My Simulated Road to Immortality Chapter 2326 - 1740: The New God Descends Upon the World (Part 2)
Previously on My Simulated Road to Immortality...
Twisted afterimages lingered behind, faces warped in fury, continuing to cry out towards Li Fan.
Yet their bond with the real world weakened further, causing Li Fan to struggle in catching their words distinctly.
"But the foundation of the great Dao endures."
"Instead of allowing the new god to gain from it, why not let me take the advantage?"
"Enter the Great Dao True Hall!"
The so-called return to the Void Realm served only as a stalling measure. Now, with All Saints lacking the power to fight back, Li Fan dropped all pretense, baring his ruthless intent.
With a flourish of his wide sleeve, he gathered every writhing afterimage of the saints into his storage pouch.
Stolen opportunities, Gui Ming, Duan Chen, karma judgment, Xing Cha...
Upon the Hai Zhen panel, rows of text silently emerged.
Certain lines had been present before, growing sharper after this intake, while fresh ones appeared, bolstering the structure of the Great Dao True Hall.
As for the confusion and emotions felt by All Saints, Li Fan paid them no mind.
While relishing the essence of All Saints, he hurried onward through the Returning God Flood, heading to the origin of Mountain and Sea.
Free from the Void Realm's obstruction and riding the unstoppable current, his pace surged dramatically, billions upon billions of years flashing past in moments, covering already a fifth or sixth of the distance.
Nevertheless, the nearer he drew to the new god, the more intensely Li Fan sensed the inexorable pull of returning fate.
Despite the shield of True and False Changes, his very being and Dao foundation began to churn with instability and disquiet.
He could merely seek solace by merging with Guardian Hill and morality.
"The new god is in the midst of formation. Though its form remains unseen, judging by this aura, it's clear it's no ordinary entity."
Morality and Guardian Hill shared their observations.
Bound together, they crossed another fifty billion years in the blink of an eye.
Drawing nearer to the origin of Mountain and Sea, the dwelling place of the new god.
Given Li Fan's current mastery of True and False Changes, sustaining the Cosmic Reincarnation Path proved ultimately impossible under the new god's influence. The threads of returning fate coiled and strained against True and False Changes, on the verge of shattering.
"At this stage, the Cosmic Reincarnation cloak offers me no further aid."
Li Fan resolutely discarded the Cosmic Reincarnation Path, refusing to cling to it any longer.
The golden radiance dispersed into the surrounding floodwaters. Casting off the cloak, Li Fan instantly sensed a sharp drop in the oppressive weight.
True and False Changes now focused solely on safeguarding Li Fan's awareness, unburdened by other duties.
Morality followed his example.
Only Guardian Hill managed to hold on.
As the steersman of this single-leaf skiff, he pressed forward toward the new god's location.
"I sensed that Mr. Fan has been seeking something during our journey. Might it be those two white spots concealed within Mountain and Sea that we glimpsed earlier?" Guardian Hill inquired as he guided the vessel.
Li Fan nodded, "At time's conclusion, Mountain and Sea fell to the Void Realm's maw. Everything vanished, save for two white spots that burst forth, defying the Void Realm's corrosion—their resilience outstripping even all of Mountain and Sea. Thus, their power is unmistakable."
"But they conceal themselves profoundly; apart from the finale ushered by the Lone Star, I've encountered them no other time. Now, as Mountain and Sea reverts to God, every illusion and emptiness has been purged. This presents the perfect moment to detect them. Yet..."
Li Fan furrowed his brow faintly, "Despite traversing most of Mountain and Sea's lifespan, their signs remain elusive. Odd..."
"For now, Mountain and Sea hasn't been fully eradicated; they might still evade notice. We'll keep watching."
The proximity to Mountain and Sea's origin accelerated the return's velocity.
Merely the final hundred billion years separated them from the new god's domain.
Even Guardian Hill was forced to relinquish his Dao path.
The trio persisted solely through their fused awareness, aboard a craft dubbed True and False Changes.
"The true Master of Eternal Life perished in the Divine Split battle."
"I’ve savored the Eternal Life Path in solitude for a while."
"It feels distinct from earlier times. Still, I'm uncertain if I can claim the role of Master of Eternal Life."
Guardian Hill remarked abruptly.
"Hmm?" Li Fan found it peculiar.
In their merged state, he hadn't detected Guardian Hill's realization.
Only after a brief delay did comprehension dawn.
Not only their Dao paths, but even the [united consciousness] functionality faltered as they neared Mountain and Sea's origin.
Despite their long acquaintance and shared trials.
Li Fan couldn't shake a budding wariness.
Though united consciousness hadn't fully collapsed, Li Fan's inner suspicion reached Guardian Hill and morality.
They let out a light laugh, "Mr. Fan, you're truly... vigilant."
"It appears only the united consciousness puts you at ease."
"That said, such wariness holds no real fault."
In response to their gentle ribbing, Li Fan showed no shame.
"With Guardian Hill's prowess, securing the Master of Eternal Life title should be straightforward."
"Moreover, in the forthcoming era's Divine Split battle, we may yet..."
Li Fan trailed off mid-sentence.
In that split second, amid the rushing torrent, he glimpsed a solitary silhouette standing tall.
The skiff carrying Li Fan and his companions surged ahead, driven by the returning god's force, toward Mountain and Sea's origin.
But that silhouette astonishingly held steady against the flood's onslaught.
In an instant, they sped by one another, allowing Li Fan just a hazy impression.
"That was just now..."
"One of the two white spots." Li Fan confirmed.
Outward form and stature might be masked, but that singular aura stayed unaltered.
"Though it's not the one I encountered upon first descending into the Infinite Ocean Floor."
"Its might remains equally profound and inscrutable."
Immersed in the returning god's flood, Li Fan fully grasped the horrifying suction radiating from the new god.
Yet the figure they'd passed displayed an air of calm detachment.
To Li Fan, mere transient observers, the figure showed mild curiosity. But it made no move to pursue or probe.
Rather, it opted to remain dormant, watching from afar.
"Did Guardian Hill discern the other's true nature?" With the united consciousness fading more, Li Fan took the initiative to inquire.
Guardian Hill reflected briefly, then gave a subtle shake of his head.
"It's genuinely astonishing that such a being can withstand the return of every Dao, untouched by Mountain and Sea's myriad paths and fleeting nature. And furthermore..."
"It departs without truly leaving, lingers without fully staying. It feels as if it's awaiting something specific."
"Awaiting? Perhaps..." A hunch stirred in Li Fan, prompting him to lift his gaze ahead.
The remaining hundred billion-year span vanished in a rush.
At this juncture, their momentum suddenly eased.
As if myriad rivers merging, the vital essence from every epoch of Mountain and Sea gathered here, birthing a brilliant, enigmatic vortex.
Stillness, rotation.
Devouring, radiating.
Convergence, eruption.
...
Amid these clashing forces, the presence at the vortex's core harmonized all conflicts.
God.
No intentional scrutiny.
Upon beholding the vast vortex, the god's form sprang into sight.
Then thoughts tumbled into chaos, splintered and scattered.
All else faded from mind, leaving only the god's image echoing relentlessly.
Li Fan hadn't anticipated that, even as a god embodying Mountain and Sea, and still in embryonic form, its presence would prove so overwhelmingly fearsome.
Even shielded by True and False Changes, even fused as the Three Saints.
Beneath the god's aura, his awareness shattered effortlessly.
Virtually without opposition.
The single-leaf skiff overturned, plunging into the immense vortex.
Alongside every element of Mountain and Sea, it drifted gradually toward the central new god.
After an indeterminate lapse into oblivion, Li Fan gradually restored his senses.
Faintly recollecting the recent upheaval and surveying his dire situation, shock gripped him deeply.
Though it seemed like a prolonged daze, he hadn't advanced much nearer to the god.
The new god's assimilation of Mountain and Sea's complete essence proceeded at no great haste.
Li Fan had merely edged slightly forward within the vortex.
The trigger for his revival...
Stemmed from morality's self-sacrifice, offering his lingering awareness as sustenance. Bolstered by Guardian Hill's aid, it roused Li Fan back.
"Mr. Fan, look upon the new god before us."
"Something seems amiss with it."
Guardian Hill's faint voice reached him, stirring Li Fan's intuition as he turned his gaze toward it.