Chapter 1653: Treasure in the Eyes of the Saints

Angry Squid

The long river churned, as countless moments of time were viewed in reverse. Yet, it ultimately failed to reflect Li Fan's figure. It was as if he had transcended the Three Realms and was beyond the Five Elements.

The white-haired master's expression grew increasingly solemn. The other Sages also stared intently at Li Fan, astonished by this incredibly strange phenomenon. They had all traversed the Eternal Void from different times and spaces, and thus knew how incredibly difficult it was to summon the accumulated True Spirit from there. Yet, the person before them had merely waved a hand and summoned a multitude of True Spirits, which then swarmed in. Could it be that the person before them actually represented the will of the Eternal Void? At this thought, all the Sages instinctively grew wary.

Yet, facing the Sages' implied challenge, Li Fan remained unperturbed. Blessed by the Xuanpin Great Dao, he was on par with the Sages before him. No matter what transpired, he possessed the reserve strength to calmly restore things to their original state.

Just as tension mounted, it was Qiumei, the Last Sage of Mountains and Seas, who stepped forward to mediate.

"The Mountains and Seas flow wide, and each Sage is unique," she began. "In the past, the Mountains and Seas were home to countless extraordinary individuals, so it's not surprising for any kind of divine ability or strange art to emerge. This time, the accumulated True Spirits from the Void were drawn here, yet I sensed no disturbance in the darkness. I believe this is an extraordinary ability unique to you, fellow Daoist."

Although the other Sages still harbored suspicion towards Li Fan, they had always placed immense trust in Qiumei. Hearing this, their expressions relaxed somewhat.

Li Fan didn't try to justify himself; instead, he smiled and said, "Actually, I only discovered this unique ability during my traverse. I'm quite curious about its origin myself. But for now, none of that is important. The crucial question is whether these endless True Spirits accumulated in the Void can truly be put to our use."

Sensing the sheer magnitude of the True Spirits gathered in Li Fan's palm, all the Sages fell silent.

"You speak truly, fellow Daoist," the white-haired master conceded. "If we can indeed harness their power, even with the Great Dao in decline and no new Sages emerging in this apocalypse of Mountains and Seas, it would still be enough for us to create allies capable of turning the tide. Though not at the Sage realm, if the quantity is sufficient..." he nodded in acknowledgment.

"Furthermore, we can even absorb the accumulated True Spirits to replenish ourselves," said the shifting figure, which grew even dimmer, seemingly deducing its own future after integrating a large amount of accumulated True Spirits.

"Since that's the case, I'll perform an experiment first." A golden-yellow figure floated out from within Qiumei, its form blurred with the ethereal light of pure thought. It seemed to be a clone conjured by Qiumei's singular thought, yet it also clearly represented her own will.

The pure thought clone slowly drifted towards the accumulated True Spirits, as if drawn by some unseen force. Its speed rapidly increased, and in a flash, it became a thin streak, swiftly passing through the accumulated swamp. It circled once and then returned to stand before Qiumei.

As everyone looked, they saw that the pure thought body had indeed acquired a trace of shadow after traversing through the accumulated True Spirits.

"Its effect is truly similar to traversing the Eternal Void," Qiumei said. "However, the efficiency of absorbing True Spirits is considerably lower."

After a long pause, Qiumei slowly spoke. The Sages' expressions grew even more astonished.

"Yet, it's far less dangerous than traversing the Eternal Void, and there's no risk of mental anguish. Doesn't this mean..." Before the shifting figure could finish, it swiftly plunged into the mass of accumulated True Spirits. In an instant, it seemed to traverse the mass dozens of times, causing waves of ripples to undulate. It only stopped when it could no longer absorb True Spirits within a short period, lingering as if still desiring more. As if having had a full meal, the shifting figure had become noticeably clearer. Simultaneously, its speed of transformation had also increased.

"Incredible," a voice of astonishment remarked, yet it came from outside the figure itself. The shifting figure, which had entered the accumulated True Spirits, risked itself, and reaped great rewards, shattered with a crash as that voice spoke. It dissolved into a stream of light, returning to the source of the voice. Li Fan observed this clearly.

Both the Last Sage of Mountains and Seas and the shifting figure had, in an instant, used their clones to test the dangers and realities of the accumulated True Spirits. Qiumei used a pure thought clone, while the shifting figure...

"Although it seemed as if he acted personally, he himself was in a state where certainty and uncertainty, countless future possibilities, were intertwined. He could, at any moment, render the outcome a mere hypothetical state existing only in deduction, not a fixed reality. Conversely, he could also choose to validate this test result as true."

As if confirming Li Fan's judgment, as the stream of light integrated, the true shifting figure revealed the same result as its testing clone: absorbing a certain amount of accumulated True Spirits had greatly benefited it.

With these two providing a precedent, the other Sages cast aside their inhibitions. Each displayed their unique divine abilities to absorb the accumulated True Spirits that Li Fan had brought. The Sages' auras fluctuated, clearly indicating individual progress.

"Could it be that, apart from me, all other Sages find absorbing accumulated True Spirits this easy?" Li Fan mused inwardly, witnessing this scene and secretly wondering to himself.

But seeing that after the Sages finished absorbing the True Spirits, their complexions and expressions all seemed to improve, Li Fan finally understood. The Sages of Mountains and Seas must have sustained varying degrees of damage during their struggle against the Eternal Void. Even their own spiritual essence had gradually diminished. Without conventional methods for repair, their hidden injuries had gradually worsened over time. Even a Sage's body ultimately developed hidden dangers.

Within the Eternal Void, there were indeed accumulated True Spirits that could be utilized. However, delving deep into the Void meant annihilation with even a slight misstep. Gaining one portion of True Spirit required a tenfold loss; it was simply not worth the cost. Therefore, going into the Void for healing, or to repair and enhance True Spirits, was simply out of the question.

But now... there was actually a Sage who could, out of thin air, transport the accumulated True Spirits from the Eternal Void into the real Mountains and Seas. Moreover, these True Spirits were proven to be unpolluted by the Void, allowing everyone to absorb them without concern.

The Sages, having completed a round of restoration, now looked at Li Fan with noticeably different expressions. While Li Fan had been fearless when pressured by the Sages, he now felt a silent unease. However, being gazed upon by them as if he were a precious treasure, Li Fan secretly felt a shiver down his spine.

"Originally, our chances of success were still somewhat lacking," the shifting figure exclaimed, unable to contain its joy. "But now, with your assistance, fellow Daoist, a chance for victory has emerged!"

Only then did Li Fan realize that what the figure meant by "chances were still lacking" was, in fact, that there had been no chance of victory at all.

"To have you come, fellow Daoist, is truly our great fortune," Qiumei said with emotion. She looked towards the past time and space of the Mountains and Seas, and a trace of inexplicable emotion stirred in her eyes. "It truly is," she murmured, momentarily lost in thought, "that in the unseen, there is a fixed destiny." She seemed to have recalled something.

"I wonder, esteemed Sages, do you find my Saint-creation plan feasible?" Li Fan asked, looking at them.

"May I ask, fellow Daoist," the white-haired master began with extreme solemnity, "what is the cost of summoning these accumulated True Spirits?"

"No effort at all," Li Fan replied confidently.

The Sages' expressions became even more peculiar. From the shifting figure, a full beam of light burst forth. Within it, billions of light and shadow forms seemed to merge, simultaneously deducing and pointing towards countless different future possibilities. In a breath, the light beam went from brilliance to decay. Yet it did not completely fade into darkness; instead, a few specks of light ultimately remained, returning to the shifting figure.

"If it is truly as you say, and you can freely and harmlessly summon the accumulated True Spirits," the shifting figure continued, "then the probability of our plan's success has already exceeded one-tenth!"

As these words were spoken, the expressions of all the Sages and Li Fan in the field suddenly changed.

"That high!"

"That low?"

After these bewildered exclamations, Li Fan and the Sages faced each other, each feeling confused by the other's reaction.

"Only a one-tenth chance of success—how can that be considered high?" Li Fan asked with a frown.

Qiumei smiled and shook her head. "We are inherently seeking a path to survival from an impossible situation. A one-tenth chance of success is already a wonderful scenario we never dared to imagine before. In my previous deductions, even a one percent probability of success would have been worth fighting for with all our might!"

All the other Sages concurred, but Li Fan remained perplexed. However, he did not argue further.

As soon as the shifting figure's deduction results were revealed, Li Fan keenly perceived that the oppressive atmosphere which had long shrouded this apocalypse of Mountains and Seas had significantly dissipated. The Sages, while conversing, all appeared somewhat more relaxed.

"We will use the accumulated True Spirits to nourish the Pure Thought Mountains and Seas. Once aid in the Mountains and Seas becomes continuous and reaches a substantial scale, that will be the moment our plan is launched."

The white-haired master stroked his beard and said, "By then, I should not yet have exhausted my lifespan and strength. Perhaps I will have the chance to witness the true face of the stars. What great fortune that would be!"

During the Sages' conversation, Li Fan also gained a deeper understanding of how the others utilized True Spirits. For most living beings in the Mountains and Seas, True Spirit is the embodiment of one's spiritual essence and cultivation potential. The Sages speculated that True Spirit originally stemmed from the deity who created the Mountains and Seas. Below the Sage realm, True Spirit is predetermined. Only by absorbing 'other selves' from different possibilities can one achieve slight growth. However, the extent of this growth is limited.

However, once one enters the Sage realm, they can replenish themselves by traversing the Eternal Void, drawing upon external sources. Yet, the problem remains: traversing the Void is incredibly perilous. Self-preservation alone is difficult, let alone enhancing one's spiritual essence. Only the mightiest Sages, whose power is such that they can continuously traverse against the flow of time to the Mountains and Seas' beginning, even when the typical cost of such journeys far outweighs any replenishment, are truly qualified to do so. In fact, none of the Sages currently at the end of Mountains and Seas had reached such a realm.

"Anyone possessing such power would choose to go to the very beginning of the Mountains and Seas, to contend for divine power and seek further advancement. And that invisible barrier I sensed, which limits the connection between one's True Spirit and the outside world, genuinely exists. Only a Sage who has attained enlightenment, possessing power on par with the Mountains and Seas, can shake it. If we were to forcefully infuse and impact it with a massive amount of accumulated True Spirits..."

A scene flashed before Li Fan's eyes: an experimental subject being submerged by the accumulated True Spirits and vanishing into thin air. But for the Sages at the end of Mountains and Seas, this was not an insurmountable problem. Their research enthusiasm even surpassed Li Fan's. They even began experimenting on themselves.

There was no need to elaborate on the methods employed by Qiumei and the shifting figure. Let us instead describe the divine abilities of the others.

The white-haired master's eyes showed the churning of the long river of time. It surged forth, seemingly substantial, emitting roars, as countless versions of the master — in childhood, youth, and middle age — continuously leapt forth from the long river. Whether the experiments conducted on these temporal manifestations would affect the white-haired master himself, located downstream in the river of time, was entirely within his control, a mere thought away.

Another Sage held a steelyard. He extended a hand towards the accumulated True Spirits and made a grabbing motion. It was as if he was pulling them onto the scale. And on the other side, numerous light and shadow projections soon began to play out. The steelyard's weight continuously swayed, indicating different experimental results.

The Sage who surprised Li Fan the most was the one who appeared to be the most relaxed. A lazy, middle-aged man cradled his potbelly, his expression nonchalant. However, whenever the experimental results of the other Sages proved beneficial, this potbellied man would show delight and repeatedly tap his fingers. One by one, points of light were absorbed into his palm. These points of light continuously collided and merged, slowly consolidating into a single point. The final remaining point of light seemed to represent the optimal solution the Sages were seeking to verify.

The various strange arts displayed by each Sage greatly broadened Li Fan's horizons. However, for some reason, a strange feeling slowly began to emerge in his heart.

"The method of pure thought, the art of deducing uncertain futures, reversing the flow of the River of Time, Heavenly Selection inheritance..." As Li Fan observed the Sages' various techniques, he increasingly felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. Without dwelling on it too long, Li Fan quickly identified the source of this familiarity. "The Transformation of True and False. Every one of the Sages' divine abilities seems to be subtly similar to, yet distinct from, the Transformation of True and False. What exactly..."

Li Fan felt increasingly astonished. "Could it be that the Transformation of True and False is too profound, encompassing every aspect of the Great Dao of Mountains and Seas? Therefore, when I truly began to interact with the Great Dao of Mountains and Seas wielded by the Sages, it was as if I caught a glimpse of the Transformation of True and False from a specific angle? Then Huan Zhen..."

Li Fan's thoughts churned. A sudden impulse made him want to consult Huan Zhen again. But ever since arriving at the end of Mountains and Seas, Huan Zhen had fallen into a complete slumber, hiding even deeper than before. It was as if something in the outside world existed that it wished to avoid. The only thing that reassured Li Fan was that he could still summon Huan Zhen's interface at any time. With a single thought, it could be activated, reversing everything and returning to a safe anchor point.

"Let's wait a bit longer and hear the Sages' research results," he decided.

At the end of Mountains and Seas, the River of Time had been intercepted by the white-haired master, and time itself ceased to flow. Time seemed to lose all meaning. After an unknown duration and countless joint experiments, the Sages finally reached their ultimate conclusion. On Qiumei's face appeared an excitement that had not been seen for a very long time.

"The True Spirit barrier, though innate, is not insurmountable. Working together, we have finally found its weakness. While infusing it with massive amounts of True Spirits could certainly break it down, it would simultaneously bring about ruin, which is truly not advisable. However, if we were to create hundreds or thousands of ourselves and simultaneously receive True Spirit infusion..."

As Qiumei spoke, she pointed at the experimental subject before them. A dreamy yellow light immediately enveloped the experimental subject, who sat cross-legged with eyes closed. In an instant, hundreds and thousands of pure thought figures, like copies of him, appeared.

"The method of transcending to sainthood is the 'unity of ten thousand selves'. However, this True Spirit infusion method does the opposite: 'I generate immeasurable selves!'"