Chapter 1665: Holy Medicine Helps Exploration Realm

“Continuously infusing Saints seems to have affected me more than I expected. Perhaps I need to rest longer.” Li Fan said this casually, while the Saints of the Other Shore Halo fell silent.

“It's fine, as long as you've returned safely. It was our oversight.” After a long pause, the phantom of Shouqiu finally broke the awkward silence.

After all, Li Fan's method of true spirit infusion was unique to the Mountains and Seas. Even if he were to lose the ability to traverse the Void Realm from now on, remaining permanently in the current segment of the Mountains and Seas, he could still continuously supply backup forces at the Saint realm. Thus, the Saints were not surprised.

In the sequence of Saints, Xuanpin was ranked last. It proved that even his sudden disappearance would not have any impact on this initial exploration of the Void Realm.

Li Fan sat within the Xuanji Ring, taking the opportunity to comprehend the paths of the other Saints. After an unknown period, a ripple suddenly arrived. It was the Saints, finally having returned.

“Approximately eight hundred years in the mortal realm of the Mountains and Seas,” Fangcun said. “However, in the Other Shore, time no longer holds practical meaning.”

The situation was largely similar to the End of Mountains and Seas. The brilliant white light of the Xuanji Ring seemed to freeze time, making the Other Shore region appear to leap out of the river of time and exist independently. Within the Mountains and Seas, possibilities unfolded as time rushed forward. In the Other Shore, however, everything remained eternally unchanging, existing by clinging to the Mountains and Seas itself.

One could travel from the Other Shore to any possibility or any point in time within the current segment of the Mountains and Seas. Similarly, one could depart from any point in the Mountains and Seas to traverse and find traces of the Other Shore. This was how a multitude of transcendent powerhouses could be attracted, providing potential backup for the great plan to reunite the Mountains and Seas.

The transition from transcendent to Saint required a long period of accumulation. Only within the frozen time of the Other Shore did these transcendents have the opportunity to attempt to achieve sainthood. Otherwise, if time were allowed to flow normally, they might perish in Dao Annihilation before even breaking through. Naturally, the emergence of Li Fan's true spirit infusion ability undoubtedly greatly accelerated this process.

The newly elevated Saints, upon returning to the Other Shore, showed a momentary look of bewilderment, just like Li Fan, before instantly regaining their clarity.

Fangcun frowned deeply. “The Void Realm is a vast, hazy expanse where it's not only hard to distinguish between past and present, but one can even lose their sense of self. Although I tried my best to stay lucid, towards the end, I nearly forgot my mission. Fortunately, I instinctively remembered the pre-arranged sequence and sensed my fellow Daoists were present, so I didn't panic. I never imagined before how difficult it would be to remain in the Void Realm.”

Baixiao smiled. “Speaking of which, you might not believe it, but in the Void Realm, I felt a certain will trying to communicate with me. To protect me, the power that annihilates the very foundation of all existence seemed to subtly weaken. What a pity…”

Lian Shan's phantom calmly interrupted Baixiao. “That was merely your illusion. Had you not become a Saint, perhaps you truly could have submitted to the Star. But now that you have achieved Sainthood, there is no turning back. Indeed, there is a hidden consciousness in the Void Realm, but it is the collective will of the Eternal Silence Void Realm. Every encroachment of Dao Annihilation upon the Mountains and Seas is a manifestation of its consciousness. If you had truly harbored thoughts of allegiance at that time, I fear you would have already been buried within the Void Realm without us needing to intervene.”

Hearing Lian Shan's words, Baixiao's smile instantly froze. He didn't doubt the truth of Lian Shan's statement; after all, Lian Shan was the foremost Immortal in the world. His understanding of Dao Annihilation and the Mountains and Seas naturally far surpassed that of them, the juniors. Still, a question lingered in Baixiao's mind: “Why is it that achieving Sainthood makes one intolerable to the Star?”

Lian Shan's phantom replied, “A Saint, by nature, is equal to the Mountains and Seas. This holds true regardless of how one achieves Sainthood. And when the Star emerges, it is destined to devour the Mountains and Seas.”

With a gentle wave of his hand, an image of the continuous Mountains and Seas appeared before the Saints. A straight black line slowly rose, seemingly poised to engulf the Mountains and Seas. As the vast phantom of the Mountains and Seas gradually vanished beneath the black line, the figures standing atop the mountains became increasingly prominent. They even became the primary targets of the black line's encroachment.

“We were born and stand within the Mountains and Seas; though we are equal to them, we cannot escape this destiny,” Lian Shan explained. “As the Mountains and Seas gradually fall, in a sense, we too will directly face the gaze of the Star. Or rather, from the moment we achieved Sainthood, we already fell under the Star's scrutiny.”

Beyond the black line, a solitary high Star seemed to be rising slowly. Everyone had seen the scene Li Fan had shown of the Star devouring everything, and an invisible sense of oppression welled up within their hearts.

“If you still don't believe it, you can try,” Taiyi's phantom said calmly. “We will rescue you before you are completely swallowed by the Void Realm.”

In the end, Baixiao did not risk his life to verify his momentary feeling, remaining silently dejected.

After an exchange among the Saints, Shouqiu's phantom summarized the initial exploration. “Apart from the slight mishap with Daoist Xuanpin, the performance of the other Daoists was better than expected. With a few more adaptations, we might truly be able to execute the plan to connect the Mountains and Seas.”

Shouqiu paused as he spoke, looking towards Li Fan. “Daoist Xuanpin, there's no need to worry. The original plan was for thirteen Saints to connect with each other. Even without you, given the current number of Saints in the Mountains and Seas and their performance this time, there shouldn't be any major issues.”

Li Fan repeatedly expressed his shame. “Then, while I rest and recover, I will also observe if there are any suitable talents in the Mountains and Seas. If I can create another Saint to fill the position, that would be even better.”

All the Saints agreed. The Saints were very lenient towards Li Fan, the true spirit infuser.

As they were speaking, a streak of light suddenly sped from the depths of the Mountains and Seas. The Xuanji Ring did not block it but allowed it to fly before the Saints. As the light dispersed, the Saints focused their gaze, revealing six pills shimmering with brilliant light, within which the magnificent phantom of a Saint Dynasty continuously flickered!

The prosperous aura of the Saint Dynasty was as mighty as the Mountains and Seas. As the light and shadows flickered, a refreshing fragrance permeated the air. Upon smelling it, the six newly advanced Saints simultaneously felt their appetites stir.

Shouqiu smiled, “The Saint Emperor's Great Medicine is finally refined. While we exert ourselves in the Void Realm, he shouldn't always be idle. Everyone, please take it quickly.”

Without hesitation, the six newly advanced Saints very carefully received the Great Medicine of the Saint Dynasty before them and swallowed it. Instantly, the accumulated will of countless beings who had lived and prospered for myriad years within the continuous Saint Dynasty—a will embodying peace, prosperity, and tranquility—transformed into a warm current. This was consumed by the Saints.

Only with a home can one have a foundation to stand upon. Only with a nation can one find refuge from troubled times. As the magnificent Great Medicine of the Saint Dynasty entered their bodies, the Saints subtly felt their resistance to the Void Realm's encroachment increase significantly.

And this was not their illusion. Shouqiu continued, “With the protection of this Great Medicine's properties, the time you can maintain your independent will in the Void Realm will be extended by at least twofold. The firmer your own will, the better the effect. Next, the Saint Emperor will send five more for each of you. The effects of the Great Medicine will only dissipate after a total of six pills have been consumed. This should barely resolve the worries of maintaining order in the Void Realm.”

Having experienced the effects of the Saint Dynasty's Great Medicine, the Saints continuously praised it upon hearing this. Li Fan finally understood why the Saints of the Other Shore hadn't included the Saint Emperor in their discussions about the plan to reunite the Mountains and Seas. It seemed that this individual, like himself, was more effective as a “supporter” from the rear than directly in the Void Realm.

“However, the Saint Dynasty's Great Medicine is still considerably weaker than my true spirit infusion,” Li Fan mused inwardly.

With the Saint Emperor's precedent, he felt a little more at ease. After all, strictly speaking, his rapid disorientation in the Void Realm could be considered a significant flaw. It was inconsistent with the strength of a true Saint.

However, true spirit infusion was a divine ability that had never appeared in the Mountains and Seas before. Using this as an excuse, even the Saints of Lian Shan found it difficult to discern the truth from falsehood for a time. And this ability to create Saints could even make the Other Shore Saints overlook Li Fan's “flaw”!

However, Li Fan did not simply remain in the Mountains and Seas. Every time the Saints entered the Void Realm, he would accompany them. After successively consuming the Great Medicine of the Saint Dynasty, the duration he could endure indeed steadily increased.

When the boundless, cold darkness descended once more, Li Fan had an epiphany: “A Saint is equal to the Mountains and Seas. When the Void Realm devours the Mountains and Seas, none below that level can escape. Although I wear the guise of Xuanpin, I haven't truly reached the Saint realm. Naturally, I cannot escape the Void Realm's encroachment. There is... a method. If quality isn't enough, make up for it with quantity.”

Li Fan's knowledge was by no means limited to just the Grand Dao of Xuanpin. However, to prevent suspicion from the Saints around him, he hadn't utilized the other Saintly paths he had comprehended from the Xuanji Ring. Instead, he leveraged the Grand Dao of Falsehood is Truth, from the Saints of the End of Mountains and Seas!

Since he began cultivating, Li Fan had been comprehending the transformations of truth and falsehood. With 'Huan Zhen' (Returning to True) in hand, his uniquely advantageous conditions allowed his understanding in this area to far surpass all other beings in the Mountains and Seas.

Although Li Fan's comprehension of 'Falsehood is Truth' had not yet reached the Saint realm, even though Qiu Xinhui had achieved Sainthood through it, it was certainly enough to add to the Saintly aura he wore!

With a single thought, the Grand Dao of Xuanpin gained an indescribable, mysterious aura. The Grand Dao of Falsehood is Truth was difficult for ordinary people to perceive. Now, with Li Fan also in the Eternal Silence Void Realm, it was even less likely to be discovered by other Saints.

With the dual Grand Daos stacked, Li Fan immediately felt the Void Realm's erosion of his memory weaken.

“I was right! Perhaps I can add other paths…” As various comprehensions were added, Li Fan finally emerged from the predicament of constantly risking memory loss.

“True Saints, however, wouldn't need to overdo it like me. How could the paths of others be as solid as one's own Grand Dao? One simply needs to adhere to their own heart to maintain their self in the vast darkness,” Li Fan secretly sighed. “Once the Xuanpin guise approaches the level of a normal Saint, adding more will be useless.”

With his thoughts now functioning normally, Li Fan began to arduously distinguish auras in the darkness. “Over there, it seems to be a phantom I left behind. And ahead, are the Saints of the Other Shore…”

Li Fan's expression gradually grew serious. Because he strikingly discovered that, based on proximity, Fangcun and Taiqi should have been closer to him. However, the auras he sensed from the three Saints—Lian Shan, Guihai, and Taiyi—were far more potent! Like dazzling lighthouses, they stood in the darkness, guiding the Saints in the Void Realm.

“These are the three Saints deliberately releasing their auras, preventing newcomers to the Void Realm from instantly losing their way. That's why they can proceed systematically. I wonder how long they have stayed in the Void Realm, yet they remain so strong, showing no signs of weakening.”

Li Fan truly felt the power of the three Saints, which made him even more cautious. With the three Saints setting the tone, theoretically, newcomers only needed to extend the rope straight according to the predetermined sequence. However, things were far from that simple.

With the Saints proceeding so openly, the Void Realm, possessing a collective consciousness, naturally couldn't stand idly by. Just as Li Fan subtly perceived that, after a long journey, his path of virtue was about to connect with the nine Saints ahead, dark currents suddenly surged in the darkness. The ropes built by the nine Saints, seemingly forged through countless trials, remained unmoving. However, the connections of the six newly elevated Saints were instantly scattered. The former were behind, the latter were ahead, making direction indiscernible.

Fortunately, in ancient times, Saints stood tall, and now, the phantom of the Other Shore provided support. Only then were the Saints able to distinguish between past and present and avoid getting lost in the Void Realm. However, due to this upheaval, the connections they had forged were broken.

Li Fan gradually felt the strain and decisively returned from the Void Realm first. Before long, the other Saints appeared one after another, looking somewhat disheveled. “The dark currents in the Void Realm are utterly unpredictable. They come with such force that even we must exert ourselves to cope. There are no other adapting methods; you can only gradually get used to it. Furthermore, strengthening your connections with each other will also help in coping,” Lian Shan's phantom said.

Shouqiu also smiled and said, “Everyone, there's no need to rush. Connecting the Mountains and Seas is not something that can be achieved overnight. Forming the rope is merely the first step. Once the rope is formed, and the annihilated Mountains and Seas reappear, our assistance will be indispensable in that process.”

Baixiao asked curiously, “Assistance, what does that mean?”

Shouqiu explained, “When the Mountains and Seas were shattered, everything within them turned into nothingness. It's not easy to transform from void to reality. We need to go to key nodes within them and facilitate their transformation. From points to lines, like opening up meridians. Only then will efficiency greatly increase. Otherwise, the speed of transforming from void to reality might not even keep up with the Void Realm's re-encroachment. Even if we shoulder the burden, we won't be able to sustain it.”

The Saints vaguely understood. Li Fan asked, “What is meant by 'key nodes'?”

“There's no fixed definition. Anyone who had a significant impact on the Mountains and Seas, or left behind memories within them, can serve as one,” Shouqiu replied. “At that time, we will need to make our own judgments. However, the nodes previously chosen for connecting the Mountains and Seas can be used as a reference.”

As Shouqiu spoke, he displayed a series of images. Li Fan was startled to see images of the Xuanhuang Realm flash among them.

“I wonder where the previous breaking points of the Mountains and Seas were. And what period was reborn from nothingness.” Li Fan merely kept these questions to himself, not voicing them.

“Though reuniting the Mountains and Seas will be arduous, once accomplished, it will greatly benefit us all!” As everyone fell silent, Taiyi spoke again.