Chapter 1691: Guarding the Hill to Turn the Tide

The means of attack used by Saint Taiyi with the Life Rope were not like ordinary ropes that bind. Instead, thousands of even finer black threads swarmed out of it.

As if woven quickly by a pair of invisible skillful hands, a "Mound Guardian" made of hemp rope soon appeared in the field.

The moment the rope puppet was created, it was as if some unknown entity had, in a way, linked it inextricably to the Mound Guardian.

As if looking at another self, the Mound Guardian's hair stood on end, instinctively feeling a fatal danger.

What happened next quickly proved the Mound Guardian's premonition.

In the Void Realm, it was as if a gentle breeze swept through.

One of the fine threads forming the Mound Guardian puppet suddenly floated out of its body and was instantly swallowed by the surrounding Dao Annihilation.

And correspondingly…

The Mound Guardian truly felt a part of himself being drawn out of nowhere and vanishing!

With the tortoise shell pressing down on his head and the Ancestral Bone adhering to his glabella.

The Mound Guardian, already in a precarious situation, found his circumstances worsening due to the sudden drop in his strength.

Even though his head remained high, his entire body was forcibly pressed down by a significant amount.

Streams of blood seeped out and were instantly absorbed by the attached Ancestral Bone upon exiting his body. The process of ossification became increasingly apparent, appearing from the outside as if the bone had almost completely peeled onto the Mound Guardian's hunched body.

Threads snapping, life hanging by a thread!

The extraction by the Life Rope continued.

The Mound Guardian felt his life rapidly ebbing away with increasing clarity.

The Great Dao of Longevity, which he had comprehended and wielded, also emitted an unprecedented brilliant green light under the fatal crisis, trying its best to repair the Mound Guardian's injuries.

If only the tortoise shell and Ancestral Bone were pressuring him, the Mound Guardian might have been able to persist for a while longer by relying on the characteristics of the Great Dao of Longevity. However, the Life Rope's consumption was a direct extraction of his essence. As the Mound Guardian puppet before him became increasingly withered, his vital essence also grew thinner. Even though the power of longevity continuously nourished him and replenished his physical body, it could not prevent the reduction of his life limit.

“The Life Rope's method is subtly similar to the divine ability of True and False! Yet, it doesn't deny my existence from the Great Dao of True and False; rather, it uses some unfathomable power to draw out vital essence...”

Life was like a candle in a strong wind, about to be extinguished.

The Mound Guardian felt neither sorrow nor joy. He seized his last moments of life to comprehend these three items: the tortoise shell, the Ancestral Bone, and the Life Rope, and to ponder ways to counter them. He even actively gave up resistance, allowing himself to succumb faster in exchange for trying different countermeasures.

“Though the tortoise shell is small and thin, it seems to represent the boundless Mount Shangfang.”

“All the Saints say their bodies are as vast as mountains and seas, but only when mountains and seas truly press down upon one's body can one feel their immense weight.”

“Even at the Three Saints' realm, one might not be able to withstand it directly.”

“Perhaps I can use my understanding of mountains and seas to dissolve part of the suppressive force. As if I were inherently within the mountains...”

“The Ancestral Bone absorbs everything within the body without resistance, drawing it back into itself. Just as all rivers flow east into the sea, seemingly conforming to the natural order. But in this world, there are also waters that flow west, forming their own vast oceans! Though you are the ancestor of all living beings, I am the Mound Guardian of mountains and seas!”

A faint flame seemed to burn in the Mound Guardian's eyes, as if sensing his thoughts. The blood and flesh flowing towards the Ancestral Bone within his body also paused.

It seemed to be caught in a dilemma, at a loss.

“As for this Life Rope...”

“The method of drawing out vital essence is truly difficult to guard against. The moment the rope puppet is born, any negative effects that befall it will simultaneously manifest on me. This corresponding binding can perhaps only be resolved through transformations of True and False.”

The Mound Guardian vaguely found a way to unravel it but forcibly suppressed the urge to try. Now, unlike before, he was already locked by the life puppet. Additionally, the Ancestral Bone was parasitizing him. His internal condition might be perceived by the Void Realm incarnation. If he were to forcibly use the transformations of True and False to resolve it at this moment, the opponent might detect the existence of 'Still True'.

“A dying struggle has no meaning.”

“Never mind.”

On the verge of perishing, the Mound Guardian's mind became clear and serene. Because he knew that as long as Li Fan activated 'Still True' again, he would return from nothingness. He didn't dwell on questions like whether 'that me' was still 'him'.

The dying Mound Guardian, however, felt a sense of wistfulness. It was precisely this thought of inevitably returning that prevented the Mound Guardian from feeling the usual emotions in the face of such a great terror as life and death. This anomaly made the Mound Guardian feel that the longevity he had comprehended for most of his life had become almost worthless.

“If there is no death, what meaning does longevity hold?”

“The Great Dao of True and False, it makes the whole world void!”

Just then, the support from the Three Saints' true forms finally arrived, albeit belatedly.

They seemed quite apprehensive about deploying the tortoise shell, Ancestral Bone, and Life Rope, unlike the decisive Void Realm incarnations. Only upon witnessing the Mound Guardian's imminent death did they release the three items.

Silently, they enveloped the Mound Guardian's body.

Compared to those released by the Void Realm incarnations, the true forms of the three items appeared even more sinister!

What the Void Realm incarnations wielded were merely pure 'objects'. What the Three Saints produced at this moment, however, seemed like living beings. The Mound Guardian even vaguely sensed three distinct gazes constantly scrutinizing his body. Faint, eerie laughter occasionally echoed in his ears. A cold, sinister aura permeated his body, seemingly through every pore. This caused the Mound Guardian intense 'discomfort'. It wasn't pain, but an instinctive repulsion, a desire to flee!

Fortunately, the three items were ultimately still under the Three Saints' control and had not forgotten their mission.

Tortoise shell against tortoise shell: the continuous shadow of Mount Shangfang pressed down, met by the boundless Mount Shangfang's resistance. Ancestral Bone against Ancestral Bone: with the infiltration of another force, the ancestor of mountain and sea creatures, the blood and flesh flowing out of the Mound Guardian's body instantly lost its direction, confused as to where to go. Life Rope against Life Rope: in the void, another Mound Guardian rope puppet quietly emerged. The vital essence that had been invisibly drawn away was slowly replenished by it!

The Three Saints' true forms intervened, instantly reversing the Mound Guardian's perilous situation and pulling him back from the brink of death!

The Three Saints and their Void Realm incarnations were truly like needle points against wheat awns. They were evenly matched, with neither gaining the upper hand!

The Mound Guardian, having escaped disaster, had no time to rejoice. Instead, an unbidden sense of unease welled up within him. It wasn't for himself, but for the Three Saints.

“If they are merely evenly matched... then how did the Three Saints perish in the spacetime of the previous life?”

“Could it be that...”

The Mound Guardian's heart trembled, and he was about to voice a warning. But the Void Realm incarnations seemed to have been waiting for a long time. Just as the Three Saints released the tortoise shell, Ancestral Bone, and Life Rope to save the Mound Guardian, in the Void Realm, accompanied by ripples, another three items suddenly descended!

Like meteors from beyond the sky, they were violently hurled into the field. The countless lines in the Six Saints' battlefield immediately fell into chaos!

The Life Rope entangled Lianshan, the tortoise shell suppressed Guihai, and the Ancestral Bone seized Taiyi.

As if premeditated, the Void Realm had astonishingly manifested these three items again, forcing them upon the Three Saints' bodies!

Witnessing this scene, the Mound Guardian instantly understood. The tortoise shell, Ancestral Bone, and Life Rope wielded by the Void Realm incarnations were, after all, merely derivations of the Void Realm's power, not truly existing objects. As long as enough power was invested, naturally, second and third copies could be manifested. However, the Three Saints only possessed the original tortoise shell, Ancestral Bone, and Life Rope. At this moment, due to a momentary oversight, using them to save the Mound Guardian's life led them into a critical situation themselves.

The Three Saints and their Void Realm incarnations were originally matched in strength. The additional tortoise shell, Ancestral Bone, and Life Rope now became the final straw that broke the camel's back!

The Three Saints wanted to recall their treasures for support, but they were already tightly entangled by the first copies. They had even abandoned their previous target, the Mound Guardian, long ago, willing to let their own forms gradually disintegrate just to hold back their counterparts.

The Mound Guardian suddenly looked into the depths of the Void Realm, where he seemed to see an entity that had suddenly made a move, revealing a faint, triumphant smile.

Given the Mound Guardian's nature, it was naturally impossible for him to stand by and let the Three Saints die because of him. Moreover, Li Fan's original plan for this life was to save the three lives and observe the changes in the Three Saints closely. He instinctively wanted to rush to their aid. However, that quick glance outside the Void Realm had caused the Mound Guardian to hesitate slightly. It wasn't that he feared death, but...

In an instant, after countless deductions in his mind, the Mound Guardian finally found a suitable method.

“The plan has changed.”

“Fellow Daoist Fan, do not reveal yourself; just observe in secret.”

“If any further anomalies descend from outside the Void Realm...”

“...they will only befall me.”

After transmitting his message, without waiting for Li Fan's reply, the Mound Guardian no longer concealed all the insights he had gained in this life. The Great Dao of True and False, the essential principles of Mountain and Sea transformation. He unleashed them without reservation.

In just a breath's time, his body, which had been ravaged by the tortoise shell, Ancestral Bone, and Life Rope, was restored to its peak condition. Taking a single step, he traversed the continuous Void Realm and arrived at the center where the Three Saints' true forms were encircled.

“All manner of destinies are like truth and falsehood, like dreams and illusions. To think of them is to void them, to conceptualize them is to falsify them!”

He reached out from afar and gently grasped the Life Rope that was entwining Saint Lianshan. As an anomaly approached, the Life Rope instinctively tried to manifest a puppet to control and then extract vital essence. But the thousands of divided threads, which had woven for a long time in the void, ultimately resulted in nothing! It was as if the Mound Guardian, who was now holding it, was neither within the mountains and seas nor within destiny itself!

“In times past, mountains were serene, and seas were calm; I sat upon a mountain and gazed at the sea. Now that the mountains and seas are in turmoil, I shall...”

“...bear them on my shoulders, carry them with my body.”

With an understated gesture, he took the faint, thin slice that was suppressing Saint Guihai. The tortoise shell trembled, appearing furious at the Mound Guardian's audacious action. But no matter how it emitted light, the Mound Guardian beneath it seemed entirely unaffected by the weight of the boundless Mount Shangfang. Completely untouched!

“The ancestor of all living beings in the world, its existence or non-existence, is but a fleeting thought.”

Without the Mound Guardian needing to say more, the Ancestral Bone, sensing the faintly extraordinary aura emanating from him, immediately disregarded Taiyi. It proactively began to erode him. Yet, even after exhausting all means of searching, it found nothing it desired. Inside the Mound Guardian, it was as if there was nothing at all. It was as if even the Mound Guardian himself did not exist in this world!

The Mound Guardian's appearance, rescuing the Three Saints, drew the focus of the tortoise shell, Ancestral Bone, and Life Rope's attacks. All of this happened in an instant.

In the Void Realm, the situation changed abruptly. The chaotic lines, representing countless conflicting possibilities, all fell silent. Even the surging waves of Dao Annihilation, which had never ceased, became eerily still at this moment.

And then...

Boom, boom, boom.

Faintly, continuous rumbling sounds came from various parts of the Void Realm. The endless Dao Annihilation, as if boiling, surged with overwhelming force, gradually surrounding the six Saints and the Mound Guardian in the field. Within the waves of Dao Annihilation, countless figures seemed to be forming. Most of them resembled the Three Saints, but there were also other Saints present. It seemed the Void Realm had exhausted all its available power, vowing to succeed in its encirclement here.

And the six Saints, who had been fighting each other, also stopped their movements simultaneously with remarkable understanding. They all looked at the Mound Guardian, who was encircled and surrounded, yet remained calm. With the three treasures—the tortoise shell, Ancestral Bone, and Life Rope—affixed to him, he stood unmoving. The continuous Void Realm waves could not harm him in the slightest.

The six figures, sensing the aura emanating from the Mound Guardian, could hardly conceal their shock.

“True... False... Great... Dao...”

The Void Realm incarnation of Saint Lianshan spoke slowly, word by word. What was revealed in his eyes was a madness and greed unbecoming of his identity as "Saint Lianshan," and the other two Void Realm incarnations were no different!

“We were originally slain, created anew by the Void Realm's power. But if we could wield the Great Dao of True and False...”

“What is life? What is death?”

The dark bodies formed by the Void Realm twisted in spasms. They seemed to be fighting against the mission assigned by the Void Realm, disregarding everything else to seize True and False and start anew. As for the Three Saints' true forms, while not as overt as their Void Realm incarnations, their expressions were also incredibly complex.

“To think that the Great Dao of True and False was hidden among us all this time.”

“Mound Guardian, you truly hid it well!”

The Mound Guardian merely smiled without speaking. Lianshan then frowned and asked, “Since you've hidden it for so long, why choose to suddenly reveal yourself now?”

Just as he was about to press further, he was interrupted by the Mound Guardian's words.

“Lianshan, after all, you've misunderstood.”

“The profound mystery of True and False has never been about hiding or revealing.”

“What if I tell you? With a single thought of 'Still True', knowledge vanishes again.”

“It is simply because I couldn't bear to see you perish trying to save me. With the Great Dao of True and False upon me, naturally, I must act from the heart!”

The Mound Guardian spoke as if discussing something completely unrelated to himself. He regarded the covetous gazes of the six surrounding Saints as nothing, completely calm and unconcerned. Even the myriad figures forming in the depths of the Void Realm were completely ignored by him.

“The Great Dao of True and False can, with a single thought, return to the stars.”

“Mere creations of the Void Realm...”

“What does it matter if thousands more come?”

The Mound Guardian spoke calmly, then unexpectedly closed his eyes: “This is perfect to prove what I have comprehended!”

It was as if he had returned to the time in the Primeval Immortal Realm when he sat on a mountain and gazed at the sea. The Mound Guardian's body and mind were completely at peace, without sorrow or joy, reflecting everything he saw within his heart. As his thoughts led, the power of True and False silently descended.

“I think, therefore I am not.”

The Mound Guardian's voice spread throughout the Void Realm. Like a gentle breeze sweeping through. Seemingly harmless, yet in reality...

The surging waves were pressed down by a pair of invisible hands, forced to subside. Most of the numerous figures that were manifesting vanished. And the three Void Realm incarnations closest to the Mound Guardian had already become transparent! Until the breeze swept past, they vanished.

Only then did the Void Realm incarnations of the Three Saints realize what had happened, their faces revealing expressions of terror.