Chapter 1650: Salvation Dichotomy

Enraged Cuttlefish:

"Second question: How can we, being in the Realm of Creation and Destruction, survive and persist until the end of the Mountains and Seas?"

"The Void of Eternal Silence, which separates the Mountains and Seas, is not as terrifying as the true annihilation of the Mountains and Seas. However, it is also not something ordinary people can resist. Even if I become a Saint, I can only protect myself, not all of you," Li Fan asked, frowning.

Qiu Xinhui exchanged glances with the other Venerables and smiled. "There's no need to trouble you, fellow Daoist. We are indeed powerless to cross against the current. But if we go with the flow and persist in traveling towards the end of the Mountains and Seas... with the accumulation of our efforts over these years, we should still be barely capable of doing it."

Qiu Xinhui then proceeded to explain the specific method in detail to Li Fan.

"Although Saint Qiu Xinhui, the Saint of the End of Mountains and Seas, ultimately perished with the destruction of the Mountains and Seas, he still exists within the Mountains and Seas before that outcome occurs. I wonder if you can understand what I mean by that?"

Li Fan naturally nodded. "It's similar to how the entire stretch of Mountains and Seas is destined for destruction, yet at this moment, we are still within a prosperous Mountains and Seas."

Qiu Xinhui continued: "The existence of the Saint of the End of Mountains and Seas is like a lighthouse standing in the darkness, faintly illuminating the path forward in the Void of Eternal Silence. By utilizing the connection I have with him and employing a secret art, I can instantly cross countless mountains and rivers, and even traverse several obstructed segments of the Mountains and Seas to return."

"Once this return process begins, it cannot be stopped. We also cannot linger in any Mountains and Seas we pass through. Originally, there was a fifty percent chance of successfully reaching the end of the Mountains and Seas. With your support, the probability of success will be over seventy percent!"

"Is it relying on the unfathomable power unleashed the moment a clone returns to its main body?" Li Fan himself was an expert in clone techniques. The power unleashed when a clone returns to its main body could indeed be exploited. However, that alone would likely be far from enough to cross the Void of Eternal Silence!

But Qiu Xinhui seemed to be speaking the truth. Li Fan pondered for a moment, then a thought struck him: "It seems that the Mountain and Sea Walker also contributed significantly to this return process."

The white-haired youth nodded slightly. "Precisely. Without the footprints he left during his traversals, even if my connection with my main body were extremely close, attempting to cross successfully would be extremely perilous, a certainty of death."

His conjecture confirmed, Li Fan remarked with some emotion: "Although this Mountain and Sea Walker has not reached the Saint realm, his actions and deeds are no less than those of a Saint!"

Li Fan had once believed the Mountain and Sea Walker to be Sun Piaomiao. However, judging by the appearance Qiu Xinhui described, it didn't match the image of Sun Piaomiao Li Fan had previously glimpsed. "Perhaps Sun Piaomiao, like the Five Venerables of the Same Tribulation, merely received a gift from the Mountain and Sea Walker. After all, according to Qiu Xinhui, each successful traversal by the Mountain and Sea Walker requires a long period of recovery. It makes sense that during this time, his footsteps would spread throughout the Mountains and Seas." As Li Fan pondered, Qiu Xinhui continued to explain their plan.

"Once I successfully reach the end of the Mountains and Seas, I will return to my main body. I will spontaneously gain the memories of these years, along with the support of an entire Realm of Creation and Destruction. This might play a crucial role in altering our final destiny."

At this point, Li Fan slowly came to a realization. His face showed surprise: "So, throughout the entire Mountains and Seas, from its beginning to its end, there might not be just one being like you, a fantasy construct."

Qiu Xinhui, having already accepted his fate, smiled dismissively. "There are two types of saviors of the Mountains and Seas. First, countless Saints, acting as a spark that ignites a fire, travel through different periods of the Mountains and Seas to its very beginning, working together with one heart to prevent the apocalypse."

"Second, the Mountain and Sea Walker, during his reverse journey, scatters my spiritual light everywhere. I carry supporting forces from every past segment of the Mountains and Seas. We all return, collectively gathering the power of the Mountains and Seas to find a way to break the deadlock!"

Qiu Xinhui's eyes gleamed brightly: "I am not the true Saint of the End of Mountains and Seas, but a creation summoned through fantasy. The memories I inherited are not complete. I'm not even a special one among countless fantasy constructs. My ultimate fate is already predetermined. But what I seek, what all 'Qiu Xinhuis' seek, has never changed."

Qiu Xinhui looked at Li Fan and stated frankly: "That is, to truly lead everyone out of the apocalyptic end of the Mountains and Seas! These are two attempts: one entrusted to the world, and one undertaken by ourselves. Perhaps by employing both approaches, working in concert, we might truly have a chance to turn the tide."

Li Fan seemed moved, yet also stunned. He remained silent for a long time.

"The Saint of the End of Mountains and Seas is indeed extraordinarily talented. Far beyond what a lucky fellow like me can compare to! No wonder the Immortals of the Engraved Dao trust you so much." Li Fan admired him, then said with passion: "Since that's the case, what harm is there in me risking my life to accompany a gentleman? Even if I can't truly save the Mountains and Seas, seeing the Saint of the End of Mountains and Seas once in this life would leave me with no regrets!"

Li Fan's words resonated with the Venerables. After some emotional reflections, they discussed the specific details of the moment when the Mountains and Seas return to the stars.

"Based on our deductions, the myriad possibilities flowing within the Realm of Creation and Destruction will not only truly be reborn at that moment but will also be a major driving force supporting our departure from the Mountains and Seas. You should know that although the 'fantasy possibilities' currently existing within the Realm of Creation and Destruction number only in the tens of thousands, they can barely be considered a microcosm of our Mountains and Seas. If the plan proceeds smoothly and fellow Daoists from other spacetime segments also return together, then the gathered fantasy constructs will resemble a miniature fantasy of the entire Mountains and Seas."

"When the Mountains and Seas are fully overturned and the stars are newly born, a fantasy Mountains and Seas will suddenly appear, potentially possessing world-overturning power!"

Li Fan, in his quasi-Saint body, gained the absolute trust of the Venerables of the Realm of Creation and Destruction. He thus learned of their salvation plan. Although it was impossible to confirm the veracity of the grand vision they described until the final moment, it had to be said that Qiu Xinhui's two attempts were indeed somewhat stirring. If Li Fan hadn't had Huanzhen as his reliance, he might have truly given it a try.

It's a pity... with Huanzhen by his side, allowing him to restart at any time, Li Fan was destined not to fight until the moment the Mountains and Seas returned to the stars, unlike the Immortals of the Engraved Dao.

"Of course, there's no harm in just going to see the world. The end of the Mountains and Seas, crossing the Void of Eternal Silence... In the simulation, I exposed Huanzhen's existence before the Saints of the Other Shore because the gap between my cultivation and a Saint's was too vast. But now, I possess the Grand Dao of Xuanpin. With Huanzhen's degree of control over it, achieving Sainthood before meeting the Saint of the End of Mountains and Seas should not be difficult. As a Saint facing a Saint, even if I'm a bit weaker, I shouldn't be completely seen through, right?" Li Fan pondered, and at the same time, because it involved a Saint, one who stood at the end of the Mountains and Seas and was considered among the strongest in the entire region, he very cautiously sought Huanzhen's opinion.

Huanzhen responded with silence, offering no obstruction. And Li Fan's own spiritual intuition gave no warning. So the plan was finalized.

The goal of the people of the Realm of Creation and Destruction was the end of the Mountains and Seas. Therefore, they paid almost no attention to the various happenings within this segment of spacetime. They merely secretly gathered talents for fantasy constructs and accumulated power. While comprehending the Grand Dao of Xuanpin, Li Fan did not forget to concern himself with matters of fantasy constructs. Even with the path to Sainthood right before him, he could still resist the temptation and dedicate himself to the cause of salvation. Li Fan's actions greatly impressed the Venerables of the Realm of Creation and Destruction.

Only Li Fan himself knew that, compared to the Grand Dao of Mountains and Seas, it was actually this 'fantasy method' that provided him with greater assistance.

"Qiu Xinhui truly lives up to his title as the Saint of the End of Mountains and Seas; his 'fantasy method' has almost touched the threshold of the 'Transformation of True and False'. However, the 'fantasy method' still requires actual past memories as its foundation. Whereas the 'Transformation of True and False'..." Thinking of this, Li Fan paused slightly. For a moment, he couldn't distinguish the exact difference between the 'fantasy method' and the 'Transformation of True and False'. He couldn't help but marvel even more at Qiu Xinhui's talent. "Although it's not any single Grand Dao of Mountains and Seas, it is subtly superior in some ways. If one truly had to say, fantasy eventually leads to mental exhaustion. But the 'Transformation of True and False' depends entirely on a thought arising from the heart. It is vastly superior!" Li Fan felt secretly pleased.

Huanzhen seemed to sense Li Fan's thoughts and, for some unknown reason, emitted waves of obscure meaning. They vanished swiftly. Li Fan could not fathom them.

In the Mountains and Seas, time was irrelevant. After an unknown period, when the accumulation of the Realm of Creation and Destruction was finally nearing sufficiency, Li Fan was also just one step away from becoming a Great Saint of Xuanpin.

"Achieving Sainthood as a Saint of the Mountains and Seas is far more difficult than I imagined." Standing in the void, Li Fan let out a long sigh filled with a sense of vicissitude. The time required for this enlightenment was more than a hundred times longer than the sum of all his previous reincarnations. Fortunately, it was purely a matter of monotonous comprehension, without too many other mundane interferences. Additionally, the Huanzhen panel occasionally floating before his eyes constantly reminded Li Fan of his past. Li Fan ultimately did not forget his true identity.

"Achieving Sainthood is now." His expression solemn, he slowly chanted. Around him, the Venerables of the Realm of Creation and Destruction quietly observed and guarded him.

"The commotion generated by proving the Dao is too great; it simply cannot be concealed. Therefore, the moment of my Sainthood will be the moment of our traversal and return," Li Fan instructed, then stepped forward.

"The Grand Dao returns to truth." As he silently chanted, on the Huanzhen panel, the ethereal glow of the four characters "First Xuanpin" erupted with unprecedented intensity. Its brilliance almost overshadowed all other characters on the panel. Li Fan seemed to have truly transformed into the Lord of Xuanpin, taking control of this particular Grand Dao of Mountains and Seas.

Just as mortals ascended to immortality, the appearance of the Mountains and Seas in Li Fan's eyes gradually changed. Although the Mountains and Seas remained boundless, mountains could be scaled, and seas could be crossed. Floating on the sea, standing on mountaintops, Li Fan's mindset and perspective were naturally different. The ubiquitous black Dao Annihilation that consumed everything between the Mountains and Seas also slowly began to look different from his perspective. "Still like shadowy vipers, fearsome. But if one were to fight desperately... there might be a chance of survival." Li Fan understood in his heart. The path to Sainthood had just begun.

His body aligned with the Mountains and Seas, Li Fan seemed to be bathed in a peculiar aura. Blurred images flickered vaguely before his eyes. They seemed to originate from the Mountains and Seas' most ancient memories, even older than the Mountains and Seas themselves. Though the images were unclear, Li Fan distinctly felt the Mountains and Seas' awe and greed. "The source of all power in the Mountains and Seas." Li Fan instantly had an epiphany.

The moment he realized this in his mind, those blurry images before his eyes began to furiously pulsate. Like primordial beasts, they violently crashed against each other in his vision. Countless lines twisted, as if something was about to leap out of his sight and suddenly fall into reality! At the same time, Li Fan's previously serene heart also began to beat uncontrollably in sync. Not from fear, but from an instinctive thrill.

"Xuanpin returns!" A sudden inspiration struck him, and Li Fan quietly chanted in his mind.

A grinding sound... The countless intertwined lines in his vision suddenly shattered, instantly dimming and vanishing. Only a single shadow, instead, became increasingly clear. It leaped out from the void perspective, descending amidst the Mountains and Seas. The Mountains and Seas instantly boiled over because of it! Like a great wind sweeping through, the sea surface surged with monstrous waves, and towering trees on the mountains toppled. In an instant, several gazes were cast from various parts of the Mountains and Seas. And the Mountains and Seas themselves, after a brief calm, reacted even more intensely, raging to the heavens!

"Go!" Li Fan slowly absorbed the shadow in his vision and spoke with immense composure. At the same time, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid qi, completely blocking the commotions from the Mountains and Seas. As the turbid qi emerged, heaven and earth were born, and all things proliferated. Within a burst of brilliant light, countless living beings were born. The cries of new life resounded overwhelmingly, weaving into a grand symphony. It drifted within the Mountains and Seas, creating quite a lively scene for a moment. It actually briefly suppressed the turbulent winds and thunder of the Mountains and Seas, and to a certain extent, it also obscured the vision of the Saints.

Although, moments later, these myriad vibrant lives collapsed like a falling mansion, instantly withering. The originally bustling scene also transformed into utter silence. But it was precisely within this fleeting moment that Li Fan, along with the people of the Realm of Creation and Destruction, vanished, enveloped by an orange glow. They departed for the end of the Mountains and Seas. They came swiftly and departed even swifter. In the blink of an eye, the Mountains and Seas reverted to their original state.

However, perhaps due to the departure of the Grand Dao of Xuanpin, the current Mountains and Seas subtly showed signs of an advanced age. In a short while, thousands of possibilities collapsed with a roar, falling into Dao Annihilation.

Within the white circle of the Other Shore, the ethereal figures of the Saints stood in sequence.

"The Grand Dao of Xuanpin..."

"Strange."

Within the white circle, light and shadows fluctuated rapidly. They were calculating and deducing something. Normally, everything within this segment of the Mountains and Seas should have been under their control. No matter what variables appeared, they were like water in a pond. Even if ripples spread, they could never stir up waves beyond a certain height. But now... in the serene pond beneath the Saints' eyes, a waterspout had surprisingly formed, truly terrifying.

The light and shadows in the white circle shattered with a roar, and the Saints' ethereal figures, which had been closing their eyes, simultaneously opened them. For an instant, it seemed as if countless thoughts were communicated. But moments later, they simultaneously closed their eyes again.

"No need to pursue. Going to the end of the Mountains and Seas might actually be where the turning point lies. Let us simply watch over this segment of the Mountains and Seas. Regardless of beginning or end, whether alone or together, exhausting all efforts, no method of salvation could be found. Now that a variable has emerged... perhaps it is a good thing."