"Chengdao—Bearing the Dao," Li Fan murmured, savoring the two words.
Then, with solemn respect, he cupped his hands. "Setting an example by your own conduct, willingly entering the net. What you have done commands my utmost admiration, Daoist Brother. However..."
Li Fan let out a dry, cold chuckle. "You may be called a gentleman of virtue, but I am merely a nobody who happened upon a bit of fortune. All I want is to stay alive."
Pointing to the surrounding Heavenly Pillars, Li Fan said with an open and candid look, "If not for Master's phantom and the protection of these Nameless Heavenly Pillars, this expanse of starry sky would likely have collapsed long ago. To tell you the truth, Daoist Brother, I am someone born without any sense of security. I am constantly terrified that the Dao Annihilation Tribulation might strike without warning one day, and that Master's phantom won't be able to shield me. It is only natural that I would want to build some reinforcing fortifications, wouldn't you say?"
Li Fan spoke with breezy nonchalance.
Anyone listening would find it hard to connect the "minor fortifications" he spoke of with Nameless True Immortals.
"Though I wished to follow Master's example and bear the Dao through phantoms, my comprehension was lacking, and my aptitude fell short. I truly was powerless to do so, leaving me no choice but to take shortcuts.
"For you to be able to weave such a magnificent Dao Net, Daoist Brother, your cultivation must be extraordinary. Could you instruct me?"
Smiling, Li Fan gave a gentle wave of his hand.
Before him, the figure of the Mound-Guarding Lord sitting upon the mountain and gazing at the sea abruptly manifested.
Countless shifts of light and shadow continuously flickered around the Mound-Guarding Lord's figure.
It was none other than Li Fan's insights regarding the Mound-Guarding Jottings.
The moment he saw his master's image, Chengdao Nameless instantly turned solemn.
He actually bowed in obeisance first before examining it in detail.
Seeing this, Li Fan had his answer. Most of his misgivings evaporated.
Chengdao Nameless was by no means perfunctory.
He studied the insights Li Fan presented thoroughly, and then proceeded to explain them to him on the spot.
He was truly worthy of being a Nameless powerhouse who had attained Bearing the Dao; the sensation was almost indistinguishable from when the Mound-Guarding Lord's phantom imparted its legacy.
It was like having a sage at his side, giving direct and earnest instruction. Li Fan listened in rapt fascination, nearly forgetting his perilous situation. From time to time, he posed counterquestions, laying bare every doubt that had accumulated over his century of comprehending the Dao.
Chengdao Nameless answered without holding back, sharing everything he knew.
Li Fan's confusions were swept away, filling him with joy.
The time spent expounding the Dao seemed to pass in mere moments.
Once the Mound-Guarding Lord's image gradually faded away, Chengdao Nameless fixed his gaze on Li Fan once more.
"Doubts may be resolved, but sins cannot be expunged.
"Relying on Master's legacy to run amok, you deserve punishment.
"You may be spared the death penalty, but punishment cannot be escaped!
"Your sentence shall be to join me deep within the Dao Net, to reflect upon your misdeeds behind closed doors!"
As Chengdao Nameless barked the command, an azure radiance suddenly erupted, enveloping Li Fan from all sides.
Li Fan saw it clearly: what lay before him was no mere blue light.
It was an overlapping mesh of countless dense Dao strings!
Every single one seemed to bear the weight of a Heavenly Pillar.
With this strike, it was as though Chengdao Nameless had brought the entire Dao Net down over Li Fan's head.
*This old fellow is strong!* Li Fan thought, inwardly startled.
Yet he felt no fear; on the contrary, his interest was piqued.
Since his life was not in danger anyway, he might as well spar with him.
Coincidentally, it had been a very long time since Li Fan had crossed hands with an evenly matched opponent after ascending to immortality.
*Illusion is Real!* Li Fan silently chanted in his mind.
The rapidly closing Dao Net instantly clutched at empty air.
Clearly, Li Fan was standing right there, yet just as a mortal fishing net could never catch water, the rule currently shielding Li Fan stood above the Great Dao. Naturally, it could not be captured by the Dao Net.
"Daoist Brother, behold my methods."
Facing Chengdao Nameless's bewildered suspicion, Li Fan let out a smirk.
With a flick of his fingers, tens of thousands of threads twined upward along the blue Dao Net.
The net formed from the Immortal Soul of Mo Sha simultaneously corroded Chengdao Nameless's comprehension of the Great Dao.
In reality, this manifested as the blue light and shadows within the Dao Net trembling violently.
Dark shadows sprouted across every corner.
Mo Sha's innate suppression of the Great Dao left the Dao Net completely unable to resist for the moment, leaving it entirely at the mercy of Li Fan's encroachment.
Countless insights into the Great Dao surged into Li Fan's mind in an unbroken stream.
The efficiency was so astonishing that it far exceeded even his previous devouring of Archmage Tiandu.
Li Fan keenly sensed that these were not just the insights of Chengdao Nameless alone. There were also remnants from the True Immortals who had once been sealed within the Dao Net.
"Wicked sorcery!"
Just as Li Fan was gleefully plundering, Chengdao Nameless roared in fury.
The blue Dao Net, which had been swaying under the shadow's assault, abruptly stabilized in an instant.
It felt as though it were no longer a solitary net, but had acquired massive backing behind it.
Looking at the blue glow before him, Li Fan could not help but feel the illusion of facing mountains and seas.
"Deep as the sea, steady as a mountain.
"The Great Dao is formless, its root lies beyond."
In that instant, Li Fan had an epiphany.
Though his Myriad Manifestations Dao Net had undergone deductions for a century and devoured quite a few Great Daos,
and was by no means weak in scale or power,
Li Fan had always felt deep down that the foundation of his Dao Net was not entirely solid.
Against those weaker than him, it was fine.
Yet if he encountered someone whose strength surpassed his own or was on par with his, a gentle push might be enough to shove aside and break free from the so-called Myriad Manifestations Dao Net.
Though his Dao Net had woven myriad manifestations, it could not tightly bind an enemy.
The Dao Net woven by Chengdao Nameless, on the other hand, was entirely free of this flaw.
The mountains and sea acted like a palm, pressing down gently to anchor the swaying Dao Net.
It was similar to how Li Buren had previously run rampant through the Dao Net using the power of the Wuji Heavenly Pillar, even dismantling and taking away three Heavenly Pillars. Yet in truth, the real foundation of the Shuo Star Sea Dao Net had not been destroyed.
*The Heavenly Pillars are merely pillars. The pile-driven foundation they are anchored to remains intact.*
*As long as he captures more True Immortals, the Dao Net can be restored in short order. No wonder he watched the Dao Net being destroyed earlier without showing the slightest panic,* Li Fan realized.
The invisible giant hands pressing down upon the Great Daos of all heavens that had surfaced in his mind when he first saw the Shuo Star Sea Dao Net had, in fact, been forged by borrowing the momentum of the mountains and seas.
Chengdao Nameless was truly worthy of being Mound-Guarding's disciple. Just like the Mound-Guarding Lord, he was actually capable of borrowing the formless, incorporeal power of the mountains and seas that lay beyond the mortal realm.
By comparison, Li Fan's status as a disciple was somewhat superficial.
Now that the blue Dao Net had a foundation, it naturally could not be eroded by Li Fan's methods. No matter how the myriad gusts of wind blew, it remained completely unmoved.
It was as if a piece of delicious meat had suddenly turned into a bone too hard to chew.
Li Fan had no choice but to temporarily give up and withdraw the Myriad Manifestations Dao Net.
"Fine methods, Daoist Brother!"
"Watch out!"
Praise and a sneak attack came at the exact same moment.
*Since you borrow the momentum of the mountains and seas, I shall sever your connection to them!*
A cold glint flashed through Li Fan's eyes.
Though it was nominally a spar, if he truly had the chance to seize Chengdao Nameless, Li Fan would not hesitate in the slightest.
The mountains and seas were transcendent, existing beyond the mortal realm.
In all the world, only a mere handful of people had ever seen their true visage.
Li Fan was certain that the Chengdao Nameless before him had never laid eyes on the mountains and seas in person.
His ability to borrow their momentum was likely achieved through the descriptions passed down in the Mound-Guarding Lord's legacy.
Unluckily for him, Li Fan happened to be one of those very few people in the world who had.
In a daze, he seemed to return to the boundless Sea of Infinity. Towering in the distance was Mount Shangfang, devoid of a peak.
Amid the mingling of mountain and sea, endless reverberations surged.
With the miraculous power of Illusion is Real, though Li Fan had not physically returned to the mountains and seas, it was as if he were present once more. Because of this, he detected the strand of connection to the mountains and seas that Chengdao Nameless had established.
Though he did not understand how this connection had been generated,
that did not stop Li Fan from pulling off a bait-and-switch.
He would substitute himself for the mountains and seas!
Chengdao Nameless certainly could not tell the difference between Li Fan augmented by Illusion is Real and the true mountains and seas.
And compared to the lofty, unattainable Sea of Infinity and Mount Shangfang,
Li Fan, as an imitator, actively drew closer.
With one waxing and the other waning, it was only natural that Chengdao Nameless mistook Li Fan for the mountains and seas.
Thus, the connection between Chengdao Nameless's blue Dao Net and the mountains and seas grew erratic, before finally snapping.
Taking advantage of this fleeting window while briefly connecting to the blue Dao Net under the guise of the mountains and seas, Li Fan saw the reason behind the connection's existence.
*Sure enough.*
Between the mountain and the sea, a faint silhouette stood with hands clasped behind his back.
Though the Mound-Guarding Lord resided in the mortal realm, he had left his own imprint between the mountain and the sea.
Chengdao Nameless had inherited Mound-Guarding's lineage,
and not merely an ordinary transmission at that.
Hence, he could sense this imprint belonging to the Mound-Guarding Lord between the mountain and the sea.
And thus, by borrowing the momentum of the mountains and seas, a palm pressed down upon the Dao Net!
In a flash of lightning, Li Fan likewise locked onto the location of the imprint the Mound-Guarding Lord had left between the mountain and the sea.
Yet he did not rashly touch it.
As long as he grasped this imprint, no matter where he was in the future, he would no longer be restricted to the confines of the Great Wall. Like Chengdao Nameless, he would be able to borrow the momentum of the mountains and seas.
However, the problem was...
The Mound-Guarding Lord himself still existed in the mortal realm.
Chengdao Nameless was a bona fide disciple of the Mound-Guarding Lord.
Carrying on the Dao with his body, bearing the Dao with his resolve.
For such a disciple to borrow a bit of his master's prestige and power, the Mound-Guarding Lord would surely take no offense.
If he sensed his disciple was in danger, he might even cross through space and time to lend aid.
And what about Li Fan?
He had only used the Mound-Guarding phantom through his avatar, Li Buren. Moreover, he had used a phantom originally intended to bear the Dao Annihilation as a weapon to seal Nameless True Immortals. It was an outright fraud.
Being far away inside the Great Wall was fine.
If he sought his own death and actively thrust himself before the Mound-Guarding Lord's eyes...
Li Fan was quite certain that even if the Mound-Guarding Lord was magnanimous and extraordinary in breadth of mind, perhaps not caring overmuch,
a casual slap from him was something the current Li Fan could never withstand.
It might even expose the existence of Revert to the True.
*Only at a critical moment of life and death might I actively trigger the connection. The name of the Mound-Guarding Lord should be frightening enough. It can create chaos to provide cover, allowing me to Revert to the True with composure.*
Such methods were something Li Fan had used multiple times back when he was a mortal. He was already well-versed in them.
*What a pity. It seems the Chengdao Nameless before me cannot be touched lightly.*
*Sure enough, the top students are always the teacher's darlings,* Li Fan thought, feeling a twinge of regret.
Never doing what could not be done, Li Fan, having recognized reality, quickly shifted his strategy.
Just then, the duration of Illusion is Real disguising him as the mountains and seas expired, and Li Fan took the initiative to call a halt to the battle.
"Daoist Brother, your cultivation is indeed far above mine. I have learned much today." He altered his expression, speaking with what seemed like heartfelt admiration.
Faced with Li Fan's flattery, Chengdao merely snorted coldly and did not reply.
Li Fan's method of severing his connection to the mountain-and-sea imprint had truly exceeded his expectations.
With such ability at Li Fan's disposal, Chengdao had to treat him with caution.
Li Fan paid no mind to Chengdao's cold demeanor, remaining genial and speaking with utmost sincerity: "Actually, when you get down to it, there is no irreconcilable contradiction between you and me, Daoist Brother.
"All I seek is a secure sanctuary.
"If you want me to release the True Immortals inside these Heavenly Pillars, it is not out of the question..."
"Oh?" Chengdao looked surprised, his face practically spelling out disbelief.
"Daoist Brother, is the reason you care about these people sealed within the Heavenly Pillars because they are our peers?" Li Fan countered.
Chengdao pondered for a moment, then nodded candidly. "All the immortals of the Immortal Realm have received Master's grace and inherited Master's teachings. In a certain sense, every immortal in the Immortal Realm is a disciple of Mound-Guarding. How could fellow apprentice brothers turn against one another?"
"Well said! How could fellow apprentice brothers turn against one another! Hearing Senior Brother's words today is truly like receiving divine enlightenment!" Hearing this, Li Fan paused in surprise, then immediately clapped his hands in praise.
Quite naturally, he switched his address from 'Daoist Brother' to 'Senior Brother.'
Pausing and seeing that Chengdao did not object, Li Fan smiled and continued, "Only after receiving Senior Brother's guidance today do I realize my past errors. Just as I said before, I am willing to release the True Immortals imprisoned within the Heavenly Pillars unconditionally. Furthermore, I can help Senior Brother rebuild the Dao Net..."
Chengdao was half-believing and half-doubting. "And your terms?"
He had clearly come to understand the character of this newfound junior brother.
"My desire to construct secure fortifications has never changed from the very beginning. Senior Brother, you wouldn't want the phantom left by Master to turn to ash in the tide of the Dao Annihilation, would you?"
Li Fan continued, "Senior Brother must understand that I now possess a method that achieves both ends. It will satisfy my needs without harming any of our fellow apprentice brothers in the Immortal Realm.
"Foreign races—Primordial Dao Manifestations. Has Senior Brother ever heard of them?" Li Fan asked with a smile.
Chengdao's expression shifted slightly. "Alien Nameless? When did this realm ever give rise to such monstrous anomalies?"
"No, no. Not in this realm. Beyond the heavens!" Li Fan extended his hand, pointing far toward the horizon.
Beyond the Great Wall, beyond possibilities.
At this, Chengdao's expression completely changed.
"How many?" he asked, his tone heavy and grim, entirely unlike when he had mentioned the immortals of the Immortal Realm.
"Thirteen," Li Fan uttered calmly.
"What?" Even Chengdao was startled by the number.
"Are you telling the truth?" His voice could not help but rise several octaves.
Li Fan said solemnly, "How would I dare deceive you, Senior Brother? This is the fundamental reason I have racked my brains to increase my strength. Thirteen Primordial Dao Manifestations are truly bearing down aggressively. I cannot rest or sleep in peace!"
Li Fan let out a long sigh.
Chengdao Nameless deliberated for a moment, then made an immediate decision: "Fret not, Junior Brother. With me here, even if those thirteen alien Nameless arrive together, they won't lay a finger on you!
"You are right. If we have these thirteen Primordial Dao Manifestations to supplement it, the hidden peril of the Shuo Star Sea can be completely resolved!"
Chapter 1502