Chapter 1690: Slaying the Future Method

Angry Squid: .........

Li Fan once encountered the remnants of a peculiar civilization in the Shan Hai world.

It was the Silent Dynasty's Shan Hai worshipper, Xiao Wangsheng.

Although that ancient dynasty had long vanished into the river of history, Xiao Wangsheng had managed to survive, and Li Fan had encountered him once.

Through him, Li Fan glimpsed a corner of the ancient Shan Hai.

At this moment, to confirm his conjectures, Li Fan seemed to embody a Shan Hai worshipper, searching among the countless vast lines of the Void Realm for the familiar aura he knew.

Although countless eons had passed since Shan Hai's initial birth,

the Silent Dynasty had also endured for countless epochs. Had it not been for the calamity of Dao Annihilation, where Shan Hai merges, their existence, dependent on Shan Hai, might not have been so easily extinguished.

The Silent Dynasty, after all, left its own imprint in the history of Shan Hai.

And now...

Li Fan, seemingly transformed into a Shan Hai worshipper, truly sensed the familiar aura of his "homeland" among the myriad lines surrounding him!

It was as if the other worshippers he knew, and the countless citizens of the Silent Dynasty, had not died. Instead, they were still gathered there, calling for his return!

Li Fan followed the trail, but ultimately, he did not see the destruction that had occurred.

What he saw was merely a thread, formed from the endless light and shadow of the Silent Dynasty's past existence within Shan Hai.

This thread represented the imprint of the Silent Dynasty's civilization left within Shan Hai!

Li Fan's consciousness returned to his body, withdrawing from the vision of the Silent Dynasty's thread. He looked around.

Civilization threads like these...

Were endless and boundless!

Li Fan was deeply shaken.

"When I first emerged from the Primal, I saw countless possibilities flowing concurrently within Shan Hai and thought I understood its vastness."

"However, what I've seen today makes me realize..."

"Shan Hai's vertical lifespan on the temporal scale is no less than its horizontal infinity. It is unfathomably, endlessly long!"

Li Fan also recalled a strange small black box he had once fished out of Dao Annihilation.

It was an ancient Shan Hai artifact, a manifestation of its state after turning from azure to utter black.

"Initially, during the period when Shan Hai devoured gods, it was one of the many algal life forms present in Shan Hai. It evolved into that form only after countless eons of sedimentation."

"Even the period after Shan Hai devoured gods might have been much longer than I anticipated."

Algal life forms had no subjective consciousness, only the instinct to survive.

Yet, even it had an impression of its experiences being "extremely ancient," which speaks to Shan Hai's immense antiquity.

"Originally, it moved towards the mountains, hence it was called 'Lian Shan' (Connected Mountains)."

"Originally, it came from the sea, hence it became 'Gui Hai' (Return to Sea)."

"So the answer was right on the surface."

Amidst the turbulent flow of countless civilization threads, Li Fan seemed to discern the true origins of the powers of the two Saints, Lian Shan and Gui Hai.

"Every attempt by ancient Shan Hai civilizations to 'connect mountains and cross seas' was a propulsion towards the birth of Saint Lian Shan."

"And the process of every civilization disappearing and returning to the Infinite Sea was the catalyst for the appearance of Saint Gui Hai."

"It was not the power of one person at one time ascending the peak, but countless epochs and countless civilizations collectively pushing. Only then was there that astonishing leap out of nothingness!"

Li Fan then couldn't help but recall Saint Lian Shan's own account of encountering the Life Hub when he first ascended.

After Lian Shan's ascent, the Life Hub seemed to have encountered something extremely terrifying and fled in haste.

"Now that I think about it, perhaps at the moment Lian Shan succeeded, the Life Hub, like me, caught a glimpse of his true nature."

"The source of Saint Lian Shan's power is actually the sum total of all beings who attempted to 'connect mountains' but failed. This means that all who attempted to ascend could be His nourishment."

"What the Life Hub saw at that moment was probably a terrifying monster standing atop countless piles of bones. Its fear and flight are thus not surprising."

Although he understood the two Saints' methods of achieving enlightenment, Li Fan still had many doubts. For instance, how did such 'abstract' concepts like civilization's attempt to 'connect mountains' and its return to inertia after falling, materialize into true existences and impact Shan Hai?

"When Shan Hai splits its consciousness, and then living beings and civilizations are born, is this inevitable or accidental?"

Within the Void Realm, Li Fan gained an insight.

Shou Qiu, who shared his thoughts, also understood something at the same time.

"Fellow Daoist Fan, do you still remember the true master of the Great Dao of Immortality? After your 'Return to Truth' in the previous life, the Great Dao of Immortality inexplicably resisted returning to the Hall of Return to Truth."

"I, too, have faintly glimpsed traces of His existence among these endless civilization threads!"

"He existed only in the ancient past of Shan Hai, up until a certain moment. By a method akin to utter demise, He prevented Himself from evolving along with Shan Hai."

"Perhaps He foresaw the outcome of Dao Annihilation, where Shan Hai would merge!"

"I can vaguely understand His thoughts. The instant Shan Hai was swallowed by Dao Annihilation, it was fragmented and cut into countless sections. Even someone as powerful as the Three Saints couldn't prevent this change."

"Their strength would inevitably fall due to this fragmentation; if one wanted to avoid that..."

"Then, on a temporal scale, cut off one's own future!"

"Concentrate all of one's power into a single segment of Shan Hai. The Three Saints still need to continuously flow backward to slowly restore their peak strength. He, however, preserved His strength as much as possible during the great calamity of Shan Hai."

"Thereby gaining the upper hand in the struggle for Shan Hai's fragmented consciousness!"

With a single thought, Shou Qiu spawned a hundred more, deducing the motives of that Lord of Immortality from the endless chaotic threads of civilization.

Influenced by this, a storm of thoughts also erupted in Li Fan's mind.

"The decline of the Shan Hai Saints might not mean they truly perished. It's highly possible that, like the Lord of Immortality, they cut off their own future and actively retreated."

"If the future is destined to end, then continuing to move forward with it might not be a good thing."

"As for the Three Saints..."

"It's not that the Three Saints are weaker than these 'future-cutting' Saints. Rather, the Three Saints are inextricably linked to the evolution of Shan Hai civilization, and it's not so easy for them to simply sever those ties."

The collision of civilization threads intensified.

Every interwoven mess of lines seemed to represent the mutual slaughter of countless civilizations. Though no blood was visible, a grim, deadly aura permeated the space.

This was a battle for survival: either you die, or I die!

There was no room for retreat.

Li Fan also vaguely understood why the Void Realm vowed to kill the Three Saints.

Besides the Three Saints' transcendent power being the greatest obstacle to Dao Annihilation consuming Shan Hai, perhaps from the Void Realm's perspective, the Three Saints were inherently part of Shan Hai civilization.

They might even be the main force that needed to be annihilated!

And the Three Saints were also aware of their destiny, so after the descent of the Void Realm's avatar, they did not choose to retreat.

"Given the profound foundation of the Three Saints, Fellow Daoist Fan, your 'Collapse Shan Hai' technique might unleash more incredible power than imagined."

"When you use it, have no qualms. It won't matter even if it affects the Three Saints' true forms."

"For now, stay hidden in the dark and act when the opportunity arises!"

As Shou Qiu spoke, he revealed himself.

Amidst the fierce battle of the Six Saints, another figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere, instantly drawing the attention of the Three Saints and the Void Realm avatars.

Shou Qiu immediately used the three treasures — the Lian Shan Staff, the Gui Hai Shovel, and the Staff of Sentient Beings — as tokens, declaring his purpose.

"Shou Qiu..."

The Three Saints naturally recognized Shou Qiu.

From the Three Saints' perspective, they had only recently parted ways.

But...

In the short time since they last saw him, Shou Qiu's aura had inexplicably undergone a drastic transformation.

Upon revealing himself, without hesitation, he plunged like a sharp sword into the fiercest point of battle between the two forces!

In an instant, he stirred up millions of jade dragons, causing the entire sky to turn chillingly cold!

The already intricate situation underwent another change. Billions upon billions of endless civilization threads instinctively swarmed towards Shou Qiu, the interloper, launching an attack.

The killing intent unleashed by each black thread at this moment was no weaker than a full-strength blow from a transcendent expert.

Although the civilization threads were mere shadows of past existences,

within the Six Saints' battlefield, they had transformed into true blades capable of destroying heaven and earth.

As if engulfed by massive tangled black threads, Shou Qiu's clothes were instantly riddled with holes.

Yet Shou Qiu himself remained unmoving.

He chuckled lightly, saying, "I once sat on mountains and gazed upon seas, witnessing Shan Hai's collapse."

"You perish, I do not. You are annihilated, I am not."

"The merging of Shan Hai, the calamity of Dao Annihilation, can overturn countless star civilizations. Yet..."

"What does that add to me?"

Enveloped by a mysterious aura, Shou Qiu remained completely at ease despite the onslaught of countless civilization threads.

He seemed immune to all techniques, imperishable through all calamities!

At first glance, it seemed as if Shou Qiu had comprehended and proven the essence of the Great Dao of Immortality.

However, only Li Fan in the field saw clearly.

Immortality was merely a facade.

What truly allowed Shou Qiu to stroll casually amidst such a monstrous calamity...

Was the transformation of true and false!

What are civilization's blades and swords? What is Dao Annihilation's invasion?

With a single thought declaring it false, it naturally cannot harm my body!

After establishing a preliminary foothold in the Six Saints' battlefield, Shou Qiu looked again at the Void Realm avatar at the center.

The body shrouded in gray shadows was no different from the true forms of the Three Saints. Even their expressions after witnessing Shou Qiu's strange display were identical to their true forms!

However, they did not cease their actions because of this unexpected variable.

Instead, they simultaneously launched an attack towards Shou Qiu.

Their actions were formidable, their momentum fierce.

And this time, what they revealed was not merely the methods of civilization threads!

A thin piece, resembling a tortoise shell, flew out from beside Lian Shan's illusory figure.

It reached above Shou Qiu's head in an instant.

On the surface, it appeared light as nothing. But when it actually landed on Shou Qiu...

It felt as if it carried the weight of countless mountains!

This mountain was the Upper Mountain!

Although Shou Qiu could sit on mountains and gaze upon seas, at this moment, in his eyes, it was as if heaven and earth had instantly inverted.

Countless continuous mountains now pressed down upon him entirely!

Shou Qiu couldn't help but let out a muffled groan, his body seemingly compressed and shortened.

Yet he did not lower his head at all; instead, he raised it higher, his eyes gleaming as he scrutinized the tortoise shell above his head.

It emitted a faint greenish-blue light, and the patterns on its surface were infinitely profound.

They resembled the veins of mountain ranges.

Though confined to a single area, the mountain images within it were in an endless state of evolution.

The pressure Shou Qiu felt seemed to increase by the moment.

This illusory tortoise shell had never been used by Saint Lian Shan before.

However, his Void Realm avatar, after witnessing Shou Qiu's transformation, threw it out without hesitation.

Evidently, it had glimpsed the cause of some variables. And the Void Realm avatars of Saints Gui Hai and Tai Yi also revealed their ultimate killing moves.

A translucent stone fragment, or perhaps a piece of shattered bone, abruptly struck towards Shou Qiu.

Ignoring the distance in between, it arrived the instant it was launched.

It hit Shou Qiu directly in the center of his forehead!

Shou Qiu's figure swayed slightly, and his mind went blank for a moment.

He was startled awake by Li Fan's voice.

"Shou Qiu, maintain the transformation of true and false for protection! This bone..."

"Is extremely strange!"

Without Li Fan needing to elaborate, Shou Qiu had already sensed the harm this bone fragment was inflicting upon him.

The actual injury to his forehead was secondary; what truly made Shou Qiu's expression change slightly was the bone fragment's parasitic nature and its attempt to replace him!

After hitting his forehead, the bone fragment rooted itself, continuously burrowing deeper into Shou Qiu's body.

Normally, when faced with external foreign matter invading, one's own power would naturally generate protection.

But now, this bone fragment seemed as if it had originated from Shou Qiu himself.

In the face of its invasion, all his internal powers chose to let it pass.

Allowing it to penetrate unhindered!

The bone fragment took root, growing vigorously along Shou Qiu's meridians and bones.

It seemed intent on growing another body from within him!

Shou Qiu had a premonition: if the alien bone fully formed within him, he would likely truly be replaced!

However, ordinary methods, even the Great Dao of Immortality, offered negligible resistance to this alien bone's corrosion.

Shou Qiu could only use the transformation of true and false to desperately slow down his own changes.

Though startled, he remained calm, knowing that even if he perished at this moment, everything would return to its origin after Li Fan's 'Return to Truth'.

"Even if I die, it will be worth it to understand the Three Saints' true methods this time."

He immediately cleared his mind of distracting thoughts and carefully observed the alien bone within him.

As the bone fragment occupied Shou Qiu's body and soul, Shou Qiu was also able to observe it closely.

The more he looked, the more astonished he became.

"It's not that it's deceiving my senses in some way. Rather..."

"It truly feels like my own bone, my own body."

"No, more accurately, I originally came from this bone fragment!"

Connecting this to the source of Saint Gui Hai's power—the inertial force of civilizations returning to the Infinite Sea after their demise—Shou Qiu had a sudden realization.

"This bone..."

"Is the Ancestor of Shan Hai's living beings?"

It seemed to be the origin of all life in Shan Hai; coming from it and returning to it appeared utterly normal.

Shou Qiu's heart was inexplicably shaken.

Even a Saint's body, upon witnessing this ordinary bone fragment, couldn't help but feel an urge to prostrate in worship.

It was the instinctive reverence one feels upon encountering the origin of life.

From this glimpse, Shou Qiu could only confirm that the bone fragment was the Ancestor of Shan Hai's living beings.

As for what relationship this Ancestor of living beings had with the true God of Creation...

That was beyond Shou Qiu's current knowledge.

Under the combined suppression of the tortoise shell and the Ancestral Bone, Shou Qiu was pushed to his limit almost instantly.

But next, Saint Gui Hai's Void Realm avatar's killing move also arrived.

It appeared to be just a piece of broken hemp rope.

But looking closely, the countless fine threads that made up the rope were astonishingly composed of myriad different living beings!

It seemed like an amalgamation of all life forms that had ever appeared in Shan Hai, and just witnessing it caused dizziness and heart-pounding fear!

It felt as if one could be bound by this rope at any moment!

Related