Chapter 484: Everyone is a Celestial Sovereign

"It's merely a struggle for interests; what does it have to do with good or evil?"

"If we were truly utterly evil, how could we have faced the Myriad Immortals Alliance's assaults for a millennium without suffering defeat?"

The scholar's question resonated powerfully once more.

Many cultivators from the Myriad Immortals Alliance showed thoughtful expressions upon hearing this.

Even more, however, appeared bewildered, as if their values had been profoundly shaken.

"Very well, let me first introduce you to the current situation of the Five Elders Council."

The scholar's colossal figure stood between heaven and earth, filling everyone's vision, as he began to speak engagingly.

"Currently, the territory of the Five Elders Council is divided into five regions."

"The five Celestial Venerables each govern their respective domains."

"As for the other Celestial Venerables' regions, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to comment arbitrarily. If you have the chance in the future, you can explore them yourselves."

"Let's just discuss the Human Dao Heavenly Realm where you currently reside."

The scholar's words attracted the attention of all the cultivators present, including Li Fan.

"The five Celestial Venerables, each defying the natural order of heaven and earth, created unique realms."

"In our Human Dao Heavenly Realm, the most crucial principle is the Dao of the Celestial Venerable's Enlightenment."

"It is also the fundamental order of the cosmos, which everyone must obey and no one can defy."

The scholar paused, then explained the origin of the Human Dao Heavenly Realm's name.

"Compared to heaven and earth, humans are but minuscule beings."

"Both body and name may perish, yet rivers flow for eternity."

"Even cultivators capable of overturning rivers and seas, who appear to reshape the world, will find that rivers can flow anew. But after a cultivator's death, all becomes void. Everything of the past vanishes like a fleeting dream, ceasing to exist."

"Only the Celestial Venerable of Longevity, by defying the principles of heaven and earth, can truly be said to alter the very fabric of existence!"

"Why is it that only the Celestial Venerable of Longevity can achieve such a grand feat?"

"In our Human Dao Heavenly Realm, altering the very fabric of existence is something anyone can achieve!"

The scholar declared, his voice resonating with conviction.

Though his words stirred a heroic spirit in their hearts, many in the crowd remained perplexed.

A number of cultivators, emboldened, spoke up and asked, "Sir, what do you mean by saying that 'anyone can alter the very fabric of existence'?"

The scholar smiled faintly, "When you arrived, did you happen to notice the brilliant starlight filling the heavens?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"In fact, those aren't actual stars, but cultivators from the past." The scholar's words echoed like thunder throughout the realm.

He waved his large hand, and the once bright sky instantly grew dim.

The darkness lasted but a moment, then was re-illuminated by countless specks of starlight.

"In the Human Dao Heavenly Realm, regardless of one's cultivation level, as long as they possess sufficient faith and courage, they can transform into a star and ascend into the firmament."

"While eternally illuminating the world, they can also alter the original form of the heavens and earth."

"A long time ago, within the Human Dao Heavenly Realm, there lived a young boy who was born between two great mountains."

The scholar began another story.

"The towering mountains blocked the way, making passage incredibly difficult. Consequently, the villagers lived in extreme poverty. Witnessing this, the young boy made a grand vow from childhood: to completely remove these two mountains and forge a path for his loved ones."

"The mountains were remote and rarely visited. The boy, unaware of the existence of immortals, simply attempted to dig through them with human strength."

"Though he faced misunderstanding and ridicule, he never wavered or felt regret."

"Such was his sincerity that it could move mountains; a century passed, and as the young boy became a dying old man, he remained steadfast in his resolve."

"Upon his death, he transformed into a star and ascended into the firmament. Under the starlight's glow, those two mountains vanished completely."

"This is an example of a mere mortal body completely altering the world."

"If mortals can achieve such feats, what then of cultivators? In the Human Dao Heavenly Realm, examples of profound transformations are countless!"

While Li Fan's puppet body was engrossed in the scholar's narration, his main body, however, had already reached Shilinzhou via a portal array.

With Myriad Immortals Island having been taken, all teleportation nodes leading to Congyun Sea were now inoperable.

He had no choice but to resort to the next best option: traveling via successive teleportation arrays until he reached Shilinzhou, which neighbors Congyun Sea.

As he attempted to fly into Congyun Sea, Li Fan suddenly discovered an invisible barrier enveloping the entire region.

It was completely sealed, preventing any outside entry.

"It appears they've finally reacted and implemented strict controls," Li Fan mused, narrowing his eyes without attempting to force his way through.

Instead, his main body first returned to a nearby immortal city, and his attention shifted to his clone, Zhou Qing'ang.

Ignoring the continuous alerts from the communication talismans on his person, the clone flew directly towards the former location of Myriad Immortals Island.

Along the way, he observed many cultivators, their faces filled with panic, rushing towards Myriad Immortals Island, unsure of what had transpired.

Only after losing the teleportation arrays did they truly appreciate the value of instantaneous travel.

It took the clone over ten days to reach its destination.

A large gathering of cultivators had already formed there, pointing and murmuring amongst themselves.

And in the center of the crowd was a huge black void.

The surrounding seawater appeared to be held back by some force, preventing it from flowing into the massive black void.

Within the azure expanse of the sea, the black void appeared eerily strange and incongruous.

Seeing this, Li Fan couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Why does this sight so closely resemble my first encounter with the Blazing Sea of Scarlet Flames?"

"Could it be that..."

A conjecture spontaneously formed in his mind, causing Li Fan to pause in surprise.

He recalled his earlier vision of the vanished Myriad Immortals Island, and the persistent scorching energy around the void.

He then remembered seeing Scarlet Flame standing high in the sky, wielding flames and scorching the Congyun Sea.

Li Fan had instinctively assumed that Scarlet Flame was responsible for the complete destruction of Myriad Immortals Island.

Indeed, it looked very similar.

Yet, having not personally witnessed Myriad Immortals Island's destruction, a second possibility existed.

That Myriad Immortals Island, like this world, had been entirely removed by some means.

Even later, after Scarlet Flame was slain and Ink Kill manifested, he still did not personally witness Myriad Immortals Island's destruction.

For before Myriad Immortals Island vanished entirely, he had already been consumed by the black particles.

Connecting this to the Five Elders Council's forceful abduction of Myriad Immortals Island this time, Li Fan couldn't help but feel a moment of bewilderment.

"Could it be that Myriad Immortals Island genuinely conceals some secret?"

He recalled numerous hidden secrets he had previously encountered, yet none contained any mention of this.

Li Fan once again found himself doubting his own judgment.

"This doesn't make sense. If Myriad Immortals Island truly held a secret, the Myriad Immortals Alliance couldn't possibly be oblivious. It should have been strictly guarded; how could the Five Elders Council have abducted it so easily?"

Just as Li Fan was racking his brain for an explanation, he overheard a cultivator among the onlookers lament, "How unpredictable life is. To think that the Celestial Venerable of Dharma's original place of teaching would one day vanish."

Li Fan was slightly taken aback.

He quickly stepped forward and greeted them.

He then asked, "Fellow Daoist, what did you mean by 'the Celestial Venerable of Dharma's original place of teaching' just now?"