Path of Longevity in the Mountains and Seas

That seemed to be the era when the Immortal Realm was newly opened and had just connected to the Mountains and Seas. The Immortal Realm was not boundless and limitless as rumored; even Chengdao, a spirit stone of the Mountains and Seas, could see its boundaries at a single glance. Yet as time passed, the spirit stone remained ever a spirit stone, unchanged. But one gleaming speck of light after another emerged around the Immortal Realm, slowly expanding it. Focusing his vision into each specific speck of light: First, a tremendous might stabilized the foundation of the speck, allowing it to stand firm upon Mount Shangfang, as though laying down a solid bedrock. Then, ripples radiated with steady rhythm. Wherever they passed, life and order were born within the newly opened primordial Immortal Realm. These ripples shuttled between each speck of light at incredible speed. Thus, the scale of the Immortal Realm expanded exponentially. Li Fan saw clearly that these ripples had to be [Xuan Yuan Shi Ling]! Although he did not yet know the complete composition of [Xuan Yuan Shi Ling], it was not difficult to sense its aura through the five known array diagrams. And the formation's world-creating might in the newly opened Mountains and Seas was precisely consistent with Li Fan's initial expectations for [Xuan Yuan Shi Ling]: reestablishing earth, fire, water, and wind, and splitting heaven and earth from the void! "My initial understanding was essentially correct. It was just that back then, I never imagined that the Immortal Realm was not born out of nothingness, but carved out from the Mountains and Seas..." "Remarkable though this Xuan Yuan Shi Ling is, it cannot compare to the tremendous power of the Mountains and Seas. A supreme powerhouse must first lay the foundation amidst the Mountains and Seas before it can come into play." "To put it bluntly, Xuan Yuan Shi Ling was merely a handy tool forged by the Three Sages to construct the Immortal Realm. They only needed to connect the Immortal Realm to the Mountains and Seas at the very beginning, and all subsequent construction work could be left entirely to [Xuan Yuan Shi Ling]. Efficient, stable, and saving time and effort." Connecting this with his own experience of creating the Primordial Immortal Realm, Li Fan looked at the specks of light expanding the Immortal Realm outward at a terrifying rate in Chengdao's memories, and a flash of realization rose in his heart. "Indeed. Given how boundless the ancient Immortal Realm was, if the Three Sages had to do every bit of opening up in person, wouldn't they have worked themselves to exhaustion? Xuan Yuan Shi Ling at least eliminated a large portion of mechanical, repetitive labor." "After the Three Sages withdrew from worldly affairs, they passed down the formation diagrams and ordered successors to do the work in their stead. Perhaps that is why the great array was able to circulate in the Immortal Realm. However, since it involves the secrets of the Immortal Realm's construction, the most crucial array diagrams were not something ordinary True Immortals could know. Perhaps one must seek out those successive Ruling Immortal Emperors..." The might of Xuan Yuan Shi Ling shown to Li Fan by Chengdao was far beyond his expectations. It rekindled his previously abandoned thought of restoring the array diagrams. "Chengdao is right. With Xuan Yuan Shi Ling's power to forge the Immortal Realm and allow it to stand stable amidst the Mountains and Seas, condensing it into a Dao path could indeed serve as a method of crossing. Though it might not suit me, I can entrust it to the Immortal-grade Dissociation Disc." "Let it scout the way for me." In an instant, many thoughts flashed through Li Fan's mind. Ever since crossing the Great Wall and connecting to the Sea of Infinity, his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, and many of the treasures Li Fan once kept close had gradually become obsolete. This was true for the Dissociation Disc, and equally so for the Heavenly Profound Mirror. Perhaps they each had their unique traits, but after all, they were merely among the countless immortal treasures scattered when the Immortal Realm fell. Even though baptized by the vicissitudes of time and made stronger than before, they ultimately could not compare with the first-rate treasures of the ancient Immortal Realm. Not to mention what he had obtained this time: the remnants of an entire possibility's essence dredged from Dao Annihilation by the Guangwu Star Sea, such as the Dao Swords and Dao Sabers. Still, Li Fan felt no inclination to cast aside these humble old companions. After all, compared to Revert to the True, there was no essential difference between the Dissociation Disc, the Dao Swords and Sabers, or even the Dao Epoch Treasure Bead. ... It had to be said that as an innate spirit stone from the shores of the Mountains and Seas, Chengdao possessed an enviable talent for comprehending the Dao. Although he had never formally studied the Dao of Formations, through what he had absorbed over the ages alongside his own observations and reflections, Chengdao's understanding of the Xuan Yuan Shi Ling Great Array was hardly inferior to Li Fan's. Moreover, Chengdao's horizons were remarkably elevated, having begun amidst the Mountains and Seas. Thus, he was all the more capable of making an accurate judgment on whether the [Dao of Formations] could serve as a path of crossing. After discussing formations further with Chengdao, Li Fan could not help but acknowledge the accuracy of his discernment. "Perhaps in that grand world on the other shore, there are seniors who established themselves through formations," Li Fan said with a smile. Ziyi's abrupt arrival had drawn back the curtain on the Mountains and Seas and the other shore ahead of time for Li Fan. The prospective sights made Li Fan yearn for them uncontrollably. Yet, constrained by his current strength, he had to remain within the Great Wall until he found his own path to cross. Fortunately, benefiting from the [Dao Restitution plan] and the analysis of the Dao Epoch Bead by endless living beings, Li Fan's progress in comprehending the Dao principles of the heavens advanced by leaps and bounds. Sixty years passed, and the scale of the Myriad Manifestations Dao Net multiplied severalfold, mirroring the surge in living beings across the Great Wall-Shuoxing Sea. And it was not just diversity. Filled with Great Daos from another possibility, the Myriad Manifestations Dao Net grew increasingly stable. Each Dao string was crystalline and lustrous, virtually indistinguishable from the Heavenly Pillars that sealed True Immortals. Supplemented by the numerous purple talisman True Immortals harvested from the Guangwu Star Sea, the present Great Wall-Shuoxing Sea was truly impregnable. Even if the [Primordial] Possibility were annihilated, it could hold out for a considerable period. Yet, even with such obvious progress, Li Fan still had not the slightest clue how to cross the Mountains and Seas. Chengdao had cultivated for tens of thousands of years since gaining sentience, and his memories stretched back to the founding of the Immortal Realm. His progress over the past century was comparable to that of ten thousand years before. Chengdao was already immensely satisfied and naturally felt no anxiety over slow progress. Li Fan, however, was different. Though he had reincarnated for over a hundred lifetimes, the time he had actually spent in cultivation was not truly all that long. Engaged in decades of continuous bitter cultivation and comprehension of the Dao without seeing tangible progress, Li Fan inevitably grew somewhat restless. Even though he quickly suppressed the unease in his heart, it did not escape Chengdao's notice. The "fellow disciples" had been through too much together—sharing hardships, facing life and death, and enjoying wealth. The bond between Chengdao and Li Fan now was just like the Dao of Revert to the True: illusion brought to absolute reality! Seeing the half-smiling look on Chengdao's face, Li Fan simply dropped all pretense and sighed deeply. "Senior Ziyi's arrival resolved the Star Sea's hidden danger for us, but in the long run, it may not be a blessing." "I would rather have resolved all of it by my own strength back then. To see it, yet be unable to reach it—that is where vexation is born." Chengdao chuckled. "Beholding the sage and longing for it is only human nature. If even Junior Brother feels this way, how could I avoid it?" "You seem far calmer than I am, Senior Brother." "It is only a matter of time. At most, I will wait another few tens of thousands of years. It is nothing." Chengdao stroked his beard placidly. "I am dull of wit and accustomed to trading time for cultivation. You, on the other hand, seem not to have spent all that long cultivating, which is why stray thoughts arise so easily..." Chengdao hit the nail on the head. Li Fan did not deny it, nodding in agreement. If he truly had to wait tens of thousands of years before discerning the path to cross the Mountains and Seas... Then before that, Li Fan would certainly try some unconventional, unorthodox methods first. Not necessarily in person. Driving others to probe the truth of the road ahead was his habitual approach. Doing it once more in the Mountains and Seas would be nothing more than repeating an old trick. Perhaps Chengdao had already sensed what Li Fan was thinking. Yet he said nothing more. Everyone's circumstances were different; when facing predicaments, their methods would not be identical. In this, there was no right or wrong. As long as one ultimately reached the destination, there was no difference. This was what was meant by reaching the same goal through different paths. Even so, Chengdao feared that Li Fan might rush headlong into astray ways out of impatience and stumble in the final stretch before crossing the Mountains and Seas. After weighing it over and over, Chengdao finally made up his mind. "Earlier, I tried once again to contact Master. But just as Senior Ziyi said, Master is not within the mortal realm of the Mountains and Seas. He gave no reply." "This wondrous art was personally imparted by Master. Before departing, he specifically instructed that it must not be lightly passed on..." Hearing this and looking at Chengdao's expression, Li Fan already guessed what he was about to say. Li Fan was overjoyed. He hastily bowed with solemnity to thank Chengdao. One had to know that even with the [Mound-Guarding Jottings], the Mound-Guarding Lord had never given such solemn instructions, merely sealing it casually within the testing grounds inside the Great Wall for any fated person to find. For a technique that the Mound-Guarding Lord was unwilling to lightly pass down, its value went without saying. "Still, you are no outsider, Junior Brother. One day, when you meet Master and formally enter his lineage, Master would surely bestow it upon you as well. It is just that since Master is not here right now, I am passing on the Dao on his behalf a step early," Chengdao said solemnly first, explaining the reason. After a moment of silence, he bowed deeply toward the outer heavens, paying homage to Mound-Guarding. Only then did he turn to Li Fan and ask, "Junior Brother, have you ever wondered how Master was able to sit on the mountain and gaze at the sea, guarding the Immortal Realm across countless epochs?" "You should know that when he was first dispatched to monitor unusual movements in the Mountains and Seas, Master's strength was not particularly prominent among the immortals. At most, it was in the realm of an ordinary Nameless. To speak irreverently, he was probably not even as strong as the two of us are right now." "Yet why was Master able to disregard the passage of time and the vicissitudes of the Mountains and Seas, remaining seated on the mountain gazing placidly at the sea while successive Immortal Emperors perished one after another?" Chengdao's eyes burned bright as he stared at Li Fan. "To say I had no doubts would certainly be a lie. When I first heard of the Mound-Guarding Jottings, aside from being shocked by Master's vision and strength, my greatest puzzle was Master's [Longevity]. But after thinking it through, there seemed to be no other reasonable explanation. I could only attribute it to Master's immense strength," Li Fan answered. "Longevity is the cause, not the effect. It is not that he achieved longevity because he was strong, but that he became strong because of longevity," Chengdao said solemnly, word by word. Li Fan's heart jolted violently. The word "longevity" had been the enduring obsession in his heart for so long. In fact, the very reason he had stepped onto the path of cultivation in the first place was to achieve longevity and live freely and untethered. Now, hearing Chengdao say this—that the Mound-Guarding Lord had achieved his current cultivation precisely because he attained the fortune of longevity—Li Fan's soul shook, and he promptly assumed an attitude of listening with rapt attention. "Junior Brother, though I am a spirit stone of the Mountains and Seas, I was ultimately incapable of [immortality]. Having accompanied Master for so long, before I even awakened my sentience, I had already become covered in cracks from the erosion of the Mountains and Seas, on the verge of shattering." "Fortunately..." Chengdao wore a look of reminiscence. "Fortunately, across those endless years, I was the only thing beside Master." "Perhaps because we spent so long together, it became second nature. In short, Master could not bear to see me shatter and vanish amidst the Mountains and Seas like that. So he enlightened me and imparted the wondrous art of [Longevity]." "Having obtained the art of longevity, all my cracks mended. From then on, I never again had to worry about my life coming to an end." A strange light gleamed in Li Fan's eyes. He had originally assumed that Chengdao's ability to survive from the opening of the Immortal Realm to the present day was entirely due to his origin as a spirit stone of the Mountains and Seas. He had never imagined that the root cause was actually the art of longevity passed down by Mound-Guarding! "Junior Brother, you must know that this art of longevity is extraordinary. Even within the Mountains and Seas, it is [one of a kind]!" Chengdao's expression was solemn as never before. "What is meant by one of a kind is that it is like a fruit. It can perhaps be shared by multiple people, but its total portion remains forever unchanged." "It is just that because of the unique nature of [Longevity], even if shared by ten thousand people, every single person still attains longevity." "That is why Master was willing to pass this art down." Li Fan listened with rapt fascination. Yet Chengdao's description of [Longevity] stirred a thought in his heart. He could not help but think of [Revert to the True]. The transformation of true and false represented by Revert to the True should also be unique within the Mountains and Seas. Could there be something in common between the two? Before Li Fan could ponder further, Chengdao had already begun to steadily expound the wondrous art of longevity. As if to prevent prying eyes from outside, while passing on the Dao, he also manifested the vision of the Mountains and Seas. Rolling mountains and seas encircled them amidst howling gales, completely cloaking the traces of Li Fan and Chengdao. The winds roared in gusts, yet could not drown out Chengdao's every pearlescent word. "Master received the order to guard the mound and never stepped away even half a pace until his lifespan expired. Even when the Ruling Immortal Emperor and the entire Immortal Realm forgot him, there was never any resentment in Master's heart. He remained devoted to his duty until the very last moment of his life." "Not until the day his oil was spent and the lamp died out did Master finally feel total release in his heart. Turning toward where the Immortal Emperor resided, he offered one final bow, and then fell into the Sea of Infinity..." "Yet who would have thought that his fate changed right then!" "Because he sought death of his own accord, he was reborn from death!" Amidst Chengdao's resonant recounting, a vision of the bottom of the Sea of Infinity seemed to appear before Li Fan's eyes. Countless droplets filled the vision, each droplet representing the condensed essence of endless time. "Was the Sea of Infinity already like this back in the Mound-Guarding Lord's day?" "What on earth does this represent...?" Just as Li Fan felt puzzled, a miraculous sight at the bottom of the Sea of Infinity caught his attention. A verdant fragment lay quietly in the sea. Droplets of the Sea of Infinity were drawn to it, circling around it. The seawater—any single drop of which could crush Li Fan's consciousness—now howled into a colossal vortex, yet could not sway even the light radiating from the green fragment.