Chapter 1686: 凡圣前显圣

**Furious Squid**

"This ring seems to hold a unique mystery," Li Fan remarked, a hint of profound meaning in his tone.

The Taiyi phantom was about to offer an explanation, but he froze in surprise as Li Fan immediately stepped inside. "This one is truly remarkable..." He shook his head inwardly, then followed him in closely.

Inside the Xuanji Ring, the gazes of all the Sages of the Other Shore converged on Li Fan. Gone was the trepidation and fear Li Fan had felt during his first encounter with the Sages; he now accepted their scrutiny with composure. By shaping the shadows of mountains and seas, he had attained the realm of a Saint. While his exact combat prowess was uncertain, he was, at the very least, beyond the perception of any Saint present. This held true even when facing the Three Sages themselves.

"It is our great fortune that a new Saint has emerged within the Mountains and Seas," the Lianshan phantom stated first, breaking the silence.

"I have endured for eons, yet I never conceived that one could achieve sainthood by relying on the Mountains and Seas. Fellow Daoist, how precisely did you accomplish this? Could you impart your wisdom?" The Guihai phantom, abandoning his usual reticence, asked directly.

"It's both difficult and easy, depending on how you look at it. It's simply a matter of 'fully observing the mountains and seas'," Li Fan replied calmly, not refusing the request.

"'Fully observing the Mountains and Seas?'" The phantom Sages all subtly caught their breath, their expressions varied, as if contemplating the profound implications.

"'Fully observing the Mountains and Seas' — indeed, what an observation! Even exhausting our full capabilities, coupled with heavenly creation, we merely obtained Lianshan and Guihai. Yet, with four simple words, you effortlessly outshine us. Fellow Daoist, your divine power is immense!" Guihai praised, his voice echoing. However, a subtle undertone of challenge laced his words.

It was hardly surprising that the Guihai Saint's demeanor seemed somewhat enigmatic. The Three Sages had existed since the primordial Immortal Realm's creation, enduring unimaginably long eons and witnessing the birth and destruction of countless beings within the Mountains and Seas. They presumed they had a clear comprehension of the ultimate potential achievable by beings within the Mountains and Seas. To ascend from a mere mortal to the realm of a Saint was already exceedingly difficult. Yet Li Fan's method of achieving sainthood was utterly unprecedented and, more crucially, defied all logic! Could such an anomaly truly exist within the Mountains and Seas? Or was something else at play...? The Three Sages instinctively grew suspicious.

As if perceiving the Three Sages' doubts, Li Fan spoke with candid sincerity: "It's hardly a profound divine ability. Though I achieved sainthood through the Mountains and Seas, I merely acquired their form, unlike Sages Lianshan and Guihai, who grasp their very essence."

"Lianshan forged his bones, Guihai cleansed his heart. They stand at the pinnacle of the Mountains and Seas, with the potential for further advancement. As for me..." Li Fan shook his head with a slight sigh. "My upper limit is simply to be coexistent with the Mountains and Seas." He appeared deeply regretful, as if lamenting a great loss.

It was true that Li Fan, having achieved sainthood through the Mountains and Seas, found it difficult to transcend them and advance further. Yet, what he said was essentially meaningless. Throughout the entire Mountains and Seas, apart from the legendary deities, who could claim to be *above* the Mountains and Seas? To stand at their very peak—could he possibly be unsatisfied?

Within the Xuanji Ring, a subtly peculiar atmosphere began to brew. The Sages harbored diverse thoughts regarding Li Fan, this Mountain and Sea Saint who had suddenly achieved sainthood with such astonishing talent. However, their attention was soon utterly captivated by the scene Li Fan subsequently displayed. It was, astonishingly, a scroll depicting the Endless Mountains and Seas!

"Behold, everyone, this is the very foundation of my sainthood!" With a gentle wave of his hand, Li Fan unfurled a scroll. Light and shadow flowed endlessly, dreamlike and illusory, blurring the lines between reality and illusion, making it impossible to discern the true from the false. For a moment, it even overshadowed the Xuanji Ring's own light, making the assembled Sages feel as though they were truly immersed within the Mountains and Seas themselves.

"This is...""The Mountains and Seas as seen through my eyes!""What do you make of it?"

Li Fan stood with his hands clasped behind his back before the Endless Mountains and Seas map. A faint resonance lingered within the Xuanji Ring, echoing for a long time. Yet, no one replied. For the Sages' divine senses were already adrift, lost within this boundless expanse of Mountain and Sea light and shadow.

As their divine senses swept across it, the Sages were astonished to discover that the Mountain and Sea map before them was indistinguishable from the real Mountains and Seas! There might have been minor discrepancies, but the Mountains and Seas themselves were in constant flux. In terms of both scale and magnitude, the Mountain and Sea map Li Fan revealed seemed like a perfect microcosm of the true Mountains and Seas. And not merely the current Mountains and Seas. It encompassed all observable Mountains and Seas, from antiquity to the present! Though only a shadow of the Mountains and Seas, it lacked specific details and divine essence. Nevertheless, it was utterly astonishing.

"Fellow Daoist, who exactly are you?" the Lianshan phantom slowly inquired. All Sages' gazes converged, awaiting Li Fan's response.

"Me?" Despite the collective, pressing gazes of the Sages, Li Fan's expression remained unfazed. "My name is Li Fan, merely a humble mortal from the Xuanhuang Realm. And Lord Shouqiu and I share a common origin, perhaps even from the same 'possibility'."

"The reason I can observe all of the Mountains and Seas... is simply because I can see a little further than most."

Li Fan's ambiguous answer failed to convince the Sages. "'A little further than most?'" The Guihai Saint scoffed lightly. Seeing the skepticism of the Sages, Li Fan feigned looking towards the void realm beyond the Mountains and Seas. Though he claimed to look, his eyes remained tightly shut.

"The boundless void realm can obstruct even Sages. Yet, my gaze can occasionally pierce through it, allowing me to perceive more of the Mountains and Seas. For instance..." After a brief silence, Li Fan abruptly opened his eyes, which gleamed with sharp intensity. "In the Mountains and Seas ahead, the demise of the three of you!" He extended a finger, sweeping it across the phantoms of Lianshan, Guihai, and Taiyi—the Three Sages.

The Fall of the Three Sages!

Hearing Li Fan utter such a shocking prophecy, everyone present was utterly astonished. The atmosphere within the Xuanji Ring instantly plummeted to an icy chill. Those who didn't grasp the situation might have assumed Li Fan had come specifically to provoke them. The Lianshan, Guihai, and Taiyi Sages, who had been named, were initially about to speak. But then, their expressions subtly shifted. They simultaneously looked in the direction Li Fan had previously indicated. Their countenances gradually turned exceedingly solemn.

"Fellow Daoist, did you perceive the reason for our demise?" Lianshan eventually asked. His demeanor had subtly but noticeably shifted.

"Void Realm Incarnation," Li Fan enunciated slowly, word by word.

"I see." With what seemed like a sigh, the Lianshan phantom instantly solidified, no longer an illusion. It was his true form, having returned from the depths of the void realm. Guihai and Taiyi followed suit. The other Sages also returned shortly thereafter.

The potential demise of the Three Sages was a matter of immense gravity. The effort to reconnect the Mountains and Seas within the void realm had to be suspended. For no one knew if another Void Realm Incarnation might descend into the void realm of the current Mountains and Seas and attempt to slay the Three Sages again.

"Could what this Mountain and Sea Saint said truly be real?" Among those of the Other Shore, the Sages who had returned alongside the Three Sages now regarded Li Fan with a hint of astonishment in their eyes. A persistent undertone of worry also lingered. After all, the Three Sages were undoubtedly their most powerful members. If even they struggled to preserve their lives...

"Though we possess the profound ability of Primordial Imperishability, it remains a last resort. Each time we forfeit an opportunity after the Mountains and Seas are reconnected, our potential ultimate limit diminishes slightly. We should avoid perishing unless absolutely unavoidable," Taiyi stated slowly, setting a somber tone.

"They are fated to fall, yet have not fallen. Even ants cling to life... we must rescue them," the Guihai Saint added grimly.

"But the Mountains and Seas have not yet been reconnected. If we were to forcibly depart, firstly, we wouldn't gain the benefits of their reconnection, and our strength wouldn't significantly improve. We might fail to rescue them and instead risk our own lives. Secondly, traveling to the more ancient Mountains and Seas means traversing the void realm, a journey so arduous that perhaps even the Xuanji phantom could not endure. If the current Mountains and Seas were to lack our presence..." Lianshan's gaze swept over everyone present, and he shook his head slightly.

Li Fan, as if discerning the Three Sages' thoughts, smiled faintly. "No matter. I have a plan that can alleviate your concerns."

"Oh?" Under the Sages' questioning gazes, Li Fan calmly presented his solution: "We simply need to reconnect the Mountains and Seas before the Void Realm Incarnation arrives."

Taiyi's brow furrowed slightly. "Even with your assistance, fellow Daoist, reconnecting the Mountains and Seas is not a task for one person alone..."

Li Fan waved a dismissive hand. "Allow me to inform you: the reason my vision can pierce the void realm is, in truth, thanks to this very object!" With that, as if plucking stars and embracing the moon, Li Fan gestured towards the void realm beyond the Mountains and Seas. Like myriad stars descending, they transformed into a vast, flowing river. Before everyone's eyes, the boundless accumulated true spirits within the void realm were thus drawn forth by Li Fan. Submissively, they gathered and coalesced beside Li Fan, as if summoned. The previously somewhat empty Endless Mountains and Seas map, which had only possessed form without true essence, grew noticeably more vibrant with the emergence of these accumulated true spirits.

"Hm?!" The Sages' astonishment surpassed their previous reactions.

"Fellow Daoist, you can actually summon the accumulated true spirits of the void realm?" The Lianshan Saint's voice involuntarily rose several decibels. Not to mention the other Sages within the Xuanji Ring. Their expressions, as they looked at Li Fan, were a complex tapestry of emotions. After all, a Mountain and Sea Saint was merely a slightly more powerful Saint. To them, it simply meant the Three Sages had become four. But Li Fan's ability to summon and command the accumulated true spirits of the void realm carried an entirely different implication.

"If that were all, how could I truly demonstrate my divine power?" Li Fan declared proudly, "Accumulated true spirits are inexhaustible. Their usual application to us is unremarkable. Only when transformed into resources for Saints... do they truly become valuable!" As he spoke, Li Fan turned his gaze towards the true Mountains and Seas. His eyes swept across them, as if searching for something specific.

"Could it be..." Observing Li Fan's actions, the Sages seemed to grasp his intention. Yet, they could barely believe it, remaining in silent anticipation of Li Fan's demonstration.

"I possess a method to infuse the accumulated true spirits from the void realm into a being's body, thereby forging a Saint!" As he spoke, Li Fan located Jingui. Jingui had been in the transcendent realm for countless eons, merely a step away from achieving sainthood. Yet, that insurmountable chasm had always remained. When Li Fan brought him forth, Jingui was initially startled, but upon seeing the assembled Sages of the Other Shore, he quickly bowed in respect. Before he could even finish his bow, Li Fan pressed a hand firmly onto his head.

"Witness this, everyone." The immense true spirits instantly seemed to awaken, and under Li Fan's guidance, they surged into Jingui's body! Under the watchful eyes of the Sages, what was once a mere stone gradually transformed into unblemished jade! Shortly thereafter, the new Jingui Saint was thus born within the Xuanji Ring.

"Thank you for this profound creation, senior!" The newly elevated Jingui Saint was overcome with gratitude. The other Sages, however, remained speechless for a long while. In a short span, Li Fan had delivered one shock after another. Achieving sainthood through the Mountains and Seas, his gaze piercing the void realm to reach ancient Mountains and Seas, and his ability to summon accumulated true spirits. He could even harness them for his own purposes, using them to elevate others to sainthood. Any one of these feats alone would have been remarkable. Yet, all of them were concentrated within Li Fan alone! Even the Three Sages, despite their profound existence, required time to fully process and accept these revelations.

"Delay invites complications. The Three Sages ahead have little time left!" Li Fan sighed softly, breaking the Sages' contemplation. The newly ascended Jingui was secretly startled upon hearing this but, unsure how to react, remained silently still.

The Three Sages, in the end, made their decision. "Reconnect the Mountains and Seas, and quickly."

After achieving Mountain and Sea Sainthood in this life, Li Fan found himself increasingly adept at summoning the accumulated true spirits. Even after just elevating the Jingui Saint, he felt no exertion whatsoever. Just as in his previous life, he located Daode and Baixiao and elevated them to sainthood. Combining the power of the Sages, they swiftly and successfully reconnected the Mountains and Seas. Amidst a resonant roar, the Mountains and Seas naturally surged with renewed vitality. All the Sages benefited immensely from this. Yet, their expressions did not lighten as a result. This was entirely due to a single statement from Li Fan.

"The demise of the Three Sages is imminent," Li Fan looked towards a section of the more ancient Mountains and Seas ahead and spoke quietly. Sages Lianshan, Guihai, and Taiyi sensed it for a moment, then all nodded subtly.

"The Void Realm Incarnation must have already descended. However, our demise is not an immediate event. We need to plan for the long term," Guihai asserted after a long period of observation. "Though we've gained some fortune from the Mountains and Seas, we don't possess absolute certainty of victory. Of course, if we could receive further assistance..." Taiyi looked towards Li Fan.

Li Fan stated, "I still possess ample power. Any individual with potential here can be elevated by me. Our combined efforts to reconnect the Mountains and Seas are a mere trifle. However..." Li Fan paused, then spoke gravely. "As Guihai mentioned, a battle against the Void Realm Incarnation is not a matter of a single day. If six Sages were to contend without protection, the Mountains and Seas themselves could be jeopardized. Furthermore..."

"The Void Realm Incarnation is specifically targeting the Three Sages of the Mountains and Seas ahead. If it were to fail due to our intervention, who is to say the void realm wouldn't dispatch an even stronger Incarnation? We might have the power for one such battle, but do we possess the strength for a second, or even a third?" Faced with Li Fan's questions, all the assembled Sages fell silent. After all, apart from the Three Sages, none of the others had truly witnessed a Void Realm Incarnation.

"Fellow Daoist Li Fan's considerations are indeed comprehensive. However, please be assured that even if a Void Realm Incarnation is momentarily slain, it will not instantly reappear. At the very least, it would grant us a period of respite. And this 'period' is measured by the time scale of the Mountains and Seas Void Realm; for us, it translates to an exceedingly long epoch," the Guihai Saint explained.

"As for the risk of affecting the Mountains and Seas..." The Three Sages exchanged glances, then turned to Li Fan. "The Void Realm Incarnation is specifically targeting us. It is only right that we deal with it ourselves. And with you, fellow Daoist, safeguarding the Mountains and Seas, they should remain unharmed."

The Three Sages' response was what Li Fan had anticipated, yet he subtly shook his head. "I can elevate others to sainthood, but I cannot protect the Mountains and Seas. Firstly, continuous elevation of individuals, even the Mountains and Seas themselves would become somewhat withered and depleted. Secondly, as you all witnessed earlier, the Mountain and Sea map merely holds the *shadow* of the Mountains and Seas, not their true substance. To withstand the repercussions of such a fierce struggle... I fear my power would be insufficient," Li Fan stated candidly.