Chapter 1666: 命枢改造化

The Angry Squid

“I initially believed that streaking light was my destiny. However, when it truly stood before me, I understood that I was its destiny!”

The phantom of Tai Yi chuckled lightly. “That streaking light seemed to feed on the Dao. As it stood motionless, I was uncontrollably drawn to it, as if I had originated from the light itself. Can any of you comprehend the terror I felt at that moment?”

The phantoms of all the Saints nodded in silent understanding.

“At that time, though I had not yet attained Sainthood, my power was already akin to my current transcendent state. Yet, as the streaking light overflowed, my entire body became bound, unable to struggle. Like a desperate prey, I slowly began to fall into it.”

“Within the dreamlike radiance, I vaguely perceived thousands of Dao paths arrayed before me. Some positions were vacant, some had been reclaimed, and others were utterly erased, leaving only faint traces behind.”

“All the Daos stood arrayed side by side within a magnificent hall.”

“And above them, a phantom sat enthroned.”

“...like an imperial sovereign, gazing down with indifference...”

The phantom of Tai Yi waved its hand, intending to recreate the scene it had witnessed for the Saints. However, the light and shadow flickered for an instant before dissipating like a bubble. Astonishingly, even the power of the Tai Yi phantom was insufficient to sustain or reproduce the exact form within the streaking light!

Tai Yi, seemingly accustomed to this, ceased trying and continued to narrate: “Upon suddenly witnessing this astonishing scene, my body and thoughts seemed frozen, drifting towards the position of Tai Yi within the hall. Simultaneously, I understood with clarity that if I truly fell into it, I would be trapped there forever. Alerted by this realization, I struggled with all my might...”

“But how can a worm escape a net? In the end, I drew closer and closer to the position of Tai Yi.”

Although they already knew Tai Yi was safe, recalling the perilous scene made the Saints secretly break into a cold sweat. Just as they anticipated the continuation of the story, the Tai Yi phantom fell silent.

“What happened then? How did you escape?” It was Bai Xiao again, unable to contain his curiosity.

“That, I do not know,” Tai Yi said with a sudden smile.

The newly ascended Saints were taken aback. However, the Saints from the Other Shore clearly already knew, and they all shook their heads resignedly.

“It’s not that I’m unwilling to reveal it, but rather that I truly stumbled out of that Great Dao Hall in a complete daze. This has always been my greatest internal mystery. Even after the Mountains and Seas took form, the Primordial Immortal Realm fragmented, and I myself achieved Sainthood...”

“...I never encountered that streaking light again.”

Tai Yi spoke with a hint of nostalgia, then looked at the Saints present. “If, one day, any of you should encounter this streaking light again, please ask it for me what truly transpired back then. It would resolve a mystery that has lingered in my heart for countless years.”

After finally hearing a rather captivating story, it abruptly ended midway, without any continuation. The Saints were naturally vexed.

Bai Xiao seemed about to speak but then hesitated, finally clearing his throat. “You've lived a long time, so naturally, you've witnessed more. None of us have ever seen a Primordial Creation; even if we were to encounter one, it would likely be indistinguishable.”

“That is not so. Just like this object held by the Lifeline Core, even if it is formless and intangible, you would surely perceive its extraordinary nature,” the Tai Yi phantom stated, gesturing towards the flickering Mountains and Seas memories within the void.

Li Fan thus discerned the identity of the mysterious figure who sat weaving a net within the Xuanhuang Realm.

“From Saint Lord Lianshan's words, it seems he and this Lifeline Core are old acquaintances?”

“Merely someone who accompanied me on my ascent to the Upper Mountain. At that time, the structure of the Mountains and Seas had not yet been solidified, and countless heroes and prodigies sought to lay foundations for ten thousand generations. Naturally, I was not the only one who wished to climb the Upper Mountain.”

“Countless ascended, but this Lifeline Core was the only one who could follow closely behind me. Thus, he left a profound impression.”

“However...”

“Ultimately, I reached the summit a step ahead of him. As I meditated with closed eyes, I suddenly saw a look of terror on his face, as if he had foreseen something truly dreadful. Then he gritted his teeth and fled, disappearing without a trace. Since then, he has been absent from the Mountains and Seas, and I haven't seen him for many, many years.” Saint Lianshan's voice trailed off, somewhat ethereal.

“Perhaps he believed Saint Lord Lianshan would 'sit on the mountain' — that he would forever be suppressed beneath you — and that's why he fled in such haste,” Bai Xiao quipped.

“I thought so too at the time,” Lianshan suddenly remarked, and Bai Xiao's smile instantly froze.

“Although my decision at the time was well-considered, I hadn't yet finalized it before the Lifeline Core vanished. It was precisely his terrified flight that ultimately led me to decide to 'walk the mountain,' rather than to 'sit on the mountain.'”

Saint Lianshan's words seemed to hint at something more. Li Fan and the other Saints naturally understood the implicit meaning. It was likely that Lianshan, before achieving Dao, had been full of youthful pride. When the Lifeline Core panicked and fled before Lianshan had even made a decision, Lianshan couldn't help but feel thoughts like, “Is that how he perceives me?” or “Am I truly such a person?” These thoughts consequently influenced his decision at that time.

The newly ascended Saints chuckled inwardly. Imperceptibly, the image of this First Immortal in the world became more concrete in their minds. He was no longer solely the eternally unfathomable, powerful figure.

“So, if the Lifeline Core saw no hope for initial enlightenment, he then sought a method to reverse it. This Primordial Creation was thus targeted by him. If it truly predates the Mountains and Seas and is their divine origin... perhaps it genuinely could alter everything.”

“I wonder what he's orchestrating to pursue. Given his joyful expression upon initial entry, this might not be his first attempt at ensnaring something,” Bai Xiao murmured to himself.

The Saints remained silent, their gazes returning to the Mountains and Seas memory.

Finally, it was Shou Qiu who spoke.

“The main priority now is still the reconnection of the Mountains and Seas. As for the clue regarding this Primordial Creation... once the Mountains and Seas are successfully linked, perhaps I can personally visit the site to investigate thoroughly.”

The Saints nodded, then withdrew their gazes, their attention returning to the areas perceived by their own consciousness.

Li Fan silently noted Shou Qiu's words.

“When the Mountains and Seas are reconnected, everything within them will revert to its original state. But the 'True One' transcends the Mountains and Seas; since it is already within my body, it naturally won't reappear out of thin air. The Lifeline Core Saint is likely in a similar situation. The so-called 'site' is merely a more tangible trace than a memory phantom.”

Li Fan, for his part, had no concerns about this.

“I just don't know if the streaking light Tai Yi encountered was truly the 'True One.' The Hall of All Daos he described surprisingly aligns somewhat with the Return to True Dao. Yet, it cannot be definitively confirmed. If not the 'True One'... are there other Primordial Creations within the Mountains and Seas?” Amidst these swirling thoughts, Li Fan's attention slowly refocused on 'Li Bufan.'

Now that the key memory nodes of the Mountains and Seas were clear, Li Fan's task was to ensure that this illusory memory continued to follow its original trajectory.

“If the Lifeline Core is absent, I must assume its role. If the captured entity does not appear, I must still artificially generate its presence. I will stage a play, merely to deceive the Mountains and Seas as they transition from illusion to reality. However, how to stage this play requires careful consideration.”

First and foremost, he could not utilize the power of his true Saint body outside of this phantom form. Instead, he had to rely on the inherent strength of this 'Li Bufan' body. Otherwise, the phantom Mountains and Seas would undoubtedly detect external manipulation.

“But with late Foundation Establishment cultivation...” Li Fan frowned, then quickly relaxed his expression. “Fortunately, he also cultivates the Mountain Sitting Art.”

This version was significantly different from the one obtained by He Zhenghao in later generations. The later version, though still called 'Mountain Sitting,' was in practice 'Person Sitting.' After all, genuinely finding a mountain that could grow daily and settling there to cultivate... one would likely turn to dust before even finding such a target. Instead, by investing in promising talents and forming beneficial connections everywhere, a broad network could be established, and efficiency wouldn't be particularly low.

However, the Divine Tree Sect's oldest version of the Mountain Sitting Art was a true 'sitting on a mountain' cultivation method! This was because the Divine Tree Sect possessed a divine tree.

Li Fan reviewed the cultivation methods of the Divine Tree Sect disciples within Li Bufan's memories. The Divine Tree, the very foundation of the sect, originated from beyond the heavens. Rooted deeply in the earth, it provided shade for over thirty thousand li. As the tree grew, the land expanded. Initially, the Divine Tree stood on an endless plain. But as the Divine Tree sprang forth from the earth, the plain has now long since transformed into a continuous, majestic mountain range. The Divine Tree then settled atop this mountain range. And as the Divine Tree continued its growth, the mountain beneath Li Fan's feet also steadily increased in height at an almost perceptible rate.

For those in the Divine Tree Sect who cultivated the Mountain Sitting Art, their cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds as they sat still. The weaker the cultivator, the more pronounced the effect. After all, compared to the Divine Tree and the mountain, even a minute increase in their growth translated into an unimaginably vast power for nascent cultivators.

“Once cultivation using the Mountain Sitting Art becomes proficient, one can then switch to other cultivation methods. Aided by the Divine Tree's mountain-raising power, the number of foundational cultivators in the Divine Tree Sect far exceeded that of other sects in the Xuanhuang Realm. They were virtually everywhere!”

Li Fan's gaze swept over the scene; beneath the shade of the Divine Tree, courtyards were built on almost every mountain peak, where cultivators resided.

“No wonder Ruomu wants to relentlessly oppose this Divine Tree. At this rate, if it continues to grow, it might completely occupy the Xuanhuang Realm in mere tens of thousands of years.”

“This Divine Tree originates from beyond the heavens. I wonder whose handiwork it is. It must also be coveting some so-called grand opportunity... It's just a pity it was so brutally severed,” Li Fan thought with a soft huff.

“The battle between the Divine Tree and Ruomu should have been a stalemate. However, with the Lifeline Core secretly intervening, the Divine Tree Sect was quickly defeated. The tree died, and the sect was annihilated...”

“This time, I shall act as a disciple of the Divine Tree Sect and re-enact the Lifeline Core's past actions,” Li Fan mused, as he stepped out of the courtyard to the area where disciples typically cultivated.

By the open-air cliff, one could gaze up at the majestic form of the Divine Tree. Li Fan sat cross-legged, feeling the rhythm and growth of the mountain beneath him, silently circulating the Mountain Sitting Art. Indeed, with each almost imperceptible tremor from the mountain, as the mountain body grew alongside the Divine Tree, it also provided cultivation feedback to the cultivator seated upon it. The mountain's increase in height was indiscernible to the naked eye. However, the cultivation feedback within his body was clearly discernible. It collected steadily, like a trickling stream.

“This speed, naturally, cannot compare to that of worldly prodigies. However, it can certainly overwhelm the vast majority of cultivators. It’s significantly faster than He Zhenghao's cultivation, at the very least. If there truly is a mountain, then there is no need to 'sit on a person,' 'sit on an immortal,' or 'sit on the heavens.' The original essence of this Mountain Sitting Art, when extrapolated to its extreme, surprisingly converges perfectly. It remains unchanged. Only, this mountain is not that mountain.”

After experiencing it for a time, numerous insights emerged in Li Fan's mind. Although cultivating by 'sitting on' the Divine Tree mountain was fast, it still couldn't satisfy Li Fan's needs. He needed to maximize the strength of 'Li Bufan,' the body he possessed, while discreetly concealing it to prevent detection by the phantom Mountains and Seas.

“While you sit on mountains, I shall sit on you.”

Li Fan looked at the hundreds of thousands of Divine Tree Sect disciples scattered across the mountain range, and a plan formed in his mind.

Subsequently, Li Fan temporarily abandoned his cultivation. Instead, he spent a year traversing every mountain peak within the Divine Tree Sect. What he did was quite simple: for every person he met and every place he visited, he invariably offered a gift. The value of the gift was not in its cost, but in the act of giving itself. As long as they accepted Li Fan's 'gift,' then a karmic connection was formed. How much to repay, and when to repay it, was no longer for them to decide. For the very few who were unwilling to accept, Li Fan's methods ensured it took little effort. He simply found ways, openly or subtly, for them to owe him a favor in return.

As for the source of the hundreds of thousands of gifts Li Fan bestowed...

“You scoundrel... in just one year, you're going to squander our entire family fortune!”

Li Bufan's birth parents were filled with shock and fury. Yet, they were helpless against Li Fan. They certainly couldn't kill their only son, could they? Besides, he wasn't spending it on himself, but distributing it among the sect members. Thanks to his actions, the reputation of Li Bufan's birth parents, both elders of the Divine Tree Sect, significantly improved. They could only sigh deeply and find other means to accumulate family wealth.

Meanwhile, Li Fan...

At this moment, he reached the highest peak of the Divine Tree Sect, just outside the Sect's Ancestral Hall. He gazed down upon countless Divine Tree disciples.

“My debts, unweighed, seem negligible. But once weighed, they are truly immense... After a year of diligent work, it is now time to collect some interest. Consider this a prelude to my 'Sitting Saint Art!'”

The Heaven Sitting Art silently circulated within his body.

Boom...

All Divine Tree Sect disciples who had received Li Fan's favor felt their bodies subtly vibrate at that moment, and the spiritual energy flow within their dantians seemed to quicken considerably. Unaware of the true cause, they believed it was the Divine Tree manifesting its spiritual power, further boosting their cultivation speed. They were all overjoyed. However, they remained unaware that as spiritual energy circulated within their bodies, nearly half of every increment of cultivation generated was being siphoned away, converging upon Li Fan. Nonetheless, Li Fan secretly used the Heaven Sitting Art to urge the Divine Tree disciples, temporarily increasing their cultivation speed at the cost of their own life force. Thus, overall, their cultivation progress not only did not diminish but actually increased.

Li Fan executed all of this with extreme secrecy. The methods of a Saint are naturally imperceptible to ordinary individuals.

“In any case, you will all perish in the upcoming war between the Divine Tree and Ruomu. Overdrawing your life force in advance will not alter the established trajectory of the Mountains and Seas.”

Feeling the continuous influx of cultivation feedback gathering within his body, Li Fan nodded with satisfaction. The power of a single individual, no matter how swift their cultivation, how could it compare to the efficacy of the 'Heaven Sitting' method!

In just three years, Li Fan ascended from the Foundation Establishment stage to the Dao Integration stage — the very limit of mortals!