Chapter 1719: Li Fan's Record of God Creation

Angry Cuttlefish

What does it take to become a god?

The precise answer to this question might never be found, unless one were to reach the Primordial Immortal Realm and personally participate in that fierce struggle.

Li Fan could only speculate by observing the different outcomes caused by various variables.

"It seemed that besides Suo's body suffering severe injuries, there might be other contributing factors."

Li Fan waited for a long time again, but still did not receive the Three Sages' declaration: "The time for Avatar is now."

Without wasting any more time, Li Fan decisively reset the True Realm.

He still chose to preserve the Dao-One Mountain and Sea Map, which was only a step away from completion.

Pausing his actions, Li Fan first meticulously reviewed all the details of the world where the new god had descended.

"Could it be that, in addition to Suo's severe bodily injury, the Sages' infiltration of their minds to engage in spiritual combat was also a crucial factor?"

"Since the cause could not be determined, I will reproduce all variables as much as possible."

With this idea in mind, Li Fan summoned dozens of Saintly Spirits from the mountains and seas.

To serve as his pawns.

Previously, the Sages who had entered Suo's Net and competed with him were, in order: Qiejian, Baixiao, Fangcun, and Taiwei. Li Fan was the last one.

The first three among them had already left their marks in the Hall of the Great Dao of True Return, so replicating them to achieve equivalent effectiveness should not be difficult.

"The key lay with Emperor Taiwei. It was difficult for ordinary beings to emanate imperial nobility."

Li Fan's gaze swept over the chosen fortunate ones, selecting the most suitable vessel. Then, he gently blew on it.

This being was originally in a state of confusion, but gradually, its demeanor and expression underwent subtle changes.

The beings gathered around him seemed to sense something, instinctively

moving away, not daring to approach. What Li Fan imbued was not just a segment of illusory memory, but more importantly, an imperial mindset.

Li Fan observed for a moment, still dissatisfied, and shook his head slightly.

"Though it had the spirit of a Saint Emperor, it lacked the substance of one. It's still not enough!"

In the world where the new god was born, the Saint Emperor had comprehended the Great Dao of Life and, by splitting his own power, infiltrated Suo's Net with negligible consumption.

Therefore, to perfectly replicate the conditions for the new god's birth, Li Fan also had to create a Saint Emperor with nearly equivalent power. "My comprehension of the True-False Transformation is not yet enough to mold a Saint with a single thought. However..."

"I can transform my cultivation!"

"The Way of Cosmic Reversal, shed!"

A rather bizarre scene unfolded: Li Fan's skin suddenly began to wriggle on its own, as if an external force had grabbed it and was tearing at it fiercely.

Slowly, a figure shed from Li Fan's body.

Faceless and formless, it drifted erratically.

Yet, it exuded an immense aura belonging to the Saint Realm.

Meanwhile, Li Fan had returned to the Mortal Realm!

Compared to a Saint, a mortal is no different from an ant in the face of mountains and seas. Under normal circumstances, if one were to do as Li Fan had, they would certainly lose control over the Saintly 'outer garment' the moment their cultivation was shed.

But Li Fan was different.

His foundation of strength largely lay in the True-False Transformation. Even as a mere mortal, Li Fan could still suppress the Saintly 'outer garment.'

Moreover, the Great Dao of Cosmic Reversal had already left its name in the Hall of the Great Dao of True Return. These two reasons combined made it impossible for the garment to escape Li Fan's control.

"Now is not the time to act yet. I must wait until I cultivate to the Saint Realm again."

For his second cultivation, Li Fan chose the Great Dao of Profound Birth.

Li Fan's comprehension of the Great Dao of Cosmic Reversal had, after all, left its mark on the Mountain and Sea Boundless Stele.

So his understanding of the Great Dao of Profound Birth was naturally not as profound.

However, it only took Li Fan four hundred years to become a Saint again.

Constantly restarting, repeatedly proving the Dao. For other cultivators, the path to sainthood was unattainable and as difficult as ascending to heaven. But for Li Fan, it had gradually become as simple as eating and drinking.

"In the future, creating a Saint will also be within a single thought of mine."

Saint Li Fan of Profound Birth felt spirited, and wrapped in the outer garment of Cosmic Reversal, he headed towards the mountains and seas sealed by Suo's Net.

Still using Illusion-as-True to clear the way, he silently infiltrated.

Then, he successively released the fabricated "Qiejian," "Baixiao," and "Fangcun."

Suo's Net underwent corresponding changes; while not necessarily identical to the world where the new god descended, the general trajectory was accurate. "Next, it's your turn."

Li Fan looked at the "Saint Emperor" phantom in his hand, smiled slightly, and draped the outer garment of Cosmic Reversal over it.

As the Saintly power enveloped the phantom, Li Fan also contended for ownership of the Great Dao of Cosmic Reversal in the Hall of the Great Dao of True Return.

How could an ownerless garment contend with Li Fan?

The Great Dao of Cosmic Reversal vanished.

That outer garment also quickly fell from the Saint Realm, possessing only vast accumulated cultivation but no Saintly standing.

This precisely corresponded with the Saint Emperor's performance when he crossed over and descended into Suo's Net.

The actions of the "Saint Emperor," having been guided by Li Fan, were already predetermined.

It dispersed its cultivation, built an immortal army, and forced Suo to appear and change the rules.

And after the constructed "Saint Emperor" turned to ashes, Li Fan then made his grand entrance.

"Huh? You..."

Even though Li Fan concealed himself well, Suo instinctively sensed that something was amiss.

An inexplicable sense of crisis arose within him.

"A mere ant from later generations, yet able to disturb my peace of mind?"

Suo was filled with doubt and alarm. However, he was, after all, one of the original Saints of the mountains and seas, an ancient existence capable of surviving the harsh environment of the Primordial Immortal Realm.

Naturally, he could not be simply scared away by Li Fan.

Another round of simulation ensued.

The outcome, of course, was self-evident.

Li Fan showed no mercy, using the Great Dao of Qiejian to 'reap' another gain.

A chilling and eerie sensation emerged in his heart. The unease that Suo had deliberately suppressed was suddenly amplified a thousandfold.

"Interlocking, clearly a well-planned trap."

"Who exactly is plotting against me!"

Suo roared in his heart. For some reason, this situation evoked a sense of déjà vu. Once the thought arose, it could not be dispelled. What began as an inconspicuous snowflake quickly transformed into a thunderous avalanche in an instant.

Unease turned into fear.

Suo even saw, in a trance, the scene of his own tragic demise!

"I will die?"

"I will die!"

His agitation was hard to comprehend, his heart filled with confusion, shock, and terror. Suo could no longer care about anything else and fled in disarray.

"Did I 'reap' too aggressively this time?"

Li Fan keenly perceived Suo's subtle change at the last moment, his expression unfathomable.

His figure faded, and he concealed himself before Suo's Net completely dispersed.

Suo's Net mysteriously receded, causing confusion among the Sages of the mountains and seas. But ultimately, unable to find the reason, they could only attribute it to changes in the primordial mountains and seas.

Li Fan remained hidden, patiently awaiting the outcome.

The appointed time arrived, yet there was still no sign of the mental avatar's descent.

"Failed again?" Li Fan frowned.

Just as he was about to reset the True Realm and try again, his heart suddenly stirred.

"Although Suo vaguely sensed something and became more cautious, he ultimately cannot compensate for the fact that his origin was damaged."

"What is destined to die, will certainly die."

"It just means it can cling to life a little longer."

His gaze seemed to penetrate through layers of mountains, seas, and the void realm's barriers, reaching straight to the dawn of time. Li Fan had an epiphany.

Then he went into hiding again, quietly awaiting the signs of the new god's descent.

This time, Li Fan was not disappointed.

That ethereal sensation, as if falling suddenly from high heavens, struck abruptly.

Among the many mountains and seas, the Three Sages suddenly rose.

They looked up, gazing at the Primordial Realm, their expressions extremely solemn. With the declaration, "The time for Avatar is now," all Three Sages committed self-sacrifice, their powers converging towards the Primordial Immortal Realm.

Only the bewildered remaining Sages and the utterly chaotic mountains and seas were left.

"After a long, bitter wait, this moment has finally arrived again!"

Seizing the opportune moment of the turbulent mountain and sea void realm, Li Fan, with a flick of his hand, scattered a million beings.

All were "fortunate ones" he had collected during his reverse journey across the currents.

He infused them into the very lifelines of the mountain and sea beings.

"Dao Annihilation, return!"

As the mountains and seas overflowed with starlight, Li Fan then pointed towards the vast void realm.

What was originally a leaderless multitude, now, with Li Fan's guidance,

suddenly transformed into a horde of fierce beasts that had caught the scent of prey.

Roaring and surging, they charged deep in, unstoppable!

The mountains and seas were instantly lost.

All living beings perished, and most Sages scattered and fled.

Only Shouqiu was still desperately trying to stop it.

However, without Li Fan's unified mind and the enhancement of the True-False Transformation, Shouqiu was merely a Saint of ordinary strength. Facing such a catastrophe, his utmost efforts were nothing more than a drop in the bucket.

Li Fan paid them no mind, his gaze fixed on the mountains and seas.

"The efforts of three lifetimes, whether they will succeed or not, depends on this moment."

The mountains and seas, massively invaded by Dao Annihilation, also erupted with astonishing potential. Roaring sounds from within the mountains and seas temporarily pushed back the Dao Annihilation torrent.

And then...

The exact same scene as in the world where the new god descended appeared.

Everything else within the mountains and seas shattered.

Only the pure mountains and seas themselves remained.

The Mountain and Sea Stone Slab reappeared in the world! Moreover, because the scale of Dao Annihilation Li Fan instigated in this lifetime far surpassed the past, invading along the lifelines of beings, the mountains and seas were lost exceptionally quickly. This caused the petrified mountains and seas to not be limited to just the current segment.

Instead, they spanned continuously across thirty-six segments of mountains and seas, totaling approximately twenty-five million years!

Even on the scale of hundreds of billions of years for the mountains and seas, this was no longer a negligible drop in the ocean.

It was equivalent to having a piece of flesh forcibly dug out.

Among them, countless beings were lost.

Yet, as the instigator, Li Fan remained calm, even sarcastically remarking, "A brave man cutting off his own wrist – impressive, truly impressive!"

"However, it's exactly what I needed!"

The Mountain and Sea Stone Slab, continuously stretching for twenty-five million years, was far more detailed than anything Li Fan had seen before.

The boundless and infinite nature of the mountains and seas seemed to have found concrete expression.

Even merely observing from the void realm, there were faint signs of being absorbed and lost to it.

Like a high levee, it stood across the path of Dao Annihilation in the void realm. Waves surged, but for a short while, it was difficult to stir up any more commotion.

Li Fan no longer prevented himself from falling towards the Mountain and Sea Stone Slab.

He even used this force to stretch and extend his divine sense, spreading it to every corner of the Mountain and Sea Stone Slab.

Every minute texture was clearly visible.

Li Fan immersed himself in it, deeply captivated.

Compared to the Outline of Mountain and Sea Changes, which recorded all data of the mountains and seas, this stone slab, evolved by the mountains and seas themselves, was far more subtle and concrete.

"From one, the whole can be known. But given the boundless infinitude of the mountains and seas, the 'one' needed to perceive the whole is vast enough to be called boundless."

Li Fan compared the slab's textures with what was recorded in the Outline of Changes. He also cross-referenced it with his own writings in the Dao-One Mountain and Sea Map.

New insights emerged in his mind.

That stroke, which he had long been unable to complete, seemed finally within reach.

"But..."

"Something still seems to be missing."

Li Fan pondered, his divine sense continuing to roam within the Mountain and Sea Stone Slab. Suddenly, it paused at a certain insignificant "point."

"This is..."

Everything was destroyed, yet on the stone slab, where only the mountains and seas themselves existed, there was unexpectedly an "external object."

It was like a drop of ink on the slab, utterly out of place with everything around it.

Yet, it also seemed to complement each other, existing in harmony.

This was also why Li Fan's divine sense had swept over it before without detecting its anomaly.

And this external object was not unfamiliar to Li Fan.

It was precisely the Mountain and Sea Boundless Stele!

"Even if the mountains and seas turned to stone, it remains here."

"The mountains and seas are boundless, unchanging throughout eternity. Life and death, all are determined thus."

His divine sense rapidly contracted from the twenty million years of mountains and seas, returning and transforming back into human form, then immersing itself into the Boundless Stele.

Reliving the story, he used his comprehension of the Great Dao of Cosmic Reversal to carve a mark upon it.

His divine sense then attached itself to it.

"Fortunately, I didn't find any traces I left previously on this Mountain and Sea Boundless Stele. Otherwise, I would have been quite startled."

"This Mountain and Sea Boundless Stele is my final, crucial stroke."

Observing the faint, almost imperceptible traces on the Boundless Stele, an epiphany arose in Li Fan's mind.

"Mountains are mountains, seas are seas. Even if they share a common divine split, they are ultimately two independent entities. They rely on each other but do not contaminate each other."

"And ever since this Mountain and Sea Boundless Stele came into existence..."

"...the mountains and seas could truly be called mountains and seas."

Li Fan's eyes gradually brightened. Having understood everything, he felt immensely relieved and couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter.

However, his laughter was soon interrupted by a roaring sound from outside.

"This is..."

"The Divine Return Torrent?" Li Fan's expression turned serious.

During the time he had spent comprehending the Dao within the stone slab, the struggle of divine avatars in this lifetime had also concluded.

Like a hundred rivers returning to the sea.

All things in the mountains and seas, evolved from the god, were now returning to the new god.

The torrent was vast; this power of return crushed everything.

Even the solidified, ice-sealed Mountain and Sea Stone Slab was pushed by it, slowly trembling as it flowed towards the primordial mountains and seas.

If he had seen this scene for the first time, Li Fan would surely have been so startled that he would have immediately fled for his life using True Escape.

But at this moment, Li Fan watched everything with a calm expression.

Because the descent of the new god in this lifetime was entirely orchestrated by him.

This left Li Fan with none of the fear he felt when he first encountered a god.

"God..."

"...is nothing more than this."

"Can be molded, can be shed."

"This, this is the True-False Transformation..."

Li Fan meticulously pondered the numerous variables that had arisen over the three lifetimes.

Summarizing the conditions for the birth of a new god.

"It seems that Suo's demise alone is not enough."

"Suo's past spiritual combat with the Sages was also a crucial factor."

"Why is this the case?"

Although he still didn't know the specific reason, he had, after all, mastered a stable method for bringing about the descent of a new god.

"However, with the previous lesson of the silver glowing points, it should not be excessively repeated."

"Otherwise, it might awaken its memories from when it was a god, and even faintly perceive the True Realm's existence, which cannot be erased by the True Realm Reset..."

"That would be too dangerous for me."

"This lifetime, however, was done out of necessity to perfect the Dao-One Mountain and Sea Map."

As Li Fan was thinking, his thoughts suddenly halted.

Because he noticed that the Mountain and Sea Boundless Stele, which was originally flowing with the Mountain and Sea Stone Slab towards the new god,

suddenly stopped moving.