My Simulated Road to Immortality Chapter 2308: 1727: Returning the Favor
Previously on My Simulated Road to Immortality...
“Such a shame. Had [Real] been willing, success might have been guaranteed.”
Disguised as the Stealing Mechanism Saint, Li Fan stripped away a segment of skin and flesh from [Suo].
This action inscribed a fresh line of text within the Great Dao True Hall.
Even though it appeared merely as a faint silhouette right now, its exceptional nature stood out clearly.
Rather than glowing with vivid hues, it was enveloped in a timeless gray mist.
Exuding an aura that hinted at countless eras passed.
Beyond the sense of “Ancient,” a strange allure wrapped around it.
Upon closer scrutiny, Li Fan faintly caught a trace of its essence.
The term “Forbidden!” emerged in his mind.
As though it rejected belonging to Mountain Sea or this Dao Hall entirely.
Differing from the prior Mountain Sea Paths Li Fan had absorbed, which settled peacefully after merging.
This path kept twitching restlessly, yearning to burst out and flee.
Though restrained by the [“Great Dao Returns to Truth”], its efforts were doomed to fail.
Still, this defiance alone underscored the extraordinary quality of [Suo]’s path.
Li Fan reflected, “The Three Saints mentioned before that exposing Suo, who lurks in secrecy, would impact even its own Dao Path. This stems from pushing its path to an extreme, surpassing Mountain Sea’s boundaries.”
“Indeed, from the strand of essence I extracted via the Great Dao Returns to Truth, Suo’s Dao Path shows clear signs of transcending Mountain Sea’s limits.”
No opportunity arose to fully appreciate this acquisition. Lacking Suo’s backing, the Taichu Immortal Realm evolving in front of him began crumbling apart piece by piece. In a flash, Li Fan discarded his [Stealing Mechanism] persona. He reverted to his authentic [Cosmic Cycle] form.
“Master, save us!”
Abruptly, cries for aid flooded Li Fan’s hearing, echoing repeatedly.
These came from the Living Beings whom Li Fan had awakened.
Following the apocalyptic calamity, merely a portion endured.
Yet those who made it through reaped tremendous benefits.
Li Fan paused briefly, then effortlessly gathered them up.
He held no concern that they could reveal secrets.
The True and False Changes lay beyond the grasp of typical Living Beings.
Not even the Saints on the Other Shore could make sense of Li Fan’s clash with Suo if they observed it; it would appear hazy and baffling.
With the Suo net dismantled, Li Fan materialized in the genuine Mountain Sea.
Within moments, to the gaze of every Saint, he dropped into the preceding stretch of Mountain Sea.
Li Fan kept his face impassive, permitting the encircling threads of energy to twist around him and draw him toward the Xuanji Ring.
Glancing about, this segment of Mountain Sea felt far quieter than the one Li Fan had just left.
It carried an air of isolation, almost barren.
Forget the saints who attained realization later; among the initial nine Saints on the Other Shore, only six lingered.
Evidently, the Void Realm and Suo had imposed real strain on their endurance.
“Might I inquire, fellow daoist, from what path did you arrive?” The Sea Return Saint questioned gravely.
Li Fan narrated the full account.
He simply omitted the detail of assuming the [Stealing Mechanism] Saint’s form and partaking in a lavish banquet.
“Is that the case?”
Aware that powerful allies would soon bolster the Mountain Sea world with such immense might, even the Three Saints couldn’t contain their excitement, their features lighting up with delight.
“Fellow daoist’s True Spirit infusion skill is an enormous boon to Mountain Sea!”
Li Fan responded, “Our immediate strategy ought to involve swiftly merging the fractured Mountain Sea sections to form a united front.”
“Despite the Void Realm’s expansive and daunting siege, it won’t hold against our combined strength!”
As he spoke, Li Fan directed his gaze toward his true body’s location.
…
Truth be told, as the Suo net disintegrated and Li Fan’s incarnation stepped into the forward Mountain Sea officially,
a hazy vision had already begun to form inside the Xuanji Ring.
Only moments before, Li Fan’s projected image had vanished abruptly, leaving the Saints puzzled and uneasy.
“I saw that fellow daoist Li’s progress was steady, poised to shatter the impasse. What occurred?”
Li Fan furrowed his brow, probing briefly, then stated measuredly, “The meridians of Mountain Sea’s Living Beings got disrupted, so I lost track of events inside the Suo net too.”
“That said, right at the end, I picked up indications that the realm was on the verge of total breakdown. For our side, that’s positive news.”
The Saints fell quiet.
Li Fan’s mission had aimed merely to stall, yet astonishingly, he dismantled the Suo net.
In reality, much of it owed to the Tawei Saint Emperor’s prior revelation of hidden flaws.
All the same, this outcome caught the Saints off guard.
The Three Saints turned their eyes to the leading Mountain Sea stretch, and after a pause, gave a subtle nod. “The force blanketing Mountain Sea is truly fading away. It’s withdrawing.”
With the Three Saints’ confirmation, the remaining saints in the Xuanji Ring finally exhaled in relief.
“Free from [Suo]’s interference, we need only confront the Void Realm’s peril ahead.”
“Intimidating as it is, we’re starting to adapt to it.”
Against the Void Realm’s route of utter destruction, the Saints deemed the primordial Mountain Sea entity tougher to counter.
Not because Mountain Sea’s early Living Beings outmatched the Void Realm in raw power.
Instead, while the Void Realm’s disaster terrified, it held few surprises.
All aspects lay exposed plainly.
By contrast, figures like Suo from Mountain Sea’s origins wielded inscrutable might, their motives and moves shrouded in mystery.
For instance, Li Fan’s foray into Mountain Sea’s final phase this time lay wholly outside the Saints’ foresight.
Regardless of results, it introduced countless uncertainties.
If it were solely a contest between foes, that would suffice. But they still had to tackle the Void Realm’s supreme danger concurrently.
Assailed on dual fronts, even the Three Saints sensed mounting difficulty.
Nevertheless, Suo’s exit now brought clarity and hope.
Leveraging Li Fan’s incarnation as the bridge, the split Mountain Sea portions swiftly aligned their views.
Openly, they upheld a truce to prevent triggering the Void Realm’s wrathful backlash.
Underneath, Li Fan’s incarnation applied the True Spirit infusion method to generate numerous new saints.
At the same time, saints from Mountain Sea’s later era stealthily forwarded their incarnations to the vanguard via the Living Beings’ meridian links.
Once readiness peaked, both factions struck in unison.
The front Mountain Sea drew the Void Realm’s focus, as all saints from the rear surged forward, aiming to fuse Mountain Sea rapidly.
Should the fusion prevail, the Void Realm’s blockade would crumble effortlessly!
“It bordered on stalemate before. Who imagined it evolving into this ideal setup!”
“Fellow daoist Li’s True Spirit infusion method deserves vast praise!”
“Sigh, absent the Tawei Saint Emperor, we’d still grapple with piercing that net.”
…
As the Saints conversed, tension among the Others eased noticeably.
Alone, the Stealing Mechanism sent a discreet message to Li Fan.
“Fellow daoist Li, during Suo’s retreat, did you notice anything odd?”
Li Fan replied with mild confusion, “What prompts fellow daoist Stealing Mechanism to ask?”
“The Taichu Immortal Realm’s collapse brought utter turmoil. I focused solely on self-preservation and spotted nothing strange.”
“Unless…”
Li Fan halted mid-sentence, “As Suo departed, it radiated intense fury. More than mere frustration from fleeing.”
The Stealing Mechanism pondered this revelation deeply.