My Simulated Road to Immortality Chapter 2253 - 1698: Stealing the Hai Zhen Dao

He had intended to sit back and reap the spoils like a patient fisherman, or perhaps enter the fray with the leisure of a seasoned hunter. Now, however, every spark of vitality had vanished, leaving him staring down a path of absolute ruin!

The Cosmic Cycle, which he had long believed to be firmly within his grasp, had suddenly turned into the predator. Its aura had become unfathomable, completely devoid of any threat to its own life.

This shift had occurred with terrifying speed.

It was utterly beyond belief.

Even though the secret-stealer had witnessed the transformation with his own eyes, he remained momentarily paralyzed by shock.

He could not comprehend how Li Fan—who was just moments ago withered and teetering on the brink of death—had managed to orchestrate such a massive reversal.

However, the mystery would not last long, as Li Fan was about to provide the answer.

"When True becomes False..."

"False is also True."

A spectral, fleeting whisper, carrying a mystical power that seemed to pierce through the Void Realm, suddenly hissed into the secret-stealer’s ear.

Although the secret-stealer could not grasp the literal meaning of the words, his instincts screamed that they were extraordinary.

His heart constricted with dread, and he moved desperately to suppress Li Fan.

But...

Li Fan abruptly reached out, seizing control of the situation in a heartbeat and locking the secret-stealer in place, making it impossible for him to move.

"What?!"

Only then did the secret-stealer realize, to his horror, that his opponent’s supposed fatal injuries were nothing more than an illusion!

Furthermore, the power surging from the Cosmic Cycle was now every bit as formidable as his own.

The two forces collided and locked together, resulting in a shocking stalemate.

"Has the Cosmic Cycle been concealing its true strength this entire time?" A wave of fury and shock washed over the secret-stealer’s mind.

Yet, something even more terrifying was about to unfold.

He was starting to realize that it wasn't a case of his opponent hiding their Cultivation level, but rather...

He was the one who was growing weaker.

In an instant, nearly half of his power evaporated without explanation, dragging his status down to that of a mere newly ascended Saint.

Such a nonsensical and bizarre phenomenon should not exist in this world!

Terror took root in the secret-stealer’s heart, but he forced himself to stay calm, frantically searching for a way to survive this impossible scenario.

He replayed the verse the Cosmic Cycle had just recited.

"When True becomes False, False is also True... When True becomes False, False is also True..."

Suddenly, the secret-stealer’s frame began to tremble.

Thinking back to the earlier clash between the Cosmic Cycle and Sui Jun, he finally understood.

"It appears as if all the negative consequences of time have vanished, rendered completely useless. In reality, it is the birth of a fresh existence upon a rotting corpse. With a single thought, moving from False to True. The power of Sui Jun, though revered by every Saint, clearly carries a heavy price."

"But how can anything withstand this infinite creation?"

"This is the metamorphosis of [False is also True]! And now..."

"My Saint Realm, my Cultivation base, my power, my destiny, and my lifespan—the accumulation of countless eras—all stripped away in a single day. It is so deep, so illogical..."

"True Yet False!"

From the start, there was never a Cosmic Cycle Saint; there was only a True and False Saint.

Even in the heat of battle, the secret-stealer managed to unravel this profound mystery. Instead of falling into despair, his eyes ignited with a brilliant, unprecedented light. His heart began to thrum with an excitement he hadn't felt in ages.

He finally saw his path to survival!

"The True and False Dao... The True and False Dao. To think such an incredible Daoist Principle actually exists within the Mountain and Sea."

"The ancient legends are actually real."

"Even at this dead end, a massive fortune is waiting. Even if [True and False] is your chosen Dao path, it doesn't mean I can't steal it for myself!"

His gaze burned with a murderous greed, flickering like a raging inferno.

The secret-stealer let out a heavy breath, and immediately, countless streaks of light began to pour out of his body.

These represented the various fortunes he had hoarded over the years, stolen from mortals, True Immortals, and even the Saints of the Mountain and Sea.

These stolen foundations were what had built his legendary reputation as the secret-stealer.

But now, he cast every single one of them aside!

He intended to make one final, desperate gamble, utilizing the purest essence of the "theft" Dao to snatch the True and False Dao from his enemy.

"If I can obtain True and False..."

"Then the Mountain and Sea will be mine!"

The released fortunes scattered like wild dragons, throwing the Void Realm into total chaos.

Naturally, by discarding these extra fortunes, the secret-stealer’s own strength plummeted even further.

However...

This allowed him to fully channel his "theft" Dao to hunt the True and False transformation right in front of him!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"When False becomes True..."

As Li Fan began his chant again, he suddenly felt a violent tremor in his soul.

Something invisible and freezing seemed to be shoved into his mind.

It was attempting to rip his consciousness away by force!

Buzz... Buzz...

A faint, sharp ringing began in his ears, quickly intensifying. It grew into a roar of thunder, exploding repeatedly inside Li Fan’s head!

Before Li Fan’s eyes, the glow of the Cosmic Cycle appeared.

Then, it blurred as everything began to shake.

An agonizing pain radiated through his physical form and his Divine Soul.

It felt like a thousand needles and knives were flaying him alive.

No words could truly capture the torment Li Fan was suffering at that moment.

Because of this distraction, the process of the True and False transformation was interrupted!

Sensing that his theft was working, the secret-stealer’s morale soared, and he moved to finish the job.

He even began to burn the very origin of his "Secret Stealer" Dao to fuel his effort.

This was a do-or-die moment; he would either succeed or perish.

Once the secret-stealer ignites his origin, there is no turning back. Even if Li Fan stopped the "True Yet False" reduction, the secret-stealer would eventually wither away into a powerless mortal due to the loss of his essence.

But in this moment, the secret-stealer did not waver!

"Even if I lose it all, if I can just seize the True and False Dao, I can flip the Qiankun in an instant."

Clinging to this conviction, the secret-stealer’s body began to glow with white heat.

The invisible hand buried deep within Li Fan’s Divine Soul clawed even more violently.

It was determined to find the essence of the True and False Dao!

Pain turned into fury, and fury transformed into pure spite.

Slowly adjusting to the agony of the "theft," Li Fan managed to pull his thoughts back together.

"False... is... True..."

Gritting his teeth, he forced the True and False transformation to activate once more.

Fortunately, after so many cycles, the execution of this technique had been carved into his very instincts.

Even though his mind was hazy, he could still perform the motions.

Another metaphorical blade fell from the sky.

But because the secret-stealer was burning up his own origin and his realm was already collapsing, the effect was significantly weaker than before.

The flames surrounding the secret-stealer still burned fiercely.

The light was almost enough to blind Li Fan.

"I've almost found it."

The secret-stealer’s instincts had always been flawless.

Particularly when it came to things that could be considered "treasures."

And the True and False Dao was without a doubt the greatest treasure in all the Mountain and Sea.

"Legend says that when the Mountain and Sea Divine Split was dying, it left behind three contingencies."

"Each one possesses the power to reshape the Mountain and Sea."

"After the God died, the Mountain and Sea evolved, but those three secrets were never discovered."

"Not until the Way began to fade and the Star arrived."

"The Mountain Sea Divine Split, the Star that devours the Mountain Sea. That is one."

"And this True and False Dao right before me..."

The closer the secret-stealer got, the more he could taste the power.

"Faintly establishing the root of all existence, silently birthing the shift between void and reality, hanging like a shining balance of all wonders..."