Chapter 1706: Billion-Year History

Lian Shan represents the civilization of Shan Hai. Gui Hai represents the beings of Shan Hai. Tai Yi represents the Great Dao of Shan Hai. Together, the Three Sages approximately embody Shan Hai itself.

Under Li Fan's influence, the Three Sages immersed all the other Sages within the Xuanji Ring into their own long memories. This immersion didn't begin when Shan Hai's consciousness divided, but rather from the moment the Primordial Immortal Realm began to disintegrate and Shan Hai gradually started to merge.

As this was an experiential memory, no distinct individual entities were formed. Instead, all the Sages appeared as countless green specks of light gathered together.

What the Three Sages saw and heard manifested as three separate light screens before the other Sages. Although it was merely a "viewing," the Three Sages, using their immeasurable power, imbued the experience with a sense of "being there," making it almost indistinguishable from a personal experience.

Through the eyes of the Three Sages, they faintly glimpsed a corner of the true Primordial Immortal Realm. What had previously been an abstract concept now gradually became concrete and clear.

The Primordial Immortal Realm was born and evolved after Shan Hai's consciousness divided, during its initial creation. This was possibly because the true god was boundless, making it difficult for Shan Hai to consume and absorb everything, or perhaps Shan Hai did not acquire everything when the true god fell. Regardless, within the Primordial Immortal Realm, there were numerous peculiar entities that had formed naturally, some even subsisting on the Dao itself. Beings fiercely competed with each other, with some even coveting the miraculous opportunity of being absorbed by Shan Hai.

Competition permeated all existence, and life flourished vibrantly. There were no boundaries, no restrictions, and no taboos. Survival was entirely dependent on one's own abilities.

No one knew how long the Primordial Immortal Realm had existed. Yet, even something as enduring as Shan Hai could not last forever, and it ultimately met its end on this day.

Countless tiny black holes appeared in every corner of the Primordial Immortal Realm. Like terrifying vortices, they devoured everything around them. The foundational principles that constituted the realm instantly vanished. Beings scattered, struggling for their lives, their conflicts forgotten.

The green specks of light flickered ceaselessly as the Sages' thoughts intertwined. "The Primordial Immortal Realm, such a magnificent and vast existence, nurturing countless Great Daos and beings, yet it disintegrated in an instant as Shan Hai began to merge!"

"No matter how extraordinary it was, it was merely an experiment by Shan Hai. Once Shan Hai realized its destiny was to merge, it was naturally discarded."

"Born from a thought of Shan Hai, and extinguished by a thought of Shan Hai…"

"I didn't expect even the Three Sages to feel fear."

"This scene strongly resembles our struggles before the advent of Dao Annihilation. We are experiencing what our predecessors experienced billions of years ago. It seems Shan Hai is like a vast cycle."

The disintegration of the Primordial Immortal Realm was like a merciless storm, sweeping away the surviving beings within it. Even powerful entities like the Three Sages were like tiny insects in the wind, buffeted by its ravages, utterly unable to resist this grand momentum of Shan Hai. They could only desperately flap their wings, striving for survival. The Sages, who had just been discussing amongst themselves, were now, with the passage of time, suddenly engulfed by the storm of Shan Hai's collapse, gradually losing the ability to speak. Only then did they truly understand what a fortune it had been to be protected by the Primordial Immortal Realm.

This calamity was similar to the Dao Annihilation that extinguished all, yet fundamentally different. This storm was Shan Hai's process of utilizing everything to its fullest and expelling foreign elements. All that had originated from the gods, which Shan Hai had not previously absorbed, was now being completely reclaimed. Nothing would remain besides Shan Hai itself. There would be no transcendent beings, no one superior to Shan Hai. To survive the storm, one could only become a part of Shan Hai.

The storm raged for tens of millions of years before finally subsiding. Had the Sages experienced this personally, rather than merely observing it within the Three Sages' memories, it is likely that fewer than one in ten would have survived this catastrophe.

As if having absorbed all the essence gained from the gods, Shan Hai finally revealed its true form. The Infinite Sea, nurturing all possibilities, existed without the concept of time, with myriad starlight points, cycles of birth and death continuously evolving and dissipating within it. Above, the Upper Mountain stood majestically. Though formless and intangible, it represented eternal energy and foundational stability. Like a pillar, the Upper Mountain's presence was what allowed the infinite possibilities within the Infinite Sea to persist. Shan and Hai were interdependent, seemingly distinct yet mutually reliant.

The Sages began to converse again. "Everyone, this initial Shan Hai… it seems vastly different from what we've seen in later times?" "The Shan Hai of later ages, with its so-called infinite possibilities, still exists within the confines of the long river of time, like thousands of great rivers flowing simultaneously. But this Shan Hai..." "Here, possibilities are like ripples and waves occasionally stirring in a quiet pond. They appear and dissipate without affecting the Infinite Sea itself. Compared to the current Shan Hai, the state of the initial Shan Hai was undoubtedly more stable. Why was it forcibly merged?" These questions arose in the Sages' minds.

However, such thoughts could only arise from the perspective of observers. The beings truly experiencing it at that moment were focused on only one thing: survival!

Compared to the previous land of unrestrained freedom, the rules of the newly formed Shan Hai were incredibly strict, even cruel. Regardless of strength, no one could exist indefinitely. Beings could only, like the countless possibilities continuously evolving, emerging, and perishing within the Infinite Sea, find their life and death beyond their control. Even those who had once roamed freely and proudly in the Primordial Immortal Realm now silently faded away. Shan Hai's new rules were undoubtedly incredibly harsh for the beings of the past, yet they forged a new, sufficiently stable order. Between the birth and demise of possibilities, an unfathomable pattern seemed to be at play. Though the pond was dotted with starlight, its waters remained as calm as ever, with the Upper Mountain serving as a stable pillar at its edge. Shan and Hai coexisted in balance and harmony.

Most of their former companions had perished. The Three Sages, however, remained dormant within Shan Hai, either having already reintegrated into it or quietly awaiting their moment.

The initial Shan Hai was exceptionally calm. The possibilities evolving within it were also remarkably simple; there weren't even true living beings, only life forms akin to algae.

However, as the light points in the Infinite Sea flickered in varying patterns, the forms of evolving possibilities gradually became richer. In some possibilities, intelligent life began to appear.

The Three Sages, struggling to survive under Shan Hai's strict rules, seized the opportunity to enter these possibilities to find respite. Compared to the newly born, ignorant beings within these possibilities, the Three Sages, originating from the Primordial Immortal Realm, were indeed true "sages." However, they refrained from any intervention, choosing only to observe silently. When they sensed a possibility was nearing its demise, they promptly withdrew, continuing their struggle for survival within the Infinite Sea. This cycle continued for an unknown period.

Had no unexpected events occurred, Shan Hai might have remained forever in this calm state. However, one day, without any warning, the Infinite Sea suddenly began to boil and churn. The starry expanse above, like a bright mirror, seemed to reflect scenes from beyond Shan Hai. The Three Sages looked up, attempting to seize the opportunity to peer through. Although they only glimpsed fragmented images, they instantly understood the reason for Shan Hai's upheaval!

After Shan Hai absorbed the god, it sought to maintain an "eternal" state, devoid of time's passage. Seemingly, it succeeded in achieving a state without beginning or end, allowing for perpetual existence. However, at this very moment, outside Shan Hai, time was still quietly flowing, unnoticed by Shan Hai! It was as if, from beginning to end, a pair of eyes had been coldly watching them.