"It is nothing more than a clash of interests; what need is there to divide it into good and evil?"
"If we were truly wicked to the extreme, how could we have stood against the onslaught of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals across a thousand years of struggle without suffering defeat?"
The scholar once again posed a resounding question that stirred the soul.
Among the Alliance cultivators, many took on contemplative expressions upon hearing his words.
Even more wore dazed looks, their worldview seemingly struck by a massive blow.
"Very well. Allow me first to introduce the present state of the Five Elders Association to you."
The scholar's immense form towered between heaven and earth, filling their vision as he spoke at a measured pace.
"Presently, the territory of the Five Elders Association is divided into five parts."
"Five Heavenly Venerables each hold sway over their own domain."
"As for the domains of the other Heavenly Venerables, it is not my place to make presumptuous comments. If you have the opportunity in the future, you may explore them on your own."
"Let us speak only of the Heavenly Realm of Humanity where you currently reside."
The scholar's words drew the attention of every cultivator present, including Li Fan.
"The five Heavenly Venerables each defy the principles of Heaven and Earth, creating realms of their own."
"In our Heavenly Realm of Humanity, the foremost principle is the doctrine by which the Heavenly Venerable attained the Dao."
"It is also the fundamental order of this world—one that every person must follow, and none may violate."
The scholar paused, then explained the origin behind the name 'Heavenly Realm of Humanity.'
"Compared to Heaven and Earth, man is merely a minuscule speck."
"'Though body and name alike perish, the rivers flow on through all eternity unhindered.'"
"Even cultivators capable of overturning rivers and upending seas merely seem to change the shape of heaven and earth. Yet rivers and mountains will eventually return to what they were, whereas once a cultivator dies, everything turns to void. All that once was becomes a bubble, ceasing to exist."
"Only a Longevity Heavenly Venerable, defying the principles of Heaven and Earth, can truly be said to transform heaven and earth!"
"Why is it that only a Longevity Heavenly Venerable can achieve such a magnificent feat?"
"In our Heavenly Realm of Humanity, transforming heaven and earth is something anyone can do!"
The scholar spoke with resounding force.
When these words were uttered, although the crowd felt a surge of heroic pride in their hearts, they were filled with confusion.
Several cultivators plucked up their courage and called out, "Sir, what does it mean that anyone can transform heaven and earth?"
The scholar smiled faintly. "When you arrived, did you see the brilliant starlight filling the sky?"
The crowd nodded one after another.
"In truth, those are not real stars, but cultivators of the past." The scholar's words echoed between heaven and earth like a clap of thunder.
With a wave of his massive hand, the originally bright sky instantly darkened.
The darkness lasted only a breath before it was illuminated once more by countless points of starlight.
"In the Heavenly Realm of Humanity, regardless of cultivation level, so long as one possesses sufficient conviction and courage, one can transform one's body into a star and ascend into the heavens."
"While shining eternally upon the world, one can furthermore alter the original shape of heaven and earth."
"Long ago, in the Heavenly Realm of Humanity, there was a youth born between two great mountains."
The scholar began another tale.
"The great mountains blocked the way, making travel in and out extraordinarily difficult. Because of this, the villagers in the mountains lived in bitter poverty. Seeing this, the youth made a grand vow from childhood to completely eradicate the two great mountains and forge a path forward for his kin."
"The mountains were remote, rarely visited by anyone. The youth did not know that immortals existed in this world; he simply attempted to dig through them with mortal strength."
"Though met with incomprehension and ridicule, he never wavered or regretted his choice."
"Absolute sincerity opens metal and stone. A century passed, and when the youth had grown into an octogenarian on the verge of death, his resolve remained unbroken."
"Upon his death, he transformed into a star and ascended into the firmament. And bathed in that starlight, the two great mountains vanished without a trace."
"This is an example of an absolute mortal body transforming heaven and earth."
"If even a mortal could do so, how much more so for cultivators? In the Heavenly Realm of Humanity, instances of remaking heaven and earth are too numerous to count!"
***
While Li Fan's puppet body was immersed in the scholar's narration, his true body had already traveled via teleportation arrays to Shilin Province.
With Wanxian Island carried off, all teleportation nodes leading to the Congyun Sea had ceased to function.
He had had no choice but to settle for the next best option, taking teleportation arrays all the way to Shilin Province, which bordered the Congyun Sea.
When he attempted to fly into the Congyun Sea, however, Li Fan abruptly discovered that an invisible barrier enveloped the entire sea.
It sealed off the region, preventing outsiders from entering.
"It seems they've finally reacted and imposed martial law." Li Fan narrowed his eyes and did not force his way through.
Instead, his true body returned to a nearby immortal city, shifting his attention to his clone, Zhou Qing'ang.
Ignoring the constant notifications buzzing from the communication talismans on his person, the clone flew straight toward the site where Wanxian Island had originally been located.
Along the way, he saw many cultivators with panic-stricken faces, unaware of what had transpired, also rushing toward Wanxian Island.
Only after losing the teleportation arrays did they realize how precious it had been to travel anywhere in an instant.
It took the clone a full dozen-odd days to finally reach his destination.
A large gathering of cultivators had already assembled here, pointing and gesturing as they murmured amongst themselves.
In their midst lay a colossal black void.
The surrounding seawater seemed held back by some unseen force, unable to pour into the massive black hole.
Set against the azure sea, the existence of this black void appeared utterly bizarre and dissonant.
Seeing this, Li Fan could not help but frown slightly.
"Why does this look so similar to when I first witnessed the Crimson Flame Burning Sea?"
"Could it be..."
A hypothesis arose unbidden in his mind, giving Li Fan pause.
Back then, when he saw the vanished Wanxian Island and the lingering scorching energy surrounding the void, and subsequently saw Crimson Flame standing high in the sky holding flames and roasting the Congyun Sea, Li Fan had subconsciously assumed it was Crimson Flame who had acted and utterly destroyed Wanxian Island.
Indeed, it had certainly looked that way.
Yet after all, he had not witnessed the destruction of Wanxian Island with his own eyes, so there had always been a second possibility.
Namely, that Wanxian Island had been completely carried off through some method, just like in this lifetime.
Even later, after Crimson Flame was slain and brought about the manifestation of Mo Sha, he still had never witnessed the island's destruction.
Because before Wanxian Island vanished entirely, he had been engulfed by those black particles first.
Connecting this with the Five Elders Association's act of forcefully abducting Wanxian Island this time, Li Fan was momentarily dazed.
"Could Wanxian Island truly be hiding some secret?"
Recalling the numerous confidential records and secrets he had once browsed, none contained any mention of this.
Li Fan began to doubt his own judgment again.
"This makes no sense either. If Wanxian Island truly hid something, there is no way the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals wouldn't know. They should have guarded it with utmost vigilance—how could they let the Five Elders Association carry it off so easily?"
Just as Li Fan was racking his brains in vain, he overheard a cultivator among the spectators lament: "How fickle the ways of the world are. Who would have thought that the very place where the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable originally preached the Dao would also vanish one day?"
Li Fan started slightly.
He promptly stepped forward and offered a greeting.
Then he asked, "Fellow Daoist, what did you mean by 'the place where the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable originally preached the Dao'?"
Chapter 491