Chapter 1640: Still Really Mending the Sky's Gap

Angry Squid

Under the Black Mountains and White Waters, Boundless Wall was immersed in its enlightenment, long unaware of Bai Shuyue's changes.

Bai Shuyue didn't point it out, silently observing it.

With her current transcendent perspective, upon closer inspection, she naturally discerned many things that had previously been unclear.

"Cheng Dao was originally a spirit stone by the sea, transformed into human form through Shou Qiu's guidance. These Black Mountains and White Waters are the crystallization of his transformation and his insights into the Great Dao of Mountains and Seas."

"His insights into transformation are indeed valuable for Boundless Wall's reference. But his understanding of the Mountains and Seas, well..."

Bai Shuyue shook her head slightly.

After all, Cheng Dao had not truly transcended, and the Black Mountains and White Waters he left behind could certainly not compare to the true Great Dao of Mountains and Seas.

He had already taken a wrong path; for Boundless Wall to seek enlightenment based on it would only compound the error.

Bai Shuyue used her hand as a brush, adorning the barren Black Mountains and White Waters.

Before long, the originally desolate and merely imposing landscape gradually became vibrant with life.

Because of this pervasive vitality, the mountains and waters appeared even more vast and magnificent.

The higher the mountains, the deeper the waters.

Truly like mountains and seas!

Under such a startling change, Boundless Wall let out a strange cry and finally awoke.

"What's happening? What's happening?"

Boundless Wall looked around, bewildered and uncertain.

Naturally, it immediately spotted Bai Shuyue's smiling figure standing there.

Being overly familiar with Bai Shuyue, it didn't immediately attribute the anomaly to her. It just quietly asked:

"Did Senior Cheng Dao just return?"

Bai Shuyue's smile immediately froze on her face, and then she sighed.

She bent her finger and tapped the Black Mountains and White Waters below.

As if the Dao Annihilation had descended, the mountains and waters trembled violently, appearing as though they could collapse at any moment.

Boundless Wall was greatly startled, its eyes wide as it looked at Bai Shuyue.

For a long time, it couldn't react:

"No, you... you, you!"

With three consecutive "you"s, it couldn't utter a complete sentence.

Bai Shuyue was finally satisfied, and asked with a smile, "You once said that when your cultivation reached success, you would guide me. Is it time now?"

"I'm troubled, for there's no path for me to reach the Other Shore."

Hearing her words, Boundless Wall finally became completely certain: Bai Shuyue had transcended!

Boundless Wall was stunned for a moment, and asked somewhat bewilderedly:

"What year is this?"

It immediately suspected that it had slept too long during its enlightenment, and that Bai Shuyue, during this extended period, had finally achieved transcendence!

"It seems you're still not fully awake."

Bai Shuyue continued to tap her finger, and amidst the earth-shattering tremors of the Black Mountains and White Waters, Boundless Wall finally calculated the precise time.

Since it couldn't even care about the danger of a mountain collapse, it screamed in utter horror:

"How could this be? So little time has passed, and you've already transcended?"

"Am I insane, or am I still dreaming?"

Unable to accept this fact, Boundless Wall was momentarily dumbfounded.

"When accumulation is sufficient, so-called transcendence is but a single thought away. Don't be so surprised!" Bai Shuyue said calmly. But how could Boundless Wall not be utterly surprised?

It was precisely because it had seen too much that it clearly understood the difficulty of transcendence. In the Immortal Realm of old, among countless True Immortals, only a handful were able to transcend. Without exception, they only took this step after unimaginable long years of accumulation.

How could transcendence become as simple as eating and drinking for Bai Shuyue?

Even with the facts before its eyes, Boundless Wall found it somewhat impossible to accept.

"The Mountains and Seas have countless prodigies and talented individuals emerging endlessly," Bai Shuyue teased. "Though my cultivation speed is a bit fast, it's nothing compared to the Three Saints. You were once at the door of a Saint Monarch, yet you're still so easily surprised."

"It seems... that makes sense." With this realization, Boundless Wall's shock slowly dissipated.

"Yes, yes, yes, you've transcended, and I am at the door of a Saint Monarch. You may be strong, but I'm not afraid of you!" Boundless Wall declared, trying to maintain its composure.

However, knowing how terrifying transcendence was, its tone was far less arrogant than before, filled with a sense of feigned strength.

Seeing this, Bai Shuyue suddenly felt a bit disheartened.

She knew that a tragically thick barrier now separated her and Boundless Wall.

"If Fan'er were still here, he certainly wouldn't fear me like this. No matter how strong I become, I would still be the aunt he knew."

No longer teasing Boundless Wall, Bai Shuyue specifically explained her transcendent insights to it.

Just like the Immortals of the Dao Net, Boundless Wall also listened with rapt attention. And then expressed immense gratitude to Bai Shuyue.

"I have already reshaped the Black Mountains and White Waters for you. If you observe them day and night, your transformation and even transcendence are within reach."

After saying this, Bai Shuyue disappeared.

Though Boundless Wall felt a little lost, it soon immersed itself in observation and enlightenment once more. Having a transcendent expert personally instruct it this time was indeed an immense fortune for it. Though the phrase "at the door of a Saint Monarch" was true, Boundless Wall also knew clearly that the lofty Saint would never guide it in this regard.

"Transcendence is within reach, transcendence is within reach!" Boundless Wall was overjoyed, and its thoughts gradually sank into contemplation.

After fulfilling her promise to Boundless Wall, Bai Shuyue stood in the starry sky and suddenly felt a sense of dissonance.

The possibilities beneath her feet were simply too small, visible at a glance.

Even a few casual movements from her could overturn it.

"I finally understand why most who transcend always leave."

Bai Shuyue sighed deeply, and the thoughts in her heart had quietly changed.

Originally, she hadn't planned to traverse the Mountains and Seas and visit the unknown lands deep within them.

Yet the various experiences after transcendence had subtly made her change her mind again.

Feeling utterly bored, she thus decided to embark on a distant journey.

However, Bai Shuyue didn't leave immediately.

Instead, she waited another hundred years.

This waiting was because Bai Shuyue wanted to see Cheng Dao again.

But even though Bai Shuyue spread the method of shadow-inheriting the Dao, the other party didn't seem particularly interested, never returning to investigate.

"It seems Cheng Dao won't be returning. And I wonder where in the Mountains and Seas he is now."

There was no longer anything worth lingering over here; Bai Shuyue leapt gracefully and floated away.

Within the transcendent true meaning, like a Xuanhuang Family Residence, Bai Shuyue sat quietly in her own seat, facing the illusion of Li Fan.

While outside, the Dao Annihilation raged, inside remained peaceful and tranquil. The Xuanhuang Family Residence, carrying Bai Shuyue, silently drifted towards the depths of the Mountains and Seas.

Completely disappeared from sight.

The Origin would not cease its self-operation because of someone's disappearance.

Even because of Bai Shuyue's transcendent blessings, the possibilities that had originally been fragmented and eroded by Dao Annihilation unexpectedly burst forth with vitality again from Guangwu and Shuoxing Sea.

After an unknown period of time, a ghostly figure descended upon the Origin.

He first scanned the surroundings, then stared in the direction Bai Shuyue had disappeared, and smiled with an inscrutable meaning:

"I didn't expect that Auntie's crystallized transcendent true meaning would be 'home'. And there's even a place for me."

"It's truly a bit touching. Hehehe..."

Li Fan chuckled softly, but from his expression, there was no hint of being touched.

"She finally reached the step of transcendence."

"Next..."

"It's no longer something I can control."

Li Fan had no intention of tracking Bai Shuyue.

In fact, as soon as he perceived Bai Shuyue was about to achieve transcendence, he stopped secretly observing. Instead, he actively moved away, only returning after Bai Shuyue had departed.

After Bai Shuyue transcended, although her strength was still weaker than his, their realms were within the same range.

If he forcibly tracked her, there would inevitably be a risk of being discovered.

"Anyway, after the 'Returning to Truth' event, by choosing to inherit Auntie's memories, I'll know what she encountered later."

"The only drawback is that I have to wait until she perishes before I can activate 'Returning to Truth'. Otherwise, I would inevitably expose a flaw. Transcendents have virtually endless lifespans. Under normal circumstances, she would only face life-threatening danger when this section of the Mountains and Seas welcomed its end times. However..." Li Fan smiled confidently:

"In the current Mountains and Seas, that 'Li Fan' no longer exists. For her dear nephew, Auntie probably won't force herself to live that long. Perhaps she might even actively end her own life."

"And with the place she reserved for me within her transcendent true meaning, as soon as she perishes, I will immediately sense it."

"All I need to do is wait patiently," Li Fan said with complete confidence.

From the very beginning until now, Li Fan's Saint-making plan has been perfect.

Even though Bai Shuyue had also reached the transcendent realm, she didn't find a single flaw.

But the step from transcendence to sainthood was no longer within Li Fan's control.

He could only hope that his aunt, who had undergone thirty-plus cycles of reincarnation, could truly bring him some surprises.

"Considering that Auntie will indeed have a chance to enter the Other Shore next, I still need to plan ahead and prepare."

"If I'm not mistaken, the moment she sees the Nine Saints' illusions, Auntie's reincarnation memories will also be exposed simultaneously, with nowhere to hide. The Nine Saints might link it to 'Returning to Truth' and then search throughout the Mountains and Seas."

"I'd better hide well."

Li Fan narrowed his eyes, deducing the various things that would happen once Bai Shuyue entered the Other Shore.

His greatest leverage was that the active choice of whether Bai Shuyue could inherit her previous life's memories rested solely in his hands.

If, after 'Returning to Truth', he discovered that his secret of being behind the scenes had been exposed in the Other Shore, guided by the illusions of the Saints...

...then he wouldn't let Auntie inherit her memories, and simply let her remain an ordinary farm woman.

He would then find another method to deal with the Saints.

At most, it would just be wasting thirty-plus cycles of reincarnation time.

For his infinite spiritual power, the consumption was negligible.

Reviewing the Saint-making plan, perhaps the only flaw was the figure of Li Fan that should not have appeared on the Lone Sail! "I calculated flawlessly, and had already severed my connection to the Lone Sail's path of transcendence. How could that small boat still reflect my image?"

Fortunately, the connection between that figure and Li Fan was not particularly obvious, and even though the Mountains and Seas were being eroded by Dao Annihilation, there were still "infinite" possibilities. So Bai Shuyue thought it was just another "Li Fan" from an alternate possibility and didn't investigate further, which prevented the flaw from being exposed.

However, Li Fan, as the orchestrator, would naturally not think so simply.

A glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes, and his figure disappeared.

When he reappeared, he was already within the Immortal Embankment of the Guangwu Star Sea.

Having mastered the method of shadow-inheriting the Dao, compared to how Li Fan had seen it before, the Guangwu Immortal Embankment now had nearly three hundred densely packed Heavenly Pillars.

All were built upon fishing immortal treasures as their foundation, and the newly constructed pillars' might even surpassed the old ones.

With so much added support, the Guangwu Star Sea's ability to resist Dao Annihilation was several times stronger, even faintly showing some of the transcendent momentum of the "Xuanhuang Immortal Boat" that Li Fan had once built.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, what a big change indeed."

"However, from my experience, though it can traverse for a while, it will be hard for it to last an entire era."

"After all, it's not truly transcendent. No matter how high or strong it's built, this Immortal Embankment will ultimately be destroyed by the erosion of Dao Annihilation."

To prevent Bai Shuyue from returning, Li Fan didn't alert the Immortals of Guangwu. He merely commented silently to himself, then went to seek his current objective.

Upon entering the remains of the Lone Sail, Li Fan stared at the figure at the front of the small boat, his expression inscrutable.

"Though it points to me, in reality..."

"...it has nothing to do with me."

"I have indeed severed my connection with the Lone Sail's transcendent true meaning, so the reason my figure appears here is because..."

"Returning to Truth?!"

"What are you up to?"

A deep question arose in Li Fan's mind.

The true meaning of the Lone Sail, like a bright mirror, reflected the Mountains and Seas.

It connected and projected all beings who comprehended the transcendent path of the "Lone Sail."

Although Li Fan had long ago severed his connection with the Lone Sail's true meaning, he never expected that 'Returning to Truth' still had a subtle, elusive connection to it.

"With 'Returning to Truth''s ability, if it deliberately hid itself, it couldn't possibly be discovered by a mere transcendent true meaning. Could the appearance of this figure be a warning to me?"

As if to confirm this point.

As this thought arose in Li Fan's mind, the figure of "him" on the Lone Sail actually nodded slightly at him.

Then, as if completing its mission, its aura inexplicably changed again.

It remained, still pointing to someone in the Mountains and Seas.

But had no connection to either Li Fan or 'Returning to Truth'.

"This... what exactly?"

Li Fan carefully examined the changed illusion and found that its reflected object had truly become a "Li Fan" from an alternate possibility!

Following the connection of common paths within the Mountains and Seas, Li Fan tried to glimpse the life of this illusion.

"I'm certain that he didn't exist just moments ago."

"He was born out of thin air after I perceived 'Returning to Truth''s hint."

"His life, cultivation path, various encounters, and even his location within possibility — all came from nothing."

"If Auntie were to truly investigate afterward, she wouldn't find anything amiss. It would perfectly match her initial guess. She might even lament, 'Same person, different fate'."

Li Fan stared intently at this alternate, newly born "Li Fan."

"'Creation from nothing' is indeed a method of 'Returning to Truth'. It perfectly compensated for any flaws I might have left."

"But the question is, why?"

Li Fan frowned deeply.

"And that it could even actively step in to complete things. Does this mean that 'Returning to Truth' is not only slowly awakening from its slumber, but also recovering more power?"

Li Fan couldn't help but think this.