My Simulated Road to Immortality Chapter 2288 - 1715: Bearing the Gods of the Three Saints

The unknown remains eternal and unchanging, regardless of how chaotic the environment becomes.

Li Fan sat securely upon his throne, observing the frantic activity of others with a faint smile.

From time to time, certain individuals or civilizations would harbor the desire to challenge his supremacy.

Yet, the moment such a thought manifested, it was stifled by an inexplicable, lingering dread.

Every living being and every civilization possesses a fundamental instinct for survival.

It is frequently this very instinct that dictates the course of their destiny.

Inside Li Fan at this moment, though the underlying logic remained obscure, countless phantom civilizations were making a choice, guided by the primal urge to seek safety and shun peril.

In the world outside, myriad images towered and clashed against one another in a state of high agitation.

In contrast, the space where Li Fan remained was perfectly tranquil and still.

The immense pressure of the Mountain and Sea Civilization resting upon him felt as insignificant as a stray thread.

As he slowly acclimated to the fragmenting influence of the Mountain and Sea Civilization, Li Fan, secluded in his chamber, gradually reclaimed his independent sense of self.

Peering forward through the dense layers of overlapping phantoms, he seemed to catch the gaze of Saint Lianshan watching him from a distance.

Li Fan gave a small nod of recognition.

Just as Saint Lianshan had mentioned, this was merely a faint sliver of divine sense. Consequently, the Saint responded to Li Fan’s gesture with only a minimal acknowledgment.

Communication between the two was sparse.

Lianshan’s divine sense was anchored within Li Fan.

Because of this link, Li Fan could perceive the silhouette of Lianshan.

In the same vein, Lianshan could clearly distinguish Li Fan amidst the swarm of phantoms encircling him.

And yet...

It was as if he looked but could not truly see.

An invisible veil seemed to shroud Li Fan, masking his deepest secrets.

This was the core reason why even the Mountain and Sea Civilization instinctively recoiled from him.

Saint Lianshan was fully aware of this fact.

However, since the Mountain and Sea Civilization—the very fountain of his strength—unanimously chose to avoid this danger, how could Saint Lianshan choose otherwise?

He followed suit, choosing to bypass and ignore the anomaly three times over.

In truth, long before Li Fan had disturbed the True Spirit within the Void Realm to mimic the Real Mountain and Sea, Lianshan—or rather, the Three Saints—had detected his peculiar nature.

He was clearly far more than a mere companion to Guardian Hill.

Still, the Mountain and Sea were full of mysteries. Furthermore, they had calculated that Li Fan’s intent was indeed to rescue the Three Saints who were destined to fall in the previous Mountain and Sea cycle.

His actions were beneficial to them and served their goals.

There was no immediate need to investigate further.

As for the apparent revelation of his own inherent malevolent nature...

That had been an open secret since the inception of the Mountain and Sea.

There was no fear of information leaking.

...

The mental tempest triggered by the Mountain and Sea Civilization within Li Fan’s mind began to subside.

Returning to a calm state, Li Fan bowed toward the true forms of the Three Saints housed within the Xuanji Ring, stating, "I am pleased that I did not fail my task."

Then, under the astonished gazes of All Saints, he turned his attention toward Guardian Hill and Morality, who were also vessels for the God of the Three Saints.

The power of Guardian Hill was beyond question.

Particularly after he inherited Creation from his prior life; if a true conflict erupted, even the current Three Saints might struggle to defeat him.

There was certainly no cause for concern there.

What did surprise Li Fan slightly was Morality.

Though his features were contorted as if he were trapped in a horrific nightmare, Morality’s aura remained remarkably steady without any hint of fracturing.

"If Lianshan represents the Mountain and Sea Civilization, then Taiyi embodies the violence and change from the start to the end of the Mountain and Sea path. Morality is a branch of these paths and should naturally be pulled into this vortex. However..."

Morality had attained Sainthood through the direct guidance of Li Fan.

Within the Return to Truth of the Grand Path, Morality had already reclaimed its rightful position.

Though the internal state of Morality was currently hidden, Li Fan could make a vague deduction based on the fluctuations of his aura.

"First, it appears Taiyi exercised some self-control. After all, the God is merely occupying the body, not truly devouring it. Secondly..."

"Morality has reached a state of perfection, forming its own closed loop. Through the logic of Morality, it can decipher the infinite transformations of the Mountain and Sea Grand Path. Although Morality’s current Cultivation and knowledge make it a struggle, still..."

"The future looks very promising!"

"Perhaps, alongside Guardian Hill, Morality can also be viewed as a potential successor."

Guardian Hill returned to his senses shortly after Li Fan did.

Morality required more time to recover.

Ultimately, however, all three successfully integrated the God of the Three Saints.

Before they left, Li Fan made a routine request for the unification technique of the Xuanji Ring.

Since a thread of divine sense was already attached, there was no harm in it.

After handing over the three treasures of the Lianshan Staff and finalizing the mental connection, Li Fan, Guardian Hill, and Morality took their leave of All Saints and raced toward the Mountain and Sea ahead.

"I have made every possible preparation, but if we still fail..." Gui Hai whispered.

"It ought to be a favorable sign," Taiyi remarked suddenly.

"We must also move quickly to unify the Mountain and Sea. We cannot place the entire burden on Guardian Hill and the others. The faster the Mountain and Sea are mended, the sooner this catastrophe can be averted," Saint Lianshan declared, signaling the remaining Saints of the Beyond to begin their work.

...

In the Void Realm, Li Fan and his companions halted after putting some distance between themselves and the Mountain and Sea.

While they each separately faced the God of the Three Saints, the unity effect allowed them to form a defensive triangle, creating an inner circle to resist the external divine sense of the Three Saints.

"Having real protection truly makes things feel effortless. We can completely disregard the scrutiny of the most powerful beings in the Three Saints. I am quite envious," Morality said with a hint of bitterness.

Even though he lacked the memories of a past life like Guardian Hill, he had learned the full story through Li Fan’s insights.

"I trust Friend Faan will keep his word and allow me to experience the inheritance in a future life," Morality added.

Guardian Hill chuckled and shook his head slightly. "As long as you are part of the Xuanji Ring, there is no real difference in who holds the inheritance. Why not let you have it in the next life?"

After the brief joke, the trio grew solemn, looking out at the God of the Three Saints.

Lianshan, the specter of the Mountain and Sea Civilization.

Gui Hai, the source and destination of all Living Beings.

Taiyi, the boundless transformation of the Grand Path.

Any one of these three represented a pinnacle of Creation.

Now, appearing as an interwoven entity, they radiated an even more ominous aura.

With the protection of the real Dao, they did not fear being monitored by the God of the Three Saints.

Li Fan and his allies used this chance to observe and analyze the situation once more.

By combining their three perspectives and verifying their findings, they uncovered something previously hidden.

"There seems to be a specific force, much like the Xuanji Ring, that binds the Three Saints together."

"Correct, it isn't just the power of unity; it is something deeper."

"Or perhaps the unity of the Xuanji Ring was designed based on the creation of the Three Saints."

Li Fan and his companions looked at each other, stunned by the realization.

"The Mountain and Sea Civilization, the beginning and end of life, the shifting Grand Path. These were originally abstract concepts, yet they have taken on human forms."

"It appears to be inextricably tied to this bond," Guardian Hill noted gravely.

"While it is intriguing, this isn't the time for an investigation. In this life, we must stick to the plan: rescue the Three Saints and monitor the shifts in the Mountain and Sea," Li Fan said, eventually turning his gaze away.

Guardian Hill and Morality nodded their heads in consensus.

Once again, the three moved rapidly toward the Mountain and Sea.

"To ensure the safety of the Three Saints, we must not expose the real and false Grand Path."

"Luckily, our only task is to stall until the Mountain and Sea are reconnected."

"If the real and false Grand Path aren't revealed, the power behind the Void Realm won't manifest. We will only have to deal with various levels of Innate malevolence, which isn't as impossible as it sounds."

Guardian Hill and Morality spoke to Li Fan at the same time.

At that moment, Li Fan looked satisfied. "The standard Divine Sense of Living Beings naturally falters against the pressure of Innate malevolence."

"But when one is bolstered by the real..."

"It becomes simple to exert dominance through divine power!"

This was no idle boast from Li Fan; it was a profound understanding he had gained after witnessing and feeling the weight of Innate malevolence firsthand.

"Furthermore, the origin that Friend Faan used to travel here might also serve as a unique shield against it," Guardian Hill agreed.

"And with the support of you two, I am confident we can hold out longer. We might even catch a glimpse of the true essence of Innate malevolence."

"It is, after all, an influence born from the lingering thoughts of a God. If we can truly grasp its meaning, the benefits to us will be immeasurable!" Li Fan declared, his eyes filled with resolve.