughter continued, her expression slowly became calm, even showing a hint of impatience.

Then, the murmuring words of the True Immortal of Morality sounded at an opportune moment. "Morality that is feigned, or constrained by emotion and conscience, may last for a time, but it cannot endure for a lifetime."

"When faced with blades and in a desperate struggle for life, can one still speak of morality?"

"When misunderstood and universally opposed, can one still speak of morality?"

"When lonely, isolated, and misunderstood, can one still speak of morality?"

"When the path ahead is dark and hope is lost, can one… still speak of morality?"

"Only those who can still act morally are truly moral."

"Clearly, you are not," He Ganxian's voice carried a hint of desolation and mockery.

As if her true nature, hidden beneath a mask, had been revealed, the True Immortal woman flushed with rage, her expression gradually turning sinister. Immortal power vibrated in layers, like a thousand sharp blades, intending to destroy everything she saw. But how could a mere True Immortal surviving in a single possibility touch He Ganxian, who had reached the transcendent realm? The smoke-like black morality mist remained completely still.

After repeated slaughter, the rampant black mist slowly condensed from its initially diffused state, transforming into extremely thick, colossal pillars spanning across the star sea. From above, Li Fan clearly saw that the two characters inscribed upon these black pillars were "Morality"!

The True Immortal woman seemed trapped in the very center of a cage named Morality. No matter how hard she struggled, even if she battered herself bloody, she could not escape. "Those who pursue morality will eventually be trapped by it and suffer its backlash."

As if to confirm He Ganxian's words, the True Immortal woman's body gradually turned pitch-black, as if corroded by the black mist. She struggled to survive, to break free from the carbonized state. But each attempt at self-rescue only pushed her faster towards the abyss of complete annihilation. Before long, the True Immortal woman had completely become part of the black morality mist, merging into those heaven-reaching morality pillars.

With her demise, no living being remained on this immortal island. Silence descended upon the world. Only He Ganxian's concluding words echoed: "Only by transforming morality into instinct. Do not pursue morality, but become morality!"

The morality pillars, having absorbed the lives of all beings on this immortal island, expanded again amidst He Ganxian's faint voice. They actually leaped across the Sea of Dao Annihilation, which separated the myriad immortal islands of this realm, instantly engulfing this entire possibility. Under the shackles of morality, countless beings faced their apocalypse.

"You all died by your own hands."

"What concern is your demise to me?"

"What concern is it to me?"

If the first utterance held a trace of hesitation, the second "What concern is it to me?" was uttered with absolute certainty. A flicker of tears seemed to pass through the depths of He Ganxian's eyes, but his face was already icy cold.

He Ganxian silently watched the beings of this possibility. Li Fan, hidden in the shadows, quietly observed He Ganxian.

"He Ganxian never personally kills," Li Fan mused. "Instead, he commits indirect atrocities, using True Immortal seal script, black morality mist, or other methods. Though there's no direct causality, there's indirect causality. This isn't He Ganxian deceiving himself. Rather..." Li Fan observed every subtle change in He Ganxian's demeanor and every fluctuation in his aura, and realized: "Burning away residual conscience, leaving only actions and thoughts driven by instinct, all of which are morality. This is He Ganxian's cultivation method."

"However, during the process of burning away conscience, his mind also suffers severe impact. By committing indirect atrocities, he can create a psychological comfort barrier as a buffer."

"From the current situation, He Ganxian's remaining conscience is not much. A few more times like this, and he might truly achieve the perfect state of his own moral flow. With his fragmented body, he will gather the true essence of morality and achieve the revered status of a Saint."

Looking at the immortal island possibility below, where life was gradually fading under the suppression of the morality pillars, Li Fan's thoughts paused slightly. "If it were just general acts of burning away conscience, the help to He Ganxian shouldn't be so great. Otherwise, with the boundless Mountains and Seas, he could just slaughter casually and become a Saint."

In his sea of consciousness, he repeatedly savored the scene he had just witnessed, where He Ganxian refined this realm with the black morality mist, dozens of times. He meticulously watched every scene. "In the original possibility, this island mistress must have had an extraordinary relationship with He Ganxian. In other words, her position in He Ganxian's heart was extremely important. Just like my aunt to me."

"The more significant the person, the greater the impact of their slaughter. The better the effect of burning away conscience."

Drawing on his own experiences, Li Fan had somewhat deduced why this particular possibility was so crucial to He Ganxian. Whether it was the island mistress, He Ganxian himself, or even Li Fan, or any living being in the Mountains and Seas, once they gradually adapted to killing, it would become routine. And if they were indifferent, how could they burn away their last remaining conscience?

"As conscience slowly diminishes, the threshold for impact becomes higher and higher. Ordinary world-destroying methods can no longer stir He Ganxian's heart in the slightest. Only by personally burying someone deeply cherished, like adding fuel to a blazing fire, can he break through the final barrier in one fell swoop."

"Given He Ganxian's talent, he must have foreseen this scenario when morality split. Thus, he specifically saved these crucial moments for last. Brilliant!"

The True Immortal of Morality was indeed an unparalleled genius of the Mountains and Seas. What happened in his previous life had already proven the correctness of his path. Perfected morality would lead to the revered status of a Saint. He was ruthless to others and equally ruthless to himself. His inner conscience was devoured bit by bit. One can imagine the torment He Ganxian's heart must have endured during this process. But once decided, he would inevitably persevere. No person or event could stop him.

"This is just He Ganxian's path," Li Fan mused. "What about the other half of the True Immortal of Morality, the Faceless Immortal? I'm afraid his method of achieving enlightenment won't be much weaker than He Ganxian's." Li Fan pondered silently, waiting for He Ganxian to finish this period of cultivation.

After the immortal island possibility was completely destroyed, the massive morality pillars were absorbed into He Ganxian's body in one gulp. He then smiled faintly, about to leave.

Li Fan finally spoke, "Friend, please wait!"

He Ganxian looked at the suddenly appearing Li Fan with great vigilance. The ability to conceal oneself here and evade his perception was enough to indicate the person's strength. And in He Ganxian's understanding, there seemed to be no such powerful being in the Mountains and Seas. Thus, he became even more wary. However, he was not easily intimidated by Li Fan and watched him with a cold gaze, waiting for his next words.

"I see, friend, you also cultivate morality?"

Upon hearing this, He Ganxian, who had maintained his composure, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Also?" He scrutinized Li Fan, observing for a long time, but detected no trace of the other's "morality" grand dao. This was reasonable, as He Ganxian was not far from achieving complete enlightenment, and if there were someone else cultivating the same path in the entire Mountains and Seas, he would surely sense it. The person who had suddenly appeared clearly did not fall into this category.

"Do you think I'm blind, friend?" He Ganxian's voice slowly turned cold. It seemed as if he was ready to act if their conversation didn't go well.

Li Fan, however, seemed utterly oblivious to the other's malice, smiling as he retorted, "Could it be, friend, that you think I'm speaking nonsense?"

"Very well, then observe." Li Fan pointed remotely towards a certain place in the Mountains and Seas, another possibility not far from the Immortal Island Star Realm. "The heavens and earth there have suffered slightly less from the Dao Annihilation Tribulation than the immortal island. The billions of beings within it possess a much richer vitality than this place."

With a snap of his fingers, a wisp of flame suddenly emerged in the possibility Li Fan pointed to. In just a moment, it became a raging inferno, engulfing the immortal realm and the star sea below. For He Ganxian, this was not a grand spectacle. His inner emotions showed no fluctuations. But what surprised him was that the mysteriously appearing person before him was also completely unmoved.

He Ganxian re-examined Li Fan. He could sense that Li Fan was not inherently evil or a lunatic who had lost his reason. Yet, he could so casually destroy a possibility. Even when the flames spread beyond that possibility, gradually affecting larger areas within the Mountains and Seas, he showed no panic whatsoever.

"Friend, seeing my actions, would you call me moral?" Li Fan asked with a smile.

"Without Dao, without morality; without emotion, without righteousness," He Ganxian replied with just eight words. Although he didn't know the reason for Li Fan's detached state, confident in his own cultivated path, He Ganxian still gave this answer.

Li Fan sighed. "Friend, you misunderstand me deeply! In truth, I'm here to help you."

"Oh?"

"I have come specifically to assist you in achieving enlightenment and attaining the revered status of a Saint in the Mountains and Seas!" Li Fan said with utmost seriousness.

He Ganxian, who had managed to remain calm, couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. "All nonsense, not a single truth. Your strength is not weak, so you wouldn't idly amuse me for no reason. Could it be that you're stalling for time?"

"Are you a helper he sent?" As if something clicked, He Ganxian's expression changed.

"Friend, you worry too much. I merely happened to encounter you and observed your moral flow, a self-contained cycle, seemingly just one step away from the ultimate Saint status. Hence, I couldn't resist revealing myself, captivated by the sight."

"If I'm not mistaken, the 'he' you speak of is the other half of the split morality. Is that not so?"

As soon as the words "split morality" left Li Fan's lips, He Ganxian's expression changed completely. He stared intently at Li Fan, and myriad black mists slowly swirled outwards like a whirlwind. "And you say you don't know him?"

The black mist, which could drive all beings in an entire possibility into madness and mutual slaughter, had no effect on Li Fan. He continued calmly, "Though you appear to be an immoral Immortal, you are in fact cultivating virtue. And the other you, the truly immoral one, is in fact cultivating Dao..."

Li Fan slowly recounted what he had deduced from his experiences in the previous life. He Ganxian grew increasingly astonished and unsettled, his heart unable to find peace. This was arguably the biggest secret about him. It could be said that no one else in the entire Mountains and Seas, apart from themselves, should know about it. How did this person before him know all of this?

"Could it be?" He Ganxian's heart suddenly stirred. Because his own path contradicted worldly understanding, after achieving transcendence, He Ganxian had not gone to the so-called Other Shore, nor to the Saint Dynasty or any other place. He had simply cultivated in solitary silence. But he had heard of the Saints of the Other Shore and the name of the Grand Minor Saint Emperor. It was said that in the eyes of the Saints, only the overall survival of the Mountains and Seas mattered. The lives within the Mountains and Seas, and even ordinary possibilities, were not very important to them. Only Saints were truly qualified and powerful enough to save the Mountains and Seas. Therefore, they occasionally helped and enlightened those who could become Saints in the Mountains and Seas. Could it be that this person was an incarnation of a Saint? If not, how could he so easily reveal his secret? And how could he so audaciously claim to help him become a Saint? The more He Ganxian thought about it, the more he felt this was a possibility.

His tone couldn't help but become a little more polite: "Dare I ask, friend, where lies the opportunity to become a Saint?"

"The path to Sainthood is not in you, nor in me, but in him!" Li Fan stretched out a hand, pointing to a certain place in the Mountains and Seas. Although he didn't explicitly say it, He Ganxian already understood Li Fan's meaning.

"Morality splits, yet morality does not split."

"This peculiar characteristic is the fundamental reason you can exist independently. If either party loses this characteristic..." Li Fan revealed a meaningful smile. "It will become the resource for the other's enlightenment!"

He Ganxian naturally knew that what Li Fan said was correct. But morality depended on each other, and even the secret art of the original morality split had found it difficult to completely sever the two. How then could one easily make the other "lose its characteristic"?

"The key lies in..."

"Virtue loses Dao, Dao loses virtue." He Ganxian was still pondering deeply, but Li Fan had already revealed the heavenly secret in a single sentence. "What you seek is to save the world. If you see the Mountains and Seas destroyed and are powerless to act, you will fall into a state of no Dao."

"And what he seeks is enlightenment. If he sees the Mountains and Seas destroyed and remains unmoved, then he is without virtue."

With just a few words, Li Fan made He Ganxian tremble with fear.