"The surging tide is fierce; world's end is certain, and no one can escape."
"At most, the only difference is between dying sooner or dying later. In a certain sense, our end is no different from those True Immortals who met violent deaths in the past." Through Ma Tiande's body, Li Fan let out a burst of sinister, cackling laughter.
At the same time, he scrutinized Qian Ruochang and Immortal Wu with an exceedingly bizarre gaze,
looking at them until they felt inexplicably apprehensive.
"From your memories, We have seen cruel strife and slaughter."
"We had thought that with the Great Tribulation of Dao Annihilation reaching such a state, those below would at least join forces no matter what. Yet to think..."
"Hehehe!"
Ma Tiande looked toward Immortal Wu with utmost coldness.
Even though it was only a mortal body's gaze, it still made this True Immortal's heart inexplicably skip a beat.
That look of contempt for all creation in heaven and earth—and even for hundreds of millions of True Immortals—was definitely not something that could be feigned!
Back when the Tianluo Celestial Emperor toured the various domains, he had also been fortunate enough to catch a distant glimpse in audience.
Although the Tianluo Celestial Emperor had been all smiles, at His very core He remained lofty and supreme, looking down upon all living beings with disdain.
It was identical to what this enigmatic senior inadvertently revealed!
'Viewing memories, We...'
Coupled with the words that had slipped into the other party's speech, a bold conjecture immediately welled up in Immortal Wu's mind.
'Among the reigning Celestial Emperors of the Immortal Realm, not all remained on the imperial throne until their deaths.'
'Throughout the long annals of history, there were two or three who stepped down early. Shedding every burden from their shoulders, they roamed the world carefree ever after. They were known as the Hidden Emperors of the Immortal Realm.'
'Could it be...?'
While Immortal Wu's thoughts spun rapidly,
Ma Tiande spoke once more: "True Immortals at the pinnacle of all creation have now fallen to the point of being penned and hunted like prey."
"You truly disgrace Our face."
"What use is leaving you in this world? Better to dismantle you to withstand Dao Annihilation. It just so happens that the pillars of this star domain seem somewhat loose."
Before his words finished falling, power from the Mound-Guarding Immortal's phantom descended once more.
Immortal Wu's face turned deathly pale in an instant.
He felt only a pair of invisible great hands violently seize the Dao path he cultivated,
tearing at it with immense force at the same time.
Having originally cultivated the Dao of Solitude, he had already achieved a vast degree of separation from the other Dao paths of heaven and earth. But now, under the influence of these invisible giant hands, he was actually showing signs of being shoved right back in!
To him, the Great Dao of heaven and earth was like a spiderweb. Spending thirty thousand years, he had painstakingly severed ties bit by bit to break free. Yet now, he was about to be returned in an instant!
Even if his comprehension of the Dao of Solitude remained, disentangling himself once more from the dense web of Daos would require at least a millennium of careful unravelling.
What terrified Immortal Wu even more was Ma Tiande's phrase: "Better to dismantle you to withstand Dao Annihilation."
Although he had not yet attained the Nameless realm, the uniqueness of his cultivated Dao path made him like a solitary, towering pillar of Dao. In theory, he could indeed serve as a cornerstone to resist Dao Annihilation.
And judging by what he was enduring right now, this "Hidden Emperor" before him did not seem to be joking in the slightest!
Feeling his body grow heavier and heavier as he was forced back into the world, Immortal Wu could no longer maintain his composure and screamed in terror, "Emperor, spare my life! Emperor, have mercy!"
At this cry, Qian Ruochang's expression changed first. All his previous conjectures were overturned, leaving him even more uncertain and suspicious about the mysterious figure's identity.
"We have long ceased concerning Ourselves with worldly affairs."
"We hardly dare accept this title of Emperor."
Immortal Wu hastily said, "When the Immortal Realm was destroyed, the reigning Celestial Emperors bore primary responsibility. Lord Emperor..."
"Hmph!"
Immortal Wu's words seemed to anger the other party even further.
From Qian Ruochang's perspective, this True Immortal had originally been impossible to see clearly, appearing merely as a blurred phantom. Yet now, amid bouts of distortion, he gradually became clearer, beginning with various parts of his body.
However, it was not the coloration of ordinary things in heaven and earth, but rather an eerie shade of black-and-white shadow.
"Senior, please quell your anger! Even if crude immortal bodies like ours were to die completely, it would be useless against Dao Annihilation."
"That Shuo Star Sea captured several Nameless ones, yet they do not ward off the tribulation. Instead, they weave a Dao Net to hunt us down..." Immortal Wu reacted quickly. Before the mounting pressure overwhelmed him and while he could still speak, he hurriedly changed his tune.
Hearing this, the Hidden Celestial Emperor indeed loosened his grip.
Yet his words remained cold as he rebuked, "No wonder you are utterly at a disadvantage. After fighting for so long, you do not even know the true purpose of the Dao Net."
Ma Tiande glanced toward Qian Ruochang.
Qian Ruochang felt his Dao Net external body instantly plunged into precarious turmoil.
His form, woven from thousands of Great Daos, felt on the verge of shattering to pieces in a short span of time.
Fortunately, this tempest did not last long; as the Hidden Emperor shifted his gaze, Qian Ruochang was left nearly collapsed from exhaustion.
Yet he had survived after all.
"Explain it to this fool," came the cold voice.
Qian Ruochang hesitated, but after meeting the cold gaze and recalling his absolute helplessness just moments ago,
his heart lurched, and he finally spoke up: "Hunting True Immortals is to strengthen the Dao Net; the Dao Net was not woven merely to hunt immortals. Do not flatter yourself and confuse the cart for the horse!"
"Back when the Immortal Realm was shattered, countless True Immortals fled to the lower realms to seek another way out. In the process, there were those willing to become pillars to resist the calamity, and those who only looked after themselves."
"There were also those who lost all hope and sought only to flee and survive."
"Leading the way, they united various immortals and proposed the Three Refuge Methods: the World-Crossing Mysterious Coffin, the Retrograde Divine Vessel, and that ultimate method of transcendence..."
"They left clean and clear, yet dumped an even worse mess onto us descendants!"
Bitterness laced Qian Ruochang's voice.
"Among those who fled, there was no shortage of Nameless figures. If they had walked the normal path of transcendence, they would have left behind remnants, phantoms, treasures, and the like, upon which their conjoined Daos were condensed, which could barely serve as support. But they didn't do that at all."
"Rather than saying they lacked the ability, it is more accurate to say they were unwilling!"
"This place is nothing more than a remnant starry sky abandoned by them!"
Qian Ruochang looked at Immortal Wu and said coldly.
Immortal Wu wanted to refute him, opening his mouth, yet found himself at a loss for words.
Strictly speaking, he was also among those who had been abandoned.
"We abandoned pawns naturally had to choose self-salvation."
"Fortunately, among the True Immortals of old, not all were heartless and devoid of righteousness. We joined forces, taking Nameless Immortals as the bones and True Immortals as the strings. We wove this Dao Net precisely so that when the heavens collapse in the future, we can preserve a haven of life for the world's beings!" Qian Ruochang declared with pride.
"The thought is good. Unfortunately, that net is still too weak right now," Li Fan commented suddenly.
This was by no means empty talk.
Rather, having witnessed in the Mound-Guarding Lord's memories the "mountain" that resisted the Sea of Infinity for a hundred epochs, it was his genuine evaluation of this "net" woven by mortal beings of the Shuo Star Sea.
If the Shuo Star Sea's Dao Net ever spread near the Great Wall, Li Fan could fully utilize the Mound-Guarding Lord's phantom to tear open a massive gap in it.
In fact, if the power of the Dao Net drew closer, dismantling those few Nameless True Immortal pillars at its core and placing them within the Great Wall to serve as pillars was not out of the question either.
Li Fan was genuinely somewhat tempted.
If other Nameless True Immortals served as pillars to ward off Dao Annihilation, the amount of power he could draw from the Mound-Guarding Lord's phantom would undoubtedly increase.
Facing Li Fan's belittlement, Qian Ruochang did not dare talk back.
He merely said in a heavy voice, "Though it cannot withstand the tides of ten thousand generations, it can barely build a shelter to eke out survival."
"It is better than doing nothing."
Hearing this, Li Fan was not angry; instead, he showed a hint of appreciation. "If the Immortal Realm of old still existed, allocating a portion to you to pad your Dao Net would not have been out of the question."
"Crude as your method may be, it makes good use of scrap."
He had just caught another glimpse of Immortal Wu's mental speculations regarding his identity as a Hidden Emperor,
so he continued the masquerade.
In his casual words, True Immortals were truly treated as mere ants,
chilling the hearts of Qian Ruochang and Immortal Wu even further.
Mere boasting would never have terrified the two to this extent. But paired with the sheer power to toy with them like playthings at a whim...
It proved beyond doubt that this senior was not exaggerating in the slightest.
'I recall that one of the Hidden Emperors was said to be precisely this temperamental and tyrannical.'
'After He mysteriously retired, the various immortal domains even celebrated extravagantly.'
Before Immortal Wu could ponder further, Li Fan turned back and asked, "We recall that before the Mound-Guarding Lord departed, He imparted to the world the method of 'Phantom Bearing the Dao.'"
"Regrettably, this method is only suited for the Nameless realm. Furthermore, not all Nameless True Immortals can successfully leave behind a Dao-transmitting phantom. This Dao Net of yours is indeed more efficient than the Mound-Guarding Lord's method."
Hearing this Hidden Celestial Emperor mention the Mound-Guarding Lord, Qian Ruochang showed no particular reaction.
Immortal Wu, however, felt his heart quiver violently,
for he sensed that the Hidden Celestial Emperor's seemingly detached gaze had fallen upon him once more.
"Perhaps the two can be combined."
"Only the Nameless can bear the Dao because ordinary True Immortals possess insufficient comprehension of the Dao, and rarely do immortals share their insights with one another. Yet now, an entity named the 'Dao Net' has appeared in the world. Fascinating..."
"Have you heard of the method of 'Phantom Bearing the Dao'?"
Immortal Wu's body trembled slightly, and he shook his head repeatedly. "This junior has heard of it. But my aptitude is dull, and I was never fated with the Mound-Guarding Lord's legacy."
"Watch closely then!"
Within the Great Wall, Li Buren's body suddenly erupted with thousands of cracks.
It was the sign that even fragments of immortal domains were beginning to be crushed by the unfathomable, immense pressure.
Meanwhile, Li Buren's facial features became even more reminiscent of the Mound-Guarding Lord.
Facing such a peril, Li Buren showed no fear whatsoever—just like the Mound-Guarding Lord's composure when confronting the great tide of Dao Annihilation.
Taking out one of the immortal domain chess pieces preserved in the phantom space, he used it to mend his shattered body.
At the same time, he channeled the full legacy of the Mound-Guarding Jottings he had once received directly into Immortal Wu's body.
Although it was not imparted directly by the Mound-Guarding Lord's phantom,
the Mound-Guarding Lord's insights were inherently vast and boundless. Even diluted by Li Fan, they remained like a boundless ocean, fathomless to ordinary True Immortals.
What was more, Li Buren's Mind Soul Formation and his receptive capacity via the Dao Net projection were hardly inferior to the Nameless realm.
On top of that, the impartation was driven by the power of the phantom left by the Mound-Guarding Lord.
Even if Immortal Wu's comprehension was incomplete, he would only assume it was due to his own lack of ability, rather than any flaw in the legacy itself.
One needed only look at Immortal Wu's current state—spellbound, intoxicated, and profoundly shaken—to know as much.
Chapter 1471