**The Enraged Squid**
The mountains and seas were annihilated, and the star descended. What I just witnessed was not a mere illusion, but something that truly happened.
The lone star hung high, tearing open the void, watching like a god.
Whenever Li Fan recalled this scene, a chill ran through his heart. It was as if, even now, that unknown entity in the Eternal Void was staring at him.
Yet, at present, no star-shadow was visible, and the mountains and seas had returned to their final shattered state.
"The River of Time itself only exists dependent on the mountains and seas. Even after the destruction of the mountains and seas, it can return to its origin. This isn't a simple time reversal,""but rather a complete reversal of everything that has already occurred."
"The Transformation of Truth and Falsehood?"
Though his heart was filled with disbelief, everything he had experienced at the end of the mountains and seas seemed to unequivocally demonstrate this.
A fire seemed to burn in Li Fan's throat.
If Qiu Xinhui's path to sainthood was indeed the Transformation of Truth and Falsehood,
then what exactly was Still True?
Li Fan stared intently at the phrase "When the true becomes false, the false also becomes true" on the Still True panel, a myriad of doubts swirling in his mind.
It wasn't until Qiu Xinhui, who had successfully healed everyone in the Realm of Life and Death, stood before him once more.
Since Still True's existence had already been revealed, he had nothing left to hold back. Li Fan directly posed his question.
"The Grand Dao of Truth and Falsehood..."
The white-haired Qiu Xinhui wore an expression of longing, momentarily lost in thought.
Then, she shook her head wistfully:
"One can only achieve 'false also becomes true,' but not 'true also becomes false.'"
This answer was both unexpected and reasonable for Li Fan.
The "false also becomes true" was a further manifestation of the Method of Ideation.
Upon careful reflection, after the mountains and seas were destroyed and the Saints fell, Qiu Xinhui had turned the tide. She continuously summoned the Saints into existence from nothingness to support the Ideational Mountains and Seas against the Eternal Void. It truly possessed an essence of "false also becomes true."
Li Fan couldn't help but let out a long breath.
At the same time, his doubts not only failed to lessen but actually grew.
He hadn't expected that someone else in these mountains and seas could possess one aspect of Still True's Transformation of Truth and Falsehood.
"Long ago, before I attained sainthood, I personally witnessed the destruction of the mountains and seas," she began. "Everything from the past is vivid in my memory. Despair and regret filled my chest."
"Just as I was about to perish, in the ethereal depths, I enlightened the path of 'false also becomes true' amidst the last fleeting light of the mountains and seas."
"From the shattered nothingness, I recreated the end of the mountains and seas..."
Qiu Xinhui spoke slowly, filled with emotion.
At the same time, seemingly perceiving Li Fan's doubts, she explained without waiting for him to speak:
"I was born at the end of the mountains and seas, and grew up at the end of the mountains and seas."
"And I achieved my Dao at the end of the mountains and seas. My entire being is confined to this. Though I can glimpse past mountain and sea landscapes through scattered fragments of light, it's merely seeing a leopard through a tube – just one spot. I still have enough power to recreate the Ideational Mountains and Seas."
"To truly recreate the mountains and seas in their prime—"
Qiu Xinhui sighed:
"I lack the power."
"If you were to traverse to the more ancient mountains and seas to witness their full glory, wouldn't you be able to do it?" Li Fan asked thoughtfully.
"With your strength, you should be able to, right?"
Li Fan was, of course, referring to Qiu Xinhui's method of continuously summoning Saints to resist the void's erosion.
To his surprise, Qiu Xinhui gently shook her head, denying it.
"Traversing downstream is already fraught with immense difficulty."
"Going against the current is even more challenging. Fellow Daoist Fan, you somewhat underestimate the dangers involved."
"Furthermore, if the Saints are still present, how can I recreate them?" Qiu Xinhui pointed out the most crucial aspect.
Li Fan suddenly understood.
The great display of power Li Fan had previously witnessed from Qiu Xinhui occurred after the Saints at the end of the mountains and seas had sacrificed themselves and fallen. The Grand Daos of the mountains and seas, which the Saints had wielded, were then empty and unclaimed.
Therefore, Qiu Xinhui was able to summon figures from nothingness, reclaim the Grand Daos, and possess the might of a Saint.
But if it were at a point in time when the Saints at the end of the mountains and seas were still alive...
Ideation could only produce their likeness, not their power.
Although the logic held, Li Fan was somewhat unconvinced in his heart.
"So what? Explain the specific situation and reasons to the Saints. I believe they would be willing to sacrifice themselves to save the mountains and seas. If that doesn't work, then find an opportunity..." Li Fan's eyes narrowed,
a glint of malice hidden within them.
Seeing through Li Fan's thoughts with a single glance, Qiu Xinhui couldn't help but give a wry smile. "The Saints all came because of my summons; how could I betray them?"
"Everyone working together, uniting to save the world, and continuing their will after their demise – that's one thing."
"But to covet their power while they are still alive, or even plot to harm them to take their lives – that's another matter entirely."
"I will not do it," stated Qiu Xinhui, the Saint of the End of Mountains and Seas, with extreme solemnity.
"Pedantic," Li Fan secretly shook his head.
However, he did not argue with Qiu Xinhui.
Instead, he suddenly remembered something else.
If, according to the Saint of the End of Mountains and Seas, when the Saints were present, their wielded Grand Daos were untouchable by others.
Then...
Was Still True's Transformation of Truth and Falsehood related to what Qiu Xinhui controlled?
Qiu Xinhui continued:
"At the beginning of the mountains and seas, other Saints already went there. My plan was indeed what I previously stated: to use the Ideational Mountains and Seas to seek a glimmer of life at the intersection of old and new."
"Through our repeated efforts and attempts, we seemed to truly catch a glimpse of hope."
"Until this day, we finally saw the star."
Before Li Fan's eyes, the terrifying scene of the lone, high-hanging star reappeared.
A few lost, hazy memories surfaced in his mind.
"After you called for my help... what exactly happened?" Li Fan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked.
Qiu Xinhui looked at him carefully, then gently shook her head:
"Fellow Daoist Fan has his own destiny. If I were to casually reveal it, it would be detrimental to you."
"What happened is actually irrelevant. You only need to know that all our struggles, at the moment the star manifested, were in vain."
"Fortunately, there's still a turn of events..." Qiu Xinhui looked directly at Li Fan.
Even though the enigmatic Qiu Xinhui spoke vaguely, Li Fan could largely guess what had happened to him.
It was also what he had been most worried about all along.
Still True had actually gone out of control, taken over his body, and acted on its own.
A hint of gloom flickered in his eyes, and it was as if a fire had ignited in Li Fan's heart.
Though extremely annoyed, Li Fan considered it carefully... and realized he seemed to have no good way to deal with it.
He couldn't possibly truly break his true spirit barrier and drag everyone down with him, could he?
Things were still far from that point.
Without Qiu Xinhui needing to persuade him, Li Fan quickly convinced himself and forcefully suppressed the indignation in his eyes.
Observing the change in Li Fan's expression, Qiu Xinhui secretly nodded.
"For this operation, Fellow Daoist, you don't need to act. Just watch silently."
"Once everything settles, you can..."
"Still True has returned."
When Qiu Xinhui uttered the words "Still True," Li Fan's heart inevitably gave a heavy leap.
This was the first time Li Fan had heard the name Still True from someone else since his reincarnation.
Even though he already knew in advance that Still True's existence had been revealed,
the confirmation of his suspicions at this moment still filled Li Fan with extreme unease.
"What about the true spirit infusion?" he chose to change the subject.
"It's merely futile, Fellow Daoist Fan, no need to trouble yourself." Qiu Xinhui smiled, then cupped her hands and departed.
And so, in this cycle at the end of the mountains and seas, Li Fan was like an invisible man.
Though the other Saints knew of his existence, they only knew him by his identity as Xuanpin.
He did not participate in the Saints' plan to save the world.
At the end of the mountains and seas, where the River of Time was frozen, time held no practical meaning.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but the seal wasn't actively lifted by the White-Haired Master.
Instead, the Master was exhausted and perished.
The long river surged, carrying everyone towards their ultimate fate.
Without the aid of Li Fan's true spirit infusion, the performance of the Ideational Mountains and Seas was even more dismal.
It couldn't even withstand the erosion of the Eternal Void at its peak.
Let alone facing the lone, high-hanging star. Without even seeing the star's face, the Ideational Mountains and Seas, along with all the Saints, had already fallen.
"The Saints are arrayed!"
Qiu Xinhui's solemn voice echoed solitarily in the darkness.
Even though he already knew his destiny, he still did not give up the struggle.
Until the void's surging waves struck, completely submerging the ideational radiance.
"Fellow Daoist Fan..."
"It's time."
"This time, perhaps the experience will be different from before."
Qiu Xinhui's final words slowly reached him.
And amidst the dark tides, Li Fan, who had finally unlocked the shackles of the Xuanpin Grand Dao, once again softly called out to Still True.
His heart stopped, his expression taut.
Fortunately, there was no surprise.
That familiar sensation finally descended once more.
And just as Qiu Xinhui had said, this time the experience was different.
Still True's characteristic swirling white mist did not appear.
However, Li Fan could feel an incredibly peculiar power separating him from the surrounding Eternal Void, protecting his safety.
It was as if he had returned to the womb; all his inner agitation and unease vanished instantly. He became completely calm.
Even though Still True did not activate immediately, it seemed to be waiting for some change to occur.
Li Fan felt no tension at all.
Together, he waited quietly.
When the last glimmer of light from the Ideational Mountains and Seas was swallowed by darkness,
and the last two remaining specks of light from the original mountains and seas vanished,
the surging waves of the Eternal Void fell into a brief silence.
Then, the void unleashed unprecedented, wild surges, as if celebrating wildly to welcome the arrival of an emperor. Although Li Fan could not directly perceive these winds and waves, he could sense their presence through his own increasingly trembling body.
Their power was several times greater than when they engulfed and trapped the mountains and seas, and even Still True's protection was violently impacted.
"This is the true peak state of the void."
At the same time, Li Fan knew what Still True was waiting for.
It was waiting for the star to descend.
Compared to before, when it had directly torn open the void and leaped into view,
this time, the star was like the rising sun.
It rose from the horizon.
Initially, the star's radiance was not particularly dazzling.
But with every passing moment of its existence, the pressure it exerted on the outside world increased a thousandfold.
Still True's protection rattled and clanked as if swept by a hurricane.
The Eternal Void also seemed to boil.
Bathed in the star's unique radiance, all darkness dissipated.
After the darkness vanished, what appeared was not light,
but a peculiar glow unique to the star.
The star's power was simply too overbearing.
It tolerated no other existence besides itself.
Even the Eternal Void itself was no exception.
Under the star's illumination, the darkness completely evaporated.
As far as the eye could see, only the lone, hanging star remained, beginning to expand ceaselessly.
Face to face with the star.
Protected by Still True's power, a thought of fleeing couldn't help but burst forth in Li Fan's mind at this moment.
At the same time, he understood the absurdity of Qiu Xinhui and their plan.
Breaking free and becoming independent, or merging with the star – it was all pure nonsense.
Once the star descended, nothing else would exist.
Except for the star itself.
What terrifying power this was!
Li Fan trembled uncontrollably.
Even though he tightly closed his eyes and cut off his divine sense,
and had Still True's protection,
he still couldn't stop the star from slowly rising in his mind.
Its image grew larger and larger, as if it intended to completely occupy him.
Under the star's divine pressure, the indescribable power gap made it impossible for the thought of escape to even arise in Li Fan's mind.
His mind went blank; he simply stared, silently awaiting death.
Just then,
a seven-character stream of light, floating from an unknown source, appeared.
It was precisely the phrase Li Fan was extremely familiar with: "When the true becomes false, the false also becomes true!"
The stream of light seemed to be sliced in two by a blade, scattering with a boom.
Of these, "When the true becomes false" transformed into countless light and shadows, confronting the lone, high-hanging star.
The star's infinite expansion abruptly halted.
It was as if a hand had reached out from beneath the ocean's surface,
forcibly dragging back the star that had already leaped out of the sea!
This power was slow yet resolute.
Irresistible, unyielding. Even the star was no exception!
The lone star trembled, consumed by extreme rage.
The starlight seemed to suddenly erupt, becoming a thousand times more blinding.
Judging from its previous manifestations, perhaps the entire void would have been completely evaporated by this sudden burst of starlight. But at this moment, all the radiance was entirely blocked by the four characters of "When the true becomes false."
Despite the star's immense rage, it proved no more effective than before.
The two radiant lights vied for supremacy.
Li Fan, who had witnessed this entire scene, was utterly dumbfounded.
Even though he was like an ant compared to the star and Still True,
he was not so ignorant as to be unable to comprehend what he saw.
His understanding of the Transformation of Truth and Falsehood, gained through countless reincarnations, was certainly not for naught.
At this moment, Li Fan's fear of the star had completely dissipated. Instead, due to extreme elation, he murmured to himself.
"When the true becomes false, when the true becomes false..."
"So that's how it is."
"It's actually like this!"
Li Fan had previously thought that "when the true becomes false" referred to all the Grand Dao phenomena within the mountains and seas.
It was only now, after personally witnessing Still True's radiance contending with the star, that Li Fan truly understood.
"'True also becomes false' absolutely does not refer to the myriad things of the mountains and seas."
"Or rather, it is not merely the mountains and seas."
"Most importantly..."
"It erases the light of the star's descent!"
"It eliminates the star's influence!"
Li Fan's mind was abuzz with realization.
"'One can only achieve 'false also becomes true,' but not 'true also becomes false.'" The Saint of the End of Mountains and Seas' words, spoken with a complex expression, resurfaced in his mind.
Only now did Li Fan understand their true meaning.
"Still True's mighty power actually stops here?" Li Fan exclaimed involuntarily.
Li Fan's inner turmoil did not affect the outside world in the slightest.
In the struggle between the two, Still True ultimately proved superior.
The star's radiance slowly dissipated.
The dark void, having vanished, reappeared.
Once everything returned to calm, the remaining three characters from the seven-character stream of light, "false also becomes true," silently exploded.
Transforming into boundless mountains and seas, they pushed back the Eternal Void.
Before Li Fan could even sigh with emotion, he was swept up and plunged into them.
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