My Simulated Road to Immortality Chapter 2299 - 1722: The Invisible Net Descends
Previously on My Simulated Road to Immortality...
"True as false, who can tell, who can understand?"
"That world projected by Mr. Fan moments ago has achieved the peak of illusionary mastery, far exceeding the basic notion of [simulation]." Lord Guardian Hill remained deeply absorbed in the simulated vision, letting out a sigh of profound respect.
The morality expressed equal astonishment: "The Dao of True and False holds such profound mystery. It's more accurate to describe it as an authentic realm rather than a mere simulation. It simply resides inside Mr. Fan's Spirit Consciousness, emerging and vanishing at his command."
"Based on the details we've uncovered so far, that elusive Mountain and Sea Walker could very well be Qiu Tianhui. Traversing mountains and seas, surveying the full landscape. His schemes carry immense weight."
Li Fan grinned: "Let them clash over it! Armed with the True and False Changes, we hold a near-unbeatable edge. Stick to the plan, and we'll effortlessly reach the origins of Mountain Sea. We can even probe into the Divine Split incident!"
...
While Li Fan and the trio quietly shared their insights, the All Saints within the Xuanji Ring on the Other Shore engaged in heated discussions as well.
The initial aim had been to follow the leads and uncover the concealed spot where Qiu Tianhui and his spouse were hiding. But to their surprise, the pair had already transformed into incarnations and slipped away.
However, they had implanted two thoughts as anchors.
Even if not their actual selves, these still tied into the hidden truths of Mountain and Sea Living Beings.
Should they end up captured by the Void Realm, the Mountain Sea could abruptly face a dire crisis.
In the end, Saint Lianshan along with the Three Saints reached a firm resolution.
"Regardless, the value of the upcoming mountain and sea cannot be overstated. With the Void Realm mounting a fierce blockade, any direct alliance might spark fierce opposition. Since we've located the trail they planted, we can exploit it for covert entry."
"We'll restrain and safeguard these two, guaranteeing their protection, before launching the partnership from the lower reaches of Mountain Sea. Coordinating from within and without to shatter the Void Realm's encirclement!"
The three Lianshan Saints declared this, then directed their attention toward the Stealing Mechanism.
"The fortunate soul among the Living Beings, you alone in this gathering..."
Stealing Mechanism displayed no odd reaction, simply nodding his assent: "I was eager to encounter them anyway."
"Once you're there, keep your core resolve firm, always considering the grander picture of Mountain and Sea." Saint Lianshan cautioned with layered intent.
Under the watchful eyes of All Saints, Stealing Mechanism abruptly shut his eyes.
The infant form he had bonded with scattered into shimmering particles.
Drifting through the Void, it pursued the unseen Mountain and Sea Veins, pushing arduously against the flow toward the origin of Mountain Sea.
Shuddering intensely, it advanced with great hardship.
For every stretch of path covered, a portion of the clustered light points faded away.
Upon at last breaching into the forward Mountain Sea, it had grown remarkably faint, barely distinguishable from a common Mortal.
"Evidently, the inherent aversion of the Mountain and Sea Living Beings Dao toward outsiders is truly remarkable. Most of the power sustaining Stealing Mechanism has been depleted. After arriving in the forward Mountain Sea, he likely won't retain Saint-level might. He'll be indistinguishable from a regular Mortal." The observing All Saints shook their heads faintly.
"The key issue is if Daoist Stealing Mechanism can preserve his recollections. Should he manage that, given his talents, rising anew from the Mortal stage would be effortless." Gui Ming placed strong faith in the Stealing Mechanism Saint.
"We'll keep watching."
The authentic Stealing Mechanism stood motionless like a statue, as the other Saints waited patiently for developments.
After an indefinite period, as though detecting a shift, Saint Lianshan abruptly commented once more: "No point in lingering passively. Let's deploy the lure strategy anew. If Stealing Mechanism doesn't succeed, we'll have options to pivot."
All Saints upon hearing this felt a chill in their cores.
Though unspoken outright, the implication rang clear: Stealing Mechanism's venture was prone to failure. Preparations for backups were essential now.
"I wonder what Lianshan perceived?"
Li Fan sensed a touch of confusion within himself.
He had clashed with the Stealing Mechanism Saint in the past, fully aware of his unyielding mindset and determination, both elite among Mountain and Sea Living Beings.
Failure seemed unlikely.
Despite the uncertainties, it didn't stop All Saints from scattering fresh living bait once more.
In a flash, starlight sprinkled about, with innumerable new entities starting to form again.
This round's selected victor turned out to be Bai Xiao Saint.
One could see him grumbling to himself in evident irritation.
Right then, the Stealing Mechanism Saint's eyes snapped open.
Unclear what upheaval he faced, it even rippled back to his primary form, disrupting his aura. He coughed up a gush of vital blood, his complexion swiftly paling. To the All Saints observing, it felt as if portions of the [Stealing Mechanism] Dao he wielded had been severed and impaired!
This abrupt twist sent waves of alarm through the All Saints in the Xuanji Ring.
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, pondering as he channeled True Spirit toward him. He seized the chance to scrutinize if it was a staged wound by Stealing Mechanism.
He determined the Stealing Mechanism's wounds were genuinely grave, not fabricated.
Deep down, he felt even more astonished.
All Saints held back from pressing, allowing Stealing Mechanism to regain some composure before inquiring about the forward circumstances.
"How bizarre! I was clearly swimming upstream into the forward Mountain Sea, and even accounting for Dao Yan's vast span, the time gap shouldn't exceed ten thousand years. Yet..."
"What appeared before me was a desolate wasteland! No trace of Mountain Sea, utter Tao Chaos... Demons rampant on all sides. It resembled the fabled Taichu Immortal Realm!" Stealing Mechanism drew a heavy breath, his tone grave.
"Taichu Immortal Realm?" All Saints froze in disbelief, double-checking Stealing Mechanism's earlier path by gazing upward once more.
The forward Mountain Sea, despite the Void Realm's tight siege, showed little deviation from the present Mountain Sea overall.
"It appears my insight was spot on." Saint Lianshan stated at that juncture.
"Esteemed Saint Lianshan, precisely what did you witness?" All Saints pressed urgently.
"I didn't catch sight of anything specific. But the moment Daoist Stealing Mechanism entered the forward Mountain Sea, he vanished from my perception." Lianshan answered candidly.
Sea Return Saint's face grew increasingly solemn too: "Enigmatic and boundless, blotting out the heavens and veiling the earth. Stretching back through antiquity, linking Mountain Sea. Could this be our former acquaintance stirring? Wasn't he..."
"How is it possible for him to show up here?"
"The Dao of Mountain and Sea Living Beings touches the core of Mountain Sea. We ourselves approach it with utmost care. If those at Mountain Sea's dawn sense it and follow the trail back, aiming to consume it just like us, that's hardly surprising." Tai Yi Saint's gaze gleamed with a hint of murderous resolve.
Before him, a staff woven from myriad beings seemed to react instinctively, hovering without cause. It too looked poised to act.
At this instant, Stealing Mechanism could no longer restrain his question: "I must ask the Three Saints, who is this entity scheming in the forward realm? That Taichu Immortal Realm I endured..."
"It goes by [Suo]. It delights in harnessing the forces of longitude and latitude to swallow mountains and seas. The vision you underwent earlier must be the mountain sea panorama it devoured long ago. Now unleashed, it casts a pall over today's Mountain Sea." Saint Lianshan clarified for the group.
Upon learning this, All Saints struggled to conceal their dismay.
No one had foreseen that, under the vigilant watch of All Saints, an unseen web had already ensnared the forward Mountain Sea.
The present crisis revealed that [Suo] had already claimed it as his domain!
"Suo has ever been cautious and wary, perpetually lurking at Mountain Sea's dawn, averse to leaving any mark in future eras. For him to emerge abruptly now..."