Jiao Xiuyuan chuckled. "It's only natural for you to think that, Fellow Daoist. After all, for cultivators of our generation, advancing from the Foundation Establishment stage all the way to the Dao Integration stage requires plundering Heaven and seizing Earth, fighting over resources. In a sense, every cultivator is a potential competitor to one another."
"However..."
Jiao Xiuyuan's tone took on an inexplicable nuance. "The Longevity realm is different."
"To attain Longevity, one must defy the principles of Heaven and Earth."
"The principles of Heaven and Earth are the Way of Heaven."
"Defying the principles of Heaven and Earth is the Dao of a cultivator."
"Replacing the Way of Heaven with the cultivator's Dao—that is how one attains Longevity."
"Cultivators who can cultivate to the peak of Dao Integration and glimpse the Longevity realm all possess a Dao uniquely their own."
"Because before reaching that realm, they have already annihilated every conceivable competitor who could have stood in their way."
In a calm voice, Jiao Xiuyuan described a path of advancement soaked in blood.
"Among Dao Integration cultivators, their paths differ, so there are no conflicts of interest."
"And observing another Dao Integration cultivator undergo the process of defying the principles of Heaven and Earth—regardless of success or failure—is of immense benefit to oneself."
"That is why they agreed to lend their aid."
A trace of mockery appeared on Jiao Xiuyuan's dark face. "Otherwise, if you wanted to mobilize multiple Dao Integration cultivators, you would have to pay an exorbitant price."
Li Fan turned Jiao Xiuyuan's words over in his mind. After a moment, he reached a faint revelation.
From Qi Condensation to Dao Integration, the media required for advancement were, in order: spirit, marvel, law, essence, marrow, and anima.
As a cultivator's realm gradually rose, the backlash from Heaven and Earth encountered when attempting to advance grew ever greater.
At the start of cultivation, because the counterforce of Heaven and Earth was not yet so strong, it was almost negligible.
The primary conflict manifested in the struggle between cultivator and cultivator.
Yet once one's cultivation reached the Dao Integration stage, not only did one have to fight other cultivators for the opportunity to sacrifice an anima of Heaven and Earth,
one also had to battle the anima of Heaven and Earth itself.
The situation had fundamentally shifted.
Finally, upon reaching the Longevity realm,
the conflicts between cultivators became trivial, almost irrelevant.
It became a war between cultivator and Heaven and Earth.
...
Although the Dao Integration and Longevity realms were still far beyond Li Fan's current reach, they were, after all, the ultimate culmination of cultivation in this world.
In guiding Li Fan's planning of his future path, these insights provided an invaluable vantage point.
The value of these words was worth no less than a hundred thousand contribution points.
Li Fan pondered a moment longer, then could not resist voicing a question he had harbored in his heart for a long time: "May I ask what realm Fellow Daoist Jiao actually resides in? To know secrets concerning the Dao Integration and Longevity realms so intimately..."
Jiao Xiuyuan did not answer.
He merely smiled and said, "If fate allows, Fellow Daoist will naturally find out in due time."
Li Fan nodded and pressed no further.
After concluding the transmission, Li Fan began to reflect on the intelligence Jiao Xiuyuan had provided.
*A new Longevity Heavenly Venerable might emerge in the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, which provoked probing maneuvers from the Five Elders Association.*
*This didn't happen in my past life either.*
*Could it be another variable triggered by the war in Tianling Province?*
*That makes sense. That war was far too vast in scope. Even in its early stages, more than a dozen Dao Integration experts were locked in mutual slaughter.*
*It would be entirely natural to achieve some sudden enlightenment on the verge of life and death.*
*According to Jiao Xiuyuan's judgment, to test whether this news is genuine, the Five Elders Association will inevitably resort to more drastic measures.*
*Their goal should be to force the Dao Integration cultivators into the open.*
*It seems the total number of Dao Integration cultivators on either side isn't that large.*
*At the very least, if several Dao Integration cultivators suddenly vanish, people will notice.*
*Mm... before the storm passes, I'd better play it safe and stay put,* Li Fan mused to himself.
Over the period that followed, events unfolded just as Jiao Xiuyuan had predicted.
Without warning, the Five Elders Association launched probes all along the Alliance's front.
In almost every province near the Five Elders Association, Dao Integration experts crossed the border, manifesting celestial anomalies that blanketed entire territories in a blatant show of force.
Closely tracking the discussions among cultivators in the Heavenly Profound Mirror, Li Fan gained a general understanding of the Alliance's response before much of the information was scrubbed.
Aside from a few isolated provinces where Dao Integration cultivators appeared promptly to counter the incursions, the vast majority remained uncharacteristically silent.
They merely activated their province-wide defensive formations.
Yet in the face of such provocation, the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals did not declare a wartime state of readiness again.
They only strictly ordered every province to power up their grand formations and maintain defensive positions, strictly forbidding anyone from provoking hostilities lightly.
This subtle display of weakness seemed to validate the truth of the rumor.
Whether driven by the goal of sabotaging the birth of a new Longevity Heavenly Venerable,
or intending to exploit this rare moment of internal emptiness within the Alliance to expand their territory,
the Five Elders Association launched a renewed war without hesitation.
Or perhaps...
it could hardly be called a war at all.
Because a mere few days later, before Alliance cultivators had even entered wartime readiness, and before the vast majority had caught even a glimpse of an enemy,
the newly sparked smoke of battle abruptly dissipated into thin air.
The Five Elders Association ceased all hostilities, never mentioning war again.
This baffling turn of events left Li Fan thoroughly bewildered,
and even Jiao Xiuyuan was somewhat astonished.
Not long after, amidst the official propaganda trumpeted far and wide by the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, everyone finally understood what had transpired during those few short days—
and learned the truth behind the turmoil.
The Five Elders Association's original war plan was presumably as follows:
Dao Integration experts would infiltrate deep into Alliance territory to find the Immortal Venerable who was defying the principles of Heaven and Earth, disrupting his ascension process.
Meanwhile, led by Soul Formation experts, the remaining cultivators would launch fierce assaults all along the Alliance's border,
providing cover for the Dao Integration strike team.
They would focus their attacks on provinces where no Dao Integration cultivators were stationed,
ideally seizing the rare opportunity to conquer new ground and expand their territory.
The plan was splendid.
Reality was cruel.
A total of nine Dao Integration experts had secretly slipped into Alliance territory—
an extraordinarily formidable force, without question.
They made it all the way to the heartland, Tianyu Province, without anyone detecting them.
Perhaps they were even secretly celebrating how smoothly the plan was proceeding.
However, just as they let down their guard,
a grand formation activated! A profound light descended from the heavens, suddenly engulfing them.
Dao Integration cultivators from the Alliance, numbering more than twice their own, abruptly appeared all around them.
Even those Dao Integration Immortal Venerables who had supposedly been invited to assist in defying the principles of Heaven and Earth were all present, gazing down at them with mocking smiles!
By this point, how could the nine Dao Integration cultivators of the Five Elders Association fail to understand?
All of this had been a trap from the very beginning!
A scheme to lure the enemy deep into their grasp!
Any rumor of a Dao Integration cultivator on the verge of a breakthrough, about to ascend to Longevity Heavenly Venerable—
it was all false, a total fabrication.
Its sole purpose had been to lure the Dao Integration Immortal Venerables of the Five Elders Association into interfering,
so that the Alliance could wipe them out in one fell swoop,
and tear a massive chunk of flesh from the Five Elders Association!
Chapter 262