My Simulated Road to Immortality Chapter 2300: 1722: The Invisible Net Descends from the Heavens (Part 2)
Previously on My Simulated Road to Immortality...
“A massive upheaval is brewing at the dawn of the Mountain Sea Realm. He’s finally unable to restrain himself.” In front of the Sea Return Saint, the Sea Returning Shovel materialized silently, uttering those words.
Evidently, much like Saint Taiyi, a genuine murderous intent had ignited in his heart.
“Don’t falter.” But the Mountain Lian Saint cut in with just one phrase.
The Mountain Lian Saint’s face stayed utterly composed.
“Our strength isn’t at its height, whereas [Suo]…”
“It’s quite unusual for the true body to manifest. Confronting it directly might lead to disaster. A drawn-out strategy is essential.”
As soon as the Mountain Lian Saint finished speaking, a heavy hush enveloped the Xuanji Ring.
Taichu Saint, with its true form arriving.
Capable of rivaling the Three Saints in their prime, its power is beyond imagination.
Even though they all dwell in the Saint Realm, their fighting abilities aren’t equal.
Now, after multiple clashes, the Three Saints all admit it spells trouble. They dread they can’t overcome it.
“Facing such a ruthless foe explains why the chance ended in total failure.” Li Fan came to a sudden understanding.
This abrupt shift blocked their advance, yet the Three Saints held back from immediate action.
They turned instead to probe deeply into Cunning Chance’s ordeal.
“Once my avatar got swallowed, the recollections weren’t fully passed on. I dimly recall tumbling into that Taichu Immortal Realm, where the whole world turned hostile against me. Creatures everywhere, for no apparent cause, lunged at me without mercy!”
“I battled as I ran, draining my energy, but in the end, I couldn’t escape that fatal fate!”
Cunning Chance appeared reluctant even now.
“What’s more, at first, the beings hunting me weren’t far beyond my initial state. Yet as my power gradually restored and grew, the might and quantity of my pursuers escalated too. It felt like…”
“Like the foe was toying with me on purpose, letting me cling to false hope of escape. Then gradually, it dragged out my torment until death!” Cunning Chance’s expression darkened further as he remembered.
Saint Taiyi gave a nod: “That’s precisely [Suo]’s style.”
“Kept half-alive, on the brink of demise. This kind of plight awakens the utmost potential in beings. Only so can Suo savor a complete feast.”
“In your bid to survive the danger, you resorted to [Cunning Chance]’s technique, only for it to be turned against you this way…”
Only then did Cunning Chance grasp the reason his Dao had been harmed.
Shocked and furious, with a hint of bewilderment: “Even with my command over the Dao, how could it still be corrupted by another?”
The Mountain Lian Saint lightly flicked his hand, calming Cunning Chance’s agitation.
He spoke unhurriedly: “Every Dao we wield stems from the Mountain Sea. [Suo]’s forte lies in consuming mountains and seas. It’s simply claiming another’s repast for itself.”
“So my wound won’t heal?” Cunning Chance abruptly comprehended, growing alarmed.
“Not for certain. [Suo] fixates solely on the Mountain Sea essence. It devoured Cunning Chance merely to absorb the mountains and seas. After fully grasping the Mountain Sea’s truths inside, it will willingly expel the ingested [Cunning Chance]’s Dao…”
“If it just swallowed without releasing, Suo would’ve been hunted by all long ago, and couldn’t have endured until today.” The Sea Return Saint offered comfort.
Cunning Chance let out a relieved exhale at these words. Although the Dao he once controlled was seized and absorbed, reclaiming it hinged on the foe’s digestion timeline.
This realization left Cunning Chance feeling an unparalleled sense of oppression.
“I loathe that I’m merely a divine sense, fragmented from the start. Had my true body ventured there, it’s unclear who would consume whom…”
“That remains to be seen!” Cunning Chance huffed coldly.
Even so, staying inside the Xuanji Ring and influenced by the Three Saints’ collective aura, Cunning Chance wouldn’t dare throw his life away rashly.
“What Suo craves must be the [Mountain Sea Living Beings]. We can’t allow it success.”
“Still, how exactly to shatter this impasse…”
The Mountain Lian Saint cast a look toward Saint Baixiao.
Baixiao, filled with boundless frustration, had no option but to mimic the approach like painting a gourd. He split his awareness and sent it into the mountain-sea web via the route.
Whether by design or accident, Baixiao fared even poorer than Cunning Chance.
The light mass hadn’t fully penetrated the Mountain Sea when the bulk of it faded away.
After vanishing cleanly, just a tiny speck of light lingered, resembling an ordinary person in every way.
As expected, shortly thereafter, Baixiao’s eyes reopened.
“It truly mirrors the Taichu Immortal Realm!”
“Grand and savage!”
Yet, in contrast to Cunning Chance, Baixiao preserved his core.
Drawing from the prior lesson, he avoided employing his personal [Cunning Chance] Dao.
He shared his tale with lingering fear: “My ordeal echoed Cunning Chance Daoist’s—arriving and instantly hounded by every creature under heaven and earth. But armed with Cunning Chance Daoist’s insights, I restrained my power during the fight. However…”
Baixiao shook his head in resignation: “That realm appeared to know my every secret. The savage beasts that attacked matched exactly what I could handle only at full exertion. Seeing this, I chose to end myself early to dodge the mockery.”
The Saints fell quiet briefly.
“Attempt it once more.” The Mountain Lian Saint mulled it over and instructed.
And so the cycle repeated.
The next in line was Fangcun.
Fangcun cared little for the brief essence drain, pouring everything into the confrontation.
He endured far longer than Cunning Chance—several times over.
But in the end, defeat claimed him too.
Evidently, the extended struggle allowed more essence to be subtly siphoned and consumed.
As Fangcun’s awareness returned, he looked severely injured.
His complexion ashen like parchment, his breathing faint!
Li Fan swiftly channeled true spirit into him.
The Three Saints likewise bestowed a wisp of their essence each to steady Fangcun’s wounds.
After stabilization, Fangcun narrated his experience: “Building on the lessons from the two prior Daoists, I aimed for a different tactic. Using my velocity to dodge without slaying.”
“At the outset, it succeeded. Though hordes of ferocious beasts swarmed, none could graze me. Lacking combat, their power stayed at the starting tier for quite a while. But eventually…”
Fangcun gave a soft cough: “They gradually unraveled my [Fangcun] Dao too! Their pace quickened steadily, nearly equaling mine in the end. Compelled to engage them…”
“I inevitably trod the same path as Cunning Chance and Baixiao Daoists.”
“In tackling the Mountain Sea crisis, Fangcun Daoist truly spared no cost to his essence Dao. He sets an inspiring example for us all!” Baixiao remarked, tinged with embarrassment.
Fangcun responded gravely: “In the end, [Suo] will release it anyway. Against a short-term forfeiture, grasping its scheme swiftly and crafting a countermeasure matters more.”
The Saints inclined their heads, thoroughly in accord.
Following that, the Three Saints refrained from more tests and shut their eyes to deliberate.