Chapter 1670: Mountain and Sea Finally Connected

Li Fan looked worried before once again attempting to reconnect the Mountains and Seas, saying, "I fear I will fail again and implicate all of you, fellow Daoists."

Shou Qiu Gong smiled and replied, "Just do your best. Even if we fail again, we'll only have to wait another thousand years. Daoist Xuan Pin, there's no need for such worry. Besides, I observe that you have captured ninety percent of the essence; deceiving the illusory Mountains and Seas should not be an issue."

What Shou Qiu Gong referred to was naturally Saint Lian Shan's explanation of the 'Fate Nexus' and 'Primordial Creation' to the Saints. Leaving aside Li Fan's inherent strong comprehension, the mere blessing of all the Saints within the Xuanji Ring was enough for even a mortal, meditating there for a thousand years, to thoroughly grasp its essence.

"Last time, we encountered almost no surprises. As long as you, Xuan Pin, can handle this final stage well, the reconnection of the Mountains and Seas will be imminent."

Li Fan solemnly declared, "I will do my utmost and live up to your trust!"

After Saint Emperor Tai Wei delivered a new batch of refined holy medicine, the Saints consumed it and adjusted their states to peak condition. Then, one by one, they leaped into the Eternal Void Realm. Naturally, they followed the previous sequence. The three Saints — Lian Shan, Gui Hai, and Tai Yi — led the way, followed by Qie Ji, Gui Ming, and others. Tai Qi was at the very end, with Fang Cun moving freely. As for Li Fan, his true body remained seated in the Other Shore; he only needed to project a wisp of his consciousness to guide the illusory Mountains and Seas when they reappeared.

Repeating their actions, and with the Saints' exceptional talents and methods, no major disturbances occurred. Even if the Void Realm seemed to sense the Saints' resurgence, and its waves became more tumultuous and fierce, it ultimately had no significant impact. Tiny specks of light gradually illuminated the darkness. The shattered illusory form of the Mountains and Seas reappeared!

"Go!"

The Saints, in perfect tacit understanding, simultaneously poured their spiritual thoughts into it. It was as if they injected vitality, flowing through the meridians of the Mountains and Seas, reawakening their life force. This time, Li Fan made no mistakes either.

With the power Xuan Pin could manifest, guided by Saint Lian Shan, it finally truly simulated the wrestling fluctuations between the Fate Nexus and the Primordial Creation. The entire segment of illusory Mountains and Seas instantly fell still. Then, a sound like the heavens tilting echoed, rumbling from all directions. Li Fan squinted, about to search for the source of the sound. However, a powerful repulsive force suddenly emerged from "Li Bufan's" body, ejecting his consciousness. Like ice melting into water, it vanished into the Dao Annihilation.

Li Fan paid no attention to the dissipation of his wisp of consciousness; instead, he stared fixedly at the Void Realm. As far as his eyes could see, the illusory Mountains and Seas radiated immense light and brilliance. It was as if infinite light and infinite heat continuously erupted and surged forth, forcing back the surrounding Void Realm inch by inch. Darkness receded, and the continuous panorama of the Mountains and Seas gradually re-emerged from the gloom.

This scene strikingly resembled what Li Fan had witnessed in his previous life: the descent of a star!

Li Fan watched this extraordinary sight intently, knowing that while the image of the Mountains and Seas before him seemed incredibly powerful, it was still not the true Mountains and Seas. It was merely an illusion. Like water without a source or wood without roots, even if it gained a temporary advantage, without continuous support, it would inevitably sink back into the Dao Annihilation.

But soon, the subsequent power arrived. It came from even more ancient Mountains and Seas! Once the gap where the Mountains and Seas had been severed by the Void Realm was temporarily replaced by the recreated illusion, the Mountains and Seas themselves seemed to sense the change within them. An unfathomable, mighty power suddenly descended. A surging, endless force of life and creation flowed downstream from the ancient Mountains and Seas. Wherever it passed, the illusion became real!

Before Li Fan's eyes, it was as if he saw a broken branch re-rooting, sprouting, and rejoining the main trunk of a great tree. In just moments, it became lush and verdant with flourishing branches and leaves! "Is this the true might of the Mountains and Seas...?"

At the end of time, Li Fan had witnessed the pitiable state of the aging Mountains and Seas, battered into disarray by the Dao Annihilation and the Void Realm. And while he was within the Mountains and Seas, he was also at the cultivation level of a Saint Xuan Pin, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Mountains and Seas. Therefore, in his heart, he had somewhat underestimated the Infinite Sea and the Upper Mountain.

It wasn't until today, witnessing the magnificent spectacle of the Mountains and Seas reconnecting, with a momentum no less grand than the rebirth of a star, that he suddenly realized: "What I saw was merely a small segment of the Mountains and Seas. Even if it spanned hundreds of thousands of years, it was but an insignificant part of the complete Mountains and Seas. The true Mountains and Seas inherited the vast majority of a god's power... If the stars truly held an overwhelming advantage over the Mountains and Seas, why would they need to use the Dao Annihilation to launch an erosion lasting countless years? In the past, what I perceived as the Mountains and Seas was not the true Mountains and Seas. It was merely an illusion of the Mountains and Seas."

While Li Fan was lost in thought, the downstream-flowing vitality had already surged forth. It fiercely collided with the current Mountains and Seas! At this moment, the white circle of the Other Shore suddenly retracted its light. Instead of covering the Mountains and Seas, it contracted as much as possible. Li Fan witnessed firsthand countless abrupt changes within the current Mountains and Seas. Possibilities that had clearly been extinguished, because they still existed in the previous segment of time, now seemed to be infused with life. They grew anew, forcing the Dao Annihilation out of the Mountains and Seas. And those possibilities whose origins could not be found upstream did not vanish into thin air due to the merging of the two segments of Mountains and Seas. As if by instinct, they sought out the nearest similar possibilities and slowly attached themselves. It was like a new branch growing on an existing bough. Though nascent and frail, it was ultimately connected to the main tree itself, ensuring it would not be easily destroyed in the future.

The Saints on the Other Shore all looked somewhat dazed. Countless images seemed to surface in their minds. These were the memories of "themselves" from the previous segment of Mountains and Seas. Their auras fluctuated, like the immense power of an active volcano, threatening to erupt at any moment. Among them, the three Saints of Lian Shan were the most affected. They were already at the Saint realm in the previous segment of Mountains and Seas. Now, with the reconnection, it was as if their creation had doubled out of thin air. However, their strength was already unfathomable; what briefly manifested at the instant of fusion was like the violent explosion of a supernova, emitting dazzling light. It made it impossible for others to look directly. But it lasted only a brief moment before settling back into tranquility. As for the other Saints, they all had their own gains, but it took them more time to subdue them.

And Li Fan... His mind was empty; no new memories were infused. This was because he was too young, and "Li Fan" did not exist in the previous segment of Mountains and Seas. This, however, precisely matched his identity as a traveler from the end of time. He did not act rashly, remaining calmly seated, waiting for the changes in the other Saints to conclude.

In fact, although the Mountains and Seas had finally reconnected successfully, he was not without gains. Just as Saint Lian Shan had said previously, the Saints were like feet standing upon the Mountains and Seas; the stronger the Mountains and Seas became, the more their own strength would naturally rise. And if one's chosen Dao path was not mastered in the previous segment of Mountains and Seas, then in an instant, it could be transformed for their own use, creating new opportunities out of thin air! This was precisely what Li Fan was experiencing now. The Great Dao returns to its origin, the First Xuan Pin. Wherever the Dao of Xuan Pin resided, it had already been marked with Li Fan's imprint.

Thus, at the moment the Mountains and Seas connected, Li Fan already sensed the aura belonging to Xuan Pin. However, somewhat unluckily, in the previous segment of Mountains and Seas, Xuan Pin already had another master. And that individual had also cultivated to the Saint realm! Therefore, a bizarre scene emerged. Within one segment of Mountains and Seas, there were simultaneously two Xuan Pin Saints.

"In a sense, the other one is the true Xuan Pin. But then again... Since I have attained the Great Dao, how can I easily relinquish it to another's hands?" With his control over Xuan Pin through the Great Dao of Returning to Origin, Li Fan believed that even if they contended, he would surely be the sole victor. And he would win quite easily. With victory in hand, Li Fan temporarily refrained from acting. He continued to wait for the changes in the Other Shore.

When the Mountains and Seas reconnected, and the life-force meridians were successfully infused and finally stabilized, the Other Shore ceased contracting. Instead, it rapidly expanded and docked with another Other Shore existing upstream in time. There was no earth-shattering collision sound. Because they were originally one entity. The blinding white light converged into a single point. Identical images perfectly overlapped.

At the same time, three additional figures appeared inexplicably within the Xuanji Ring. "Let me first introduce the current situation," Saint Lian Shan began. "The Mountains and Seas have successfully reconnected. Adding the original 58,600-plus years spent trapped in the Eternal Void Realm, we now have a total of 339,800 years of flowing time. In this upstream reconnection, the Saints of the later segment of Mountains and Seas are: I, Gui Hai, Tai Yi... Xuan Pin. And among the Saints of the earlier segment of Mountains and Seas, there are differences. Yuan Mo, Guang Yi, and... Xuan Pin."

Saint Lian Shan spoke slowly, and yet two "Xuan Pin" appeared on the list of Saints! Theoretically, it was indeed possible, but the probability was very small, and they had not expected to encounter it today. After all, a severed segment of the Mountains and Seas typically spanned only a little over a hundred thousand years. To grow there and cultivate from nothing to become a Saint, without any prior accumulation, was basically impossible. However, since Xuan Pin was a time-traveler from the end of the Mountains and Seas, that was a different matter entirely.

In the eerie silence of the Xuanji Ring, Lian Shan spoke again: "The true ownership of Xuan Pin is a private matter between the two of you, and we find it inconvenient to interfere. However... The Travelers of the Mountains and Seas possess the method of True Spirit Infusion..." Yuan Mo, Guang Yi, and others from the previous segment of Mountains and Seas did not know what True Spirit Infusion was. Lian Shan then explained it to them. Upon hearing that Li Fan possessed the ability to create Saints, the two Saints couldn't help but show expressions of shock.

"No wonder there are suddenly so many new faces," they thought. "Even though the time lengths of the two segments of Mountains and Seas are not far apart." Yuan Mo and Guang Yi exchanged glances, then looked at the Xuan Pin they knew, secretly sighing in their hearts. Considering the bigger picture, even if Li Fan were not his opponent, it was Li Fan who *had* to win. After all, the ability to create Saints was truly terrifying. If Li Fan hadn't infused the newly advanced five Saints, the reconnection of the Mountains and Seas wouldn't have succeeded so easily. In comparison, a mere Xuan Pin...

Silence fell upon the Xuanji Ring. Xuan Pin slowly rose, scanning the Saints. Lian Shan's voice, calm as an ancient well, sounded again: "If Daoist friend is willing to relinquish the Xuan Pin Dao path, we promise to find another way to help you embark on the path of a Saint again. If you are unwilling..." Xuan Pin's face turned as dark as water, and his aura could no longer be suppressed. It seemed as if he could erupt at any moment. Though he was not a match for the Saints present, he would never allow himself to be easily manipulated!

"Wait!" Just then, Li Fan suddenly spoke. "Actually, it's not that I *must* be Xuan Pin." At these words, all the Saints, including Lian Shan, were somewhat surprised.

"The birth of a Saint of the Mountains and Seas is no easy feat. Each loss is truly regrettable. Moreover, we are all dedicated to saving the world; if internal strife breaks out first... Although understandable, it would inevitably create division."

"So, Daoist Xuan Pin, you have a better solution?" Tai Yi asked.

Li Fan slowly nodded: "As I said before, I have risen from obscurity many times, and becoming a Saint through Xuan Pin is merely what I am most familiar with. If there is another viable Dao path... I can also accomplish it."

Upon hearing this, all the Saints' expressions became somewhat nuanced. Achieving Sainthood was never an easy matter. Fate, aptitude, opportunity, diligence—none could be lacking. Even among those present, few dared to guarantee that they could easily rise again after changing their Dao path. But Li Fan, on the other hand, seemed to exude confidence.

"Since there is still room for negotiation, let us discuss it further for now," Lian Shan said. The oppressive aura around Xuan Pin slowly subsided, and before sitting down, he gave Li Fan a slight bow. Li Fan responded with a nod.

After pondering for a moment with his eyes closed, Saint Gui Hai said to Li Fan, "In the 190,000 years following this segment of the Mountains and Seas, there's no more potential to be unearthed. However, in the preceding 150,000 years, there might be an opportunity for enlightenment."

Gui Ming performed calculations with his fingers, and a series of images flashed before him. They finally settled on one particular image. It depicted a unique and peculiar place within the Mountains and Seas. Thousands upon thousands of possibilities gathered there, yet did not flow downwards. It seemed as if they sensed a downstream crisis of destruction and thus coiled and nestled within the Mountains and Seas. Gradually, they rounded off and completed themselves, forming a self-contained cycle.

"This place was originally at the end of the previous segment of Mountains and Seas, close to the Void Realm. To avoid falling into the Void Realm, it spontaneously generated this peculiar change. We had faintly detected it before, but as it was not beneficial to saving the Mountains and Seas, we didn't pay much attention. However, now..."

Just as Gui Ming was about to make a move, he was interrupted by Lian Shan. Saint Lian Shan looked at Li Fan and slowly said, "If you wish to become a Saint again using this opportunity, I'm afraid you'll have to undertake the journey yourself. While we can certainly offer assistance, however... On one hand, this opportunity is inherently wary of similar auras. If we forcibly intervene, it might scare it away instead. Secondly, becoming tainted with our Dao principles might be even more detrimental to your cultivation."

Li Fan nodded slightly: "I understand that principle well. It's fine, it's just another journey. Please wait for me for a while. This Dao of Xuan Pin, I will leave it to fellow Daoist."

As Li Fan spoke, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. Immediately, the Dao of Xuan Pin that he controlled truly seemed like an outer garment, slowly being shed! After being abandoned, the masterless Xuan Pin instinctively tried to escape. But it was seized by the other Xuan Pin Saint. As for Li Fan... Without the blessing of the Mountains and Seas' Great Dao, his cultivation should have reverted to the Transcendent realm. However, a hazy radiance still shone around him. Even with the Saints watching, they found it difficult to discern his true state at once!