Chapter 1694: Perfect Match of the Guard Hill

“In my last life, it was entirely thanks to Shouqiu’s help that I was able to glimpse the true face behind the Void Realm. However, I also came to understand the truth of Reversion. My heart was truly a mix of joy and bitterness.”

“I hope you don’t find it laughable, Shouqiu,” Li Fan said, shaking his head and sighing as he truthfully recounted what he had discovered after activating Reversion. “But I stubbornly spent years on this Disjunction Mountain peak and still haven't fully processed it.”

“Fellow Daoist Fan, there’s no need for such sentiments. To possess the Great Dao of Truth and Illusion is a fortune that countless cultivators in the Mountains and Seas, even many Sages, yearn for but cannot attain,” Grandpa Shouqiu said, his expression solemn, after pondering for a moment.

“Even if it’s truly as you suspect…”

“Reversion relies on your infinite spirituality to continuously reshape the Mountains and Seas with the power of truth and illusion. And you, in turn, benefit from Reversion’s constant cycles of reincarnation; in just a hundred lives, you’ve attained the realm of a top-tier Sage in the Mountains and Seas. As the saying goes, it’s a match made in heaven; the two are inseparable.”

“Fellow Daoist Fan, why don’t you ask yourself honestly: Without the assistance of Reversion, given your circumstances, how many years could you have lived in this Xuanhuang Realm, and to what realm could you have cultivated?” Grandpa Shouqiu’s phantom asked, pointing towards the peak of Disjunction Mountain and gesturing towards the Xuanhuang Realm beyond the vast sea of clouds.

Li Fan recalled his various experiences in the Xuanhuang Realm over the years, and after a moment of silence, he helplessly replied, “It would probably be difficult even to leave this Grand Profound Minor World right before us.”

“Precisely. With Reversion in hand, you are already blessed by heaven. How could there be no cost at all? If that were the case, wouldn’t all the good fortunes in the Mountains and Seas be monopolized by you alone?” Grandpa Shouqiu chuckled.

“Besides…”

Unsure what he had recalled, Shouqiu’s smile quickly faded, and he asked, “Do you feel that your Infinite True Spirit has recovered?”

Li Fan carefully examined himself and nodded slightly. “It should be fine. There’s no difference from how I’ve felt after waking up from Reversion in the past.”

Shouqiu couldn’t help but exclaim, “The Infinite True Spirit, now that I think about it, is truly incredible. Its miraculous creation is almost comparable to Reversion. This means that the feeling of your body being hollowed out and depleted, like a lamp running out of oil, which you experienced while traversing to the End of Mountains and Seas, was very likely an illusion caused by your True Spirit being consumed at an incredibly terrifying rate. Once the extraction stopped, even if you did nothing, you would naturally recover slowly. Of course, it’s also possible that…”

“It’s also true that it was almost completely depleted. However, after you fell into a deep sleep, it was replenished through some means. Naturally, both lead to the same outcome.” Shouqiu offered another conjecture after hearing Li Fan’s account.

Li Fan thought for a moment and slowly nodded in agreement.

“In any case, so far, Reversion’s operational mechanism hasn't had much of an adverse effect on you. Even the most exceptional Sages are still far from being able to participate in the game between Reversion and the Stars. Fellow Daoist Fan, what you need to do now is to improve your strength as much as possible,” Shouqiu patiently advised, offering his suggestion.

“For this life’s inheritance option, it’s still best to choose the Outline of Mountains and Seas’ Transformations. It really shouldn’t be wasted on allowing me to inherit memories. In the previous life, the power behind the Void Realm acted, and its impact on the Mountains and Seas must have been immense…”

Li Fan waved his hand. “After all, it can be re-observed; it’s nothing to worry about. I think it’s more important to have your assistance, Shouqiu. This is also the first time I’ve allowed someone else to inherit anything in all my many cycles of reincarnation…”

Shouqiu smiled. “What about your aunt then? Doesn’t she count?”

Li Fan’s words stopped abruptly, as he had almost forgotten about that.

However, given his current familiarity with Shouqiu, he didn’t feel any particular emotion or sentimentality and quickly moved past the topic.

“Shouqiu, now that you’ve gained the memories of a past life, have you felt any changes in yourself?”

“Indeed, there has been an amplification. However, the effect is similar to the divine ability of your True Spirit Infusion. The improvement in aptitude due to an increase in True Spirit is more significant when one’s starting point is more ordinary. Once one possesses the qualifications to become a Saint, even if it increases further, there won’t be a particularly noticeable change. This is because…”

“The limit of creation in the Mountains and Seas lies here.”

“Living beings originate from the Mountains and Seas; Sages are on par with the Mountains and Seas. Therefore, a Saint is the limit for beings in the Mountains and Seas. To take another step forward, to contend with the Stars and Gods…”

Shouqiu looked at Li Fan. “One must either obtain assistance from external rare treasures, or emulate the Mountains and Seas in devouring gods!”

Li Fan naturally understood that the “external rare treasures” Shouqiu spoke of referred to Reversion.

As for emulating the Mountains and Seas in devouring gods, that was something countless Sages in the Mountains and Seas, and even the Three Sages themselves, were attempting.

“With the experience from the previous life, the plan for this life can be more comprehensive. Reversion is truly convenient to use…” Grandpa Shouqiu couldn’t help but sigh with emotion while discussing the actions for this life with Li Fan.

“My Reversion is essentially your Reversion, Shouqiu. Since you find it convenient, then use it more. As the saying goes, the more the merrier.”

For over a hundred cycles of reincarnation, Li Fan had always guarded the secrets of Reversion and his own unique traits alone. Now, being able to share everything without reservation with another person, he suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of ease.

More critically, Shouqiu’s character made him trustworthy to Li Fan. Furthermore, the initiative for all this remained in Li Fan’s hands. Whether to inherit or share was entirely Li Fan’s decision.

If things were to change, he could very well choose not to let Shouqiu inherit in the next life, and continue guarding Reversion’s secrets alone.

As for Li Fan’s thoughts, Shouqiu naturally saw them clearly.

However, he had no objections.

Just as he had advised Li Fan, everything in the world comes with a price. Li Fan’s assistance from Reversion was a blessing from heaven. Wasn’t his own invitation to enter Reversion also such a blessing?

“To be able to see sights previously unseen is already a great blessing. There’s no need to demand too much; just proceed and observe.” Shouqiu held this principle in his heart, and thus harbored no ill will regarding his half-utilized, half-cooperative relationship with Li Fan.

“In the previous life, you achieved Sainthood directly by manifesting the Shadow of Mountains and Seas, which was a bit too high-profile. You should know that even a small True Spirit Infusion is enough to attract the attention of the Three Sages. It would be better to lie low, silently assist the Three Sages in restoring the Mountains and Seas, and journey towards the more ancient past.”

“As for the matter of the Mountains and Seas perishing in some timelines, my suggestion is to observe quietly. Even if the Three Sages disappear for a period, it won’t affect their overall strength. On the contrary, the weaker the Three Sages around us are, the greater your potential will be. It might even be possible for the power of discourse in the Xuanji Ring to change hands.”

“Of course, if you wish to act independently, setting aside the Three Sages, that’s also fine. But my suggestion is still to hide behind the Three Sages when you first arrive in the Mountains and Seas…”

Shouqiu analyzed slowly and carefully, only explaining the pros and cons, without interfering with Li Fan’s choice.

After he finished speaking, Li Fan pondered for a long time and finally nodded in agreement.

“What Shouqiu says makes sense. It’s good to seek shelter under a big tree, so let the Three Sages be our big trees for a few more lives!”

“However, that’s a matter for later. The power behind the Void Realm caused the changes in the Mountains and Seas, and I am determined to investigate that as soon as possible. I have a vague premonition in my heart that it might be of immense help in comprehending the transformations of truth and illusion, and even in Reversion’s reshaping of the Mountains and Seas.”

Shouqiu recalled his experiences in the previous life and pondered thoughtfully: “The game between the Void Realm and the Mountains and Seas already involves the most powerful forces in the Mountains and Seas. It’s like a game of chess that has lasted countless ages.”

“The transformation of truth and illusion, ‘recreating the Mountains and Seas,’ can perhaps be seen as returning all scattered chess pieces, both on and off the board, to their original positions. From the changes on the board, one can glimpse the hand outside the board…”

“It should be feasible.”

Hearing Shouqiu’s words, Li Fan became even more certain of his plan.

After a discussion, they proceeded according to the plan. In this life, since he had not chosen to inherit his cultivation, strictly speaking, Li Fan’s current realm was still that of a mortal.

However, with Li Fan’s current experience, it was not difficult for him to gradually return to the realm of a Saint from a mortal state.

But to prevent any unforeseen incidents, before Shouqiu’s phantom departed, he still left behind a surge of power for self-defense.

Li Fan no longer relied on the Divine Shadow he had visualized to ostentatiously become a Mountains and Seas Saint. Instead, he cultivated step by step.

The path he chose was precisely the Dao of Zhouhui.

Although it was step by step, given his deep comprehension of the Great Dao of Zhouhui and his familiarity with the possibilities of the original location, the speed of his progress on this renewed path was still astonishing.

In the previous life, it took five hundred years, but this life was faster, taking just over three hundred years to ascend to the realm of a Saint in one fell swoop.

Shaking the Mountains and Seas!

“Reincarnation itself is an immense fortune.”

Through his personal practice, Li Fan gained new insights into the Dao of Zhouhui.

Correspondingly, on the Reversion Dao’s Return to Truth panel, the radiant, multi-colored character for ‘Second Zhouhui’ underwent another transformation.

Its brilliance gradually faded, as if returning to its original simplicity, shedding its superficial luster, revealing its most pristine and unadorned form.

It appeared no different from the initial state of other Great Dao characters. But as the master of Zhouhui, Li Fan could clearly feel that the Second Zhouhui had truly gained Reversion’s recognition only now.

Li Fan looked at the remaining empty positions in the Great Dao Return to Truth Hall, and a strange glint flashed in his eyes.

“The Great Dao returning to truth might not be about entering Reversion. It might be about them returning to their respective original states.”

“All Great Daos of the Mountains and Seas originate from the Gods. However, after the Mountains and Seas divided the divine, they became tainted by the transformations of the Mountains and Seas, and the Great Daos changed accordingly. Only by removing the influence of the Mountains and Seas can they, to a certain extent, revert to their origins and reveal their original appearances.”

This realization, Li Fan would not have been able to attain if he hadn’t personally embarked on another cultivation journey.

And under Shouqiu’s influence, he retraced his path and gained this enlightenment.

This further convinced Li Fan of the wisdom of bringing Shouqiu into Reversion.

Becoming a Saint through Zhouhui naturally didn't cause the same widespread upheaval as in the previous life. He simply, in his capacity as “Shouqiu’s friend,” traveled to the Other Shore and took his seat in the Xuanji Ring.

However, after Li Fan “inadvertently” revealed his True Spirit Infusion ability, he once again attracted the attention of the other Sages.

Regarding the origin of this ability, Li Fan himself claimed to have no knowledge.

He speculated that it might be related to Emperor Tianluo.

“When the Immortal Realm was devoured by Dao Annihilation, I narrowly escaped death. My true body perished, leaving only a fragment of my True Spirit, which fled into the lower star sea. After numerous cycles of reincarnation, I have reached my present state. After reincarnation, I noticed that I seemed to have undergone some inexplicable and indiscernible change. Not only was my talent superior to my past, but I also developed strange and wonderful traits.” Li Fan frowned, and said slowly, “Puzzled by this, upon closer reflection, I thought it might be related to Emperor Tianluo’s insane plan back then. I asked Shouqiu, and he said that after our home Immortal Realm disappeared, he also benefited from it. It’s just that his strength is superior, so the impact on him wasn’t as obvious as it was on me.”

Shouqiu also nodded in agreement.

With Shouqiu’s corroboration, the credibility of Li Fan’s claims was subtly elevated by more than threefold.

The other Sages in the Xuanji Ring all showed contemplative expressions.

Li Fan took the opportunity to ask, “With the power of the Three Sages, the Mountains and Seas should be entirely under your control. Did you detect any clues regarding the anomaly in my homeland back then?”

Sage Taiyi chuckled dismissively, “The Mountains and Seas are constantly in flux. The possibility of instantaneous annihilation is always present, and we are not omniscient and omnipotent, so it’s not surprising if there were oversights. However…”

Taiyi paused his words, as if he was deducing something.

“Now that Zhouhui mentions it,” he continued, “at that moment back then, we did indeed seem to have a strange premonition arise within us.”

The Three Sages exchanged glances, but their words abruptly stopped.

After a long while, Lianshan finally spoke, “It was as if some opportunity passed us by. The feeling of that opportunity was quite similar to the tremor we felt when we attained the Dao.”

“But it was just a fleeting, extremely subtle premonition. If Zhouhui hadn’t reminded us today, we wouldn’t have even noticed it. This Emperor Tianluo…”

“Gods derive the Mountains and Seas. Other than the Mountains and Seas and the Void Realm, there is nothing else. If one wishes to transcend again, where could one possibly transcend to? The blessings you received might not truly be feedback from successful transcendence. It’s also possible that it was merely the aftermath of an entire timeline’s Immortal Realm, along with wondrous Great Dao artifacts like those of Emperor Tianluo, perishing together in an instant…”

Shouqiu instantly understood Sage Lianshan’s meaning. “So, the changes in our bodies might all stem from Emperor Tianluo’s guarded item? What kind of fortune could cause such an anomaly?”

Guihai smiled. “Everything turned to naught, so there’s no way to investigate. However, perhaps some clues still exist in the Mountains and Seas of the past. Once we restore the Mountains and Seas and traverse to a time when Emperor Tianluo still existed, we can investigate face-to-face.”

“With the help of Fellow Daoist Zhouhui, the probability of success for this matter has greatly increased.”

Li Fan immediately showed modesty and ceased to bring up the topic.

The method of True Spirit Infusion indeed offered groundbreaking assistance for the restoration of the Mountains and Seas.

Not only could it generate a continuous supply of reserve Saint power, but it also allowed the Sages to no longer worry about erosion from Dao Annihilation in the Void Realm, thus having no more concerns.

They could then fully focus on restoring the Mountains and Seas.

Just as Li Fan had experienced in previous lives, the monumental project of restoring the Mountains and Seas, which originally required careful handling even by the Three Sages, could now be completed by the Sages with ease.

After the first successful restoration, all Sages received their respective fortunes, and there was widespread joy on the Other Shore.

Only the Three Sages, looking towards the more ancient Mountains and Seas, had a premonition of their impending demise.

“May I ask, Three Sages, is there something amiss ahead?”

At this moment, Shouqiu asked.

After pondering for a while, the Three Sages revealed the difficulties facing the Mountains and Seas ahead, and their own impending crisis of demise.

The joyful atmosphere on the Other Shore instantly dissipated.

Li Fan said solemnly, “The Three Sages are our pillars, crucial to restoring the Mountains and Seas; there must be no mishaps whatsoever. Since the Mountains and Seas face peril ahead, we should immediately rush to their aid!”

“Even if it's a crisis difficult for the Three Sages in a segment of time and space, what if we too join them?”

His words were uttered with noble righteousness and passionate fervor.