Chapter 1676: End Times Saints Battle

Angry Squid:

“Though you are protected by our treasures, do not act rashly. If things become impossible, prioritize your own safety. With true spirit infused, it means infinite possibilities. Even if the Mountains and Seas cannot be reconnected, there might still be a way to turn the tide.”

Before the Three Sages, words were spoken that were entirely different from those uttered at the Other Shore.

“Remember, after you descend upon the Mountains and Seas ahead, trust no one, not even those you know. There is only one ultimate goal: to preserve the Mountains and Seas amidst the rampant Dao Annihilation. As for everything else, there are no taboos; act as you see fit.”

As if having foreseen the chaos in the Mountains and Seas ahead, the Three Sages of Lianshan gave their instructions with utmost solemnity.

Without waiting for Li Fan’s reply, three streams of power enveloped his body. They forcefully broke through the surging waves of Dao Annihilation, shooting towards the precarious Mountains and Seas within the Void Realm.

The Void Realm’s reaction was unexpectedly intense; it quickly reclaimed the passage Li Fan had created by breaking through the waves. As if vowing to completely conquer the Mountains and Seas ahead, the faint glimmer representing Li Fan lasted only a few moments before being swallowed by the endless darkness.

Under the impact of the Void Realm, the figures of the Three Sages also swayed uncontrollably.

“Let us also begin making preparations early.”

Their majestic figures suddenly surged, pushing back the surrounding darkness. The Three Sages, continuous as mountains, illuminated the Void Realm through the ages.

Even with the Three Sages lending their power for the journey, traversing the Void Realm under its backlash was an extremely unpleasant experience. It felt as if thousands of steel knives were constantly whittling away at the very foundation of his existence, each stroke nearly shattering his Dao foundation.

Had Li Fan not comprehended the Dao of Cosmic Cycle before the Mountains and Seas had no boundaries, leaving his unique imprint; had Li Fan not possessed infinite spiritual essence, completely unafraid of the Void Realm’s erosion; he would likely have been severely wounded by now.

“Heh heh…”

His body finally stabilized, Li Fan lightly coughed to calm his vital energy. He paid no attention to the dozens of shattered possibilities around him, fractured by his impact. In any case, looking around, this section of the Mountains and Seas was already a scene of fragmentation, decay, and desolation everywhere!

The moment he descended, Li Fan sensed the unusual aura here: chaos, madness, hysteria. Even the Mountains and Seas themselves had undergone inexplicable changes due to the demise of the Three Sages.

“Even ants cling to life, let alone the Mountains and Seas. About to be swallowed by the Void Realm, it naturally manifests various distorted phenomena.”

Li Fan frowned slightly, dismissing the howling roar of the Mountains and Seas that sounded like ghosts wailing and wolves howling in his ears. He had also witnessed the apocalypse of the Mountains and Seas before. However, that was at the twilight of time's end. But now, the Mountains and Seas were still barely in their middle age. Therefore, the Mountains and Seas' desperate struggle before death was particularly terrifying.

All beings within the infinite possibilities of the Mountains and Seas originated from them. Now that the Mountains and Seas were on the verge of collapse, in their struggle for survival, they sought to reclaim everything in an attempt to prolong their existence for a little longer.

Even without the Dao Annihilation's assault, possibilities collapsed like landslides, burying all life within them. The Immortal Realm, established by the Three Sages upon the continuous Mountains and Seas, began to collapse entirely.

And even... Li Fan looked towards what should have been the Other Shore. The pervasive white light that enveloped the Mountains and Seas was no longer there. It had been replaced by an eerie black luminescence. It pulsed and trembled occasionally, as if an intense battle were raging within.

“What a mess... Preserve the Mountains and Seas.” Li Fan narrowed his eyes, observed for a moment, then slightly shook his head. “I should observe first. If it truly comes to nothing, I’ll activate True Return and leave. Anyway, I’ve gained enough in this life…”

As Li Fan was thinking this, his expression suddenly changed. Because just then, he sensed an invisible hand slowly scraping over the crown of his head. The cold, smooth touch instinctively made his skin crawl. At the same time, it felt as if something had been ‘taken’ from Li Fan himself!

“Who?!”

Before Li Fan could react, the bamboo staff in his hand had already spontaneously struck outwards into the void with a gentle tap. At first, it seemed silent. Then, ripples began to rise, growing louder and louder, finally transforming into a continuous, immense roar that shook the Mountains and Seas.

A figure was awkwardly revealed. And in the distance behind him, Li Fan clearly saw that the Mountains and Seas, which had been in a state of self-disintegration due to the impending apocalypse, had actually stabilized their condition temporarily. It was as if an invisible force was forcefully reassembling the collapsing Mountains and Seas. It looked as if a crumbled mountain was slowly rising again!

When the wooden staff appeared, silence instantly fell upon the Mountains and Seas. Only the roaring sound of mountains reappearing and ascending continuously echoed. Li Fan himself froze, then felt gazes from all corners of the Mountains and Seas!

And as the attacker was revealed, that which had been invisibly taken also returned to his body.

“Lian… Shan… Staff.” The Sage in front spoke, word by word, as if he had encountered something utterly incredible.

Li Fan also instantly recognized the other party’s identity: Qiejie.

He had thought that after recognizing the Lianshan Sage’s token, the other party’s attitude would change accordingly. However, to his surprise, Sage Qiejie only paused for a moment before launching another attack on Li Fan. The target, however, was not Li Fan, but rather the Lianshan Staff in Li Fan’s hand!

Not only that, but Li Fan could also feel several familiar auras suddenly assaulting him from all directions of the Mountains and Seas. Their targets were directly him. They were all, astonishingly, Sages of the Other Shore!

Li Fan couldn’t help but feel his scalp tingle. At this moment, he finally understood why the Three Sages had suddenly told him “no taboos, act as you see fit” before his departure.

Without Li Fan’s control, the Lianshan Staff swung on its own. Around him, endless mountain shadows seemed to rise, isolating the Sages’ view. Even so, it couldn’t fully block Sage Qiejie’s frenzied actions.

“Cough, cough, cough…” Li Fan noticed that his ‘fortune’ seemed to be draining away at an extremely terrifying speed. Even the normal circulation of his vital energy was affected, as if he were suffering from qi deviation and couldn’t control himself! More crucially, even the Cosmic Cycle Dao robe he wore showed signs of ill-fitting!

And besides Qiejie, a second Sage had already attacked. Starlight paved the way, a wooden boat swayed. A small boat crashed through the endless mountain shadows created by the Lianshan Staff, forcefully rushing towards Li Fan.

Li Fan could vaguely see Sage Xingcha standing on the boat. However, compared to the Sage Xingcha he knew from the later Other Shore, this one was enveloped in an extremely dense aura of killing intent. The target was also clear: precisely the Lianshan Staff in Li Fan’s hand.

Every speck of starlight seemed to contain endless energy. It continuously collided with the rising mountain shadows, overflowing with starlight. The Mountains and Seas’ situation, just stabilized by the Lianshan Staff, became unstable once more.

At this moment, the iron shovel at Li Fan’s waist also moved. Like the Lianshan Staff, it acted independently. It casually jabbed lightly into the Mountains and Seas. The sky full of starlight, the invisible icy hand, and even the rising mountain shadows, were all instantly forced back by an inexplicable immense tremor.

The greatest sound is silence. All sounds vanished, and in the Mountains and Seas, only the gurgling of clear springs flowed. The sound of water grew louder, and in just a moment, it had become a surging torrent, roaring like an unceasing river, echoing in the ears of the Sages. In the chaotic and depleted Infinite Sea, a new spring had been dug out. The madness pervading the Mountains and Seas subsequently weakened.

Li Fan watched the actions of the two great magic treasures and immediately understood. “This is the re-enactment of the actions of the two Sages, Lianshan and Guihai. It’s further extracting the potential of the dying Mountains and Seas, making them revive as if in a dying burst of energy. However, it’s by no means a long-term solution. If it can’t stabilize quickly, this section of the Mountains and Seas will only collapse faster!”

Li Fan’s thoughts raced, already considering activating True Return and leaving.

And as the iron shovel descended, the expressions of the Sages in the field changed once more as they looked at Li Fan. But they only hesitated for a moment. Yet, they still did not give up their attempts to seize the items!

It was unknown what had truly happened in this section of the Mountains and Seas after the death of the Three Sages. The temperaments of all the Sages of the Other Shore had completely changed!

“The creations of the Sages Lianshan and Guihai naturally belong to the virtuous. Daoist friend, your cultivation is insufficient; holding them will only bring misfortune.” A faint voice echoed from the depths of the Mountains and Seas. As if to confirm the voice’s words, the Lianshan Staff and Guihai Shovel suddenly showed signs of losing control at that very moment!

“Duan Chan.” Li Fan’s expression slightly changed as he recognized the owner of the voice. A single word could become a prophecy. It could be broken, or it could be fulfilled.

“Hurry and let go! Delay will bring the calamity of self-destruction!” As Duan Chan spoke these words, the waving Lianshan Staff actually conjured a mountain shadow that rose towards Li Fan’s position. Caught off guard, Li Fan collided head-on with it. With his Sage cultivation, he naturally wouldn’t be easily injured, but his body momentarily trembled, and his vital energy was hard to calm. More critically, the Lianshan Staff and Guihai Shovel in his hands became increasingly difficult to control. The protective mountain and sea phantoms activated by the two great treasures also became unstable.

The Sages became increasingly aggressive.

“I traversed from the Mountains and Seas of a later era, to save…” Li Fan said in a deep voice, intending to explain. But to his horror, he found that what he had uttered had unknowingly changed its content. “What ‘Sages’? They are nothing but chickens and dogs! First, I killed the Three Sages, then I will execute you all. The Mountains and Seas will fall and be completely subsumed by the Void Realm! Hahaha!” The laughter was deranged.

What was even more terrifying was that as these words left his mouth, Li Fan’s thoughts in his mind actually began to change because of them. He genuinely started to want to slaughter all the Sages present like pigs and dogs, and then rush towards the Void Realm. It was as if an unseen hand was rewriting his destiny from behind the scenes!

“Guiming…” Li Fan gritted his teeth, forcibly fighting against the twisted thoughts in his mind. Because if he couldn’t resist this distorted invasion, he would act like a puppet on strings, battling the Sages to the death and never activating True Return.

As Li Fan diverted a large portion of his willpower to resist Guiming, the signs of the Lianshan Staff and Guihai Shovel losing control became even more apparent. Guiming, Duan Chan, Qiejie, Yepan, Xingcha… These familiar Sages of the Other Shore completely disregarded Li Fan’s identity as the envoy of the Three Sages, each displaying their unique abilities, intent on capturing Li Fan.

The Sages’ Dao paths hadn’t changed, but their behavior and demeanor were completely different, as if they were entirely new people. Even with the magic treasures granted by the Three Sages for protection, Li Fan was gradually unable to withstand their concerted assault. At this critical moment, the stone rod hanging on Li Fan’s back finally moved.

“Since the Three Sages have fallen, we shall seize our own destiny. Why should Daoist friend continue to…” Duan Chan’s words were cut short by a sudden muffled grunt. Then a series of muffled thuds followed in quick succession. In just a few moments, Li Fan felt the pressure on him dramatically decrease. And the stone rod, which had disappeared earlier, reappeared before Li Fan. However, at some point, it had been stained with varying degrees of blood.

“Rod of Sentient Beings… Hehehe.” Guiming, who had suffered a hidden loss, let out a cold laugh. Although they stopped their siege on Li Fan, they did not disperse. Instead, they simply stared. The other Sages did the same.

“Seize our own destiny.” Li Fan tightly gripped the Rod of Sentient Beings, recalling what Guiming had just said. Connecting it with the subtle changes that had occurred to him while inside the Xuanji Ring, he slowly began to understand.

“The Sages’ temperaments had greatly changed. The Three Sages’ specific instructions before departure. And… Qiejie, Guiming, Duan Chan… The so-called Sages of the Other Shore were probably not the benevolent beings I perceived them to be. They were merely subdued by the Three Sages and then gradually transformed over a long period by the Xuanji Ring. Only then could the Sages be united in purpose, working together to save the world. As long as the Three Sages were present, everything was manageable. Even if the Sages harbored discontent, they couldn't stir up trouble. But in this section of the Mountains and Seas, the Three Sages were revived and then destroyed by the Void Realm. The Sages of the Other Shore, however, had reverted to their true natures…” The Sages’ malice lingered, tightly encircling Li Fan.

The Rod of Sentient Beings in his hand, however, showed no fear, as if it hadn’t tasted blood in a long time, even appearing eager. In the current situation, although Li Fan could activate True Return and go back to his designated anchor point, even a clay figure has some temper. Having just traversed and immediately been ganged up on by the Sages, Li Fan was already extremely exasperated.

“You may be many, but I possess the Three Sages’ supreme treasures in my hand.” Li Fan bounced the Rod of Sentient Beings in his hand, dangerous light gleaming in his eyes.

“No taboos.” He repeatedly muttered these four words the Three Sages had entrusted to him, then, without warning, swung the rod towards Duan Chan in the distance. He didn't need to lock onto the opponent's position. As long as he willed to strike someone in his mind, the Rod of Sentient Beings in his hand would naturally hit the target. Ignoring space and time, it struck instantly. And it was impossible to evade.

“All sentient beings are beneath the rod.” Another muffled thud came, and Li Fan, feeling the force feedback in his hand, already understood the origin of the Rod of Sentient Beings’ name. His gaze swept over the surrounding Sages, and Li Fan, without ceremony, swung the rod repeatedly. It couldn’t take the Sages’ lives, but each strike landed squarely on their heads.

However, the Sages present were not lambs to the slaughter. Although Li Fan had temporarily gained the upper hand by relying on the supreme treasures, they joined forces, enduring the Rod of Sentient Beings’ attacks, and jointly interfered with Li Fan’s actions. Both his actions and thoughts slowly became uncontrollable.

Li Fan, having had his fill, was about to activate True Return and leave. But then, a thought suddenly struck him, and he roared in a deep voice: “Lord Shouqiu, if you don’t help me now, the Mountains and Seas might never recover hope!”

“Alas…”

A sigh echoed from the midst of the Mountains and Seas. A continuous great tide seemed to surge forth, obscuring the Sages’ vision.

“Come with me.” A quiet whisper sounded in his ear. Li Fan did not resist, allowing himself to be carried by this force, safely escaping the Sages’ encirclement.