Chapter 1720: Virtual World's New Divine Battle

Angry Squid: .........

As if aware of the fate of being devoured by the new god that awaited it, the Boundless Tablet of Mountains and Seas remained fixed in the void, unwavering despite the surging divine deluge.

Li Fan's eyes flickered as his divine sense swept across the Boundless Tablet, searching for the reason it remained fixed in the void.

The remnants of the mountains and seas flowed like eastward rivers, converging towards the vortex of nutrients for the new god at the dawn of time. Yet, the Boundless Tablet stood unmoving, like a stone mountain beside a river.

Li Fan stood on the mountain, watching the overthrow of the mountains and seas, a unique feeling stirring within him.

This stone tablet... It could gather mountains and seas, yet exist independently of them. It could also act as a mirror, reflecting and imprinting the myriad principles of mountains and seas. What was its origin?

Li Fan suddenly recalled the vision he had sensed when he first encountered the Boundless Tablet of Mountains and Seas.

Beyond the mountains and seas, in a hazy, unknown realm where creation was difficult to manifest, a stone tablet suddenly appeared. It was as if it had sprung forth from within the mountains and seas, or perhaps it had fallen into the mountains and seas from beyond them.

Mountains quaked, and great waves swept through. Mountains and seas merged, becoming boundless because of it.

Could it be, as the Three Sages had said, a remnant of a god, or perhaps… one who stood shoulder to shoulder with a god?

As his thoughts swirled, Li Fan had already made a decision.

He would remain at the Boundless Tablet of Mountains and Seas until the end of this current life. He wanted to observe what would happen to the tablet when the new god descended and even when the new god returned to the stars.

Perhaps, he could also seize this opportunity to use the Boundless Tablet to further refine his Dao Yi Mountain and Sea Map.

With a thought, a Dao Yi worm suddenly appeared in Li Fan's hand.

Even ordinary Saints found it difficult to leave distinct personal marks on the Boundless Tablet, let alone a Dao Yi worm.

As expected, unable to be contained by the stone tablet, the Dao Yi worm instantly dissolved into faint wisps of inky black, vanishing with the wind.

Next, Li Fan began to gradually increase the number of Dao Yi worms.

One, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand… None could endure for even an instant before perishing within the stone tablet.

It was only when their numbers reached ten billion, and the mountain and sea map engraved on the backs of the Dao Yi swarm began to take shape, that they could persist for a brief moment. There was a chance…

Li Fan keenly observed that during the short time the swarm struggled for survival, indeed a change occurred on the Boundless Tablet.

However, as the swarm vanished, the new engravings disappeared as well.

The Dao Yi worms, engraving the mountains and seas, could also be considered a path. Naturally, they could leave marks on the Boundless Tablet of Mountains and Seas, just like other principles. In fact, those who left their marks on the Boundless Tablet of Mountains and Seas might represent the most accurate Mountain and Sea Map. Li Fan felt a sudden enlightenment.

He increased the swarm's numbers once more.

Hundreds of billions of worms coalesced, forming a complete landscape of mountains and seas.

Combined with Li Fan's insight, the 'Boundless Mountains and Seas' was the final touch.

The instant the Dao Yi Mountain and Sea Map took shape, hundreds of billions of Dao Yi worms all radiated an eerie black light, solidifying into a single entity.

It resembled a splash-ink painting of mountains and seas, with undulating peaks and furious waves. All manner of grand principles were fully displayed within it.

Truly possessing the attributes of real mountains and seas, the moment it materialized, it almost directly escaped Li Fan's control, drawn away by the divine vortex at the dawn of the mountains and seas.

Facing the suppression of the Boundless Tablet of Mountains and Seas, this Dao Yi map, with its flowing inky light, vibrating mountains, and surging waves, became one with the mountains and seas, and was actually able to contend with the Boundless Tablet for a time.

Amidst the roaring mountains and crashing seas, the image of the mountains and seas slowly etched itself onto the Boundless Tablet.

The mission of the Boundless Tablet was to make the mountains and seas boundless. It seemed to possess a special affinity for the mountains and seas.

As the landscape depicted in the Dao Yi map became increasingly magnificent and closer to the real mountains and seas,

the Boundless Tablet, which had been suspended in the divine deluge, suddenly moved again, leaping into the Dao Yi Mountain and Sea Map!

Without any hesitation, it fell directly onto the final touch Li Fan had previously drawn based on his own insights.

As if it was meant to be, it replaced it.

With that single transformative stroke, earth-shattering changes continuously surged within the Mountain and Sea Map.

It was as if a divine brush was continuously sweeping ink, rewriting the very layout of the mountains and seas.

Ink flowed like clouds, enshrouding the mountains and seas.

As the inky hues flowed, the mountains and seas gradually merged into one. Before the Boundless Tablet had taken its place, Li Fan hadn't found his drawn mountain and sea map crude.

Only when the Boundless Tablet provided the crucial final touch and replaced his own did he realize.

Comparing the before and after,

he realized his previous attempt was merely a clumsy imitation.

Although this new Mountain and Sea Map was merely a painting, it gave Li Fan the sensation of real mountains and seas.

It was not merely a path of mountains and seas; it was the mountains and seas themselves!

He had originally only intended to borrow the Boundless Tablet of Mountains and Seas to refine the Dao Yi map, but he never expected the Boundless Tablet to actually leap into the painting itself.

It was truly an unexpected delight!

With the tablet's transformation, the Dao Yi Mountain and Sea Map had reached a state of perfection, beyond any further alteration.

The Dao Yi had mountains and seas engraved on its back.

Although it possessed the landscape of mountains and seas, in reality… its essence was still Dao Yi.

Li Fan looked towards the Dao Annihilation of the Void Realm, beyond the divine deluge of the returning mountains and seas.

The inky mountains and seas carved a path, parting the deluge, and Li Fan charged straight into the Void Realm.

The Dao Yi map's aura, so similar to that of mountains and seas, instinctively drew numerous Dao Annihilations to surround it. The inky colors surged, colliding and clashing with the Dao Annihilations.

In a fierce struggle, the Dao Annihilations finally discovered the true nature of their opponent.

It was subtly one of their own!

Although this 'brother' looked a bit strange and was slightly weaker,

the aura of shared origin was unmistakable.

The battle suddenly ceased.

They did not remain distinct but mingled harmoniously, becoming one!

Witnessing this scene, Li Fan nodded secretly. After the Dao Yi worms merged with Ink Annihilation, they could originally carry the power of Dao Annihilation. However, their initial form was too weak to survive within Dao Annihilation, let alone be compatible with it.

But after his modifications, integrating the principles of mountains and seas, and with the crucial touch of the Boundless Tablet…

The current Dao Yi Mountain and Sea Map, while resembling mountains and seas in form, its essence belonged to Dao Annihilation.

It could advance and merge with Dao Annihilation, or retreat and re-manifest the world of mountains and seas. Its uses were truly infinite!

With the protection of this map, he could disregard the risks of Dao Annihilation and traverse the ancient Void Realm without needing the power of true spirit infusion!

Of course…

It only resembled Dao Annihilation, rather than being true Dao Annihilation. It might deceive the vast armies of Dao Annihilation in the Void Realm, but it certainly wouldn't fool the master behind the Void Realm. Even the Void Realm avatars of the Saints could easily see through it. He still needed to be careful when traveling through it.

Li Fan did not let this temporary ease go to his head.

Nor did he forget the goal he had just set.

The return of the mountains and seas to godhood was already nearing its end.

However, what unfolded deviated somewhat from his expectations.

The new god born this time had a completely different modus operandi compared to the one in the previous life.

In the previous life, the new god had feigned demise to lure out the hidden surviving Saints.

But the new god born in this life was forthright, sweeping across all directions.

With every breath, the vortex of mountain and sea nutrients spun faster and faster, devouring everything.

Gradually, apart from the Void Realm, only the new god remained, standing alone.

As the mountains and seas vanished, there was nowhere left to hide. Four points of light—azure, purple, and two white—were forced to reveal themselves.

Where the new god's gaze fell, the azure point of light offered no resistance and was swallowed whole.

The remaining three scattered like frightened birds and beasts.

However, their escape speed visibly slowed down.

Eventually, they all stopped and returned to the god.

Perhaps it was because of the Boundless Tablet of Mountains and Seas that by hiding within this Dao Yi map, he could minimize the god's influence. As long as he didn't meet the new god's gaze and observed secretly, it would be difficult to be detected.

After the new god finished devouring the mountains and seas, the next step was a battle with the Void Realm.

Li Fan manipulated the Dao Yi map, continuously submerging deeper into the Dao Annihilation.

The new god, having completed its devouring, stood motionless in the void for a long time.

It seemed to sense its own incompleteness, still searching for something.

However, Li Fan had already hidden amidst layers of Dao Annihilation, making it difficult even for divine power to locate him for a while.

And the Void Realm, having accumulated power for a long time, finally sounded the battle horn against the new god.

From the Void Realm's perspective, there was no difference between the so-called mountains and seas and the new god.

They were merely different manifestations of the same power.

Its mission was to utterly annihilate them, and then present them to its greatest master.

The new god's devouring of the mountains and seas meant the Void Realm had only one strategic target left, which paradoxically saved it a great deal of effort.

For the final battle, myriad Dao Annihilations surged with unprecedented intensity.

Undercurrents coiled like dragons, intertwining with one another.

They surrounded and strangled the descending new god!

As the number of Dao Annihilation 'brothers' masking his presence decreased, Li Fan's hidden Dao Yi map gradually risked exposure.

Li Fan even faintly sensed the presence behind the Void Realm.

But he dared not truly probe, merely striving to remain hidden and quietly await the outcome of the struggle between the Void Realm and the new god.

The battle lasted only moments before it escalated beyond Li Fan's observable range.

He could only glimpse the new god's profound silhouette flashing occasionally in the endless darkness.

Turbulent ripples surged, one wave higher than the last.

Even with the Boundless Tablet's blessing, the Dao Yi map repeatedly came close to being shaken into revealing itself.

Fortunately, at the critical juncture of the fierce battle, neither the new god nor the power behind the Void Realm had time to spare for other concerns. This allowed Li Fan to remain hidden.

Although he couldn't see, Li Fan still focused his utmost attention, meticulously recording the battle between the new god and the Void Realm.

Reflecting on this repeatedly in the future, the insights gained would likely be no less than those from observing the mountains and seas themselves.

Under the constant scouring of the ripples, the mountain and sea traces on the map also underwent inexplicable changes.

Li Fan naturally became aware of this.

However, after some thought, Li Fan realized it might be a good thing, so he did not stop it.

He allowed the tumultuous clash between the new god and the Void Realm to reshape the Dao Yi map.

In the void, the passage of time went unnoticed.

The descending new god was clearly much more vibrant than the dying mountains and seas.

The two fought as if endlessly, with no clear outcome.

Under the continuous tempering of the ripples, the Dao Yi map gradually adapted to the aftershocks of the great battle.

Li Fan sat within the map like an old monk in meditation.

He committed all the details of the fluctuations to memory.

His mind gradually became devoid of sorrow or joy, calm and thoughtless.

An unknown amount of time passed, so long that even Li Fan, a Saint, found a strand of silver climbing into his hair.

The ripples echoing in the void finally began to weaken from their intense state.

Simultaneously, Li Fan's heart gave a sudden leap.

In the darkness, something seemed about to break free from its cage.

This feeling was not unfamiliar to Li Fan.

It was the Star!

However, the Star's descent he had witnessed before involved the demise of the mountains and seas and the emergence of a lone star.

This time, as the new god gradually weakened, the cage confining the lone star became increasingly fragile. That lone star seemed to be constantly pounding, announcing its renewed descent with ever-growing commotion! It seemed to be as he predicted. Whether it was the mountains and seas or the new god, neither could ultimately escape the fate of the lone star's arrival.

Li Fan became even more cautious, dispelling all thoughts from his mind and no longer contemplating anything related to the ‘Star’.

The outcome was already set; the new god's struggles were futile.

However, the god's demise was not instantaneous.

By the time Li Fan's hair had turned completely white, no further movement emanated from the void.

Pure silence bred pure vitality.

The Void Realm churned and vibrated ceaselessly, and the pounding heartbeat grew increasingly intense.

The lone Star was on the verge of descending upon the world at any moment.

Yet, for some reason, it felt as though something was perpetually missing.

It seemed to appear, but could not fully manifest?

He had gone too long without thought; Li Fan's mind remained a blank.

Until a peculiar wave instantly swept through all places of nothingness. It then finally locked onto Li Fan's location.

Only then did his divine sense resume its activity.

Just like the massive vortex that had nurtured the new god, a similarly vast vortex subtly began to form in the Void Realm, centered around Li Fan.

However, it was not for nurturing Li Fan.

It was to devour him!

After all, the Dao Yi worm was not Dao Annihilation itself.

When its disguise was ruthlessly torn away, what awaited it was an impact several times fiercer than any Dao Annihilation it had encountered before.

It was as if, during the battle to slay the god, Dao Annihilation had also undergone some kind of sublimation.

Under the onslaught of the Dao Annihilation waves, everything on the Mountain and Sea Map seemed to be erased.

The rich landscape quickly became thin and insubstantial.

Now was the moment! Li Fan remained calm and composed, and the transformation of reality and illusion suddenly enveloped him.

It had not become unfamiliar despite a long period of disuse; it felt as natural and effortless as if it were innate.

The instant Illusion as Reality concealed his existence, Li Fan mercilessly tore the last remnants of the Mountain and Sea Map into shreds.

Countless Dao Yi worms scattered, fleeing from the calamity of destruction. But no longer unified, and acting as isolated individuals, they were swiftly annihilated by the Dao Annihilation.

And in the center of the Dao Yi, the Boundless Tablet of Mountains and Seas was once again exposed to the world.

The Void Realm vortex paused.

The Star's pulsating also seemed to halt because of it.

Then, as if receiving a command, myriad Dao Annihilations ignored the fleeing Dao Yi worms and swarmed towards the Boundless Tablet of Mountains and Seas!

This was…

Li Fan clearly sensed the excitement emanating from the Dao Annihilation.

The reason for the Dao Annihilation's surge was the will of the Star.

Why did he feel…

...as if the Star had never swallowed the Boundless Tablet of Mountains and Seas before?

Witnessing this scene, a strange feeling suddenly arose in Li Fan's heart.

The astonishing scene that followed confirmed his conjecture.

As the Dao Annihilation impacted it, the numerous Dao marks engraved on the Boundless Tablet of Mountains and Seas became increasingly clear.

Even faint figures began to emerge, one after another.

They were precisely the Saints who had once left their marks on the Boundless Tablet.

There were primordial beings, and the Three Sages.

Li Fan even saw himself.

Figure after figure flew out and encircled it, while the Boundless Tablet gradually dissolved into nothingness.

As if its mission was complete, it suddenly collapsed inward, converging into a single point.

It was about to vanish without a trace.

Just then, a glimmer of starlight pierced through the darkness.

It locked onto that single point.