My Simulated Road to Immortality Chapter 2268 - 1705: Manifesting Sainthood Before Faan and Saints (Part 2)

A sudden shift occurred in his expression.

He cast his gaze toward the same horizon Li Fan had been observing just moments before.

Gradually, his countenance grew incredibly grave.

"Have you perceived it, Daoist? Do you see the reason for our demise?" Mountain Lian inquired after a prolonged silence.

His demeanor had already undergone a subtle transformation.

"Void Realm Incarnate." Li Fan enunciated each syllable with deliberate weight, delivering the verdict.

"So, that is the truth of it."

With a sound like a heavy sigh, the spectral image of Mountain Lian ceased its flickering and became solid.

It was his true self, returning from the profound depths of the Void Realm.

Gui Hai followed shortly after, then Taiyi.

One by one, the other saints also made their return.

The impending fall of the Three Saints was a matter of dire urgency.

Their operations within the Void Realm, intended to reconnect mountain and sea, had to be suspended immediately.

No one could be certain if another Void Realm Incarnate might manifest within the current mountain and sea Void Realm to slaughter the Three Saints once more!

"Can the words of this Mountain Sea Saint truly be trusted?"

Upon the Other Shore, the saints who had retreated alongside the Three Saints looked toward Li Fan, their eyes filled with visible shock.

Beneath that surprise, however, lay a buried seed of unshakable dread.

The Three Saints were undeniably the pinnacle of their strength. If even they could not preserve their own lives...

"Though we possess the Divine Technique of Primordial Undying, it remains a desperate measure we are forced to employ. Each time we lose the opportunity and creation that follows the reconnection of mountain and sea, our maximum potential limit withers slightly. We must not fall unless there is no other path," Taiyi spoke slowly, establishing their stance.

"To be on the verge of falling, yet not yet fallen... even the lowliest ants cling to life. It is only natural to seek salvation," Saint Gui Hai added with a solemn tone.

"However, since the mountain and sea are not yet reconnected, a forced departure presents a dilemma. On one hand, without the merit of reconnection, our strength will not advance; we might fail to save them and instead forfeit our own lives. On the other hand, when venturing toward a more ancient mountain and sea across the Void Realm, even the shadow of Xuan Ji might perish. If we vanish from the present mountain and sea..." Mountain Lian let his gaze sweep over the assembly, shaking his head slightly.

Li Fan, appearing to have read the minds of the Three Saints, offered a smile: "There is no need for concern. I possess a strategy that can resolve your worries."

"Oh?"

As the Three Saints looked on in confusion, Li Fan calmly presented his fix: "Simply complete the reconnection of mountain and sea before the Void Realm Incarnate arrives."

Taiyi’s brow furrowed slightly: "Even with your help, the task of connecting mountain and sea is too great for a single pillar to uphold..."

Li Fan dismissed this with a wave of his hand: "I shall show you. The reason I can pierce through the mysteries of the Void Realm is because of this object!"

Upon finishing his sentence, Li Fan reached out toward the Void beyond the mountain and sea, as if grasping for the very stars and moon.

Descending starlight seemed to transform into a surging, vast river.

Before the eyes of the gathered, the boundless True Spirit that had accumulated within the Void was stirred into a frenzy by Li Fan.

It obeyed his summons submissively, coiling around him.

The previously barren Endless Mountain and Sea Map began to glow with vibrant life, fueled by the presence of these gathered True Spirits.

"What?!"

The shock felt by All Saints was far greater now than it had been moments ago.

"Daoist, you possess the power to manipulate the accumulated True Spirit of the Void Realm?" Saint Lianshan’s voice rose in disbelief.

The other saints within the Xuanji Ring were even more stunned.

As they stared at Li Fan, their faces displayed a complex web of emotions.

Previously, they viewed the Mountain Sea Saint as merely a slightly more powerful peer—a case of three saints becoming four.

But Li Fan’s ability to mobilize and utilize the Void’s accumulated True Spirit changed the nature of his existence entirely.

"If this were my only feat, how could it truly display my Divine Technique?"

Li Fan spoke with an air of pride: "Accumulated True Spirit is limitless. Using it in its raw form is mundane. The true miracle lies in refining it into the resources of saints..."

"That is where the true blessing lies!"

With those words, Li Fan turned his attention toward Real Mountain Sea.

His eyes scanned the area as if searching for a specific target.

"Could it be..." Observing Li Fan’s movements, the saints began to suspect his intent.

Yet they dared not believe it, remaining silent as they waited for Li Fan to act.

"I have the means to channel the accumulated True Spirit of the Void into a body, using it to forge a saint!"

Having declared this, Li Fan located Jin Gui.

Jin Gui had lingered in the Transcendence Realm for countless years, standing just a hair's breadth away from sainthood.

Yet, that gap remained an insurmountable Heavenly Moat.

Being suddenly seized by Li Fan, Jin Gui was initially struck by terror. However, seeing the other saints present on the Other Shore, he moved to offer a respectful salute.

Before he could finish the gesture, Li Fan’s palm pressed down upon his head.

"Everyone, witness this for yourselves."

The massive surge of True Spirit suddenly seemed to gain a soul. Guided by Li Fan, it poured into Jin Gui’s frame!

Under the watchful eyes of the saints, a common stone was refined into a piece of flawless jade!

In an instant, the new Saint Jin Gui was brought into existence within the Xuanji Ring.

"I am eternally grateful for this creation, senior!" The newly ascended Saint Jin Gui cried out, overwhelmed with gratitude.

Meanwhile, the other saints remained speechless for a long time.

In a mere moment, Li Fan had delivered one shock after another.

Achieving sainthood within the mountain and sea, seeing through the Void to more ancient realms, and manipulating the True Spirits of the Void.

And beyond all that, using those spirits to enlighten others into sainthood.

Any one of these abilities would be extraordinary on its own. It was a paradox that they were all concentrated within Li Fan!

Even with the vast experience of the Three Saints, they required time to process and accept these revelations.

"Delay only invites disaster. The lives of the three saints ahead are reaching their conclusion!"

Li Fan’s soft sigh broke the saints' trance.

The newly minted Saint Jin Gui was startled by this news, but knowing no better, he remained quiet.

Finally, the Three Saints reached a consensus.

"Make haste, reconnect the mountain and sea."

In this realm, having attained the status of Mountain Sea Saint, Li Fan’s control over the accumulated True Spirits grew even more refined.

Even after the exertion of enlightening Saint Jin Gui, he showed no signs of fatigue.

Just as he had done in the previous world, he sought out Dao De and Bai Xiao, enlightening each of them in turn.

With the combined might of all the saints, the reconnection of mountain and sea was swiftly achieved.

Amidst a thunderous roar, the mountain and sea were naturally infused with a renewed vitality.

Every saint present reaped great benefits from the event.

However, their expressions did not soften.

This was entirely due to Li Fan’s previous warning.

"The doom of the Three Saints lies just ahead."

Li Fan gazed toward a fragment of an even more ancient mountain and sea, speaking quietly to himself.

Lianshan, Gui Hai, and Taiyi sensed the truth of it and nodded slightly.

"The Void Realm Incarnate has likely already arrived. However, our deaths are not an instantaneous event. This will require a long-term strategy," Gui Hai observed for a moment before speaking with certainty.

"While we have gained some creation from the mountain and sea, victory is not certain. Of course, if we could receive further support..." Taiyi turned his gaze toward Li Fan.

Li Fan replied: "I have strength to spare. I can enlighten those in this region who possess the talent to be molded. Reconnecting the mountain and sea is a simple matter for us now. But..."

Li Fan hesitated, then added seriously: "As Gui Hai noted, a battle with a Void Realm Incarnate is not settled in a night. A conflict involving six saints, if left unchecked, could devastate the mountain and sea."

"Furthermore..."

"The Void Realm Incarnate is here specifically to slay the Three Saints. If we intervene and the attempt fails, who can say the Void Realm won't dispatch even more powerful Incarnates afterward? We might survive one battle, but can we endure a second or a third?"

Faced with Li Fan’s query, a heavy silence fell over the saints.

Aside from the Three Saints, none of them had ever truly faced these so-called Void Realm Incarnates.

"Mr. Fan has indeed weighed the consequences carefully. But be at ease; if a Void Realm Incarnate is destroyed once, it will not return immediately. It will, at the very least, buy us a period of peace. And on the time scale of the mountain and sea Void Realm, that respite would last for an incredibly long era," Saint Gui Hai clarified.

"As for the damage to the mountain and sea..."

The Three Saints looked at one another, then turned back to Li Fan: "Since the Void Realm Incarnate is here for us, we should confront it directly."

"With you watching over the mountain and sea, it should remain protected."

The Three Saints' response was exactly what Li Fan had anticipated, yet he shook his head slightly: "I am capable of enlightening saints, but I cannot shield the mountain and sea."

"First, the process of continuous enlightenment would eventually cause the mountain and sea to show signs of withering. Second, as you have witnessed, the Mountain and Sea Map only reflects the Shadow of Mountain and Sea; it lacks true substance. To endure the shockwaves of your battle..."

"It may prove insufficient."

Li Fan spoke with total sincerity.