Chapter 1655: Still Truly Revealed

Countless surging fantasies, rising like stars, illuminated the cold, dark void. Like countless threads, they instantly wove a phantom image of mountains and seas.

However, this vision could not last long. The true mountains and seas had already been annihilated within the Eternal Void, let alone this imagined one before them. The surrounding darkness instantly and heavily suppressed the light emanating from the phantom mountains and seas. Turbulent waves surged, threatening to drag it into eternal darkness.

"All Saints, assemble!"

The voice of Qiu Xinhui, the Last Saint of Mountains and Seas, suddenly resounded in the void. It abruptly repelled a surge of wind and waves. The phantom mountains and seas seized the opportunity to briefly emit light. Simultaneously, from the myriad surging currents of the mountains and seas, slender threads of possibility emerged, and several figures flew out, standing proudly.

These were precisely the transcendent cultivators born from the "Myriad Lives Infusion of True Spirits" project. The "Myriad Lives" project had created over a thousand Half-Saints. Ordinary transcendents, meanwhile, were countless. All who transcend could traverse the Annihilation of the Dao. They all possessed a certain degree of resistance against the erosion of the Annihilation of the Dao.

At this moment, countless transcendents joined forces, each contributing their meager strength to collectively uplift the imagined mountains and seas, which were about to sink into the Eternal Void. With every instant, a significant amount of light, representing the cultivators, dissipated. Though destined not to change the fate of the imagined mountains and seas, their sacrifice bought the Saints of the End of Mountains and Seas extremely valuable time for their subsequent actions!

A phantom long river suddenly drifted out, traversing the imagined mountains and seas. Because of it, time began to flow within the mountains and seas.

"Farewell, old fellow!"

As the voice of a shifting figure resounded, ripples seemed to stir within the imagined mountains and seas, echoing the sound. Li Fan saw clearly that within the imagined mountains and seas, countless possibilities began to evolve.

If the initial imagined mountains and seas were merely a blank canvas of a scene conjured from memories by everyone, then, after gaining the power of the River of Time and the ability to infinitely deduce possibilities, the imagined mountains and seas began to self-generate across two different dimensions. The aura of "imagination" slowly faded. They became like mountains and seas that had once truly existed in reality.

The newborn mountains and seas, though weak, were brimming with vitality. The sacrifice of the two Saints was like a prairie fire. More and more, endless possibilities began to grow wildly. The River of Time, from ancient times to the present, stretched infinitely. The aura of the newborn mountains and seas grew stronger in the darkness, expanding tens of millions of times faster than before with every passing moment.

Though still incomparably tiny compared to the Eternal Void, it was already enough to attract its attention. However, even just a small portion of the power diverted from besieging the remnant mountains and seas was more than the newborn mountains and seas could withstand. In an instant, it fell into a precarious state, its light and shadow dimming. It could plunge completely into darkness at any moment.

At this very moment, over a thousand Half-Saints appeared within the mountains and seas. They were fearless and dauntless. As if consumed by fire, their bodies melted away. Streams of light, carrying the true spirits they had absorbed, flowed into the newborn mountains and seas. Like a powerful stimulant, the wavering mountains and seas temporarily succeeded in resisting the waves of darkness.

Though the newborn mountains and seas had grown many times stronger, they still could not compare to the Eternal Void. Once the Void dealt with the two remaining specks of light in the darkness, the newborn mountains and seas would ultimately meet their demise.

"I have seen fragments of the Mountains and Seas' fleeting years, and I know what they once were."

The voice of Qiu Xinhui, the Last Saint of Mountains and Seas, reappeared just in time. He lightly waved his sleeve, scattering countless specks of light. Along the way, as if an invisible hand guided and corrected them, these fragments were placed in their rightful positions. As if ancient memories awakened and the main framework was gained, the newborn mountains and seas, as if following a discernible path, once again grew wildly. It could even occasionally suppress the erosive waves from the Void.

This action seemed to thoroughly enrage the surrounding pervasive darkness. Determined not to give the newborn mountains and seas any more chances to grow, the Void's erosive pressure suddenly increased a thousandfold! Almost instantly, the radiance of the newborn mountains and seas became imperceptible. It faced the same situation as the remnant mountains and seas. Even with several streams of light flowing around it, protecting its form, yet, under the Void's relentless pressure, they slowly faded away completely.

"Before the Eternal Void at its full power, even Saints can only last this long!" From the dissipating streams of light, Li Fan saw the figures of the Saints of the End of Mountains and Seas. As his own condition worsened, he inevitably felt a touch of fear in his heart. Fortunately, with two sets of mountains and seas, one new and one old, attracting the brunt of the attacks, the pressure Li Fan endured was slightly less than when he first fell into the Void. Hence, he could still hold on.

"Watching the show until now, isn't it enough? Why can't I Return to Reality yet!" Li Fan was extremely exasperated. He could feel that while the Void was destroying the very foundation of his existence, it was also obliterating the Xuanpin Great Dao itself. Consequently, the power binding him was slowly weakening. Theoretically, he should now be able to Return to Reality. Yet for some unknown reason, the "Return to Reality" ability still couldn't be activated. It was clear that "Return to Reality" itself was unwilling. Li Fan was powerless; he could only desperately maintain his own existence and quietly observe the unfolding changes.

Even though the Saints of the End of Mountains and Seas had fallen, Qiu Xinhui still hadn't given up.

"All Saints, assemble!"

Endless yellow light erupted from the newborn mountains and seas. Acting as a shield, it weakened the Void's erosion. At the same time, figures of Saints emerged one after another from the void. These were precisely the Saints who had fallen earlier! However, they were not their true forms, but rather conceptual bodies! Yet their existence was clearly different from ordinary conceptual bodies; they even possessed the ability to control their own Great Dao of Mountains and Seas!

The River of Time reappeared, transforming into myriad figures. The newborn mountains and seas welcomed another wave of nourishment and expansion! "How is this possible?"

Li Fan was utterly shocked to witness this scene. These conceptual Saints were clearly Qiu Xinhui's doing. Despite not being their true forms, merely conceptual bodies, they could still wield the Dao path of Saints. This indicated...

"Qiu Xinhui, this Last Saint of Mountains and Seas, is equally well-versed in the Great Dao paths of other Saints!" Li Fan thought. "Just as I know Xuanpin, though not a Xuanpin Saint myself, I can don its mantle and wield the authority of a Saint. He, however, is a conceptual resuscitator of Saints, performing the deeds of Saints!"

Li Fan's mind trembled as he watched Qiu Xinhui turn the tide. Each time the protective streams of light from the conceptual Saints were extinguished by the Void, accompanied by Qiu Xinhui's phrase "All Saints, assemble," a new conceptual Saint would reappear from nothingness, again nourishing the mountains and seas. This cycle repeated continuously. The power of this Last Saint of Mountains and Seas seemed inexhaustible. There seemed to be no end to his strength!

"This..." Li Fan was too stunned to speak. In the End of Time, he and Qiu Xinhui had coexisted for a long time. Yet he had never realized that this person's power was so terrifyingly profound! "Moreover," he thought, "I still remember that this Way of Conception is not his Dao path. What then, is his true path to Sainthood?"

Li Fan watched silently as the newborn mountains and seas thrived in the Eternal Void under the Saints' nourishment, and even greater doubts couldn't help but arise in his mind. "I truly underestimated this Last Saint of Mountains and Seas. Given the power he has displayed," Li Fan mused, "could it be that the newborn mountains and seas truly have a chance?"

Within the Eternal Void, waves surged. Although every impact could ravage the newborn mountains and seas to a state of complete annihilation, as long as a tiny bit of radiance remained in the mountains and seas, Qiu Xinhui could restore them. Thus, under the Void's ceaseless erosion, these newborn mountains and seas could actually grow, albeit with difficulty, amidst constant destruction! If this continued endlessly, it seemed even the Eternal Void would have no way to deal with it!

As if sensing this, the cold darkness fell silent for a moment. Then... boundless desolation seemed to split apart. It was like a lone star hanging high, or a god opening its eyes. Within the Eternal Void, an unknown entity descended.

The newborn mountains and seas froze, then shattered layer by layer. Even as conceptual Saints continuously appeared, desperately trying to stop it, its speed of destruction was simply too fast. Any attempts at restoration were futile.

"Finally, the Star appears..."

"Heh heh. Fellow Daoist Fan, aren't you going to make a move?" Qiu Xinhui's voice suddenly came.

Li Fan was still awestruck by the Star's manifestation, and hearing Qiu Xinhui's words now, he couldn't help but freeze.

"Make a move?"

"Me?"

A mere Xuanpin Great Dao could barely handle the dark waves stirred up by the Eternal Void. How could it be an opponent to the Star? Li Fan felt it was quite absurd. At the same time, a surge of panic quickly rose within him. Given the power Qiu Xinhui had displayed, he certainly wouldn't say such things without reason.

"Unless?"

Realizing this, Li Fan's body involuntarily moved. It wasn't his own initiative, but a necessity. He drifted out of the darkness. Towards the invisible tear in the Void, he lightly pointed at the Star that had appeared within it.

"When the real becomes false..."

"The false also becomes real." A voice, ancient yet young, resounded.

The solitary suspended Star seemed to vanish. Meanwhile, the imagined mountains and seas instantly evolved into countless phantom images. A moment later, these phantom images solidified into reality, becoming boundless and filling the sight. As if the mountains and seas had been reborn!

The "real becomes false," naturally refers to the obscured Star. And the "false becomes real" refers to the newborn imagined mountains and seas. Li Fan, by himself, had completely reversed the situation here. Or rather, it wasn't Li Fan. It was "Return to Reality"!

"'When the real becomes false, the false also becomes real.' What a magnificent 'when the real becomes false, the false also becomes real'!"

Within the endlessly resurrected mountains and seas, Qiu Xinhui's figure appeared, coming before Li Fan.

"The transformation of true and false is indeed infinitely profound."

However, Li Fan smiled, mocking himself: "What's false cannot become true, and what's true cannot become false." He stretched out a finger, pointing in the direction where the Star had vanished, his expression unreadable. "It can block the Star for a moment, but not for an eternity."

Such an answer was beyond Qiu Xinhui's expectation. He looked at the boundless, seemingly resurrected mountains and seas, and asked, "How long can this last?"

"It cannot be known." Li Fan only gave these four words in reply.

Qiu Xinhui finally fell into complete silence. He asked sincerely: "Fellow Daoist Fan, what do you think of our plan?"

Li Fan pondered for a moment before slowly evaluating: "If the Star were not the Star, then the plan could succeed. Unfortunately..."

Hearing this, Qiu Xinhui's expression grew solemn, and cupping his hands in salute, he respectfully inquired: "May I ask, fellow Daoist, what is the Star?"

"I am also seeking that answer."

Li Fan's reply left Qiu Xinhui speechless. The two of them stood within the Eternal Void, quietly watching the mountains and seas, momentarily reborn. With the newborn mountains and seas as their foundation, the surging dark waves seemed utterly incapable of harming the two of them.

After an unknown period, the newborn mountains and seas seemed to have recovered their previous peak state. The destruction of the mountains and seas felt entirely like an illusion. Qiu Xinhui finally spoke again: "May I ask, Fellow Daoist Fan, did we previously... ever meet?"

Li Fan finally showed a faint smile. "If we hadn't met, then where would my 'Return to Reality' have come from?"

Qiu Xinhui's face showed confusion: "Return to Reality?"

Li Fan smiled again, offering no further specific explanation. Instead, he said: "Let's go back. There's no point in staying here any longer."

Qiu Xinhui sighed, but ultimately did not refuse.

Thump, thump, thump...

Clear heartbeats inexplicably resounded, growing heavier, they echoed throughout the area. Outside the Eternal Void, the Star seemed about to reappear. But a profoundly mysterious power was already slowly filling the space, reversing everything. The heartbeats grew faster and faster, while the speed of light and shadow transformations grew faster and faster. As if a rewind button had been pressed, scenes that had once occurred here replayed themselves, only in reverse.

When this sound became utterly inaudible... he was at the End of Mountains and Seas.

Li Fan suddenly opened his eyes and looked around. "What is this?" He surveyed his surroundings with disbelief. Qiu Xinhui was smilingly observing him; it seemed they were back to the moment he had just crossed over and arrived at the End of Mountains and Seas!

"Did I successfully activate Return to Reality?"

"No, this is..."

Faint images flickered in his mind, and Li Fan was about to investigate further when an intense stabbing pain suddenly came. It prevented him from concentrating on his thoughts. His entire body ached immensely, as if utterly exhausted after a great battle. "What exactly happened?" he wondered. "I remember it should have been the final battle between the Mountains and Seas and the Eternal Void."

Li Fan pressed his temples, trying to clear his muddled mind. "Return to Reality, right, Return to Reality!" Li Fan seemed to remember something, realizing with a start that "Return to Reality" seemed to have been exposed. He suddenly looked up and met Qiu Xinhui's gaze.

Qiu Xinhui, however, was as he had been in memory, helping the people of the crumbling Realm of Creation and Destruction to stabilize their injuries. "I know, Fellow Daoist Fan, you may have many questions. Please wait patiently for a moment; I will explain everything myself."

Following an inner call, the "Return to Reality" panel reappeared before Li Fan's eyes. And at this point in time, it was shortly after he had donned the Xuanpin mantle, and the binding force had not yet fully formed. He could activate "Return to Reality" at any moment.

Finally gaining confidence, Li Fan quietly nodded, patiently waiting for Qiu Xinhui to finish handling all the matters. During this time, Li Fan finally saw the Saints of the End of Mountains and Seas again. Only apart from Qiu Xinhui, they seemed completely unaware of what had previously transpired. "This kind of scene... could it be?" Recalling what he had sensed from the Saints, and the various similarities to "Return to Reality," Li Fan vaguely formed a guess about Qiu Xinhui's true Dao path.