Chapter 1669: Virtual Realm's Great Backlash

Since I arrived at the Other Shore and interacted with the Sages, Huanzhen had truly remained dormant. But at this moment, it suddenly risked discovery by the Sages to issue a warning. This indicated that if I were to act according to my original thoughts, my situation would likely become even more perilous.

Having been with Huanzhen for a long time, Li Fan instantly understood its intention, even though it hadn't spoken clearly, only emitting faint ripples. Before Huanzhen's warning, I had intended to imitate the fluctuations of the two contending entities as much as possible, thereby achieving the goal of deceiving the illusory Mountains and Seas.

After careful consideration, Li Fan gradually understood. The Primal Creation and the Mountains and Seas are unique. Theoretically, the fluctuations generated by its conflict with the Lifespring are unreproducible. Even the Mountains and Seas themselves cannot truly recreate the scene at that time.

"Only through the Truth-Falsehood Transformation could a perfect replication perhaps be achieved. Deeply immersed in it and desperately trying to reproduce the scene from that time, I instinctively wanted to invoke the Truth-Falsehood Transformation. If that were truly the case, the fluctuations I fabricated might even be truer than what the illusory memory of the Mountains and Seas displayed, because that Primal Creation very likely is Huanzhen itself."

After realizing this, Li Fan secretly thought, "That was a close call." In fact, Li Fan's identity as a 'reverse traveler' from the 'end of time' already had some flaws. However, because he truly possessed the divine ability to infuse true spirits, the Sages could still choose to overlook it. But Li Fan believed that if he were to further expose himself as possessing the Primal Creation, the outcome might be different.

"He only needed to use the power Xuanpin should possess and do his best to restore it. As for whether he could truly deceive the illusory Mountains and Seas and make the reconstruction successful... This time, I merely came to ascertain the true strengths and weaknesses of the Sages and to find a path for further advancement. What does the safety of the Mountains and Seas matter to me?" Li Fan inwardly snorted coldly.

Then, his thoughts slightly congealed, and recalling what he had previously thought, his heart sank slightly. "Speaking of which, it's quite strange. After sitting in this Xuanji Ring for so long, I actually slowly started to genuinely and spontaneously want to save the Mountains and Seas? The influence my main body experienced was not yet so obvious for a while. However, the thought projection sent into the illusory Mountains and Seas, although its style of action was still similar to mine, its true purpose was genuinely to reconstruct the Mountains and Seas, even going all out. These old fellows are indeed not easy to deal with. No wonder they insisted on the newly ascended Sages taking their seats in this Xuanji Ring; they can subtly influence and twist the Sages' thoughts. Although I have become sober today, I cannot guarantee when I will be influenced again. I must disengage before being completely changed..." Huanzhen's warning was like a sudden enlightenment, allowing Li Fan to temporarily escape the influence of the Sages in the Xuanji Ring.

Li Bufan in the illusory Xuanhuang World also naturally became less zealous. "This preparation should be sufficient. If I can deceive the illusory Mountains and Seas, that's naturally better. If not... I would have done my best." Sitting upright on the Ruomu, he thought thus.

Time flowed by, and the day of the struggle between the Lifespring and the Primal Creation, as recorded in the original memory of the Mountains and Seas, arrived. Although Li Fan had already mastered almost all possible powers of the Xuanhuang World, he still couldn't perfectly recreate the mysterious fluctuations of that time. Deviations from the memory appeared, and faint tremors began to emanate from deep within the Mountains and Seas' intricate network. Although the foundation laid by the first two memory points made the illusion more substantial than before, it did not collapse instantly. But instability at the extremities had already begun to gradually affect the entire illusory section of the Mountains and Seas within the illusory realm. It was almost foreseeable that it would soon fall into a precarious state, with total collapse imminent.

"Oh no!" Li Fan's true body cried out in alarm from within the Other Shore, losing composure. The unusual state of the illusion had already attracted the attention of the other Sages. Although the Three Sages of Lianshan intended to help, their true bodies were unfortunately at the forefront of the illusory realm, beyond reach. And the newly ascended Sages near Li Fan were also powerless to simulate and present those mysterious fluctuations. Even if Lianshan's illusion transmitted guidance instantly, it was somewhat too late.

The collapse of the Mountains and Seas began from its minutiae. The illusion, which was already nine-tenths complete, began to collapse instantly. Countless light and shadows shattered like foam in an instant. As if stirring up colossal waves, a tremendous backlash from the cold illusory realm instantly arrived.

"Return!" Within the Xuanji Ring, the illusions of the Three Sages—Lianshan, Guihai, and Taiyi—simultaneously uttered a low cry. The white circle also simultaneously burst forth with unprecedented brilliance, as if shining through the boundless illusory realm, reaching directly to where the Sages' true bodies were. Li Fan saw clearly that in the unseen, invisible ropes seemed to extend from the Xuanji Ring, connecting to the Sages within the illusory realm. At this moment, the ropes instantly tugged, fiercely pulling back the Sages who were caught in the backlash of the illusory realm. The Sages' illusions instantly solidified from their ethereal state, and they simultaneously spurted large mouthfuls of blood. Only Li Fan, who was already within the Xuanji Ring, was an exception.

Li Fan seemed to be stunned by this scene, freezing on the spot. Before he could speak, Sage Lianshan spoke first, gravely saying, "The illusory realm's backlash, the great tide of Dao Annihilation, will devour at least eight hundred years. It cannot be defended; give up." The newly ascended Sages did not yet understand what this meant, while the Nine Sages of the Other Shore had already sighed softly and prepared themselves.

The Other Shore's halo seemed to contract abruptly. Its encompassed area invisibly shortened by a small section. After adjusting the protected area, Li Fan saw a black tide silently arrive at the end of this section of the Mountains and Seas. It was even more suffocating than being truly within it. Wherever it passed, it swept away everything with devastating power. Everything in the Mountains and Seas was instantly engulfed. Countless possibilities and living beings were lost because of it. It continued forward, devouring eight hundred years of time, and only after encountering the Other Shore's white light did its momentum barely halt.

Although the Dao Annihilation tide was temporarily curbed, the cost was that the Sages in the Xuanji Ring once again collectively spat blood. The Other Shore was still in constant violent tremors, seeming to be in danger of overturning at any moment. The overwhelming backlash of the Dao Annihilation tide did not only come from the direction of the illusory realm. Instead, it suddenly emerged from all parts of this section of the Mountains and Seas. Li Fan witnessed firsthand that countless possibilities that were originally in a stalemate instantly lost their balance and succumbed to Dao Annihilation. Originally, the Mountains and Seas were relatively healthy, but now, under a round of backlash from the illusory realm, they faintly appeared to be riddled with holes from erosion!

This situation was like, during a storm, the roof of a house suddenly being ripped off by strong winds. Torrential rain poured inside, flooding the entire floor. It was chaotic, disheveled, and even precarious.

"It's my fault!" Li Fan slapped his thigh, filled with regret.

"Didn't we just fail to reconstruct the memory illusion? How could it come to this?" Baixiao coughed lightly and said, slightly aghast.

"In the struggle with the illusory realm, if you don't advance, you retreat. If the initial construction had failed, it would have been fine; the backlash wouldn't be this terrifying," Lianshan said, then suddenly stood up. He took a step forward. At that instant, it was as if countless versions of him emerged from the Xuanji Ring and walked towards various parts of the Mountains and Seas. Each Lianshan figure was like a dam, forcibly plugging up the breaches throughout the Mountains and Seas.

Soon after, the incessant trembling of the Mountains and Seas finally slowly subsided, emerging from this shocking upheaval. Only then did Lianshan look at Li Fan.

A deep hum reverberated. The pressure from a true body was truly incomparable to that of an illusion. Even with Xuanpin protecting him, Li Fan suddenly felt as if an endless expanse of Mountains and Seas was pressing down upon his shoulders! He seemed to hear roars like mountains collapsing and tsunamis raging, growing louder and louder, echoing ceaselessly! Although Sage Lianshan did not utter a word, the invisible pressure in the arena was tangible. The Sages remained silent, all looking at Li Fan.

Li Fan took the opportunity to lower his head and continued to say with regret, "It is my fault! The preceding steps were all perfect. I had thought this final step would also be effortlessly achieved, but I never imagined..."

"Enough." Sage Lianshan, however, suddenly waved his hand, interrupting Li Fan's self-reproach. He sat back down and said softly, "It is also my fault. I also thought Fellow Daoist Xuanpin could have succeeded." There seemed to be a deeper meaning in his words, but the Sages present remained outwardly composed and showed no abnormality. Li Fan, meanwhile, continued to keep his head down and remained silent.

Sage Taiyi stepped in to mediate: "Victory and defeat are common in warfare. Our last reconstruction of the Mountains and Seas was also not smooth sailing. We just rested, regrouped, and started over. Why be so disheartened?" Upon these words being uttered, the icy atmosphere in the arena slowly began to alleviate.

And at this moment, as if sensing what had happened to the Sages of the Other Shore, the figure of Emperor Taiwei descended and brought nine great elixirs. "This is all," he said. "The next refinement will be a thousand years from now." Emperor Taiwei came and went like the wind, leaving immediately after speaking. However, before leaving, his gaze seemed to flick across Li Fan.

There were sixteen Sages present. However, there were only nine Saint Fortune Elixirs. The Three Sages—Lianshan, Shouqiu, and Taiyi—were the first to say, "We do not need them." Li Fan then very perceptively said, "Fellow Daoists, please go first." Afterward, Shouqiu, Qiejie, and Guiming also spoke up. Only then was the allocation of these great elixirs decided.

After consuming the elixirs and a period of recuperation, the Sages' auras finally fully stabilized.

"Where we faltered, there we shall begin again. Today, let us first discuss the Lifespring and the Primal Creation." Sage Lianshan spoke again. Within the Xuanji Ring, the scenes remembered by the Mountains and Seas reappeared. They were vividly lifelike, even more 'real' than what Li Fan had perceived from afar within the Other Shore.

"'The Lifespring, as an entity, commands the Way of Scripting Fate. The fates of all beings in the Mountains and Seas each have their strings, all within its plucking and manipulating. It can gather them into a net or scatter them into a chessboard.'" Sage Lianshan's voice was incredibly calm as he expounded upon the principles of the Lifespring.

Li Fan listened, gradually becoming engrossed. Unbeknownst to him, he seemed to have already gained an entry-level understanding of the Lifespring's Way of the Sage. "This is definitely not a talent I possess myself. Instead... it is the other Sages who are comprehending the Dao within the Xuanji Ring, assisting me. This mutual influence is even stronger than when the Sages were in their illusory state." As Li Fan thought this, a feeling of guilt gradually arose within him, because due to his own dereliction of duty, the reconstruction effort had failed. Although he quickly awoke from it, this trend of 'conscience awakening' was like an unceasing, surging tide, difficult to suppress.

"Having spoken of the Lifespring, let us now speak of the Primal Creation. Although I do not know its true form, since the Mountains and Seas retain its memory, it can be reproduced to a certain extent." Sage Lianshan gestured gently towards the Sages gathered in the center and lightly tapped. A speck of light then emerged. That was the fluctuating illusory memory of the Mountains and Seas, what remained after stripping away the Lifespring's influence.

The Sages stared at the speck of light in the arena, lost in thought.

"'This wisp of Dao intent is truly quite peculiar. It already bears a three-tenths resemblance to what I saw back then...'" Sage Taiyi said with a frown after observing for a while.

"'I wonder if it's my illusion, but I actually sense the aura of Morality from within it?'" Sage Morality revealed a surprised expression.

"'It seems to encompass everything in the Mountains and Seas, containing all. It is also like a bright mirror that can reflect us,' Sage Guihai said softly.

The Sages expressed their views, and Li Fan also chimed in appropriately: "Indeed, one can faintly discern the aura of the Great Dao of Xuanpin from it." He appeared calm, but in reality, a stormy sea had already churned within his heart. He was merely forcing himself to remain composed. Because the moment the speck of light appeared before him, he distinctly sensed Huanzhen's aura from it. However, Huanzhen was still within his body, so Li Fan quickly realized that Lianshan was simulating and manifesting an aura similar to Huanzhen's.

"The Truth-Falsehood Transformation. Those who do not know will not understand. But Sage Lianshan could restore it to this extent..." Seemingly unaware of Li Fan's thoughts, Sage Lianshan continued to lecture the Sages: "What Sage Guihai said is excellent. This Primal Creation, though its name is unknown, is indeed like a bright mirror! Since it can reflect all things in the Mountains and Seas... we can then, by comprehending the Mountains and Seas, in turn, glimpse the existence of this mirror."

As he spoke, without needing a signal from Sage Lianshan, Sage Guihai cooperated, and both simultaneously projected an image of the Mountains and Seas. The Mountains and Seas stretched endlessly, appearing and disappearing intermittently, echoing the speck of light in front. Within the speck of light, there seemed to be corresponding scenes of the Mountains and Seas. And the boundless illusory Mountains and Seas also slowly contracted accordingly, transforming into another speck of light. Like two suns hanging in the sky, they hovered before the Sages.

Regarding the Primal Creation, the Sages naturally did not know its true nature. But regarding the various aspects of the Mountains and Seas, the Sages knew a great deal. The Sages first looked at the Mountains and Seas speck of light, then at the other one. From one to the other. What was originally an untouchable existence, now, upon closer inspection, surprisingly evoked a faint sense of familiarity.

Lianshan looked at Li Fan again and asked, "Now, to reproduce it, how confident are you?" Li Fan squinted his eyes and did not answer immediately. After contemplating for a while longer, he reached out and displayed another speck of light. Although one could tell at a glance its difference from the other two in the arena, it was already seventy to eighty percent similar.

Sage Lianshan nodded and said, "After another thousand years of refinement, it should be fine. Let us wait for the Dao Annihilation backlash tide to recede." Having spoken, Sage Lianshan closed his eyes and remained silent. Only the two specks of light remained in the arena, allowing the Sages to comprehend them.

The illusory realm, having gained an offensive advantage, did not temporarily cease its activities. Instead, it continued to relentlessly devour. The Other Shore's halo did not directly confront it, retreating repeatedly, until a full thousand years of time fell into the Eternal Void, and only then did the two sides reach a balance again. The Sages' injuries had long since recovered, but they did not act rashly. Instead, they waited for Emperor Taiwei to finish refining the great elixirs. During this period, Li Fan also searched for talents who could be sculpted into Sages, but unfortunately, he searched throughout the Mountains and Seas without finding any. Within the Xuanji Ring, the number of Sages remained unchanged.