All around was boundless darkness, while in the distance lay the deathly still, endless fragments of shattered worlds.
As the tidal Reverberating Astral Force continually intensified, the speed of Li Fan and his party slowed further and further.
"The remnant True Immortal power gathered beneath the High Wall has grown even stronger than back then," Zhong Daogong said heavily, his gaze fixed ahead.
Buffeted by the omnipresent Reverberating Astral Force, not only were their bodies exposed to the void, but even their divine sense began to resemble duckweed in a gale, scattering into nothingness barely after leaving their physical frames.
Communication among the group relied entirely on the Celestial Vessel's unique transmission technique, "Boundless."
"Majestic as the High Wall may be, if this trend continues, the day will inevitably come when it collapses."
"The rate at which the remnant power intensifies is faster than we anticipated. It seems that even without that kid, we would still have to proceed with the Wall-Leaping Plan in the end. Otherwise, once the High Wall topples, there is no way we could survive."
"Even so, being forced into it leaves a bitter taste."
"Hehehe, we are merely pushing the boat along with the current—letting him serve as our guinea pig..."
...
The vessel's elders conversed heatedly.
Boundless was a method of transmission known only to the core echelon of the Celestial Vessel, so even with Li Fan right before them, they spoke with brazen disregard.
Yet what they could never have imagined was that Li Fan was also proficient in this Boundless technique. Every single word uttered by the vessel's elders fell upon his ears without missing a beat.
Deep in contemplation, on the surface he pretended to be entirely oblivious.
"How... much... longer?"
Every so often, he merely turned his head and urged them with disjointed, indistinct divine sense.
Zhong Daogong's reply remained ever unchanged: "Soon. Just ahead."
This was not an excuse from Zhong Daogong.
As the saying went, seeing a mountain ride a horse to death—distances were deceptively vast. The boundless enormity of the Star Sea was displayed to the fullest here in this border region, beneath the foot of the High Wall. Though the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds appeared not far off, after flying for so long, the distance ahead seemed not to have diminished in the slightest, as though endless.
Only the subtly shifting panorama of the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds proved that they were not merely treading water.
And the ever-intensifying Reverberating Astral Force became a great impediment to their advance. It was like wading through a boundless, muddy swamp, with their destination being towering mountains far in the distance.
"Too slow," Li Fan said, seemingly losing his patience. "At this rate, my lifespan will run out before we even get there."
Zhong Daogong was about to explain, "It is not that we..."
When Li Fan suddenly snapped, "Watch out!"
Along with Li Fan's words, the phantom of a longsword radiating golden brilliance descended into this space.
Upon its blade were depicted mountains, rivers, the sun, moon, and stars, exuding a majestic, sacred aura.
"Which direction?" Li Fan asked in a deep voice.
The elders of the Celestial Vessel were still captivated by the extraordinary golden sword phantom. It was not merely because the phantom represented a supreme sword dao,
but even more because they discovered with shock that, once enveloped by the phantom of the golden sword, the Reverberating Astral Force pressing upon them was instantly slashed by more than half!
It was as though they stood atop high ground that had abruptly surged upward, situated in another world and no longer battered by the raging waves.
"How is this possible?!" The vessel's elders were all stricken with shock.
The Reverberating Astral Force was, in essence, remnant True Immortal power. Even with the word "remnant" attached, it was still power at the level of a True Immortal.
For this golden sword phantom to actually diminish its influence—did that not imply it was on par with an Immortal?
Naturally, the elders did not dare imagine anything even higher. Even so, that Li Fan could execute a divine ability capable of contending with True Immortal power could not help but make them look upon him with new eyes.
"This brat is truly a treasure trove; the surprises never end."
"If we could comprehend such a divine ability, perhaps it could open up a second path for our Celestial Vessel aside from True Immortal seal characters!"
"No, rather than saying it is him as an individual, it is that civilization of Great Qi that is unfathomable."
The emergence of the golden sword phantom stirred a thousand ripples like a stone cast into water. The elders showed varied expressions, but Li Fan seemed entirely unconcerned as he stared at Zhong Daogong:
"Point the way, quickly! Executing this Immortal-Slaying Strike takes an immense toll; I cannot hold out for long."
Within the domain of the golden sword phantom, divine sense transmissions became much clearer.
Hearing the words "Immortal-Slaying Strike," Zhong Daogong's eyes flickered.
Nevertheless, he gave Li Fan the direction.
The golden sword gleamed as it traversed the Star Sea at a speed countless times faster than their flight. The deathly still worlds within the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds swelled in their vision at a pace visible to the naked eye. The group drew closer and closer to the base of the High Wall.
Following Zhong Daogong's directions, Li Fan steered the sword phantom to an abnormal "protrusion" along the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds.
Much like an elevated beacon tower along a continuous great wall, the shattered world fragments piled up here in noticeably greater numbers than elsewhere.
"Is the weak point of the High Wall here?" Li Fan asked, narrowing his eyes.
Zhong Daogong shook his head. "No. There are actually quite a few structures like this along the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds. They are likely crucial nodes that maintain its structural stability. If we wish to reach our destination, we must harness the momentum of this place."
The golden sword phantom came to a halt. The expressions of Zhong Daogong and the vessel's elders turned grave.
"Fellow daoist, please proceed upward."
The elders cast a spell together, and a hazy projection appeared before Li Fan.
The flat, gently curved space was drastically warped due to this protrusion along the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds. Like a towering pillar thrust upward, its momentum and energy were distinctly elevated above the surrounding regions.
"Follow the momentum of the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds and ascend."
Zhong Daogong pointed gently, and the image of the spatial protrusion magnified infinitely, enveloping everyone in an instant.
They were already within the spatiotemporal protrusion indicated by the projection, yet entirely unaware of any physical shift.
Li Fan stood frozen, meticulously savoring the subtle differences in the surrounding space-time.
"Back then, it took our Celestial Vessel hundreds of years to figure out this method of 'Ascent.' It is only natural if fellow daoist cannot grasp it right away."
"If all else fails, dispel this golden sword phantom, and we shall fly in the flesh."
The elders offered their "kind" suggestions.
Li Fan paid them no heed. Closing his eyes, scenes flashed across his mind.
In truth, this sense of spatiotemporal elevation was something Li Fan had experienced firsthand.
It was in his previous life, when the High Wall collapsed and an unknown entity descended, stirring tumultuous waves across the Star Sea.
Only back then, shaken by that earth-shattering spectacle, Li Fan had been captivated by superficial phenomena,
paying no attention to the jarring spatiotemporal turbulence that resembled a great upheaval across the Star Sea.
"The distinction between height and depth."
The memories in his mind shifted gradually from illusion to reality. It was as though he had returned to the end of his previous life, watching the magnificent sight of cresting and falling swells amidst the turbulence of the Star Sea.
A wave of enlightenment slowly welled up within his heart.
The illusion faded, and he looked back upon reality.
Where the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds towered high, this protrusion became glaringly conspicuous.
"Everyone, stand firm!" Li Fan said deeply.
The sword phantom once again blazed with dazzling golden radiance. Though it resembled a great sun in the heavens, for some reason, the golden light shone only within this localized area without illuminating a wide expanse.
Though there was no physical movement, the golden sword phantom seemed in that instant to have traversed billions of miles of space-time, turning weathered and flickering erratically.
Cold sweat began to bead on Li Fan's forehead, and his body trembled faintly in spite of himself.
The vessel's elders watched as the scenery of the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds shrank noticeably in their vision due to warping and aberration. Surprise filled their eyes.
"He truly succeeded in the Ascent on his very first attempt?"
"This youth's talent and comprehension are truly rare in this world. He must be a peerless figure in that Great Qi civilization."
"To achieve such heights at such a young age—give him a few hundred more years, and he might truly be able to traverse the High Wall! No wonder he became somewhat unhinged upon suddenly learning his lifespan had reached its end. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to accept it either!"
Looking at Li Fan, quite a few elders felt a flicker of regret on his behalf.
The ascent and changes continued.
The area encompassed by the golden sword phantom shrank rapidly until it barely covered the vessel's elders and Li Fan.
The brilliant golden light gradually dimmed,
evidently burning through energy at a much harsher rate, as if on the verge of snuffing out at any second.
Yet the resulting change was unmistakable.
The scenery of the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds that had stretched uninterrupted to the edge of the sky slowly curled inward, drawing together into a ring.
As their perspective rose higher and higher, the ring grew smaller and smaller,
ultimately reducing to a single point.
Boom! Boom!
It felt as though they had reached the end of the road, or perhaps slammed into a wall.
The last remnants of the golden sword phantom shattered in an instant.
Li Fan violently coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face turning deathly pale.
Yet he merely wiped it away casually, a mixture of delight and mad ecstasy flashing in his eyes.
"Is this the High Wall?" Li Fan coughed lightly, spitting out another large mouthful of blood. Caring nothing for it, he turned and asked.
"No."
"This is what can truly be considered the foot of the High Wall," Zhong Daogong said with an emotional sigh after examining Li Fan closely and shaking his head.
He surveyed their surroundings in turn.
"We must ascend again?" Hearing this, Li Fan could not help looking upward.
"The High Wall is difficult to cross—or rather, impossible to cross. One can only throw themselves into it with abandon to ram it," Jian Daosheng said in a deep voice.
"Fewer people came this time. Relying on our combined efforts alone, we likely cannot reach the point of impact from back then. However, the distance should be close enough to observe the marks."
With that, the elders arranged themselves in a circle.
Immediately, a peculiar aura welled forth from their bodies.
It did not climb step by step; instead, like ocean breakers, it surged continually, wave after wave, each higher than the last.
Carried by the force of this surge, the scenery that had shrunk into a tiny dot shifted once more.
The dot extended downward, forming pillar-like lines.
The aura upon the elders grew increasingly vigorous, and the lines thickened continuously.
Like mountains serving as heavenly pillars, their lower ends gradually faded from sight, yet they solidly supported everyone above.
Because of the continuous ascent, their field of vision rose and broadened.
Li Fan gazed as far as his eyes could see. Amidst the darkness, he seemed to sense a few high peaks resembling their own.
And in the unseen, distant expanse stood a majestic mountain.
Its summit was nowhere to be seen,
standing only slightly lower than the endless High Wall.
"That is..."
"The True Immortal of the Immortal Ruins?"
Looking back into the distance, a profound realization welled up in Li Fan's heart.
Li Fan had once learned from the memories of the Profound Heaven Sect's Dharma King that back then, the King of Profound Heaven had told the sect members that he had found a way to lead them—and even the entire Xuanhuang Realm—out of the Pitch-Black Star Sea.
However, it could not be accomplished by anyone beneath a True Immortal.
"This is the gulf between immortal and mortal."
"Mortals are forever below. Only by attaining immortality can one stand atop the high peaks."
"The process of cultivation is precisely the process of climbing step by step. But when the Great Calamity descended, the peaks that once offered shelter and dwelling collapsed as well."
"Without mountains, no path is revealed. Even if one can soar across the void for a time, in the end, one cannot remain in that realm for long."
By borrowing the momentum of the Great Wall of Remnant Worlds, they had reached heights that were normally utterly unattainable. Like ascending ahead of time to a peak of cultivation that no longer existed, all kinds of insights belonging to an age long past flooded into Li Fan's heart.
"The gulf between immortal and mortal is already vast enough."
"And the High Wall..."
Li Fan turned his gaze farther afield.
Majestic and uninterrupted, it pressed down like a canopy across the sky.
No beginning or end could be seen; no peaks or valleys could be discerned.
It simply stood, barring the way ahead.
It filled one with despair.
Had he not witnessed with his own eyes the collapse of the High Wall in a previous life, witnessing such a magnificent spectacle would likely have planted an inner demon within him, causing fear to stir inevitably in his heart whenever he recalled its existence.
And judging from the expressions of the vessel's elders beside him, that was precisely the case.
The high ambitions they possessed when arriving were entirely gone; only endless dread and awe remained upon their faces.
However, there seemed to be some secret art among them.
As they stood in a circle, their wills united as one.
Before long, they shook themselves awake from the shock one after another.
Li Fan also feigned having just come to his senses.
"We cannot climb even an inch higher," Zhong Daogong sighed, then looked into the distance, seemingly searching for the traces left behind by the Shang Celestial Vessel.
Li Fan waited patiently.
After nearly half a day had passed, Zhong Daogong finally pointed in one direction and said solemnly, "Can fellow daoist sense the anomaly there?"
Li Fan looked in the direction Zhong Daogong indicated.
At first glance, it appeared no different from the surrounding scenery.
Yet after careful discernment, Li Fan indeed discovered subtle clues.
Li Fan reached out his hand, as if trying to touch the distant expanse.
"Here... it is distorted."
"Is this the trajectory left behind when the Shang Celestial Vessel rammed through back then?" Li Fan asked, his tone strange and inscrutable.
He stroked the gouges in space across the distance.
Before his eyes, there seemed to appear half of a magnificent Celestial Vessel, charging forward resolutely to strike ahead,
before erupting into world-shaking radiance.
A touch of emotion flickered in Zhong Daogong's eyes, and he nodded. "The energy unleashed in breaching the High Wall was something even the wall itself could not withstand.
"Therefore, the marks left here will not fade in ten thousand years.
"The imprint remains. From this, one can see that after so many years, there has been no sign of any so-called 'repair.' Thus, theoretically speaking, there is a very high probability that we can follow the marks left by the Shang Celestial Vessel and recreate the magnificent feat of crossing the High Wall," Zhong Daogong said slowly.
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.
After a moment, he shook his head slightly. "No. Reaching this height has already pushed us to our limits. And over there..."
Li Fan pointed at the location where the imprint of the Shang Celestial Vessel remained, asking, "Even if we expended ten times more effort, we likely still could not reach it.
"To say nothing of crossing the High Wall!"
Chapter 1327